November 19, 2016, 7:30 am
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| Viswanath temple, varanasi. en.wikipedia.org/ |
Varanasi, also known as Kashi is the most important place of pilgrimage for the Hindus living world over. Located in Uttarpradesh state, it used to be the place where a tribe called Kasha was livinge on the banks of the the river Ganges that geomorphologically assumes the shape of a bow in the Gangetic plains.
Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world, is famous for Kashi Vishvanath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built on the western bank of the river. It is not only foremost among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines but also the holiest place among holy places. This city that bestows Moksha on the devotees is ruled by Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswaran. Panchakoshi city, was created by the aura and the mystic powers of Shiva. The city is supposed to remove every conceivable sin and is a vehicle of Moksha. Sarwaguna from inside and Tamoguna from outside are the innate qualities of Rudra here, hence even the divines want to die here.It is believed that it is the duty of every devout Hindu to make a pilgrimage to this city at least once in their life time. Many elderly people after completing their duties to their families come here for salvation, meaning, if they die here they will be free the cycle of rebirth. It is further believed that Lord Shiva himself recites the Moksha(salvation)Mantra (salvation) into the devotees' ear. Till death, they will stay in a mutt, where they may get free food or pay a nominal fee. Yet another tradition here is people visit this place to conduct thithi -pithroo karya - paying obeisance to their forefathers - a way of remembering them and thanking them. Here the main deity is Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara (Ruler of The Universe). There is no Hindu scripture that does not have a reference to this temple and this old city. This old temple, steeped in history, had been been destroyed and re-constructed several times during the Muslim rule in Delhi. Aurangzeb, the sixth tyrannical Mogul emperor, a Hindu bigot in 1669 CE demolished the temple and built the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The Maratha ruler's daughter-in-law Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780 rebuilt the present structure adjacent to the mosque. In 1828, under the patronage of Baij Bai, widow of the ruler of of Gwalior built the roofed colonnade with 40 strong ornate pillars on the premises of the Gnana vapi. It was between 1833 and 1840 several temples and ghats were built for the comforts of the visiting pilgrims. Many rulers and rich people made valuable contribution towards construction of many facilities and maintenance of the temple. The huge 7 foot tall Nandi - bull found on the east of the pillared mantap made of hard rock is the contribution from the maharajah of Nepal![]() |
| The original holy well—Gyanvapi in between the temple and Gyanvapi Mosque. en.wikipedia.org |
Two domes of the temple are gold plated (weighing roughly one ton). Thanks to the generosity of the Sikh Maharajah Ranjit Singh and the third dome was covered with gold plate by the UP government under the Ministry of Cultures & Religious affairs. As for the temple complex, the main deity in the Garbagraha - lord Shiva is in the form of linga, measuring 30 cm tall and the 90 cm circumference and is housed in a silver plated raised platform. The idol is made of black stone. Tha sabah or the congregation hall is adjacent to the inner sanctum. There are a series of small shrines in a row called Viswanatha Galli near the river. Kaala Bhairava, the guard of lord Shiva, has a shrine dedicated to him. Also present there are shrines dedicated to Kartikaya (Dhandapani), Vinayaka, Vishnu and other deities.
To the north of the temple is what is called Jana Vapi, water well where the idol of lord Shiva was hidden until the threat of invasion by the Muslim ruler was over. Once, the temple priest, in order to protect the Jyotirlinga (main idol) of this temple during Muslim invasion, jumped into well along with the idol. The Vishveshvara linga has religious and spiritual significance, hence thousands of people visit this holy place every day. On festival days, the crowd will be twice the normal size.
The visit to this temple by great saints and holy people like Sri Adi Sankaracharya of Kaladi, Tulasidas, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, et al will give you some idea about the sanctity and divinity of this place. A note on eye-sores:Frankly speaking, I am neither an atheist nor an agnostic as far as religion is concerned. However, I would like to point out the following with a heavy heart, as it is concerned with a place of worship. The temple is well kept, but not the adjacent area near the river. No doubt in the past several decades, because of the arrival of thousands of people to this city daily, the surroundings around the temple and ghats along the Ganges have become filthy. Numerous people coming here, have no civic sense at all. The city workers do not keep both the ghats and the river water near the banks clean. Nor do they clear the heaps of garbage piling up regularly. That the city corporation does not employ enough people to take care of the areas around the temple, shows their lack of concern for cleanliness, water pollution, sanitation, hygiene, etc.Added to the maddening crowds and filthy surroundings along the bathing ghats are the hobos in the name of Sanyasis - innumerable poorly clad holy men and barbarians called Aghoris. These pot-smoking fake Hindus who haunt the burning ghats spoil the name of Hinduism that was revived by greet philosophers cum saints like Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Madwacharya, Tulasi Das, et al centuries ago. The UP government, I understand, is taking serious steps to clean the Ganges. As part of the clean-up operations, they should make it mandatory to cremate the dead bodies in the Electric Crematorium. Allowing the dead bodies to be cremated near the river is against the norms of Hindu dharma and human decency. The dead need decent cremation, not the pathetic one as one finds in the cremation ghats . It is highly deplorable that what is happening in the cremation ghat and the loitering of Aghoris will negate the very purpose for which the devotees visit this place from far-off places. The very sight of ganja smoking Aghoris with vibuthi (ash) smeared all over their bodies near the cremation ghats, meddling with the half-burnt bodies smacks of decadence. It is just horrible. I wish the government could do something about the unwanted elements around the temple. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashi_Vishwanath_Temple
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Nirvikar cahitanya and Sanatan Brahma have assumed the form of Saguna Vishwarupa from the initial Nirgun Roopa or form. The Shiva Shakti roopa became the Purusha (man) and Stree (the woman) again. Prakriti and Purusha (Nature and man) (Shiva-Shakti) were once ordained by Shiva to do tapas in the universe in order to create the best being. He specified the best place for this purpose. When a prayer was held, Nirgun Shiva, with His own powers and aura, created a wonderful city called Panchakoshi. Vishnu, who resided there, spent a lot of time praying to Shiva after which several watersprings originated there. Vishnu was amazed at this wonderous event, and even as he tilled his head, a gemstone fell from his ear. Because of this place, it was also called Manikarnika. The entire Panch Koshi area of Manikarnika waters were then gathered into the Trident by Shiva. Then from the navel of Vishnu was born a lotus flower with Brahma in it. Brahma was ordained by Shiva to create a world, at which Brahma created this wonderful world. It had fifty crore Yojanas of area and fourteen lokas. In order to save the lives of these who are bound by their own actions or karma. Shiva kept panchakoshi city away from the entire universe. In this city, Shiva Himself established the saviour Muktidayak JyotirLinga, which He can never leave. Shiva removed this very Kashi from His Trident and set it in this mortal world. It was not to be destroyed when Brahma’s day ends, but during Pralay i.e., final destruction of the world, Shiva saved it by keeping it safe in his trident. So the kashi is called avimukta kshetra. In Kashi, the Avimukteshwar Linga is there forever. Those who can never hope for salvation, attain Moksha here. Kasi Viswanathar - Varanasi
This holiest city of Panchakoshi, with its capacity to destroy every conceivable sin, is the vehicle of a special Moksha by the name “Samyugha”. That is the reason why this city which is ruled by Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha, is the place, where even divines want to die. Sarwaguna from inside and Tamoguna from outside, are the qualities of Rudra here. When prayed to, Vishwanatha Bahagavan Sri Shankar made this abode and resided there with Parvati.
Glory of Kashi
Kashi city is the place for Moksha and Ganga. Those who live here attain Mukti or Salvation, even without having to travel to any place of pilgrimage. Any one, be it a man, woman, young, old, Sahava, pure or impure, Prasuta, Aprasuta, Swadesh, Andaja, Udibhaja, of whatever caste, all attain Moksha. There is not an iota of doubt in this. Whatever a person may be doing, eat, sleep or anything else, if he departs from this world from Avimukteshwar, he definitely attains Moksha. Any small act of goodness or Punyakarya, takes away all the sins. Good as well as bad people are born on this earth. But by living in Kashi, both attain Moksha. Later, several people came forward to build this temple. A king by the name Banar developed this city of pilgrimage. About one and half thousand beautiful temples were built here. The tower of the Vishweshwara temple is a hundred feet high.
Kashi nagar is so great that even if the universe is to be destroyed in Pralaya, it would remain intact. Dandapani and Kalabhairav guard this city. They stay there forever. On the Ganga banks eighty four bathing ghats are located. There are also several teerthkundas. They have been there right from the times of Vedas.
History of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Varanasi, which was a pious place of pilgrimage for the hindus, soon became an eyesore and source of jealousy for the Muslims. From 1033 to 1669 AD Kashi came under several destructive attacks. Temples were demolished and Masjids built there instead. But due to the dedication of the Hindu devotees, the JyotirLinag pilgrimage place continued to develop. During the reign of the British and the Marathas, this place really developed well. Even the Jaina and Boudha monks helped to keep the place of the city intact.
The Kashi Vishweshwar temple as we see it now was built by Ahalya Devi Holkar in 1777 AD. In 1785 AD, the then King of Kashi, Mansaram and his son Belvant Singh built many more temples near Varanasi. In 1755 AD, the Avadh pantof pratinidhi (representative) got the old temple of Bindumadhava repaired and renovated it beautifully. The kalabhairava temple was built by Srimant Baji Rao Peshwa in 1852 AD.
King Ranjit Singh had the Kashi Vishwanath temple towers covered in gold. A huge bell hangs in the temple. It was donated by the King of Nepal. Surrounding Saranath, there are many Budhhist stupas, Viharas and Chaitra grihas. In 1931 AD the mahabodhi society had built a very beautiful Buddha temple in Saranath.
The Hindu devotees visit Kashi to make offering. Here they perform many rituals and consider themselves blessed. Along side, several foreign tourists visit this place regularly. Places worth seeing include Ghats, temples, tapobhoomi and the scenic beauty of the surroundings. Kashi Kshetra and Sri Vishweswara JyotirLinga are connected as the holiest shrines in the world. The Ganga water here is considered as the nectar of the earth. Dying in Kashi or performing the final rites is considered as the way to the Heavens. Kashi - Rameshwar(1) yatra is the prime pilgrimage for the Hindus.\
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November 19, 2016, 9:08 pm
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| Statue of Benjamin Bailey.Nagampadam, Kerala en.wikipedia.org |
During the East India company rule in 1700s and 1800s, many English missionaries moved over to the Indian subcontinent with a view to spreading Christianity among the natives, not withstanding the hardship faced by them in a strange land. Their sustained efforts, perseverance and dedication did not yield satisfactory results. However, impressive was their contribution towards English / western education in India and founding of many Christian schools and colleges. Besides education, they were the ones who introduced the first printing press in India. Among the dedicated christian missionaries Rev. Benjamin Bailey is worthy of mention. He is credited with the introduction of lithography and first printing press in the southern state of Kerala, which today has the highest literacy rate among the Indian states. Benjamin Bailey (November 1791 - 3 April 1871), born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England to Joseph Bailey and Martha, had his missionary training under the Archbishop of Dewbury an others of Church of England. In 1815 he became a missionary and in the same year married Elizabeth Ella. In 1816 the British Church of England sent him as a missionary to Kottayam in Kerala. Remarkably he had spent the next 34 years there in the shadows of Western Ghat and the rigors of Monsoon rains and was instrumental in founding a mission station in Kottayam town. There he took up the position of the Principal of the Koattayam College run by the CMC (Church Missionar Charity). The purpose was to educate the Syrian Christians and the general public of Travancore. During his stint between 1817 to 1819 at the college, he introduced fundamentals of modern education based on western system - a new approach in this backward state. He took the honor of introducing the English language for the first time in Kerala. His carefully chosen curricula included subjects that were useful to the daily social life of the people.In those days in India, there were no printing press facilities and most of the written literary works were done on dried palm leaves, using special preservation methods. By introducing printing press in 1821, Bailey became progenitor and publisher of the local language - Malayalam and established a printing press. He gained considerable knowledge of Malayalam, a Dravidian language that has roots in Tamil and Sanskrit languages. He was the first lexicographer in Malayalam and he himself translated the Bible into Malayalam and 1846 published the first English-Malayalam dictionary. The Hindu news paper article of May 29, 2016 stated: Graham Shaw says:" Exactly 300 years ago, on May 12, 1716, a small edition of an English schoolbook rolled off the press at Tharangambadi (once a Dutch settlement ), now in Nagapatnam district, Tamil Nadu. Thomas Dyche’s A guide to the English tongue was printed for use in the charity school for poor Protestant children, established in Chennai in 1715 by East India Company’s chaplain, William Stevenson. Apparently, this was the first book to be printed in English in India, or in the whole of Asia."As for Bailey, he dedicated much of his own time to printing bible, etc in the local language and had a separate building built for this purpose. Besides, using the talented local silversmiths, he had the first types cut in Malayalam according to his specification. Indeed it was a pioneering work in the Malayalam printing industry in the1840s. With the fully functional wooden press, designed by him assisted by the natives he printed out several works. His types' hallmarks are legibility, economy and better life. Benjamin Bailey went on furlough in 1831 returned from England in1834. During his stay in England, along with his son, he worked on the types, font, etc suitable to Malayalam.In Malayalam translation, he used his own style, a combination of high Malayalam and colloquial Malayalam. The CMC press founded by him later printed bible in other languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit, Latin, etc. He also printed dictionaries and Christian prayer books. Thus through the printing press, he popularized the reading habits among the locals and later magazines, periodicals in Malayalam were introduced. In 1849 when he published the Malayalam dictionary, the ruler of Travancore himself helped him and appreciated his remarkable contribution to Malayalam, which he learned only after his arrival in Kottayam. Bailey was indirectly responsible for the dissemination of knowledge and during his tenure the literacy rate of Kottayam had gone up. The town owes a lot to this dedicated, hard-working educationist who earlier made this place the printing capital of Kerala. On September 1996, a life - size bronze statue was installed in the municipal park at Nagampadam in memory of Benjamin Bailey, the father of printing press in Malayalam. It is a sort of public commemoration to an English Missionary who tireless worked hard till his stay in Kottayam and helped the town develop into a city.In 1939-1942 he had a beautiful church built in Gothic style called Christ Church, one of the earliest Anglican churches He finally left Travancore in 1850.
According to The Indian Express daily newspaper article dated 22 December 1996: “As a land of letters, Kottayam is definitely indebted to Benjamin Bailey, the English missionary who came to Kerala, in Kottayam in 1816. In all sense Rev. Bailey is the architect of modern Kottayam. Recently, a statue was erected near the municipal park in Kottayam in his memory."In 1850, Bailey left Travancore for England where he took up the job of a rural dean and the rector of a quiet village in Shropshire.He left an indelible mark in the printing history of Kerala. he died on April 3 1981 at the age of 79.Ref:http://www.missionariesbiography.com/April/03.benjamin.htmlhttp://www.benjaminbaileyfoundation.of/banjamin_Dynamic.php?id=26&cid=8
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November 20, 2016, 3:05 am
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| Annabishekam at the Big temple, Thanjavur, Tamil nadu. .thehindu.com |
When it comes to the Hindu temples, almost every month there will be a festival or two, each lasting a day or two, sometimes more than seven days. Almost all such festivals have been followed for centuries and some of them are of recent origin. With some exceptions, temple festivals as prescribed by the religion, have some relevance and significance. Annabishekam, an annual temple ritual of Shiva temples, has been around for the past few decades, particularly in southern India.Annabishekam (annam means food; abishekam means anointing or pouring or bathing) of cooked rice, dal, jaggery fruits has been part of a temple ritual in all Shiva temples. This ritual has two fold purposes: When followed, there will be an abundance of food available for the people in the ensuing year and at home there will be plenty of food and prosperity and all family problems will disappear like the morning dew. The food used for Annabishekam will be distributed as prasadam among the poor and also other people. It is a way of expressing our gratitude to the god almighty.In Southern India Annabishekam is performed every year in the Tamil month of Aippasi (October-November) Purnima (in local language Pournami) - full moon day. People generously contribute raw rice, dal, Jaggery, vegetables, etc to the temples for this ritual. The ingredients are collected in large quantities from wealthy people. On that day in the evening at the auspicious time, Abishekam is performed amidst of chanting mantas by the temple priests with devotion. The presiding deity - lingam (3.7m tall) is decoratively covered with cooked rice, different kinds of vegetables, fruits, etc. Devotees normally throng the temple on this day and taste the prasadam in the belief that the lord will take care of the welfare of their families. ![]() |
| Shiva temple Gangaikonda Cholapuram TNwww.flickr.com |
This year on 15 November 2016 annabishekam was performed for lord Bragadeshwara, the presiding deity of the big temple (1000 plus years old),Thanjavur city, Tamil Nadu, a UNESCO heritage site in the presence of thousands of people. The huge Shiva Linga at this temple is one of the largest in India. Annabishekam was done in the evening by the Shivacharyas - temple priests with bakthi and religious zeal. Earlier special abishekams and pujas had been held since morning as per temple Agama sastras. The amount of ingredients used for this annual ritual is just mind-blowing. The innumerable volunteers had to cook 600 kgs of rice, 100 kg of vegetables, several kilos of other items, during a particular time and make the food available well before the beginning of the decorative work on the idol. The decorative work needs quite a bit of time and patience. The abisheka food - prasad was distributed among the gathering only after Maha Deepa Arathanai. Likewise, Annabishekam was done at the same time at other Saivite temples such as Aadi Kumbeswarar temple, Kumbakonam, Mahalingeswarar temple, Thiruvidaimaruthur, etc.A large number of people witnessed Annabishkam of Bragadeswarar temple (built by Rajenrad Chola) at Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district. The Kanchi Sankaracharya mutt, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu provided 100 bags of rice every year for this purpose, a tradition that has been followed since 1986. Annabishekam is also considered as a way of sanctifying the presiding deity, so that it will absorb more positive energy. Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/annabishekam-for-sivalingas/article9346849.ece
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November 21, 2016, 1:36 am
In the past three decades at a number of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, India, Annabishekam - the yearly ritual of bathing the Shiva linga with cooked food is done in the month of November. Rice is the staple food in this part of India where there are vast paddy fields in the interior places. So, cooked rice is the main prasad at both Shiva and Vaishnavite temples. Prior to 1986, the ritual of Annabishekam at Shiva temples was unheard of. It is likely that it was done on a low key level before 1986. It is done not only to propitiate the god, but also reverentially pray to him for copious rain fall to benefit the farms in the coming season, plenty of food for all people and overall welfare of the people. People owe a lot to the late H.H. Senior Sankaracharyar of Kanchi Mutt (Periyava) who was instrumental in introducing the annual Annabishekam ritual at the Shiva temples. Community participation, distribution of food among the poor are the salient features of this ritual. In the year1986 two ardent devotees of Kanchi Periyavar, on their pilgrimage to Haridhwar, collected a truck load of copper pots of reasonable size filled with pure holy Ganga water, hoping that senior Kanchi seer could use it for his daily puja rituals. On their return to Kanchipuram, they approached the seer and expressed their desire about the holy water brought recently from Haridhwar. Not amused, Swamiji gently denied it and immediately thought about use of the holy water for better purpose. He told them that the great Chola king Rajendra (1012–1044 A.D), son of the Great Rajaraja-I (builder of Thanjavur big temple), about 1000 years ago consecrated the Bragadeshwara linga at Gangaikonda Cholapuram by using Ganga water brought from the north. It would be nice if they could take the holy water to that temple and perform Abishekam on the Shiva linga as king Rajendra did centuries ago, then only he would use the holy water for his Nithya pujas. The famous Shiva temple was built in 1020 by king Rajendra Chola. The Chola rulers of Tamil Nadu were passionate followers of Lord Shiva. The one at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is just a replica of the big temple built by his father at Thanjavur. The temple was built to commemorate his victories in the battles against the northern rulers, thus gaining direct access to the Ganges river. Hence, he got the title Gangai Kondan.- in local language it means one who won the land of Ganga. On Kanchi seer's orders, the two devotees performed abishekam with the Ganga water. A few months later Kanchi Mahaswamikal again asked them to perform Annabisekham to Bragadeswara lingam at the same temple so that there would be copious rain for that region that had become parched because of lack of rain for sometime. On Paramacharya's advice in 1986, for the first time, annabishekam was performed in this historical temple under Mattur Swamikal and Kuvalaigal Swamikal (the two devotees who brought the holy water from Haridhwar). It was attended by lots of people from the surrounding areas. According to Perur Puranam written by sage Kashyapa that a darshan of Sivalinga swathed with cooked rice on the full moon day in the month of Tula (Tamil month Aippasi; October-November) bestows immense benefits on the devotees. Thus this ritual that had a small beginning at the initiative of Kanchi seer in 1986, over a period of time, gained popularity and religious significance and is now being celebrated every year at numerous Shiva temples in the month of November. After a few years, the responsibility of conducting this ritual at the temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram was given to Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Annabishekam Committee that that not only takes care of this annual ritual by providing large quantity of rice, etc., but also makes available necessary materials for Nithya puja. Since this temple ritual first began here, even to day it is performed with unparalleled religious fervor and fanfare at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The two day event begins with Mahabisekam to the main deity and cleaning and bathing of other deities in the temple in accordance with temple Agama Sastras. At the end of the first day's ritual, the Shiva linga is decorated with lots of flowers. When different kinds of abishekam are being done on the deity, lots of Vada Patasala students chant Rudra mantra. On the second day, students continuously chant Rudra mantra till 5 pm when Sivacharyas, with the help of innumerable volunteers, do annabishekam on the idol that is tied with steel mesh all around to hold the rice. The idol is bathed with cooked rice. Roughly 75 to 100 bags of rice (each weighing roughly 75 to 100 kg is cooked on a large scale for this event. Mantra Om Namashivaya rents the air. Maha Deepa Aarti is performed upon completion of the ritual and later, food is offered to the devotees as prasadam. People in thousands attend this function amidst tight police security. All the expenses for this grand annual ritual are borne by the public through donations. It was Paramacharya's wish that the practice should continue and now it is fulfilled by the devotees and the Sankara Math in Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam and Chennai.Tit-BitsAnnabhishekam is performed everyday at Chidambaram Sri. Nataraja temple to Sri Chandramouleeswara, the Lingam kept near Sri Nataraja. Vegetables such as brinjal, okra, pumpkin, cucumber, banana, etc., are also offered to the deity as part of Annabhishekam for better farm yields.Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/annabishekam/article804788.ece http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2016/11/annabishekam-unique-temple-ritual-at.htmlhttp://isatsang.blogspot.in/2014/11/the-story-of-iyppasi-Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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November 21, 2016, 9:31 am
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| CSI Wesley church, secundrabadTelenganahttp://www.telanganafirst.in |
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| | CSI Wesley church interior, secundrabad, Telengana.hyderabadadvisor.com |
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When the subcontinent was under the East India company rule, the British mercantile trading company poked its nose into the internal matters of many Indian rulers who were busy holding each other 's throat. This lack of unity among the Indian rulers was in favor of the English. Over a period of time, they grabbed vast lands from the Rajahs and Nawobs. To maintain and to improve and safe guard the company's trading activities and security, they needed more people from England, This led to the arrival of a large number of people every month from Britain and the development of many cantonments across their land. To meet the spiritual needs of the civilians and military people, numerous churches came up near the civilian lines as well as near the barracks. The British Indian Army had been stationed in Secunderabad since 1798 and there were many soldiers and others who were followers of Wesleyan Methodist tradition of worship. Garrison Wesley Church at Trimulgherry in the Cantonment area, Secunderabad, Telengana state, is one of the oldest English churches in India. The work began in 1853 while EIC was ruling the country. Perhaps this church has the oldest foundation in the Telengana region. But the church was completed only in 1883 when the British Crown was directly running the administration. The church came up with a view to catering to needs of mainly the British military and its army officers. Unfortunately, this church was not in good shape due to poor maintenance after India's independence in August, 1947. Until 1878, the church construction work was stalled. It was one Rev. William Burgess, who came from Madras in 1878 took serious steps to get the church work going. He was assisted by Rev. Charles Walker Posnett who had to move over to Medak oversee the construction of Medak Church. The church did not have a bell on it's own before. The ship from London that was carrying Lillian Burgess and Arthur Burgess, wife and son of Rev William Burgess along with a bell for the church, sank midway and the bell got lost in the sea. Even today, the church does not have a bell. This church that has a hoary past was built with lime and mortar. The restoration work was given to a firm in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu that specializes in heritage structures. For the finishing job, it is said, the company used fine concentrates, comprising mixture of eggs, jaggery, herbs, aloe vera leaves (Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe), fine lime powder and lime mortar well ground with jute. In order to retain this historical place of Christian worship and its heritage value, it was recently renovated back to its old grandeur and glory.
When the old rafters came off, leaving the structure weak, prompt action had been taken to restore the structure. The restoration work cost rupees one crore. After renovation, the church was rededicated in a ceremony held in December, 2014.
The credit goes to then Pastor, The Rev. S. P. Vidyasagar who laid much emphasis on the restoration of the old church instead of building a new one and the then-Moderator's Commisary, G. Dyvasirvadam who agreed to raise the funds for restoration. This church comes under the aegis of the Protestant Church of South India (CSI) within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Medak. This historical church is the silent reminder of the past glory of the British era. Tit-Bits: 01. It was in 1878 the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society was formed in Hyderabad by the missionaries led by Henry Little, William Burgess and the Indian Evangelist Benjamin Wesley. They took early efforts towards the spread of the Gospel and helped establish many churches in areas northward of Hyderabad and attracted the new Christian converts. 02. Rev. Charles Walker Posnett was mainly responsible for constructing the Cathedral at Medak, Telengana the largest in Asia that can accommodate 5000 people at the same time.Ref: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Ravi Reddy / Hyderabad – December 21st, 2014
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November 21, 2016, 10:58 pm
The outdoor sports of mountaineering is not only a costly affair but also it requires proper training and planning. In the case of scaling tall summits like Mt. Everest, Mt. Nangaparbat, Mt. McKinley (Alaska, USA), etc., need better vigorous training, technical skill, mental agility and sound physical and mental health. Can you imagine what will happen to a cranky man who tried to climb the tallest peak Mt. Everest without having either reasonable experience in mountaineering or proper planning of an expedition to such a tall summit? Such a suicidal attempt is roughly equal to digging his own grave and fixing by himself an epitaph on it written by him! One Maurice Wilson, a British soldier and an aviator had an ill-fated attempt in 1934 on Mt. Everest, barring government restrictions on his adventure. It drew the attention of the media world over not because of his wealthy back ground, but because of his quirky and aberrant behavior.![]() |
| Maurice Wilson with his gypsy moth plane-Ever Wrest, before his flight to India/en.wikipedia.org |
Maurice Wilson MC (21 April 1898 - c. 31 May, 1934) from Bradford was the son of a wealthy woolen mill owner and would have stepped into his father's shoes and taken care of the mill with his brothers. But his fate had it own way and with the outbreak of the First World War, he joined the British army on his eighteenth birthday, leaving his father's woolen mill job prospects in the cold storage.As a soldier with the British army he proved his talents and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Captain. He actively took part in the Battle of Passchendaele (from July to November 1917) and later won the Military Cross for his heroic engagement near Meteren (Dutch province of Gelderland). Here, being the only uninjured survivor of his unit, he single-handedly held a machine gun post against the advancing Germans. Later he left the army in 1919 because of his serious injury in his left arm as a result of machine-gun fire. The injury never healed and left him in pain till the end of of his life. His postwar transition to civilian life was a difficult one and for some period he had a chequered career in the US and New Zealand. Though financially he was quite comfortable, he was unhappy and his physical and mental health was not good. The doctors could not cure him. Surprisingly his illness was reasonably cured through a month of crash treatment program, involving intense prayer and fasting - a dose of western religion and eastern mysticism. Since his miraculous cure, he had become a votary of intense prayer and fasting as cure for ailments and in this vocation his commitment was strong.While in Black Forest in south western Germany, where he was recuperating, a chanced reading of an article on the 1924 failed attempt on Mt. Everest by Mallory and Irvine, drew his attention and wanted to pick up the task left unfinished by the duo and successfully climb Everest. He thought through the power of prayer, faith in God and fasting, nothing was impossible and was not beyond human resilience and he would succeed in his endeavor which Mallory and Irvine had failed to succeed. Further, he described that climbing Everest was an opportunity -" the job I have been given to do". His weird idea was to fly a small plane to Tibet, crash land it near the summit on the upper slopes and walk up to the summit. Even an experienced mountaineer would shudder, contemplating a solo ascent on the most treacherous summit Everest. The funny thing is Wilson had to learn the basic of flying and mountaineering. He learned the basics of flying with a three-year old Gypsy Moth plane which he himself bought and got the license, taking twice the time required to get it. His peers were against his solo flight from England to India.With great difficulties, he flew into the Indian subcontinent, illegally entered Nepal with three Sherpas. There he was unable to get the plane, so he reached the base camp on foot. His first attempt took him two mile close to Rutledge below North Col. However, bad weather forced him to retreat to the base camp. Following this, he was sick and snow blind and took more than a couple of weeks to recover. On 21st May, with help from the Sherpas, he made unsuccessful attempt on North Col. Next day, he could not cross the 40 foot ice wall at 22700 feet, a tough barrier. On his return to the base, Sherpas pleaded him to give up his ascent but he refused to give up. Again on May 29, Wilson set out to reach North Col and above, this time alone with no Sherpas assisting him. When he did not return to the base camp, the two Sherpas reached Kalimpong in July 1934 finally announced the first news of Wilson's death. A pathetic end of a spirited Britisher.It was a fool hardy adventure by the Englishman whose obsession with fasting and faith in god never taught him what was right and what was wrong. Nobody would risk his life and make such an attempt without training and proper mountaineering gear. Ref:https://www.outdoorrevival.com/instant-articles/historic-failed-attempts-to-conquer-everest.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Wilson
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November 22, 2016, 6:55 am
Because of his misadventure on the high slopes near North Col in the Himalayas, Maurice Wilson, ex. Captain British army in 1933 declared that he would fly solo to Nepal and climb Mt. Everest alone without any help whatsoever. Neither he knew how to fly nor did he ever climb a rock cliff before. Through out his life, 34 year old Wilson was a controversial figure with unsteady marriages and jobs. But his determination and commitment were commendable and they kept him going. Maurice Wilson (21 April 1898 - c. 31 May, 1934) from Bradford was the son of a wealthy woolen mill owner and after having put in creditable services with the British army during the WWI, he went back to civilian life in 1919. He became mentally and physically sick during the transitional period after leaving the military. He lived in the USA and New Zealand briefly. Because of machine-gun injury, his mobility in left arm was not good. Besides, he contracted an incurable disease - TB and later under the influence of a "strange man", he took to fasting and prayer - a blend of Eastern Mysticism and Christian faith that cured him from his ailment. He later developed an obsession for this technique and became its votary. While resting in Germany, he read articles about the failed expedition to Mt. Everest in 1924 by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Having resolved to scale Mt. Everest to complete the unfinished job of other two Britishers, he wanted to try a new method not tried before: Flying a plane and crash-landing it on the higher slope and then walk up to the summit- Mt.Everest. A strange way of reaching the summit!!He bought a three year old Gypsy Moth plane and got the license. His idea was to fly solo to India and from there on to Nepal. In 1933, the English Air Ministry focused their attention on him when his plan met with an accident and put restrictions on his solo trip to India. Despite the ban, on May 21 1933 he took off to India without better training either in flying or in mountaineering. That he did not carry proper clothing and specialized equipment for higher altitude climbing shows how naive he was regarding personal safety matters.At Cairo he was not allowed to fly over Egypt on request from the British Consulate. whereas at Bahrain, after long deliberation he was allowed to refuel on condition that he would return to England. When the plane became airborne, he turned the plane towards India where he safe landed at Gwadar. western India after nine hours of flying. At Lalbalu, near the Nepal border, he was refused to fly over Nepal and his plane was impounded. This put a break on his flying into Nepal. Having been denied permission to enter Nepal, Wilson spent the winter in Darjeeling, fasting and praying. There he met three Sherpas - Tewang, Rinzing and Tsering, and resolved to enter Nepal illegally to climb Everest from the base. With a ban how could he enter Nepal and fulfill his passion?Undaunted, Wilson and the three Sherpas on 21 March 1934 secretly left Darjeeling for Nepal. To avoid suspicion, the three Sherpa porters traveled incognito as Buddhist monks, while Wilson went along with them pretending to be deaf and dumb in poor health. During his stay at Rongbuk Monastery on 14 April, he got a chance to use the equipment left behind by Rutledge's (Rutledge was an ICS officer in British India) expedition. After two days' stay he set off alone for Everest. we come to know about his activities on the high mountains from his diary which is with the Alpine club archives. It was recovered from the mountain following year. He had tough time hiking on the Ronbouk glacier and had to try other route. After 5 days under pretty bad weather, he was still two miles short of Rutledge's Camp III below the North Col. He began a tough four-day retreat down the glacier. He reached the monastery exhausted, snow blind and in great pain from his war-wounds and a badly twisted ankle. On 12 May he set out this time with Sherpas Tewang, Rinzing after 18 days of rest and recovery. Their knowledge of glaciers was helpful to him. After 3 days, they crossed the glacier and reached the base camp III below North Col, but had to stay there several days because of bad weather. On 21 st of May he could make only unsuccessful attempt on North Col as his plan to follow the early route misfired. Following day, the 40 foot ice wall at 22700 feet near the North Col was a major bottleneck and for four days they had to camp on exposed ledges and little progress was made to cross the ice wall. At this stage, the experienced Sherpas pleaded him to get back to Monastery. Writing in his diary "this will be a last effort, and I feel successful" undeterred, he set out again for the last time on 29 May 1934 alone. Too weak to attempt the Col that day, he camped at its base, a few hundred yards from where the Sherpas were camped. The next day he stayed in bed. His last diary entry was dated 31 May, and read simply "Off again, gorgeous day. Since Wilson failed to return from his last assault Tewang and Rinzing left the mountain, reached Kalimpong in late July, giving the world the first news of Wilson's deathA small reconnaissance expedition to Mount Everest in 1935 led by Eric Shipton found Wilson's body at the foot of the North Col. They also recovered his diary in a rucksack. The body was buried in a nearby crevasse The assumption was that Wilson died in his tent of exhaustion or starvation. The exact date of his death is unknown. There are some articles about the highest point on the mountain at which Wilson camped last, perhaps it was higher than any other camps set by the British teams before. It is believed these are all mere speculations because Wilson was a poor mountaineer and never used proper clothing and equipment on his final assault.Wilson derived inspiration from Mallory and Irvine, the mountaineers who disappeared near the summit in 1924. Unfortunately Wilson could make only an abortive attempt, considering his poor experience and lack of mountaineering gear. He may be dubbed as eccentric, but never had he given up his passion and fought it out courageously in the face of imminent death. Thus he proved he was more a highly spirited British soldier than an experienced mountaineer, trying to uphold the British inquisitiveness and adventurism. His solo trip to India, using a small plane was a daunting job. Truly he was a man of nerves, not a screw ball!! He was both revered and reviled by the mountaineers and still he is an enigma, surrounded by layers of controversies.Ref:http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2016/11/eccentric-british-army-man-maurice_21.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Wilson
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November 22, 2016, 11:33 pm
Among the historical Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu, a majority of them were built to serve some purpose. Sri Balambika - Karkodeswarar in Ariyar district is unique because of its association with the demi god Kama (lust) and how his lustful overtures and indulgence were subdued by lord Shiva, a symbol of eternity.Sri Balambika-Karkodeswarar Hindu temple is an historical temple rougly1500 years old located in Kamarasavalli, about 20 km from Thirumanur in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Karkodeswarar (Lord Shiva) and his consort is Balambika (Parvati). At this temple in 1950, Kumabishkam was done in the presence of Sr. Kanchi Pontiff Sanakaracharyar (Periyavar). It is the place where lord Shiva burned the demi god of lust (Cupid) - Manmatha and later restored him back to life.According to one inscription, the temple was built in the year AD 962) by Sundara Chola also known as Raja Kesari Varma (AD 957-974), who was the grand father of Rajaraja Chola, builder of the Thanjavur big temple. This temple has the unique distinction of having been taken care of by various kings of Chola, Pandya dynasties, etc. Among the Cholas, mention may be made of Sundara Chola, Raja Rajan I, Rajendran I, Kulothungan I, II and III, et al., who, according to inscriptions, supervised this temple. These inscriptions here cover various aspects such as festivals - Margazhi Tiruvadhirai festival, scholarly debate by Vedic Scholars, Chakkai Koothu, a folklore etc. The temple has a stone sculpture. depicting the story of Karkodaga performing Shiva Puja with Lord Vinayaka and Nandi. There are small sub-shrines in the prakaram for various deities - lord Vinayaka and lord Muruga with his consorts Valli and Deivanai, goddess Durga, Chandikeswara and Navagrahas. Lord Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, is beautifully adorned in the mantapam. As in many temples, there are many stone images of serpents where devotees pray for relief from the adverse effects of serpent planets (ragu and Kettu - Serpa Dosha). According to the sthala purana (temple legend): There once lived a group of nasty people who used brutality as a way of life mainly to quench their lust and indulge in amoral pleasures. Very much dismayed and disappointed, the affected people, including holy men and their families, prayed to Lord Shiva to put an end to this disgusting menace. Upon which lord Shiva, in extreme rage opened his third eye and burned Manmatha (Cupid), who was the leader of the group, to ashes. Rathi, Manmatha's wife, was distreseed and was unable to control her pangs of separation from Manmatha. After her prolonged intense penance (tapas), Lord became subdued and restored Manmatha back to life. Since Rathi was was blessed by Lord Shiva, this place came to be called Rathi Vara Puram and Kama Rathi Valli. Later the name changed as Kamarasavalli. There is a beautiful metal (Ayempon - an alloy of bronze, copper, etc) idol of Rathi Devi in this temple, in the posture of begging Lord Shiva seeking boon to save Her mangal sutra (in local language Taali or Mangalyam)A unique festival, native to this place, called Kaamman is conducted here in memory of this event which marks the planting of a castor plant cut into two. Symbolic of the boon given by Lord Shiva to Rathi for her reunion with her husband Manmatha. Amazingly the castor plant comes to life after eight days. People, undergoing horrible mental agony as a result of marital problems such as quarrels, separation, divorce, etc come here for remedy and pray for reunion, Mangalya bagyam (longevity of husband) besides other family problems. This place is also an ideal parikara sthalam for those who have Cancer zodiac sign with stars of this sign (Rasi) They do prayers and seek blessings from Lord Karkodeswara (Soundareswarar). Childless couples and those whose marriages are getting delayed come her to get rid of the adverse effects of Sarpa Thosa caused by Ragu and Ketu. The major festivals are monthly pradoshams Aadi Pooram in July-August; Vinayaka Chaturthi in August-September; Navarathri in September-October; Aipasi Annabishekam in October-November and Margazhi Tiruvadhirai in December-January. Ref: http://www.yatrastotemples.com/balambika-karkodeswarar-temple-ariyalur/
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November 23, 2016, 4:59 am
India has been a mysterious country for centuries with countless cultures, traditions, ethnic and tribal groups scattered across the country. It is highly a heterogeneous society with so many contrasting groups. Majority of them belong to the Hindu religion. These people are god-fearing and extremely superstitious to the point of making it an obsession. Mind you, though a majority of them believe in superstition, apparition, etc, they do not believe in weird things to propitiate the God as done by small groups of people. One of the quaint rituals prevalent in the southern parts of India, particularly in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, is breaking of coconut on the human head!!The breaking coconut on the head has been around for a long time and it involves smashing of a coconut on the head of a devotee in a plea to the gods for good health and success. In a chosen place preferably in a temple, devotees gather around the Pujari (mostly non-Brahmin priests) who smashes a coconut on their skull. Most of the people get up and walk out as if nothing has happened. Some people rub their heads after this strange event. This ritual is performed as a sort of thanksgiving to the deity after their wish has been granted by the deity.
The priest breaks the coconut one by one on the devotees who sit around him and he does it in a quick succession without deviating from the center part of the skull. This ritual is followed in certain parts of Karur, Coimbatore and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu. In the case of Mahalakshmi temple situated in Mahadanapuram, 23 Kms. from Karur town, the ritual coincides with the annual Adi festival. In some places it is a two day festival and is prevalent among certain casts. At any given place more than one thousand devotees participate in this baffling ritual and head injuries with bleeding do occur because of extra force used by the priest or the impact of the coconut is on the sides of the skull. Prior to breaking the coconut, puja is done to the deity, then the priest, in some cases, goes into a trance and stands on a bed of sharp nails. Once he comes out of the trance, he does a brief puja and then begins to break the coconut in succession on the waiting devotees that include elderly people women and teenagers. The devotees who come to the temple to have the coconut broken on their head are expected to have head bath in the morning before morning puja at home. They should refrain from non-vegetarian food on this ritual day. Another condition is the couples should practice celibacy to uphold the sanctity of this ceremony. According to the villagers, this tradition began during the colonial period when the British were laying the railway tracks through the villages. When asked to change the course of the tracks, the foreigners told them with sarcasm that if they could break the coconut-like stones lying on the ground there with their head, then they would change the track line. They villagers did break the small stones with their head through trance and prayer and the tradition continues even to day.Because of the sensitivity involved in matters related certain prevailing religious practices, the government does not want to interfere. The Human Rights Commission makes an hue and cry about such dangerous practices and it is of no use. As for doctors, they say though the skull is resistant to a certain level of tolerance to impact, such practices are deadly and hazardous to health. Their contention is if the coconut does not break, there is no release of energy, positively it may cause head injuries. Despite warnings by the doctors, people do not want to give up the tradition that has been around since the time of the British. Ref: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2723690/Watch-Indian-devotees-smash-coconuts-HEADS-Tamil-Nadu-ritual-plea-gods-health-success.html
http://www.odditycentral.com/events/indian-priests-smash-
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/bizarre-priest-breaks-coconuts-on-heads-of-karur-temple-devotees-9678.html
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November 23, 2016, 8:04 pm
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American Dr. Clara Swain,founder first women hospital in Asia.
en.wikipwdia.org |
In the colonial India, in 1700s and 1800s, the natives were against the use of western medicine and preferred Ayurvedic and other native medicines for cure of diseases, etc. Some were good and some were not. As the Indian women lived in seclusion, attending on them by male doctors to treat them was a problem. The arrival of lady missionary doctors or women trained in western medicine, to some extent eased the situation. As for the new western women missionaries, working in India was a grueling experience, considering its hot climate, tropical heat, monsoon rains, mosquitoes, wild animals, poisonous snakes, etc., not to speak of loneliness and depression being in a strange land with different religious faith. Driven by commitment and vision to serve the natives, many western women missionaries arrived in India. Of course, part of the purpose was to spread Christianity among the natives. One among them was Dr. Clara Swain, MD., an American, first missionary lady doctor in the world and the founder of first women hospital in Asia.![]() |
| American Dr. Clara Swain, first lady doctor missionary in the world,en.wikipwdia.org |
Dr. Clara A. Swain (18 July 1834 - 25 December 1910) a physician and missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church has the distinction of being the world's first missionary doctor in the non-Christian part of the world. Besides, in 1870s she was responsible for establishing the first hospital in India in the orient for women and children.
Swain born in Elmira, Chemung County, New York and raised in Castile, New York was of Irish decent and her parents were John Swain, and Clarisa Seavey. At an early age she took to religious studies and in her early 20s developed interest in medicine to help the sick and the poor and had her early training in medicine under Dr. Cordelia A. Greene at the Castile Sanatorium. Graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 3 1869, under the direction of the Methodist mission in the USA she left for Bareilly in India. In those days, native women refused the service of male doctors and they had to be taken care of by the nurses who could not meet their medical needs. So, the Methodist Mission needed a lady doctor to attend to the Indian women, especially high caste women who lived in seclusion.For the next 25 years or so, with brief sojourns in the middle since her arrival in India on November 20 1970, she had done pioneering work in the area of women's and children's health care at a time when India was under the spell of oppressive British rule.No sooner had she joined the mission in Bareilly than she began her practice and soon got a lot of women patients. It became imperative for her to train a small group of native women in various aspects of medicine and treatments - anatomy, physiology, and materia medica. After sufficient training in medical education and practice, she conducted exams along with other professionals and sent out the first batch of 13 trained women in April 1873 with a bonafide certificate for practice in all diseases. In 1890 the Christian College of Medicine was started at her initiative with a view to giving formal education in medicine.As her work became hectic beyond her ability to handle, she wanted to take time off and spent some years back in the USA and later she arrived in Bombay in 1880 to resume her work. In early 1900s she convinced the Nawob of Rampur to allow her to open medical facilities in his land and finally got more than 45 acres of land free. Her small dispensary on the new land grew into a hospital in a new building in January 1974 called Clara Swain Hospital, the "first hospital for women in India, perhaps in Asia. Nearly 3000 patients were treated in the first year and her name had spread far and wide. For ten years she was a court physician in the Princely state of Rajputana (beginning in 1885). In the 1890s, at her initiative, the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab was founded to provide formalized medical courses instead of mere training. ![]() |
| Dr. Clara Swain's grave in Grace cemetery, Castile, NY. www.findagrave.com |
While serving in India, she endured all kinds of hardships, including a near death situation when facing floods and riding an elephant. She had a soft corner for native Indian women which the conservative Indian society did not treat well.Dr. Swain spent the last year of her life in Castile, New York where she died on December 25, 1910. She is buried at Grace Cemetery, Castile, New York. Inscription:1869-1896 are dates of her service in India.Note: Book: 'A Glimpse of India' ; A collection of letters of Dr. Clara A. Swain, the First Medical Missionary to India of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Swain
http://chrisfieldblog.com/2009/01/03/clara-swain-is-the-world%E2%80%99s-first-woman-missionary-docto
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November 24, 2016, 3:08 am
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| Ritual of baby tossing from the roof, Karnataka, India /www.google.co.in |
People living in India that is steeped in multiculturalism, follow innumerable customs and traditions relevant to the religions and these impart certain moral values that guide them through various difficult phases of our lives. A small fraction of people follow some bizarre and repulsive customs in the name of religion that draw the attention of the media and cause loathing among the majority of the population. Among the weird superstitious rituals or century-old traditions, etc., held in the name of religion, the deadliest and socially unacceptable one is tossing of babies, as if they were dolls, from a temple roof 30 feet above the ground into a group of men standing below, holding a big cloth to catch them. This annual event is conducted near Mudhol town in Bagalkot at the Marutheshwara temple in Karnataka, with fanfare in the belief it will bring good health and luck to the baby and the family. This queer custom that may cause shudders among the humane onlookers is called Okali. This ritual is also annually held in the state Maharashtra.Most of the babies involved in the ritual are between 3-months to 2-years old. The disgusting thing is most of the parents accept this ceremony and consider that will make their babies stronger and it will get rid of the fear in them. After the fall the baby is passed around to the parents. Even though the babies are still very young to understand what is going on, they will experience hard time recovering from the shock. It is just horrible to see toddlers crying hard and looking frightened before tossing in the air at such a dizzy height. This ritual, believed to be centuries old, prevails among certain sections of Hindus as well as Muslims. Many associations tag it as "horrible" and want the government to ban such bizarre rituals, endangering young kids' lives. Yet other factors that can not be over looked are what kind of psychological scar this event will create in the young mind and what will happen if a small human creeps in. It means death for the kid and this will be amounted to murder. While falling on the safety net brandished by the people below in form of a big blanket, people fail to understand the trauma experienced by the babies during the fall.Not withstanding the ban in 2011, the dangerous ritual came back with reckless abandon at Digambeshwara temple in Nagrala village, Karnataka in 2012 to the dismay of some members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.Ref: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126845/Baby-tossing-www.ndtv.com/south/young-children-thrown-from-top-of-temple-in-karnataka-ritual-474917
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November 24, 2016, 5:48 pm
Athletes, who consume beetroot juice before exercising, are on the assumption that it will increase blood flow and improve performance level. While beetroot juice rich in nitrates did not enhance muscle blood flow or vascular dilation during exercise, as previously thought, a study undertaken by David Proctor, professor of Kinesiology and physiology at Penn State,U.S.A found that it did ''De-stiffening'' blood vessels under resting conditions, potentially easing the workload of the heart.The athletes are now in surprise.To improve their ability to withstand muscle fatigue during repeated spells of high intensity exercise and improve blood and oxygen flow in their muscles during training and competition, endurance athletes consume the crimson supplement.Beetroot juice also had no effect on the dilation (widening) of the bronchial artery in these volunteers," said lead author and Penn State physiology graduate student Jin-Kwang Kim.Nitrates, found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach and beetroot, are converted naturally in the body to nitric oxide, a molecule that is known to relax and widen blood vessels and improve efficiency cells' use of oxygen. A number of companies liquefy beetroot and concentrate the nitrate into beetroot juice "shots." Many studies have pointed out indirect evidence of improved muscle oxygenation during exercise after consuming nitrate-rich drinks, such as beetroot juice,but none on the measurement of direct flow of blood to the contracting muscles," Proctor said. "Our study was the first to directly test this possibility in humans."
The nitrite levels in the blood of the participants and the slowing of their' arterial pulsation velocity, an indication that the supplement did indeed have a biological (artery De-stiffening) effect.
The null effects on muscle blood flow observed in this first study, it is pointed out, resulted from two factors."Subjects were young with normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and these subjects had well-preserved vascular endothelial function to begin with."
Journal Reference:Jin-Kwang Kim, David J. Moore, David G. Maurer, Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro, Swati Basu, Michael P. Flanagan, Ann C. Skulas-Ray, Penny Kris-Etherton, David N. Proctor. Acute dietary nitrate supplementation does not augment sub maximal forearm exercise hyperemia in healthy young men. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2014; 1 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2014-0228
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November 24, 2016, 6:28 pm
Children, in the age of 6 to 8 years, who skip meals are susceptible to over-weight and Cardio-metabolic risk. Sugary drinks, red meat and low-fat margarine and lower consumption of vegetable oil, in the diet may cause health problems, points a recent study by Ms. Aino-Maija Eloranta, MHSc, of the University of Eastern Finland.
512 Finnish girls and boys 6 to 8 years of age participated in the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study. The study included assessment of protein profile, waist measurement, BP, fasting serum insulin and fasting plasma glucose. Skipping meals, emotional overeating and poor eating pattern may lead to body weight and body adiposity. Among children, only minority ate vegetables, fruit and berries, some had sugary drinks daily; saturated fat, sucrose and salt were higher and the intakes of dietary food is important.
Overweight and cardio-metabolic diseases already in childhood can be prevented by sticking to regular meals.Dietary habits of children need to be changed: regular-fat vegetable-oil margarines and vegetable oils instead of low-fat margarines, fat-free milk and water instead of sugary drinks, and more fish instead of red meat at meals.
Source:
University of Eastern Finland. "Skipping meals increases children's obesity, cardio metabolic risk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/14121508442
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November 25, 2016, 5:58 am
Just like Tamil Nadu, in the newly formed state of Andhra, there are countless temples of great antiquity dedicated to Lords Vishnu and Shiva. There are only a few temples dedicated to other gods like Vinayaga.Worship of lord is associated with important events like Grahapravasam (moving into a newly built house for the first time), opening a new business or company, etc. In Maharastra, Ganapathi puja is popular, so in many parts of south India. Even in hamlets or small villages under the banyan tree one will see a small temple dedicated to Vinayaka. Varasiddhi Vinayaka (Ganesa) temple at kanipakkam is well known and lots of people visit this temple every day.
The Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple) dedicated to Lord Vinayaka in the town of Kanipakam, Andhra is a rare historical temple because here the presiding deity is self-manifested (Swayambhu) - a feature rarely observed in numerous Ganesa temples. Yet another interesting feature about the idol is it grows slowly. It has outgrown the Kavacha - armor on the idol donated by a devotee several decades ago. Earlier, only knee and abdomen were observable.Built in the 11th century by king Kulothunga Chola, this temple saw additional development in 1336 during the Vijayanagara rule. Here the deity is placed in middle of a well where it was actually found. The holy water from the well is offered to the devotees as theertham.Legend has it that once upon a time three physically handicapped farmers were making a living by tilling the land with water available from their well. The brothers were deaf, dump and blind and obviously they were dependent on the income from the land. One day they could not draw the water for cultivation purpose from the well, so one of them got into the well and tried to deepen the well. when dug deeper, blood started oozing from the bottom of the well and the well turned red. That time a miracle had happened and the three brothers were cured of their infirmities. Taken aback, the villagers suspected some divine power in the well, so, they dug the well further deeper and found Swayambhu idol (self-manifested) of Lord Vinayaka in the well. Since then, the place had become popular as the people experienced some miracles in their lives after their visit to this place. Kulothunga Chola, on a visit here, came to know about the idol of lord Ganesa and the miraculous events, taking place there and later had a temple built in the place where the idol was found..
The annual festival (Brahmotsavam) is a 21 day festival that begins on the Hindu festival of Vinayaka Chavithi (or Ganesh Chaturthi) in the months of August/September. One can see Nijaroopa darshanam (without armor and decoration) during early morning pooja.The temple is just half a kilometer from the Kanipakam bus stand. Temple timing: 4 am to 9.30 pm.
Ref: http://www.trawell.in/andhra/kanipakam/varasiddhi-vinayaka-temple
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November 25, 2016, 7:38 pm
Tirupati city in Chitoor district, Andhra state is one of the most prominent places of pilgrimage in India and it is often said that the city never sleeps since pilgrims in thousands arrive in this city day and night from different parts of India to go to the Balaji temple atop the hill of Tirumala. There are no Hindu families or their relatives in India who have not been to Titupati, one can say emphatically. Located in the heart of the city in Tirupati (down) is an historical temple dedicated to Sri. Govindaraja Perumal and one can not miss the impressive, majestic gopurams. - towers. It is believed to be one of the earliest temples in Chitoor district and the temple complex is a big one. The tradition has been that the pilgrims are supposed to visit this temple and the Thayyar (goddess) temple at Alamelumanga Puram, before visiting Balaji temple up on the hill. Built in the 12 th century, Saint Ramanujar reconsecrated the idol of Govindaraja Perumal in 1130 AD. But, the temple complex belongs to the 9th and 10th centuries. Earlier, the presiding deity was lord Parthasarathi (Lord Krishna who rode the chariot for Arjuna in the Kurushetra war). Sri. Govindaraja perumal is believed to to be the care taker of the enormous wealth of lord Venkateswara (lord Balaji) at Tirumala that has the highest hundial collections - daily collectons in the world. With the collections, etc lord Balaji is just paying the interest on the loan that he borrowed from the lord of wealth, Kubera to meet his wedding expenses with goddess Padmavati Thayyar. Here, the presiding deity - Govindaraja with his face towards east is in reclining posture (Yaga Nithra) lying on the recoiled bed of huge Adisesha, the serpent with consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. On the temple complex are many subshrines dedicated to sri Andal (goddess), Anjaneya, Alwars (Vaishnavite poets), Tirumala Nambi and others. The temple towers have exquisitely made sculptures of various gods and demi gods. inside the temple there are beautifully carved stone images depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Sri Krishna's life. This temple is just half a kilo meter from the railway station and Balaji temple at Tirumala is 22 km from the town. Padmavati Thayyar temple at Tiruchanoor (Alamelumanga puram) is 5 km from here.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govindaraja_Temple,_Tirupati
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November 25, 2016, 10:01 pm
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| Beetroot juice. www.khaleejtimes.com |
A study on the drinking of beetroot juice, at least 1 1/2 hrs before exercise has good benefits on physical body function and could improve the exercise capacity of COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients because of the presence of nitrates.
Patients with COPD disease find it to breathe comfortably and tend to become sedentary or show gradual decline in the physical function or fitness activities because they face the prospect of experiencing shortness of breath with exertion when climbing steps or stairways and hiking uphill trails. On many an occasion, such physical tasks leave them gasping and over panting. Such scary happenings put a damper on their future physical activities. Reason: fear.
It was the first study - 2010 ever undertaken by Wake Forest researchers who showed the link between consumption of nitrate-rich beet juice and increased blood flow to the brain. Patients who drank beetroot juice long before exercise were able to exercise longer time, and had reduced exercise diastolic and resting systolic blood pressures.It is a good news for COPD patients.The study involved 15 COPD patients, who were subjected to gradual to rigorous exercise regimen and pulmonary function tests and lung volume tests on a few visits, as predetermined. The aim of these exercise tests was to exhaust the patient in a four to ten minutes time span. Roughly one and half hours before exercise, some were given beetroot juice, while others Prune juice - a sort of placebo drink which does not have nitrates. The exercise tests were designed to exhaust the patient in a four to ten minutes period.The positive results that emerged will motivate COPD patients to continue to be physically active and improve their health.
So, COPD patients need not worry about climbing steps or hiking hilly terrains and consequent exhaustion and gasping. With a glass of beetroot juice, you can it do it with less fatigue and panting.
Journal Reference:
Michael J. Berry, Nicholas W. Justus, Jordan I. Hauser, Ashlee H. Case, Christine C. Helms, Swati Basu, Zachary Rogers, Marc T. Lewis, Gary D. Miller. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves exercise performance and decreases blood pressure in COPD patients. Nitric Oxide, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2014.10.007
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November 26, 2016, 6:41 am
No people can rise higher as a people than the point to which they educate their women ” ................. Isabella Thoburn, American Christian Missionary in India Isabella Thoburn (March 29, 1840-Sept. 1, 1901), an American Christian missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has taken the honor of having established her first girls' school in India and she successfully ran the educational institutions and missionary work in North India, soon after the East India Company's exit and during the colonial rule under the direct British government in India.Thoburn, the second youngest of ten childrenborn in 1840 near St. Clairsville, Ohio, attended local schools and the Wheeling Female Seminary in Wheeling, Virginia (now in West Virginia). It was her brother James Mills Thoburn, a Methodist Episcopal missionary in India, in 1866 was responsible for bringing her to India to assist him in his educational and missionary work. He thought he could utilize his sister's several years of teaching experience in a backward country like India. But she could undertake the journey to India only in 1869 when the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church enabled her to pursue missionary work under denominational affiliation and auspices.Coming from a god-fearing family that gave much emphasis on moral values in social life, she had been brought up with the committed belief that service to the society was an essential part of one's life and was above anything else. A better society would build a stronger nation, it was the philosophy behind it. Armed with this moral instruction by her family, her brother James went to India as a missionary. Having known women's position in a conservative Indian society then, his intention was to give them hope and determination to lead a righteous life, identifying their inherent ability and sinking their ignorance to the abyss. The best choice would be first to educate the Indian women. Unfortunately his dream was shattered after the premature death of his wife who gave him her full support all the way. He thought his sister would take up the tasks left behind by his wife.Responding to her brother's call, Isabella said "yes." As soon as the Methodist church could organize a women's mission society, she was on her way. Accompanied by Dr. Clara Swain, the first female missionary doctor in the world, Isabella arrived in India on January 7, 1870. Soon her work began by visiting women in their Zenenas and sharing the gospel with them. With additional funds, she bought lands and buildings and opened a school for girls (8th April 1870 ) in Lucknow bazaar. It was just a small room, Isabella's heart was big. It took a while for her to cajole and convince the first seven girl terribly frightened to enter the class room. They were brought up with the belief that education was a taboo, a sin for a woman who was destined to spend her time in her home. One surprising fact is that she had a guard posted with a club in front of the class room so that no body from the place could barge in and take away the girls. In 1871, with more students, she began functioning from a house once occupied by the Nawob of Awadh. In the same period she was responsible for establishing a Methodist High School in Kanpur. These two educational institutions were among the first in colonial India, catering to the educational and religious needs of an emerging Anglo Indian society in Awadh - Lucknow, now in Uttar Pradesh.For many years she edited a semi-monthly newspaper in HindRafiq - i - Niswan - women' friend. Miss Thoburn's school was renamed on 12 July 1886 as the Lucknow Women's College and began to teach Fine Arts classes under the supervision of the University of Calcutta as it was affiliated to that university. In 1894, with the formation of Allahabad university, its affiliation changed over to that university. The name of the college changed to Isabella Thoburn in 1923 in her honor. The college now has a spacious campus (32 acres), once a royal garden called Chand Bagh (moon garden) in Lucknow city. Now, it is affiliated with Lucknow University.In ancient India women had an envious position in the society enjoying equal rights with men and had free access to education and had the choice to choose their life partner. Gradually in the later part of the history, the scenario vis-a-vis women changed drastically by male domination and they were relegated to such a degree that they were "unwanted at birth, un-honored in life, un-wept in death."Isabella toiled tirelessly for the poor women in the Indian society, instilling in them courage to fight it and understand their purpose in life so that they could develop qualities of leadership, essential for nation building. Traveling across India, she asked the Christian missions to open more educational institutions for girls. Thoburn returned to the United States and for was sometime associated with Lucy Rider Meyer's Chicago Training School for City and in 1887, Meyer offered her a position - the first house mother and superintendent of the school's new Methodist Deaconess Home for training female deacons. Later she returned to India to take care of her institutions.![]() |
| Isabella_Thoburn. ww.google.co.in/ |
She died in 1901 in Lucknow, India. After her death, one Lilavati Singh, a beautiful and cultivated representative of the upper caste community , took over the management of the college for eight long years. Isabella Thoburn College is run by the Isabella Thoburn Society of the Methodist Church in India and is an Associate College of the University of Lucknow. Numerous alumni of this college, founded by a highly spirited woman from an ordinary American family, have made valuable contribution in various fields, thus upholding her vision of quality leadership throughgood education.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Thoburn
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November 26, 2016, 9:20 pm
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| Chidambaram Sri Nataraja temple, Tamil Nadu. www.iskcontimes.com |
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| Chidanbaram idol of Govindaraja and his consort. anudinam.org |
We rarely come across a temple where the presiding deities are both lord Vishnu (protector) and lord Shiva (the destroyer) and the temple worship is done according to Vaihnava tradition as well as Shaivite tradition. Sri. Govindaraja Perumal temple has the unique distinction of being located on the world famous Chidambaram Nataraja (lord Shiva) temple complex very close to the main shrine (Kanaga Sabai) of Shiva in the temple town of Chidambaram, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. Likewise there is a famous Shiva temple called Ekambareswarar temple at Kanchipuram in Chingalput, TN that has a Vishnu temple on the same premises - Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple. These are two rare Divyadesam Vaishnava shrines.Though the rulers of mighty Chola dynasty were the followers of Saivite tradition, they also made valuable contributions to Vaishnava temples. According to the history of the temple, King Kulothunga Chola II is believed to have removed the presiding Govindaraja idol from the shrine. This shrine has close connections with the Govindaraja temple in Tirupati (Lower) since the time of Vaishnavite saint Ramanuja of the 11-12th century. Sri Ramanujar moved over to Tirupati with the utsava (festival image) idol of the temple at Chidambaram to escape from the fury of the Chola ruler.
None is powerful to stop the march of time and in the 16th century, king Krishnappa Nayak was instrumental in installing the idol of Govindaraja back in the Chidambaram Nataraja temple. Son of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai Nayak dynasty, Krishnappa Nayak, who along with his father's able minister Ariyanatha, expanded the Madurai Kingdom and brought most of the territory under the Pandya dynasty. Followers of Saivite tradition protested against the installation of Vishnu idol close to the main shrine of lord Shiva. However, lord Vishnu's idol was reinstalled on the Nataraja temple premises by the Nayak ruler. Under the British, there was a legal dispute over the rights and location of shrines of lord Vishnu and Azhwars in the same temple before the court between Thillai Moovaeerathars - Brahmins of sub caste Dikshita, who controlled the temple, and Vaishnavas. The court ruling was in favor of Vaishnavas.This shrine is s one of the 108 holy temples of Lord Vishnu called Divyadesam - Vaishnava canon, revered by the 7th-9th-century Tamil saint poets of Vaishnava (those worshiping Lord Vishnu) tradition, Azhwars. Kulashekara Azhwar mentions this temple as Tillai Chitrakutam and equates Chitrakuta of the Ramayana fame with this shrine. Legend has it that Govindaraja Perumal is believed to have descended for sage Kanvar and the 3,000 Dikshidars of the Thillai Natarajar temple. Here Vishnu is in Bhooga sayanam (dozing stance) facing lord Nataraja in the kanaga sabai, the roof of which is gold plated. Here, lord Vishnu's consort is Pundarikavalli. The temple pujas and rituals are done by the temple priests (locally called Bhattacharyas) belonging to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste as in other temples. The 10 day Chitrai Utchavam (April - May) and Gajendra Moksham are the major festivals here. Daily (Nithya) puja is performed six times a day. Each puja protocol includes Alangaram (decoration), Neivethanam (food offering) and Deepa Aaradanai (waving of lamps) for both Govindarajan and Pundarikavalli. The last step of worship is accompanied by playing of Nagaswaram (wind instrument native to S.India ) and Tavil (percussion instrument native to S.India) are played, Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govindaraja_Perumal_Temple
The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Govindarajan and Pundarikavalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The 10-day Chittirai festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March - April) and Gajendra Moksha festival are the prominent festivals celebrated in the temple.[13]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govindaraja_Perumal_Temple
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November 27, 2016, 8:19 am
Conventionally across India in many places, Vedic rituals such as special homams or yagams or pujas (prayers) are done by the learned pundits to appease the god to bring in rain. In reality, it is an innovation of rain god, praying for copious rain fall so that there will be good harvest and better crop production in the ensuing season. like wise, people normally seek the help of pundits if a girl's wedding is delayed because of some hitches in her horoscope. Some people go to temple and light the oil lamps there for a particular period, say 21 days, 45 days, etc., to get over such delays.
It is quite strange in some places in India, the people are so superstitious, they reach the highest crest of hyperbole and do weird things. It is neither a religious compulsion nor an accepted convention in Hinduism. Such myths and superstitions often overtake rationality and clear thinking. Superstition is retrograde and will not help the society. Rather such weird rituals give us a good laugh at a time when our lives are dogged down by dull and drab stuff.One positive aspect of this unusual ritual is at a time when human- animal conflict is at the lowest ebb as it is confirmed by reports of of elephants getting electrocuted or getting killed on the train tracks, trespassing by wild animals into human settlements near wooded areas, etc., people worship animals and consider them as part of their lives.Mock-wedding between a girl and a peepal tree or dog:Depending on the position of planets in the horoscope of the girl, it is decided whether the girl should marry a peepal tree or a dog. If a girl has a thosham or hitch as per her horoscope cast based on solar calendar, the longevity of the groom or the Mangalya Bagyyam of the girl will be affected. Further, the groom will bring ill-luck to the family. In a mock marriage ceremony, if she marries a peepal tree or a dog (in Tamil Nadu Banana tree is preferred) her blemish/ negative factor will get negated. In addition, it will ward off evil spell on the girl that might cause the blemish. When she marries a man, no risk is involved and the couple will live for eternity. This kind of superstitious belief is prevalent in remote places of Eastern India.http://economydecoded.com/2016/02/wedding-rituals-india/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/teenager-forced-marry-stray-dog-4156702 Frog and rain:When weather playing truant and the monsoon rains do not come in sufficient quantity, there is nothing to worry. no seeding of the clouds with chemicals. All you have to do is to have a wedding solemnized not between humans, but between amphibian - frogs. This will appease rain god and he will grant copious rains for the crops. The chosen frogs are smeared with vermilion, and solemnized by chanting mantras. Once the ceremony is over, they are released into the ponds. In some villages in Mysore, the frog is kept in a pot containing neem leaves an twigs. Before that the frog is given a bath and smeared with vemillian. Then a boy carries the pot with the frog on his head and is taken around a village Once the puja is done, the amphibian is released into the water bodies. The Kappe puja lasts for three hours normally from 9.30 Am till 12.30 pm. Normally this puja is performed at a temple. The superstitious practice has been in vogue for a long time.
http://www.nyoooz.com/mysore/444767/mysuru-villagers-worship-frog-to-please-rain-godDonkey wedding and rain: To get a good rainfall, the farmers of Uppaluru village in Muddanur mandal in Kadapa district, Andhra come up with a novel way, that is performing the wedding of two grown up donkeys with all the traditional rituals that are commonly followed in normal wedding. The Dobees -Washemen of this place arranged for this strange wedding at Sri Rama temple in the village. The male donkey is decorated with garlands and a dhoti and the female donkey appears in full female -wedding regalia with a saree, silver anklets and garlands. Vermillion is applied on the foreheads of both the animals. The villagers, forming two groups take the groom and bride in a procession to the temple. The priest chants mantras and ties the Mangalyam (sacred thread) around the female donkey's neck followed by applying ‘jeelakarra and bellam’ on the head, pouring ‘thalambralu’ with colorful beads. Even exchanging of garland is not excluded. The village elders, in consultation with astrologers, fix the venue, day and time of the ritual. On this strange wedding day, the atmosphere in this village is charged with excitement. thank god such excitement and fun will not be marred by the braying of the donkeys, registering their protest against such rituals in which they are the main players.Mind you in some places in the state Tamil Nadu, I have heard people tell me,that the groom is a young man and the bride is a donkey!! Imagine what will happen if the donkey gives a nice, strong kick in the erogenous zone?http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/farmers-perform-wedding-of-donkeys/article6238375.ece House with a resting place for cobras: I already posted an article on Shetpal village: http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2014/11/shetpal-villageindia-where-guests-are.htmlShetpal is a small village in Sholapur district of Maharastra state where each house has a resting place for live cobras - in the rafters above the ceiling. There they roost, relax and breed and the villagers, including children, are not afraid of them. They say there are no major incidences of fatal snake-bite.it is really a scary things to see kids handing the deadly cobras as if they were toys. New houses are built with a place for the reptiles to reside!!
Rat temple:Have you ever heard of a temple where rats are glorified? Rodents are known to destroy a high percentage of crops in India. Here in Rajasthan at a nondescript village, Deshnoke, a temple called Kari Mata is home to countless rats. People living here feed them and do not injure them. In them, the villagers see their ancestors. Hence they leave the rats alone. it is believed there rats in thousands. It is considered an honor for the villagers if the rats nibble on the food. mind you, they value each rat. If one is killed, it will be replaced with one made of pure silver.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karni_Mata_TempleCattle trampling over humans:In the city of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, men volunteer and lay down on the ground and have the herd of cows trampled all over them, as part of a bizarre centuries-old ritual that is held on the day of Ekadeshi, next day of Dewali- in October or November. At Bhidawad, recently a herd of decorated cows with henna and flowers participated in this ritual, the purpose of which is to get their wishes fulfilled. The cows are driven through the street where the young volunteers lie down on the ground. The organizers say there has been no incidence of any fatal accident so far. The belief is, cows being holy, if trampled on them, their problems will come down and good luck will favor them.Rationalists ask them: Will such superstitious people let the jumbo trample on them? news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20121115/2101585.htmlWorshiping bats:The people of Kalyanpur in Vaishali, Bihar, have a superstitious ritual for a different purpose. In order to protect the village from impending danger, they worship bats, the spooky, nocturnal creatures that are associated with witch graft. As long as the bats stay in their village, so long, they will be out of danger and can lead a peaceful life. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/bihar-villagers-worship-bats-as-god_1
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November 27, 2016, 9:28 pm
Superstitious beliefs exist in all cultures and religions and no country is free from this. In such queer beliefs, anxiety and fear psychosis are the driving forces. In some cases, trust is the major factor. Hold on to the 'trust factor' and move forward and do not be obsessive.People from South India 'celebrate' the Theemithi (in Tamil Thee means fire, Mithi means stomp or walk) or fire walking festival by walking barefoot across a bed of hot burning wood to propitiate the Hindu goddess Draupati Amman. This ritual has been around for centuries, particularly in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated during the Tamil month of Aippasi ( October and November). The fire-walking ceremony is also celebrated in Mauritius, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries where a large chunk of South Indians live.In Tamil Nadu, numerous villages conduct this annual event on a regular basis right before Mariamman (goddess) temple. People, women and teenagers walk through the fire-pit either in fulfillment of their vow or their wishes to be fulfilled. They do it with utter devotion and bakthi, after taking head bath and doing puja rituals before the main event that normally takes place after 9 PM. The participants are supposed to wear their dress dipped in water mixed in turmeric and wear the neem leaves around their dress. In some places, participants carry in their bare hands a hot mud pot containing burning wood and walk through the fire-pit. The size of the fire pit varies and normally it will be 20 feet long and 6 to 9 feet wide. In some temples, it is a two or three day event and the culmination of this festival is Theemethi. In the villages, adults strictly avoid non vegetarian food, liquor and the couples practice celibacy during the festival period.The ritual begins with the local priest mostly pujari(s), carrying a pot of hot burning wood in his hand and a pot containing sacred water on his head, followed by the participants This Thimethi festival is done in honor of Draupati, wife of Pancha Pandavas of Mahabharata. The Pandava brothers were cheated by their cousins led by Dhuriyodana who not only took away their kingdom, etc., but also stooped to the lowest level and insulted Drupati in public which no woman could tolerate. She took a vow to comb her hair till the Pandavas emerged victorious in their battle against their cousins. With help from Lord Krishna, who acted as charioteer to Arjuna (one of the Pandava brothers) at last, Pandava brothers recovered whatever lost and Draupati combed her disheveled hair after Dushasana had been killed. He was the one who made an assault on her modesty right before other men. Draupati walked through the bed of fire and came out as fresh as she could be like a blossoming flower. In some villages in the past, scenes from Mahabarata were enacted at night in the form of dance drama but, this tradition is on the decline.Anyway Theemithi marks the victory of the good over the evil and fulfillment of Draupati's vow. She is believed to be the incarnation of Mariamman ( goddess Parasakthi). As for safety, minor accidents do occur and occasionally children trip and fall on the bed and burn injuries When the devotees walk on the bed of fire, they temporarily go into a trance and come out without any injuries. Steady walking is a must. Such festivals improve people's concentration, determination and most importantly endurance under difficult situations. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimithihttp://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/of-fire-walking-and-other-weird-practices-in-india
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