Quantcast
Channel: Navrang India
Viewing all 3828 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Fateh Burj, built in honor of Banda Singh Bahadur and the first Sikh state in IIndia

September 26, 2018, 8:30 am
$
0
0
Chappar Chiri Fateh Burj (victory Tower. en.wikipedia.org
The Fateh Burj meaning the ''Victory Tower''  is the tallest minar in India built  in the historical village of Chappar Chiri in the SAS Nagar district, Punjab. Dedicated to the establishment of the Sikh state  in India in 1711, the 328 ft tall tower  is  along the Kharar-Banur Road, now officially named Banda Singh Bahadur Road,  just outside Mohali, a few kilometres from Landran and 20 km from Sirhind. It was here in 1710 one of the greatest and highly respected Sikh warriors Banda Singh Bahadur, won a decisive battle against Wazir Khan, commander of the Mogul army who tried hard to stop the  the march of the Sikh army led by Banda Singh Bahadur to Sirhind. For the great Sikh leader, there was no turning back and ultimately he built a capital at  Lohgarh (Haryana).

Fatah Burj, Chippar Chirri. Punjab. en.wikipedia.org
Fatah Burj, Chippar Chirri. Punjab. 
On 30 Nov. 2011 Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal  inaugurated 'Fateh Burj', the tallest victory tower in the country, commemorating the victory of Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur over Mughal governor Wazir Khan. The tower is taller than  Qutub Minar at Delhi  and was built in honor of 
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.  It is an octagonal structure and  there is a dome atop the tower with Khanda made of stainless steel.

This imposing memorial spread over 20 acres, was open to public by the Punjab CM in the presence of Arunachal Pradesh Governor and former army chief J J Singh and over 20,000 decorated ex-servicemen who paid homage to the Sikh warrior on the battleground of Chappar Chiri.

There were also present  five high priests and senior leaders of Sikh clergy, Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar Kesgarh Sahib Tarlochan Singh, Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, former BJP president Rajnath Singh, Uttrakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and  in their presence CM Badal  unveiled the inaugural plaque after the Ardas (prayer). He also  later unveiled the statue of Banda Bahadur and dedicated the 'Fateh Burj' to the nation.

Many leaders, including the Pubjab CM extolled the gutts and wisdom of Banda Singh who was a true socialist in the correct sense and who  abolished the untenable zamindari system that reduced countless farmers to penury and made the tillers and cultivators the actual owners of the land and issued coins and seals in the name of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh. CM Badal also mentioned with reservation that  "More than 90 per cent of the Sikhs are not aware of the heroic deeds in the Sikh history"  said.

The unfortunate fact is  in many Indian History School books there is no mention of  the exploits of Sikh warrior Banda Singh.  Former BJP chief Rajnath Singh announced that he would urge the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to include the history of these memorials in the school syllabus. The NCERT and CBSE text books, it is said, do not have any  chapter on this great Sikh Commander and the  rich legacy of Khalsa Panth, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh mentioned. In South India, in particular, almost the entire Tamil-speaking people have no idea whatsoevr about Banda Singh Bahadur. Nor are they aware of this Victory Tower Fateh Burj, a memorial glorifying the heroism of the Sikh soldiers during the difficult Mogul rule.  

http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/fateh-burj-india-s-tallest-victory-tower-thrown-open/882669
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fateh_Burj
















↧
Search

''Nabakalebara'' - Puri Jagannth temple's symbolic ritual of changing old deities!!

September 26, 2018, 9:13 pm
$
0
0
Balabhadra,Subhadra and Sudarshana at Puri Temple,            economictimes.indiatimes.com
India has countless Hindu temple festivals and the traditions vary from states to states. Among the temple rituals, Nabakalebara ritual st Puri Jagannath temple is an exciting one that drws lots of devotees.


Nabakalebara  is an ancient ritual closely associated with  Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri, Odisha. It is nothing but a  symbolic recreation of the wooden forms of four Hindu deities-Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana at Jagannath Temple, Puri, replacing the old ones. Unlike many Hindu temple, in particular, in South India, only wooden images are being worshipped in the sanctum of Puri temple. Such wooden images  are periodically replaced reverentially.  Nabakalebara - ''the change of physical form''  (in Odia: naba meaning new and kalebara meaning body) is an important ritual that takes place  during the eighth, 12th, or 19th year after the previous Nabakalebara. 
Neem tree for making Gods. rathyatra.fullodisha.com
Puri Rath Yatra. nabakalebara.gov.in
When the full moon occurs twice during the month of Ashadha, that is the year of  Nabakalebara. As per the Hindu Calendar,  every three years a lunar month is excluded from the calculation to maintain a balance between lunar and solar years. This period is called Ahimsa or Malamasa. A year with an extra month (adhimasa) is considered auspicious for the ceremony, which typically falls every twelve to nineteen years. It has been a tradition here for centuries that the four deities undergo the symbolic ritual of Nabakalebara in the year in which the adhimasa falls. 

 The deities are carved from a special type of neem wood, known as Daru Bramha. After choosing the right wood, preparations for the ceremony will  start in the month of Chaitra. The last rituals took place  in 2015, 19 years after the 1996 ceremony. Such rare ceremony attracts a large gathering of people. In 2015, it is reported, that about 3 million people witnessed this great event. 

Jirna bera parityaga meaning (in Odea) "the leaving of the old deity and the consecration of the new one ". It is tantamount to a person, wearing a new set of clothes and shedding off the old and useless ones. According to temple rituals, the deities are changed as per temple Shastas. This philosophical aspect is applicable to Puri Jagannath temple. In this regard, for centuries the temple secretly follows some secret protocols and there exist provisions for changing the deities - replacing the old ones with new ones. The deities are made of neem tree besides a combination of Musk, Sandalwood, etc. So, they undergo change of Vigraha  before Adhikaadha.
When choosing the neem tree certain criteria need to be met before choosing the right tree - Daru Brahma fit enough for making the deities. It is said the right tree is chosen by the temple priests after praying at Maa Mangala  at Kakatpur Mangala temple. A divine intervention occurs when the Goddess appears to them in the dream, revealing the location of the holy tree, 

Agama shastras pertaining to  Vishnu worship, such as the Vaikhanasas, also gives importance to  the change of wooden deities under a specific astrological combination. In the case of stone or metal deities  necessity does not arise to change deities unless they are damaged or have some kind of Dosha (blemish). This is not so in the case of wooden deities and they need to be  changed within a specific number of years and their power must be ritually transferred to the new ones.
About making wooden deities, the trees are cut after a ritual and the small logs are taken in carts pulled by the devotees to the temple premise.  Beginning on an auspicious day, the logs are carved into deities within the temple compound. On the midnight of Adhika Ashadha Krishna Chaturdashi, the tatva Padartha is transformed from old deities to the new ones. Brahma or Tatva Padartha  is believed to be a supernatural thing. 

Nabakalebar is all about the transformation of the deities of the Puri temple Odisha into  new bodies. The new wooden idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan are welcomed to the temple in celebration. The old idols are ritually buried in the sand  Koili Baikuntha in the temple in accordance with century-old Odia scriptures.

On the 2nd day morning, the deities are seated on the altar- the Ratnasingasana . The daily worship protocols begin at the temple after a lapse of 58 days.  The new deities wear new dress and  new flower garlands . Now puja is done and food is offered.  On the 3rd day, the new deities emerge from the Temple  for the biggest and spectacular Rath festival. Puri Rath Yatra (Chariot festival) is one the very few greatest temple events in India. 
http://www.istampgallery.com/nabakalebara201

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

↧
↧

The historical venerated tombs of Mohammed Ghaus and Tansen, Gwalior

September 27, 2018, 4:27 am
$
0
0
Tomb of Mohammed Ghaus, Gwalior. shunya.net/
Tomb of Mohammed Ghaus, Gwalior. shunya.net/
The city of Gwalior and the surroundings have many tourist attractions invariably related to Hindu architecture and Hindu culture. The tombs of Mohd. Ghaus and Tansen memorial located in Hazira Chowk are quite interesting. 

Tombs of Mohammed Ghaus & Tansen  located at a distance of roughly two kilometres from the city  of Gwalior are  16th century structures. They  house the mortal remains of   Ghaus Mohammed who was once a well-known prince-turned-Sufi saint and the other one is that of Tansen, a great Hindustani Musician.  This mausoleum being a big tourist destination, is a good example of Mogul architecture  and both  Muslims and Hindus visit this place in large number.  No doubt, these beautiful Islamic buildings bring out the talents of artisans of the  past era. They are in a quiet and serene environment and have fine interior and intricately carved jalli work-lattice windows.  
Tomb of Mohammed Ghaus, Gwalior. shunya.net/
The Mausoleum with tombs came up during the reign of Mogul ruler Akbar. Ghaus Mohammed was an Afghan Prince who later became  a Sufi saint and  was leading a self-counted life.  The legend has it that Mohammad Ghaus was of great help to  Babur when he conquered the fort of Gwalior in 1526 CE. Babur was the one who laid the foundation for the  Mogul dynasty in India and their reign continued for  several generations. The Sufi saint occupies a unique place in the history of India and had a great influence on the Mogul rulers as well on a large section of people. As a result of his influence, most of the Mogul rulers respected the sentiments of Hindu  and ran the kingdom with Justice and fairness. Hence their regime lasted for a longtime. The glory of Mogul dynasty had begun  to decline  when treacherous Aurangzeb  seized the Mogul throne with force.  Mogul  emperors like Babur and Humayun had their spiritual moorings under the shadows of Ghaus Mohammed. 

Lattice window, Mohd. Ghaus Tomb, Gwalior. alamy.com
The structure, a good example of Mogul style, has hexagonal pillars fixed at each of its four corners. The building, square in plan is topped by a square dome decorated with blue ceramic tiles.The hexagonal domed kiosks at its corners together with sloping eaves that project from exterior enhance the beauty of this mausoleum. . The tomb walls feature intricate carvings and latticework.
The tomb of Tansen, Gwalior. shunya.net
Tomb of Mohammed Ghaus, Gwalior. shunya.net/
Close to this tomb is the Memorial of Tansen who was a well-known  musician and one among the nine jewels of Akbar's court. He is among the most influential personalities in North Indian tradition of Hindustani classical music.The classical Hindustani music concert will not be a thrilling one if it does not include the fine compositions of  Tansen.  He is well  remembered for his epic Dhrupad compositions, creating several soul-stirring new ragas, as well as for writing two classic books on music Sri Ganesh Stotra and Sangita Sara.  Buried near to his  respectful guru, his tomb is a beautiful structure and lots of Hindus and Muslims visit this site. 
The tomb of Tansen, Gwalior. shunya.net
Typical of Mogul  architectural style that includes nice  gardens, around the mausoleum, this memorial, often referred to as the Tomb of Tansen is believed to be a part of the living cultural heritage of Gwalior.  An interesting aspect of this great heritage site is  every year in November / December, a national level annual Tansen Music Festivalis held at the place to honor this great musician. Interesting performances by reputed Hindustani classical Musicians from different parts of India are held here  in a serene and venerated  atmosphere. A great tribute to the Hindustani musician of the past Mogul era. Photo credit: http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/NorthIndia/Gwalior/Gwaliorhtml.
↧

Quotes for life - 17

September 27, 2018, 8:28 am
$
0
0


fabiusmaximus.com
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” – Winston S Churchill              .

*****
oonpool.com
''Picking quarrel or catching others neck for the most trivial of      reason is very bad. It will neither solve the problem; nor does it subdue  others rage.''                                                                     
 
*****
cartoonstock.com
''Many tangled knots have to be loosened when dealing with        
serious matters like divorce, quitting a job or getting married.      Once you do that you get know which direction you are heading. Here comes into play your discretionary powers.''                         

*****
Bullying  colourbox.com
''Nothing is more nauseating than cashing in on  other people's misery and  misfortune when they're struggling to fight it out.'' 

*****

''The excitement of doing something with devilish candour is short-lived''                                                                                                  

*****
Anger. brookelawoffice.com
''Anger or intemperate mind has neither eyes nor ears only wild madness on the gallop''                                                                     

*****
''Arrogance is precursor to stupidity, idiocy and ultimate self-destruction''                                                                                        


*****
''Bear in mind, self-contended mind is your friendly boss.''*****
''Ignorance is slavery, arrogance is savagery and vengeance is butchery.''                                                                                                                                                                         
*****
''One blatant lie is good enough to give you one hundred agonizing hours leading to loss of self-esteem.''                              

*****
''The cheapest and easily available commodity on the face of 
this earth is advice.''                                                                   

*****


↧

The Tomb of Alivardi Khan,Murshidabad - the early Nawab of Bengal

October 1, 2018, 7:38 am
$
0
0
The town of Murshidabad, once the capital of  the Bengal Nawabs has so many historical monuments and the growth and development of colonial rule had lose link with this part of Bengal. Among the monuments, the tomb of Alivardi Khan is an interesting one. He was the last Nawab of free India.  
Tomb of Alivardi Khan, Murshidabad, W.Bengal murshidabadtravel.blogspot.com
Tomb of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, is a popular cemetery located in the Khushbagh area on the west bank
Tomb of Siraj-ud-dualah, W. Bengal. en.wikipedia.org
 of the Bhagirathi river. Also known as Khushbagh or Garden of Happiness. the tomb is just across Lalbagh and the tourists have to cross the river from Lalbagh area to access the tomb.  Besides Alivardi Khan, this place is also known to be the burial place of his mother, his grandson, Nawab Siraj-ud-Dulah and his grandson's wife Luff-un-nisa. The Tomb of Alivardi Khan hosts the graves of the rulers of Bengal who belong to the Afsar family. Though it is an ordinary tomb of the great Nawab Aliwardi Khan, it is a big one  inside the old building.
Alivardi Khan tomb, Murshidbad, W.Bengal. astrolika.com
The garden, with walled enclosures  was built by the first Nawab of Bengal, NawabAlivardi Khan. The outer walls had looped holes for musketry and used to be flanked by octagonal bastions. The graves are in the midst of  garden and the graves of Sirajud-Daulah and Alivardi Khan  are inside a square, flat-roofed mausoleum surrounded by an arcade verandah.  Also located inside the garden is a mosque built by NawabAlivardi Khan, on the model of JamaMasjid of Delhi. It stands  on a plinth of 2,675 square feet (248.5 m2) area.
Mushidabad, W.Bengal- Mosque.Aliwardi Khan tomb complex. . tippadvisor. com
It is said that upon  the death of Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, his wife Lutf-un-nisa fled to Dacca (present day Dhaka to avoid becoming  a woman in  Mir Jafar's harem. When time was ripe, Lutf-un-nisa returned to Murshidabad. and  tended the grave and the 108 varieties of roses in the garden. She also spent money from her pocket to maintain  Khushbagh for  several years. After her death in 1786 AD, she was buried near the grave of Siraj-ud-Daulah, her husband. The entire graveyard stands on a plot of  7.65 acres of land.  
A poignant fact associated with this grave yard is 32 of 34  people buried  here were murdered by Mir Zafar's son Miran. Except the grave of Dansa Fakir, all were the relatives of  Siraj including Alivardi, Siraj, Lutfa etc. When the East India company under Robert Clive wanted to control Bengal and it resources, they succeeded in setting Mir Zafar against  Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah who refused to toe the line of the British. After the war at Plassey (1757), Mir Zafar became a traitor and had Siraj and his loyal associates  killed, so that he could become the Nawab and enjoy all the trappings that the highest position would offer.  

The other graveyard - Jafarganj Cemetery has the graves of the later Nawabs, starting from Mir Jafar, who belonged to the Najafi dynasty and their family members
Portrait of Allahwerdi Khan en.wikipedia.org
Above image:  Alivardi Khan (1671- 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal during 1740–1756.  He succeeded in toppling the Nasiri Dynasty of  Nawabs and  and assumed vast powers as the Nawab. His father was an Arab - Shah Quli Khan (Mirza Muhammad Madani; an employee of Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb)) and his mother was the daughter of Nawab Aqil Khan Afshar (Mir Muhammad Askari) and hence came in the line of Mogul. Alivardi's birth name was Mirza Muhammad Ali.  Azam Shah also employed the sons of Mirza Muhammad. But after Azam Shah' death, the family became poor. His two sons Muhammad Ali and Mirza Ahmed later got a job under the Subahdar (Provincial governor) of Orissa, Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan. When Shuja-ud-Din became the Nawab of Bengal, the two brothers became powerful.  Shuja-ud-Din in 1728  Muhammad Ali Faujdar of Rajmahal and gave him the title Alivardi Khan. In the battle of Giria in April 1740, Alivardi Khan defeated the Nawab of Bengal Sarfaraz khan and took control of Bengal and Bihar. Later in March 1741, he defeated the ruler of Orissa and took control over it. The Battle of Burdwan in 1747 was a major victory for Alivardi Khan against the mighty Maratha army led by Janoji Bhonsale. 
Alivardi Khan was a patron of  musical instruments such as Veena and Khol drums. He also patronised the Shahnameh - the world's largest epic poem in Persian written by a single poet - Persian Ferdowsi in the 10th to 11th century consisting of 50000 couplets.
He, also for the first time, put the artillery on large movable platforms driven by oxen. He died at a ripe age of 84 at Murshidabad and was born in the Deccan region.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alivardi_Khan
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g2287525-d3913055-r569883785-Tomb_of_Alivardi_Khan-Murshidabad_Murshidabad_District_West_Bengal.html#
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khushbagh






↧
↧

Late Raja Bhaskara Sethupathy of Ramnad who helped Swami Vivekananda attend the World Congress of Religion (1893)

October 1, 2018, 9:04 pm
$
0
0

2004 issue. Raja of Ramnad, TN. Bhaskara Sethupathy stampgallery.com
The estate of Ramnad was, in reality, a permanently settled zamindari estate established by Raghunatha Kilavan in the late 17th century. It was in the Ramnad subdivision of the Madura district and later Ramnad district of the erstwhile Madras Presidency in British India from 1801 to 1949.The seat of power being  the town of Ramanathapuram, in 1803 the Kingdom was converted to a Zamindari by the British. The male rulers of Ramnathapuram  carried the title of Sethupathi or "protector of the bridge", the bridge here referring to the legendary passage across the sea from Ramanathapuram to Sri Lanka called Rama's Bridge (also known as Adama's bridge), supposedly built by Lord Sri Rama. He also had a Linga (Ramalinga) built at Rameswaram; hence the rulers are also caretakers of this great temple, now an important pilgrimage center of the Hindus across India and also Rama's bridge, hence the appellation - Sethupathy). The  female rulers of Ramanad  carried the title "Nachiyar". During the colonial rule, the Zanmindary estate in the early 1900s used to pay an annual tribute of Rs. 3.75lakhs  to the British. In 1790, Ramnad came under the British rule (East India company) and the ruler was deposed in 1795 for misrule. The British then deprecated the kingdom to a Zamindari and the king's sister became the head in 1803 by a permanent Sanad (title). Since that time on until India's freedom in 1947, Ramnad had been ruled by the queen and her descendants. 

Raja of Ramnad, TN. Bhaskara Sethupathy en.wikibedia.ru  

Bhaskara Sethupathy (Hiranyagarbhayaji Ravikula Muthuvijaya Raghunatha Bhaskara) (3 November 1868 - 27 December 1903) was the  Raja of Ramnad. Shortly called Bhaskara Sethupathy was born in this illustrious dynasty on 3 November 1868 and his father was Muthuramalinga Sethupathy II and mother was Muthathal Nachiyar. Well-educated, on 3 April 1889, he became the head of Ramanathaparam state and being farsighted and visionary, he initiated several public welfare schemes for the benefit of his subjects, besides, he was a patron of fine arts. His Rajaguru was Sri Sringeri  Sankarachariar of Sarada Peetam (Karnataka) and with support from him, he not only stopped animal sacrifices at Rajarajeswari temple in his kingdom but also facilitated the entry of Harijans into the temple. Between 1890 and 1893, he executed countless public  welfare schemes in education, agriculture, health and religion worth more than Rs. 40 lakhs.

A historical fact that the present day Indians may not be aware is that it was Raja Bhaskara Sethupathy who helped Swami Vivekananda attend  the World  Congress of Religion  held in Chicago, USA on 11 September 1893. In 1892 Swami Vivekananda visited Madurai and stayed with Raja Bhaskara Sethupathy as his guest. On January 23 1897, he was instrumental in arranging for a rousing reception to the Swamiji upon his successful speech at the world conference. Not be content with this, he built a monument in the place where he landed and had the words inscribed ''Satmameva jayathe'' on it in the same year.
Swami Vivekananda, on his part, conferred the tittle Rajarishi (Ascetic king) on Bhaskara Sethupathy for his services to the Hindu religion and for his selfless public services. 

Bhaskara Sethupathy  evinced keen interest in Tamil literary works and held the 4th Tamil Sangam during the later period. The unexpected demise of Swami Vivekananda, his mentor, made him grief-stricken and this forced him to lead a life of an ascetic in a Mutt on the banks of the river Tamiraparani in Kallidakuruchi
vivekanandaallquotes.blogspot.com
near Tirunelveli Town. He died on 27 Dec. 1903 at a young age of 35, but in that short period, being a pious and generous ruler of Ramnad, he made a niche for himself in the history of South Tamil Nadu. 


↧

Queen Velu Nachiyar - first woman from Tamil Nadu to rattle the British before Sepoy Mutiny!!

October 2, 2018, 2:09 am
$
0
0

Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, TN istampgallery.com

Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, TN youtube.com
Among the countless  woman patriots of India who fought against the British hegemony, a handful of them made a permanent  mark and left a legacy behind them. In the 18th century  Queen Velu Nachiar of a small kingdom called Sivaganga in South Tamil Nadu  protested against the atrocities committed by the British Company. Despite facing defeat and loss of her husband, after a long exile, she came back like a Phoenix bird from the ashes and seized her kingdom from the British and their alley Arcot Nawab. 
Dilapidated Sivagangai palace, Sivagangai postcard.news
At a time when the wily East India company was trying to lay a strong foundation in Tamil Nadu through a combination of brute force, dishonesty and diabolism, it was Velu Nachiyar, the queen of Ramnad who  took a vow to stop their southern expansion. The British knew the knack of hanging on to the traitors  and using  them to create a wedge among the small princely rulers. Her skirmishes and war against the British would go down in 'Indian colonial  history' as one of the greatest moments.  Her fight against the oppressive EIC is an inspiring one, a saga of bravery, skill and military strategy.  The European powers operating here had an added advantage as there was lack of unity among the small princely states. Consequently, the atmosphere was charged with intrigues, treachery and treason, as they changed their alliance with the princely  states to gain advantage over other European competitors. Their sole aim was to gain more territories. Being smart as she was, Velu Nachiyar never fell a prey to them and resisted their advances to control her land.
rsschennai.blogspot.com
Daughter of king Sellamuthu Sethupathiof Ramanathapuram, queen Velu Nachiyar was born in 1750 and Sakkandhi was one of the palayams of Sivagangai  where she grew up  as a courageous and talented women. She was a polyglot  and was well versed in many languages - Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, French and English. The major Tamil literary works that attracted her very much included Sillapathikaram and Manimakalai, besides the great epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Queen Valu Nachiyar was also well trained in the area of military warfare, administration of the kingdom, etc  as part of her family tradition. Married to Muthuvadukanathar, son of Sasivarna Periya Udaya Thevar (first ruler of independent Sivaganga), the couple were blessed with a daughter. Her husband ruled the kingdom from 1730 to 1750, the longest reign in the history of this state until he was killed in Kalayarkovil in 1772.  He could not fight against the British forces led by Col. Smith; the most tragic incident in the history of this region. 
Velu Nachiyar palace. rstored. peopleofindia1868-1875photos.blogspot.com
To avoid further onslaught, Queen Velu Nachiyar fled Kalayarkovil along with her daughter accompanied by her trust-worthy associates Marudu brothers. Along with some bodyguards she sought asylum with Gopal Nayaakkar at Virupakshi palayam. Subsequently, she had a meeting with Hyder Ali of Mysore at Dindikal. Her kingdom now came under the control of Arcot Nawab who had an alliance with the British Company. The alliance with Hyder Ali, his arch enemy, gave shudders to Arcot Nawab. The patriotic and loyal people of Sivagangai defeated the efforts of the British company and Arcot Nawab to control the land. After a lapse of eight long years with support from Hyder Ali and her loyal associates she waged a war against the British and his allies and recaptured Sivaganga in 1780. At last, the flag of Arcot Nawab was lowered from the flag post of Sivaganga fort and there went up the flag of Hanuman, the official flag of Sivaganga kingdom. As per a compromise made by the British, Vengan Periya Udaya Thever became the king of Sivaganga, but velu Nachiyar's adopted son Padamathur Gowri Valluba Thevarfled to Arantangi (now in Pudukottai dist.) to avoid arrest. After the unexpected demise of her daughter, Velu Nachiyar became weak and grief-stricken. As Sivagangai did not suit her, she came back to Virupaksh Palayam and stayed there till her death on 25 Dec. 1796.
Velu Naxhiyar statue, Soorakulam  thehindu.com/
Above image: Floral tributes were paid to ‘Veeramangai’ Velu Nachiyar, the first Indian queen who fought against the British, on the occasion of her birth anniversary in the first week of January 2016. The ministers from the ruling Tamil Nadu Government garlanded the statue of  Velu Nachiyar at her memorial in Soorakulam in Kayalayarkoil block and paid homage at a brief function organised by the State government. The 18th century queen of Sivaganga (1730-1796) was the first revolutionary who revolted agaist  the British far ahead of the Sepoy mutiny of 1857. Also participated in the function were  Collector S. Malarvizhi, MP and MLA from this  area and others ...... https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Floral-tributes-paid-to-Velu-Nachiyar/article13980263.ece

For additionalinformation read: https://navrangindia.blogspot.
com/2015/03/queen-velu-nachiyar-first-to-introduce.html

http://www.istampgallery.com/rani-velu-nachchiyar/
https://peopleofindia1868-1875photos.blogspot.com/2013/05/rani-velu-nachiarsivagangasouth-india.html










↧

India's freedom struggle - a brief account and Gandhi Jayanthi

October 3, 2018, 3:08 am
$
0
0
anymessages.blogspot.com
slideshare.net
Today (2 Oct. 2018) is the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (M.K. Gandhi), commonly known as Gandhiji, the man who spearheaded India's freedom struggle against the British. On this occasion it is nice to look back on India's freedom movements against the British Empire. Here is a simple and brief account of how we got the freedom from the tough British Government. During the colonial rule and protests to free India, millions of people lost their lives. A fairly rich and independent country, centuries after British rule, became a poor nation with emaciated and impoverished people having  poor revenue and low literacy rate. 
The British  landed in India as Mercantile Traders under East India Company during the last phase of Mogul rule - (Emperor Jehangir was the ruler). Taking advantage of lack of unity among the Indian rulers, besides  prevailing caste and religious differences among the Indian population, the British had no difficulty in driving  a wedge among  different communities and rulers  to grab their  land across India one by one. The task was quite easy and  as they had an edge over the Indian rulers whose fire power was not good enough to stop their military advances and land-grabbing spree. 


Both the East India company and later the Raj  ruled the country with diabolism, scheming and cunning.  In 1651 first factory was set up in Hoogly. Later Job Charnock established a factory  to expand the business in Bengal and in 1698, it was fortified to protect it against their enemies. The British Misused thr trade treaty and refused to pay the duty and this led to several skirmishes between the Bengal Nawab and the English Company. Their first big catch was Bengal that  was ruled by Nawab Siraj-ud-dualah, a rich ruler. Under Robert Clive they had Nawab Siraj killed with the help of his own relatives. The notable one being Mir Jaffer, a traitor who indirectly helped the English gain a foothold in India. After a couple of decisive wars, Barttle of Plassey (June 1757) and Battle of Buxar (June 1763), the entire fertile Bengal with its vast revenue  (ferman) became their prized possession and the British economy, which was in a shambles (their GDP was less than 1%), began to move upward. Gandhiji's Satygraha/ non-cooperation, Salt march to Dandi, his role in INC (Indian national Congress) and Quit India movement and  his close link with various leaders across the country had a unique impact on India's freedom struggle. The different parts of India voiced their protest as one nation.
slideshare.net
India's  GDP, then hovering around 25%, on the other hand, had begun to go down hill. Now EIC became a proxy government for the Crown and with vast revenue from Bengal and other areas, they took care of Britain's public welfare and used part of the money for wars and expansion of military stationed in India to seize more lands. The EIC became breeding ground for corruption, illegal commission, syphoning off company money and their illegal activities. In the 18th century and later in the 19th century they toppled many kingdoms using the Doctrine of lapse (introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1834) and the Doctrine of Subsidiary  Alliance  (introduced by Lord Wellesley in the year from 1798 to 1805). In South India after the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1798 (in the Angelo- Mysore War), by 1900, the British controlled the entire Indian subcontinent, including Burma, Nepal and Sri lanka.  Millions of people were reduced to abject poverty and countless Indian Maharajahs and Nawabs not only lost their  Crown and land, but also their honor and dignity. They were driven to the edge of desperation  and were pushed to the receiving end and  be content with an annual dole/grant from the British and a part of the princely state. Of course, the Indian rulers  also carried  some fancy titles bstoed by the  Royal Government to satisfy their past glory and ego; hence the creation  of Salute States.  This was done with a view to keeping the Indian princes in  good spirit and to get their continued support to keep the Raj on the pedestal. 

During their long rule in India  dishonest activities such as corruption, racial discrimination, seizing of tribal lands, forcing farmers to sell their land in order to raise tea, coffee plantation, etc., and above all compelling the Indian farmers to grow and process opium to be exported to China for enormous profits affected the  overall lives of the Indians. Ever since the fall of Bengal Province  to the British, Indian natives patience had reached the fag end and then there erupted  many revolts against the British. The Vellore Mutiny of July 1806 and the big armed rebellion called Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 are worth noting . The latter in which even the peasants and tribes took part, shook the British rule which subsequently  came under the direct administration of the British Crown. The EIC used brutal repressive measures to quell the uprising and got a bad rap. Roughly a million people were killed during the rebellion. Hundreds of indian were blown right before the canons. Even under the crown administration, disenchantment and discontent prevailed among the natives that resulted in small revolts in some parts of India. 

India's freedom from the British rule was the result of culmination of above revolts, besides the sacrifices of so many Indian patriots, including women  across India. The British repressive rule continued without any break, so were the political protests and unrest by prominent national leaders which became a national movement, uniting patriotic leaders from different states. The mass struggle put them all on one platform to rant their voice against the wily British 

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (or Lokmanya Tilak; 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, lawyer and an independence activist. He was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred with the title of "Lokmanya",meaning "accepted by the people (as their leader)".Being a contemporary of Gokhale, a great freedom fighter, Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj ("self-rule"),  a strong radical approach that awoke the  Indian consciousness. Who will forget  his famous quote in Marathi: "Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!". He had a close rapport and formed an  alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders of repute including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
slideshare.net
Though the freedom struggle had begun to shape, the  Indian Army was forced to be active during World War I; a large number of divisions and independent brigades served in the European, Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of war. Over one million Indian troops - a whooping figure served overseas. In the bloody war that started on a whim in Europe,  62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. The disgusting fact is the major contribution made by Indian soldiers in WWI was not well appreciated in British History. This infuriated the Indian leaders. 
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, taken place on 13 April 1919 when troops of the British Indian Army under the command of Col. Reginald Dyer using high-powered rifles fired on the unarmed peaceful crowd of Indians without any prior warning. The people  had gathered on a festival day in  the Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab. Gen. Dyer had kept only one exit open and the rest closed. More than 1000 innocent people, including children and women were mercilessly killed; equal number of people were severely wounded.No medical aid or ambulance service was allowed and countless people were bled to death. it was a painful death for them.  This incident that shook the entire world angered the peace-loving Indian National leaders, including Gandhiji. This barbaric incident accelerated India's freedom struggle and it was a turning point in Indian history and soon Satyagraha/ non-cooperation introduced by Gandhiji became a political tool across many parts of India.

The legitimate freedom struggle continued on one side by the national leaders and in the 1920s and 1930s young patriots, in particular from Bengal, became revolutionaries and took to violence as a means to get Free India from Britain's oppressive rule. In the aftermath of failure of the Simon Commission, civil obedience on a large scale  became a trump card for the Indians who wanted just Purna Swaraj. Quit India movement became yet another important phase in India's freedom struggle. During the WWII, great patriot SriSubbash Chandra Bose formed INA (Indian National Army and blazed a different trail to fight for Azad India. It had a remarkable impact on the people as well on the Indian soldiers in the British India Army. The trial of Azad Hind Fauz officers further infuriated the Indian natives and there was wide-spread strikes across India. 


 From February 1946 onward there were many serious strikes by a section of the armed forces across India. The most serious one being that of Navy Revolt by Indian sailors of the Royal Indian Navy on board ship and shore establishments at Bombay harbour on 18 February 1946. The revolt spread from Bombay harbour and found support throughout British India, from Karachi to Calcutta, involving  over 20,000 sailors in 78 ships and shore establishments. The British rulers in London now understood that they were losing their firm grip on the Indian subcontinent and anything short of full freedom won't work. The previous Conservative  Government headed by hot-headed Winston Churchill who despised the Indians, Hindu Gods and Gandhiji and who was responsible for the death of millions of people in the 1943 great Bengal famine, purposely stalled the freedom process. With the emergence of labor Government headed by Earl Attlee, the scenario became conducive to the formation of free India. After several negotiations
slideshare.net
 regarding transfer of power, the dreams of generations of Indian realized when India became a free country on 15 August 1947. Though it was a joyous occasion for millions, countless national leaders were not happy as the wily British in their last hours had the Indian subcontinent divided into two countries - Democratic India and Theocratic Pakistan. The latter being the brain child of Mohd. Ali Jinnah who, at last, became a puppet in the hands of the British who diabolically used the communal problem as a trump card to form a new nation simply on the basis of religion.
(From various resources)  
Some quotes from Gandhiji: 

quotesgram.com
inspirationalquotespics.com
nspirationboost.com
quotesgram.com
For more reading on Gandhiji refer to the foll:https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2018/09/champaran-satyagraha-movemement.html
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2015/09/mahatma-gandhi-his-change-of-attire-and.html
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2016/10/mahatma-gandhi-apostle-of-non-violence.html
↧
Search

Thanumalayan temple, Suchindram, Kanyakumari where Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma form the "Linga"

October 4, 2018, 1:36 am
$
0
0


Suchindram Thanumalayan temple, TN /en.wikipedia.org
Suchindram Town, about 12 kms from KanyakumariTown, Tamil Nadu in the tip of Peninsular India, is a famous destination for tourists who visit the near-by town Kanyakumari where three seas converge - the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea.  This is the southern most end of the Indian subcontinent beyond which one can see nothing but a vast expanse of water up to the Antarctic Ocean. The quiet surroundings, the Vivekananda Mantap, where Swami Vivekananda was engaged in deep meditation before his journey to Chicago,  USA and near-by giant statue of Tamil saint  and bard  Tiruvalluvar, attract lots of visitors from across India. Here, they can spend their holidays in a productive way free from preoccupation with drab and mundane life of the madding urban environment. Sure, visiting  Kanyankumari  District will be a new and exciting experience and  is an easy detour for many pilgrims. 
Suchindram Thanumalayan temple,indianmandirs.blogspot.com
Above image: Thanumalayan temple, Suchindram. Prakaram or Prathakshana path around Srikovil or sanctum. ..................

Suchindram town, located between Nagarkovil and Kanyakumari,  is famous for the  Hindu temple Thanumalayan Perumal temple, also known as  Suchindram Anjaneyar Temple. Known for its sculptural grandeur,  this temple was built in the 17th century and has inspiring  sculptures well- known for their quality of workmanship and artistic excellence. A good example is the 18 foot tall stone musical pillars made of one  stone (monolithic) located in Alankara mantap. The other place called Dancing hall has 1035 ornate pillars that may leave you spell-binding. The 7-tiered entrance gopuram (roughly 40 meter tall) - tower, white in color, is quite visible from a distance. Like  countless Tamil Nadu temples,  the tower has nicely carved sculptures of Hindu deities. The major attraction  here is a giant stone statute of Anjanayar. It is 22-foot tall made of hard stone - I presume granite-related rock. Butter offerings is a common feature and is daubed on the stone image. Later, itis scooped out and distributed as prasadam among the devotees.  Hanuman worship is quite popular here. The Shiva's mount - Nandi (bull), here, is  made of mortar and lime  and not of hard stone.  It is 13 feet (4.0 m) tall, 21 feet (6.4 m) long and 20 feet wide, and  is one of the biggest Nandis in India. There are Oonjal mantap as well as Chitra sabha where many mythological paintings are on display. Some depict various Tandavas (dances) of Lord Shiva, famous Cosmic dancer.
Hanuman statue. Suchindram Thanumalayan temple, eprarthana.com
A historical fact attracts our attention about this giant Hanuman statue which was discovered way back in 1930 and later was consecrated.  Apparently the statue was buried in 1740 fearing raid by Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Yet another aspect of this temple is 
it is dedicated  to the Trinity gods in the Hindu pantheon - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and the Linga in the sanctum represents all the three Gods and it goes by the name of  Sthanumalyam. Both 
Nayak rulers of Madurai and Travancore Royal family made endowments for the up-keep of this temple. In 1875 The Travancore Maharajah_Ayilyam Thirunaal collected roughly Rs.40,000.00 through lottery to repair the damaged parts of the temple. 

The Thanumalayan Temple attracts  both Shaivite and Vaishnavite sects of Hinduism, as the name Stanumalaya denotes Trimurtis; "Stanu" means Siva; "Mal" means Vishnu; and the "Ayan" means Brahma. Earlier, this temple was under  the control of Travancore Devaswom Board and presently it is under the HRCE of Tamil Nadu, a  government  organization taking care of Hindu temples. It was previously controlled by the Nambudiris, one of the main Namboodiri families called the Thekkumon Madam was in charge of this temple. It is said, still the main priests in this temple are from Namboodiri Brahmin sect and not  Brahmins of Tamil Nadu!!
Legend (Sthalapurana) has it that the three Gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma appeared before Anusuya, the wife (Pathini) of Sage Atri in the guise of Brahmins for biksha  and  imposed a condition that that they would eat if she served them in nude (Atheists may be wondering about the perversion of Gods!!). Being a chaste woman with power of chastity, she converted all the three into small babies and fed them. Upon the request of Goddesses, Anusuya restored them and they became one form - a  Linga. God Indira was believed to have been cured of a curse and became purified here. Suchi means purifying, hence the name Suchindram.  Vaishnavite scholar  and poet Namazhwar in his work Tiruvoimozhi mentioned that one must visit this temple, before one reaches the old age. 
Trinity gods in one form. Suchindram Thanumalayan temple kanyakumaritemples.tnhrce.in
Suchindram Thanumalayan temple, TN alamy.com
This is one of few temples in India where we can see the Trinity Gods in one form - Sthanumalyam worshipped by both Vaishnavite and Shaivite communities living here. There are also shrines dedicated to Goddesses, thus taking care of the religious aspirations of Devi worshippers. 
Suchindram Thanumalayan temple, Chariot festivalen.wikipedia.org
The 10-day Car (Chariot) Festival of  this temple held annually \between December and January attracts thousands of people who actively participate in this colorful event with Bhakti and religious fervor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanumalayan_Temple
https://www.thehindu.com/br/2002/01/29/stories/2002012900150300.html







↧
↧

Lord Hanuman - a symbol of Bhakti-Shakti worship

October 5, 2018, 12:31 am
$
0
0
Rama Bhata Hanuman getwallpapers.com
In the Hindu pantheon there are so many deities, it is difficult to keep a tab on them and their significance. Lord Hanuman, I believe,  does not belong to the Hindu pantheon of Gods, rather he plays a pivotal role in the great epic Ramayana. He, being a true devotee and follower of God - incarnate Sri. Rama, is revered and worshipped by devote Hindus across India  As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned one can see one or more than one shrine dedicated to Sri Hanuman. The Hanuman shrines at Namakkal town  and at Nanganallur, a suburb of Chennai, TN  are popular and both have a large stone image of Rama Bhakta Hanuman.
hindugodlatestwallpapers.blogspot.com
Hanuman, an ardent devotee of Sri Rama of the great epic the Ramayana, plays a major role in helping God Rama get back his consort  Sri Sita from Lanka where she was held hostage by the demon king Ravana. So, he played no less role than others  in the Ramayana and is believed to be a central character in that great ancient epic. He is a Vaanara - semi -ape and semi -man god. He goes by several names like Maruthi, Anjaneya, Vayuputra and  Mangalmurti. His name is also mentioned in various Puranas and also in yet another great epic Mahabharata. Paradoxically,  from archaeological point of view, the evidence of devotional Hanuman worship  is missing in the old texts and ancient archaeological sites  and of the medieval period. Also not clear is his theological origin, his parentage, etc. The general consensus is Hanuman  was born in Treta Yuga as the son of  a Vanara couple Anjana and Kesari. His other name Anjanaya denotes he is arising from Anjana. He is also son of Vayu - god of wind. Some texts portray him as the incarnation of God Shiva.  Some researchers believe that he is a non-Aryan deity and was inducted into the Aryan theology  as a sort of fusion God, doing the duty of a protector. 


More often we have seen Hanuman portrayed as a strong  semi-ape and semi-man holding a gada (mace) which is a sign of bravery and having a picture of Lord Rama on his chest; the latter being his sign of devotion to Lord Rama. 
Sri. Hanuman godpictureswallpaper.blogspot.com.es
In Jainism and Buddhism,  mention is made of Hanuman. It is quite interesting to note that outside of India in SE Asian countries like Cambodia, Malaysia  Indonesia, Myanmar and  Thailand Hanuman is a legendary character and shares similar traits  such as as bravery, honesty and dedication, etc., but,  he is not a bachelor (Brahmachari). In India, we consider him as a celibate-god who  respected women and considered them as sisters.  
His devotion to Lord Rama was so deep and unalloyed that the lord blessed him with immortality (Chiranjeevi).  As long as the worship of Rama continues, so long Hanuman will live with the humanity and bless the people, according to many Hindu seers. Worship of Rama will be incomplete without worship of Hanuman. There is hardly any Rama temple in India which does not have an idol - metal or stone image of Sri Hanuman. That he is the epitome of true devotion and dedication to God Rama is a universal truth  and hence his devotees go to his shrine to overcome impediments in their lives.

Absence  of archaeological evidences as to the worship of Hanuman in the past centuries is a subject of wide debate and according to one American Indologist  Philip Lutgendorf who did intense research  on Hanuman, devotional and theological significance gained currency about 1,000 years after the compilation of the Ramayana in the 2nd millennium CE following the advent of Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent.  In its wake,  the Bhakti movement  headed by saints like Samarth Ramdas recognized  Hanuman as a symbol of courage and resistance to religious persecution by foreign invaders and one can see his idols - stone or otherwise in many temples dedicated to God Vishnu. 

In the last century or so there occur a number of shrines exclusively dedicated to God Hanuman. Devout Hindus across India look upon Hanuman as a source of strength and mental prowess, an ideal  symbol of  courage, dedication, assertiveness and true devotion to his personal guide Lord Rama.  In some later literature we see him as a patron  god of martial arts, wisdom and loyal to a cause, besides self control.  He symbolizes the human excellencies of inner self-control and determination. Hence Hanuman  combines two of the most important traits in the Hindu bhakti-shakti worship traditions.
God Hanuman's name has different interpretations and its origin is not clear. One version says that he has a prominent jaw (hanu: jaw). When he was a kid, he mistook the Sun for an orange and tried to grab it, hence he got the dented jaw. The other interpretation means destroyer of pride; Han means destroyed or killed;manameans pride. The implication here is ''one whose pride is destroyed''. His emotional attachment to God Rama brings out his humility. The third version, as found in Jain religious texts, is that Hanuman spent most of his childhood  on an island called Hanuruha. 


In the Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, the Bhakta Mala, the Ananda Ramayana and the Ramacharitmanas we see Sri Hanuman is being presented as an exceptional devotee  of Sri Rama and Sri Sita. We have also found him to be talented, strong, brave and spiritually devoted to Rama. In  countless devotional literature, Hanuman is  described as the remover of difficulties as he emanates positive energy from him. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman
http://www.iloveindia.com/spirituality/gods/hanuman/index.html



↧

Tallest Hanuman statue in India - entirely made of marble

October 5, 2018, 9:45 am
$
0
0
Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Vijayawada, AP. .hindufaqs.com
God Hanuman, an ardent devotee of Sri Rama of the great epic the Ramayana,  does not directly belong to the Hindu pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. His name is synonymous with Rama and is a popular deity among devout Hindus across the length and breadth of India. Every small town in India has a shrine dedicated to Sri Hanuman, a  Vaanara - semi -ape and semi -man god. He is an epitome of courage, honesty dedication wit and wisdom. One can see his idol or stone image in all temples dedicated to Sri Rama. His dedication to Sri Rama is so much, he is often referred to as Rama Bhata Hanuman. This is the reason he is often portrayed as displaying the image of Sri Rama and his consort Sri Sita.
God Hanuman and Sri Rama indiadivine.org
In India there are countless tall statues of Hanuman. In almost all states you can see his giant image.  The tallest statue of Hanuman one under construction is at Mandabam, Srikakulam District of Andhra and it is about 176 feet tall. The second tallest one is that of  Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Swami and it is close to  Vijayawada city in Andhra Pradesh. Entirely made of white marble, it stands 135 feet tall and was built in 2003. Paritala Anjaneya Temple  houses this statue and the village is 30 km from Vijayawada and can be accessed via  Highway NH-9
God Hanuman. maadurgawallpaper.com

It is said that this statue is taller than the statue of Christ - the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (38 m, including 8 m pedestal). This statue of Hanuman attracts lots of people from Andhra and other states. The tallest  statue of God Hanuman outside India is at Carapichaima, Trinidad and Tobago, which is 85 ft tall.
https://www.hindufaqs.com/5-tallest-lord-hanuman-statues-in-india/
↧

Historical Scott Christian college, Nagarcoil - first one in the Princely state of Travancore

October 6, 2018, 3:56 am
$
0
0

postal stamp, 28 June 2018  istampgallery.com/
The Scott Christian College, Nagarcovil, Tamil Nadu  the first one to be started  in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore,  is one of the oldest colleges in the state of Tamil Nadu. It came up during the early period of colonial rule under the English company.  The origin of this 125 year old institution can be traced to a  village-church school at Mylaudy founded in 1809 the Rev. William Tobias Ringeltaube. He was  the pioneering missionary of the London Missionary Society in Mylaudy in the then South Travancore  state.  In 1818, the Rev. Charles Mead moved the Central School or Seminary over to   Nagercoil. The Rev. Dr James Duthie took the control of the  the Seminary in 1860, and, being a good administrator, he succeeded  in raising it to a college. Later in 1893, the college became  a Second Grade College affiliated to the University of Madras. This was possible with the generous contribution of 1000 pounds from  one Mr. Septimus Scott and a grant from the Government of Travancore.
Rev. James Duthie DD scott.ac.in
Initially, this historic  college had just 12 students under the Rev. Dr James Duthie, the first Principal of this famous college.  From 1894 to 1898  Mr. J.E. Dennison ran the college as the principal and he discontinued  his link with the South Travancore Mission in 1898. He managed the affairs of the college till the Rev. George Parker who became the head in January 1901. The college saw rapid growth under the Rev. Parker. Under the Indian University Act of 1904, the FA (First in Arts) course was replaced by a new course called the Intermediate Examination course. Rev. Parkers's father-in-law E.D. Pochin of Manchester donated adequate funds to buy  an extensive  ground  for the recreation of students. Rev. Parker was well assisted by the Rev. R. H. Eastaff who joined him in 1921. He was instrumental in starting the Scott Christian College and School Magazine which was published every term during his period of service. In 1924, the college library gained a name and was well-equipped with valuable books more than 4000. In Feb. 1926, the silver jubilee of the Rev. Parker's service was celebrated by the college management and the old students.
Scott Chritian School, Nagarcoil, TN. wikimapia.org
The faculty of science department got priority when G. H. Marsden, MA (Cambridge university)  became the principal in 1927. He helped the intermediate college grow with 140 students. In the same year, the new principal allowed women students to pursue there and further due importance was given to sports activities. In 1928 Mr. Marsden introduced annual medical exam of all enrolled students of his college. Lord Irwin, the Viceroy with Lady Irwin paid a visit to the College on 9 December 1929.  From 1938, till the formation of a new district as part of Tamil Nadu state, the college had affiliation with the Univ. of Travancore. In 1950 this college became one of the few ones in this region to offer degree in sports. In 1957, it became part of Madras University.  After 1966, Scott Christian College was affiliated to the newly formed Madurai Kamaraj University. Since 1990, it has been affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli. Upon the advice of D. A.L. Mudaliar, VC, Madras university who inspected the facilities here in 1957, the new campus came up on a plot of 43 acres close to the highway. Mr. Arumai Raj took over as the principal in 1957 after the retirement of  Principal. G. H. Marsden, 

Presently, the college offers several undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in various fields, including linguistics. It is an A grade college with five stars  under NAAC, Govt. of India. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Christian_College
http://www.istampgallery.com/scott-christian-college-nagercoil/


↧

St. Stephen's Hospital, first women's and children's hospital in Delhi

October 6, 2018, 8:00 am
$
0
0

stampgallery.com
With a capacity of about 600 beds, St Stephen's Hospital is the oldest and one of the largest private Hospitals in Delhi. Established in 1885 under the rule of the British Crown, it  a super speciality tertiary care Hospital offering care in all specialities. Besides treating patients, the hospital is running training programs in various fields and highly specialized fields  affiliated to the National Board of Examinations and recognized by the Medical Council of India. It also offers  B.Sc and MSc  Nursing and undergraduate courses in  General Nursing and Midwifery and related  health professional courses. It provides  24 hours emergency and medical  services and has high-tech operation theatres and clinical labs, etc. Their motto is  "In Love Serve One Another".
St. Stephen's hospital, Delhi. findplace.in
In line with their motto, the philosophy of care, compassion and love has been the motivating force of this hospital in all its stages of growth. As late Mrs. Indira Gandhi put it in Sept. 1884 that this hospital, a part of the lives of people of Delhi, has shared their sorrow and joy through out its history right from its inception. The postal Dept. on 25 November 1985 issued a commemorative postage stamp on the centenary of the St. Stephen Hospital,TIS Hazari (1885 to 1985)

Opened on 31 October 1885 as the first hospital for women and children, it was the brain child of non-medical Missionary English Priscilla Winter and her dedicated associates who were pioneers in field work. These dedicated workers wanted to pay particular attention to the underprivileged people and their medical problems. This hospital that was started with well-defined vision and motto went through various stages to achieve the need-based growth and they achieved their goal through the sustained work of a group of dedicated and committed ladies. They started out by distributing medicine on the banks of Yamuna in 1864, then opened a small dispensary  in 1874 in a rented house and  later  a 40 bed hospital in 1885 for women and children in Chandni Chowk, a suburb of Delhi. To take care of additional medical needs, in TIS Hazari in 1909, they opened a 100 bed hospital. In 1976, the hospital became a big one with a capacity of 375 beds. Since 1976, its growth has been phenomenal, thanks to the local communities who patronized the services of this historical hospital exclusively founded by English women for the benefits of native women and children. 
dialmedicaljobs.com
St. Stephen's was the first Zanana hospital and the first to introduce pre-natal baby care clinics which were quite helpful to the local communities. It was first to start a Nursing  training program and first to be recognized for post-partum program.
http://www.istampgallery.com/st-stephens-hospital-delhi/
↧
↧

St. Stephen Church, Delhi, named after the first Christian Martyrs of India in 1857

October 6, 2018, 9:35 am
$
0
0

St. Stephen’s Church Delhi sarsonkekhet.in
The capital city of Delhi, once the seat of power of the Raj, has many historical churches that were built in typical European style. Among them the St. Stephen's church is an interesting one.  Perhaps, one may be wondering why the exterior of the church is red in color.  The red color  is  said to symbolize the blood of St. Stephen, the first Christian Martyr and Patron Saint of the city, and also the blood of the first Christian martyrs in India who were killed in Delhi in 1857 revolt - Sepoy Mutiny against the atrocities of the East India company and its corrupt officials.

St. Stephen’s Church, located on the busy Church Mission Road in old  Delhi is a historical church built in 1862.  It was constructed  by Anglican missionaries and DPW Engineers and  it is now part of  Church of North India Diocese of Delhi. The famous St. Stephen’s College and St.Stephen’s Hospital  are also within the same compound. The Anglican mission Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was responsible for building this church to take care of the spiritual needs of the early European settlers and the newly converts. This organization was given full support by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi which founded the St. Stephen's College which is now affiliated to Delhi University. 
St. Stephen’s Church Delhi victorianweb.org
The impressive feature of this Church is its typical Gothic style of design influenced by the Romanesque architecture This church is well known for its stained glass rose window which is exclusive in Delhi and also for its ornate walls and ceilings. The unique feature  in this  baroque styled church is the arched windows are set in a way as to allow  enough sunlight to brighten the interiors.There are  nice pictures, carvings, well-made pieces of  beautiful furniture. and motiff.  A series of fine plasters form arcade on either side with lined columns made of sandstone. These columns carry beautiful carvings. The structure itself is described on the heritage board outside as a "large Romanesque Church" 
St. Stephen’s Church Delhi. lickr.com

'Ian Baucom explains that the Gothic triumphed so completely "in the cities, cantonments, and stations of the British Raj" because the "architects and engineers of the colony's Public Works Department had at their disposal not only the writings of Ruskin and Pugin but also such journals as the Camden Society's Ecclesiologist, a periodical devoted to disseminating Pugin's Gothic principles, and the The Builder, the leading architectural publication of the period"  Jan Morris labels this kind of building work neatly as "Royal Engineers' Gothic, Public Works Department Gothic". But the architect's name may have been deliberately omitted from this church's history...........' (vide: http://www.victorianweb.org/history/
empire/india/12c.html). The church has high ceiling with baroque style of decoration which gives the feeling of divinity and a sense of sanctity prevailing on the premises.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen%27s_Church,_Delhi




↧

Gov. Gen. Warren Hastings - the most popular early British official! who loved India very much!

October 10, 2018, 10:20 am
$
0
0

Warren Hastings, first British Governor- General en.wikipedia.org
It is to be acknowledged that it was  Warren Hastings, the first British Governor- General who understood the value of age old Indian culture and the ancient language Sanskrit  and launched India's  cultural renaissance way back in the 1780s. He, having been brought up in an altogether different culture, speaking a different mother tongue  famously declared: “I love India a little more than my own country”. That point of time, this vast subcontinents had lots of jungles, poorly developed roads and the natives, including countless tribes, spoke different languages that  Hastings never heard of before. He was the most popular of all British Governors and after Robert Clive, he strengthened  the foundation of the British empire laid by him.  Paradoxically, he was the first Gov. General impeached by the British Government, though acquitted on his return to his native country. One might say he felt more of an Indian than an Englishman as much of his young age was spent in India.

Unlike his predecessors, despite his preoccupation with official duties for the English company, Hastings  took time off and  learnt about Indian culture and. driven by curiosity and interest, he became quite familiar with Indian languages -  Bengali, Urdu and Persian. The natives  and Indian rulers began to like him as he was a man of affable disposition. He developed a good contact with the natives and interested in their welfare. His attitude toward Indians was not biased and was feeling more at home in India than in his native England. 

Credit goes to Warren Hastings  to revive India's ancient classical language Sanskrit  that was widely used by Brahman priesthood. Incidentally, the researchers at NASA, USA declared that they had found Sanskrit as the most computer-friendly language. World over, countless universities teach Sanskrit. It is said that peculiar sound vibrations produced when pronouncing Sanskrit words or mantras  make brain function more effectively.  Hastings, whose administrative skill  deferred from  other British officials, did consolidate  the British rule in India and at the same time had keen interest in India's ethos and heritage.  He fostered education, encouraged the codification of Hindu law,  stimulated the study of Sanskrit by European scholars along with Jones, founded a Mohammedan college in Calcutta and an Indian institute in London, opened a trade route to Tibet, sponsored a survey of Bengal, and organized an expeditions to explore the seas. 
     
In the earliest stages of his career, Hastings  faced hardship as in June 1756 the Nawab's army raided the small Kasimnagar garrison and imprisoned the British including Hastings in Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal, while his other army raided Calcutta  and captured it. Hasting, fearing for his life escaped from Murshidabad to a remote isle Fulta and joined the other refugees,. Here, he met his future wife Ms. Mary Buchanan and married her. In January 1757  Clive's forces from Madras rescued them and other refugees. Later Hastings joined Robert clive and their forces recaptured Calcutta. Clive, impressed with Hastings' dedication to duty,  sent him back to Karimnagar to resume his company work.

Hastings' predecessors, unlike him, had an advantage over him with respect to promotion and peerage, because they had some kind of link with the British aristocracy. Hastings, son of a clergyman and later abandoned by him,  had a  modest beginning in August 1750 at the age of 17 as a clerk (writer)  in the East India Company (EIC), Calcutta. He climbed the ladder of officialdom by dint of hard work.  His job at an up-country factory in Kasimbazaar in Bengal helped him develop a good contact with the natives and he freely mixed with them without any hesitation or inhibition, an unusual trait not visible among British Sahibs whose eccentricity was  bordering on arrogance. So, being courteous and humane, Hastings earned the respect of the natives.


The English company never stuck to the trade treaty made with the local Nawab or his predecessors in Bengal. Nor, did they pay the back taxes - customs duty fees. After 1756, the The company's hostilities did not stop with the French, their trading competitor, but also targeted  the peace-loving Indian rulers. The relationship between the ruling Nawab and the English company was very much strained. Pleagued by dishonesty and corruption among the higher-ups of the EIC, the Nawab was quite furious over the illegal, private trading privileges that corrupt Company employees were claiming to evade local taxes, causing heavy loss to the state's  treasury,  besides preventing the operation of local traders in that area. Being a member of the Governor of Bengal’s Council in 1760, Hastings did not go along with the English companyls unethical operations.
Hastings with his wife Marian in their garden at Alipore, c. 1784–87en.wikipedia.org

After the Battle of Plassey (1757),  as planned by Robert Clive, the unfriendly Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was killed and betrayed by his own relatives. Now, they put Mir Jafer as the Nawab (a puppet ruler) and Hastings became a Resident (1758 to 1761) in  his court at Murshidabad  for the EIC. He also served as a member in the council (1761 to 1764) dealing with the affairs of Bengal In the later period, Hastings successfully handled his dealings with the Nawabs as he had good contact with the natives and respected their culture. When the new Nawab, being a puppet in the hands of EIC officials, was subjected  to intimidation and affront, Hastings never failed to support the Nawab and  his fragile authority.  After two years, Mir Jafer was replaced by friendly Mir Kasim as the new Nawab by the  company. Hastings never failed to support the Nawab's stand vis-a-vis illegal, private trading privileges  claimed by the EIC officials. When the new Nawab, Mir Kasim, unlike Mir Jafer, understood English company's motive to capture the land, he withdrew  trade privileges enjoyed by the English company  and allowed free trade. This move helped the stagnated Indian traders, but affected the English company;s profits. The English company turned hostile against the Nawab despite strong objection raised by Hastings. For his honest dealings, EIC officials labelled Hastings as the Nawab's 'hired Solicitor'. 
Gov. Gen. Warren hastings. victorianweb.org/

Above image: Warren Hastings (1732-1818) by Richard Westmacott. Marble. The two figures on either side of Hastings are part of the piece. They represent, on the left, a Muslim reading a book, and on the right, a Brahman holding a palm manuscript. The group was originally located in the south portico of the Town Hall, Calcutta. Today it is located in the West Quadrangle of the Victoria Memorial. The statue of Hastings was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1828, while the other figures were exhibited in 1829.
Photograph by Robert Freidus and Simon stock. Text by Freidus and George P. Landow. 

Since the Nawab failed to be cooperative and unfriendly with the British company,  this finally led to a major battle - the Battle of Buxar in October 1764, bringing down the hegemony of the future Nawab rule in Bengal and other places. 


After the battle of Plassey, the  East India company's unethical methods to take complete control over Bengal, the wheeling dealings of its workers  in trade activities, the  dishonest control over Bengal and its sources after the war of Buxar  made Hastings,‘disheartened and disillusioned’. By bitter disputes with other members in the Council, he found himself in a minority. So, finally, he resigned his post and returned to England. Fate chalked out a different plan for him and after a long sojourn of four years, Hastings  returned to India in 1769 to a minor post in Madras (second in council). Two years later, he was initially  elevated to the  post of Governor of Bengal and later to the covetous  post of Governor-General, with authority over the two subordinate Presidencies of Madras and Bombay. 

Clive  was of the view that Hastings wanted to put the administration of  Bengal under their four agents without any system of western administration. He wanted to continue the Mogul type of administration with which the natives were familiar. He pioneered in remodelling the judiciary system through out Bengal  and brought the collection of taxes, etc., under effective supervision.  Gov. Gen. Hastings was particular about placing the domains - revenue recollection and judiciary in the hands of the natives -intermediaries. His suspicion was European administrators would overstep on the privileges of the gullible natives  and abuse their powers and the gentle natives had to put up with the 'corrupt tyranny of overbearing Englishmen’. So, he preferred the traditional Indian governance to the European-style governance. 

Hastings' unintentional administrative moves got him into troubled water. He was highly criticised for his mishandling of the following:  Rohilla settlers  - Afghan settlers on the borders of the kingdom of Awadh (now Uttar Pradesh). He had the Nawab drive out the Rohilla settlers from their lands by supplying his troops. This was done to recover revenue from them.

Some historians point out this charge of  war crime was purposely framed on Hastings to sully his name by his sworn enemies like the Whig politician, Sir Philip Francis and army officer John Clavering (both were among four members of the supreme council).  At the instigation of the former, one NandaKumar, business man became a star witness to the charge of financial mismanagement against Hastings. Later, when Nandakumar was caught in a forgery case involving the property of a Hindu Widow and the  judge of the Calcutta Supreme court pronounced death penalty on him. Since the judge happened to be Elijah Impey,  a close friend of Hastings, it was widely discussed that the Judge connived with Hastings and gave the harsh judgement.  two more incidents became a subject of serious debate in the impeachment proceedings against Hastings. One was   proceedings against Hastings. One was about  Raja Chait Singh of Banares, a filthy rich man  and the other about the rich  Begams of Awadh kingdoms who were mother and grand mother of the Nawab In both cases, Hastings departed from his soft approach and treated them in a harsh manner. This was done to get funds for major wars in the southern parts of India - to fight against Hyder Ali of Mysore and the mighty Marathas. In the former case, he was charged with extortion and in the latter he is purported to have taken away their estates, etc to help the English company tide over shortage of funds to meet ensuing war expenses. 
Warren Hastings later successfully tackled anti-British coalition forces between the French and regional powers the Marathas and the Muslim ruler Hyder Ali of Mysore. The victorious initial wars against them assured of East India's company's foray in the southern  parts of India, but the wars put a heavy financial strain on the company. 
 The British government did injustice to him to let the trial last for a long time - seven long years which itself was a big ordeal for Warren Hastings mentally  and financially. Mild- mannered and gentle, he led a quiet retirement life till his death on 22 August 1818 (Daylesford, Gloucestershire) at the ripe age of 85. In 1813, both Houses of Parliament rose spontaneously to give him a standing ovation when he came to give evidence on new legislation about India. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1814.


In the later years, Hastings Orientalist approach to Indian problems was pushed to the back burner and  westernisation of Indian  natives gained currency as suggested by Thomas Macaulay who wanted western oriented brown-Sahibs, perhaps to rum the administration  on a salary just half of the British Sahibs.  The trial of Hastings subtly gave a warning to future higher- ups going to India on assignment and their conduct there. They were accountable to their breach of duty and of poor  treatment of Indian natives. The irony is may British officers never shed their Britishness and aristocratic arrogance. A glaring example is Conservative politician and a well-known racist Winston Churchill who, in the 1943 great Bengal famine presided over the death of millions of Bangalis by preventing conscientious British officials from taking action to prevent the tragedy. Earlier, he stalled India's freedom process for a pretty long time using various pretexts
Much of the information discussed here is based on the following articles:
https://www.openthemagazine.com/article/essay/warren-Hastings-loved-india-a-little-more-than-his-own-country
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Warren_Hastings
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Warren-Hastings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Hastings
https://scroll.in/article/882623/indias-first-newspaper-covered-corruption-and-scandal-and-sexual-practices-fearlessly
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2014/12/gov-general-warren-hastings-he.html
↧
Search

Gov. Gen. Warren Hastings was framed by his enemies and faced impeachment

October 11, 2018, 5:05 am
$
0
0
India's firtst Gov. General Warren Hastings.alamy.com
Warren Hastings, son of a clergyman, began his career  in August 1750 at the age of 17 as a writer (cleark)  in the East India Company (EIC)'s factory in Kasimbazaar, Bengal.  Being a good and dedicated worker, naturally his promotion was quick. As much of his youthful days were spent in the subcontinent, he felt he was more an Indian than a British and had a good rapport with the natives as well as the rulers. He strongly believed that British India should be ruled by the traditional methods of governance rather than European - style of administration and in this respect, he deferred form his conservative colleagues. 
The English company's  business dealings with the local Nawbs were not honest and it severed the relationship between the Nawab and the company. The EIC never paid the duty fees as they were supposed to and their corrupt employees clandestinely engaged in ill-legal trade activities and claimed special privileges which other traders did not enjoy. This led to major skirmishes between them and finally the English company eliminated the unfriendly Nawab Siraj-ud Daulah  and  finally removed the last Nawab Mir Kasim  who later abolished the duties and special privileges. When Kasim's predecessor Mir Jaffer was the Nawab installed by the British, Hastings became a Resident (1758 to 1761) in  his court at Murshidabad  for the EIC. He also served as a member in the council (1761 to 1764) dealing with the affairs of Bengal.. When the officials illtreated the Nawab, Hastings openly voiced his concern  and was sympathetic with the local ruler. The continued hostilities led to major wars - the Battle of Plassey and  Battle of Buxar. Having wonboth battles,  the English company got the Diwani rights - authority to collect revenue and now the entire vast Bengal state came under their control. 
British  MP Edmund Burke led the prosecution of Hastings, een. wikipedia.org..

Through out his rule Hastings never supported the company's wheeling and dealings and on many occasions he supported the Nawabs and their legitimate rights with respect to administration. Bengal was governed by a Supreme Council (consisting of 4 members plus Hastings) and  Governor General's powers were restricted and balanced by the Council that had the  veto power to limit his decision.  The big-Whig conservative member like  Francis never supported Hastings  and his India-friendly policies. Hastings' attitude toward Indians was not biased and was feeling more at home in India than in his native England.
IMpeachment of  Gov. Gen. Warren Hastings. en.wikipedia.org
It has been part of life for many high-ranking  people with  pelf and power to see the  dark as well as bright sides of their long career and  such officials / men have to manage their critics, enemies and people who are waiting for a chance to  pull them down  from the pedestal. No doubt, Warren Hastings, in his career, faced such pit falls and received bouquet and brickbats for his actions. A case in point is his 7-year long  impeachment proceeding in the British Parliament against Warren Hastings spear-headed by none other than Edmund Burke, a good politician and forceful speaker, on the prosecution side. It was not a continuous trial and dragged on  between 1788 and 1795. The British media picked up the scoop and gave  good publicity to it. The trial is "probably the British Isles' most famous, certainly the longest, political trial".

The sensational debate brought to light Warren Hastings  visions of the empire. Those British who respected ancient Indian traditions were tagged as Orientalist and others who were keen to westernize the tradition-bound Conservative Indian natives with doses of liberal thoughts -  Anglicists as they were called. 
The most popular of all British Governors of India - Hastings became a victim of these two groups of politicians, one upholding conservative idealism and the other giving due importance to liberalism. 

Hastings trial in the British Parliament  focused on  his alleged persecution of Indian subjects and allies. Sir Edmund Burke said,  ''I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose rights he has trodden under foot, and whose country he has turned into a desert''..Some historians point out this charge of  war crime was purposely framed on Hastings to sully his name by his sworn enemies like the Whig politician, Sir Philip Francis and army officer John Clavering (both were among four members of the supreme council in Calcutta) who thought his policies were 'self-serving and destructive' and the press added  more fuel by publishing the so called war excesses  without checking the veracity of  reports coming from Awadh and elsewhere.
Clive  was of the view that Hastings wanted to put the administration of  Bengal under their four agents (Supreme Council) without any system of western administration. He wanted to continue the Mogul type of administration with which the natives were familiar. He pioneered in remodelling the judiciary system through out Bengal  and brought the collection of taxes, etc., under effective supervision.  Gov. Gen. Hastings was particular about placing the domains - revenue recollection and judiciary in the hands of the natives -intermediaries. His suspicion was European administrators would overstep on the privileges of the gullible natives  and abuse their powers and the gentle natives had to put up with the 'corrupt tyranny of overbearing Englishmen’. So, he preferred the traditional Indian governance to the European-style governance. Since Hastings did not go along with the policies of other members in the council, he earned their hatred.  They used every opportunity to tarnish Hasting's name, relegating all his good deeds to the sideline. As you would have seen in a western spaghetti movie, these two English men, at the peak of their rage, stood against each other with drawn guns. In the shoot-out in 1780 in Calcutta,  Francis was severely wounded. Later he recovered, but  never accepted his grave mistake. He returned to England in 1781 and became Hastings enemy number one!! He never stopped his tirade against him  and spewed venom on him for no good reasons.  

Hastings' unintentional administrative moves got him into 
troubled water. He was highly criticised for his mishandling of Rohilla settlers  - Afghan settlers on the borders of the kingdom of Awadh (now Uttar Pradesh). He is purported to have received a handsome money from the Nawab for supplying his troops to drive out the Rohilla settlers from their lands.This was done to recover revenue from them.  The charge of war crimes was brought against Hastings for allowing  the Nawab to use the mercenaries to invade and annex the Rohilla lands. But, the army rampaged their settlements and caused immense grief to the settlers. Hastings never asked the Nawab to use force to deal with Rohillla settlers. 


Warren Hastings  vs banker  Nadkumar - A well known banker  Nandakumar, a close ally of  Sir Philips Francis and his coterie of associates who opposed Hastings, became a star witness in a financial mismanagement case against Hastings. He was accused of having taken bribes from rich people for certain government consideration. Now, Hastings was put in a tight situation and had to wiggle out of this strong accusation. At stake were his reputation and  integrity. When Nadakumar's criminal involvement in the case of forging the estate of a rich Hindu widow was brought before the Calcutta High court presided by Hastings' school time buddy, it turned to be a trump card for  Hastings. Though it was not a major crime, as per the English law then, it would attract death penalty. Nandakumar's execution at the gallows proved to be a deterrent  to any Indians who would collude with the opponents against Hastings leadership. It was a major political victory for Hastings, but, unfortunately the judgement carried a stigma and considered as miscarriage of justice. The paradox is it is a blot on the character and name  of Hastings whose real view was  that 'Indians should be governed by Indian, not by European  laws.''Some historians argue that Hastings knew the outcome of the Calcutta court verdict against Nandakumar. 

Warren Hastings later successfully tackled anti-British coalition forces between the French and regional powers the Marathas and the Muslim ruler Hyder Ali of Mysore. The victorious initial wars against them assured of East India  company's foray in the southern  parts of India, but the wars put a heavy financial strain on the company. 

Warren Hastings and Raja Chait Singh of Banares: His mistreatment of enormously affluent  and respected  Raja Chait Singh, also known as banker to the banks, became a subject
 of controversy and Hastings stood accused for extortion of Chait Singh  and for waging costly wars against two major regional powers. Hastings forced Chait Singh to pay 
through his nose for the following reason - 01. The war against  Marathas and Hyder Ali needed lots of money, 02. Chait Singh was conniving with the Marathas and was in touch with them, 03. He  also had contact with the French officials, their arch enemy and 04, Most importantly, Chait  Singh purposely delayed the payment, not understanding company's urgency and further he was in contact with Hastings' opponents led by Francis. 


In 1790, his  sudden raid on Raja Chait Singh in his own place in Banares  ended in fiasco which  Hastings  never expected. Though Chait Singh sought apology and forgiveness, Hastings tried to arrest him. Raja Chait Sigh gave a slip with his  security  and his big army held Hastings hostage;  Hastings  found himself under siege. He was later rescued by the reinforcements from other places. It was purely a costly judgement of error on the part of Hastings. Many historians view his highhandedness and harsh treatment of an Indian noble was in departure from his courteous behaviour.  
Yet another incident involving two women from the kingdom of Awadh drew severe criticism of Hastings' poor handling.   The ladies happened to be the Begums of Avadh, mother and grandmother of  the Nawab. The wily English company used the the kingdom of Avadh, bordering Bengal to the north and west, as a buffer state against the mighty Marathas.The kingdom of Awadh, as part of Subsidiary alliance, paid  a handsome annual fee for stationing the company troops. The young ruler Asaf ud-Daula, being carefree and extravagant, spent more time enjoying the trappings of royal life than paying little attention to the his administrative responsibility. Consequently, he ran into  huge debts beyond recovery  and his kingdom's financial situation was in a shambles.The Nawab was known to give much importance to sensual pleasure and this palace included a male harem as well. Hastings wanted to recover the recurring debt from the ruler to use the funds in the wars in the south  and, at the same time, he wanted to  put the Awadh kingdom back on the saddle - a solvent state, it means a source of strength for the English company. To recover the badly needed money, Hastings persuaded Asaf to recover some of his father’s huge wealth, which had been appropriated by the late Nawab’s widow and mother. When the Begums refused to oblige the Nawab, in rage, went along with the  troops and a British Agent and laid siege to the wealthy ladies  in their fortress- palace of Faizabad. At last, under threats,  their servants revealed where the money was stashed and the ruler recovered a huge sum of 1 crore of rupees (about Rs 640 crore today) pushing the ladies into a financial mess

es.slideshare.net
At the impeachment proceedings Edmund Burke and other Whig members argued  with their oratory skill so passionately on the harsh and despicable treatment of the two Indian royal ladies and their imprisoned eunuch-servants, many listeners in the audience became stupefied, tearful  and choked with uncontrollable sobbing and emotion. Thomas Macaulay himself admitted the popularity of Hasings in the subcontinent and to what degree, he was held in esteem by the natives. On the other hand, Hastings earned the ire of some  influential people and this minor mistakes were a fodder to the media as well as to his enemies who wanted to push Hasting into the quick-sand.

Here is  what Thomas Babbington Macaulay to say on Hastings:
''Not only had the poor orphan retrieved the fallen fortunes of his line--not only had he repurchased the old lands, and rebuilt the old dwelling--he had preserved and extended an empire. He had founded a polity. He had administered government and war with more than the capacity of Richelieu. He had patronised learning with the judicious liberality of Cosmo. He had been attacked by the most formidable combination of enemies that ever sought the destruction of a single victim; and over that combination, after a struggle of ten years, he had triumphed. He had at length gone down to his grave in the fulness of age, in peace, after so many troubles, in honour, after so much obloquy.''
Westminster Hall where the trial took place,en.wikipedia.org

''Those who look on his character without favour or malevolence will pronounce that, in the two great elements of all social virtue, in respect for the rights of others, and in sympathy for the sufferings of others, he was deficient. His principles were somewhat lax. His heart was somewhat hard. But though we cannot with truth describe him either as a righteous or as a merciful ruler, we cannot regard without admiration the amplitude and fertility of his intellect, his rare talents for command, for administration, and for controversy, his dauntless courage, his honourable poverty, his fervent zeal for the interests of the State, his noble equanimity, tried by both extremes of fortune, and never disturbed by either.''

Hastings impeachment proceeding in grand  Westminster Hall  was dubbed as the greatest show in London attended by the people from the higher strata of the fashionable English society. The trial, first in the House of Commons and then in the Lords, caused  Hastings  financial drain, making him shell out  lots of money beyond his capability his debt amounted to 70,000.00 pounds.   His fortune, earned in India  was  small  in comparison to other  dishonest British Sahibs who got more than a bundle in India and back in their land they lived no less flamboyant than  Maharajahs/Nabobs. Officials like  Clive and in the later years Wellesly  and others dishonestly earned  so much money, they were tagged as English Nabobs.  

After the impeachment trial was over when put to vote in 1795, as the evidence against Hastings was inconclusive and not convincing, he was  acquitted. He did not receive any honors that he deserved and upon his request the EIC  compensated him with a loan of 50,000.00 pounds plus an annual pension of 4000.00 pounds. 
Hastings retired from service in 1785 and before his retirement the allegations by Francis and  the war reports had already damaged  his  reputation of  and the moral standard of British officers working in India came into focus and became a subject of concern. Historians point out that Hastings oratorical skill was no match for people like Burke and  Macaulay and as far Burke, though his intention was unquestionable, he stretched far beyond the limit of patience and pinned evils of a bad situation  on one person and he chose a wrong man who had been a dedicated employee of the English company. Hastings was good at  organizing the company’s military and financial resources to counter every threat on various fronts and it forced him to raise additional contingent funds. This landed him in serious trouble when he demanded subsidy to the company from Chait Singh, the Raja of Banares, and the requisitioning of the treasures of the begums of Oudh (the mother and grandmother of the vizier). At the same time he  was instrumental in bringing Marathas to  peace in 1782, as was Mysore in 1784, 
As for  administrative policies he was a stickler for justice and .
removed nawabs and zamindars from the corrupt & prejudiced judicial decision making. He introduced a civil court in every district  under the Collector and a criminal court under an Indian judge. He also instituted higher courts and a Supreme court was set up in Calcutta (via the Regulating Act 1773). Most importantly, he  abolished the system of dastaks, or free passes and regulated the internal trade. He enforced uniform tariffs and instituted a uniform system of pre-postage stamps. Some of thes e evoled during his regime are being followed in present-day India. 
civilsdaily.com/

The British government did injustice to him to let the trial last 
for a long time - seven long years which itself was a big ordeal for him mentally  and financially. Mild- mannered and gentle, he led a quiet retirement life till his death on 22 August 1818 (Daylesford, Gloucestershire) at the ripe age of 85. In 1813, both Houses of Parliament rose spontaneously to give him a standing ovation when he came to give evidence on new legislation about India. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1814

In the later years, Hastings Orientalist approach to Indian problems was pushed to the back burner and  westernisation of Indian  natives gained currency as suggested by Thomas Macaulay who wanted western oriented brown-Sahibs, perhaps to rum the administration  on a salary just half of the British Sahibs.  The trial of Hastings subtly gave a warning to future higher- ups going to India on assignment and their conduct in India. They were accountable to their breach of duty and of poor  treatment of Indian natives. The irony is may British officers never shed their Britishness and aristocratic arrogance. A glaring example is Conservative politician and a well-known racist Winston Churchill who, in the 1943 great Bengal famine presided over the death of millions of Bangalis by preventing conscientious British officials from taking action to prevent the tragedy. Earlier, he stalled India's freedom process for a pretty long time using various pretexts
Much of the information discussed here is based on the following articles:
https://www.openthemagazine.com/article/essay/warren-Hastings-loved-india-a-little-more-than-his-own-country
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Warren_Hastings
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Warren-Hastings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Hastings
https://scroll.in/article/882623/indias-first-newspaper-covered-corruption-and-scandal-and-sexual-practices-fearlesslyy






↧

Hicky’s Bengal Gazette - India's first sensational news paper

October 11, 2018, 10:12 pm
$
0
0
dawn.com
slideshare.net
By the late eighteenth century, the British East India Company had consolidated their power in Bengal and was operating as a proxy government for the British Crown. Revenue from the Indian land gave a boost to the British economy Which had a GDP of just less than 1% when the company arrived in India. In the early colonial period, European missionaries  made a beeline to India for the purpose of converting the  natives to Christianity and were not averse to making money on the sideline. Into this milieu that saw corruption and cheating by the English government at its peak arrived James Augustus Hicky, an Irishman. He established a newspaper called the Bengal Gazette, which brought to light the dark side of the early British empire which squeezed the natives and made tons of money at their expense. 
firstpost.com

Hicky's Bengal Gazette or the Original Calcutta General Advertiser, an English language weekly newspaper published in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the capital of British India has the unique distinction of being the first newspaper printed in Asia. Journalism was in its infancy in Asia, no newspaper was published before this period for public readership. Tthough founded as India’s first newspaper, it was mostly written for Europeans, as they were most of this newspaper's subscribers and advertisers. The idea of newspaper was first mooted 12 years earlier by a Dutch man William Bolts, an adventurer, but it never happened. Hicky's newspaper was popular among the British soldiers and elite Indians.

 On January 29, 1780, one  James Augustus Hicky founded the newspaper and made an assurance that “nothing will be inserted, unauthenticated” and that his newspaper would have a “rigid adherence to truth and facts”. The founder, an Irish man, it is believed, was highly  eccentric and was behind the bar for two years; reason: unpaid debt.  It was published on every Saturday and the price was just Re,1.00. Total readership was around 400 plus.   Initially, Hicky wanted to maintain a neutral editing policy (his slogan being "Open to all Parties, but Influenced by None"). When a rival news paper  The India Gazette backed by the East India Company was launched, Hicky had a row with some officials, in particular, Simon Droz  and he also dragged Mrs. Hastings' name. In retaliation, the EIC refused to mail his newspapers though the post-office. On November 18, 1780, the same day that the first India Gazette was published, undaunted as he was, Hicky changed the name of his newspaper now called Hicky's Bengal Gazette. 

People anticipated that  Hicky would publish just daily interesting social, political  events and others happening in and around Calcutta in his news paper. When the newspaper kept churning out sensational scoops covering the rich, ruling class and the government, the surprised readers  began to pay due attention to them. The paper was a trail blazer covering  altogether subjects different from normal events. It became popular for  its reporting on corruption and scandal among the British ruling class. This kind of sensationalism was a sort of publicity bonanza for the newspaper and  for its  subscribers it was a fine subject of gossip to spend their spare time. Because newspapers  commonly gave weight-age to  a variety of events, no newspaper was established then to exclusively cover  corruption, financial irregularities, etc. which were rampant in those days and they went either unnoticed or failed to get serious scrutiny. Gov. Gen. Warren Hastings was at the helm and the newspaper was highly critical of his policies and the way he was running the administration. Credit goes to this cranky man who knowingly or unknowingly introduced provocative, but investigative journalism  centuries ago in India paving the path for people's rights for  free expression in India. In the last decades or so our investigative journalists  write reports on our Netas (at Center and state levels) their corrupt governance, frequent junkets abroad, etc treading a different trail once blazed by Hicky in the early colonial era. 

Unfortunately this newspaper survived for too short a period - 2 years and the EIC seized the printing press and closed down the newspaper in March 1782. . Why did the government  order its closer so soon? Because hie newspaper without any hesitation and censorship exposed the  sinful deeds of the 18th century  British elite  that otherwise would have gone unexposed. The public was given a heady doze of the perversion of the so called aristocratic society. The newspaper had the guts to cover those topics (transgression of one's privacy) that were too taboo or disgusting to cover or speak publicly. 

Among the various sensational and sensual news items, the romantic escapades of top missionaries to top brass in the EIC including Warren Hastings who had a certain sexual problem 
got the attention of the public. The newspaper never spared 
the so called Gays and one Edward Tirettab got a good dig by Hicky's. There was a news item on a top Army Commander who had his own harem for relaxation and be from job pressure. The chief Justice of Calcutta Supreme Court at Ft. Williams Elijah Impey, a buddy of Hastings came under attack for taking bribes. Hicky never spared Church authorities running charity. He reported on the mishandling of funds meant for orphans by the Swedish Lutheran Missionary and Protestant Mission leader Johann Zacharias Kiernander. Hicky mentioned about an anonymous beautiful woman whose wedding broke the hearts of many of her suitors. Dejected and broken-hearted, to get over their pangs of separation,  they found  solace in a near-by brothel house.One aspect of Hick's reporting was that he never criticized these people for their perversions and aberrations.  Hicky had a liberal  views on human sexuality and in this respect he was  ahead of his time. But, on the other hand.  his opinions on women’s role in society  was quite conservative and male chauvinistic.  He expected them to be chaste and be faithful to their husbands. He implied that God created woman for man's pleasure. Yet another funny feature noticeable in his weird writings is he gave  amusing and hilarious nick-names to many of the British Bobs based on their appearance and character. Readers would positively get a good laugh at them.

Hicky had to face four dramatic trials in June 1781 for his derogatory writings, the Supreme Court found Hicky guilty and sentenced him to jail. However, his newspaper kept exposing corruption in the English company. He made scathing attack on Warren Hastings and it became a fodder for his opponents and it angered him.  Hicky  was finally suppressed when Hastings instituted fresh law suits against him. Hicky's Bengal Gazette ceased publication on 23 March 1782 when its types (printing press) were seized by an order of the Supreme Court. One amazing aspect of this newspaper was it was strongly anti-war, anti-colonial and highly critical of  East India Company's under handed dealings by its leadership and for their expansionist and imperialist objectives. 
The newspaper inspired Indians to start a newspaper on their own. Thus this strange Irishman gave a space for investigative journalism in India that can get down to the evils in the society as well as in the government. With his newspaper, the age of journalism dawned in India in 1780.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hicky%27s_Bengal_Gazette




↧
↧

Sabarimala temple and lifting ban on mensurating women into the temple by the Supreme Court!!

October 12, 2018, 9:14 am
$
0
0
Sabarimala, temple, Kerala. indiatvnews.com
Women's mensuration is part of the biological activity and in India some temples banned young women;s entry. In almost all Hindu households a few decades ago, maturating women were kept aside  for 5 long days and she was used to be treated as a sort of untouchable. In the present wold, things are different and working women on period move around comfortably with confidence. Do women who are yet reach the menopause scan enter holy temples? This topic has been a bone contention for a long time because it involves the place of worship. Hindus revere temples and their divinity as one may see the devotees walking into the temple barefoot. No sandals are allowed to be worn inside the holy premises. Most temples have dress code, In Kerala, men should bare his body above their waist. these customs have been there for a long time. With respect to women on monthly period, it is a different matter.The lifting of the ban on the entry of women into Sabarimala temple, Kerala by India;s highest court has opened the Pandoras Box.     

A five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi  ruled (27 Sept. 2018) in favour of allowing women of all ages to enter Kerala's most famous Sri Ayyappa temple, Sabarimala, thus pulling the curtain down on  a centuries-old tradition. The Supreme Court on Setember 27 2018 ruled that women, irrespective of age, can enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. The Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, pointed out  that the provision in the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which authorised the restriction, violated the right of Hindu women to practise religion. It also said that patriarchy in religion cannot be allowed to trump the right to pray. Only Justice Indu Malhotra (only woman on the bench), who gave a dissenting verdict, said the petition does not deserve to be entertained. She clearly pointed out in the Sabarimala case, that the notions of rationality cannot be brought into matters of religion. She added that the shrine and deity are protected under Article 25 of the Constitution and that it was not up to the court to decide which religious practises should be struck down, except in issues of social evil like 'Sati'.

The petitioners to this case were Indian Young Lawyers Association and Happy to Bleed,  and their contention  in the court was  the tradition is discriminatory in nature and stigmatised women, and that women should be allowed to pray at the place of their choice.The Kerala government, which does not have a firm stand on the contentious issue of women of the menstrual age group entering the Sabarimala temple,  now told the Supreme Court that it now favoured their entry. The popular  temple had banned women between 10 to 50 years of age inside its premises.  Reason: to maintain the sanctity of the holy place dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, who is a celibate

For reasons far beyond our comprehension, certain age old tradition has been vogue in  many temples . The Sabrimala’ temple does not encourage the entry of  women who have come of age and experienced menstrual cycle. The famous Brahma Temple in Pushkar does not permit  married men in the  sanctorum and at Kanyakumari Amman temple in Kanyakumari only  celibate men are allowed on the inner premises. In the aftermath of this case the role of court comes into focus, adjudicating questions or legal implications related to faith. The British constitution says the church and the state are different. Religious matters should be handled by the responsible,pious  people in the society and the court and state should take a step or two backward unless foul and nefarious  things going on in religious institutions such as political campaign, religious terrorism, betting houses, etc. 

Several Hindu organization in Kerala, including the Nair Service Society  got into the Bandwagon and stepped up their strong protest against the Supreme Court's recent verdict allowing all women to enter the  Sabarimala temple. In many Kerala towns and cities the Sabarimala Karma Samithi members blocked the arterial roads. In Pathanamithitta, devotees organised a  prayer procession condemning court's intervention in the historical temple and do away with centuries-old traditions. A preponderance of women, in particular from Kerala and other southern states, are quite angry. Normally most of the Hindu women on monthly period avoid visiting the place of worship or divinity. It is a question of personal cleanliness in a divine place though the almighty is not going to punish them if they visit the temple on such days. So different religions  have different faiths and superstitions that have been around for a long time. Determining their implementation or eleminating them  is not the duty of courts which are already burdened with long pending court cases. 

Kerala's Law Minister A.K. Balan asserted the the sporadic protests across Kerala will neither affect nor influence the Government's decision to implement the Supreme Court Verdict. Some Shiva Sena leaders contend that the temple practises and rituals were beyond constitutional interpretation and the verdict discriminated against Hindu traditions. 

Shiv Sena leaders also pointed out that  many sections of the Hindu society  supported the ban on  disgusting evil practices like Sati and animal sacrifice. As for the ban on the entry of young women attaining puberty into Sabarimala, it has been a cultural tradition strictly followed by the Hindu women on their own accord. In thousands of Hindu temples there is no ban on them, but they, considering their personal hygiene, never visit the temple. 

The ban on the entry of young women experiencing mensuration has a hidden fact. Decades ago, the path leading to the temple in the midst of thickly wooded areas infested with wild animals. These wild animals would be attracted by the smell emanating from maturating women and might endanger their lives. 

To rationalists and other groups of people  Creating a deity that is celibate and who cannot stand the presence of menstruating women, is  preposterous and it shows the male chauvinistic attitude to  dominate women - through a set of unreasonable, patriarchal rules. Ever since the 1950s, courts have been dragged into a maze of religious disputes and  as they have no time for other cases they should  interfere only in cases of seious issues that may affect the normal social life. 

Countless Malayali women  are saying that they are willing to wait till the age of 50 to enter the Sabarimala shrine, the group has now moved the Supreme Court seeking to be a party to the case. According to one Kerala woman “The thing with feminists is that they go a little overboard at times with their equality talk. I don’t think there is gender inequality in Kerala, we have a history of being a matrilineal state. Sabarimala issue is not even inequality, it is only accepting the diversity of our nation and respecting it,” 
The Judiciary and the Govenment must distance themslves from the domain of religion unless certain religious customs immense pain and grief to the affected people. 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/sabarimala-verdict-shiva-sena-hartal-on-monday/article25082873.ece
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarimala-verdict-live-updates-supreme-court-women-temples-kerala-5377598/?#liveblogstart


↧

Historical Boy's High School, Allahabad- ffounded by the Church of England

October 12, 2018, 11:02 pm
$
0
0

boys-high-school-allahabad/
stampgallery.com/
 Soon after the end of the great rebellion of 1857 by the frustrated Indian soldiers, rulers and others against the English company's misrule, the administration of the Indian subcontinent came under the direct control of the  British Crown. The British India government was advised to start many educational institutions to train Indians for teaching, administrative work, etc. After 1860s many educational institutions came up and many of them run by the Christian missionaries. Boy's school in Allahabad was one among them. 

 Founded on 5 Nov. 1861 to provide a Christian education to the children of Europeans and Anglo-Indians, Boys' High School & College, (BHS), Allahabad (UP), is one of the oldest high schools in India. In the early stages, it was run by English men and women who wanted to advance the cause of education in this old city, especially among the children of European  and Angelo-Indian decent. As an independent educational institution, in the later years, it also admitted children from various background. The motto of the school is ''Mentem Hominis Sepetator Non Frontem'' meaning ''there is no art to find the construction on the face'' The school has been functioning in the same place since 1861.  Initially, the school was run by the Church of England and 1898 to 1914, it was affiliated to the Allahabad University  founded by the Raj under the Crown administration.After 1940, it has been under the management of Allahabad High School Society. It is now affiliated to the ISC Board.  A total of 12000 students are 
School emblum. en.wikipedia.org
The school had a very humble beginning - classes were held in a building with a thatched roof and  since that time, the school had undergone several changes in terms of building and curriculum. . Since 1940 it has been managed by the Allahabad High School Society. It is currently affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. In the beginning, languages such as Latin, French and Greece were taught, in addition to maths, English grammar, etc. 
 In the present set-up, the school also gives serious attention to extracurricular activities for students. The school conducts courses classes in swimming, gymnastics, etc on par with national and international level.  The unique aspect of this school still maintains the old tradition of giving training as preparation for armed forces The school has also sent a number of boys to the National Defence Academy, a prestigious military training institution under the Central government. Many of the alumni of his historical school have made a mark in various important fields, executive, judicial and political fields.  

 On 5 November 2013, UP Governor B.L. Joshi released a commemorative postage stamp to mark 150th anniversary of Boys' High School. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, now a popular Bollywood actor  studied in BHS from Class 1 to 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys%27_High_School_%26_College_(Allahabad,_Uttar_Pradesh)

↧

''Tamiraparni Mahapushkaram'',- Oct. 2018, Tamil Nadu: an interesting Hindu river festival!!

October 14, 2018, 3:50 am
$
0
0
Tamiraparni Pushkaram Tirunelveli, TN tamil.oneindia.com
'Pushkaram' is an important Indian river festival as the Hindu religion gives importance to worshipping of rivers which form the life blood of a country. Duing this festival devout Hindus, in thousands, congregate on the banks of the river to participate in Pushkaram. The festival is also known as Pushkaralu (in Telugu), Pushkara (in Kannada) or Pushkar. Pushkara is also a Sanskrit word meaning energy that nourishes

Pushkar celebration takes place  at shrines along the banks of 12 major sacred rivers  across India during which time they are marked by spiritual discourses, devotional music and cultural programs. It is also a form of ancestral worship-paying obeisance to our forefathers - pithroos. The uniqueness of this river festival is it is held  annually, once in 12 years along each river which is associated with a zodiac sign. The river is chosen for each year's festival based on which  Jupiter (Guru) transits into  a Zodiac sign  at that time. Some of the zodiac signs are associated with multiple rivers and this is due to regional variations in planetary positions. In the initial 12 and final 12 days in the years of its residence of Jupiter, Pushkara visits to that river. 
Godavari Pushkaram, godavarimahapushkaram.org
According to our Puranas Pushkara, the son of Varuna (God of rain), the presiding deity of all rivers, armed with a boon from Brahma,  becomes Thirthapalaka, the protector of all Thirthas. On a request from Bṛhaspati/Guru (Jupiter), Pushkara  decided to enter one of the 12 sacred rivers when Bṛhaspati travelled from one zodiac sign to another. Tradition has been that during the Pushkara days, the Devas make their divine presence there in the river and bless the devotees.
Pushkaram  draws major crowds only during the first 12 days  called  Adi Pushkaram, when the Jupiter enters the zodiac sign and the last 12 days called Anthya Pushkaram when it exits the zodiac sign. These days  are considered as most auspicious. A dip in the sacred river is believed to absolve you of  all sins.The belief has been that during the above period of twenty-four days, "Pushkar", imbued with the power to make any river holy, will travel with Jupiter as Jupiter moves from one Zodiac house to another. Planets that fall in the "Pushkara navamsa" or "Puskara bhaga" of a birthchart are considered to be very beneficial and auspicious in jyotish astrology

In  South Tamil Nadu, Pushkaram is held in Tamiraparni River when Jupiter is in Scorpio. In the four places where River Tamiraparni flows from south to north, Banathirtham, Papanasam, Thirupudaimaruthur and Sinthupoondurai, the festival is celebrated as per tradition with religious fervor.  The Tamraparni temple at Suthamalli assumes much importance during the Pushkaram year

This year the river Tamiraparni is associated with Pushkar festival because on 12 October this year, Jupiter enters the zodiac sign Vrichikam (Scorpio); hence the festival is held from 12 Oct, to 23 Oct and the main center of Pushkaram is at Tirupudaimaruthur town  near Tirunelveli. This site was chosen by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam as it is a  Putarjuna Kshetra. Last year in Tamil Nadu,  Tula Ghat, Mayilauduthurai became the hub of Pushkaram on the banks of the river Cauvery marking, the exit of Pushkara during Jupiter's transit. According to the Kanchi Mutt this Pushkaram is a special one hence, it is called Maha pushkaram. The is held every 144 years, this being due to the  peculiar alignment of the planets. Kurukkuthurai on the river bank is another location where arrangements are made for the pilgrims to make a holy dip. Between 14 July and 25 July Maha Godavari Pushkaram was held in Andhra. Likewise Between August 12 to 23 2016 Krishna Pushkaram was held in AP. 
Cauvery Pushkaram newindianexpress.com
The old name of river Tamiraparni is Porunai that originates in the Podigai malai above Papanasam and the river  zigzags through the District of Tirunelveli. Veda Vyasa's  extensive work Tamiraparani Mahatmayam, comprising  6300 verses, has interesting stories on Goddess Tamiraparani Devi who showered blessings on Devas, humans including birds and animals.

The river festival of Pushkaram is not mentioned in the early Hindu texts. It is believed, it is part of the medieval Hindu astrological lore hence, the names of 12 rivers may vary depending on the regional traditions. For example, in Maharashtra, Bhima is associated with Scorpio sign; so in Tamil Nadu, Tamraparni is associated with it. A few ensuing Pushkaram:

01.Mesha(Hindu Zodiac sign (Aries ),Ganga, Ganga Pushkaram -April 22 - May 5, 2023
02.Vrishabha(Taurus),Narmada, Narmada Pushkaram - May 1-13, 2024
03.Mithuna (Gemini), Saraswati, Sarasvati Pushkaram-May 15–26, 2025

04.Karka (Cancer), Yamuna, Yamuna PushkaramJune 2–13, 2026
Many Hindu festivals promote  harmony and devotion among various communities cutting across caste  distinctions, etc and imbibe  postive energy and a sense of commitment in whatever they  do. Our forefathers were not fools when they introduced various rituals and festivals.  These temple festivals, beyond religion,  give importance to something else to promote social intercourse and  integration, essential for the peaceful existence of people from different communities. 

Tit-bits:
Certain political parties in Tamil Nadu, it is said, approached the court to ban the Pushkar celebration on the river banks of Tamiraparni. That these parties believe in God not is not the matter; it is their ideology, but, it should be confined within the walls of their offices. If such festivals pose threats to life, peace, etc, they can voice their concern.  But, they  have no rights to hurt the sentiments of millions of people and their centuries-old  religious beliefs. This is true of any religion, be it Islam, Hinduism or Christianity. Indian political parties should stick with  the British dictum when it comes to religion:  ''The Church and the state are different.'' 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushkaram



↧
Viewing all 3828 articles
Browse latest View live
Search