Navrang India

Lord Dufferin Viceroy of India (1884-88),Flickr

Statue of Marquess Dufferin - Calcutta

During the reign of Lord Defferin, the following political events taken place in the Indian subcontinent:

Lord Dufferin (1884-88) served as Governor General of India and Viceroy from 1884 to 1888. Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford he had held many important political and diplomatic posts which include British Commissioner in Syria, 1860; Under Secretary of State for India, 1864-66; Under Secretary for War, 1866; Governor General of Canada, 1872-78; ambassador in St. Petersburg, 1879 and ambassador to Turkey, 1881. During his tenure, the Third Burmese war led to annexation of whole of Burma and Burmese ruler was exiled to India. In 1885, A.O. Hume laid the foundation of Indian National Congress (INC). In 1885, an important political event took place in Afghanistan called the Panjdeh Incident. The Russian forces seized Afghan territory south of Amu Darya around site of Panjdeh {now located in Turkmenistan}. This created a unpalatable diplomatic crisis between Russia and Great Britain.
1. Foundation of Indian National Congress (INC) in Bombay (28th December 1885): Allan Octavian Hume in May 1885, upon getting approval from Viceroy Dufferin created an “Indian National Union”. It had affiliation with the government and served as a platform to voice Indian public opinion. The Indian National Congress was founded on 28 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay, with 72 delegates in attendance. The first session presided by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, adopted a resolution expressing the dissatisfaction on the current system of Governance and demanded reforms in the Councils. Responding to it, Lord Dufferin had established a committee for the reforms in the councils and this resulted in the Indian Councils Act 1892. This act introduced the principle of representation in India.

2. Third Anglo-Burmese war: During his tenure, the Third Burmese war led to annexation of whole of Burma and Burmese ruler was exiled to India.
In 1886 upper Burma was annexed. The lower Burma was annexed by Lord Dalhousie but upper Burma was still independent and the ruler King Thebau had close alliance with the French. The increasing French influence and lack of cooperation of the Burmese ruler with the British, particularly with reference to the Bombay Burma Trading Company's access to China through Burmese territory irked the British. The ruler of Upper Burma rejected Lord Dufferin's warning. British invaded upper Burma and within two weeks King surrendered. He was taken prisoner and was sent to Madras. On January 1, 1886, the territories of Burma were annexed to British India and on September 25, 1886, Lower Burma was annexed as province of British India under Sir Charles Bernard as the first chief commissioner. This aggressive action by the British became a subject of severe criticism. Many writers called it “unjust” and a result of imperialism. Thebaw was an independent ruler and was free to establish diplomatic relations with any country. There was widespread protest in "Burma. Indian leaders preferred to make Burma a Crown Colony" like Ceylon rather than a province of India.

4. Hutchinson Committee was appointed to review the Civil Services. It suggested the abolition of the Statutory Civil Services and strengthening of provincial services. But it rejected the demand for simultaneous exams in India to the ICS.

5. Lord Dufferin threw a garden tea party for the Congress leaders in 1886, when the INC held its second session in Calcutta. But later, he was upset with the policies of the Party and commented that it was a “microscopic minority jumped into the un-known” and called it “Annual Babu Congress”.

Lord Dufferin, successor to very popular Lord Rippon, had good relationship with the natives and earned their goodwill, but his fellow men considered him a renegade. His important contributions are his honest report on the poor condition of the lower class people in Bengal (1888), consisting mostly of farmers and workers.
The finding of the report prepared under Dufferin strengthened the Congress theory that country would never prosper without participation of the natives in the governance of the country. Dufferin, being a man with commonsense and scholarly bend of mind himself got convinced of the argument. He openly supported the Congress demand for establishing provincial and central councils with elected members and suggested some measures to meet Indian nationalist demands for the Home Rule. The Indian Councils Act of 1892, which inaugurated the electoral politics in the country, was the outcome of his recommendations. Lord Dufferin died on 12 February 1902.

Tit-Bits - Dufferin Clock Tower, Mysore:

Dufferin Clock Tower 1886, Mysore city. en.wikipedia.o

Above image: The Dufferin Clock Tower of Mysore is a popular landmark and is located in front of the Deveraja Market near the new bus station in Mysore city. During his tenure as Viceroy Dufferin visited Mysore at the the invitation of the Maharajah of Mysore Chamaraja Wodeyar. His visit happened to be an important one because Lord Dufferin was the first Viceroy of the colonial India to pay a ceremonial and friendly visit to Mysore. Befitting the honorable British Chief visiting Mysore for the first time, a majestic, but simple cloak tower was built in 1886 in his memory which the local people call Chikka Gadiyara or the small clock tower. Set in the prime area of the city, it was built on a strong foundation consisting of eight pillars covered by railings.
In 2012, the city council completed the work of renovating adequate space around the clock tower by fixing tiles and seats for tourists. It is now a heritage structure in Mysore and served as time keeper during the reign of the Wadeyars.

https://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2017/05/elegant-but-simple-dufferin-clock-tower.html

https://www.gktoday.in/academy/article/arrival-of-lord-dufferin-1884/

St.John's wilderness Mcleodganj Flickr

St.John's wilderness Mcleodganj.easyvivek.wordpress.com

McLeod Ganj is a small hilly town in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, northern India and is famous for the Anglican church of St. John’s in the Wilderness at an elevation of of 5742 feet above mean sea level at Forsyth Gunj. This church is located in a serene wooded area surrounded by tall pine and coniferous trees all around the courtyard of the church. This old church is close to the Bus station and is at a walkable distance from McLeod Ganj. Lots of visitors come to this picturesque place and spend time near the church. This quiet place gives them relaxation and peace of mind. A visit to the church has an added advantage because it will give them spiritual exuberance.

This and other surrounding places experienced a powerful earthquake in 1905 called Kangra earthquake, and considering the enormity of damages and casualty that was about 19800 people, amazingly the church withstood the tremors and after-shock waves. The church was left untouched in the quake except the bell tower which was destroyed.

Built in 1852 AD, the Church is made of locally available stone and the style of design is European - Gothic. The interior and exterior walls of the church are characteristic of exposed stones with neatly placed Belgian stained glass windows that enhance the beauty and glory of this church in an isolated mountainous place. The tourists who have been to this church are fascinated by these old uniquely styled stained-glass windows - a legacy of the British. An interesting fact that emerges from this church is it was in this graveyard "Lord Elgin' was buried
after his death. These stained-glass windows were donated by Lady Elgin - Mary Louisa Lambton since the church graveyard became the final resting place of her beloved husband far away from his home in England.

St.John's wilderness Mcleodganj Tripoto

The other attractive features of this church are the finely polished wood of the altar railing and the age-old brass oil lamps that are not in use, however, they are modified to hold electric lights. The church has a huge bell in a cage which is just a few meters away from the entrance of the church. This bell cast by by Mears and Stainbank and brought from England was fixed in 1915 outside the compound..

Stained glasses donated by Mrs. Elgin.TripAdvisor

Stained glasses donated by Mrs. Elgin.rpranavbhasin.com

The graveyard whose other side overlooks the town of McLeod Ganj is close to the entrance gate. Here there are numerous graves, particularly of those British people who died in the devastating earthquake. Many of the graves carry a short description of how the person died. Among the graves, the elaborate stone memorial, close to the church, draws the attention of the visitors. It is built over the mortal remains of British Viceroy, Lord Elgin who died at Dharamsala in 1863 AD. Lord Elgin oversaw the creation of responsible government of Canada where he served as the Governor General. In 1860, during the Second Opium War in China, angered by the torture and execution of almost twenty European and Indian prisoners, he took the extreme step of ordering
the destruction of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, a treasure house of architectural wonder with immeasurable collections of artworks and historic antiques, thus inflicting invaluable loss of cultural heritage In 1861 he became the Governor general and Viceroy and within less than two years after his arrival in India he died on 20 November 1863 of a heart attack while crossing a swinging rope and wood bridge over the river Chadly, the lap between Kullu and Lahul near Dharamshala and the long strenuous journey was too much for his age. The walking path in the church compound has the symbol of a Cross. It is artistically made of colored stones that give extra attraction and is noticeable in four to five places along the path.

Grave of lord Elgin. en.wikipedia.org/

Above images: Grave memorial of James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, Viceroy of India (1862–1863) at St. John's church of wilderness, Mc Leod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh; he was the first to use Peterhoff, Shimla as the official residence of the Viceroy. He died in 1863 .................

The church is open only on Sundays for Services that are held in English - 10 am and Hindi - 11 am. Monday through Saturday the church is closed. As this church happens to be a monument of historical value recognized by the Indian government, the government itself has provided round the clock security to keep the trespassers and anti-social elements away from the Church. It comes under the Church of North India.

The colonial church of St John’s in the Wilderness, McLeod Ganj is a fascinating English heritage site that reminds the Indians of their perpetual link with the British who once ruled this ancient land of different castes, color, creed and religions. The visitors to this wonderful church can not set aside its relevance to the present time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John_in_the_Wilderness_Church
http://thelandofwanderlust.com/st-johns-in-the-wilderness-mcleod-ganj-himachal-pradesh/

Makarpura Palace, vadadora. Old Indian Photos

Makarpura Palace, vadadora.Vadodara - Baroda City

The stories of Maharajahs and Nawabs of the Indian subcontinents are not somebody's figment of imagination. Wallowing in money, pelf and power, the Indian rulers knew how to enjoy their lives, apart from taking care of their subjects, and they were bestowed with everything to do it. The British colonial rulers were taken aback by their grand style of living in a well embellished and nicely furnished palaces. Besides all these, they had vast amount of treasures in the form of fabulously designed gold jewelry, stone-crusted jewelry, artifacts and expensive precious stones, not to speak of their expensive vast fleet of luxurious cars in the early 20 th century. Among the rulers of India, the Maharajah Gaekwad of Baroda (Vadadora) is counted as one of the richest among them.
Makarpura Palace is an impressive Italian-styled royal residence in Vadadora city, Gujarat built by Maharajah Khende Rao in 1870 of the popular Gaekwad Royal Family. It is believed to have been the summer residence of the royal family members. However, the family members avoided the summer heat on the plains and spent their time on the cooler hills of Nilgris in Tamil Nadu. In those days many affluent people including colonial rulers and Maharajahs would prefer hill resorts to get away from scorching summer period and heat waves.

This three story-structure designed with a Japanese - styled garden of 130 acres by William Goldring, who also designed the Royal Botanical garden of Kiev, was built by the ruler Khende Rao Gaekwad to use it as a hunting resort. He was quite fond of hunting and spent much of his time in a deer reserve in Dhaniavi in Makarpura, popularly known as Shikarkhana. The Italian-styled palace has more than 100 ornate brick rooms with wooden stairway and impressive frame arch balcony. The sprawling garden has a swimming pool and also a beautiful Italian-styled fountain. This fountain used to be active when the ruler and his paraphernalia stayed here while on a hunting trip. When Maharajah Malharrao Gaekwad (1870 to 1875) destroyed part of the palace, it was his successor Maharajah Sayajirao Gaekwad III who extended and renovated this palace in 1883 with the help of architect Robert Chisholm. The renovation and restoration cost was around Rs. 11.2 lakhs.The palace is now used as a training school called No.17 Tetra School by the Indian Air Force.

http://www.historyofvadodara.in/makarpura-palace/

Nyay Mandirweekendthrill.com/

Panoramic view of Chimnabai Nyay Mandir vadodara-baroda.cit

The Nyay Mandir in Baroda (Vadadora),Gujarat meaning Temple of Justice, is a beautiful piece of architecture quite similar to Byzantine architecture, it was the creation of the famous British architect Robert Chisholm who also designed the Napier Museum building in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala and the impressive Madras Senate Building in Chennai on the Marina. This building that houses the District Court of Vadodara was built by the ruler of Baroda Maharajah Sayajirao Gaekwad III for his lovely Maharani Chimnabai whose statue is in the central hall of the building. His Highness Gaekwadji III, when laying the foundation stone for ‘The Maharani Chimnabai Market’ in memory of his queen, " I wish to commemorate the virtues of Her Late Highness and the admiration I entertained for her-the mild, charitable, amiable woman, the devoted mother and loving wife".

Because of lack of maintenance and negligence, this beautiful edifice became a victim of the vagaries of nature and time and had begun to lose is sheen and beauty. Parts of the historical building were damaged and yellow Italian marble tiles on its exterior started to come off at some places. Wall plastering, in some places, began to peel off. The window grills and galleries were damaged. At one point of time restoration of this European - styled building became a necessity to save this old structure from destruction beyond resumption. Thanks to the state government's efforts to save a heritage building. In 2014 the Vadadora Municipal corporation took a decision to hand over the building to the Road and building department to carry on the necessary repair work, etc. The R and B department, on orders from the government swang into action. According to the engineers in the department the restoration work of this building coincided with the golden jubilee celebration of Gujarat's statehood. It was to be done with meticulous care under the direction of restoration experts. The building was to be cleaned and repaired initially followed by restoration work, matching the old features without affecting its old charm and heritage value. The people of Vadadora wanted to see Nyay Madir with its regained charm and old splendour. Last year in August (2017) the courts were asked to move out to a new complex in Diwalipura. The new court complex, built at the cost of Rs 130.73 crore, is spread over 55,000 square metre land and it has the capacity to house 76 courts.

The Vadadora Municipal corporation has a plan to convert the Nyay mandir into a fine museum. It is located near Susagar Lake. Originally built as a Vegetable Market building, subsequently it became a Town Hall. After a lapse of some period, the Judicial Courts moved into this buiiding. Its original name was Chimnabai Nyay mandir.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/nyay-mandir-to-regain-heritage-charm-soon/articleshow/58269272.cm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyay_Mandir

Napier Museum bulg,Thiruvananthapuram Holiday Plans

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala, India has many historical buildings of national importance and some of them were built during the colonial period, following typical Indo-Saracenic design quite suitable to tropical countries like India. This design is a blend of European and native Indian style (Hindu-Gothic and Mogul-Gothic). This amalgamation, an exotic absorption of native elements from Hindu and Islamic cultures gives an extra boost to the appearance of the building. For example, the Gothic roof, ornate onion-shaped domes atop the structures and minarets when architecturally combined, the new design makes the building stand apart among other others. An important advantage of the Indo-Saracenic design is it provides a nice natural air-conditioning system and consequently the interior portions remain cool during hot seasons.

The Napier Museum in Thiruvanthapuram is an art and natural history museum situated just 6 km from the heart of the town and is being visited by lots of people. First established in 1855, for unknown reason, the old building was pulled down and a new stylish building came up in 1874 when British Raj was functioning directly under the British Crown.
The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras Presidency from 1866-1872. It was designed by none other than Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government. He was a famous and experienced architect who was good at blending the local design with European features, thus enhancing the beauty of his creations. He was the one who designed the Senate building on the Marina at Madras (Chennai) and also the Nyay Mandir market building in Vadadora. The latter was built by the Maharajah of Badoda, Sayajirao Gaekwad III in memory of his wife Maharani Chimnabai.

Napier Museum bulg,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Culture

Built in 1880, Napier Museum building with its Indo Saracenic design is a landmark edifice in this sprawling city. In this famous museum there are rare collections of archaeological and historical artifacts, exquisitely designed bronze idols of deities, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and intricate ivory carvings. There is an Art Gallery called Sree Chitra Art Gallery and this section houses the works from Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, besides Mughal and Tanjore art forms.

Museum Visiting Hours: Open 10.00 am - 4.45 pm Closed on Mondays, Wednesday forenoons.

Napier museum,Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Roadie

The adjacent Museum grounds form the famous Trivandrum Zoo, which is one of the oldest zoological gardens in India. Established in 1857 (at a time when East India Company was running the government for the Crown), it is spread over 55 acres (220,000 m2) of land. This city and adjacent areas once constituted the Princely state of Travancore for which Sir. C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar, an eminent lawyer and legal luminary from erstwhile Tanjore district, (now Tamil Nadu) was the last Dewan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Museum

Sir Daniel Hamilton, Reformist, British India Tiger Tourism Project

Hamilton's Bungalow. Gosaba, W. Bengal Wikimedia Commons

Above image: This is the house built by Sir Daniel Hamilton, the Scottish shipping magnate who founded the settlement in Gosaba, now West Bengal. He stayed here on this settlement for a pretty long time. The unique feature is his house that was built on stilts, in this cyclone -prone area can withstand the powerful winds. When violent storms hit this place the gap between the earth and floor allows the wind to pass through, causing least structural damage. This is not so in other solid structures built here in the past. it was from this house he introduced cooperative movements in this part of India ..........................
During the British Raj and earlier under the East India company rule, it is true, the Indian natives suffered a lot. Particularly, the EIC officials, apart from being corrupt, were arrogant and repressive and earned the irk of the natives. During the colonial rule, there were countless good hearted people from Britain who were not only sympathetic toward Indians and their causes but also came forward and helped them in every conceivable way. Even among the government officials, there were many who won the heart and soul of Indian people. For example, engineer and military official Sir Arthur Cotton and engineer Col. John Pennycuick. In the area of irrigation and agriculture in South India, their contribution is vast. Sir Danial Hamilton, a rich man from Scotland could have spent his life in a cosy building and taking care of his family business and wallowing in money. Instead he chose the hard life of living among the very poor farmers of Bengal and his vision was to lift them above poverty and and be self-dependent. He toiled and succeeded in his mission by being a maverick.

Sir Daniel Mackinnon Hamilton (6 December 1860 – 6 December 1939), a Scottish businessman who hailed from a business family on the island of Arran of coastal Scotland came to India in the 1880s to look after the mercantile company - Mackinnon Mackenzie' branch. His wife was Margaret Elizabeth Hamilton and through sheer hard work he became the chief of that company's operations in Calcutta (Kolkata). His frequent trips to the rural areas and his interaction with the villagers over a period of time changed his personality and his attitude towards the villagers of Bengal. He was saddened by their abject poverty and the poor conditions under which they were leading a hand to mouth life. He not only made India his second home but also became a visionary and was keen to work for their rural and social upliftment. 'Self help was the best help' became his motto.

In 1903, Daniel Hamilton, a wealthy, influential member of Lord Curzon’s council bought 10,000 acres of land from the government which in later years went up to 150,000 acres. They formed a group of islands at the mouth of the Ganges, part of the Sundarban delta. Gosaba is one of the main deltaic islands in the region. He chose Gosaba as his base of his operations of various cooperative programs in mind. He had it reclaimed by felling the woods and raising embankment on the riverside to avoid flood waters overflowing the near-by areas. Motivated by his keen desire to help the poverty-stricken rural people, he established a zamindari in Gosaba. He thought this could give him a free hand to carry on his innovative experiments with various rural and social programs that would improve the quality and standard of villagers.

Motivated by his desire to improve the living conditions of the rural people, for the first time, he introduced the Cooperative System in Gosaba, and in all of Sunderbans, and created an awareness among them the joy of sharing responsibility along with other people. At that time the other parts of India was experiencing the growth of cooperative movement. Hamilton's championing of the cooperative society in the Sunderbans ran in tandem with the growth of the cooperative movement in India. As part of his experiment, he introduced the cooperative credit society with 15 members in Gosaba. He provided an initial capital of Rs. 500 for the society, forming a small group of rural credit societies. In 1918, he started a Consumers' Cooperative Society and in the following year in 1919 he set up a central model farm to experiment with paddy, vegetables and fruits. This led to the founding of A Cooperative Paddy Sales Society in 1923. In 1924 he established the Gosaba Central Cooperative Bank, and in 1927 he established the Jamini Rice Mill. In 1934 he founded the Rural Reconstruction Institute, and two years later he began the issue of one rupee notes in Gosaba. The gradual growth of many societies in the Sundebans at the initiative of Hamilton would reveal his passion and commitments to achieve his desired goal - a self sufficient and good life for the farmers of this region where there will be no room for poverty. In addition to above, he established a school there and also a desalinisation plant to make potable water available. Surprisingly, in this land there were no untouchables, no money lenders or loan sharks and most importantly no middleman who would make a big cut in the profit. The agricultural produce had direct access to the market, it meant more money for the farmers. Being a contemporary and close associate of the Nobel Laureate poet, Rabindranath Tagore, he had been in touch with him about his progress in reconstruction and cooperative societies. Tagore did visit his place once in December 1932. However, Gandhiji's secretary Mahadev Desai spent a week here in February 1935 on behalf of Gandhiji. Hamilton's experiments at Gosaba would prove that, " if you have the will power and commitments backed by hard wok, you can convert even a bone dry sand dune filled desert into a fertile land".

As for Gosaba, 30 plus years ago it was a jungle in the flood plains. With innovative methods and hard work what was once a useless land, over a period of time, turned into a prosperous place of 10000 plus people, covering 25 villages. They are all connected with each other through a net work cooperative societies. If there were disputes they would be solved amicably. Even the incidence of alcohol consumption came down drastically.

Bold Confidence

In "Harijan", the Gandhian weekly writing about his trip to Gosaba, Mahadev Desai mentioned about Hamilton “a remarkable man” of “lofty idealism”. If the landlord is sympathetic and reform-minded, not only will he become successful, but also make other villagers to be free from poverty.

Hamilton died on 6 December 1939 at the age of 79 and his truss and cooperative movements continued well. After independence, in the 1950s the Hamilton family became disillusioned with the local politicians and some of the local unscrupulous landlords who wanted the government to take away the lands by dissolving the trusts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Hamilton_(businessman).

Pateeswaram Durga temple, near Kumbakonam.Native Planet

Pateeswaram Durgai temple. Dhivya Dharsanam

The worship of Kula Devta (deity of a clan) or Kudumbha Devta (family deity) has been in vogue for centuries among the Hindus. It was more common among the Indian rulers in the past who used to conduct war campaigns against other kingdoms. In the Hindu Pantheon, there are many gods and goddesses and unlike Christianity or Islam, there is no messenger of God in Hinduism. Nor is there any set of religious principles governed by a powerful centralised governing body. Hinduism is a way of life and idolatry is part of it. So, choosing the deity in whom you can confide and trust to lead your life successfully is your prerogative and also you are free to use your discretion. Frankly speaking, it is unusual in any other religion. In Hinduism there are many mythological legends drawing inspiration from various episodes in the Ramayana and Mahabharata and other works. If you have a rationalistic bend of mind you do not care to go deeper and try to understand what such legends teach you. You may feel compelled to set aside them as just myth or simply "nonsense", but, invariably, almost all them have an underlying moral connotation that has to be taken into serious consideration. Giving due importance to moral values is fundamental to good and peaceful living and Hinduism emphasises morality and integrity in ever phase of our lives. When a man is on his life's journey, it is obvious, it is a see-saw battle for him to move ahead and he may enjoy success today and later he may be in a bear pit, trying to wiggle out of the difficult situation. On such occasions a man or a woman, dejected and disoriented as he is, seeks the help of a deity. A visit to the temple will give him or her peace and tranquillity or satisfaction and this will boost the confidence level to face challenges in life. Taking refuge in God is a common practice in India and it is deeply ingrained in our culture. This is also true of other religions as well.

The word Kuladevata is derived from two words: Kula, meaning clan and Devata, meaning deity. On the other hand Kudumba Devita refers to family deity which defers from family to family. Let me confine myself to Kudumba Devta (in Tamil: Kudumba Deivam). The deity that has been worshipped by our forefathers on the paternal side for several generations is our Kudumba Deivam (Kudumba Devta). The Kudumba deity can be a male or female. Invariably in countless families Parasakthi seems to be the family deity. Equally common are the various forms of Vishnu, Shiva and a form of Parasakthi called Mariamman. The last one is quite common in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Karnataka. Kali is widely worshiped in Kerala, so in West Bengal. Guruvaurappan (Sri Krishna) and Bhagavathi (a form of Kali) are yet another Family Gods in Kerala.

Some interesting facts of worship of Kudumba Devta (Kuladeivam):

Chakkulathukavu Sree Bhagavathy Temple,Kerala Tourism

Above image: In Kerala countless Hindu families worship this Amman - Chakkulathukavu Bagavathi as their family deity (deivam) ....................

01. Among the Hindus,it is believed, that the family deity is the one who protects the family and the succeeding lineage / generations. Worshiping of family deity should not be ignored as it helps the family lineage grow and take strong roots.

02. Kudumba Devta temple is the place where our paternal forefathers once worshiped. The belief has been that when we visit the temple the souls of our forefathers will be happy and bless us with good, prosperous and healthy life. This is true of Hindus belonging to various castes. As for Brahmins, they can trace their paternal lineage to one sage / Maharishi. So, members of a particular family having the same Gothra never fail to visit the family deity's temple once a year.

03. When you stand before the Garbagraha (sanctum) or Srikovil at such a temple, let it be borne in your mind, you are standing in the same spot where, way back a few centuries ago, your forefathers stood and prayed to the deity with intense devotion and bhakti for their welfare and their descendants, including you!!.

04. The temple of you family deity assumes much significance because it is the confluence of countless divine souls of our grandfathers and great grandfathers and their blessings will never let us down in our endeavours and in our time of distress.

05. Worship of Kudumba Devta (in Tamil: Kudumba Vazhipadu), tradition has it, governs only the paternal lineage - pithas Vhamsavali. (your mother is part of this lineage).

06. Kudumba Devatas, it is strongly believed by the learned Pundits, are capable of reducing the effects of Karma from which no one can escape. This dogma permeates in all aspects in Hinduism. Our protecting shield against the effects of Karma is sincere prayer or "Kudumba Deiva Vazhipadu".

07. Hindu women, normally, worship two family deities. One is of the family in which they were born and the other being (in Tamil: Puguntha veetu Deivam or Devta) that of the groom's family after marriage. Women usually stop worshipping their family deity after marriage. Some Pundits are of the opinion that it is wrong for the women to forget their family deity and they can carry on their worship on festival occasions. The link with wife's family deity should not be broken.

08. If a girl gets married into another family, the family deity of her husband becomes her deity and her descendants (Vamsavali) who take the leneage forward. it is imperative that she must have more involvement with her husband's family deity than other deities.

09. When there is a wedding, Upanayanam, Grahapravesam or any other joyous family function, visiting the Kudumba Devta temple is a must.

10. In the case of wedding, the family must take the groom and the bride to the Kudumba Devta temple soon after wedding. If time is not ripe, it should be done within a year from the day of wedding.

11. In the case of elderly couple celebrating 60th birthday (Saishtiaptapoorthy) or 80th birthday (Sathabishekam), worshiping the family deity is highly recommended.

12. If the elderly couple have health problems, etc., they can pray to the image of the family deity kept in the Puja room at home..

13. If there is a birth of a child or grand child in the family, it will be well and good to pay a visit to the family deity's temple for prayer and blessings.

14. As for tonsuring of young kids, which is a common ritual in South India, if your family temple is not Praththanasthala, it should not be done there unless specified. For such a prayer involving tonsuring -"Mudikooduthal", Prarthanasthala is the best bet.

15. When you go to your family deity's temple, it is a great thing if make monetary contribution to the temple liberally.

16. An important charitable act is offering Annadhanam - giving free food to the devotees and the poor people.

17. After your payer at the temple, keep the Prasadam,in particular, Kungumam or veeputhi in your Puja room.

18. Never fail to allow a few minutes daily to pray to your family deity. Be assured that the God or Goddess will follow you wherever you go and protect you or at least save you from big obstacles.

19. Mind you, in the family deity reside the souls of your forefathers who never fail to protect you and your family members from any other evil forces or witchcraft.

20. When you stand before the deity - any god or goddess, trust is an important factor. This trust is the driving force behind you that helps you improve the confidence level in you.

Ref: from various sources

Memorial to Lord Elgin India Bas-relief,Kolkatgettyimages.com

Above image: India, bas-relief on monument to James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811-1863), Viceroy of India, in Kolkata' St. Paul Cathedral, India, illustration from The Illustrated London News, volume LV, December 4, 1869. George Gilbert Scott (later Sir George Gilbert Scott, 1811-1878) as designer, and John Birnie Philip (1824-1875) as craftsman .................................

Memorial to Lord Elgin, St. Paul cathedral Kilkata:

James Bruce, Eighth Earl of Elgin (Lord Elgin) (1811-1863)'s Viceroyship in India was a short one - 1862 to 1863. The British Raj decided to raise a monument of exceptional beauty and workmanship befitting his contribution to the British Empire. Prior to India, he worked in Canada, West Indies and China. St. Paul's Cathedral Church with Anglican background in Kolkata, West Bengal, India is a popular one and is best known for its fine Gothic architecture. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta. Completed in 1847 it is said to be the largest cathedral in Kolkata and the first Episcopal Church in Asia. Yet another credit this cathedral has is it was also the first one built in the overseas territory of the British Empire. After 1934 earthquake, this historical church was reconstructed with Indo-Gothic design.

Kolkata Memorial. Lord Elgin The Victorian Web

Above image: Lord Elgin's portrait in the monument at St. Paul Cathedral, Kolkata......

There are several unique monuments in the
vestibule or narthex of St Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata,. These monuments were the results of the combined work of two talented two English people whose coordination and collaboration played a key role in the success of these eye-catching monuments. George Gilbert Scott (later Sir George Gilbert Scott, 1811-1878) as designer, and

St. Paul Cathedral Kolkata,Wikipedia

John Birnie Philip (1824-1875) as craftsman put in their exceptional talents and hard work in this painstaking work. Both monuments dedicated to Lord Elgin and Col Richard Baird Smith take the form of a tomb-chest or cenotaph with an inlaid brass cross and a Gothic canopy with a marble portrait at the top. Those of Smith's completed first in1869, the ones dedicated to Elgin were completed two years later. Models of its four bronze bas-reliefs were displayed at the Royal Academy in that year. It carries the Elgin motto "Fuimus" ("We Have Been"— meaning something like, "We Have Left our Mark").

The monuments at the cathedral also speak of the versatile skills of its craftsman who paid minute attention to even small details in these carvings. They exhibit Philip's versatility in wood, stone-carving and metalwork and his coworker Scott valued his ingenuity and his matching capability. When Philips set out on his own, his first commission was related to the funerary and church monuments and, he was involved in a great deal of work for Scott. Further, he as a sculptors was deeply involved in that grand enterprise in Kensington Gardens.

The Bas-Reliefs - representing Jamaica Canada China India are exceptionally good and they appeared in a feature on the memorial in an Illustrated London News issue of 1869.

The monument to Col. Smith features sculptures in marble, whereas, the Elgin monument features four matching bronze bas-reliefs in quatrefoils, in an elaborate studded surround. An interesting feature is Each bas-relief represents one of the different places in which Lord Elgin distinguished himself in the high office, creating an ambiance relevant to that particular country.

Kolkata cathedral. Jamaica, Bas relief.gettyimages.com

Above image:Jamaica, bas-relief on monument to James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811-1863), Viceroy of India, in Kolkata Cathedral, India,

Kolkata cathedral. Canada bas-relief gettyimages.com

Above image: Canada, bas-relief on monument to James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811-1863), Viceroy of India, in Kolkata Cathedral, India, illustration from The Illustrated London News, volume LV, December 4, 1869

Elgin monuments, Kolkata cathedral. eBay

Jamaica shows a sugar-cane plantation, with a planter talking to his workers, while a young boy holds his horse. In the background, a woman carries a jug on her head.

Canada shows a settler felling trees, with a Canadian Indian family to the left, and eskimos to the right. China is the only one to feature Elgin, who is evidently negotiating with a mandarin, with their respective men on each side, and a section of the Great Wall of China in the background.

China -A Chinese man kneels on the right, unfurling the flag of China (according to Cotton 595) at their feet.

India, shows a scene in an army camp, with a tent and an elephant in the background, sepoys at ease in the foreground, and Indians standing to the left and in the middle, in their several different forms of attire.

All these monuments exhibit nice texture, colour and ornament, nice metalwork, the incorporation of portraits, and reliefs referring to four geographical continents or territories. The combined work of Scott and Philps in the monuments to Smith and Elgin at St. John's Cathedral, Kolkata is to be seen to be appreciated, according to many critics.

The portrait in marble of James Bruce, Eighth Earl of Elgin in the apex of the lower arch is rather small considering the size of the whole piece, However, some critics appreciate its excellent likeness (see alongside).

Lord Elgin unexpectedly had died in India in a remote place less than two years after his new and challenging assignment as the Viceroy of India. No sooner had he landed in India than he began to chalk out his program to face the pressing problems against the empire. He was in the process of getting to know the new territories personally and was touring selected areas. While on his way to Peshawar with his party in the North-West Frontier (now in Pakistan), the arduous journey, covering different difficult terrains became too much for him, considering his age and health condition. He suffered a hear attack while crossing a hanging bridge across the river and died in 1863 AD at the military station of Dharamshala. He was buried in the graveyard of St John in the Wilderness Church at MacLeodganj, surmounted by an impressive Gothic structure of its own.

Far away from his native land, it was God's edit that he had to take an eternal sleep in the midst of the serene wooded area overlooking from its lofty height the vast expanse of the hill and plain of these mighty provinces — a fitting burial beneath the snow-clad Himalayan range, for a man who held the highest office in the British Empire with distinction. At this historical church the stained-glass windows were donated by Lady Elgin in memory of her beloved husband.

http://thelandofwanderlust.com/st-johns-in-the-wilderness-mcleod-ganj-himachal-pradesh/

http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/philip/16.html

Google Plus

123greetingmessage Media

The Tamil calendar that is being used by the Tamil speaking people across the globe s based on the time-honored Hindu luni-solar calendar and every year the Tamil New Year follows the nirayanam vernal equinox, generally falling on 14 April of the Gregorian year. Many parts of India also follow this type of calendar. Referring to the Tamil Calendar (locally known as Tamil Panchangam) has become quite indispensable when it comes to various cultural, religious and agricultural events. In Tamil Nadu there are countless temple festivals and their dates are extensively calculated by using Tamil calendar. Refereeing to the Tamil calendar is part and parcel of million and millions of Hindu families, including those who give importance to orthodoxy. In India Gregorian calendar is used for common and official purposes in governments, companies, etc. April 14 marks the first day of the traditional Tamil calendar beginning with Chithrai and is considered an auspicious day. Hence it remains a public holiday in both Tamil Nadu.
The use of Calender has been known to the Indians centuries ago and it shows the depth of knowledge our great forefathers had in the areas of Astrology and Astronomy and how they were capable of tracing the movements of planets in our solar system without any technology. There are many references in old Tamil literature regarding commencement of Tamil new Year - April 14. The name of the Tamil month is some times the name of the star itself. (e.g. Chithrai is always the star on the Pournami of the Chithirai month).

Several Tamil Literary giants like Nakkirar (3rd century), Tholkaapiar, also a great Tamil grammarian, Illangovadikal (8th century), et. al made references to the start of Tamil month in Chithrai.

On the Tamil new year day, womenfolks , after taking head bath draw kolam/rangaoli at the entrance of the house and decorate the house and the Puja room with flowers, fruits, neem leaves, etc. They also decorate the entrance door and others with mango leaves. At the auspicious time they do puja and aarthi and after that take a sumptuous meal. Some go to the temple in the morning, others in the evening. This is done in the hope the current year will give them prosperity and peace of mind, besides, they will surmount the hurdles with considerable ease by God's grace. On this day countless families buy gold jewels so that they can save enough gold jewelry for their daughter's wedding in the future. This tradition has been around for a long time. In the past decade this practice has become so popular that gold jewelry shops entice the people to buy gold on Akshayathrithi day by way offering discount.

Chithrai month is closely associated with the following : Birth of Sri Rama in this month, Sage Valmigi wrote the Ramayana in this month, Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Matsyam (fish). Creator Brahma visited earth on the very first day of Chitrai.

The following worships assume significance in this month: Praying to God Bhairava on the day of Bharani Nakshatra, worshiping of Parvati (consort of Shiva) on Suklabaksha Friday, conducting Lakshmi Narayana Puja (good for the entire family), worshiping of Lord Ganapathy at home (to remove obstacles in the future and now), worshiping of procession deities of Muruga (Karthkaya) and his consorts on the temple premises of Thiruchendur, Tamil Nadu and visiting any of the six shrines (Aarupadai Veedu) dedicated to God Muruga for prayer and worship.

Chitra Pournami & Varusha pirappu are the most important festivals in this month. Famous Chithirai Thiruvizha is celebrated at Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple with devotion and Bhakti.

Wishing you all a very happy Tamil New Year 2018.

Jallianwalla Bagh. SlideShare

Gen. Reginald Dyer. Butcher of Jallianwalla bagh.Hindustan Times

Day before Yesterday 13 April 1919, 97 years ago when India was under the British Raj, a maniac by the name of Gen. Reginald Dyer went amuck and committed the worst crime on the Indian soil at Jallianwalla Bagh, Amritsar. A premeditated massacre, rather a cold-blooded genocide was carried out under his direction and almost all soldiers were Indians (drawn from various troops) and Dyer had them direct firing on a gathering of unarmed men, women and children at the Bagh. It was the day of Baisakhi, the main Sikh festival. The people including children and women were innocent and unarmed and gathered there to register their protest in a peaceful way. They never thought they would face hell soon. british India army marched up to the gate at the bagh. Within 15 minutes of continuous shelling without any warning at the escaping crowd through the only narrow gate more than 1000 people lost their lives, several hundreds seriously injures. As the wounded were denied any medical help or ambulance service, many bled to death. A total of 1650 bullets had been fired at the panicked crowd.

Since the media censorship was on, the world, including Britain did not know the gory details of firing and the enormity of crime committed by Dyer with approval from the governor. However, the biased British media tried to create an impression among the British public that the gathering at the bagh was in violation of the curlew imposed by the government and they were armed. More than 10,000 people had gathered at the Bagh that day.

The official figure was just 400. Mind you, 120 bodies alone were pulled out from the well inside the bagh. The unofficial tally was more than 1000, besides shooting, a countless people died from stampedes or by suffocation from jumping into a solitary well inside the bagh to escape bullets.

When the massacre shook the conscience of the world, Dyer was removed from his command by the British government and had to face an enquiry commission headed by

bullet holes on the walls. todayinhistoryblog - WordPress.com

Lord William Hunter, the former Solicitor-General of Scotland and Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland. Answering before the the Hunter Commission (November 1919) Dyer put the blame squarely on the gathering at the Bagh. He accused them of being rebels who were trying to isolate his forces and cut them off from supplies. Dyer said, “Therefore, I considered it my duty to fire on them and to fire well." About his refusal of medical attention to help the wounded, he said, “It was not my job. Hospitals were open and they could have gone there.” His shocking comment that if the gate were wide enough, he could have gotten in with the armored vehicles and possibly used the machine guns (against the gathering).

Indian and world leaders were appalled by Dyer's reaction without any remorse. The commission’s interactions with Dyer have been documented in Nigel Collett’s book The Butcher of Amritsar: General Reginald Dyer published in 2006.

The Hunter Commission unfortunately did not take any disciplinary action on Dyer because of politico-legal limitations and further, several senior officials were in praise of Dyer, saying a rebellion like situation in Punjab was nipped in the bed . A disgusting thing was a fringe group, in association with a local newspaper, gave him monetary award and a tile, "Saviour of British women". Besides, Dyer was lauded for his 'feat' and honoured at the House of Lords in England. All these inhuman acts accelerated the freedom movements in India as every patriotic Indian leader was quite furious about the irresponsible attitude of the British politicians. Ultimately India got her freedom and soon within a span of less than two decades the British colony fell one by one like nine pins on the Bowling Alley!!

Upon his return to his Army office on 13 April , General Reginald Dyer reported to his superiors that he had been "confronted by a revolutionary army". Responding to a telegram sent to Gen. Dyer, British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O' Dwyer wrote: "Your action is correct"; an open approval by Lieutenant Governor. "To avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, revolutionary Udham Singh killed Sir Michael Francis O'Dwyer, who was Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at that time, in London in 1940. Since O'Dwyer had called the massacre a "correct action", Uddam Singh considered the Punjab Governor his accomplice.

Dyer died in 1927 after suffering a series of strokes. Let us pray for those innocent people who, 97 years ago this month, were felled down by a psychopath in British military uniform at Jallianwalla Bagh.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-view/i-had-to-fire-well-jallianwala-bagh-butcher-gen-dye r-s-testimony/story-C68lHCuJBYfSjfBlng6XKN.html

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/what-happened-in-jallianwala-bagh-971169-2017-04-13

Janardhana Swamy temple, varkala. varkalatemple.org

The temples of Kerala with unique architecture which is in harmony with the terrains and seasons there are quite fascinating and never in my life have I lost my admiration for them. The inherent style, native to this land - God's own country, is characteristic of plenty of quality wood with intricate designs along with metals and stones available in the local areas. The structure may have two storeys or three and the roof is mostly protected with copper plates. The advantage is it also protects the inner wooden frame works upon which the roof rests from the rigors of SW monsoon that sweeps across coastal Malabar. Commonly the walls of Garbagraha (Srikovil / sanctum) are made of stone with fine murals and excellent wood carvings on the ceiling. No pomp and show and simplicity is the hall mark of places of worship in Kerala and that is the reason why temples of Kerala stands apart from others.

Janardhana Swami Temple, also known as Varkala Temple is a famous Hindu place of worship dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is about 25 km north of the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram and is just 11 km from Kattambalam.

virtual-eyes.aminus3.com

Varkala Vishnu temple has the following interesting feature:

01. It's location - Varkala near the sea-side gives an extra boost to the pilgrims coming to this temple. The sea side town also goes by the name of Janardhanapuram.

02. Atop a small hill, overlooking the Arabian sea, this beautiful temple can be accessed through an arduous flight of steps. You can have a panoramic view of the picturesque surroundings. here you can forget the mundane existence and let you mind slip into a relaxing mode.

03. It is called the Gaya of the South (Dakshin Gaya) as this temple is popular for Pithrookaryam - the annual paying of homage or obeisance to the forefathers. This tradition is common among Hindus irrespective of casts. Men come over to this place and do Thithi in memory of their departed souls. This ought to be done with a leaned Pundit.

04. Hence lord Janardhana is called Pithru Mokshakan (one who gives salvation) as lots of Hindus come here on a pilgrimage to conduct annual Pithrukarkayam so that they may be from the cycle of birth and death - salvation from human bondage.

05. A note-worthy aspect of this temple is its sanctum (Srikovil /garbagraha) which is circular in shape surmounted by a conical dome which is laid with copper sheets.

06. In the Srikovil of the main shrine is the idol of Sri. Janardhana along with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi. The impressive deity - lord Vishnu (facing East direction) has all his attributes; he has four arms, each carrying Sangu (conch), chakra (mystical, destructive disc), gatha (mace) and kumbham (pot).

07. An unusual posture of the presiding deity here is not found anywhere. It is quite mystical as lord's right hand is raised toward his mouth as if he is doing Achamanam (a basic ritual done initially by Brahmins to begin any ceremony).

08. As for the Achamanam posture of the lord here, the learned Pundits say that if lord's right hand gets closer to the mouth it will mark the end of the world. Cataclysmic forces will devour the earth, a sort of deluge - transgression of the sea, etc (Pralayam).

09. This temple is believed to be around 2000 years old. Umayamma Rani, who ruled this region during 1677-84 A.D made some modification and embellished this temple. This temple in the square mandapa around the sanctum has fine wooden carvings of Navagraha (nine planets) on the roof.

10. The temple is said to have been built by Devas (Celestial) and the Pond was dug by Prajapathis according to Sthalapurana.

11. The most celebrated annual temple festival at the Janardana temple, falls in the month of Meenam (March–April), a ten-day Arattu festival which is held with great fanfare. Beginning with Kodiyettam - flag hoisting ceremony, part of the festival includes caparisoned elephant procession, night long performance of traditional dances like Kathakal, etc.

12. Those who look for mental peace and tranquillity, besides spiritual exhilaration, Varkala is the right place. It offers an enchanting sea-view over-looking the Arabian sea that will rejuvenate your mind. This place is connected by backwater canals on either side of which lie tall rock cliffs with thick growth of medicinal plants. The presence of natural springs is the main reason for their luxuriant growth here. The gush of water throughout the year from the springs is an added advantage. The water is believed to have medicinal properties which cure certain ailments. So, visitors never fail to take a head bath here. This place has emerged as an important Ayuveda center in kerala.

Tit-Bits:
Dolls and an old tree:

old tree at varkala temple, Kerala,TripAdvisor

Dolls at the varkala temple. www.alamy.com

Dolls at the temple.www.alamy.com

hand-made dolls. www.alamy.com
Above image: At Janadhana Swamy temple, Varkala, Kerala. It has been a tradition among the Indian women to make dolls as offering at the temple for a baby. They offer flowers, etc and after doing a brief puja hang the doll(s) from the old tree (banyan tree) and seek God's blessings. This pratice has been in vogue in many parts of south India. Sometimes women will hang a small mock cradle from the tree.....................
https://en.wikipedia.org

/wiki/Janardanaswamy_Temple

https://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2016/09/historical-janardhana-swamy-temple.html


Kaviyoor Mahadev temple, Kerala Kerala Tourism

Kaviyoor Mahadev temple, Kerala TripAdvisor

Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple, Kaviyoor, in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala is on a small hillock. The eastern entrance has 18 steps to access the temple.. This famous Shiva temple has a unique distinction of having a Srikovil (sanctum) dedicated to lord Hanuman who is commonly worshiped in Vishnu temples. The Shivalinga is made by lord Rama himself and this is the reason Hanuman is believed to guard the special linga cast by Sitaraman on his return journey to Ayodhya after his battle against the Langa king Ravana (Lankeswaran). It is so popular lots of devout Hindus come here on pilgrimage to get the blessings from the lords. It is located on the banks of river Manimala. This temple is a good example of Kerala temple architecture. This time tested architecture has its own individuality and exemplifies simplicity, serenity and exquisite beauty in unison with Kerala's terrain and climatic conditions. The temple exudes optimum architectural grandeur and beauty - fine display of timber structures, with an interplay of earthen tiles and copper.

Kaviyoor Mahadev temple, Kerala FindMessages.com

Main features of Kaviyoor Mahadev temple:

01. The Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple was once the Grama kshethra - Village Temple.

02, It is a temple of great antiquity and though some historians suggest Treta Yuga, exact date of construction is not known and has been a bone of contention among scholars.

03. Inscriptions in the temple seem to belong to 10 th century and a bit older. Structurally one of the oldest in Kerala.

04. Vide inscriptions of Kali Era AD 951 and AD 952 this temple once owned 202 acres of donated lands and these inscriptions are believed to be the oldest in Kerala.

05. That Kaviyoor was one of the 64 Brahmin villages in the Parasurama's Kerala - 32 Thulu villages and 32 Malayalam villages suggests its hoary past.

06. The Main deity is known as Thrikkaviyoorappan.

07. The Shivalinga at this temple, believed to be made by Sri Rama and Sita themselves is made of sand and darbha grass (in Tamil: Darbai pul) taken from the earth here.

08. After slaying Ravana, demon king of Lanka, who happened to be an ardent devotee of lord Shiva and a scholar, Sri Rama consecrated the Shivalinga, using the local earth to get rid of his sin.

09. The posture of Shivalinga is unique, sitting in lotus position (padmasana) embracing Goddess Parvati with his left hand.

Kaviyoor Mahadev temple, Kerala Facebook

10. Here Parvathi is known as Sree Moolarajeswari. Maharajah Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma of Travancore in 1893 AD had the idol consecrated.
11. This is a rare Shiva temple, perhaps in south India (may be in north India?) where there is a separate sanctum (Srikvoil) for Hanuman. Commonly at Vishnu temples you can see a shrine or sanctum dedicated to Sri Rama Bhakta Hanuman. The sanctum was built by the Maharajah of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in AD 1934 and is outside the main sanctum in the NW corner of the inner courtyard and his idol (facing East) is small.

Kaviyoor Mahadev temple. Hanuman idol YouTube

12. The Keezhthrikkovil Temple, dedicated to Mahavishnu is just close-by beneath the main temple complex. Here the main idol is made of hard stone with Vishnu's attributes.

13. The temple was administered by Ten Brahmin families known as Pathillathil potties in the past and the management was taken over by the Travancore State Government (12th First class Major Temple) in the year 1899 along with 2500 Hindu temples. Kaviyoor Temple's annual revenue was 9201 para paddy and 23,334.75 fanams(Madras fanam).

14. Temple's wealth included vast land spread, covering tens of thousands of acres of fertile lands, revenue collection of tens of thousands of rupees and a huge collection of expensive treasures.

15. It is a wealthy temple with lots of treasures that include a huge collection of nicely made precious ornaments. These include Swarna prabhamandalam, Golden Nettippattams and ezhunnallippu chatams, Golden pots, Golden Reliefs of Deities, Golden Umbrellas, Golden Chains and Several materials with precious gems.

16. The temple has copper-covered roof over the sanctum, golden flag mast (Dwajasthanbham). In many temples it is made of either copper or brass.

17. The Sanctum - Srikovil is circular with a diameter of 46 feet. The basement is built during different periods. The roof is copper covered with a gilded dome for extra protection of wooden frame inside.

18. The outer wall of the sanctum is adorned with wooden sculptural panels. There are fourteen panels on the outer of the Srikovil exhibiting fine wooden sculptures. These carvings depict episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavatham and Sivapuranam. Impressive features are Prodosha Thandava in the south and Trivikramamoorthy in the right. Yet another feature is the 44 wooden rafters, that support the roof of the prakara, have brass shoes reliefs of gods.

19. The square shaped Namaskara mandapa, in front of the sanctum is beautiful. The inner roof has beautiful wooden carvings. Navagraha sculptures is in the centre while the story of ramayana, from Rama's birth to Hanuman's Lankadahana is arranged here in three layers. Here also the rafters have brass shoes but many are missing.

20. Wooden sculptures adorn the inner roof of Vathilmadam( Koothumaadam) and Balickalppura The latter include some poses from Kamasastra too. These sculptures date back to late sixteenth or early seventeenth century.

21. Outside the Nalambalam one can find the idols of serpent gods (Naga Raja & Naga yakshi). Lots of women, in particular, childless couples pray here to be blessed with a child.

22. It is of interest to know that the amazing and mind-boggling wood work of this temple was done by highly talented local sculptors, belonging to Thekkethil family. Highly skilled hereditary wood workers are common in Kerala and also in Tamil Nadu.

23. This temple was once known to have celebrated 16 annual festivals. Among the present annual festivals Panthrantukalabham for Hanuman in Chingam Kanni( July), Ayilyam (September) for Serpent gods, Thiruvuthsavam (Annual festival- December–January) for Shiva and Parvathi , Hanumath Jayanthy for lord Hanuman (December–January), Uthrittathi Attathirunal (January) for the consort of Shiva attract lots devotees and they are held with religious fervor and intense bhakti.

24. The main offering to the presiding deity at Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple is Aval Nadyam and Vada Mala in the case of Hanuman and the main offerings for Lord Shiva are Dhara, Payasam, Atimakitaththal and Thulabharam. Some offerings need prior request.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaviyoor_Mahadevar_Temple

http://www.kerala-tourism.org/temples-in-kerala/kaviyoor-mahadeva-temple.html

Kaviyoor mahadev temple,Kerala Temples Pedia

Rama worshiping Shivalinga. Rameswaram Tourism

Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple, Kaviyoor, in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala has a unique distinction of having a Srikovil (sactum) dedicated to lord Hanuman on the same temple premises. The Shivalinga is made by lord Rama himself and this is the reason Hanuman is believed to guard the special linga cast by Sitaraman on his return journey to Ayodhya after his battle against the Langa king Ravana (Lankeswaran). It is so popular lots of devote Hindus come here on pilgrimage. The temple is on a small hill top and can be accessed by a flight of steps. It is close to the river Manimala. The presence of a separate Srikovil (sanctum) for Hanuman within the Shiva temple complex is rare feature one rarely comes across. The Keezhthrikkovil Maha Vishnu Temple is outside the temple complex on the west side.

Hanuman removing the Shivalinga.Hotel Rameshwaram

Presently being managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board, this temple may date back to 1oth century or earlier. Way back, this temple was managed by Brahmin families. The state ASI has classified it as a great monument.

Invariably most of the Hindu temples have a legend or two as to their origin. This temple is believed to be historical in nature as the presiding deity Shiva is in the form of a linga and was cast by lord Sri Rama for his personal worship. The temple legend - the first one presented here is more or less similar to the one associated with the Ramanatha Swamy temple complex at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Next to Kasi (Varanasi in UP) it is a famous pilgrimage center for Pithrookaryam - paying respect to forefathers. Here, on the island of Rameswaram, the Shivalinga was cast by Sri Rama himself with a view to getting his sins removed after killing many warriors including the ruler of Lanka Ravana.

The legend has it here at Kaviyoor this Shiva temple(dedicated to Mahadeva) was built by Sri Rama and Sita in the presence of Hanuman, Sugriva and Vibheeshana. Rama, upon his victory in Lanka against demon king Ravana was on his way to Ayodhya. Sri Rama wanted to have a Shiva Linga consecrated within a specified time here for his personal worship. Being a Shathriya king Rama wanted to absolve of his sin of having killed Ravana, a true devotee of lord Shiva. Further, Lankeswaran happened to be the son of a Brahmin and was well-versed in sastras, etc.
Upon Sri Rama's request Hanuman went north to bring a divine Sivalinga from the Himalayas. Hanuman took time to get a suitable Sivalinga for Sri Rama.
Time is an important facor for the consecration (Prathista) of Shiva Linga. Sri Rama became anxious as the time for prathista was nearing and there was no sign of Hanuman returning with the Shiva Linga. So, Sri Rama went ahead and moulded a Shiva Lingam from the earth and consecrated it. When Hanuman returned from the Himalaya with the Divya Shiva Linga he was grief stricken as consecration of another Shiva Linga had been done by Rama. Rama pacified Hanuman and asked him to install the Divya Shiva Linga in the place of his Shiva Linga. When Hanuman tried to replace the Shiva Linga installed by Sri Rama, he could not even shake it. Hanuman realized his folly and expressed his desire to stay near the Shiva Linga in this place to guard the idol installed by him.

Hanuman idol, Kaviyoor mahadev temple. you tube

The other legend is as follows: A sage by the name of Vilwamangalam on a visit to this temple had a strange vision. In his reverie he saw Hanuman, who was sitting on the branch of the huge Ilanji (Mimusops elengi) tree in the north- eastern side of the outer courtyard. The sage expressed his desire to the lord to get off the tree and sit comfortably in the inner courtyard, near to Lord Shiva. Acceding to Sage's wish, Hanuman sat on the sage's Japa-Kindi in the north western corner of the inner courtyard. Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma had a dream related to this temple and had a separate sanctum built for Lord Hanuman in AD 1934.

Architecturally, this temple is rich and is worth a visit. You will never be disappointed. The offerings to Mahadev and Vishnu are same as in other temples. As for Hanuman who has his own srikovil - garbagraha the offerings to him is different. Aaval Panthirunazhi, is very delicious; vadamala (garland made with vada in odd number 108 0r 508 or 1008), betel leaf garland are regular offerings to Hanuman. The latter offering is done on prior request only. The temple can be reached from Thiruvalla town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaviyoor_Mahadevar_Temple

http://www.kerala-tourism.org/temples-in-kerala/kaviyoor-mahadeva-temple.html

http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2018/04/24-captivating-facts-of-kaviyoor.html

PNG Download

www.thehindu.com

Only last week I accidentally ran into a scary but weird scoop in the daily newspaper "The Hindu"dtd. 19 January 2018 which I would like to share with you though this unexpected event took place a few months ago.

You always take a train to go to a distant city or destination to spend your holidays or to attend the family function, etc. Such a train journey gives you a temporary change from the daily regimental routine life, an opportunity to relax and keep your mind off from the pressing problems at work, etc. You also expect such a journey will be uneventful - unnecessary delay, etc.

At the railway station when you board the train you hear the train announcer say through the PAS "have a pleasant journey"- a ritual you will never miss at any railway station. With pleasant mind you get into a good night's sleep and in the following morning, to your horror, you get up in the midst of commotion, yelling and panic because a passenger has just sighted a poisonous snake in the coach below the lower berth. One positive factor is the train is about to stop at the last station. Fortunately, the train is not moving fast as between two stations. What about your state of mind at that time? You may be frozen with fear!

It was really a scary incident. Such incidents do happen on foreign trains as well. In April 2017 in Australia a slimy, creepy creature was spotted riding a train! Yes, a python hitchhiked on a South Coast Line train. Though the staff were alerted about the creepy creature, it was not removed for more than 90 minutes. Perhaps the serpent might have, for a change, played hide and seek with the railway workers. (vide: Indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/unusual-passenger-a-small-python-takes-a-ride-on-a-sydney-train-4619940/)_

PicturesOf.net

cartoonstock.com

At Chennai Central station in the 3rd week of January 2018 this is what had happened in an air-conditioned coach of the Coimbatore-Chennai Central Cheran Superfast Express (train no. 12674). Amazingly, the serpent surfaced, as if out of a comfortable sleep, just minutes before the train reached its destination when one of the passengers tried to lay hands on the baggage to shift it. Horrified, the passenger almost ran amuck like a musth bull elephant. The other equally terrified passengers moved away to the other end of the coach to avoid confronting the critter. When the train stopped the attendants tried to locate the snake which appeared to be a venomous one, Since it was an AC coach, the snake had been there quietly when the train left Coimbatore Jn - the train's origin. The snake was under the lower berth and quickly moved to side lower berth;later it was removed from the coach immediately. The moot question is: How did the snake get into the AC coach? The investigation was on regarding this incident. The rakes of Cheran Express are being maintained both at Chennai and Coimbatore. Even if it is a ghat area it is difficult for a snake to get into the coach.

For the terrified passengers, this incident was nightmarish because the whole night when the they were fast asleep, the languid snake had been giving them company without any untoward incident - no hissing, no fuzzing! He was just dozing in the comforts of AC!

Perhaps, it is nice if the Southern Railways include Snake Charmers in their employ so that they can play the Pungi or Bin and catch the scary intruder when the train goes through the Ghat areas.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/snake-on-a-train-scares-passengers/article22469853.ece

Mahadev temple.KaviyoorTemple,Main Entranceen.wikipedia.or

Kaviyoor Mahadevar temple. Kerala Tourism Guide

Almost every month there will be some Hindu temple festivals somewhere in India. There are countless temple festivals being held across India relevant to the regions, local culture and seasons. Each state has its own temple festivals on specified days in which lots of devotees participate. The temple festivals are an integral part of Indian culture and they have been around us for more than 1000 plus years. The lives of devout Hindus are closely woven with them. Some are held on particular days, others last a week and more. They commemorate some mythological legends associated with the temples and the presiding deity. For example - Odisha: Puri Jaganath temple and the popular Rath yatra; Tamil Nadu: The famous Meenakshi Kalyanam festival in Madurai, Vaikunta Ekadesi and Sorgavasal Thirrappu (opening of Heaven's gate) at the huge temple complex of Sri Ranganathar, Srirangam; Kerala: The colorful Thirussur Poorum festival at Vadukanathan temple and the popular Arattu festival at the Lord Padmanabha temple in Thiruvananthapuram.; Karnataka: The Ranganatha festival is the most popular oneand is observed in those temples dedicated to lord Ranganatha (Vishnu) in his Ananthasayanam posture and Andhra: Several festivals are associated with Tirupati Balaji temple and the other popular one is Durgamma festival across this state.

Hindu festivals are an occasion for rejoice and a chance to express our gratitude to the almighty. for prosperity, welfare and providing copious rain for agricultural operation, etc. From social integration point of view, such festivals bring people of all casts from different communities to one place and make them work in unison to make festivals a success. It promotes social intercourse , integration and unity among the people for a common purpose. Besides, days-long festivals provide an opportunity for young people to show their talents in traditional Indian dances, classical music, etc. The temple festivals give job opportunities to plenty of middle class people who have close link with the temples. They are the torch bearer of Indian tradition and culture that have been with us for centuries without any break and, further, they keep the Indian fine arts, dances, music, etc., alive.

Kerala, often called 'God's Own Country', has a large number of Hindu temples and many have unique religious and cultural traditions. Many temple festivals are held on specific days of the year and others usually continue for a number of days. The striking feature of Kerala temple festival is the procession of of idols (Urchavar) on caparisoned elephants often accompanied by traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam. The latter is quite common in many Hindu temples of Kerala.

Festivals of Kaviyoor Mahadev temple:

Sivaratri festival in a Kerala temple iveminer.com

Kavyiyoor Mahadevar temple in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala is a popular temple and here, besides the presiding deity lord Shiva, there is a separate sanctum - Srikovil dedicated to Sri Rama Bhakta Hanuman. That Sri Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) himself did linga prathista (consecration ) here is a mythological facor that bestows importance and sanctity to this age old temple. The temple is also famous for Mangalaya puja (meant for women).

Once this temple, it is believed, celebrated 16 annual festivals. But as of now the main Annual festivals are less than what it used to be. The following may be worth mentioning:

Panthrantu kalabham for Hanuman in Chingam Kanni ( July),

Ayilyam (September) for Serpent gods,

Thiruvuthsavam (Annual festival- December–January) for Shiva and Parvathi,

Hanumath Jayanthi for lord Hanuman (December–January),

Uthrittathi Attathirunal (January) for the consort of Shiva,

Sivarathri ( February–March), Kalabhaabhishekam (April) and Sahsrakalasam (May–June).

Panthrantu Kalabham: This festival was first introduced in 1951 for Lord Hanuman as wished by Maharajah Sri Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma. This is done in memory of the renovation and upgrading of the Hanuman Temple by the ruler. This 12 day festival starts on the first day of Malayalam month Chingam and ends on the twelfth day.

Ayilyam: It falls in the Malayalam month Kanni and is for the serpent gods - Nagarajah and Nagayakshini. This festival is observed here as countless devotees who come to the temple also pray to the Serpent stone idols installed on the temple premises. Childless couples participate in this temple festival.

Thiruvuthsavam: This main festival of Lord Mahadeva is held on a grand scale in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December- January) and is being attended by thousands of devotees from all over the central Travancore region. This ten-day colorful festival is a popular one. Utsavabali, Seva, Pallivetta are the other parts of the festival. Devotees decorate the temple with colourful lights, candles and flowers.

From the second day to the sixth day the lord's idol atop caparisoned elephant is taken to those temples associated with this temple. Temple rituals are held only inside the temple premises from the 7th day onward. The tenth day event is an important one. The Urchavar idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi are taken in a colorful procession to the Manimala river for Arat.

Hanumath jayanthi: It falls in the Malayalam month Dhanu (December–January) and is a popular festival dedicated to lord Hanuman (Anjanayar). This festival also attracts thousands of devotees. The main offering is Vada mala and devotees offer it with prior arrangement. Aval Panthirunazhi is yet another offering here. Hanuman stands for valor, wisdom and good health. Worshiping him on this day is good for your physical and mental well being.

Uthrittathi Thirunal: It is held in the month of Makaram (January–February) in memory of the consecration of the Sri Moolarajeswary idol
(Parvati). Maharajah Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma of Travancore in 1893 AD had the idol consecrated.

Shivarathri: This important festival is celebrated in Malayalam month of Kumbham (February–March). It is associated with various rituals as in other Shiva temples.

This temple has a huge oil lamp stand- Velakku Madam. The tradition has it that all oil lamps in the velakku madam should be lit on certain festival days. Vilakkezhunnellippu is a unique custom of the festival. The 8000 lamps on the wall of the Nalambalam are lit by seven desams of Kaviyoor and Kunnamthanam villages. It is an amazing sight that enhances the sanctity of this place of worship. Whole night there will be puja to the main deity which is done four times by the priest. On the temple premises, there will musical discourse of stories from the Puranas, etc. This is just a one day festival ending in the following morning.

Sahasra Kalasam: This festival is for 10 days. The main event of this festival is abhishekam (anointing) and is done to the main deity with 100 pots among which one is gold pot, 10 are silver pots and the rest are copper pots. This is done at devotees' request.

Thulabharam Offering: This is common on festival days at some temples. Tulaparam offering is made by some devotes who offer food grains, vegetables, etc., equal to their body weight. This is done for various reasons to succeed in business, to pass exams, to get a child, etc. Tulaparam offering is made either before or after their wish is granted by the lord. In those days, rich people would make gold and silver coins or jewelry as offering to the lord for success in their endeavor or in any other matter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaviyoor_Mahadevar_Temple

St Paul's Church Ambala, cantt.Pinterest

St Paul's Church Ambala, cantt. Wikimedia Commons

Above image: St. Paul Church, Ambala cantonment, Haryana. It an old image. Prior to Pakistan's 1965 bombing, the oldest protestant church (1857) looked like this. Classified as a historical monument by the ASI..................................

Saint Paul's Church of Ambala cantonment town, Hayana is one of the most reputed protestant and oldest churches in the country built during the most crucial time in colonial India's history. The Indian Rebellion - Sepoy Mutiny was on across northern India in 1857 and the British were preoccupied with the tough task of quelling the rebels. Consecrated on 04 January 1857 to cater to the spiritual needs of the British officials and soldiers, the church was a big one and could accommodate 1000 people at one time. It was here the inauguration of the Diocese of Amritsar took place and today it appears that it will soon be the Mother Church of the Diocese. Under the East India Company's rule this Cathedral was earlier the only cantonment church of the British army constructed on a huge land of 20 acres. Presently, a major portion of the area is under the Indian Army for its use and running an Air Force School. The Indian Cantonment Board is controlling it and the church is open to all devotees.

It is believed this vintage church had a humble origin. The construction of the church began in earnest in 1852 and the credit goes to one Captain Atkinson who designed the church following the Gothic style. Initially affiliated to the Church of England, in 1952 the affiliation was transferred to the Lahore Diocese. Way back in 1855 the British India Army built a small church made of wood for the patrons. During the Sepoy mutiny, the Church became a safe haven for the British who took refuge here.

Saint Paul's Church of Ambala cantt HolidayIQ

St. Paul church, Ambala, Haryana. /atulambala.blogspot.in

Unfortunately in 1965, during the Indo-Pakistan war the church was bombed by the Pakistani Airforce, destroying most of the main portion of the church except the tower and other parts. The bombing by a Pakistani Aircraft considerably obliterated a beautiful heritage church. The remaining part of the church is being used now as the worship place. The old church bell that was made in England was shifted to the nearby church house. The Church has become a National Monument and is taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Ambala city location map. ambala.nic.in

On account of security issues, the bombed church was not reconstructed as the Indian Air Force base near-by is a busy one and the army air crafts continuously land and take off from the neighboring runways. The Air Force Authorities have a proposal to convert the church into a war memorial.

Tit-Bits:

Though legally and constitutionally Kashmir is part of India, it has been a bone of contention between two countries since India's independence in August 1947. Pakistan, it is a known fact, purposely creating problems in Kashmir under India's control, using religious sentiments. The war of 1965 was as a result of skirmishes that frequently took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between these countries. Under Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, the Pakistan Army carefully planned to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to incite an insurgency against Indian rule. India retaliated by launching a full-scale military attack on West Pakistan. In this war Pakistan Air Forces targeted civilian areas. St Paul's Church, an early British legacy in this part was bombed during one of the raids.

http://www.hoparoundindia.com/Haryana/Ambala-cantonment-attractions-history-of/Saint-Paul%E2%80%99s-Church.aspx

Holy Redeemer Church, Hayana ambalaonline.in

Holy Redeemer Church Ambala cantt. Haryana. Trodly

Ambala in Haryana during the Raj was an important cantonment and it still has a lot of colonial bungalows and wide tree-lined roads, typical of British cantonments in the subcontinent.
The military area had early churches to take care of the needs of church services of the British Army.

The Holy Redeemer Church located in Ambala Cantt area is among one of the most famous Christian places of worship here. This church came up in 1848, under the British rule. That time the East India Company, a proxy ruler of the Crown, transferred its troops from Karnal to Ambala. This place assumes strategic importance as it is closer to many regions, including Sind and NWFP (North west Frontier Province, now in Pakistan) Lord Ripon, an efficient British administrator, was the only Catholic Viceroy of India and he is said to have paid a visit to this vintage Protestant church while he was on his way to Shimla on official assignment. Because of vagaries of weather and other factors, this church collapsed and in its place a new one was built in 1905. In 1956 the church was handed over to the Redemptorist group. The church is set in a picturesque place with lots of greenery around

The present day Holy Redeemer Church has tall towers supported by strong pillars for extra protection to the structure. The elevated roof built in Gothic style is meant to keep the interiors cool in the hot summer period. This Church has two large rooms for altogether different purposes - one was originally meant for the British India troops, perhaps for rest and relaxation while on the move. In those days, this small town had no buildings good enough to accommodate the British Army. Now, the other room is converted into a dispensary.
Within the church compound there is an old house, apparently for the priest to stay. There is a memorial stone in the north of the church. This 170 year old colonial church, despite its age, has not lost its colonial charm and old glory.
http://www.ambalaonline.in/city-guide/churches-in-ambala

Thiruvananthapuram Centraln.wikipedia.org

Thiruvananthapuram Centra Dreamstime.com

Indian Railways (IR), which is being controlled and managed by the Central Government at New Delhi, has one of the busiest and largest railway networks in the world, besides, it operates both long distance and suburban rail systems. Because of its colonial connections under the Raj there There are countless railway stations in India whose buildings are strikingly colonial in nature. Many of them are architectural wonders.

Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, besides being the largest one in the state of Kerala with respect to passenger movement, it an an important hub on the Southern Railway built during the colonial days when Travancore was an important Princely State. The impressive and strikingly beautiful Thiruvananthapuram Central station building was built in 1931. Being the capital city of Kerala, a highly literate state, this Central station is connected to almost major cities across India.

Thiruvananthapuram_Centralerail.in/blog/

The history of railways in Kerala has close links with the colonial period under the British crown. It was for the first time the Madras-Quilon line was extended to the capital of the Princely State of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram and it was opened on 4 January 1918. It meant this city had a direct rail link with Madras, then the capital of the Madras Presidency. The railway line then terminated at Chakka, then a trading centre of Thiruvananthapuram. The then Dewan of erstwhile state M.E. Watts, considering the hardship faced by the public, took the initiative and had the railway line extended up to the center of the busy city. The terminus was shifted to current location Thiruvananthapuram Central Thampanoor in 1931.

As the necessity arose for a spacious building with all amenities for the increasing number of passengers, etc, the Thiruvananthapuram Central station building was constructed during the reign of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the Maharani of Travancore (under the aegis of Sree Chithira Thirunal).The building was declared open on 4 November 1931. An interesting feature of this building is it is entirely made of dressed rock stones and lime mortar. No bricks were used for the construction of this station Though it was a branch line station with just solitary platform, it was built to handle two departures per day in 1931 as per Maharani's wish. The platform with a single line continued till the 70's. It was presumably the longest covered platform at that time. The platform was so long that it could accommodate two trains at a time in that single line platform.

This station presently has 12 platforms out of which 10 will handle broad gauge trains and 2 platforms for meter gauge trains. To relieve passenger pressure 2nd and 3rd terminals were built in 2004 and 2007 respectively. A few years ago the railway station could handle 200000 passengers daily. Nemom and Kochuveli satellite terminals are functioning with trains originating from here. The station is the terminus for the proposed High Speed Rail corridor connecting Chennai and Bangalore with Thiruvananthapuram. Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram High Speed Rail (HSR) corridor was proposed in the recent railway budget. Work on these projects, it is said, is afoot. The Thiruvananthapuram railway station has two entrances. The main entrance is opposite to Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram and eastern entrance is on Power House road.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruvananthapuram_Central_railway_station

Holy Cross ChurchMapranamIndian Philately

Holy cross Church Mapranam,Kerala Tourism

India is home to a number of old churches and almost all of them have historical significance. The Holy Cross Church of Mapranam near Thrissur city has a proud place among the Indian churches as it is bestowed with a relic of the Holy Cross.

Holy cross Church Mapranam,Wikipedia

Founded in A.D 928 Holy cross Church Mapranam, Thrissur is one of the oldest churches not only in Kerala state but also in the entire country, India.
It is also one among the few churches that
received the relic of the Holy Cross (21 September, 1887), part of the Holy blood of Jesus Christ and the bloodstained Holy Cloth used by Veronica to wipe the face of Jesus Christ, all donated from Vatican by the order of the Pope. Worshipers are allowed to experience the blessings of the Holy Cross on the 14th and 21 st of September and on Good Friday. Only a few churches across the globe have this unique distinction. In the history of Indian churches, in this respect, this church has an exalted status.
On the day of Exaltation of the Holy Cross -14th Sept. every year, Mapranam Church celebrates the main feast in the name of the Holy Cross.

This place of worship is quite popular and people from other faiths also visit this church for Christ's blessing. It is a part of Irinjalakuda diocese and historically and archaeologically it occupies an important place in Kerala. As at many churches, offering of candles is the main ritual here and the annual ceremony called Thirithelikkal (Candle Lighting) is quite popular It is attended by lots of devotees from Kerala and other states. The unique difference is the candles that are offered here are big, weighing between one to 300 kg. The offering is done on the 13 th of September. The custom has been that at least 500 worshippers should light big candles here. Recently around 100000 worshipers lit the big candles for receiving blessings from the Holy Cross. This tradition has been here for centuries. In the past, a 22 foot tall candle weighing 1,079 kg held the record in India in that year. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross falls on 14t Sept. every year, and on this day, Mapranam Church celebrates the main feast in the name of the Holy Cross.

The main attraction of this church is an old wooden Cross made in Persian style which is well polished and blackened by five metals - Panchaloka. Set in a beautiful place, north of this church lie Karuvannur River, the Arattupuzha Temple and the churches of Pallissery and Panamkulam.
https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/holy-cross-church-mapranam/534

http://www.istampgallery.com/holy-cross-church/

Earliest medical College, Kolkata. Alamy

stampgallery.com/

The British East India Company established the Indian Medical Service (IMS) as early as 1764 to look after the medical needs of Europeans in British India as they were living in a tropical country infested with mosquitoes, venomous snakes, etc. IMS officers headed military and civilian hospitals in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and they also took care of ships and Army. They were assisted by trained native doctors whose medical activities were limited to certain duties. Increasing demands in medical services prompted the British company to give serious consideration to medical education in India. The then Gov. Gen. of India William Bentnick was instrumental in establishing a medical college in Calcutta (Kolkata) "for the education of the Indian youth without exception to creed or caste". Founded on 28 January, 1835, it was a major medical institution to teach western Medicine - European Allopathic system of medicine and was the oldest in Asia. The British were quite pleased with the native doctors who acted as compounders and dressers`as the Ayurvesds and Hakims were not reliable. Very much impressed by the dedication of the native doctors, a vernacular medical School came into being as far back as in October 1824 and the classes were conducted at the Sanskrit College and Calcutta Madrassa. Considering Indian students' capacity to learn the subjects, it was found out that the teaching was inadequate. Based on Lord Bentnick's recommendation the educational committee abolished the old school in favor of a new Medical College in 1835 to meet the growing needs of the doctors for the colonial administration. In the early years the Senate of the University used to meet here.

Lord William Bentinck Wikipedia

The college had a humble beginning with Dr, M.S. Bramley, Asst. Surgeon as the first Principal (1835 to 1837) ; the classes started on the 20th of February, 1835. Prof, Pundit Madusudun Gupta was the instructor. Initially there were 50 students, each receiving a stipend of Rs, 75.00 per month. David Hare, a well known philanthropist served as secretary for some years, A fairly developed College and hospital buildings came up in 1910 through public donations.

Calcutta medical College. University of Calcutta

On the 150th anniversary day, foundation was laid for the research and education in 1984. In the history of Indian medical education, this college crossed some frontiers. On 10 January 1836 Pundit Madusudan Gupta, with his students dissected the first human body, setting aside all the taboos, prejudices and superstitions. In 1838 five Indian doctors came out with flying colors. One Babu Uma Charan Sett stood first. In 1845, the college was recognised and registered in England and in the same, year four students were sent overseas for higher education.

In 1848 one Babu Mutty Lal Seal (well-known business man) donated a spacious teaching building (it is depicted in the postal stamp). The foundation stone was laid by Lord Dalhousie, Governor-General of India on 30th Sept. 1848 (in the 12th year of the reign of Queen Victoria). The new MCH hospital was opened for sick patients on 1 March 1852. There was also an OT on one side of the old MCH which was later upgraded in 1902 Later other hospitals came up: the Eden Hospital (1881–82), the Ezra Hospital (1887), the Shama Charan Laha Eye Hospital (1891) and the Prince of Wales Surgical Block, opened in March 1911. The Medical college was affiliated to the newly formed Calcutta University in 1857. Yet another milestone made here was a girl student Kadambini Ganguli was taken in to study medicine for the first time!!. In this regard the medical council took a decision in June 1883. This college has produced a number of brilliant doctors the most notable being Dr. B.C.Roy.

Presently the Medical College trains 750 under graduates and 100 post-graduates. The hospital caters to 2000 plus in-patients and more than 6000 out-patients. The college imparts the degree Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) as well as specialised and post-doctoral degrees. Nursing and para-medical courses are also offered.

http://www.istampgallery.com/medical-college-calcutta/

Liberal Gov. General Lord Dufferin who supported Indian Home Rule!!

Historical Anglican Church St. John's in the Wilderness, McLeod Ganj, HP and the grave of Lord Elgin

Elegant Makarpura Palace (1870) of the Indian Maharajah, Vadadora

Amazing Nyay Mandir, Vadadora - designed by British architect Robert Chisholm

Colonial Napier Museum building, Thiruvanthapuram - a master piece from Robert Chisholm

Reformist Danial Hamilton who converted a flooded land into a properous one in Bengal!!

Bold Confidence

In "Harijan", the Gandhian weekly writing about his trip to Gosaba, Mahadev Desai mentioned about Hamilton “a remarkable man” of “lofty idealism”. If the landlord is sympathetic and reform-minded, not only will he become successful, but also make other villagers to be free from poverty.

Twenty important facts about worshiping Family Deity (Kudumba Devta)

Fascinating memorial to Lord Elgin (James Bruce) at St. Paul Cathedral, Kolkata

The arrival New Tamil year 2018

Mass murderer Gen. Dyer of Jalianwalla bagh fame and poor British India response

Why is Janardhana Swamy temple of Varkala, Kerala popular? - some interesting facts!!

24 Captivating facts of Kaviyoor Mahadev temple, Kerala

Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple - interesting legends!!

Snake takes joyride on the Coimbatore- Chennai Express Train!!

cartoonstock.com

Kaviyoor Mahadev temple and important traditional temple festivals

St. Paul's oldest Protestant church (1857), Ambala - bombed in 1965 war by Pakistan

Early colonial Holy Redeemer Church, Ambala cantonment

Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station,Kerala a fine colonial structure

Historical Holy cross Church Mapranam , Kerala bestowed with a relic of the Holy Cross

Medical College, Calcutta, first in Asia - early colonial period