Pujaabhishekam Blog (Page 14)

SOME OTHER GHATS

Chausatthi Ghat is named after sixty-four goddesses, and the goddesses Durga, Shitala, Sankatha, Tripura Bhairavi all have ghats named after them. While some ghats have legends associated with them, others are simply used by the people who live above them for their daily communion with their beloved Ganga. Still others have a more plebeian reputation. The milkmen and their milk cans are to be found at Chowki Ghat. The washermen bring their bundles of clothes to the clay bank of the Prabhu Ghat. You do penance for killing a cow at Gai Ghat and wrestling and boxing festivals are held at Durga Ghat. Different ghats are patronised by people of different communities.

The Baccharaj Ghat is popular with Jains and the Bengalis crowd Kedar, Chowki and Chausatthi. Devotees from south India prefer Hanuman, Kedar, Karnataka, Harishchandra and Vijayanagram. Biharis come to Assi and Janaki. Tripurabhairavi and Manmandir see the pilgrims from Rajasthan. Gujaratis prefer to bathe at Sankata Ghat and the centre of the Sikh religious order of the Nanak Panthis stands above Mir Ghat. In 2011, the New York-based non-profit organisation, World Heritage Fund, declared the 18th century Balaji Ghat, built in the Maratha architectural style, as one of the 100-most endangered heritage sites in the world.

LALITA GHAT

Lalita Ghat was built by an 18th century king of Nepal, who also added a wooden temple modelled on the famous Pashupatinath Temple of Kathmandu. A narrow gali from the Chowk leads you to Manikarnika, the most important cremation ghat of Varanasi. Hundreds of mourners and professional pall-bearers go along the gali carrying dead bodies. It is said that the fires of this ghat have not gone out in centuries and even during the day the place is wreathed in smoke.

The ghat is lined with cargo boats heaped with wood for the incessantly burning pyres. Next to the ghat is a stepped tank, the Chakrapushkarni or Vishnu’s Lotus Pool. It is said that Goddess Parvati dropped her manikarnika or jewelled earring here. At Shiva’s request, Vishnu dug deep with his chakra or discus to search for it and the hollow filled with his sweat to create a pool.

VAISHNAVISM

According to Indian tradition, the worship of Vishnu is of immemorial antiquity. Vishnu is mentioned in the Vedas. Western scholars find a gradual evolution of the Vishnu cult from the Vedas downwards, while orthodox opinion holds that Vaishnavism is well expounded in the Vedic scriptures. It is argued by European and American students of our ancient texts that Vishnu is a minor god in the Vedic pantheon, less important than Indra or Varuna and associated with the Adityas. They seem to ignore a well-known Vedic declaration that Vishnu is the greatest and Agni the least among the gods. The Katha Upanishad identifies final release with attaining the world of Vishnu. It is supposed that Vishnu gained the importance by becoming the protector of sacrifices and that later Bhaga, Bhagavan, Narayana and Vasudeva became amalgamated with him in course of time.

Later still, Krishna is held to have been identified with Vasudeva. The Bhagavatas, a sect of worshippers of Bhagavat (Bhagavan), are said to have swelled the number of Vaishnavas. It is well-known that the epics celebrate the incarnations of Vishnu as Rama and Krishna. The Puranas elaborate the other incarnations. The prominent place occupied by Vishnu in the epics and the Puranas has been regarded as both the cause and the result of the popularity of the cult. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the contribution of texts of semi-scriptural validity known as the Agamas. Works of this kind are available glorifying Vishnu, Siva and Sakti.

The Vaishnava Agamas form the basis of the worship of Vishnu in temples. They prescribe how the idols are to be made, how temples are to be constructed, how the daily worship and festivals are to be conducted and so on. It should also be noted that they lay down rules for carrying on domestic worship also and that the religious life of the Hindus is today largely governed by the Agamas of the three sects. The Vaishnava Agamas belong to two slightly different schools of thought and practice-the Vaikhanasa and the Pancharatra. The former uses Vedic mantras to a greater degree and its followers are confined to a small hereditary caste. The Pancharatra has no such restriction.

AKSHARDHAM SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and the colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers.

Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades. For the first time ever in the world witness the heritage of India in all its facets, insights and beauty at the Swaminarayan Akshardham through its mandir, exhibitions, verdant gardens and other attractions. The beautiful mandir built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.

The mandir is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace. Akshardham was created by HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in fulfillment to the wish of his guru, Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth successor in the spiritual hierarchy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. In only a short timespan of five years Swaminarayan Akshardham became a reality through the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, 300 million man hours of epic services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans and the immense sacrifice, austerities, prayers of hundreds of thousands of young and old devotees of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Delhi is the capital of India and there the sovereign Purushottam Narayan is to preside. So we want to hold a grand pratishtha celebration.

MAHAVIR JAYANTI

To commemorate the birth-anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and the last Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira Jayanti is observed by Jains on the 13th day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra (March-April) every year. While the festival is celebrated in all the Jain temples all over the country, special interest is taken by pilgrims in visiting the ancient Jaina shrines at Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat, Pawapuri and Bihar and Parasnatha temple at Calcutta. During the festival, the Jain scriptures, ‘Samayak Sutra’ is recited by the devotees and the idol is taken out in procession.

SHITALA ASHTAMI

Shitala Ashtami is celebrated in honour of Shitala Mata, the goddess of small-pox in the month of Chaitra (March-April). It is celebrated in her temple by offering sacred water along with rice and milk on Sundays and Fridays. Women along with their children visit the temple in the morning and offer prayers. Food is offered to seven virgin girls to attain the blessings of the deity

DOLPURNIMA

In the month of Phalguna (February-March), the followers of Lord Krishna celebrate this festival throughout the country. The devotees sprinkle coloured powder on the image of Lord Krishna, decorate with flowers and take it out in procession from the Krishna temple. The devotees sing devotional songs in praise of the Lord. In Bengal, this festival is observed with greater enthusiasm as this is observed as the birth-day of Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

BURWA MANGAL

At Varanasi, after Holi, on the first Tuesday, people visit the Durga Kunda, where they take bath and then go to the Durga Temple for offering prayers.

THE TEMPLE FESTIVALS OF NORTH INDIA

The fundamental unity underlying diversity in Indian culture is best visualised from the festivals and fairs exultantly lionized throughout the year in all parts of the country. The inborn feeling of a great nation having a long cherished rich historical and cultural background is best reflected by the festivals observed by the people. The celebrated poet Kalidasa has said: Utsava priyah khalu manushyah.

The Hindus from the earliest times have been very spiritual and religious-minded. Amidst an intricate atmosphere, it was the conspectus that they should lead a very pious and meritorious life so as to free themselves from the unending chain of births and re-births and attain salvation.

They observed fasts, participated in the religious festivals and went out to holy places on pilgrimages. The idea of attaining Moksha finds expression in the verses of contemporary inscriptions: (that) the sovereignty over earth is as shifting as the clouds wafted on the wind, the enjoyment of objects is pleasing for a moment; the life of a man is like a drop of water (hanging) on the point of a blade of grass and dharma is one’s only real companion, in the journey to the next world.

THE SIKH SHRINES OF HARYANA AND PUNJAB

The Sikhs all over the world have a deep veneration for their shrines and gurudwaras. In Himachal Pradesh, there are very few shrines and gurudwaras, but there is an abundance of them in Punjab and Haryana. The Sikhs are proud of their Sangats and naturally so. Throughout the world, every stranger Sikh could just walk into a gurudwara and seek shelter and food for a few days. The Sikhs are still building new and massive shrines in Punjab and Haryana, not to speak of the ones in United States, Canada or Australia.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, was a widely travelled man and he had visited and preached in many inaccessible places in India. Considering all the road hazards in his times, this indeed was a great achievement. Most of the famous shrines and gurudwaras are located in places visited by Guru Nanak.

This tradition was carried on by the successive gurus. Among the gurudvara associated with Guru Nanak, the most famous is the one at Kurukshetra, in Haryana, a place venerated by the Hindus also as the site where the Gita was disclosed to the wavering Arjuna by Lord Krishna Himself. The gurudwara at Thaneshar near Kurukshetra is also associated with Guru Nanak’s visit and is known as ‘Sidhbati.’ Thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit Sidhbati.