Monday, November 18, 2013
Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh
Nandi statue at Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh is the largest in India. It is 4.5 m high and 8.23 m long.
the sacred bull and the mount of Lord Shiva, is a familiar sight at any temple dedicated to Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Nandi is the gate-keeper of Shiva and his most loyal attendant. It is believed that all your wishes come true if you whisper to Nandi before visiting his master. Pilgrims can be found circumambulating the statue and touching it. Women, especially, are said to benefit from touching Nandi as the bull is a symbol of fertility. Not surprisingly, bulls and cows find sanctuary at Shiva temples everywhere in India.
Khajuraho's Temples
Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh was cultural capital of the
Chandela rulers of Bundelkhand, who built these temples between 950 AD
and 1150 AD. When the dynasty began to decline, so did Khajuraho’s
importance. The temples were eventually swallowed up by the surrounding
jungle, until they were rediscovered in the 1800s by a British soldier.
Today, the otherwise nondescript town is a popular destination with
tourists from around the world flocking to its magnificent temples,
which are now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
Orchha – India's Medieval Heart In Bundelkhand
This medieval town, lost to the world, was founded by the Bundela kings in the 16th century.
temples and tombs dot this town, standing out amidst the clutter. Almost every monument tells a story – sometimes it’s a love story, sometimes one of betrayal. Emotions literally run high here as the Bundelas have even built a palace dedicated to friendship. Almost every brick here tells of mysteries and mysticism.
Take the story of Jehangir Mahal, an impressive palace that stands for friendship between a Bundelkhand ruler, Raja Bir Singh Deo, and the Mughal emperor Jehangir. It is believed that Jehangir stayed here for just one night. The 236 chambers built over three storeys with an underground passage, decorated with ornate doors and domes and a massive courtyard in the centre, simply leave you spellbound. All this was for a title of “Maharaja” given to Bir Singh in return for the head of Jehangir’s nemesis, Abul Fazl.
The Laxmi Narayan temple. To begin with it hardly looks like a temple. The walls are painted with stories from history depicting wars, friendship and trade. Laxmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, is immortalized here by the artists as we see soldiers all set for war. One of the paintings shows the entry of Europeans in the political scenario.
Orchha
is a centre of pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Ram. The deity is called
Ram Raj and is worshipped in the form of a king as well. While local
folklore narrates the story of how the deity was housed originally in
the queen’s palace, the Chaturbhuj temple next door was meant to be the
original temple for the deity.
அகர முதல எழுத்தனவன்...
‘அகாரம் உயிரே உகாரம் பரமெ
முகாரம் மலமாய் வருமுப் பதத்திற்
சிகாரம் சிவமாய் வகாரம் வடிவமாய்
யகாரம் உயிரென் றறையலு மாமே’
உயிரெனக் குறிக்கும் உடல் மெய் இருபத்திநான்கும் அகாரமாகும்.
புரமென குறித்து உணர்ந்து மெய் ஐந்தும் உகாரம் மாகும்.
முலமெனக் கூறிய உணர்வு மெய் ஏழும் மகாரமாகும்.
இம் முப்பத்தாறும் மெய்களுள் சிகாரம் கிவமாய் உயிருக்குயிராய் வகாரம் சிவனின் திருமேனியாய் யகாரம் திருவருளாகும்.
இறை வழிபாட்டு முறைகள்
இறைவனை வழிபட நம் முன்னோர்கள் ஒன்பது வழிமுறைகளைச் சொல்லி இருக்கிறார்கள். இவற்றில் அவரவர் இயல்புக்கு ஏற்றாற் போல் ஒவ்வொருவரும் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து வழிபடலாம். இவை தான் அந்த ஒன்பது வழிபாட்டு முறைகள் -
”ச்ரவணம் கீர்த்தனம் விஷ்ணோ:
ஸ்மரணம் பாத ஸேவனம்
அர்ச்சனம் வந்தனம் தாஸ்யம்
ஸக்யம் ஆத்ம நிவேதனம்”
1. ச்ரவணம் – கேட்டல்
2. கீர்த்தனம் – பாடுதல்
3. ஸ்மரணம் – நினைத்தல்
4. பாதஸேவனம் - திருவடி தொழல்
5. அர்ச்சனம் – பூஜித்தல்
6. வந்தனம் – வணங்குதல்
7. தாஸ்யம் – தொண்டு
8. சக்யம் – சிநேகம்
9. ஆத்ம நிவேதனம் – ஒப்படைத்தல்
சநாதன தர்மம் நமக்கு இந்த சுதந்திரத்தை வழிவகுத்துள்ளது. அவரவர் இயல்புக்கு ஏற்ப வழியைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து பயணிக்கலாம்.
இதை விட சிறந்த இறை மார்க்கம் இருப்பதாக தெரியவில்லை.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
The Lost River: On the Trail of the Sarasvatī by Michel Danino
The Indian subcontinent was the scene of dramatic upheavals a few
thousand years ago. The Northwest region entered an arid phase, and
erosion coupled with tectonic events played havoc with river courses.
One of them disappeared. Celebrated as Sarasvati in the Rig Veda and the
Mahabharata, this river was rediscovered
in the early nineteenth century through topographic explorations by
British officials. Recently, geological and climatological studies have
probed its evolution and disappearance, while satellite imagery has
traced the river s buried courses and isotope analyses have dated
ancient waters still stored under the Thar Desert.
In the same Northwest, the subcontinent s first urban society the Indus civilization flourished and declined. But it was not watered by the Indus alone: since Aurel Stein s expedition in the 1940s, hundreds of Harappan sites have been identified in the now dry Sarasvati s basin. The rich Harappan legacy in technologies, arts and culture sowed the seeds of Indian civilization as we know it now.
Drawing from recent research in a wide range of disciplines, this book discusses differing viewpoints and proposes a harmonious synthesis a fascinating tale of exploration that brings to life the vital role the lost river of the Indian desert played before its waters gurgled to a stop.
In the same Northwest, the subcontinent s first urban society the Indus civilization flourished and declined. But it was not watered by the Indus alone: since Aurel Stein s expedition in the 1940s, hundreds of Harappan sites have been identified in the now dry Sarasvati s basin. The rich Harappan legacy in technologies, arts and culture sowed the seeds of Indian civilization as we know it now.
Drawing from recent research in a wide range of disciplines, this book discusses differing viewpoints and proposes a harmonious synthesis a fascinating tale of exploration that brings to life the vital role the lost river of the Indian desert played before its waters gurgled to a stop.
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