#AshadhiEkadashi 2020 celebrations at #PandurangaVittala #temple #Pandharpur to be very low key #templestories 7

Ashadhi Ekadashi or Devashayani Ekadashi, as it is also called, is one of the most significant religious festivals in Maharashtra. This year it falls on 1st July. But with the prevalent pandemic situation, celebrations are to be very low key. The famed Wari procession will not take place on foot as usual and only a select few warkaris will be allowed into the temple with the padukas of the saints, which will be taken by road or air.
On this festive occasion, I would like to share an excerpt from my book "Temples in Maharashtra-A Travel Guide"

"The mention of Pandharpur brings to our mind vivid images of the turban or topi clad Warkari holding tals in his hands and singing abhangs (sacred hymns composed by the great saints like Gyaneshwar or Tukaram) with joyous abandon and devotion, walking towards his Lord Vittala in complete surrender. No wonder then, that Pandharpur is considered by many as the holiest place in Maharashtra, the Bhu-Vaikuntam.

This is the place where Lord Vittala stands on bricks with hands held on hip, waiting for his beloved devotee, Pundalik, to finish his chores for his parents and turn towards the Lord so that he can be blessed, the place where the Lord Vittala and his devotee, (Warkari), cannot be separated.

Pandharpur, located approximately 365 kms. from Mumbai and 215 kms. from Pune, is best accessed from Solapur which is 74 kms. away and has good stay options. The road is well maintained and buses are available every fifteen minutes. As you enter the ancient temple town, picturesquely positioned on the banks of the river Chandrabhaga, you attention never wavers from the Vittala temple. The temple is believed to be more than 2000 years old. Traditionally, one is supposed to have a dip in the holy waters of the Chandrabhaga, have darshan at the Pundalik temple and worship the devotee before the Lord. Hence the main eastern entrance faces the Pundalik temple on the banks of the crescent shaped river. It is lined with shops selling flowers, bukka and puja materials, and one is approached by many who wish to guide you for a fee.

The entrance to the sanctum santorum is through the Namdev Gate, in respect to the great Marathi poet and devotee, Sant Namdev. There are twelve steps and the first one has the figure of Namdev with a tambourine in his hand singing a kirtan, and fourteen members of his family carved on it. There is also a bust of 94 Namdev to the side of the step. It is said that when Namdev took Samadhi, the rest of the fourteen members drowned themselves. This step, called Namdev payari, is considered the samadi of Namdev. Hence devotees worship it, cross it without setting their foot on it. Generally the pujari here is from Namdev’s Shimpi community and the offerings go to the Badaves or the hereditary priests of Vithoba.
Near the entrance we find the Samadhi of Chokamela, a great devotee of the Lord. Chokamela was from the Mahar community, who in those times were considered outcasts and not allowed inside the temple. He was termed mad by the people because he used to always be in ecstacy singing, dancing and conversing with his Vithobha. The Lord loved him and used to converse with him everyday. The story goes that while the Lord was having lunch at Chokamela’s house, one day, curd fell on his vastra. It was neivedya time at the temple and the priest was stunned to see curd on the vastra of the Lord. When he came to know the truth, the temple priest apologised profusely to Chokamela.

The Darshan Mandap which can accommodate the huge gathering of varkaris during the Ashadi and Karthiki Ekadashis has been built quite recently. As we enter through the central doorway flanked by the images of Jaya and Vijaya, the dwarpals of the Lord, we come across the Solakambh mandap (16 pillared hall), which reveal exquisite carvings depicting scenes from the Dashavatar and Krishna Lila on the roof. All the pillars exhibit artistic carvings while the back one encased in silver and bearing the image of Lord Vishnu, is known as the Garuda Stambha (the place where the statue of Garuda was supposed to standing before the mandap was built.) The devotees traditionally embrace the Garuda stambha and make offerings before praying to Lord Vittala. We were shown an inscription carved on a block of stone, listing the donors to the temple in the 12th century. Devotees used to rub their backs on this inscription in the belief that they would be relieved from their sins and rebirth. As one enters the sanctum, the eyes are magnetically drawn to the highly revered black stone image of Lord Vittala standing on a brick shaped square block with the arms, holding a shankh in the left and a lotus in the right, resting on the hip. This is believed to be the brick that his devotee Pundalik offered to him as an asana. The crown or mukut of the Lord has a Shivlinga engraved on it, and the ears are adorned with makara kundalas and the chest with the Kausthubha gem. The deity is believed to be swayambu or self manifested. This is the only shrine where devotees can touch the feet (sparsh) and seek blessings.

Behind the main shrine is a separate shrine to Goddess Rukhmani or Rakhumai as she is called here. The beautiful black stone image of the Goddess is dressed in typical Maharashtrian style and is adorned with many ornaments. There are shrines to Satyabhama and Rahi (Radha) too. There are stories and legends galore about this temple and the presence of Vithoba in Pandarpur and his devotees, the most important one being that of Pundalik or Pundarik who is credited with having brought Lord Vittala to this land. Pundalik was initially a self centred man who care for nothing except his own pleasure. He neglected his aged parents. But he agreed to take them to Kashi, albeit on foot, while he and his wife rode on horses. On the way came across an ashram of Rishi Kukkut, who welcomed him and took good care of him. Pundalik could not sleep that night. He witnessed the remarkable sight of three young women in dirty clothes enter the Rishi’s ashram and started doing cleaning jobs. They then went to the prayer hall and when they re-emerged they were spotlessly clean. When asked about this miracle, the three women mentioned that they were Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathy. They were burdened with the sins and impurity of all the thousands of people who took a dip in their waters to absolve their sins. But they were purified by serving the Rishi, who adored and took great care of his aged parents. Transformed by this conversation Pundalik began caring for his parents to the exclusion of everything. Pleased with his devotion to his parents, Lord Krishna came here to bless him. When the Lord called out to Pundalik he was serving his parents. So he threw a brick (veet in Marathi) to the Lord to wait. Probably the name Vittala originated from this veet. The Lord stood on the brick with his hands resting on his hip and waited till Pundalik finished his chores for his parents. The Lord still stands, but now He waits for all the scores of devotees who surrender to Him.

Another mythological legend, according to the Padma Purana and the Panduranga Mahatmya, says that Krishna and Radha were inseparable during their childhood. Rukmini Devi also knew about this. Once when Radharani met Sri Krishna at Dwaraka, their intimacy upset Rukmini Devi, who silently left to do penance in Dindirvana to win back her husband. The Lord immediately went in search of her to ask for forgiveness, but the Goddess, deep in penance, did not even recognise his presence. Sri Krishna then went to see his devotee Pundalik in Pandharpur. Later, after her anger and distress had abated, Rukmini Devi joined her husband to bless the devotee. Apart from Pundalik, the primary devotee who was instrumental in the presence of the Lord Vittala at Pandharpur, Sant Dyaneshwar who is credited with starting the Wari tradition, Sant Namdeo, Sant Tukaram, Janabai and many others have composed and sung verses (abhangs) in praise of the Lord, which are being sung with great devotion even today.

Temple Timings The temple opens for darshan at 6.00 am to 11.00 am, from 11.15 to 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm to 11.15 pm (Darshan remains closed during 11.00 am to 11.15 am for Mahanaivedya, 4.30 pm to 5.00 pm for Poshakh, and 5.00 pm to 11.15 pm)

 Every day is a festival and every Ekadashi a fast at Pandharpur. But the Ashadi and Karthiki Ekadashis are special when a huge congregation of devotees gather at the temple to have a darshan of their beloved Lord Vittala. The temple is open for twenty hours on these days, as the Lord remains awake to bless his devotees. The deity is bathed and dressed in new clothes the day after and fed a different diet with sugar and spice, as it is assumed that the Lord is tired after the long day. Apart from the Ekadashis, the festival of Navarathri is celebrated with great fervour. The deities are adorned with beautiful new clothes and fine gold jewellery studded with brilliant gems of various colours.

 The Wari tradition and the Warkari: The depth of emotion and spiritual fervour marking the largest procession in the world is unbelievable. The eight centuries old tradition of wari is a journey on foot to the abode of the Lord Vittal at Pandharpur that the devotee or warkari undertakes again and again. Lakhs of warkaris gather at different venues across the country and carry the padukas (wooden or silver footwear) of Sant. Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath or Sant Eknath in palkis (palanquins), and start their journey to the reverberating sound of hundreds of drums, mridangas, cymbals etc. The largest congregation is at the start of the procession accompanying the palki carrying the padukas of Sant Dnyaneshwar, who is credited with starting the wari tradition, from his birthplace Alandi. Another big procession is from Dehu carrying the Tukaram Padukas. The starting day of the wari may be different depending on the distance to Pandarpur, but the concluding day is the same, the day before Ashadhi Ekadashi, when warkaris coming from various cities and direction meet on the banks of the Chandrabhaga spreading love and devotion in the air and chanting the holy abhangas in gay abandon. En route to Pandharpur, the wari halts at various places and the locals of that place welcome the warkaris with some special food and delicacies. Medical aid is provided to those who require it, at most halts free of charge.

 The dindi system is followed to avoid chaos or missing persons. Each dindi comprises of a number of warkaris, generally from the same locality, carrying combined essential rations, clothing and medicines in a truck or a trolley, and they group together wherever they halt. Usually they have some abhang singers and cymbal players. All the dindis in a particular wari assemble for the evening aarti conducted by their palki chief. On reaching Chandrabhaga river, they take a dip in the holy waters. The excitement of the warkaris reaches its crescendo when they first sight the flag atop the main Vithobha Mandir and they rush forward in unison to catch a glimpse of their favourite Lord. That is the climax. The moment they are face to face with the Lord and feel his benevolent gaze blessing them for ever and ever."

#Ashadhi, #Ekadashi #Pandharpur #Karthiki #Vittal #Rakhumai #Sant_Dnyaneshwar #Sant_Tukaram #Alandi #Dehu #Panduranga #temple  #festival #Wari #Warkari

Five #benefits of #Online #Education

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions everywhere to shift towards holding classes online, as both parents and teachers do not want children to miss out on the crucial time of schooling. I spoke to some educators about the pros and cons of this debatable decision. 

Everyone of them agreed that this paradigm shift is too sudden and not what we want for our children, especially the younger ones who are deprived of physical activity and mutual interaction with kids of their own age.

But that apart, some of them are of the view that there are some ways in which this online shift is proving to be beneficial to the children.  

Improved attendance: Children actually have very little excuse for not attending classes, as there is no long commute involved. This has actually improved the attendance percentage in schools. The children are taking to online learning like fish to water and becoming tech-savvy at a very young age. 

Educators finding it easy to track performance: Since the data of each student is individually stored, it becomes easy for the teacher or educator to track the learning capability and performance of each student.

Visually stimulating: If one sees the way online teaching materials are formulated, one would find that they are more visually stimulating with inclusion of multimedia content. This draws and retains the attention span.  Quizzes, Questionnaires, interactive polls also play their part to improve the understanding levels of the students. 

Interaction with even the shy and unnoticed students: Though both the students and the teachers are missing physical interaction and bonding, the online classes are showing an increased participation from students, who are generally shy and do not come forward to answer in offline classes, as they are drawn to participate in the interactive quizzes and puzzles. The educator now gets a chance to know the learning capacity and intelligence of such introvert students. This may enhance the shy student’s confidence. 

Quick Assessment: In order to track whether the students are able to understand what is being taught, short questionnaires are included in short spurts. Answers to these are given by all students, making it easy for the teacher to assess each child individually. This continuous assessment and tracking is beneficial to every student.

#Online_education #benefits #Covid-19 #pandemic #education #technology #assessment #students #teachers

Unique #Temple ##Prasadams and #GI Tag

Have you ever wondered at the delicious taste of the Palpayasam at Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna temple or the Unniappam at Kottarakara Ganapati temple?

Yes. They are amazingly delicious, yet unique. The taste of these neivedyams can never be replicated as they have bhakti (devotion) as an additional ingredient. The same goes for the aravana payasam of Sabarimala.  All these neivedyams are prepared in the respective temple kitchens with full adherence to hygiene and purity of the ingredients. These neivedyams are offered to the deity and then distributed amongst the devotees as prasadam. Devotees crave for getting a portion of the prasadam, sometimes leading to long meandering queues at the distribution counter. I remember, just a few months back when we visited the Ambalapuzha temple, we had to wait for almost an hour in the queue for the divine palpayasam. It was well worth the wait though. I was told that it takes almost six hours for the palpayasam to reach the correct consistency and pinkish colour. Currently, the Travancore Devaswom Board wants to patent these three temple prasadams and the application process has begun for the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.

Some temples in India are famous for their unique neivedyam or offering to the deity of the temple. Almost everyone has heard of the Laddu offering of one of the world’s richest temples, the Tirupati Balaji temple. 

Also known as the Srivari Laddu, this delicious sweet is prepared in the temple’s kitchen known as Potu. Run by the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam), the temple is believed to prepare, on an average, more than 2.8 lakh laddus on a daily basis. The Potu has three conveyor belts which carry the ingredients for making it and then transport the finished laddus to the prasadam counter, from where they are distributed to the devotees. The world famous Tirupati Laddu was the first temple prasadam to be conferred with the GI tag. That was more than a decade ago in 2009.

Srivari Laddu of Tirupati

Another temple, the Arulmighu Dandayuthapani Swami temple in the temple town of Palani in Tamil Nadu was granted the GI tag for its Panchamirtham in August 2019. The production of this Palani Panchamirtham is fully automated and derives its name from its five natural ingredients, (banana, jaggery, cow ghee, honey and cardomom). The addition of dates and diamond sugar increases its flavor. No water, preservatives or artificial ingredients are used in the preparation. The grant of the GI tag limits the production of this Panchamirtham to the confines of the Palani temple town.

Palani Panchamirtham

What is the GI tag and why is it so important?

An Indian product belonging exclusively to a specific region is granted a geographical Indication tag which means that it can be made only within that particular region or territory. The World Trade Organization agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights specifies that a product should possess “a given quality, reputation or any other characteristic that is attributable to its geographical location” as a prerequisite for application of a GI tag.

Aravana Payasam of Sabarimala

In the case of the Kerala temple prasadams mentioned above, the patenting is thought necessary as there have been cases of some private outlets selling counterfeit stuff and devotees being conned into believing that they are getting the genuine aravana payasam or palpayasam. The GI tag will ensure that making of these delicious prasadams will be restricted to the temple premises.

 #Tirupati #SrivariLaddu #PalaniPanchamirtham #AmbalapuzhaPalpayasam #Aravanapayasam, #Sabarimala #KottarakaraUnniappam  #neivedyam #prasadam #GI_tag #temple

A Visit to the Arulmighu #RatnagiriBalamurugan #Temple in #Vellore, Tamil Nadu #templestories 6

Our visit to the Ratnagiri Balamurugan Temple coincided with a very auspicious day for the worship of Lord Murugan, the Thai Krithigai day. The temple is located around 18 Km from Vellore city on the Vellore-Arcot road, at Thirumanikundram, Kilminnal.  

A beautiful archway welcomes the devotees and one can see the temple tower (Gopuram) from a distance.

The Arulmighu Ratnagiri Murugan Temple

The entrance Arched Gateway

The temple is picturesquely nestled atop a hill called Ratnagiri and a long flight of steps lead to the main sanctum. Many devotees,(especially locals), prefer to climb the steps to have a darshan of their favorite God. However there is also a well maintained roadway leading to the hill top. A spacious parking space ensures that one can park their vehicle safely.

The motorable road leading to the temple

The beauty of the temple tower (gopuram) is enhanced by aesthetically carved sculptures. We entered the temple premises and offered our worship to Lord Vinayaka first. Being Thai Krithigai, there was a heavy rush of devotees, but they were waiting for their chance to have darshan and offer worship in a very orderly queue. It took us more than 45 minutes to reach the sanctum sanctorum. 

The Notice board with the list of pujas and timings

A view of the artistic sculptures on the gopuram

There is a note displaying the various pujas and timings on the way to the sanctum. The main deity is Balamurugan (child Murugan) and the utsava murthi is Shanmugan (Murugan with six heads). The Lord gives darshan to his devotees along with his consorts Devayanai and Valli.  There is a beautiful golden chariot in which the Lord is carried out in procession for circumambulation of the shrine on festival days.

There is a separate exit point from where we come out after darshan and alight a few steps to leave the premises.

The exit point from the sanctum

We were told that the temple was originally a very simple one on top of the hill. It is an ancient temple and there is evidence of its existence prior to the 14^th century as the famous Tamil Saint Arunagirinadhar had mentioned Rathnagiri Murugan in his verses praising the Lord. Devotees of Lord Muruga believe that wherever there is a hill, their Lord will reside on it. Many of the famous Subramanya Swamy temples are on hill tops and Rathnagiri Balamurugan temple is one of them.

It is said that when a devotee went up the hill to worship Lord Muruga, he asked the priest to light camphor for deeparadhana.  The priest said that there was no camphor in the temple. The devotee then asked for at least an incense stick to be lit. But the priest did not have that also. The devotee was really saddened by the dire state of penury at this temple. He fainted. The priest and others tried to bring him to the foothills, by which time he had regained consciousness. He was spiritually awakened and took it upon himself to rebuild the temple to Lord Balamurugan and restore its glory. This significant event took place on 20^th March 1968, and the devotee was called Swami Balamurugan Adimai. The temple in its present grand form has been built by Swami Balamurugan Adimai with the help of the devotees.

The temple is open to devotees for darshan from 6.00 am to 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm.

Skanda Shashti is the most important festival, celebrated at the temple for six days. The Krithigai of every month sees large crowds as does the Shashtis and Pournamis. Panguni Uthiram, Navaratri and the enlightenment day of the Swami on 20^th March are also celebrated with great fervor.

 #Ratnagiri #Vellore #Balamurugan #Temple #TamilNadu #SkandaShashti #Krithigai

#Chitra #Pournami and Buddha Purnima / Vesak Festival 7

Chitra Pournami is a very significant day. The Pournami thithi starts at 7.44 PM on 6^th May and ends at 4.14 PM on 7^th May. It is a unique festival dedicated to Chitragupta, the Manasa Putra of Lord Brahma, and is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of April-May (Chitirai Masam in Tamil), believed to be his birthday.  

Chitragupta is said to diligently record and maintain the account of the good and bad actions performed by every human being who is born on this earth. On the completion of a person’s life time, Chitragupta prepares the final report to be presented to Lord Yama. This forms the basis for the God of Death to decide the fate of that particular individual.

People celebrate this festival by taking bath in holy rivers to wash off their sins and offer special pujas and prayers at temples. Interestingly, some of the temples dedicated to worship of Chitragupta are the Chitragupta Temple on Nellukara Street, Kanchipuram, Chitragupta Mahadeva Devalayam in Hyderabad, Chitragupta temple at Kajuraho, and Chitragupta Maharaj Temple at Chitragupta Ghat on the banks of the Gandak river in Hajipur, Bihar.

In the temple at Kanchipuram, the main deity of Shri Chitragupta is depicted in a seated position with a palm leaf in his left hand and a pen in his right hand. The utsava murthy  of the Lord with his wife Karnika Ambal is beautiful.  Priests and devotees offer Sarkarai Pongal and other delicacies without salt as neivedyam for the Lord.

There is another legend associated with this festival pertaining to Lord Indra and his Guru, Brihaspathi. The story goes that they had an argument, after which the Dev Guru refrained from giving advice to Lord Indra.  Bereft of the wisdom and proper advice of his Guru, Lord Indra committed various sins. Later he realized his folly and sincerely repented for his mistakes. Out of sympathy and compassion the Dev Guru resumed his duties and advised Devraj Indra to undertake a pilgrimage on Earth. After a long journey, at a certain place, Devraj Indra sensed that he had been redeemed of his sins. He found a Shivalingam under a Kadamba tree and wanted to offer puja to the Lord in gratitude. He looked around and surprisingly, in a pond nearby, he found a golden lotus. He worshipped the Lord with the golden lotus. The place was the holy city of Madurai and the day was the auspicious Chitra Pournami day. Even today this divine event is commemorated with an Indra Puja on Chitra Pournami day at the Madurai Meenakshi temple.

 Buddha Purnima, known as Vesak, also falls on 7^th May 2020. The day is extremely significant, not only because this was the day when the little prince Siddhartha was born some 2500 years ago, but because he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Gaya and became Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, on the same full moon day. Interestingly he also got Nirvana or salvation in Kushinagar on the same (Purnima) day in the month of Vaisakh. That moment of enlightenment, under the Bodhi tree in Gaya, changed the course of spiritual seeking forever. The four most important places of worship in Buddhism are Lumbini in Nepal, where Buddha was born to the King Shuddhodana (King of Kapilvastu) and Queen Maya Devi, Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he got enlightenment, Sarnath in Varanasi, where he gave his first sermon to five devotees, and Kushinagar, where at the age of 80, he attained salvation.

On this day, we find monks giving discourses and sermons highlighting the teachings of Gautama Buddha at all these places. Devotees congregate to offer prayers and water to the statue of Buddha placed in water and decorated with flowers, symbolic of a new beginning. A large fair is held at Sarnath and the ancient relics of the Buddha are taken out for public display in a procession. Giving food and clothes to the poor is another important activity undertaken by the devotees. Most of them prefer to wear white clothes, eat vegetarian food and distribute kheer in memory of a woman devotee named Sujata, who had offered Gautama Buddha a bowl of sweet milk porridge on this day.

Apart from India, Buddha Purnima is celebrated with great religious fervour in many other South Asian countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.

Wishing everyone a #HappyChitraPournami and a #HappyBuddhaPurnima #HappyVesak #Chitragupta #GautamaBuddha #BuddhaPurnima #Vesak #ChitraPournami 

#Stories from the #Ramayana on Rama Navami day #ChildrenStories 7

Maharaja Dashrath, the King of Ayodhya, had everything that his heart desired, three beautiful wives, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, wealth, prosperity and happy subjects. But he had no sons to continue his lineage. The King and his queens were worried about the future of the kingdom.

They went to their Kula Guru,Sage Vasishta.

“We have everything we want in the world, but we have no children to continue our lineage. I am not going to live forever. What will happen to the people of our Ayodhya?” asked the worried King.

Sage Vasishta advised, “You can perform the puthrakameshti yagna.”

 Maharaj Dashrath immediately agreed.

 “But,” pronounced Vasishta, “There is only one person who can guide you in perfoming this yagna, and that is Sage Rishyashringa.”

As Dashrath got ready for the journey, Vasishta told him, “You and your queens have to go on foot without any encumbrage to invite the Sage.”

 Dashrath agreed and soon set out to meet Sage Rishyashringa. The Sage was pleased with the humility and respect shown by the king and agreed to do the Puthrakameshti Yagna.

At the culmination of the yagna, Agnidev appeared from the sacrificial fire with a pot of kheer in his hands. He gave the pot to King Dashrath and asked him to distribute it to his queens. Dashrath gave one part of the Kheer to Kaushalya, another to Kaikeyi and the remaining two parts to Sumitra. They returned to Ayodhya with hope in their heart and prayer on their lips. Within a few days, all the three queens became pregnant. Nine months later, the King became a father to four sons. In the month of Chaitra, on the Navami day, one son was born to Kaushalya, one to Kaikeyi and two to Sumitra. Entire Ayodhya joined the king and queens in rejoicing when the four sons of Dashratha were born. Soon Sage Vasishta had to perform the naming ceremony. He thought for some time before proclaiming that Kaushalya’s son would be named Rama.

“Why Rama?” he explained. “Because this child will give joy and happiness to everyone in the world.”

Maharaja Dashrath was very happy and he and his queens took the infant Rama in their hands one by one and whispered the name Rama in his ears.

Then Vasishta said, “The son of Kaikeyi will be named Bharata as he will protect everyone. The sons of Sumitra will be named Lakshmana and Shatrugna, as Lakshmana is auspicious and Shatrugna will be the destroyer of enemies.”

Vasishta being a great Sage and visionary, knew that Rama was the incarnation of Mahavishnu, Lakshmana of Adishesha, Bharata of the divine Conch and Shatrugna of the Sudarshanachakra.

Rama was the darling of everyone. Kaikeyi loved him more than her own son, and so did Sumitra.

One night as Kaushalya was feeding baby Rama while showing him the moon.

“Chandamama” little Rama said pointing to the moon.

 It was full moon night and the moon was very beautiful and Rama wanted it. Kaushalya first thought that he wanted more food, but when she fed him with rice he refused saying again that he wanted the moon. Kaushalya did not know what to do. Rama started crying out loud that he wanted the moon.

Hearing his cries, the King and the other queens came running. When they saw that Rama wanted the moon, they were nonplussed.

‘How to bring the moon down?’ They were in a dilemma. They tried to console the child, but in vain.

Then Kaikeyi suddenly hit upon an idea. She brought a vessel filled with water from her room and showed the reflection of the moon to Rama.

Rama was happy and his laughter made everyone happy.

Rama and his brothers grew to be strong young lads and loved playing together. Lakshmana always sided with Rama, while Shatrugna went with Bharata. Being the eldest, Rama was loved and respected by all of them and they always listened to him. Once when they were playing at bringing mangoes down from the tree, Rama and Bharata both aimed at the mangoes. The person who brought down the most number of mangoes would win. The mangoes were struck down but both felt that he was the one who had hit the mango. 

Lakshmana at once started arguing on Rama’s behalf, whereas Shatrugna maintained that it was Bharata who had struck the mango down. Rama at once calmed his brothers and declared that it was Bharata who had won. This showed his selfless love for his brothers.

The children grew up a little more and were then initiated into learning by Sage Vasishta at his gurukul. They were taught archery and martial arts along with formal education. The princes were treated as equals to all other students in the gurukul. They did not have any advantages or special treatment because they were from the royal family. And Rama and his brothers were happy with their friends and gave utmost respect to their Guru, Sage Vasishta.  

 After finishing their learning at the gurukul, Rama and his brothers returned to the palace. Maharaja Dashrath and his queens were delighted. They poured affection and love on the children and were enjoying their company to the maximum.

One day, Sage Vishwamitra arrived in Ayodhya. Maharaja Dashrath went personally to receive and welcome him to his kingdom. He washed Vishwamitra’s feet in reverence and accompanied him to the palace. Sage Vasishta who was present, also stood up reverently and welcomed  Vishwamitra Maharishi.

“Oh revered Maharishi Vishwamitra! Your sacred feet have enhanced the honour of our country. Your respected presence in our palace has made the entire Ayodhya sacred,” said Maharaja Dashrath, while welcoming the Sage into the palace court.

Vishwamitra acknowledged the respectful welcome of the King.

After ensuring that the Sage had been seated comfortably, the King went up to him and enquired, “Tell me, what can I do for you?”

“Are you sure that you will give me what I want?” asked Vishwamitra.

“If it is in my capacity, I promise that I will offer you whatever you require,” answered Dashrath.

“I will not take no for an answer anyway,” said the Sage. “I want Rama and Lakshmana to accompany me to the forest. We are doing yagnas for the wellbeing of the world, but there are two demons who disrupt our yagnas. I need Rama and Lakshmana to defeat those demons so that we can complete our yagnas in peace.”

Maharaja Dashrath was stunned. He had never expected such a request from the Sage. The children had just come back home after a few years of stay and learning at the gurukul. How could he part with his beloved Rama again? How would the queen mothers take it? Dashrath mind was floundering for an answer to the Sage.

Vishwamitra waited for a few seconds. Then he got up and said angrily, “Maharaja Dashrath, I thought you were a man who stood by his word. You promised me that you would give me what I want. Then why are you not answering?”

Dashrath pleaded with the Sage, “Maharishi, Rama and Lakshmana are too young to fight with demons. Let me accompany you and I assure you that I will fight with those demons. I will see that you are allowed to perform your yagnas in peace.”

The Sage refused to listen. “I don’t want you. I want Rama and Lakshmana. If you cannot give them, let me leave. I don’t want anything else,” he exclaimed angrily.

Knowing the effect of the anger of Sage Vishwamitra, Vasishta came forward.

“Maharaja Dashrath, You speak like this because you are not aware of the real caliber of Rama and Lakshmana. As a Guru, I can vouch for their exceptional power and capability. And though I have taught them whatever I could, by being with Brahmarishi Vishwamitra, who has so much more knowledge to impart and so many divine asthras in his repertoire, they can acquire much more gyaan.”

Dashrath gave in and sent for Rama and Lakshmana. Vishwamitra was waiting for this moment when he could set his eyes on the Lord. When Rama and Lakshmana came in, Vishwamitra drew in his breath. They were looking so innocent, so handsome.

“Father, you called for us?” asked Rama softly.

Dashrath’s eyes were moist. “Yes. I called for you both. This is Sage Vishwamitra,” he said.

The boys folded their palms and greeted the Sage with respect.

“My dear sons,” said Dashrath. “Maharishi Vishwamitra wants you both to accompany him to the forest and protect his yagna from demons.”

“That will be a blessing for us,” said Rama.

Vishwamitra looked at them with great affection.

 The queens by then had heard of Vishwamitra’s strange request. They came running to plead with the Sage to allow the boys to remain in the palace. But Rama managed to placate them.

Dashrath said, “Rama, Lakshmana! From now, till you come back here, Maharishi Vishwamitra will be  your father, mother and Guru.  Follow his orders as you would follow mine.”

“Yes Father,” answered both Rama and Lakshmana.

They slung their bows over their shoulders and the quiver of arrows on their backs and followed the Sage into the forest.

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. Tataka and her sons Subahu and Marich are deadly demons. They live here and 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 demonness. 

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. The sages peacefully completed the yagna. 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.  

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 Swayamvar.  In those days, Swayamvars 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 swayamvar.

“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 regions wanted to marry her. Since invitations for the Swayamvar 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 swayamvar 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, let Rama try to string the Shiva Dhanush.”

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 Janak and his Queen Sunaina. Sita was overwhelmed with joy. Flanked by her sister and cousins, she walked towards Rama with the Varmala and garlanded him shyly. 

The great kings and princes who had already tried their hand and were present at the palace sat transfixed. The same thought ran through their minds.

‘How could this young man lift and break the bow, which the mightiest of kings could not lift an inch?’

Suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance, as a furious Sage stomped his way inside towards Rama. Maharaja Janak was stunned. It was Sage Parashuram. He got up and folded hands greeted the Sage.

“My Lord, entire Mithilanagari is sanctified by the advent of your sacred footsteps.”

“Enough Janaka,” the Sage waved him down. “I want to know who had the temerity to break the sacred Shiva Dhanush?”

His fury was terrifying. But Rama was absolutely calm. With great humility, he said “I did.”

Sage Parashuram turned towards him. Lakshmana could not contain his anger at the direct affront to his beloved brother. He got up to confront the Sage, but Vishwamitra Maharishi held him back.

The moment Sage Parashurama laid his angry eyes on Rama, a strange sense of calm ran through his veins. He calmed down. He realized that Rama was the next incarnation of Mahavishnu.

He blessed the royal couple and said, “Rama, my work in this world is over. So I will hand over all the powers of my penance to you. It will help you in fulfilling your duties.”

Lakshmana and the others in the court were looking on in amazement. Janaka Maharaja heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Maharishi Vishwamitra now got up. He folded his hands and thanked the Sage for blessing his pupil. Parashurama blessed him and took his leave.

 But Vishwamitra still had something to suggest to Janaka Maharaja.

“As I mentioned earlier, Rama is the eldest son of King Dasharatha. Lakshmana here is one of his three brothers, the others being Bharata and Shatrugna. You have two daughters and your brother has two daughters. Why not conduct the marriages of all of them with the four sons of King Dasharatha?”

Janaka happily agreed saying, “If Maharaj Dasharath agrees, I would be happy to give our daughters in marriage to the four princes.”

Immediately emissaries were sent to Ayodhya. Maharaj Dasharath and his queens were overjoyed and came to Mithila with horses and elephants laden with gifts.

The wedding of the four brothers, (Rama with Sita, Bharata with Mandavi, Lakshmana with Urmila and Shatrugna with Shrutikirti), were conducted with great revelry.  

1      #BirthofRama  #Rama’sChildhood #Vishwamitra #TadakaVadh #Mithila #Janaka #Sita #SitaSwayamvar  #SitaKalyanam

#KaradayanNombu significance, story and #recipes #Festival 6

Karadayan Nombu/Nolumbu, or Savitri vratham as it is also known, is one of the most important festivals for women of Tamil Nadu. On this day, married women perform puja and pray for the long life of their husbands and unmarried girls pray for getting blessed with a good husband. The puja is performed at a specified time, just when the Tamil month of Maasi ends and the month of Panguni begins. Karadayan Nombu falls on 14^th March this year.  On this day the women get up early in the morning, take bath and decorate their house entrance and the puja room with kolams. They place leaves in front of the Goddess on which they offer betel leaves and areca nuts (Vethalai Pakku), yellow bananas, sweet Karadai and butter. Traditionally, the women fast until the specified time of the puja, wear nine yards sari, adorn their hair with flowers, tie the manjal charadu (yellow thread) and pray for the long life of their husbands.

 While tying the manjal charadu, the mantram chanted is

“Dhram gruhnami subhage sahardhraam

Dharami aham bharthu

Ayushya sidhartham supreedha bhava sarvadha”  

This means, “I am taking the thread, Oh Goddess, with affection,

And I am wearing it for the long life of my husband.

Always be pleased with me.”

The Tamil chant during the puja while offering the Karadai to the Goddess is

“Urugadha vennaiyum, oru adaiyum notrein,

Orukkalum en Kanavar ennai piriyadhirukka vendum”

Meaning “I offer this unmelted butter and adai. Please bless me to live with my husband forever.”

Generally the women break their fast by eating the prasad of sweet karadai with butter after they have performed the puja and offered it to the Goddess.

The legend behind this festival is the widely known story of Savitri, with her intelligence and perseverance succeeding in getting her husband Satyavan from Yama, the God of death.

The story goes that Maharaja Ashtapathi had a beautiful daughter named Savitri, whom he adored. He knew her to be very intelligent and wise and gave her the freedom of choosing her husband. Savitri, during one of her visits to the forest, came upon a young man who was carrying on his shoulder, his blind parents in two baskets slung on a pole. Savitri was impressed by his sense of duty and respect and decided to marry him. When she informed her father, Ashtapathi enquired about the young man with Narada Muni. Narada informed him that the young man was Satyavan, the son of a king who had been exiled from his own kingdom. Ashtapati was happy about the fact that his daughter had chosen a prince. But then Narada said that Satyavan would die young. He had only one year to live. The King was aghast. But Savitri was set on marrying Satyavan. The King had no option but to get them married. Savitri was well aware about her husband’s impending death. She undertook strict vrats and performed pujas with dedication. The fateful day dawned. While cutting wood, Satyavan fell dead as Yama, the Lord of Death had arrived. Savitri followed Yama. The God of Death was astonished and pleased by her perseverance. He offered her three boons, and said that she should not ask for her husband. Savitri, being intelligent, agreed. She first asked that her in laws should be reinstated in their kingdom with all glory and respect. Her second request was for a son for her father Ashtapathi. For the third boon she asked for sons for herself. Yama said “Granted” and then realized that he had been outwitted by her intelligence, as he had to leave Satyavan for Savitri to beget sons.  The time of Karadayan Nombu is believed to be the time when Savitri performed puja, offered the Karadai to Lord Yama and got her husband back from death.

The offering of the delicious Karadai, both sweet and salted, therefore is unique to this festival.

Here is the Recipe for Sweet Karadai

Ingredients

Dry roasted rice powder - 1 cup

Jaggery powdered -  1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Coconut slices - 1 tablespoon

Karamani (Black eyed peas/ lal chowli) - 1 or 2 tablespoons     

Cardomom - 1 pinch

Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Method of preparation

Wash and soak raw rice in water for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth for 15 minutes. Then grind it to a fine powder. Dry roast this powder till there is no moisture.

Cook the Karamani separately till soft and keep aside.

Take a pan and melt the jaggery in 2 cups of water. Filter to remove dirt or impurities. Add the fine small sliced coconut pieces, the Karamani and boil. When the jaggery water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of ghee. the cardomom powder and then the roasted rice powder while stirring continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Off the burner and allow it to cool.

Roll the mixture into balls, flatten them and make holes in the middle as shown in the picture. Now steam the sweet karadais in an idli cooker for 15 minutes.

Your sweet Karadai is ready to serve with butter.

The recipe for Salted Karadai

Ingredients

Dry roasted rice powder

Salt to taste

Karamani - 1 or 2 tablespoons

Coconut slices

Seasoning

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon

Udad dal - 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a few

Green chilli - 1 or 2 finely chopped

Ginger - a small piece finely chopped.

Asefoetida - a pinch

Method of Preparation

Prepare the rice powder and cook the karamani in the same way as for the sweet Karadai

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add mustard. Let it sputter. Add udad dal, asefoetida, and chopped ginger and green chillies. Then add the curry leaves. Now add the coconut finely sliced and karamani. Add water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil. When the water starts boiling, lower the flame and add the rice powder slowly and stir continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Allow it to cool. Then like the sweet Karadai, divide it into balls, flatten them and carve a hole in the middle of each. Steam these salted adais in an idli cooker or steamer and your salted karadais are ready to serve.

#KaradayanNombu #festival #SweetKaradai #SaltedKaradai #recipe #TamilNadu #SavitriVrat, #Nolumbu #Savitri #Satyavan