Come December and its Margazhi Music Season in Chennai

The advent of December heralds the grand and oldest music festival season in Asia, the Margazhi Carnatic Music season in Chennai. Music lovers are in for a treat. They make a beeline for the various venues waiting to be entranced by well known musicians who present their brilliant repertoire. I am in Chennai for five days and I want to make the most of it. My feet drag me to the venue of the inauguration of the music season at Brahma Gana Sabha by the Governer of Tamil Nadu. The function was to be followed by a concert by the tremendously talented vocalist, Abhishek Raghuram. For the uninitiated, Abhishek is the grandson of the legendary Mridangam artist, Palghat Raghu and has a connection with the violin maestro, Lalgudi S. Jayaraman on his maternal side. With these genes, it is not at all surprising that Abhishek is one the most talented musicians of the present generation. As usual, the audience was treated to some majestic ragam alapanai and breathtaking kalpana swaras.  His rendering of the ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam’ was the cream on the cake, to be relished and cherished by the music fans. I had another reason for making it to the Brahma Gana Sabha inauguration ceremony. They release their booklet which contains relevant details of all concerts held by the various Sabhas for the entire season. This makes it easy for a visitor with a short span of time at their disposal to pick and choose the concerts by the artists of their choice.

The ready reckoner for Chennai Music Season 

The second day, I chose to go to Kamarajar Arangam, where Sheshank was to give a flute recital. The concert was really good but I was astonished by the sparse audience that would not have numbered more than a couple of hundreds in a hall that has a capacity of more than a thousand.

Sheshank on Flute

The genius of Sheshank’s music saved the day, though it set me wondering about the lack of interest displayed by the younger generation in Carnatic music. But that illusion was partially set right, when I attended the concert of the Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna the next day.

Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna

 Though the audience was predominantly of the older generation, there were some youngsters in the audience giving their undivided attention to the exquisite nuances, great voice range and purity of music displayed by the young artist. 
The concert by Sid Sriram on the following day had maximum youngsters in the audience probably because he is a well known musician in movie circles too.    

The fifth day was a veritable musical treat. I had the occasion to hear both Vishaka Hari’s stunning musical discourse as well as Abhishek Raghuram’s brilliant concert, both at the same venue one after the other organized by Kartik Fine Arts.

Vishaka Hari's mesmerising discourse

Vishaka Hari’s mellifluous voice and her ability to engage the audience is well known. Her topic for the day was on the ‘Panchabootha Sthalas’ and her rendering was a wonderful experience. Abhishek Raghuram is exceptional. No other word can describe his brilliance. His research, the way he improvises, the range, the voice and the mastery over the ragas all make him a favourite with the audience, who, time and again, give him a standing ovation. This made my day. 

Abhishek Raghuram in concert

My disappointment with the audience on the second day was more than made up for by the almost houseful audience for Vishaka Hari and Abhishek Raghuram.

Having had the opportunity to personally experience the thrill of the Margazhi Music Season, albeit for a very short span, I leave Chennai with reluctance as there is so much more in store for music connoisseurs. But I am happy that the platform provided by Margazhi music season for Carnatic music is not getting trapped in stagnation and still going strong, thanks to the young and exceptionally talented artists.

   

#Music #CarnaticMusic #Margazhi #musicseason #Chennai #AbhishekRaghuram, #KunnakudiBalamuralikrishna #SidSriram #VishakaHari #Sheshank

5 States in India Celebrate #Navaratri in 5 different ways #Festival 3

Are the strains of music wafting in the air? Are you waiting to dazzle the gathering with colourful costumes?

Yes. Navaratri, the annual festival, an eclectic mix of religious fervor and enjoyment is here again. The brilliant colours of rangoli, the traditional costumes, rhythmic clap of dandiya sticks, the artistic doll displays, the delectable bhog offerings and the devotion of the devotees mark this beautiful nine day festival. Navaratri is synonymous with the worship of the nine forms of Maa Durga, namely Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri,  Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.  The festival culminates on the tenth day of Vijaya Dashami. 

Want to know how the festival is celebrated in different ways under different names in different parts of India? Read on.

The world famous Durga Puja, the main festival of the year in Kolkota comes to mind as soon as you think of Navaratri. Bengalis come out bedecked in their glorious red saris and finest jewellery to participate in their puja pandals. However, the puja is not confined to Kolkota alone. It is celebrated throughout the eastern States of West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Bihar, though the celebrations in Kolkota is akin to the Ganesh Utsav celebrations of Mumbai or Pune. Large sized idols of Goddess Durga on her vahan, the lion, with her trident aimed at the dreaded demon Mahishasur are installed in beautifully decorated pandals to the beats of dhol, dhak and dhunuchi naach, and the celebrations are open to the public on the last four days of Navaratri  (Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami.)There are some unique rituals associated with the Durga Puja. The idols are sculpted and made ready before Navaratri begins, but the eyes are not painted till Mahalaya. This is the day that the Goddess is invited on earth and the eyes are drawn on this day in an auspicious ritual called Chokku Daan, in the belief that the Goddess will descend to earth to give her blessings to her devotees. And the bhog offered to Maa Durga includes sweets like naru, kheer, payesh, malpua, patishapta, chandrapuli and goja. Interestingly I have not seen rosogolla (my favourite sweet) being offered to the Goddess or am I mistaken?

We mention Navaratri in Gujarat and what does one visualise! The eruption of colours in the form women clad in decoratively embroidered chania cholis and men in their traditional coloured pyjamas and short kurtas, twirling around the garbo, an earthenware pot beautifully decorated with shining mirrors and holes. Betel leaves, betelnuts, coconut and coins are placed in this garbo and the image of the Goddess along with the garbo forms the focal point of the ras garba or dandiya ras.  The rhythmic beat of music resonates throughout the night sometimes as the people lose themselves to the waves of spirituality. Every village, every town and every city in Gujarat has its own garba. Vadodara, the cultural capital of Gujarat boasts of huge dandiya events both traditional and modern or a fusion of both.  Another significant tradition exists where the villagers pay tribute to the monsoon harvest and fertility by setting up a mound-like structure with fresh soil into which food grains are painstakingly sown. This mound of soil is nurtured and watered regularly for all the nine days. The nine days of Navaratri are divided into three parts. The first three days are devoted to Durga Mata, the Goddess of strength, the next three days to Mata Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, and the last three days to Mata Saraswathi, the Goddess of learning. On the ninth day (Navami) a puja called kanya puja is performed where nine young girls are worshipped as the nine forms of Goddess Durga. The euphoria of the festival reaches its crescendo on the tenth day which is considered to be most auspicious for buying new things. The devotees who fast through the nine days break their fast with the Kanya puja on Navami and gorge on their favourite jalebi and fafdi along with other delicacies on Dashami day.

Move down South and one finds an attractive display of dolls decoratively arranged on steps. This is called Bommai Kolu in Tamil Nadu, Bommala Koluvu in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh and Bombe Habba in Karnataka. Bomma Kolu means divine presence, Bomma Koluvu means court of toys and Bombe Habba means doll festival. An odd number of steps three, five, seven or (most commonly) nine steps are decorated and dolls are neatly arranged. The nine steps are for the nine forms of the Goddess. A beautifully decorated kalash with fresh water, mango leaves and coconut, representing Goddess Durga, is kept in the centre of the topmost shelf. Dolls depicting Gods and Goddesses are placed on both sides of the kalash, as well as the top shelves. Some people arrange the dolls in a thematic fashion to relate stories from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Next in line are the holy Saints. Then on the lower shelves, representations of daily life like farming, business, marriage, functions are creatively showcased. All through the nine days, devotional songs, hymns, slokas are sung or recited in praise of the supreme Goddess and neivedyam of sweets and sundal are offered. Married women are invited for “ Manjal kumkumam and vethalai pakku.”Though the artistic Kolu is kept for all the nine days, some keep it during the last three days of Navaratri. The ninth day of Navaratri is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Saraswathi and is called Saraswathi Puja, when puja to an arrangement of books, musical instruments are offered. The tenth day is Vijayadashami and children are initiated into learning for the first time (Vidyarambham). It is believed that anything you start on this day is bound to achieve success. On the day of Dashami, the dolls of the Kolu are symbolically put to sleep signaling the end of the festival.

Navaratri is celebrated with Mata ki chowki and jagrans in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and UP. Devotees generally observe fast (Vrat) on the first seven days, while some observe fast for the entire nine days. They organize and attend jagrans to pay obeisance to the Devi, when the entire night is spent is singing devotional songs and praying to Mata Durga. In many parts of North India, the staging of Ramlila is organized. On the tenth day, Dashami, an effigy of Ravana is burnt, signaling the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana. Of special note is the celebration of the world famous Kullu Dusshera. In Kullu, also known as the valley of Gods, Dusshera festival starts when the celebrations in other parts of the country end.  Dussehra in Kullu valley is a week-long festival starts with a procession of Lord Raghunath, along with other deities, carried on a Ratha across the town. The village Gods and minor deities also participate in this celebration. The entire region comes alive when the procession reaches the Dhalpur maidan, which is the centre of the colourful festivities, which include dance, music, cultural events and food.

In Maharashtra, the Navaratri celebrations are highly spiritual and personal. A ritual called Ghatasthapana is performed on the first day, when a small earthen pot with water is placed in the centre of a container filled with mud. This pot symbolizes Durga Mata. Grains are sown in the mud soil around the pot and religiously watered and allowed to sprout. For nine days this pot is worshipped with offerings of fruits and flowers amidst various rituals.  Married women are invited for Haldi Kumkum to obtain their blessings for soumangalya. They are offered flowers to adorn their hair, bangles, and betel leaves, betel nut and coconut along with the haldi kumkum. On the eighth day of Ashtami, a havan (yagna) is performed for the Goddess to obtain her blessings. On Dashami, they collect the sona (gold) leaves of the Apta tree, visit relatives and friends and offer the sonpatha to everyone and take blessings from the elderly. Dashami is also the day for initiation into learning for children and this is called Vidhyarambham. This ritual is similar to the Vidyarambham of South India.

#Dusshera #Navaratri  #Durgapuja #Garba #dandiya #Jagran #haldikumkum #Bommakolu #Bommalakoluvu #Bombehabba #Rasgarba

#Kerala celebrates the return of Mahabali Chakravarthy with the #Onam Festival that includes #Pookalams, #OnamSadhya, #Vallam Kali and #Onakazhcha #Festival 2

At the outset I would like to wish everyone a very happy Onam.
Keralites all over the world wait for this magnificent festival of Onam to celebrate the annual visit of their beloved King Mahabali Chakravarthy also lovingly called Maveli. Everywhere, we can find Onam Sadhyas being served on banana leaves in a traditional way and colourful pookalams decorating  the entrances of houses.
Here is an excerpt from my book Kerala the Divine Destination on this festival.

'Kerala is synonymous with its most important festival, Onam , which is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar, corresponding to the months of August-September. There is a festival atmosphere around the whole region, with each house having a pookalam, a floral rangoli adorning its portico. 

Come dawn and the mist is driven away by the first rays of the sun revealing a kaleidoscope of colours in each pookalam. Simple yet stunning, it’s floral magnificence captures the spirit of the land, the joy and merriment associated with the festival of the season  The making of the pookalam starts on the auspicious day of hastham (attam). Every day more and more intricate designs are added for a period of ten   days culminating in a huge magnificent floral carpet on the final day of Thiru Onam. Preparations for the festival also start on this Attam day.

Houses are cleaned, pickles are prepared, and everyone is involved in the festivities. In villages, people prepare swings hung between the boughs of two big trees and decorate it with flowers allowing for the entire span of ten days to be spent in joy and playfulness by the kids of the houses. The joint family system, or the Tharawad as it is popularly known, still prevails in most parts of Kerala. On Utharadam, the day prior to Onam, the members and dependants of the tharawad present the produce of their farms consisting of vegetables, fruits coconuts and three varieties of plantains to the Head of the Tharawad, generally the eldest person in the family. This is known as onakazhcha. 

In return, he presents them with a sumptuous feast. Utharadam is followed by the most important day of the festival, the Thiru onam.  

Legend has it that the great King Mahabali visits his subjects once in a year. Mahabali belonged to the Asura clan but was an ardent worshiper of Lord Vishnu. His bravery and strength of character earned him the title of "Mahabali Chakravathy" or Mahabali - the King of Kings. It is said that there was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. At the request of the Gods, who were worried about the king’s growing strength and popularity, Lord Vishnu assumed the Vamana avathar, that of a poor Brahmin, and approached King Mahabali for a gift of a piece of land. The King who was known for his generosity did not disappoint, and requested the Brahmin to take as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin however had a strange request. He wanted land that would cover his three steps. Startled, the king agreed.  The Guru of Asuras, Shukracharya, recognizing the divine presence of Lord Vishnu, tried to prevent the King but in vain and lost one of his eyes in the process.Vamana, the Brahmin, began to expand and eventually increased himself to the size of cosmic proportions. With his first step he covered the whole of earth and with the second he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali for place to keep his third foot. The King realised that he was no ordinary Brahmin and so with folded hands and bowed head asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep the promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to patala, the nether world. There the King requested the Brahmin to reveal his true identity. Lord Vishnu then appeared before the king extremely pleased with his devotee’s generosity and benevolence. He asked the King to ask for a boon. The king was so attached to his subjects that he requested the Gods to allow him to visit his people for one day in a year to ensure their well being. The people of Kerala wish to show their beloved king that they are as grand and prosperous now as they were during his rule.

Rituals on the auspicious day of Thiru Onam begin as early as 4am. People wake up very early. The finishing touches and the last circle of flowers are added to the pookalam. Then they make a conical figure of clay depicting Thrikkakara Appan, Lord Vishnu in his Vamana avathar and place it in a the pride of place in the midst of the floral carpet. They decorate Thrikkakara Appan with a paste of rice flour and water, and flowers. Everyone wears new clothes or the Onapudava which are presented to them in a ceremonial manner by the head of the family. They prepare neivedyam, an offering to the God and begin their prayers.

The religious rituals are then followed by the most exciting part of the onam celebrations, the Onasadhya, the grand feast organized by each and every household. 
Traditionally the onam sadhya is served on plantain leaves in a row on a mat laid on the floor. There is a fixed order of serving the sumptuous vegetarian dishes and a set place for each dish on the leaf.  First the payasam , the sweet dish, is served on the lower right corner. Kichadi, curry, kootu, kalan, avial, and olan are served from right to left on the upper portion of the banana leaf. Then follow the pickles. The pickles are generally made of mango or lime and are served on the extreme left.  Bananas are then served on the left upper corner. The Pappads and plantain wafers known as varathupperi are served next to the pickles. After everyone is seated, rice is served. It is followed by a spoon of ghee and then sambhar. Rasam is next. The main sweet course is then served the adapradhaman and palpayasam. The meal ends with curd and rice.  It is to be noted that the entire meal is usually eaten with hand and not with spoons. The people also make it a point to offer the entire meal to Lord Ganapathi as an offering and then proceed with their own meals.

After this fabulous mouth watering meal, the youngsters seek enjoyment in games. 

There are various forms of onakalikal like Kummattikali, kaikotikali, pulikali etc. Kali means game and onakalikal means games played during Onam. The kaikotikali is a popular rhythmic group dance performed by the womenfolk of Kerala around a gorgeous pookalam with a ghee villakku (lamp) placed in the centre. 

The elderly people retire to play indoor games like chess or dice. The young men however prefer to play outdoor games like the panthukali, a ball game, or thekayyankali, a combat game or kutukutu which is similar to the nationwide popular game of kabbaddi.

The Vallamkali or the Snake Boat Race is the most enchanting facet of the festival of Onam.  The race was popularized by the first prime minister of India, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was so enchanted that he instituted a trophy for the winning boat. The event is promoted as a major tourist attraction of the state of Kerala and draws a large number of domestic and international tourists. The race is very competitive and requires great skill and balance. Even a small mistake by one of the oarsman may cause imbalance and lead to the boat overturning. This race instills a great sense of unity and team spirit amongst the participants.

Another important feature of the Onam festival is the elephant procession held in Trissur. The elephants are decorated with ornate gold caparisons on their foreheads and project a magnificent sight.

Onam in Trikkakara, a place 10 km from Kochi (Cochin) on the Edapally- Pookattupadi road, said to be the capital of the mighty King Mahabali is celebrated with great pomp and vigour. A temple with a deity of 'Trikkakara Appan' or 'Vamanamurthy' is also located at this place. The Ona sadhya is itself an offering to the Lord here. 

Onam is a festival which mirrors the cultural ethos and the unity and secular nature of the inhabitants of Kerala. The grandeur of the celebrations and the underlying faith of the people during the festival of Onam, can be actually experienced, if one takes part in the gamut of cultural activities held to mark the festivities.'

#Onam  #Maveli #MahabaliChakravarthy #OnamSadhya #Onakazhcha #VallamKali #Pookalam #Vamanamurthy #TrikkakaraAppan

#Bhimashankar #Jyotirlinga in #Maharashtra, the Legend, the #TempleStories 3 on the banks of the River Bhima

We set on our journey to Bhimashankar very early in the morning. It took us a good four and a half hours to reach the temple from Mumbai. The drive was amazing, along winding roads in the midst of nature. Many devotees trek it to the temple on foot. The serene atmosphere enhances the divinity of this beautiful temple and infuses a feeling of calm and oneness with nature and God in the minds of the thousands of devotees undertaking the strenuous trek.

We took the easy option of driving up to the spacious parking lot. A huge gate with “Kshetra Jai Bhimashankar” inscribed on it welcomed us.

One has to descend a flight of steps to reach the temple. 

The golden kalash is instantly visible along with the exquisite shikara. The Kalash dates back to the 13th or 14th century and it is believed that the original temple was built by one Vinayak Rao Bhide.

The temple, though, as it is seen in present times has been built by Nana Phadnavis, during the Peshwa rule in the 18th century. 

On the way to the main temple there is a shrine to Goddess Kamalaja, believed to be an incarnation of Devi Parvati. 

The story goes that a demon lived here and harassed the people of the land. Indradev requested Devi Kamalaja to put an end to his atrocities. The Goddess fought a long battle with the demon and vanquished him upon which the Devas worshipped her with kamal (lotus). Hence the Goddess is called Kamalaja.

 The way to the main temple is flanked by shops on both sides which sell a host of puja materials, medicinal herbs and plants and temple artifacts. 

A signboard reading Bhimashankar Jyotirling Simhadwar leads us into the temple premises. The locals told us that Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj used to come here frequently for a darshan of Lord Bhimashankar and the Peshwas rebuilt the temple in the 18th century. The spacious Sabha Mandap also seems to be a recent addition. Just outside the Mandap one finds a shrine to Shaneeshwar Bhagwan.

 A huge panchadaatu bell of Portuguese origin hangs here on which is inscribed 1729. Two stone deepmalas and two Nandi statues are also seen in the temple premises. A sacred fireplace is seen from where the ashes are used to make vibhooti or bhasma for the Lord. The main sanctum houses the swayambu lingam of Bhimashankar covered with the archana flowers, mainly bright yellow marigold and the sacred Bilwa leaves. The Yoni is clad in silver and presents a divine sight as the aarti flame lights up the entire shrine and the feeling of spiritual fervour seems to rise to a crescendo with the sound of conches, bells and cymbals. There are small shrines to Lord Ganesh and Bharaivnathji inside the Garbagriha. A panchamukhi silver face is placed on the Shivling during the aarti, signifying the presence of Panchatatva (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Chandra and Parvati Mata), and both Shiv and Shakti are ever present at this holy place to bless their devotees. On Amavasya days and Mondays, there are special pujas conducted during the trikal pujas. Rudrabhishek and Panchamrut abhishek is done everyday for Lord Bhimashankar.

Legend 

Bhimashankar Jyotirling is the source of the River Bhima, which is said to have been formed from the sweat of Mahadev while he was resting here after the battle with Tripurasura. Bhima merges with the River Krishna at Raichur. The story goes thus. Tripurasura was the son of Sage Grutsamad and was initiated into the worship of Lord Ganesh. He was gifted three worlds (Three Puras) one of gold, another of silver and the third of iron. He was also bestowed with a boon that only Mahadev could kill him and that too with one arrow piercing the three Puras. Subsequently, the Asura was consumed with pride and harassed everyone. The Devas prayed to Lord Shivshankar who agreed to battle with Tripurasur. The long battle ended when Mahadev after praying to Chintamani Ganesh defeated the Asura and the sweat from Lord Shiva’s body fell to the earth at this spot. Another legend speaks of the Asur called Bhima who was staying in these forests with his mother Kartaki. After he grew up, he asked his mother to reveal his father’s identity. When his mother informed him, that he was the son of the mighty Kumbakarna, who along with his brother Ravana, had been killed by Mahavishnu in his Ramavathar, Bhima was furious and vowed to take revenge against Mahavishnu. He did great penance to Lord Brahma, acquired powerful boons, and started harassing the people and even the Devas. He captured King Kamarupeshwar who was a staunch devotee of Mahadev and ordered him to stop his worship of the Lord. Kamarupeshwar refused. Bhima at once lifted his sword to strike at the Shivlingam when a raging fire emanated which destroyed the Asura. Kamarupeshwar, the beloved devotee, requested the Lord to stay here as a Jyotirlingam and bless everyone. Thus Mahadev assumed the name Bhimashankar and is ever present in this beautiful village. 

#Bhimashankar #Jyotirling #Temple #Maharashtra #River_Bhima #Mahadev #Shiva  #Parvati #Kamalaja #Tripurasura

#Stories from the #Ramayana for #ChildrenStories 6 - Sita's Swayamvaram

Janaka Maharaja was the wise and learned king of Mithila. He was known to be a just and able ruler. Once when the king was on a mission, he heard the cry of a child. He discovered a girl child in a furrow under a ploughed field. He lifted her up and finding nobody to claim her, took her home to his queen Sunaina.  Believing her to be the child of Bhumi Devi, (Mother Earth) they adopted the child and named her Sita. Janaka and Sunaina adored Sita and brought her up with great love and care. In time, they had another daughter named Urmila, who was even more attached to Sita. Janaka’s brother had two daughters called Mandvi and Shrutakirti. The four cousins grew up together happily.

Once, when Sita was playing with her sisters she discovered a beautiful bow placed ceremoniously on a table. Being curious, she lifted the bow. Janaka, who was watching the entire incident, was stunned. Sita, a young girl had lifted the divine Shiva Dhanush, which no one had ever been able to do. He knew that his daughter was not an ordinary child. To lift the divine bow, she had to be divine too.

Years later, when Sita grew up to marriageable age, Maharaja Janaka remembered this incident and decided to make that the backdrop of her Swayamvaram.  In those days, Swayamvarams were held by royal families, and kings and princes of various regions were invited, to allow their princess to choose the man whom she wished to marry. Likewise, Janaka, realizing that only a divine and strong person could string the Shiva Dhanush, pronounced a condition for Sita’s swayamvaram.

“The man who lifts and strings the Shiva Dhanush will be offered Sita’s hand in marriage,” he announced.

Sita’s beauty was incomparable and every king or prince in the nearby kingdoms wanted to marry her. Since invitations for the Swayamvaram had been sent far and wide, all the Kings and Princes were expected to assemble in Mithila. The same invitation had been given to Sage Vishwamitra. He accepted the invitation and went to Mithila with Rama and Lakshmana. He was received with great respect and humility by the Janaka Maharaja, who personally led him to the dwelling allotted for the Sage. In the evening Sage Vishwamitra sent Rama and Lakshmana to collect flowers for his nitya puja.

While they were plucking the beautiful flowers in the pushpa vatika, Sita and her sisters were going for worship at the nearby Gowri Mata temple. Rama’s glance fell on Sita and at once he was attracted by her incredible beauty. Lakshmana noticed Rama’s attraction and realizing that Sita was an incarnation Goddess Lakshmi, he folded his hands in humble prayer. Sita’s eyes too fell on Rama and she knew at once that Rama (the incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu) was the man she wanted to marry.  She ran towards the temple and prayed to Goddess Parvati to bless her and grant her wish that only Rama should be her husband.

The next day dawned. Kings and princes from many lands were present at the swayamvaram hall in Janaka Maharaja’s palace. It is believed that the powerful king of Lanka, Ravana, too was in attendance. One by one all the great kings and princes tried their hand at lifting the Shiva Dhanush, but failed. It was the turn of Ravana. Ravana was a devout Shiva bhakt, and the other kings expected him to life the bow. But he too tried and failed. Seeing the powerful kings fail one by one, Sita was happy. Her heart was with Rama, who was seated along with Lakshmana and Sage Vishwamitra watching the scene. But Janaka Maharaja was sad. He was wondering whether Sita would remain unmarried because of the condition that he had laid.

“Is there no one in this Sabha who can fulfill the condition for winning my daughter’s hand?” he lamented. “Is this world bereft of strong men?”

At this Lakshmana could not contain his anger. “When my brother Rama is in this Sabha, how can you even think or say such a thing?” he thundered.

“Calm down Lakshmana,” said Sage Vishwamitra.

He then spoke to the Janaka Maharaja. “These two boys with me are sons of Maharaja Dashrath of Ayodhya. They are learned, strong and wise, and have protected our yagna from terrible demons like Tataka, Subahu and Marich. So with your permission, dear Maharaja Janaka, let Rama try to string the Shiva Dhanush.”

Rama breaks Shiva Dhanush (Raja Ravi Varma [Public domain] via Wikipedia)

Janaka Maharaj looked at the Sage and nodded. Vishwamitra looked at Rama and asked him to try.

Rama took Sage Vishwamitra’s blessing, and walked up to the table where the Shiva Dhanush was placed. He gave a quick glance to Sita, who was praying to Goddess Parvati. Then Rama humbly and respectfully prostrated before the Shiva Dhanush. Lifting the divine bow with ease he strung the thread to the bow, but the force broke the bow into two with a huge sound.

At last there was a relieved smile on the face of Maharaja Janaka and his Queen Sunaina. Sita flanked by her sister and cousins, walked towards Rama with the Varmala and garlanded him shyly.  

But there was a thundering voice which stopped them. They turned to see Lord Parashuram angrily asking "Who has the temerity to break the Shiva Dhanush?"

Rama calmly answered, "I broke it."

Parashuram looks at him and realizes that Rama is Mahavishnu's avatar, and blesses the divine couple. He then leaves.

#Ayodhya #stories_for_children #Vishwamitra #Rama #Lakshmana  #Sita #Swayamvaram #Sita_swayamvar #Janaka #Sunaina #Mithila #Shiva_dhanush

#Stories from the #Ramayana for #ChildrenStories 5 - Tataka is Killed

Rama and Lakshmana walked along behind the Sage Vishwamitra. When they reached the forest, the Sage sat under the shade of a tree.

“We have come a long way. I am sure you both must be feeling hungry.” he said tenderly.

After a simple meal, the Sage taught them how to use divine weapons. He also gave them knowledge of mantras to defeat hunger and sleep, as that would be of use to them in later battles.

They then proceeded deep into the forest. There was a frightening air about the forest. Rama could sense it. So could Sage Vishwamitra, who at once stopped for a second.

“Rama, this is Tatakavan (the forest of the terrible Tataka.) Now, both of you should be careful."

"Who is this Tataka?" asked Rama.

"Tataka is the daughter of a Yaksha called Suketu. Suketu prayed to Lord Brahma, who blessed him with a daughter with immense strength. Tataka grew up and was married to Sunda. They had two sons Subahu and Marich. Sunda earned the wrath of Sage Agasthya who killed him. Enraged by her husband's death, Tataka started harassing the Sage, who cursed her to lose her beauty and get demonic characteristics.  Tataka and her sons Subahu and Marich are deadly demons. They live here nowand do not allow us to perform our yagnas in peace.  As soon as we start the sacred fire, they appear from somewhere and pour bones, animal blood and other hideous items to douse the fire.”

Even as he was talking, they heard a horrible sound that made the earth tremble. Rama and Lakshmana looked up to see a huge ugly looking demonness sleeping on a rock nearby. The terrible noise belonged to her snore.

“This is Tataka,” said the Sage. The boys were amazed at the sight of the gigantic Tataka. 

Image of Tadaka Vadh via Wikipedia, Raja Ravi Press [Public domain]

Hearing their voices, however, Tataka woke up to see who was brave enough to come near her. When she saw the two young boys with Maharishi Vishwamitra, she let out a deafening roar. She looked around and lifted a huge boulder and threw it with full force at them.

Rama at once sent an arrow which broke the boulder into a thousand pieces. Tataka was looking bewildered. But she soon brought a weapon in her hand and threw it. Rama’s arrow broke this weapon too. It was almost evening and the sun was beginning to set. Sage Vishwamitra knew that the strength of the demons increase after twilight and it would get difficult to vanquish them.

“Rama, kill Tataka immediately,” he ordered.

Rama hesitated to kill her as she was a woman. He had already maimed her with his arrows. But hearing the Sage’s orders, Rama sent forth an arrow aimed at Tataka’s heart, which killed her instantly. Realising the significance of Tataka’s death, all the Devas showered Rama and Lakshmana with flowers from heaven. Thus Rama began his mission of removing evil forces from the earth by first killing Tataka.

Later the Maharishi and other Rishis gathered around the two princes.

“I am going to start my yagna now,” said the Sage. “And I want you both to keep a watch for the demons Subahu and Marich. They will not keep quiet when they know that their mother has been klled.” 

The Sage started his Yagna along with the other sages. As if on cue, as soon as the sacred havan fire was lit, Subahu and Marich, already enraged by the death of their powerful mother, came to stop the yagna with a huge demon army. Lakshmana killed all the other demons while Rama killed Subahu. Another arrow left by Rama, threw Marich very, very far away. Happy that the three evil demons had been vanquished, the sages peacefully completed the yagna. 

On the next day a messenger arrived from Mithila Nagari, the kingdom of Janaka Maharaja. It was an invitation for Sage Vishwamitra to attend the Swayamvara ceremony of the King’s beautiful daughter, Sita. Vishwamitra asked Rama and Lakshmana to get ready to accompany him to Mithila Nagari.  

#Ramayana #Rama #Lakshmana #Vishwamitra #Tataka #Subahu #Marich #Epic #StoriesForChildren

The unique Sri Sarvamangala samedha Pallikondeshwara Swami #Templestories 2 at Surutupalli comes alive during Pradosham days

A sleepy little town that comes alive on the two Pradosham days every month, Surutupalli is located approximately 70 Kms from Tirupati on the main Chennai – Puttur road, near the Andhra  - Tamil Nadu border near Uthukotai.

        The Sarvamangala samedha Pallikondeshwara Swami Temple at Surutupalli has so many unique features, that it seems strange that not many people know about it. This is the only Shivasthala where the Lord Shiva presides in the reclining (sayana) position, that too, resting his head on the lap of the Goddess Parvathi. This is the place where the Pradosha Puja was first performed.

Legend: During the Amrutmanthan, when the Devas and Asuras were churning the divine ocean of milk, using the king of serpents, Vasuki, as a rope around the Manthara Mountain, there came a time when Vasuki could not bear the pain and vomited poison. All the Devas and Asuras prayed to Lord Shiva to save them from this terrible halahala poison which would have killed the entire world. The Lord acceded to their pleas and swallowed the poison. The divine Mother Parvathi, who takes care of the whole world, put a hand to stop the poison at the throat itself. The Lord thus came to be known as Sri Neelakantan and the Goddess as Sarvamangala. On their way back to Kailas after this episode, when they reached Surutupalli, the Lord wanted to rest because probably he was feeling dizzy after consuming the poison. So he lay down with his head placed comfortably on the lap of the Goddess. The sculptural depiction of mother Parvathi sitting with the Lord’s head on her lap, trying to hold the neck tight with her two hands, lest the poison burn the worlds inside is unimaginably beautiful. All the Gods, including Lord Ganesh and Karthikeya Swami with his consorts, Valli and Devasena, sages and rishis stand praying to the Lord.

Lord Pallikondeshwarar and Goddess Sarvamangala bless them and all other devotees who come to pray to them.

 As one enters the temple, there is a separate sanctum for Goddess Maragadambika with Kamadenu, the divine cow, to the left and Kalpavriksh, the tree that offers everything that you wish for, to the right. Sage Valmiki, is said to have prayed to the Lord and obtained his blessings here before writing the Ramayana epic. The Lord who appeared before Valmiki as a Swayambhu Linga is known as Valmikeshwarar. All the abhishekams are performed for Lord Valmikeshwarar.

Another feature of this temple is that Lord Dakshinamurthy can be seen in the poorna swarupam with consort Gowri to his left. Nowhere else in the world, can we get this unique darshan of Dambathi samedha Dakshinamurthy.

Nandikeshwarar takes his pride of place in front of the Lord. During the Pradosha puja, devotees clamour to see the abhishekams to Nandikeshwarar and then see the Lord through the space in between the horns of Nandikeshwarar, as the Lord is believed to dance the ananda thandavam with his foot on Nandikeshwarar’s head.

There is a shrine to Sita, Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrugna and Anjaneya swami. There are separate shrines to Poorna Pushkala samedha Dharmashastha, Sri Nrithya Ganapathi, Sri Subramanian Swami with Valli and Devasena, Sri Vishnu Durga, Sri Kalabhairavar, Sri Kashi Viswanatha Swami with Vishalakshi, Sri Venugopalaswami and Sri Ramalingeshwarar.  A shrine to the Navagrahas is also present.   

Important Festivals: Every Pradhosham, especially Shani-Pradhosham, Maha Shivarathri, Thiruvadhirai, Navarathri and the Tamil and Telugu New Year days.

Temple Timings: 6 am -12 noon and 4 pm – 8 pm.

Tel: 08576 – 278599

Note: On every Shani-Pradosham day and on important festival days, Pallikondeshwara Swami and Sarva Mangala Devi are bedecked with silver kavachams, which was interestingly donated by a devotee from Chennai. There is a huge queue on these days and one has to be prepared to wait his turn for the darshan, but the grand sight of the bejeweled Lord is well worth the wait.

 #Temple, #Pilgrimage #Surutupalli #Pallikondeshwarar #Shiva #Parvati #Sarvamangala #templetales #Pradosh #traveltales #DiscoverIndia 

A day at the historic town of #Maheshwar on the banks of the #Narmada #Tourism #Travel

A chance remark about Maheshwar being the precious gem on the course of the river Narmada made us to take a detour from the usual Ujjain and Omkareshwar trips that we undertake when we visit Indore. And what a wonderful decision it turned out to be!

We started at around 6.00 am from Indore stocking up a few bites for breakfast as we did not want to waste time on wayside inns. Verdant green corn fields whizzed past providing a visual feast to our famished urban eyes as the car sped along the smooth highway. We reached our destination, the ancient town of  Maheshwar, much before we had expected to, at around 9.00am.

I had read about Maheshwar having a mention in our ancient scriptures of Ramayana and Mahabharata as the land of Mahishmati. Yes!  The same Mahishmati that is depicted in the epic film Bahubali! It was said to be a part of Avantika or Ujjain and dates back around 4000 years. My romance with this quaint little town began with my first step on its soil. It was as if history, mythology and nature had merged to form a mesmerizing picture of a majestic fort juxtaposed against the deep blue waters of the sacred Narmada. The river is undoubtedly the fulcrum of existence in this ancient town, giving shape to its spiritual and cultural landscape.

Our guide, Dileep Sharma, a young local man, who had been referred by my friend at Indore, was waiting for us at the entrance of Ahilya Fort.  He greeted us in English with hands folded in a namastey gesture, but was quite happy to know that we were fluent in Hindi. He explained that part of the ancient fort  had been restored and converted into a hotel by Richard Holkar, a direct descendent of the great Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. Staying in the Ahilya Fort as the hotel is called, gives one the exalted experience of staying with royalty. All the rooms are unique and tastefully decorated overlooking the glistening waters of the Narmada and providing a romantic touch to your stay. There are patios and terraces in the courtyard where one can relax with a book or just enjoy the scene at the river below. The  residents at the Ahilya Fort have been offered exclusivity and privacy from the curious eyes of tourists as the hotel part of the fort has been walled up. 

Our guide led us to the huge statue of the revered Maharani Ahilyabai (1767-1795) occupying the pride of place in the midst of a garden.

 

He then guided us through the Rajwada, her erstwhile administrative quarters.  It was fascinating to see the various chhatris and the royal artifacts preserved in good condition, but my attention was drawn to the cushioned seat from where the queen had ruled and delivered judgements with a Shivaling in her hand.

Even today, she is spoken of with the respect and reverence accorded to a deity, as her rule after the tragic death of her husband and son had been marked by the undoing of the damage done to Hindu places of worship by Aurangazeb. I saw a board displaying the list of temples restored by her and they included the holiest of shrines like the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir at Varanasi and the Somnath Jyotirling.  The innate simplicity of the Rajwada is symbolic of the simplicity of the queen who ruled here. It was Devi Ahilyabai who shifted the capital of Malwa from Indore to Maheshwar. Sharmaji also showed us the palki in which the image of Ahilyabai is carried out in procession on specific days.

Walking down the stairs from the fort, we were mesmerized by the sight of the beautiful temple to Ahilyeshwar built in grey stone.

Our guide wanted us to see the unique daily Shivaling puja conducted every day between 8am and 10am in the morning and fortunately we made it in time  to see the latter part.  I did not count the number but a few Brahmins were making hundreds of Shivalingas, worshipping them and then offering them to the Narmada. Sharmaji told us that this was a practice continued right from the days of Ahilyabai when 108 Brahmins used to make 125000 small Shivalingas every day. Now there are 11 Brahmins making 15000 Shivalingas.  We were also shown a room adjacent to the temple, where a golden swing and some precious Shivalingas are displayed (no photos allowed). There is a shrine to Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman in the fort, opposite to which is located a separate shrine to Lord Hanuman.  

We then walked up towards the famous Rajarajeshwara temple complex where 11 lamps are presumed to be burning since pre-historic times. Called Akhanda Jyoth,  these lamps are kept burning as devotees offer donations for the ghee used in the lamps lit in honor of Lord Agni. 

We heard an interesting story about Agnidev falling in love with the beautiful daughter of King Nila, which was reciprocated by her. The King’s sacred fire would burn only when she breathed air into it. While Agnidev took the form of a brahmin and courted her, the King caught them and rejected their love match. Agnidev got furious and threatened to burn down the entire Nishada kingdom. Realizing his true form, the King fell at his feet and begged forgiveness. He also requested the fire God to bless his kingdom. Agnidev agreed albeit with a condition that couples in pure love should not be frowned upon. It is said the women of Mahishmati enjoyed much more freedom as compared to other places.

A small shrine to Sahastraarjun, the powerful emperor who imprisoned the king of Lanka, Raavana, for many months, is present in this temple complex.

The beautiful Kashi Vishwanath temple has been built as a replica of the original temple at Varanasi.

Later Sharmaji led us down the spectacular fan shaped stairs to the clean Ghats on the Narmada riverfront. Nothing actually prepares you for the majestic view of the historic fortress provided a stunning backdrop to the glistening river.

Narmada, believed to be born of a drop of sweat from Lord Shiva’s forehead, is sacred, as scared as the Ganga or Yamuna. She also goes by the name of Shankari.  It is said that ‘you are purified and released from all your sins if you bathe in the Ganga but the very sight of Narmada will purify you.’ 

No wonder then that we see devotees doing the parikrama of this sacred river either by foot or by car.

As it was almost noon when we reached the Ghats, the golden hued rays of the sun created a beautiful shimmering setting for our boat ride on the Narmada. There was a group of four apart from us in the boat heading towards the Baneshwar Mandir located in the middle of the river. Even as our boat moved at a slow pace, we could feast our eyes on the panoramic view of the magnificent riverfront with intermittent sightings of pilgrims feeding fish, taking a dip or chanting to the beat of clanging bells. Sharmaji enlightened us with information about the four main Ghats, the Ahilya Ghat, Peshwa Ghat, Mahila Ghat and the Phanse Ghat,  among the 28 Ghats on the Narmada. He told us about the small rounded stones called Banalingas found at the base of the river, which are taken home by devotees for daily worship.

As we approached the Baneshwar Mandir, the boat slowly came to a halt. Climbing a few stone steps, we entered the precincts of the sacred shrine.

The tranquility in this shrine is so conducive to meditation and prayer that we were induced to spend more time here. The lone priest mentioned that the temple is believed to be located on the axis connecting the North Pole to the centre of the earth. We were more relaxed during the ride back, focusing our views on the multitude of temples on the riverfront with their signature saffron flags flying gently in the breeze.

On our way back from the Ghats it was time to pay a visit to the Rehwa Society, the weaver’s co-operative, run by the Holkar family. The workshop is in the fort itself to the left as you go down to the river from the Rajwada. The clatter of the looms accompanied the rhythmic movement of hands at work as the famous Maheshwari saris were being woven. The men in the office were kind enough to give us a glimpse into the history behind the weaving industry in Maheshwar. Maharani Ahilyabai had invited weaver communities from nearby Mandu to teach her people the craft of weaving in order to provide them with a source of living. She gifted the beautiful, light textiles that were created by the weavers to all visiting royal dignitaries. The craft slowly found royal patronage and the handloom weaving tradition in Maheshwar began to thrive.

The stuff at the Rehwa Society is absolutely authentic and you can definitely buy shawls, stoles and saris from them though they are expensive. Further down the stairs, there is another shop Bhagyshree Handloom handling production and sales of authentic Maheshwari handlooms since many decades. 

 The proprietor, Golu Shilodre, was quite happy to show me a variety of saris and I could not resist the temptation of buying a few. In addition, there are many shops in the market area showcasing these beautiful Maheshwari handlooms.

The beauty of this historic town has attracted more than forty film makers for shooting parts of their films at this picturesque location.

#Maheshwar  #AhilyaFort  #Narmada #Ahilyeshwar  #RajrajeshwarTemple  #RehwaSociety #AhilyabaiHolkar  #IncredibleIndia #Travel #Tourism