Ashadi Ekadashi and the undefinable bond between the Lord Vittala of Pandarpur with devotees

An extract from my book 'Temples of Maharashtra-A Travel Guide' on the sacred occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi

"The very mention of Pandharpur brings to our mind vivid images of the turban or topi clad Warkari holding cymbals or 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 at a distance of 74 kms 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, your 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, though unsolicited, is approached by many who wish to guide you for a fee. The entrance to the sanctum sanctorum 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 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  Samadhi or the final resting place 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. 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 be 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 12^th 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 Rahi (Radhika) and Mahalakshmi Mata 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 remerged 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.

Address: Vittal Rukmini Mandir, Pandharpur, Solapur District, Maharashtra - 413304

Telephone: 02186-224466, 223550

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

Festivals: 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, 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 Vittal 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.

More shrines to visit at Pandharpur: The Pundalik shrine on the banks of the Chandrabagha, is managed interestingly by priests from the Koli community. The main deity in this temple is a Shivalinga. A brass mask adorned with new white dhoti and gold earings, is placed on the linga everyday after the morning puja which include abhishek, archana and neivedya. The temple is open from 4.00am to 7.00pm and during the Wari, it is open for 24 hours.

Just outside the Pundalik shrine is the Loha Danda Thirth. A boat made of stone is seen floating in the water. The story behind this thirth is that when Indra prayed for relief from his curse by Sage Gautam, the Lord gave him an iron rod (Loha danda) and said that when this rod floated in water, he would be relieved from the curse. Indra went to many places and finally landed up at the Chandrabagha River. Miraculously the rod floated and Indra was relieved from the curse. The crescent shaped Chandrabhaga River is itself of great importance as the moon was relieved of it’s curse by having a holy dip in the river’s waters. A bath in the river is believed by many devotees to relieve them from all their sins. Boats are available for ferrying devotees to Gopalpura, approximately 1.5 Kms from the Pundalik shrine, where an ancient temple stands to Lord Krishna as Gopala, the cowherd, with a flute in his hands. The ferry will halt at a large rock with imprints of the feet of the Lord as he walks along with his cows and calves. There are pillars on one of which is carved the image of Srikrishna standing on the left leg with the right leg crossed and standing on toes. On another pillar is carved the chaturbhuj image of Srikrishna with shankh, chakra, gada, and padma. The imprints on the rock include one of the cow’s feet and Srikrishna’s staff apart from two sets of the Lord’s footprints. This rock is highly revered as Vishnupad. The month of Margashirsh is very significant for the worship of Lord Krishna at Gopalpura and Vishnupad and sees a huge rush as processions carrying the padukas of Lord Vittala set forth to and fro from the Vishnupad. The belief is that Srikrishna enjoys his time with his cowherd friends during this period.

Note: The beauty of the Chandrabagha in spate can be seen during the monsoon months from July to September. Ashadi ekadashi is the best time to have a glimpse of the famed Wari, when lakhs of devotees congregate on the temple premises. During peak season like Ashadi, Karthiki, Chaitra and Magha ekadashi, when the Wari with thousands of Warkaris enter the town of Pandharpur, the devotee gets only a fleeting darshan of the Lord as a strict queue system is in place. But even this fleeting moment gets imprinted in the mind of the devotee, leaving a lasting impression. However, if one wants to have a peaceful darshan, any other time of the year is suitable for a visit."

The ancient and miraculous #VaraSiddhiVinayaka #templestories1 at #Kanipakam

Lord Ganpati as Protector, Healer and supreme Judge, the Swayambu Vara Siddhi Vinayakar at Kanipakam is all this and more to his devotees. 

We had heard so much about the miraculous power of the Vara Siddhi Vinayakar at Kanipakam that when we were on our way to Tirupati from Vellore, and had the whole day on our hands, we made it a point to halt at Kanipakam to have darshan of the Swayambu (self manifested) Vinayakar.

Kanipakam is a village in the Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, is almost midway between Vellore and Tirupati. The distance from Tirupati to Kanipakam is approximately 68 Kms. So the halt was quite a welcome one.We parked our car at the designated car parking and walked towards the temple.

The Gopuram (temple tower) is engraved with beautiful sculptures and carvings. There is a temple tank which people call koneru. We learnt that the temple was established in the 11^th century by Kulothunga Chola 1, a famous Chola King. It was further extended by the emperors of the Vijayanagar dynasty. The temple is beautifully maintained and the premises are spic and span.

There is a long queue for free darshan, and some pilgrims, in case of urgency, opt for the paid quick darshan too. We opt for the free one as this gave us time to take in the serene atmosphere. Some volunteers are seen selling a booklet about the temple and the Seva details.  Since it is written in the Telugu language, which I unfortunately don’t know, I bought one and passed it on to another person in the queue.

He tells us about the history of the temple and how the deity was found. About 1000 years ago, three brothers were cultivating land close to the Viharapuri village. Interestingly, one of the brothers was blind, another deaf and the third dumb. Once, they found that the well which provided water for irrigation was almost dry. When one of them got down the well and started digging with a spade, he found that his space was hitting a stone like object and blood started oozing out from it. This blood mixed with the water in the well. The brothers in the meanwhile had been wonderstruck by the sight of the blood and to their joy they found that they had been cured of their ailments. When the villagers heard of this miracle they came running to the site. They were astonished by the discovery of a self manifested idol of Lord Ganesh in the well.  The divinity of the deity was such that the villagers humbly offered coconuts to the Lord. The coconut water started flowing like a stream and this led to the naming of the village as Kanipakam, where Kani means wetland and pakam means water flowing into wetland. The deity to this day remains in the well where it was originally found. And according to the priest, the water in this well never dries up signifying the divinity and power of the Lord. In the rainy season the water level rises and overflows and this water is given to the devotees as Prasad or theertham.

One of the locals in the queue gave us an insight into some incredible facts about the Swayambu Vara Siddhi Vinayakar. Apparently the deity is growing in size and this is a fact, as the silver kavacham given as offering by a devotee about fifty years ago does not fit the idol anymore.

Another significant belief is that the Swayambu Vinayakar of Kanipakam delivers justice. Many people have been visiting the temple to resolve disputes in the family or between friends. What they do is, they take a dip in the temple tank and swear before the Lord. There have been many incidents when the person who has sinned, accepts his wrongdoing before the deity and justice is immediately delivered.

The Bahuda river which flows besides the temple at Kanipakam is also said to be sacred. There is a legend about two brothers, Sankha and Likhita, who came on a pilgrimage to Kanipakam. During the journey Likhita was very hungry. Refusing to listen to his brother’s advice, he plucked a mango from a tree without taking the owner’s permission. Duty bound to tell the truth, Sankha reported to the King about this and the king chopped off Likhita’s arms as a punishment. The two brothers then proceeded to Kanipakam. When they took a dip in the temple tank, miraculously, Likhita’s arms were restored. This enhanced their faith and belief in the Lord’s justice. The King was amazed when he came to know about the miracle and he named the river Bahuda, Bahu meaning (arms) and da meaning (giver).
The temple opens at 4.00 am and closes at 9.30 pm.

Festivals celebrated with great pomp and splendor in this temple are Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, Ganesh Chaturthi and annual Brahmotsavam which starts 20 days before Ganesh Chaturthi, when the utsava murthi is taken in procession on different vahanams.
There are two more temples in the complex, the Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple and the Maragambika sametha Manikandeshwara Swami temple. Some of the main pujas offered here are Rudrabhishek, Rudra homam, Chandi Homam, Pradosha Puja and Rahu Ketu Sarpa dosha nivarana puja. There is a colorful park in front of the Shiva temple which has a number of beautiful statues. Presented below are some of the photographs I took of the statues in the garden.

#Kanipakam #Swayambu_Varasiddhi_Vinayakar #Brahmotsavam #Bahuda_river #GaneshChaturthi

#temple #Ugadi

For the Love of Matunga and its South Indian Connect

MATUNGA’S SOUTH INDIAN CONNECT

LALITHA BALASUBRAMANIAN

My association with Matunga began when I was just a year old, and such was the predominance of the South Indian community at that time, that this pretty central suburb was known as mini Madras.  I still reside here, having been witness to the migration of many of these families to far flung suburbs and the steady influx of Gujaratis and Jains in this area. Now, the essence of the South Indian crowd is seen in the temple cluster of South Indian origin, which include Asthika Samaj, Bhajan Samaj, Shankara Matam and Kanyaka Parameshwari temples.

 

 These temples do stand tall, bearing testimony to the community’s rich contribution to Matunga’s heritage, art and culture. All of them have beautiful gopurams with aesthetically carved sculptures of Hindu deities. 

The crowd in these temples never abate as the people who have migrated from here make it a point to visit from wherever they are. On festival days like Skanda Shashti, Ram Navami, Gokulashtami, Navrathri and Shivrathri, music, dance and religious discourses are held on a regular basis, and one can see them, be they from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka, blending together everywhere, making the entire area a colourful festive conglomeration.

It is said that where the South Indians are, flowers follow. 

The mesmerising smell of the pure white jasmines and roses wafts across the air, beckoning us to halt and savour the magical sight of a row of flower stalls displaying colourful garlands of all sizes.

 These shops take orders for garlands and loose flowers for temple deities, pujas, weddings and other occasions. Talking of weddings, there are typical South Indian sari shops like Nallis, New Mahalakshmi, Lakshmi and Solanki with their varied selections of the delightful Kanjivaram silk, Pochampalli and Mysore crepe silk saris along with the crisp Coimbatore, Madurai and Venkatagiri cotton weaves.

As for culture and art, would there be any Mumbaikar who has not heard of the Shanmukananda Sangeetha Vidyalaya or the Rajarajeshwari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir? These two iconic institutions continue their contribution to the preservation and spread of classical art forms like Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance. Both of them have existed for as long as I can remember. Their students generally graduate to becoming performing artists of high calibre.

And what’s more! The South Indian flavour does not end here. Popular eateries like Madras Cafe, Ramashray, Anand Bhavan, Amba Bhavan, Sharada Bhavan and Mysore Cafe dot the suburb with their varied temptations. 

  

The aroma of filter coffee is by itself an invitation to savour a cup of coffee or kapi as they call it, at any of these joints. This tempting aroma of freshly ground coffee powder can be felt even as we touch Maheshwari Udhyan from the generations old shop of Mysore Concerns.

 In fact the shop has become so famous, that they distribute their coffee powder to various suburbs of Mumbai by public demand.  The mouth watering and most popular South Indian meal served at the Udupi Rama Nayak, near Matunga station, is definitely worth a mention. Apart from the South Indians, the current predominant population of Gujaratis and Jains relish the idlis, dosas and medhu vadas with the generous helpings of sambhar and chutneys served at these joints. But even with so many famous eateries in the vicinity, it behoves me to ponder over the perennial crowds at the fast food stall near Milap and opposite Asthika Samaj. This stall has been there since decades, and many residents swear by the unique taste at this outlet. A year or two ago, a wayside stall by the name Ayyappa stall, close to Shankara Matam, had many cars halt outside to allow the passenger to get down and savour the food, while creating a traffic jam. The roads are not too wide and with vehicles parked on both sides this is not something to be wondered at. Fortunately for the car owners and pedestrians, this eatery has been shifted to another place.

While speaking of parking, there is another very unique thing about Matunga that sometimes drives a person like me insane. Drivers of taxis, cars and tempos park even in two or three parking lanes, with complete disregard for traffic sense, sometimes wilfully blocking the way of others to follow. So honking is so, so, inevitable. But, Matunga has so much going for it that one tends to overlook this obvious flipside to the coin.

The South Indians are a religious lot. To cater to this need of theirs, Giri Store has a whole lot of religious books, music CDs and other puja items. In fact anything that is necessary for a puja apart from the havan samagri can be availed of at Giri Store. They also have a collection of brass idols. During Navratri time, there is a virtual influx of ladies visiting the store to buy Golu dolls and haldi Kumkum items. The dolls are on display at least a month prior to the festival. Specialised Golu steps are also available with Giri Store on order.

The vegetable market too exhibits a distinct South Indian tinge, with the Maharashtrian vendors calling out in Tamil about the mangais (mangoes) and chakkais (jackfruit).

They are so conversant with the South Indian festivals that they display the special items needed for each festival with elan, be it koorkai during Thiruvadhirai or chakkai and kanikonnai during Vishu. 

Vazhai elai, thandu and vazhai poo, (banana leaf, stem and flower), so typical of South India, is available here throughout the year.

It is interesting to note that if any South Indian household has a function or a religious ceremony to be held, they flock to this market for all the essential items, serving a reminder that Matunga, the Mini-Madras of yesteryears, still retains its South Indian connection.
#Matunga  #SouthIndian #AsthikaSamaj #BhajanSamaj #ShankaraMatam

#MiniMadras #Eateries #Kapi #vegetablemarket #flowers

A #Story for #children from #Ramayana on the strange request of Sage Vishwamitra #ChildrenStories 4

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 reverance 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.”

Listening to the words of his Kulaguru Vasishta, 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.

#Vishwamitra #Rama #Lakshmana #Dashrath #Vasishta #Ramayana

A #story for children from the #Ramayana about Rama's childhood #ChildrenStories 3

There were festivities in Ayodhya 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 Kausalya’s son would be named Rama.

“Why Rama?” he explained. “Rama means one who is everywhere or omnipresent. Because this child will always remain in the hearts of his people and give joy and happiness to everyone in the world, I am going to name him Rama.”

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 Kausalya 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. Kausalya first thought that he wanted more food, but when she fed him with rice he refused saying again that he wanted the moon. Kausalya 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.  

#Rama #Gurukul #SageVasishta #Rama_and_the_moon #Kaikeyi #Kausalya #Bharata #Lakshmana #Shatrugna

Focus on Regional Sporting Infrastructure could help India Win More Olympic Medals

India, the nation which has gifted several sports to the world, has little to show by way of medals or achievements at mega sporting events like the Olympics, apart from the individual brilliance of a few like Abhinav Bindra. 

Every once in four years, bureaucratic apathy, corrupt officials, inadequate training facilities and political interference in sports gain predominance in discussions on sporting failure. 

The furor dies down as soon as our cricketing heroes play the next cricket match. This is on expected lines as our people consider cricket as a religion. But what about the focus on other sports!

If talent could be unearthed at the grass root level and simple strategies to win could be evolved and executed, success could definitely be achieved. For example, Pullela Gopichand, a master strategist, made Hyderabad the center for badminton training single handed.  His badminton academy gave us players of the caliber of Saina Nahiwal and P.V. Sindu. 

Recently we have seen some teenage shooters like Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary proving their mettle in the sport.

Haryana has given us world class wrestlers like Sushil Kumar,  Yogeshwar Dutt and the Phogat sisters. Enthusiasm for the sport has assumed good proportions among both men and women. Boxing is another sport Haryana specializes in.

Kerala, with its famous Vallamkali and Kalaripayatu, could give us rowing and martial arts specialists.

Maharashtra’s Mallakambh could offer gymnastic talent, Jharkand rafting and so on.

Probably,the way forward is to improve sports infrastructure according to the heritage of the region, scout for exceptional talent, provide excellent training facilities and most important of all keep politics out of sports, India can look forward to more Olympic medals.

#Olympics #Sports #medals #training #sportinginfrastructure #talent #Shooting #badminton #Wrestling #Boxing #Gymnastics #rowing

A #Story for children from the #Ramayana on the Birth of Rama #ChildrenStories 2

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. During the naming ceremony, Kaushalya's son was named Rama. Kaikeyi's son was named Bharat and Sumitra's twins were named Lakshman and Shatrugna.

#Ramayana #Rama #Bharat #Lakshman #Shatrugna #BirthofRama

#Ayodhya #Dashrath #Kaushalya #Kaikeyi #Sumitra