November 27, 2016, 10:56 pm
For a few decades health specialists have focused on regular aerobic exercises to keep our health in good shape. There are light joggers as well as strenuous joggers whose main aim is to have a healthy heart, controlled body weight and overall good health that will have positive impact on their longevity.
A 2-year research by a Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark revealed strenuous joggers were as likely to die as sedentary non-joggers, while light joggers had the lowest rates of death.The conclusion was drawn based on the detailed study of 1,098 healthy joggers and 413 healthy but sedentary non-joggers for 12 years. The study focused on hours of jogging, frequency and the individual's perception of pace which may differ from people to people.The final result was that strenuous jogging is not as good as light jogging, considering the duration of exercise over a long period of time.
Mortality rates were low in the case of slow and moderate joggers - Jogging from 1 to 2.4 hours per week with the optimal frequency of jogging was no more than three times per week
Early studies have found that more than moderate exercise may cause more harm than good.According to researcher Peter Schnohr, MD, DMSc, a researcher from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, 'while jogging pace of joggers is very important as the pace of the slow joggers corresponds to vigorous exercise and strenuous jogging corresponds to very vigorous exercise. Decades of high-level activities could cause health risks, and may affect the efficiency the cardiovascular system.'
In this competitive environment, world over people are leading a stressful life and it is imperative on your part to set your goal on physical exercise. If your target is to to decrease the risk of heart problems and improve life expectancy, jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good bet as too much of anything is harmful.
Journal Reference:
Peter Schnohr, James H. O’Keefe, Jacob L. Marott, Peter Lange, Gorm B. Jensen. Dose of Jogging and Long-Term Mortality. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2015; 65 (5): 411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.11.023
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November 28, 2016, 11:28 pm
Across the face of the earth, despite the prevailing gender gap in many countries, women are no longer confined themselves to home and hearth and have learned to take care of themselves by seeking a path that is comfortable to them. They dream and develop passion that appeals to their heart most. In many counties, particularly in Asia, full freedom for women is a far cry as men and the society have a firm grip on them. But the scenario is slowly changing and it can not happen overnight.Among daring women, who have broken the fetters put on them by the society, some want to achieve success on their own by choosing a tough path - outdoor adventure like mountaineering, a risky area that requires sound health, sound mind and trust. The concept of women empowerment to achieve success through trust, leadership, management and adventure has gained currency in the past decade. Empowerment gives them confidence, trust and other basic stuff that will make them a good leader or an achiever. Women adventurers are molded in a different way and they draw our attention because, they do not want to sit in the comfort zone and lead a mundane life as other people do. By taking to adventurism and outdoor activities like mountaineering, etc they come out far beyond the comfort zone and challenge the nature by training their mind and spirit. Their sustained and controlled obsession helps them succeed in their endeavor to conquer nature in the wilderness.. Discussed below in brief are those women who have made history not only by just climbing Mt. Everest but also by setting world records. Until 1970s, Himalayan mountaineering was a male domain and in the last few decades, women have made a foray into this tough mountainous terrain and proved their stamina and physical endurance under extremely harsh weather conditions prevailing on the high mountains. In this respect, these daring women stand taller than Mt. Everest itself, serving as a beacon to those who want to follow them. Lhakpa Sherpa (Nepal ):Lhakpa Sherpa (also Lakpa), a mountain climber and housekeeper, has climbed Mt. Everest as many as seven times, the most of any woman in the world in 2000. Not only that, she became the first Nepalese woman to climb and descend Everest successfully. Raised in Makalu, Nepal, she was one among 11 children of his parents. Married to George Dijmarescu, a Romanian-American, for 12 years, she has two daughters and one son. In 2000 she was the leader of an expedition sponsored by Asian Trekking. On September 18, 2000 she became the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest and survive (see also Pasang Lhamu Sherpa). This climb was with the Nepali Women Millennium Expedition. For the first time, she met her would-be husband in 2000 in Kathmandu and married him in 2002. In 2016, she received recognition as the woman with the most Everest summitings and completed her seventh summit that year.Junko Tabei (Japan): Tabei Junko, (22 September 1939 -20 October 20, 2016) of Japan has the unique distinction of being the first woman mountaineer to have scaled Mount Everest, and also the first woman to ascend all Seven Summits by climbing the highest peak on every continent.Born in Miharu, Fukushima, Tabei is the fifth daughter in a family of seven children and she learned to climb mountain when she was just 10. Coming from a poor family, she did not have the luxury to climb some peaks when she was in school. With help from many sources, she continued her passion and ultimately she became popular world over when Junko Tabei reached the summit on 16 May 1975 - the first woman to make a successful ascent.Malavath Purna (INDIA):Malavath Purna (born 10 June 2000), an Indian mountaineer hails from from Nizamabad district, Telangana. At the age of 13 and 11 months on 25 May 2014, Purna scaled the highest roof in the world - Mount Everest and became the youngest person to have reached the summit. She was accompanied by Anand Kumar, a 16 year old boy and a school student from Khammam, Andhra.Born at Pakala village on 10 June 2000 in a tribal family, her parents (mother Lakshmi and father Devidas) are farm laborers. She joined Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society for her education. Her talent in out-door sports was spotted by the secretary of the Society Dr R S Praveen Kumar. She was shortlisted for Operation Everest along with a Dalit boy, Sadhanapalii Anand Kumar. She underwent rigorous training in mountaineering at NIM and hiked mountains of Ladakh and Darjeeling, as part of her preparation for her trip to Everest. She and Kumar received rewards from the state government.Melissa Arnot (USA): Raised just outside Glacier National Park in Whitefish, Montana, USA, Melissa Arnot, while a college student, saved enough money to learn mountaineering and in 2001 she first climbed Mount Rainier, a tall dormant volcanic peak in Washington state. She is a specialist in wilderness medicine and received certification in 2002. As a guide and mountaineer, she had scaled Mt. Rainier 90 times since 2001, a whooping record for a young woman. She teaches Wilderness EMT courses for Remote Medical International.Arnot's summit attempts in 2014 and 2015 had to be given up because of avalanche at Mount Everest. In 2016 she became the first American woman to summit Mount Everest and survive the descent without supplemental oxygen; Francys Arsentiev, also an American woman, reached the summit without oxygen. Earlier, in 2010, she led a celebrity climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa to emphasis the importance of access to clean water. She has made Most ascents - six times - a record by a by a foreign woman. Santosh Yadav (INDIA):Santosh Yadav, an Indian mountaineer, became first young woman in the world to have climbed Mt. Everest twice, taking a different route from KangshungFace. She first climbed the peak in May 1992 (then aged 20 in 1992) and then did it again in May 1993. Born in small village called Joniawas in Rewari district of Haryana state, she has come from a rich family. She did her college studies (Maharani College in Jaipur) in Rajasthan and wanted to become a government bureaucrat, hence she was preparing for IAS exams, a tough competitive one. She also learned mountaineering at Nehru Inst. of Mountaineering in Uttar Kasi. During her Everest mission of 1992, she saved the life of another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing oxygen with him. Currently she is an officer in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Yadav was awarded the Padma Shri 1989.Ming Kipa (Nepal): Ming Kipa (born 1988), a Nepalese Sherpa girl, held the record as the youngest person to climb Mount Everest from 2003 to 2010. On May 22, 2003 when she was just 15 years old, she reached the summit, indeed a great feat for a young girl then. She achieved this victory with her brother Mingma Gyula and her sister Laphka, a new record because the climbers were from the same family. Ming Kipa Sherpa scaled Everest from the Chinese side as climbers under 16 are not eligible as per Nepalese law. Her record was broken in 2010 when American Jordan Romero reached the summit on May 22nd of that year at the age of 13 years, 10 months. The earlier record was held by Temba Tsheri who climbed Everest at the age of 16 in 2001.By 2003, about 1200 people had reached Everest since 1953 and about 175 died. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_Kipa Bachendri Pal ( India): ![]() |
| Bachendri Pal,India.May 23, 1984. economictimes.indiatimes.com |
Bachendri Pal (born 24 May 1954 in 1984 became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.Raised in a village Nakuri in Uttarkashi, district of Garhwal, Uttarakhand state in the Himalayas, she was one of seven children to Hansa Devi and Shri Kishan Singh Pal – a border tradesman who supplied groceries from India to Tibet. She came from a lower middle class family with moderate income. She received her M.A. and B.Ed. from D.A.V. Post Graduate College Dehradun. When she was just 12, she with her friends, climbed a peak -13,123 ft (3,999.9 m) high peak during a school picnic. While doing courses in mountaineering at NIM, she climbed Mt. Gangotri 21,900 ft (6,675.1 m) and Mt. Rudragaria 19,091 ft (5,818.9 m) and that established her as a good mountaineer. In her family she had to face tough opposition regarding her choice of carrier. She preferred mountaineering to teaching profession. Impressed with her dedication to mountain climbing, she became an instructor at the National Adventure Foundation (NAF), which had set up an adventure school for training women to learn mountaineering.On an expedition to Everest in May 1984, when camping at 24000 feet on the way to Everest, her team faced tough challenges and near disaster when an avalanche (on the night of May 15 or 16 around 12.30 am) buried her camp. She had a close brush with the moving ice mass that jolted her and others from sleep.Consequently, half of her group abandoned their ascent for various reasons, but Bachendri Pal and others undeterred, kept pushing themselves up and at South Col (26000 feet) after camping in the early morning around 6.30 am while climbing the vertical ice cliff on May 23, 1984 the team faced snow storm (blowing at roughly 100 km/hr) and the temperature plummeted to minus 30 to 40 degree Celsius and at last they made it to the roof of the world. On the day before her 30th birth day, Bachendri Pal made history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachendri_PalLydia Bradey (New Zealand):Lydia Bradey of Christchurch, New Zealand took ken interest in mountaineering when she was in her teens. Her parents are Royce and John Bradey and her mother struggled financially to take care of Lydia She actively participated in wilderness expedition at the age of 14, and by 17 daringly had climbed the summits of Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring. Her climbing companions were Rob Hall and his friend Gary Ball. When she was 19, Bradey left New Zealand on an international climbing expedition to places like Mt. McKinley in Alaska, etc., She made ten ascents of Yosemite's big walls in Utah, seven of which were the first ascents by a female.Lydia Bradey became the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1988, a feat that had not been achieved before by a woman.
Tashi and Nungshi Malik (India):Tashi and Nungshi Malik (born on 21 June 1991) are the first youngsters and twins to climb the Seven Summits in different continents, besides the North and South Poles, thus completing the Adventurers Grand Slam .
The Malik twins (Tashi and Nungshi) are Indian twins, originally from Haryana state and now reside in Dehradun, India. Their father was a retired Indian Army officer, Col Virendra Singh Malik. The girls attended several schools in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Manipur, including the famous Lawrence School, Lovedale, near Oooty (Ootacamund), Tamil Nadu. ![]() |
| The Malik twins (Tashi and Nungshi). en.wikipedia.org |
Educated at Sikkim Manipal University, each gaining a first division degree in Journalism & Mass Communication.They have a string of following records to their credit (vide Wikipedia): 01. First female twins to scale Mt. Everest (Climbed at 21 years of age).
02 First siblings & twins to climb ‘Seven Summits’ (highest peaks in all continents).
03. First siblings & twins to complete Adventurers Grand Slam & the Three Pole Challenge.
04. Youngest persons ever to complete Adventurers Grand Slam & the Three Pole Challenge.
05. First twins to reach South Pole on Skis (last degree).
06. First twins to reach North Pole on Skis, (last degree).Besides, they also hold innumerable other records, which no body can imagine. They were conferred India's highest adventure honor 'Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award' 2015 by the President of India on 29 Aug 2016. On 23 Oct 2016, they were awarded 2016 Leif Erikson Young Explorer Award in Husavik, by the President of Iceland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashi_and_Nungshi_MalikArunima Sinha (india):Arunima Sinha (born 1988) is the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest and also the first Indian amputee to climb Mount Everest.
Her ambition is to climb the highest summits in other continents and put the flag of India on them and in this respect, she has already climbed five peaks: 1. Everest in Asia, 2. Kilimanjaro in Africa, 3. Elbrus in Europe, 4. Kosciuszko, Australia, 5. Aconcagua in Argentina as the world's five highest peaks and 6. Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), Indonesia.
Sinha. hailing from from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, India was a national level Volley ball player. As ill-luck would have it, while traveling by train on 11 April 2011 to Delhi to take a competitive exams, she was pushed out of the train by the merciless chain snatchers. She fell on the parallel track and a passing train crushed her left leg below the knee and the doctors amputated her leg to save her life. Later she was fitted with a prosthetic leg.Undeterred and encouraged by her brother, she focused her interest on mountaineering, unmindful of her physical handicap and later showed her talents in this tough outdoor activity. She received additional training from Bachendri pal, another Woman mountaineer at Uttar Kasi camp under Tata Steel Adventure Foundation. After scaling a few peaks and gaining confidence, she embarked on an expedition to Mt. Everest, partly sponsored by the Tata Group. On on 21 May 2013, at 10:55 am, she made history by becoming the first female amputee in the world to scale Everest. She took 52 days to achieve this feat. In 2015, she was awarded Padmasri by the Indian government. Sinha, though physically handicapped, through sheer determination and guts has made history, thus proving that anything is possible under the sun, if we have the courage and trust in us. Lori Schneider (USA): Lori Schneider became the first person with multiple sclerosis to summit Mt. Everest, on May 23, 2009. Lori is also the first with MS to complete the Seven Summits, scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. McKinley (Denali), Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Mt. Kosciuszko, and Mt. Everest.Lori Schneider developed a taste for traveling when she was 15 years old. She traveled to numerous places to get exposed to different cultures, people, and challenging experiences. Graduated from an all-women’s college in 1978, Lori began a twenty-year teaching career in teaching school children. In 1999, when she was 43, Lori developed Multiple Sclerosis, experiencing numbness over 50% of her body. Within a span of two months, it had affected the rest of the body. The doctors confirmed that it was MS, she did not lose hope, rather she came more resolute and had begun to show more interest in travel. Her main target was the mesmerizing mountains across the globe - the highest peaks in Africa, Europe, South America, North America, Australia, Antarctica, and Asia under her belt, Lori became the first person in the world with MS to conquer the "Seven Summits". Lori’s message to adults and children alike, reminds us that if we believe, we can achieve.http://www.empowermentthroughadventure.com/the%20seven%20summits.html Chhurim (Nepal):Chhurim is a Nepali mountaineer and the first woman to climb Mount Everest twice in the same season, a feat which was confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013. She accomplished this feat in 2012, climbing Everest on May 12 and May 19 of that year, a monumental feat. ![]() |
| Chhurim. en.wikipedia.org |
"People have set different kinds of climbing records in Everest," said Chhurim, sitting on her living room couch directly beneath a string of certificates hung on the wall -- the Guinness plaque included. "But no one has climbed twice within a week. So I just climbed with the sole motive of making a world record."
Many records are set on Mt. Everest, but none had made it to the top twice in the same season, within a short gap. Chhurim, then a fifth grader, wanted to grab this record and it was Pasang Lhamu Sherpa -- the first Nepalese woman to climb Everest (she died during her descent) -- was the source of inspiration. She achieved this feat with sustained efforts and faith in her that most girls the same age couldn't conceive of. and try." "To date, the total number of people who have successfully climbed Everest from the Nepalese side, according to the Expedition Department at the Ministry of Tourism, stands at 3,842. Of them only 219 are women, out of whom a mere 21 are Nepalese. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhurimhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_records
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November 29, 2016, 4:12 am
The early Colonial rule under the East India Company was a repressive one as the company was in an expansion mode at the expense of Maharajahs and Muslim rulers who were rendered powerless and money-less. Also affected were the local rulers and chieftains at many places who were forced to pay taxes to the British through their noses. Many could not fight, but some revolted against the unjust foreign rulers. One among them was Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, local ruler, an unsung freedom fighter. Like other early freedom fighters, without any compunction, Reddy was put to death by the EIC officials.Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy (died in 1847) is one of the earliest freedom fighters in India like Veera Pandya Katta Bomman of South Tamil Nadu. Reddy, who had 66 villages under his control and an army of 2000 men, could not brook the atrocities committed by the corrupt officials of EIC (East India Company) and the sufferings and pains his people had to go through under their occupation. The Rayalaseema region was transferred to the British by the Nizam and Reddy refused pay taxes to directly to the British. On 10 June 1846 he raided the treasury at Koilakuntla and marched towards Kambham, Andhra Pradesh (Prakasam District). On the way, at Rudravaram he killed the forest ranger. This being a serious matter, the then Collector Thomas Monroe issued orders to arrest him. The EIC put a price on his head Rs. 5000.00 and Rs. 10,000.00 for his head. His revolt in India against the British occupation was 10 years earlier than India's First War of Independence of 1857 also known as Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. People from villages like Uyyalawada, Gulladurti, Harivaram, Uppaluru, Kotthakota took part in this early rebellion. The vestiges of the early events are well frozen in the ruins of the fort at Kotthakota, near Giddalur. Now these villages are in Prakasam,Kurnool,Kadapa (or Cuddapah), Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh and in the Ballari region of Karnataka.Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, son of Uyyalawada Peddamalla Reddy, was born in Uyyalawada, now in Kurnool District which is on the banks of Kundu River. His father Peddamalla Reddy and his grandfather Jayarami Reddy were local chieftains (Polygars / Palayakarer in Tamil) and the people respected them very much. Reddy, with his army mounted a serious attack on the British forces camped at Giddaluru on 23 July 1846 and defeated them. Unable to capture him, the British deceptively imprisoned his family at Kadapa. Narasimha Reddy moved to Nallamala in village Parusomula. The British forces were tipped off by some one about the hideout of Mr. Reddy. To avoid being caught by the British in the Nallamalai area, Narasimha Reddy returned to Koilkuntla area and hid in Jagannatha Konda near the village of Ramabhadrunipalle. He was unable to be at large for a long period as the British planted moles at strategic places. The army moved in upon a tip-off and arrested him and his followers at mid night of 6 October 1846. He and his men were treated as if they were criminals. The EIC subjected Reddy to the worst humiliation before being brought to Koilkuntla. They put heavy fetters on him and paraded him right before his people with blood-stained clothes so that it would be a warning to them. Among the people arrested in hundreds, 112 were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 5 to 14 years. Some were sent to the dreaded prison in the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The special commissioner of Cuddapah conducted the trial and Narasimha Reddy was charged with revolt, murder and dacoity and convicted on all charges. He was sentenced to death by hanging. On 22 February 1847; Reddy was hanged publicly by the British in Koilkuntla on the banks of a nearby river in the presence of Collector Kokcrane. Another blot in the British India history. A patriot was dubbed as a murderer and robber and, at last, was mercilessly killed by the early British rulers.His head was kept on the fort wall in public view for a long period to instill fear in the people so that another rebellion won't be tried by others against the British..
The places like Nossam,Uyyalawada, Rupanagudi, Gulladurthi, Uppaluru and Giddaluru have a fort built by Narsima Reddy to protect his kingdom.
Plans are afoot to erect a statue in honor of Reddy and the government also has plans to include his brave story in the school text books.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyyalawada_Narasimha_Reddy
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November 29, 2016, 7:10 pm
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| www.dreamstime.com |
A new Canadian guideline makes recommendation of body mass index measurement for both prevention and management and structured behavioral changes to help those who are overweight or obese to lose weight. The guideline will be useful for physicians and health care providers.
Obesity, world over, is a public health issue because it may lead to factors favorable for early onset of heart conditions, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and back pain. Prevention is better than cure, as the old wheeze says. The incidence of death was on the increase among obese patients. Obesity related deaths in Canadian adults has almost doubled since 1978, from 14% to 26%. More than two-thirds of men (67%) and more than half of women (54%) are obese in Canada. In India lately more and more people are becoming obese, a factor that has drawn the attention of health care researchers. More and more people opt for junk food, paying least attention to doctor's advice. Adolescents with normal weight gradually gained body weight as they entered adulthood (about 0.5-1.0 kg every 2 years on average). This cumulative increase in body weight, in many cases, that goes unnoticed is significant as this may it may cause creeping health problems in the future. So it's imperative that management of even small weight gains is a must and should not be ignored.
Excess weight means growth of additional fat and blood veins, body mass, etc and now the heart has to put in extra work to compensate the weight gain.Recommendations:
1. Knowing of body mass and prevention
2. Proper health care advice to adolescents with normal and obese adult .
3. Recommendation of suitable programs for obese adults to prevent high risk of diabetes.
4. Restrictions on routine medications to prevent overweight.
Behavioral interventions for overweight and obesity require long-term commitment to change diet and physical activity habits, said Dr. Brett Thomas, a member of the Task Force. Sustained long term commitments, personal motivation, talk with weight loss patients are other factors that need to be seriously considered.
Overweight is preventable if one patiently follows experts' advice with respect to dietary habits and regular non-strenuous aerobic exercise regimen.Journal Source: Paula Brauer, et al: Recommendations for prevention of weight gain and use of behavioral and pharmacological interventions to manage overweight and obesity in adults in primary care. CMAJ, January 2015 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.140887
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150126124558.html
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November 30, 2016, 6:46 am
India is a land of strange beliefs that are invariably based on superstitions and the rituals that are offshoots of such beliefs have been around us for centuries. Some rituals are bizarre and strange, but as for as the ardent devotees are concerned, they have trust in them and get actively involved in such festivals in the belief that their desires will be positively answered by the god. If such festivals were not here to keep their mind occupied and be far away from the drudgery of regimental problematic life, perhaps they would end up lying on the couch of a shrink, paying a bundle for his pep talk.
The following rituals are worthy of mention.
Garudan Thookkam, Kerala
In the southern state of Kerala, this ritual art form is performed by the devotees of Hindu goddess Kali. The venue is mostly Kali temples in the areas around Travancore and Kochi. The dancers dress up as Garuda (eagle), the mount of Lord Vishnu and participate in the ritual.
According to the legend goddess Kali was in a state of Ugraha (fierce looking because of rage) after slaying demon Darika. So, Lord Vishnu sent Garuda to pacify her. Garuda had quenched the goddess Kali's thirst and later subdued her. After the dance performance, the dancers do a wacky thing which other people will be scared to do it. They dangle like bats (Garudan Thookkam) from a wooden shaft, by hooking the flesh on their backs! These hanging ' Garudas ' are taken around the city in a colorful procession on a bullock-cart, in some cases on the boat
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with fanfare. This ritual is carried out on Makara Bharani Day and Kumbha Bharani Day.
There is a famous Garudan Thookkam at the Elamkavu Devi temple at Vadayar in Vaikkom taluk of Kottayam district. During the Aswathi, Bharani days of Meenam Month (Malayalam), a three storied wooden structure - Attuvela is temporarily built which is considered as a floating Kali temple of Moovathupuzha. At night the entire structure is illuminated beautifully. The Garudas - 40 to 50 in number travel in a boat -Thoni Vallam behind it. It is a night long ritual with scores of artists playing on chenda (a percussion instrument). After choondakuthal - piercing of the skin on the back with a metal hook (after bleeding), they will be hung from a shaft like a stuff. Then they will be taken around the floating temple three times by the devotees.
At other temples like Airapuram, etc., the Garudas, hanging from a shaft, are taken on a chariot on the ground being pulled by the devotees. Rationalists consider this rituals bizarre and the gods or goddesses never ask them to do it to appease them. In Tamil Nadu, piercing the tongue or cheeks with sharp needle is common during the festival days in, particular, at Lord Subramanya (Muruga / Karthikaya) temples.Pulikali, Kerala: Pulikali, a recreational folk art has been around for 200 years since the time of Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran, the then Maharaja of Cochin who is believed to have introduced the folk art as part of Onam festival. He wanted that Pulikali would symbolize the valor and daring spirit of his force. Pulikali, in local parlance, refers to the play of the tiger and the theme of the folk art is performances relevant to tiger hunting.![]() |
| Pulikali.Iris Holidays, Festivals of India |
Pulikali ("Puli"means Leopard / Tiger & "Kali" means Play in Malayalam language) is performed on the fourth day (Nalaam Onam), by trained artists. It is an important entertainment during the annual Onam harvest festival. The prominent part of this folk art is dancers who have their bodies painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black color perform dance to the rhythmic beats of percussion instruments like Udukku and Thakil. Pulikali is popular in Thrissur district of Kerala.Besides Onam, Pulikali is also performed during various other festive seasons.
Every thing is subject to change of time, so is Pulikali. In the past, Pulikali performers, never wore masks. and they themselves would do the paint job on their body. But now, they have easy access to anything related to Pulikali. They get ready made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards and whiskers are used by the participants along with the paint on their bodies. The event is organized by the Pulikkali Co-ordination Committee, a council of Pulikali groups formed in 2004 in Thrissur. Their intention is to preserve and propagate the art form that has been around for 200 years in all its true hues and spirits.Preparing the performers for Pulikali who make a colorful appearance is a laborious one and it starts in the early morning - wee hours. Prospective dancers who form the group called sangams have to remove the hairs on their bodies first. A fine mix of tempera powder and varnish or enamel is used to make the paint.After the base coat of paint is applied one has to wait for 3 hours for the paint to dry. When the second coat is applied different styles, patterns, shades, etc are painted to suit the tastes. Paint job is mostly done by artists. In the evening the different groups join at a particular place in Thrissur and move in procession, dancing, pouncing, jerking, imitating tiger on the hunting trail.
Depiction of tiger preying on the kill and tiger being hunted by the hunters gets the cheers from the spectators. In all these performances, the rhythmic beats of the percussion instruments are very important as they enhance the grandeur and beauty of the dancers' skill. Finally they reach the Vadakkun Nathan Temple and at last do puja at various shrines.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puli_Kali
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December 1, 2016, 9:17 am
Among the outdoor adventure sports, mountain climbing is the most exciting, but grueling one. To get to the top of the peak, say Everest or Annapurna or any other peak above 20,000 feet, one has to toil and cross tough terrains and steep cliffs. In the case of mount Everest, the climber needs exemplary mental strength and good concentration, apart from good health. Listed below are amazing men who not only reached Mt. Everest in style, taking all the risks under the sun, but also set world records, thus each one of them made history and has found a permanent niche in the history of Mt. Everest expedition. The unique aspect of Everest records is the holders include young people in teens as well as men above 70 years old, and for them sky is the limit.
Apa (born Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa (Nepal): (Most ascents on Everest - 21 times)![]() |
| Apa (born Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa en.wikipedia.org |
Apa (born Lhakpa Tenzing) Sherpa (20 January 1960): A Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer holds jointly with Phurba Tashi, the record for reaching the summit of Mount Everest more times than any other person. Apa made his 21st Mount Everest summit on 11 May 2011 as a member of the Eco Everest Expedition. His achievement of 21 ascents of MountEverestas of May 2011shows his rare talents in mountain climbing in the most most difficult mountainous terrain in the world. and his record is not yet broken.
Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa, born in Thame, a village in the Everest region of Nepal, began his climbing career in 1985, and in 1990 got a chance to climb Everest. Apa first reached the summit of Mount Everest on his fourth attempt, on May 10, 1990, with a New Zealand team led by climber Rob Hall along with Peter Hillary, son of legendary Edmund Hillary. He successfully led the first expedition on April 2012 to complete the Great Himalaya Trail, an adventure trip, covering 1,700-kilometre (1,050-mile) trek spanning the entire length of the Nepalese Himalayas.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apa_Sherpa Dave Hahn (USA):(Most summits by a foreigner- 15 times)Dave Hahn (November 3, 1961, Okinawa, Japan): A professional American mountain guide, ski patroller, journalist and lecturer in May 2013, he made history by reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 15th time - the most for a non-Sherpa climber, according to Outside Magazine contributor and climber Alan Arnette. He also reached 35 summits of Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s highest mountain, 21 times the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest peak over the course of 30 expeditions. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984, Hahn's name is inducted into the university's Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1999, Hahn was a key member of the team that discovered the remains of George Mallory at 27,000 feet (8,200 m) on Mount Everest's North Face. Mallory died on the mountain in 1924, along with fellow climber Andrew Irvine, but it has never been determined whether or not he first reached the topNawang Gombu (Nepal):(First to summit twice)Nawang Gombu ( born 1935-April 24, 2011): A Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer, Gombu was born in Khumbu, Nepal, and his uncle is Tenzing Norgay, who along with Hillary climbed Everest for the first time in 1953. He was not only the youngest Sherpa to reach 26,000 ft. in 1964, but also became the first Indian and the third man in the world to summit Nanda Devi (24,645 ft). In 1965, he created world record then by becoming the first man in the world to have climbed Everest twice - with the Indian Expedition and American, a record that would remain unbroken for almost 20 years.When he was a boy Gombu was sent to Tibet to become a monk at Rongbuk Monastery, but it did not happen. He traveled extensively and several times climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington state, USA. He was an advisor at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and lived in in Darjeeling, West Bengal.Kazi Sherpa (Nepal):(Fastest ascent without oxygen)Confirmed by Everest historian Elizabeth Hawley and Everest Summiteers' Association, Kazi holds the current speed climbing record on Mount Everest for the South Col Route, from base camp to the summit, without oxygen from base camp to the summit.Kazi has the rare distinction of being the first man to have made the fastest ascent on Everest. He set the record on the South Col Route, without supplemental oxygen, without steroid drug assistance (Dexamethasone), and without Sherpa assistance or guide assistance. In 1998, he took 20 hours 24 minutes, from the south base camp to the summit. Earlier record was held by Marc Batard in 1988 by 22 hours and 29 minutes.Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazi_SherpaAng Rita aka Angrita Sherpa:(Most summits without supplemental oxygen)Ang Rita aka Angrita Sherpa (Nepali), born in 1948 in small village called Yillajung in eastern Nepal is a remarkable mountain climber who was on the roof of the world - Mount Everest ten times without the use of supplemental (bottled) oxygen, and is thus known as "The Snow Leopard". He took Southeast Ridge route eight times. When he climbed Everest for the 6th time in 1990, setting the world record for the most number of successful ascents, eventually reaching 10 on May 23, 1996. His last summit followed 12 days after the second deadliest accident in the history of Everest when eight people were caught in a blizzard and died on Mount Everest during attempts to ascend to or descend from the summit. That particular season the death toll was 12 people.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_Rita Erik Weihenmayer (USA):(First blind climb to summit Everest)Climbing the tallest peak in the world - mount Everest is a Herculean task for able bodied men with lots of mountaineering experience. If a man does summit the peak with no eye sight, barring all the dangers on the way, is something great, something impossible to imagine. Erik Weihenmayer, despite his blindness, must be a man of steel and fortitude, taking inspiration from Helen Keller. He unfortunately lost his sight at the age of 13. Undeterred, he kept his life going, surmounting the barriers on the way. That fighting spirit ultimately took him to the roof of the world Mount Everest in 2001, being the first blind climber to achieve this great triumph.
Besides in 2001, he scaled the highest peaks of the seven continents along with the elite group of climbers, thus becoming the only blind person to climb the Seven Summits. In 2014, he also solo kayaked the Grand Canyon, a journey of 277 miles along the Colorado River. His other achievement includes his 50 solo sky dives. Time Magazine honored him with a cover story. He also completed the Seven Summits in September 2002,
Earlier his exceptional climbs included the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite in 1996, and Losar, a 2700-foot tough vertical ice face in the Himalayas which he ascended in two days and 3 hours, in 2008.US President George W Bush congratulated him on his achievement.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_WeihenmayerDoug Scott and Dougal Haston (Britain):(First Pair to summit Everest) Scott and Haston reached the top of Everest taking a new route for the first time on the south -west face of the mountain led by Bonington. In September 1975, they became the first pair from Britain ever to reach the summit. It is worth mentioning here that five previous expeditions had failed to reach the summit on the same route. Dougal Haston (19 April 1940 -17 January 1977) born in Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.was a Scottish mountaineer, well-known for his adventures in the British Isles, Alps, and the Himalayas. He died in an avalanche while skiing above Leysin, Switzerland. Earlier, in 1970, he and Don Whillans were the first to climb the south face of Annapurna on an expedition led by Chris Bonington, and in 1975.
Douglas Keith Scott CBE, educated at Cottesmore School in Lenton, Nottingham (born 29 May 1941), is an English mountaineer. In his early age, he showed interest in outdoor activities, in particular, mountain climbing. He is popular for his trail blazing efforts to establish a new route to Mt. Everest. He along with Dougal Haston made the first ever ascent of the south-west face choosing a new route to Mount Everest on 24 September 1975. Scott and Dougal Haston were the first Britons to climb Everest during this expedition (discounting Mallory and Irvine). He and his partner received prestigious mountaineering awards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougal_Hastonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Scott Reinhold Messner (Italian):(First Everest climber without bottled oxygen)During the last phase of ascent on Everest, the air is very thin so, the available oxygen is not good enough for the climbers who pant a lot while ascending. With inadequate oxygen at very high elevation on the snow capped peak, one may experience dizziness and disorientation. It requires lots of guts and determination to summit the peak without supplemental oxygen. Reinhold Messnerand Austrian companion Peter Habeler were the first men to successfully reach the summit without supplemental oxygen. On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest, of course, without oxygen cylinder.On 20 August 1980, Messner also made the first solo ascent without oxygen. Prior to May 1978, this ascent was disputed whether this was possible at all. For this solo climb, he chose the northeast ridge to the summit, where he crossed above the North Col in the North Face to the Norton Couloir. Thus, he became the first man to climb through this steep gorge to the summit![]() |
| Reinhold Messner in June 2002. en.wikipedia.org |
His other achievements: In May and June 1970, Reinhold Messner was a member of of an Douth Face expedition to the Nanga Parbat led by Karl Herrligkoffer, the objective being to climb the as yet un-climbed Rupal Face, the highest rock and ice face in the world. On 9 August 1978 Messner successfully made a solo trip to the summit of Nanga Parbat again via the Diamir, after three unsuccessful attempts.![]() |
| Everest Tibetan plateau en.wikipedia.org/ |
Pemba Dorje Sherpa(Nepal):(fastest ascent from Base Camp with bottled oxygen)Pemba Dorje Sherpa from beding, Rolwaling Valley, Dolkha, Nepal made a record by making the fastest ever ascent of Mount Everest on 21 May 2004, taking eight hours and ten minutes; ascent from Everest South Base Camp with supplemental oxygen . The record was confirmed by Nepal's tourism ministry. His early record for the fastest summit of 12 hours and 45 minutes in 2003, was broken by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa three days later who set a new record of 10 hours 56 minutes. Pemba Dorje disputed the claim of Lakpa Gelu, but the Nepalese government ruled it was valid.References "Sherpa sets record Everest time". BBC News. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 18 July 2016.Jordan Romero (USA):(Youngest American to reach Everest) Jordan Romero, 13, from the ski town of Big Bear, California, near the San Bernardino Mountains, climbed Everest (29,028 feet / 8,847 meters) and holds a new world record for the Youngest to climb Mount Everest ( May 23, 2010). The extreme weather conditions on the high mountains claimed the lives of 179 climbers over the years. Romero, with help from his father, step mother and three Sherpas achieved this triumph. Jordan Romero reached the Everest summit with a group of mountaineers, including a Nepalese Sherpa named Apa who himself broke his own world record by climbing Everest for a 20th time (then).
Previous record for the youngest to summit Everest was held by Ming Kipa of Nepal, who was 15 then in 2003. Jordan Romero had to climb from the Chinese side of the mountain after Nepal denied him permission on age grounds, according to nepalese.com.Earlier just nine years of age, Romero climbed the highest peaks on six of the seven continents, including Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet / 5,895 meters) in Tanzania.Yuichiro Miura (Japan): (Oldest - 80 years Japanese to reach Everest)Yuichiro Miura (born October 12, 1932) a Japanese Alpinist in 2003, at age 70, became the oldest person to scale Mount Everest. This record had since been broken. However, on May 26, 2008, Miura once again successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest at the age of 75. In spite of his age, with more vigor on May 23, 2013 Miura successfully stood atop Everest and again became the oldest person to climb to the summit at the age of 80. As he had difficulty in making the descent after reaching the top, he was airlifted to base camp from 6500 meters in elevation. This achievement is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.In addition to this feat he was the first person to ski on Mount Everest on May 6, 1970 and in 1975 descended nearly 4,200 vertical feet from the South Col (elevation over 8,000 m (26,000 ft)). This demanding, risky feat was documented in 1975, in the film The Man Who Skied Down Everest. The film won the Academy Award for best documentary, the first sports film to get the honor.Keizo Miura, took keen interest in mountain climbing and skiing in this school days. en.wikipedia.org/Yuichiro MiuraSir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes:(Oldest Britain to reach Everest)![]() |
| English explorer. Sir Ranulph -Fiennes, en.wikipedia.org |
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE (born 7 March 1944), son of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, is an English explorer and writer. He holds numerous records to his credit. Fiennes was born in Windsor, Berkshire on 7 March 1944 and inherited his father's baronetcy, becoming the 3rd Baronet of Banbury, at his birth. Fiennes is a third cousin of Mark Fiennes, whose children include actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes, and is a distant cousin to the British Royal Family.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranulph_FiennesSherman Bull, MD (USA):(Oldest American to reach Mt. Everest)![]() |
| Sherman Bull, the oldest person to reach Mt. Everest at age 64 in 2001 newcanaannewsonline.com |
Sherman Bull -- the oldest American to have reached the summit of Mt. Everest at age 64 in 2001after 5 failed attempt.
His 2001 victory in reaching the top of Mt. Everest was his fifth attempt. On his third try, he slipped and fell 200 meters, landing in a crevasse in the dark of the night, the traditional time for climbing up the mountain in aiming to reach the summit by dawn. He was saved by other climbers after spotting his head lamp.Min Bahadur Sherchan(Nepal):(oldest Nepalese to reach Everest) Min Bahadur Sherchan, (20 June 1931) had conquered Mt Everest on May 25, 2008 last year when he was just a few days away from celebrating his 77th birthday (76 years 340 days) the world record for the Oldest Everest climber then. He is an inspiration to young Sherpas and the young people of Nepal. Gerhard Schmatz (W.Germany):(Oldest German to reach Everest)Gerhard Schmatz (b 1929) from West Germany was the oldest German - 50 years 118 days old to summit Everest in Octobe ![]() |
| Gerhard Schmatz. hepostmortempost.com |
Hannelore Schmatz, wife of Gerhard Schmatz was also a German mountaineer (born on February 16, 1940). On October 2, 1979 and unfortunately she became the first woman, and the first German citizen to die on the upper slopes of Mount Everest. Her husband, 50-year-old Gerhard Schmatz was the leader of the expedition, becoming the oldest person to have summited Mount Everest up to that time. Hannelore was in a different group. Normally a team will be split into a small group allowing a few to summit at a time as the rest will remain at base camp. Hannelore summited that day with Swiss-American Ray Genet and a Sherpa, Sungdare. Later caught in a blizzard, both Genet and Hannelore died. For the leader of the team Hannelore's husband, Gerhard it was a nightmarish experience. http://www.thepostmortempost.com/2015/10/01/hannelore-schmatz/These people mentioned above achieved success and fame through passion, hard work, trust and the ability to set aside their failures. These highly motivated people are a source of inspiration to others.Father and son summiters:Peter Edmund Hillary (born 26 December 1954), a New Zealand mountaineer, philanthropist and writer is the son of adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Nepalese Sherpa mountain climber Tenzing Norgay, completed the first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. Peter Hillary, imbibed the adventurous spirits of his father, stood on top of Everest in 1990, thus he and his father were the first father/son duo to achieve the feat. Hillary made two summits of Everest and did not stop at it. He made an 84-day trek across Antarctica to the South Pole, and an expedition guiding astronaut Neil Armstrong to land a small aircraft at the North Pole. Besides, he has climbed many of the world's major peaks, and on 19 June 2008, completed the Seven Summits, reaching the top of the highest mountains on all seven continents, when he summited Denali in Alaska. His amazing achievements prove that he is the worthy son of an an illustrious father Sir Edmund Hillary, whose concern for the welfare of the mountain people - Sherpas is well known.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hillary
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December 2, 2016, 2:53 am
The Hudson Memorial church is an important church in this sprawling city - Bangalore and has its roots in Wesleyan Mission School and at the Wesleyan Mission church service center (chapel) from 1840 to 1859, taking us right back to the colonial days.
The Hudson Memorial Church, established in 1904 is in the prime area of the city of Bangalore in Hudson Circle near the Office of the Bangalore Corporation and Cubbon Park. Named after Rev. Josiah Hudson, a missionary (not to be confused with Thomas Hodson), Canarese scholar and educationist who founded many Canarese schools in the Bangalore Petah, this church is a famous landmark here, catering to a large Christian community. This church like other churches in Bangalore is steeped in history. Earlier, the church was known as the Wesleyan Mission Canarese Chapel, and was located in Ganikara Street, Nagarathpet. Only in 1904, the church moved over to the present location.During the reign of of Tipu Sultan of Mysore, the large Christian community was in serious trouble and many churches in Mysore region either became non-functional or were damaged because Tipu was under the wrong impression that the Christians were supporting the British rulers whom he despised very much.So, the Christians face tough time. Christianity was resurrected in this region after the fall of Tipu in 1798 at Srirangapatnam where the Tipu's forces were defeated by the British forces led by Lord Wellesley (4th Angelo-Mysore war).The earliest record of Kannada missionaries preaching in the Bangalore Petah area goes as far back as to 1822 and they were many European preachers from the Wesleyan Mission and London Missionary Society. They began the the missionary work around the Petah area by running schools in 1825. It is on the school premises, the church had its early beginning in a simple way. The Wesleyan Mission School with a chapel functioned between 1840 and 1849 and many European Pastors looked after them. Services in Kannada languages were introduced later. In 1857, native Kannada preachers, beginning with Andrew Philip joined the mission. ![]() |
| New Canarese Wesleyan Chapel, Bangalore (January 1860. en.wikipedia.org |
The Wesleyan Mission Canarese Chapel, Bangalore camp up in 1859 in Gaanigarapet (now Nagarethpet) and it was not good enough for more people to accommodate. In 1900 one Rev. J A Vanes, a Wesleyan missionary purchased the present church land on 19 January 1900 for a paltry sum Rs.2000.00, where Hudson Memorial church stands. The church was consecrated on 23 September 1904. The first sermon was delivered by Rev E P Rice of the London Missionary Society. The cost of the building was borne through donations.
This historical church, a stone building having no intervening pillars, was designed by J M Stephen, following Gothic architectural style that adds grandeur and beauty to this structure. Stephen himself donated the circular colored glasses over the door and the amazing wood works - the communion table, pulpit, reading desk chairs, etc were made in Karur in Tamil Nadu. The altar is designed in particular fashion that it can be seen anywhere inside the church. The striking feature inside the church is a big mural of 9.7m x 14.5m, depicting the nativity scene in Jerusalem.
This 113 year old (considering its present location and structure) underwent major restoration work in 2000. Often referred to as a Kannada church, the Hudson Memorial Church in Bangalore lived through eventful days and challenging time from its very inception in 1849 to 1859 (at Gaanigarapet) and then on to 1904 where the present church (Nagarethpet) was built. The church saw the days of East India company rule and then under the British crown till India's independence. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Memorial_Church,_Bangalore
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December 2, 2016, 11:23 pm
Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeshwar, an ancient Hindu temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. Located in the picturesque town of Trimbak, in the Trimbakeshwar Tehsil in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva, This famous temple is just 28 km from Nashik city and 40 km from Nashik road on the Mumbai and Manmad train route. It is 185 km from Mumbai.
The present temple built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) has a pond called Kusavarta, a kunda (sacred pond) within the temple prescient and is believed be the source of the Godavari River, the longest river in peninsular India.
As in some of articles on Jyotirlingas that I have posted earlier, this shrine is a Jyotirlinga popular shrine where Lord Shiva appears as a mammoth pillar of fire that nobody can gauge either the crest and or bottom of the fiery column. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyotirlingas and most of them are considered to be auspicious and places of pilgrimage for the devout Hindus. The twelve jyothirlinga shrines are again given here for you convenience. Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath at Deoghar in Bihar, Nageshwar Temple, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.No matter how many Jyotirsthalas / shrines people have been to, it is a must for the Hindus to visit Kasi Viswanath temple in Varanasi, UP and the massive Rameswaram Ramanathan temple in the SE corner of Tamil Nadu coast, connecting the Ramar-Sethu natural bridge to Srilanga. This place played a vital role in the epic / story Ramayana.
Here the presiding deity Trimbakeshwar has three faces, symbolic of three important gods in the Hindu pantheon. Lord Brahma (creator), Lord Vishnu (protector) and Lord Rudra (destroyer); the latter is humane and graceful, but he destroys the arrogance and selfishness in us. He also protects people from the demons and causes degradation of the earth to keep a perfect equilibrium between creation and destruction. The Linga here has a jeweled crown over the Gold Mask of the Thiru Moorthy / Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). It is said the jeweled crown made of diamonds, emeralds, and many precious stones has been around since the time of Pandavas and is on display every Monday in the evening 4 to 5 pm.
All other Jyotirlingas have lord Shiva as the main deity. The entire temple made of black stone (volcanic basaltic rocks?) has appealing eye-catching architecture and sculpture and is at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri. All three sources of the Godavari river originate from the Brahmagiri mountain.
Legend has it: Once Brahmadev requested God Trivikram on his visit to the earth to get the river Ganges held up by God Shiva (Shankara) on his head (Siras), to flow. That region had not seen rain for more than two decades that caused wide spread famine and the people suffered a lot. However, through the grace of rain god Varun, the sage's ashram and the surrounding place at Trimbakeshwar received rain almost daily and this helped the sage feed a large number of holey men from the grains produced there. Sage Gautama's Punya - merits of good increased manifold over which Deva's leader Indira became jealous.Upon Indira's compulsion, the rain god Varun sent down enough rain over Trimbakeshwar, so that the famine would be over and Rishis would go back from Gautama's ashram and his Punya (record of good deeds) would get reduced. Although the famine was over, it was not to be as Gautama urged the Rishis to stay back and kept on feeding them and gaining merit. Once sage Gautama tried to drive away a gracing cow, it died due to unknown reason. The cow happened to be Jaya, Parvati (lord Shiva's consort)'s friend in the guise of a cow. This sad news made other sages upset and refused to partake of food in the ashram. To atone for it, the sages advised Gautama to pray to Lord Shiva to release the Ganges locked up in his jatamudi (locks of hair). Gautama's intense penance on Brahmagiri peak finally answered and Shiva obliged and did Tandav Nrutya (fierce dance) and at last the Ganges came down in full flow on the earth - on Brahmagiri. Later on, Ganges appeared in the Trimbak Tirtha. However, she also appeared in different places and at last Gautama subdued her. The flow stopped there and he could bathe there. The tirtha thus came to be called Kushavarta (Kushavartham), the source of the river Godavari. The sin of killing (indirectly) a cow by Gautama was wiped off here.
The pujas (vidhis) done here are: Narayan Nagbali, Kalsarpa Shanti, Tripindi vidhi. Narayan Nagbali puja is quite popular and is done on three days only here at Trimbakeshwar. The purpose of this puja is to cure illness, going through bad period financially or otherwise, and Naga Dosha (killing a Cobra / Nag). Childless couples come here to seek fertility.Trimbakeshwar town, situated in a serene lush green place, free from pollution has a big Vedic Center / Gurukula to teach the Sastras. There are many ashrams and mutt here. Anjaneri mountain, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, is 7 km from Trimbakeshwar. People fed up with materialistic life can find solace in spiritual ecstasy here.Nassak Diamond:Once this Shiva temple had the world famous Nassak Diamond on Shiva's idol. This world famous diamond also known as the Eye of the Idol is a large, 43.38 carats (8.68 g) stone that originated as a larger diamond in the 15th century in India. Found in the Amaragiri mine located in Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh. The diamond adorned the idol of Shiva at least from 1500 to 1817 in the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, near Nashik (hence the name Nassak), It was looted by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817- 1818) and lies with one owner or the other ever since. The diamond presently is with a wealthy American family - Edward J. Hand, a 48-year old trucking firm executive, New york for $ 500,000.00 (roughly equal to $3.04 million in the 1070s). Please read: http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2014/12/famous-nassak-diamond-pried-from-gods.html![]() |
| Nassak diamond.looted from Trimbakeshwar temple.jewellermagazine.com |
Tit-Bits:01. A major social changes have taken place here in the last couple of years regarding entry of women into the Garbagraha (sanctum) or Srikovil and it was thought this might affect the sanctity of the place of worship, in particular, when women go through their monthly period. Until early part of 2016, women were not allowed to enter the Sanctum of Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple and after numerous protests from women's organization, at last, the trustees of the temple allowed women to enter the sanctum just for an hour every day. 02. Likewise, at the famous Sabarimalai Sri. Ayyappan temple in Kerala state, only recently the women were allowed to enter the temple which is in the middle of dense forest in Western Ghat mountains. For centuries, women were not allowed to enter the temple by the Devasthanam. 03. There are many places to see near Trimbakeshwar:
Gangadwar or Gangadwaram where the river flows beneath the twigs of trees in a narrow place. Close to Paapa Haarini Theertham are Mahadeva and Ganga Matha temples. On the way to Brahmagiri, Vithal Mandir and Ganga Dwar can be seen. Caves of 108 Shiva Lingas where Maharshi Gowthama worshipped lord Shiva are nearby. Kushavartham is believed to be the origin of river Godavari, Parashuram temple and Ambika Alayam can not be missed. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimbakeshwar_Shiva_TempleDiamond, Once an Idol's Eye, Sold for $500,000". New York Times. 17 April 1970. p.32. Retrieved 14 November 2008
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December 3, 2016, 11:26 pm
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| Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, Mangalagiri . image c: Ramakrishna Anand |
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| Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple & Mangalagiri town, . Andhra state. credit: Ramakrishna Anand. |
The southern state of Andhra Pradesh has innumerable temples dedicated to Lords Shiva and Vishnu and also to other deities. One of the few richest and popular temples is the one at Thirumala - dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Equally famous is the Badrachalam Sri Ramar temple, but it is not a rich one. In the small town of Magalagiri in Guntur district, there are two famous temples dedicated to Vishnu, one near the foot hills and the other being Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on the near-by hill. Both these temples attract lots of people and the temple atop the hill can be accessed by motor vehicles.The presiding deity in the temple here at the foot hill is called Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and is believed to have been installed by Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas. Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu who ruled from Amaravati as his capital 200 years ago (in 1807-1809) built the temple at Mangalagiri. The temple has a tall gopuram (tower) on the eastern side -153ft. tall and 49 feet wide with 11 stories. Thoorpu Gali Gopuram, main tower is replete with beautiful big images of various gods and goddesses from the Hindu Pantheon. These images bear testimony to the workmanship and amazing skills of the craftsmen and artisans of by-gone era. The water tank opposite the tower was built by the ruler to offset the slowly leaning tower as suggested by one Kancheepuram Archi. After digging the tank, it is said, the tower became straight. The first three tiers were built by the Vijayanagara rulers and the rest - 8 tiers were built by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu. Utthara Gali Gopuram (Tower on North Side) built by Rangapuram Jamindar Madapati Venkateswararao in 1911 is thrown open on the Vaikunta Ekadasi (Mukkoti) day. The Padamati Gali Gopuram (Tower on West Side) is incomplete. Dhakshina Gali Gopuram (Tower on South Side) was renovated in 1992.From the the various stone inscriptions of the kings of Vijayanagara found in this temple, we come to know about the conquest of Rayalu over Kondapalli etc, grants of lands to the temple by Siddhiraju Thimmarajayya Devara and Chinna Thirumalayya (son of Annamacharya) to Ramanujakudam in 1561In the Kritayuga, when the ocean Ksheeraodadhi was being churned by the Mandara hill Devas (Celestial), it created a pushkarni - water tank that contained holy waters of many rivers and Goddess Lakshmi bathed in it and later offered herself to the lord. Because pushkarani (temple tank) is believed to exist here at Mangalagiri for a long time, hence, it is called Lakshmi pushkarani. Further, Lord Rama once visited this holy place to get liberation - Mukthi and that is why this hill is also called the "Totadri". Ref: http://vinacc.blogspot.in/2014/08/panakala-narasimha-swamy-mangalagiri.html
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December 6, 2016, 7:42 pm
Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal was once the capital of the British Empire as ell and the British had built innumerable buildings of beauty and grandeur for administrative purposes, etc., during their glorious days. The historical St.John's church in the prime part of the city is the oldest English structure. During the colonial days St. John’s Church, Kolkata was an important place of worship for the Europeans designed by Lieutenant James Agg, a Bengal Engineer, representing English and Greek architecture characterized by tall columnsthat support the church complex, impressive portico and eye-catching paintings by Johann Zoffany, floor with a rare hue of blue-gray marble stones, brought from the medieval ruins of Gour, and were shipped down the Hooghly River to the site. It was built using a combination of brick and stone on the model of St.Martin-in-the fields of London.Thanks to the the Maharaja Nabo Kishen Bahadur, the founder of the Shovabazar Raj Family who donated the land for building the the church. The foundation stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the Governor General of India on 6 April 1784.The amazing painting here on the walls brings out the Last Supper, with Indian features, a rare one. There are large windows with colored glasses and they appear beautifully when the sunlight passes through them. This church has simple altar and behind it, there is a semi circular dome. Walls of St. John’s Church adorn the memorials of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, James Pattle, Johann Zoffany's paintings, besides numerous plagues of British people - officers and servants.![]() |
| Interior of St. John's Church, Kolkataen.wikipedia.org/ |
Located at the NW corner of the Governor House (Raj Bhavan) St. John’s Church was built in 1787 and is the third oldest church in Calcutta (Kolkata), the others are the Armenian and the Old Mission Churches. This Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta functioned till 1847 when it was transferred to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The cost of construction then was Rs.30,000.00. Originally built on an old graveyard, there are tombs and memorials, but only a few dating back to the date of construction of the church. They are: Job Charnock’s Tomb, Black Hole Monument, Rohila War Memorial, Lady Canning Memorial, Francis (Begum) Johnson’s grave. The church was active in the colonial time and was used for conducting baptisms and weddings of Kolkata's prominent families. It was the oldest English building in Kolkata after it became the capital of the ESI.James Achilles Kirkpatrick (1764-1805):Resident of Hyderabad), popularly known as the White Mughal died in Calcutta on 15th October 1805 at the age of 41 and was buried at the North Park Street Cemetery. But there is neither his grave nor the cemetery existing today. James Kirkpatrick' father and his brother erected the Plaque of James Kirkpatrick, on the southern wall of Church still exists. But the epitaph is odd and inappropriate.
James Pattle (1775 - 1845):There is a memorial of James Pattle who is great-great-grandfather of William Dalrymple, noted novel writer, on the south walls of St. John's Church. James Prattle was known as the greatest liar in India. A man supposed to be so wicked that the Devil had a strong hold on him and wouldn’t let him leave India after he died.
Johann Zoffany (3 March 1733-11 November 1810):He was a German neo-classical painter who drew the Last Supper as drawn by renowned Leonardo Da Vinci and presented it here on the walls of the church with Indian elements. It is not a replica of the original one and the painting shows a sword, Indian spittoon and a beasties bag - a goat skin bag used for storing water. They seem to be the odd items found in the painting drawn by Johann Zoffany. Yet another unusual feature of Zoffany’s lies in the selection of model used by him to represent Jesus and his twelve disciples. Jesus Christ was portrayed as Greek priest, Father Parthenio, while Judas was portrayed as the auctioneer William Tulloh from whom the Tollygunge, a suburb in Kolkata was named.The old graves and the monuments of St John’s Church include Job Charnock’s Mausoleum, a Monument dedicated to those killed in the Black Hole of Calcutta, Second Rohilla War Memorial and the graves of Lady Canning, Lord Braboune and the judges of Supreme Court of India at that time, which is now the Calcutta High Court. Job Charnock (c.1630–1692/1693):Job Charnock’s Mausoleum, located at the back northwest corner of St John's Church grounds is in memory of Charnock (an administrator with East India company), who is believed to be the founder of Calcutta City. The octagonal cenotaph, erected by his his son in law Charles Ayer, includes the grave of Job Charnock. He died in 1693, just three years after his third visit to what would become Calcutta. The grave gives his date of demise as January 1692. There is a small gated cemetery part-paved with 18th century grave stones.The Mausoleum was built of pinkish stones brought all the way from Pallavaram near Chennai,formerly Madras, Tamil Nadu.Black Hole Memorial (20 June 1756): The Monument was erected by Holwell, British general includes a tablet carrying the name of the British who were imprisoned by the Nawob of Bengal during the siege of Ft.William in a small room, measuring 14 feet by 8 feet without ventilation and consequently out of 146, only 23 survived and the rest were purportedly died due to suffocation, heat and stroke. The number of casualty and the very nature of this incident are still a subject of debate. the British made a mountain out of a mole hill to get sympathy from the public in England.Rohilla Memorial: It is the name of the Pashtun tribe of the Pakistan and Afghanistan border settled in the Oudah region and they were in the employee of the Nawob. Being sturdy and obdurate, over a period of time, they became a menace to the Nawob of Oudah Shuja - ud - Daula. Conflicts broke out between the Nawob's forces and the tribes. The British backed the Nawob in the 1774 battle. At last, the ruler suppressed the warring tribes. A memorial was erected on the premises of St. John's church, Calcutta in memory of those British who lost their lives in the war. Lady Canning (1 March 1817-18 November 1861): Lady Canning, daughter of the British ambassador, Charles Stuart (later Baron Stuart de Rothesay) married Charles Canning in 1836 in England. Lady Canning arrived in India in 1856 to be with her husband. In1861,she contracted Malaria and died in her husband's arms. Her mortal remains are near St. John's church. Lady Canning elaborately decorated memorial lies on the Northern corridor Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Church,_Kolkata
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December 6, 2016, 10:22 pm
The very mention of Sivakasi town in Virudhunagar district of Southern Tamil Nadu is synonymous with a few things - large printing industries for printing of calendar, etc, fire crackers, diaries match boxes and some complementary gift items. First established during the early 15th century, it was once ruled by the Pandya dynasty between 1428 and 1460 of Madurai and later by the Nayas of Madurai who became independent from Vijayanagar Empire in 1559. Under the Nayaks, the Shiva temple received lots of gifts, endowments, etc. During the Muslim rule in the mid 1740s and later ( several times by Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764) in the middle of 18th century), the temple was managed by the natives. After 1800, this area came under the British East India company rule. Located in the busy part of the town, Kasi Viswanathar temple has a three-tiered gopuram (temple tower) at the entrance that is a landmark here. This old temple is surrounded by sturdy granite wall around it. Here the presiding deity Kasi Viswanathar is in the form of lingam in the sanctum (Garbagraha), that is accessed through a big mantap (hall) supported by a number of pillars. The dwajasthambam - flagstaff near the mantap is installed in such a way the sanctum is located axial to the entrance facing east. Yet another interesting feature in this temple is the presence of another flag staff that is installed axial the Sivakami (Lord's consort) shrine and perpendicular to the flagstaff facing Viswanathar shrine. There are shrines for Vinayaka and Subramanya in the main mantap.Also present are smaller shrines of Ayyappa, Dakshinamurthy, Arumugar, Durga, Navagrahas and Nataraja in the temple around the shrines of Kasi Viswanatha and Visalakshi.This temple, as other temples, has an interesting legend behind it. The Pandya ruler Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian had been planning to have a Shiva temple built in Tenkasi town and for this purpose he went on a pilgrimage to Kasi (Varanasi) to procure a lingam (a form of Lord Shiva) and bring it back to his kingdom. Having got the lingam of his liking in Kasi, he reached a spot near his destination and took rest under the shadow of a Vilva tree - the favorite of Lord Shiva. When he resumed his onward journey, the cow that was carrying the linga, refused to move from that spot. His efforts to get the cow moving, having failed, he felt that there was something divine about the spot and it was of the wish of the God to stay there for good. The place where the "Shiva lingam brought from Kasi" was installed by the king, later came to be known as Sivakasi. Since the lingam came from from Kasi, it was called Sivakasi. Puja protocols, etc are based on Saivite tradition.The main festival - the Brahmostavam is held during the Tamil month of Vaiakasi (May - June). It is the most prominent festival at this temple. The other festivals are : Nataraja Thirumanjanam in Aani (June - July), Visalakshi Tapas festival in Aadi (July - August), Navarathri, Soorasamharam during Aipassi (October - November), etc. Karthikai Deepam festival, Thiruvathirai, Thaipoosam, Sivarathri, Panguni Uthiram are the other festivals celebrated here
Tit-Bits: Once this town witnessed a pitched battle between two caste-based communities - Nadar community who dominated the business and dominant Maravar community who refused the entry of Nadars into the temple. In 1899, it became a big issue that resulted in riots. The British rulers somehow managed to suppress the riots.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasi_Viswanathar_temple,_Sivakasi
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December 7, 2016, 6:12 am
Bhadrakali ( simply "Kali"), a Hindu goddess popular in Southern India is one of the fierce forms of the Great Goddess (Devi) mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Kerala and in West Bengal Kali worship is common among the Hindus and there are popular festivals associated with Kali. She is known as Sri Bhadrakali and Kariam Kali Murti Devi in Kerala who is believed to be the protector of the good.
This goddess is portrayed as fierce-looking with three eyes, and four, twelve, or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth. In many places, in particular in Kerala, her worship is also closely associated with the Tantric tradition being followed normally by the Matrikas - people who practice witchcraft. Kali worship represents the tradition of the ten Mahavidyas that come under the broader spectrum of Shaktism. Regarding her avatar, there are more than 3 versions seen in some Puranas. Among them, the popular one is her divine birth as the daughter of Shiva to liberate the world from demon Daruka. Lord Shiva created Kali to kill the demon Daruka who got a boon of invincibility and immortality and no body could kill him. Intoxicated with this mystic power, he committed all kinds of attrocities that tested the patience of the celestial and demigods The demon was forced to confront Kali and atlast was slain in a tough battle. In the wake of her victory over the demon goddess Kali - Devi was in uncontrollable rage. When Lord Shiva came to know about it, he was tempted to calm her wrath by dancing before her and offering her worship. Then, she became subdued.![]() |
| Badrakali amman temple, Sivakasi.en.wikipedia.org/ |
It is believed in Kerala, worship of Bhadrakali is associated with the practitioners of Kalarippayattu, a traditional martial arts form and the belief has been that she protects them when facing danger. Badrakali Amman Temple in Sivakasi town in Virudhunagar district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu was built during the 18th century. The temple saw further expansion during the 19th and 20th centuries. The tall temple is chracteristic of a five-tiered gopuram, the gateway tower and a granite wall surrounding the temple, enclosing all its shrines. Badrakali Amman temple dedicated to Kali - fierce manifestation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. is yetanother important landmark of this town, Sivakasi with its tall temple tower 110 feet in height and 66 feet in breadth; the tower is visible all around. The unique feature noticesable here is the main tower and the Garbagraha - sanctum are not in the same axis, this is rare in most of the Hindu temples. The deity Badrakali is in sitting poisture in a Garbagraha facing west direction. It is on th left side of the gateway tower. The roof of the shrine is gold-plated. Axial to the sanctum are built the temple tank and a bell tower. There is a shrine for a fiece-lookng form of Vinayanaga called Heramba Vinayaka, with five heads. Here, his mount is bandicoot!! The normal mount, a lion is missing. Yet another feature of interest is the presence of eight forms of Parvati with shrines all around the temple. Adjacent to the temple, there are smaller shrines of other deities like Ayyappa, Murugan and Agora Murthy located adjacent to the temple tank.As for puja rituals, the same tradition is being followed here, as in other places. The major annual festivls are Panguni Pongal-April and Chithirai Pongal- May celebrated for the deities Mariamman and Badrakali Amman. It is a ten-day engagement.Normally in numeous temples, the deity of Badrkali, with a relaxed standing posture as a whole is a personification of humane nature and sympathy and it can not be misken for her weakness. She is equally deadly and fearlful, when dealing with the evil-minded people, demons, etc. Instantly, her sybolic face full of grace can turn red with rage, and action will be taken forth with. Hence, she is the goddess of annihilation of the evil forces.
That she is wearing the crown of Fire and holding the trident downward suggests two things. The trident she is wearing destroys evil and the fire on the head prevents the reoccrence of evil and reduces them to ashes. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badrakali_Amman_temple,_Sivakasi
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December 7, 2016, 10:54 pm
Any person visiting the temple town of Srirangam, near Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu can not miss the massive tall temple tower (236 feet / 73 m tall; tallest in Asia) on the south side built at the initiative of Jeer Swamilkal of the Ahobila Mutt in 1987. The temple tower dominates the landscape for miles around this place. The path under this tower leads us directly into the Sri Ranganathar temple's main entrance gate. Here, people line up to get into the temple complex. In this temple complex, considered first among the 108 Divya Desams (dedicated to Sri Vishnu), there are 20 other gopurams (towers) of various sizes that were built between the 14th and 17th centuries. The Vijayanagara rulers and the Nayaks of Thanjavur made valuable contribution to this temple. Among them is the tall tower called Vellayi gopuram - Eastern tower (44 meter ![]() |
| Vellai Gopuram (eastern tower). ommons.wikimedia.org/ |
tall) above the eastern gate of the fourth enclosure that no body can miss and the striking feature of this gopuram is it's white color. Hence the name Vellayi gopuram (in Tamil "Vellayi" means white). For centuries it has been that way and the temple authorities, during renovation of the temple, paint this tower only in white. A small percentage of visitors or people living in this part of the city may know why this particular tower is painted fully in white.There is a real story behind it and it bears testimony to the poignant life of a danseuse / Devadasi by the name of Vellayi after whom the tower has been specifically named. Vellayi, centuries ago, had sacrificed her precious life with the sole intention to protect the venerable idol of Namperumal in the sanctum - garbagraha from the marauding Delhi Sultanate forces who had invaded the temple town to loot the treasures.
If you turn the Indian history pages backward and go to the 1300s, the Muslim rule in Delhi had already been established by the invaders from NW of India, and it it was politically a volatile period for the natives. The Muslim invaders were more interested in looting the various rich Hindu and other temples in various regions for their vast treasures than expansion of their kingdom. Many northern states were invaded by the powerful Muslim armies and mercenaries and the rich temples were ransacked and looted. Though such raids were not common in the southernmost states for various reasons, Srirangam town was again attacked by the Sultanate forces for the second time led by the Khilji dynasty's (1296 to 1316) military commander Ulagh Khan in the year 1323 (early invader was Malik Kaufer - 1310–1311) during the Tamil month of Vaikasi. According to 'Koyilozhugu,' a true record of events relating to Srirangam temple, nearly, 12,000 residents of Srirangam were felled down, fighting hard till their death to protect the temple and the precious idols, etc. However, they could not safeguard Lord Ranganatha's jewels and the temple gold that fell into the Delhi forces.The forces had their eyes focused on the idol of Namperumal, which they believed was made of pure ‘Abaranji'gold. They searched for the idol and it ended in futility because, knowing the intention of the invading army from Delhi before hand, the Vaishnavite Acharya, Pillai Lokacharya had taken the idol away and fled to Madurai. But later he died on the way to Tirunelveli. (The idol of Namperumal that left Srirangam in 1323 returned only in 1371). Consort Reganayaki's idol was taken to a different place in a separate procession.
Terribly disappointed over the missing golden idol, the Sultanate forces killed the people associated with the temple and later were after Pillai Lokacharya and Namperumal. The situation in Srirangam was tense and chaotic and anything could happen to the main idol Namperumal and its protector.Fearing that the forces would capture the Acharya and grab the idol, Vellayi, being smart as she was, performed a seductive dance before the commander of the forces, thus allowing more time for Pillai Lokacharya to escape with the idol. After the dance, she told the commander that she knew where the golden idol was kept and took the commander to the top of the eastern goupram - tower. There she asked him to look down at a particular place where the idol was kept and before he could blink his eyes, she pushed him down from the tower and killed him. To avoid being caught and humiliated by the Muslim forces, uttering the name of Ranganathar, she jumped to death from the tower. Thus a young danseuse gave her life to save the precious idol of Ranganathar.
The chief of Vijayanagara forces led by one Kempanna, drove away the Sultanate forces, and after coming to know about the sacrifice made by Vellayi, he named the tower after her. Her timely sacrifice will go down in the history of this famous Hindu temple and thus this valiant woman, a devotee of Ranganathar has become an immortal figure. Indeed, she was exceptionally a pious and courageous woman whose exploits in times of danger will inspire young Indian women.Ref:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/the-legend-of-vellayi/article2774700.ecehttp://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2015/03/srirangam-ranganathar-templetamil-nadu.html
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December 8, 2016, 7:58 am
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| Srinivasa Perumal temple. Nachiyar Kovil, Kumbakonam en.wikipedia.org |
At many Hindu temples in India, there are some amazing wonders that are mystical in nature and no explanation is satisfactory as to how such things occur. They baffles our imagination and remain as an enigma. One such a riddle is the stone Garuda (stone Eagle), the mount (Vahana) of the Hindu God Vishnu. When it is taken out in a temple procession from its shrine, it is interesting to note that stone garuda's weight keeps increasing and when it is taken back to its shrine, reversal in weight occurs. That the weight of the same stone image at different places is at variance is a mystery. It is a true recurrence during the festival season in a Vishnu temple in Tamil Nadu and it is not a cock and bull story to impress on the people. Nachiyar Kovil, a small town near the temple town of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is famous for the Vishnu temple and also for brass lamps of various sizes and designs. There are many small-scale industries here, making all kinds of beautiful temple lamps using an alloy of five metals and they are known for their artistic work of exceptional beauty.Built in the Dravidian style of architecture, this temple (5th century AD) that follows Thekalai tradition, is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu and is glorified in the Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD. Here the presiding deity is Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar. This temple is also referred to as Thirunarayur Nambi Temple. In this divyadesam, Goddess Vanjulavalli Nachiyar is given much importance over Lord Srinivasa perumal and the tradition here is, on all festive occasions, the first rights are reserved for Nachiyar - goddess. In the festival procession, Vanjulavalli Thaayar leads the way ahead of Srinivasa perumal and even the food is served first to Vanjulavalli Nachiyar at this temple.
Kal Garuda, an image of Vishnu's mount or Vahana, is the most prominent feature of this temple.This vahana is the only one made of stone among the 108 Divya Desam shrines. According to the temple legend, the sculptor who made the idol of Garuda, became frustrated as the bird flew away each time when he made a new image with the wings. Driven by frustration, he threw a stone at Garuda, who unfortunately, got injured and decided to stay at the temple as Kal Garuda to bless the people. The Garuda image here is made of Saligrama stone (available in the Himalayan region) and is located outside the main sanctum and near the Thayyar shrine. During the annual festival procession in the Tamil months of Margazhi (December–January) and Panguni (March - April), the festive images (Utsavar) are normally taken out in procession on silver plated Garuda made of clay or some metal. Here the Stone Garuda (eagle) idol is used to carry Srinivasa perumal. Now occurs the mystifying thing that may scratch our brain. The kal garuda (stone bird) requires just four people to carry him from his shrine and as he moves ahead at each phase, it needs people in multiples of 8, 16, 32, 64 to carry the vahana, before reaching the Vahana Mantapam (hall) near the temple entrance. Here Garuda is adorned with silk dhoti, jewels and special flower garland sent by the Srirangam temple. With Tahayyar - goddess leading the procession, Kal garudar begins his 6 hour long journey at 7 pm with handsome Perumal atop the vahana.As the Kal garuda Vahaha in the procession has moved out of the temple and on the street, it now requires 128 people to carry him around. The puzzle is the weight of the stone image is the same no matter how many people carry it. Otherwise stone itself would become big or density of the stone image would be way high. It does not happen that way. Does any supernatural force act on the mysterious stone image of Garuda and increase it's weight? When the garuda Vahana along with the procession returns to the temple in the early morning, reversal in weight takes place. The number of people needed to carry it decreases in multiples of 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, and at last in its own shrine stone Garuda needs just four people to set it back in its place. Yet another note-worthy feature is, it is said, drops of sweat are observed on the image of Kal Garuda during the six-hour-long procession on this festive occasion, Garuda receives honors from Srinivasa Perumal (presiding deity) in the form of dress and ornaments, etc for his services. Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/unique-drama-unfolds-during-procession/article4244915.ece https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachiyar_Koil
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December 9, 2016, 6:40 pm
There is no culture across the continents where the nice, refreshing tea is not served. India, as we all know, is the second largest producer of tea in the world after China, including the famous Assam tea and Darjeeling tea. Also popular are the Nilgiri tea and tea made from the hills of Munnar and other places in Kerala. The credit goes to the British who introduced tea plantations in Assam hills in India in the colonial period to challenge the monopoly of China. Tea is also the 'State Drink' of Assam. According to the ASSOCHAM report of December 2011, India, as the world’s largest consumer of tea, uses nearly 30 percent of the global output. In spite of large consumption within the country, India is also the largest exporter of tea. One may be surprised to note that tea consumption in India was first clearly mentioned in the Ramayana (750-500 BCE). For unknown reasons in the next thousand years, records of tea consumption in the Indian subcontinent are lost in history. We come across news about tea during the first century CE, with the arrival of the Buddhist monks Bodhidharma and Gan Lu. For thousands of years, the tribes of north and north eastern India consumed indigenous tea cultivated in the hills there.As for the southern India, John Sullivan (15 June 1788 – 16 January 1855) Collector of Coimbatore district made the first ever expedition to the hitherto unexplored Nilgiri mountains of Western ghat mountain chain) in 1819, But only in 1830s tea planters from Europe moved in to grow tea. John Munro, British Resident of ETC at Cochin encouraged the cultivation of tea plants on the high hills of Munnar and other places, now in the state of Kerala.Munnar in Idukki district of Kerala is an important hill station - 1600 meter above the sea level in south India next to Ooty and Kodaikanal, the latter two famous hill stations are in Tamil Nadu. Located at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala, it is not only a picturesque place but is also a popular summer resort. It used to serve as a summer vacation place during the colonial period. Munnar and the surrounding hills are known for the lush green rolling hills with mists hugging them, tall majestic trees and large tea plantations with spaced path ways at frequent intervals for the movement of tea and people. This place is home to amazing Neelakurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthianum; endemic to this region) that bloom every 12 years. Literally the hills are covered with these flowers that give them the appearance of bluish-pinkish carpets gently draping the hill slopes and thus enhancing the beauty of this place. For the biologists, it is a heaven for studying a variety of flora and fauna native to this region. Munnar is part of the Western Ghat mountains and the highest peak in South India, Anamudi (over 2695 meter above sea level) is part of this mountain chain. Anamudi is located within the Eravikulam National Park. It can be accessed only with permission from the forest department. In the summer season, lots of people from many parts of India come here for relaxation and to be away from the hot plains.![]() |
| Munnar tea plantation, relaxation for jumbos.inspiredtraveller.in |
The development of Munnar and the surrounding place is interwoven with the origins and development of tea plantations since the colonial days and they dot many hills. Definitely tea plantation and industry is the legacy of the British who introduced tea here. Here the tea plantations are at much higher elevations and, perhaps, they are considered the highest tea plantations in the world. The Tea Museum at the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea in Munnar that is managed by the Tata Group has interesting bits of ![]() |
| Misty Munnar.inspiredtraveller.in |
information on the growth and development of tea in this part and the pictures of old industrial machinery related to procession of tea, photos of old plantations, curios, etc. The other attractions are the Eravikulam National Park (an area of 97 sq. km) that has endangered animal - the Nilgiri Tahr. There are also several rare birds and butterflies here. Chinnakanal, near the town of Munnar, is famous for waterfalls called Power House Waterfalls, gently cascading down a rock cliff which is 2000 meter above sea level. Here one can have a breathtaking view of the ghat mountains. Anayirangal is an interesting place about 22 km from Munnar that is well known for a dam. This place and the surrounding areas have several tea plantations that cover the rolling hills like green carpets. As for the early history of Munnar, no clear information is available. However, this once unexplored place was home to a tribal community known as the Muthuvan tribal community. Only in the the later half of the 19th century, many trail blazing European tea planters moved into this place to grow tea as the temperate weather conditions were perfect for the development of tea estates. Ambitious planters, with support from the East India company, came as far as Europe and started plantations here.
In those days, the outside world had no idea whatsoever about enchanting Munnar and its suitable weather conditions for the growth of tea plants. It was through the efforts of John Daniel Munro (June 1778 - 25 January 1858), English Resident for the Cochin State, the Europeans and others came to know about this region in the 1857. Munro himself was very much impressed when he visited this place on an assignment to settle the border dispute between Cochin state and the nearby Madras Residency. John Munro was appointed as British Resident of Cochin in 1811 and later accepted the Dewanship of Cochin at the Raja's request He served alongside his distinguished distant relative SirThomas Munro, 1stBaronet (of Linderits). With weak Indian ruler in Cochin, corruption was rampant in the state and Munro acted effectively and eliminated it. He introduced several reforms that improved the overall standard of the state well. He was loved by the natives as he was sympathetic to the people's problems.
John Munro took keen interest in tea plantation in that region and when he visited Munnar and other places he found that the Kanan Devan hills were suitable for the development of quality plantation crops. The land was under the control of the Poonjar royal family. So, he visited the Poonjar Palace and negotiated with the then head of the royal family, Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja, and the ruler agreed to lease out Kanan Devan hills to Munro for a handsome payment. The area covered roughly 1,36,600 acres of cultivable land. Munro formed North Travancore Land Planting & Agricultural Society to grow coffee, cinchona, cardamom, etc. However, he gave due importance to cultivation of tea here. Though Munro took the initiative to introduce tea estate here for the first time, it was one Turnor from England who earnestly began the cultivation of tea at Munnar. A. H. Sharp, another European planter in 1880 planted tea on a small area comprising 50 acres of land at Parvathy, which is now part of the Seven Mallay estate. In 1895, Finlay Muir & Company (James Finlay and Company Limited) bought 33 independent tea estates and began the cultivation later in 1897. The Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company was formed to manage the affairs of the estates. In 1924 the tea plantation business fell on tough time, came to a grinding halt and suffered heavy damages on account of severe monsoon activities on the hills that triggered dangerous, massive landslides, etc. The damage to the crop was severe and it took a while for the tea estate owners to come around until normal soil conditions were restored. Large-scale replanting was carried out more vigorously on many estates. Camellia Sansis tea plants are widely used here in other parts of south India.The Tata Group made its foray in 1964 in collaboration with Finlay which resulted in the formation of the Tata-Finlay Group. Tata Tea Ltd. The Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company Pvt. Ltd. was formed in 2005 and Tata Tea transferred the ownership of its plantations to the new company. The mist-clad, green carpeted Munnar hill station with congenial climate is nature's paradise where you tend to get in peace with yourself. A place to rejuvenate your mind an soul in a serene, pollution free environment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munnar
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December 11, 2016, 3:40 am
There are many places in world where the nature acts like a fine artist and produces a myriad of land forms of different shapes and sizes. Some of them are odd and unique and they are so impressive and awe-inspiring, far above our imagination. They are the results of ' continuous natural process' involving water, wind and weathering or otherwise called geological processes, Such strange land forms are not created over night and they require several thousand years to more than a million years. The balancing rock near the historical site of Mahabalipuram is an interesting one. In the historical town of Mahabalipuram, close to Chennai in Tamil Nadu, stands a gigantic boulder that is 6 meters high and 5 meters wide and weighs around 250 tons. What is often referred to here as Krishna's butter ball or Vaan Irai Kal in local parlance is actually a huge balancing boulder resting almost near the edge of an 45 degrees inclined plane. What is special about this giant boulder made of granite? With a small base, it is balancing precariously and it has been in the same position for more than 1200 years. Though facing the vagaries of weather and climatic changes through ages, it has not moved an inch from it original position on the slope. The giant boulder stands in such a way that you must muster enough courage to stand or sit on the downward side of the slope Because, the huge monolith rock boulder stands on a base of just four feet and it appears at any time it may slip down slope, hurtling down to the bottom. According to the Hindu mythology, when Krishna was stealing butter from the handi and eating it in small balls, one of them might have fallen here. This mysterious geologic feature has attracted lots of people daily to this spot In the past Pallava King Narasimhavarman (630-668 C.E). too tried to move the boulder from its place, but it ended up in failure. Way back 1000 years ago, the great Chola King Rajarajan (builder of Thanjavur big temple) visited this place and was impressed by the balancing rock. This land form gave him inspiration to make mud dolls called Thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai with half spherical base. Every time you make it fall, it returns to its original position because of smooth spherical base. Since the center of gravity shifts and adjusts so quickly, it never allows the doll to fall. During the colonial period under the British Crown, Arthur Lawley (12 November 1860 – 14 June 1932) served as the governor of Madras from March 1906 to November 1911 and on his visit to this place in 1908, he was surprised about the massive size of the boulder and it gravity-defying position on the edge of the slope. He tried to dislodge the boulder by using seven jumbos. His attempt was just a futile one. ![]() |
| Krishna's butter ball. messagetoeagle.com/ |
How is the huge boulder formed in this part of Mahabalipuram? How does it defy the law of gravity? These two common questions pop up among the curious people which is quite natural. As for the formation of this boulder, it is likely it was caused by wind action - blasting of sand, small particles of rock or broken pieces on a tall solid rock outcrop. The abrasive action at the bottom of the rock will be more vigorous .This slow and and continuous wind action over a long period of time may lead to the formation of a pedestal rock or mushroom rock. Further action over years may lead to the collapse of the pedestal rock and the solid mass at top will come down and rest on the basement rock. Depending on the angle of gradient, it may move or remain stationary. Such wind erosion is common in desert or semi desert areas and normally such mushroom rocks are found among sedimentary rock formations consisting of alternating hard and soft layers where the soft layers will get eroded easily leaving the hard layers to weather slowly. The hard layers have better resistance.Regarding Vaan Irai Kal at Mahabalipuram, it is a monolith igneous rock called granite. To form and shape such a massive block of rock in a hard rock terrain, it might take eons - a couple of million years. This particular rock and the surrounding outcrops that form the basement rock complex belong to the ![]() |
| Mahabalipuram balancing rock or Vaan Irai Kal www.quora.com/ |
Achaean group (shield area) whose geologic age is as old as the earth - roughly 3.5 to 4 billion years and they have been in existence since the formation of the earth. A good example in Tamil Nadu is the rock fort complex at Tiruchirapally. The Uchchi Pilliyar temple is built on the Achaean rocks made mostly of granite and related rocks. Likewise one could see boulders of hard rock in different shapes and sizes on the bus route between Villupuram and Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu. They are caused by normal weathering process - frost and root wedging plus action of wind. The combined action breaks the massive boulders into smaller ones that stand precariously.So, my assumption is this boulder- Krishna Butter ball was formed due to Eolian process - continuous wind erosion coupled with normal weathering process that had acted on it over years far beyond our imagination. Flat face on the boulder is caused by the above processes.As for its gravity-defying position: 1. The angle of inclination is not good enough to trigger a slide, 2. From the shape of boulder, it is clear, much of the weight is exerted on the base near the edge of the slope that gives stability. 3. The shift of center of gravity is within the safe limit something like a man standing on a slope when his body leaning toward the upper side.![]() |
| Brimham Moor in North Yorkshire. amusingplanet.com |
Above image: Many curious rock formations are scattered over 50 acres on Brimham Moor in North Yorkshire, England.This will give you some idea about the action of wind on the boulder.![]() |
| This balancing rock in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colo. USA. amusingplanet.com/ |
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| The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, USA.gagdaily.com |
Above images: Very old sedimentary rock called steam boat rock.Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. It was designated a National Natural Landmark One of them is the Idol Rock precariously balanced on top of a smaller rock. The rocks eroded by water, glaciation and wind, have taken amazing shapes. Many of the formations suggest all manner of things, including elephants, hippos, bears, and mushrooms. ![]() |
| .amusingplanet.com/ |
Above image: Near Yangon in Myanmar (Burma), there is a balancing rock called The Golden Rock (Kyaik-htiyo or Kyaiktiyo), precariously perching atop a cliff. It is one of the sacred sites for the Buddhists near Yangon, is one of the most sacred sites in Burma.The rock is almost at the edge ready to fall.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna's_Butterball http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3528036/Rock-NOT-roll-mystery-250-ton-boulder-defied-gravity-1-300-years-hasn-t-stopped-daredevil-tourists-posing-it.html Mushroom rock formation.Let's learn Geology - WordPress.com
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December 11, 2016, 9:14 am
Among the Shiva temples of India Thiruvanamalai temple, Thiruvannamalai is closely associated with Thirukarthigai Deepam that comes in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November - December) on Pournami day (Full moon day). The moon is in union with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and pournami (full moon). Being an important Hindu festival, it is celebrated on such a grand scale, this ten day festival attracts as many as 20 million people from Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. On the Thirukarthigai/Karthigai Deepam day, the whole house is decorated with a series of oil lamps and this year, Thiru Karthigai falls on 12 December 2016.Thiru Karthigai deepam is about Lord Shiva - famous Cosmic dancer, symbolic of eternity, who appeared as a tall pillar of gigantic fire before God Brahma and God Vishnu who had a serious verbal deal over their supremacy without concentrating on their divine duties. Their ego and veil of arrogance became subdued when both of them could not find either the crown or the bottom of the fiery pillar of Shiva. The day on which the God appeared as a pillar of fire is Thirukarthigai / Karthigai Deepam. Here at the temple town of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, Lord Shiva appeared as a hill - Arunachala Hill (holy fire hill).Hence here Lord Shiva is an embodiment of fire, one of the Pancha Boothas (five essential elements) and the Shiva Linga here is called Agni Lingam. Here he is "Jyothi Swarupam"; being the God of light he gets rid of our ignorance and leads us from darkness to light. The lighting of oil lamps at homes and temples has been a Hindu tradition and is considered as an auspicious religious duty. That is the reason why the oil lamp is lit in the temples and homes symbolically followed by lightning of giant oil lamp on the hill of Arunachala behind the temple. According to the Hindu mythology, on this day, Lord Shiva blessed the six nymphs with immortality as they brought up Karthikaya /Muruga (in the tank called Saravana) with care and affection and they at last became six stars (Pleiades) in the firmament, a lasting tribute to them for their services to the Almighty. They are called Karthigai kannigas. He created Karthikaya to kill the demon king Soorapadhman who caused lots of trouble to the Devas and holy saints. Hence Lord Subramanya has six abodes / shrines (in Tamil : Aarupadai Veedu) in Tamil Nadu and in Murugan temples, this festival is observed with religious fervor, devotion and bakthi. Further, Karthigai deepam marks the birth day of Lord Karthikaya, the second son of Lord Shiva, first being Lord Ganesa. On the evening of this festival, women, wearing new dress light rows of oil lamps at homes and around the houses. Through out the state of Tamil Nadu, in the evening oil lamps are lit at home and temples only after the giant Karthigai Deepam is lit on the Arunachala hill at Thiruvannamalai. The belief is that Thirukarthigai Deepam festival, in the ensuing year, will usher in peace and prosperity to the home and society, besides, the sanctity of the places is further purified. Yet another fact is lighting of oil lamps at home will guard the home dwellers from evil spirits, black magic and spells.Girivalam (in Sanskrit Giri means hill; Valam in Tamil means going around clockwise) - the act of going around the holy Arunachala mountain once is an important religious undertaking among the devotees. On the Thirukarthigai day and on other auspicious days people in thousands do Girivalam here. Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karthikai_Deepam
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December 12, 2016, 9:21 am
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| Brit.Resident, Hyderabad, India.James Kirkpatrick.(1805)en.wikipedia. org |
We have come across lots of stories about the British officers and their adventures in the dark jungles of India in the colonial period. If you dig the stack of books on the familiar stories, and go underneath them, there lie equally interesting and tantalizing stories about English gentlemen of later period who had a fancy for simple Indian life, culture and their languages with which they became conversant. They tried to shed the sheen of Britishness and their belief in supremacy over others, including Europeans and Americans. Among them, some came to India just to make enough money in short time and go back to England and live a lavish retired life, taking upon themselves the funny title of British Nabob. Despite their being rich, they failed to maintain the grace of high society people and ultimately died in poverty. Col. James Achilles Kirkpatrick of the British India company was a colorful personality. Neither he possessed the antics of the British elite. Nor did he carry the British aura about him and look down upon the simple natives.
"These White Mughals (also spelled Moguls) had responded to their travels in India by slowly shedding their Britishness like an unwanted skin, and adopting Indian dress, studying Indian philosophy, taking harems and adopting the ways of the Mughal governing class they slowly came to replace. Moreover, the White Mughals were far from an insignificant minority. The wills of the period show that in the 1780’s, over one third of the British men in India were leaving all their possessions to one or more Indian wives". ....... Historian William DalrympleLieutenant Colonel James Achilles Kirkpatrick (1764-15 October 1805) was an interesting person, so to say, a maverick with firm determination to do things that he liked most. He lived for himself and not for the others. Born in 1764 at Fort St. George, Madras (now Chennai), James Kirkpatrick came to India to take up a job with the EIC and it was his intention to conquer India and make a mark for himself. His resolute attitude in this regard carried a streak of imperialistic mind at so young an age. He arrived as the British Resident in the court of the Nizam in Hyderabad in 1795.The Muslim ruler was among the richest rulers in the world.That the edit of God had a different way was true in the case of Kirkpatrick. Soon after landing in a fabulously rich Muslim kingdom, he had begun to develop a taste for Indian way of life, in particular, Muslim culture and customs. He did not lose time to give up his English culture and became obsessed with Muslim traditions. People around him, including his colleagues were aghast, because his British persona was taken over by the Indian persona.Being a colonel with the British Company's army, Kirkpatrick had started wearing Mughal-style costumes at home, smoking a hookah with his friends and chewing betel nut or arecanut. His nautch (dancing girls) parties were popular and drew the attention of the people and the British officials. Kirkpatrick did not stop at it, he went one step ahead and maintained a small harem (house of girls) in his zenanakhana for fun and relaxation, befitting his covetous post. By this time, he became fluent in Hindustani and it helped him get in touch with the locals. He mainly moved with the rich and famous - the elite of the society at the parties.![]() |
| Khair-un-Nissa wife of James. 1805 painting.en.wikipedia.org/ |
The Nizam of Hyderabad was very much impressed with Kirkpatrick whose love for Muslim culture was overwhelming and he bestowed on him such covetous titles such as Mutamin ul Mulk ('Safeguard of the kingdom'), Hushmat Jung ('Valiant in battle') and Nawab Fakhr-ud-Dowlah Bahadur ('Governor, pride of the state, and hero'), a rare honor for a British in those days. Without hesitation, he lawfully became a Muslim and married a local Hyderabadi noblewoman called Khair-un-Nissa, the teenage grand daughter of Nawab Mahmood Ali Khan, the prime minister of Hyderabad.Until the end of autumn of 1801 his life was on a smooth course, when all of a sudden, questions were raised over Kirkpatrick's interracial nature of the marriage and his shedding of Brutishness in favor of Muslim culture.Kirkpatrick, unfortunately, fell on hard time now when Lord Richard Wellesley became the Governor- General of India. Wellesley's relationship with the Nizam became soured and the rich ruler was reduced to the lower level. At Calcutta, Kirkpatrick had to face a barrage of questions about his conduct in the court of the Nizam and his liaisons with the Indians, belittling the British authority and culture. It was made into a big scandal. Later he was dismissed from the EIC's services on filmy grounds. Very much grief-stricken and upset, he died in Calcutta on October 15, 1805, leaving his wife Nissa and her son and a daughter. Soon they were taken to England under the care of their grandfather Colonel James Kirkpatrick. There their names were changed to William George Kirkpatrick and Katherine Aurora "Kitty"respectively after baptism at St. Mary’s Church, London. Their grand father died later. George, now married had three children and died very young in 1828. Kitty married captain James Winslowe Phillipps and had seven children by him. She died in Torquay, Devon, in 1889.![]() |
| Katherine Aurora Winsloe (Kirkpatrick),www.google.co.in |
As for Nissa, she was taken care of by Henry Russell, her husband's assistant till he married a half-Portuguese women and left Nissa on her own. After her return to Hyderabad, she died on 22 September 1813 aged 27 in isolation.
Both Nissa and Kirkpatrick died with heavy heart and pangs of pain because of their races. Col. Kirkpatrick was really a hero and a trail blazer who tried to cross the divide between two different cultures and religions. This the pathetic story of these poor two souls from two different continents, who became the victims of a society that thrived on race and color. James became the first British to have married an Indian woman during the colonial rule.When he was a Resident at Hyderabad from 1798 to 1805, he built the historic Koti Residency in Hyderabad, a major tourist attraction and his grave is at St James's church, Kolkata.Ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/18SDBJqWwgc7VLDM7MhGK2S/a-love-story-that-broke-the-conventional-boundaries-of-empire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Achilles_Kirkpatrick html
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December 13, 2016, 5:55 pm
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| Elephant carrying the idol, on the temple premises, Kerala nwww.slideshare.ne |
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| www.slideshare.ne |
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| Poornathrayeesa Temple Festival4x2x.blogspot.in |
Kerala is one of the states in India with a large population of elephants and they are part of the culture of Kerala. Among the Asian subspecies, the Indian elephants belong to sub species Elephas maximus indicus. In the last three decades since 1986, the population of elephants has dramatically come down because of various reasons such as habitat loss, degradation of forest and fragmentation of forest land, etc. Wild elephant attacks on humans as well as their death on the railroad tracks are on the increase correspondingly. IUCN reports say there has been 50% reduction and Asian Elephant is listed as endangered animal. In this state the trained elephants are used for various purposes such as the temple festivals, etc, besides the churches and mosques also use them for some religious activities. It is estimated that there are more than 700 trained elephants in captivity owned by individuals and temples. In the lumber industries located in wooded areas elephants play a vital role.![]() |
| Elephants lined up, Vadukanathan temple, Kerala www.slideshare.ne |
Most of temples in Kerala own an elephant or more than that, depending on the size, popularity and the number of temple rituals being followed by them. Most of them are donated by the devotees to the temples in fulfillment of their vow. No other states in India use such a large number of trained elephants for temple rituals and activities almost on a regular basis as Kerala. The cost factor is way high, considering the present inflation index. Kerala temples' festivals are exotic, fascinating and pompous. The procession of deity or deities on the caparisoned elephants is the most captivating sight in Kerala temples, be they dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva or Goddess Sakthi. Such a procession of elephants is not followed in neighboring state Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. This tradition has been there for decades. No doubt, elephants are deeply immortalized and glorified in the literature and lore of ancient Kerala. Kottarathil Sankunni’s work on the foundational myths of elephants has mentioned some legendary status in the temples in the1900s. Though temples take special care of the jumbos, unfortunately there are several reports of poor treatment of such elephants such as prolonged chaining, lack of adequate rest and recognizing the problem of elephants in musth in the winter season that might cause threats to the people.![]() |
| Poornathrayeesa Temple Festival 2012 (vrishika ulsavam). 4x2x.blogspot.in/ |
Seeveli, the most popular daily ritual, is nothing but a temple procession of deity held on the temple premises in the morning and in the late evening. It is a colorful procession of elephants, wearing gold-plated caparison (nettipattam), bells, necklaces, etc. One of the elephants is carrying the small decorated idol (utshava moorthy) replica of the presiding deity (Moolavar) with temple priest behind it, followed by other elephants to the accompaniments of rhythmic beating of drums and playing of wind instrument - Nadaswaram. The procession will move slowly around the temple clock wise after regular puja. In popular temples, it is done three times in 7 am. 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm. Seeveli procession at night is a spectacular one, involving more than three elephants. Oil lamps in thousands are lit around the outer temple walls in the evening. The most amazing things are, this daily ritual is done with utter commitment and religious fervor. The entire atmosphere is charged with spiritual exhilaration and blissful ecstasy. ![]() |
| Festival ornamets worn by jumbos, Keralawww.slideshare.ne |
Such seeveli ritual is famous at temples like Guruvayur - dedicated to Lord Krishna in Thrissur district, Vaikom Mahadev temple - dedicated to Lord Shiva, etc. Both are popular shrines in Kerala. Seeveli is a daily ritual procession carried out in the temple. It is a procession of caparisoned elephants mostly three in number marching with one of them carrying the idol of Lord Krishna.![]() |
| Varkala,Kerala Elephant procession in the temple under the canopy.alamy.com |
In some temples more than 10 elephants are used for the ceremonial functions in front of the temple. For example at Kudalmanikyam temple, seventeen elephants are used for the daily ceremony to the accomplishment of Pancari Melam Seven elephants wear caparison made of pure gold and the rest wear made of pure silver.
In some places there will be a procession of caparisoned elephants from other temples that gather at a particular place. The number may vary wary and the elephants carry the small idol of the temple ![]() |
| SIVALI AT VALIYA VILAKUU DAY /4.bp.blogspot.com/ |
they are representing. A good example Vaikkaththu Ashtami festival, Vaikom. The elephants from the surrounding temples too join here; during the long festival days several elephants are engaged in the procession.Mentioned below are some of Hindu festivals of Kerala where participation of elephants is important and they attract very large crowd. Some of the festivals last whole night as well; sound and noise will be fairly high.Thrissur Pooram (late April or May): Kerala's most famous pooram festival takes place at Vadakkumnathan temple in Thrissur; 30 elephants participate and a percussion ensemble with about 250 artistes. Arattupuzha Pooram (March or early April): Yet another festival not far from Thrissur; about 60 elephants are displayed with decorations.This pooram, festival, is said to be oldest in the state.Peruvanam Pooram (March or early April): Elephants participate It is considered to be 1,500 years old. Venue: at the ancient Peruvanam temple, in Cherpu in Thrissur district.
Parippally Gajamela (March): It is held at Kodimoottil Bhagavathy temple at Parippally, in Kerala's Kollam district; an important elephant festival; 50 caparisoned elephants participate. Chinakkathoor Pooram (March): It is held at rural temple festival at Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy temple in Palappuram, Palakkad district; 33 elephants Participate.Pariyanampetta Pooram (February): It is seven-day festival at Pariyanampetta Bhagavathy Temple in Kattukulam, Palakkad district. It is called Kalamezhuthu Pattu ritual. It includes a procession of elephants, in particular, on the last day.Uthralikkavu Pooram (February) : A eight-day festival at Rudhira Mahakali Kavu temple, in Thrissur district's Vadakkancherry; It includes day and night elephant processions, and traditional musical ensembles.The temple is in a remote place, dedicated to Kali.Tit-Bits: Elephants are deeply enshrined in the literature and lore of ancient Kerala. Aithihyamala, Kottarathil Sankunni’s compilation of the foundational myths 01. Occasionally trained elephants go wild, run amuck and attack people, it is said that threats occur once in a while and the odds are 20 to one. The main reason is when the male elephants experience musth, a sort of sexual excitement. And to reduce such threats, the temple authorities allow two female elephants walk on both sides of the male elephant.02. Though temples take special care of the jumbos, unfortunately there are several incisive reports on the poor treatment of temple elephants such as prolonged chaining, lack of adequate rest and recognizing the problem of male elephants in musth in the winter season that might cause threats to the people. Further, the temple elephants have to stand for a pronged time in the midst of din, causing additional stress. They need 350 kg of food and at least 150 liters of water a day. The animal welfare committee is also keeping an eye on them.http://goindia.about.com/od/festivalsevents/p/Keralatemple.html
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December 20, 2016, 7:59 am
Like the British and Portuguese, the French also built many beautiful churches in India during the colonial days. St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Bangalore owes its origin to the pioneering work done by the French missionaries settled there. The grand stone (granite) building with towering steeples and spires, arched windows and blue and gray domes, one of the earliest European structures in Bangalore, dominates the landscape and enhances the beauty of this area. This church has its origin in a church by the same name and its history spans about 171 years. During the time of Tipu Sultan of Mysore, the missionary activities declined drastically almost to zilch because of religious persecution by the Muslim ruler, as he thought the Christians were supporting the East India company rule. The Church of Milagres in Mangalore in 1680 was closed and was in ruins during his reign. So many churches fell into disuse because of Tipu's unjust rule. Christian missionaries' services resumed in Mysore kingdom only after the death of Tipu in May 1799 at Srirangapatna in the final and decisive battle (Angelo-Mysore war) against the British. ![]() |
| St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Bangalore. www.polkacafe.com |
It was in 1851 the first church of St. Francis Xavier was built on a plot of 550 feet square by Fr. Chevalier who happened to be the first Parish Priest. He became the Bishop of Mysore in 1873 upon the death of Bishop Charbonnaux. Earlier, this plot was owned by Mrs. Zulime Watkins, a French Catholic and the widow of an English Commander, Capt. Watkins and Fr. Chevalier paid a sum of Rs.1,000/- for the plot. At that point of time, the church was good enough for a small population of Christians in Bangalore. As there had been continuous increase in the population of the Christian community, there was a demand for a bigger church that could accommodate more people. In 1911, the foundation stone was laid for a new church and it was inaugurated, after a long delay, on 26 May 1932. It was Fr. Servanton who took keen interest in the Parish and was instrumental for the construction a new building. In 1905 the cross on the old tower fell and it was interpreted as a sign to build a new place of worship. Fr. Servanton, raised funds for the new church. For fifty years till his death in 1948, he was closely associated with the church and its activities. The church became a cathedral in 1940. After his hectic life dedicated to the glory og Christ, Fr. Servanton was buried in his own Church. The Corporation of the City of Bangalore honored him after his death, by naming the Circle in front of St. Germain High School as "Father Servanton Circle".The cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangalore was initially the seat of the diocese of Mysore from 1886 to 1940. The cathedral saw its platinum jubilee in 2007 and is located near Coles Park in Cleveland Town. Additional domes were built in the front in 2009. Within the enclave, there is a shrine dedicated to St. Anthony and St. Rock, the latter possesses healing powers. In 1898 there was a threat to to the people caused by the spread of the bubonic plague and Father Servanton had a chapel built in 1909 in honor of St. Rock, the patron of the plague stricken with a prayer to the latter to care for the parish. Father Servanton stayed in India continuously and never had he gone back to his country since his arrival in India. It is said that he never took a day off to attend to his personal matters. He loved the poor very much and helped them a lot by being generous to them. This church is one among the many beautiful churches in this area. Lots of people visit this church daily for blessings and prayers.Ref:
http://bangaloretourtravel.blogspot.in/2015/12/st-francis-xaviers-cathedral-church-in.htmlhttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/203128/cantonments-oasis-calm.html
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