Self

Just as even people possessing eyes cannot see the things etc. , clearly in the night, but they can see their steps well when a light is brought, so also in those having devotion towards Me, the Self becomes Self-effulgent.

Sri RamaGita.

Pre Islamic Arabia- Stark similarities with Vedic Indian Practices

If you look at modern History it would seem that before the advent of Islam, Arabia had no culture or History which is not true. The ancient practices as well as current practices have great similarity to Vedic Indian culture. The concept of kinship, Tribal bonding, Reverence to elders and parents, Hospitality are some of them.

After visiting the old Sharjah museum in Bank street,and seeing old photographs of the Kaaba, I always used to tell my friends that The stone they rever in the Kaaba resembles the Shiva Linga . This is the very stone they worship and respect as it marks the stone which accompanied Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he descended after a visit to heaven. To this date the day is celebrated as Miraj.

But, Those were days when mobile phones were not prevalent and I could not take any photographs of the old Kaaba before nineteen fifties. As luck would have it I chanced upon it recently in my friends blog , with a picture of the Kaaba during 1950's and a shiv ling being circambulated by Hajis. Immediately i sat down to blog this. Hope you enjoy.

One can see the Shiva Linga with Avudaiyar clearly.

In pre-Islamic Heritage of the present Islamic Middle east, Vikramaditya’s Kingdom extended to Arabia, His inscriptions are found in Kaaba, Arabia was called Aravasthan, meaning land of Horses, which find reference in Tamil literature as well, the practice of awarding poets being a Tamil Kings practice is found in Ancient Arabia.

Ganesha Idol was found in Kuwait, Mecca is a Shiva Temple, 786, considered holy by the Muslims is Flipped OM, Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) Uncle composed a Hymn in Praise of Lord Shiva, Sapthapathi was practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia and Navagrahas were worshiped.

Islamic History also states that there were seven padhumas (figurines) around the present day Kaaba and Prophet had a vision once when he was sitting despondent that he could not succeed in propagating Islam to his people in Mecca. The vision detailed him to go and behead the figurines around Kaaba and only then he could succeed in propagating Islam. My guess is that the seven figurines could be that of saptha kannigais.

The above is the image of the black stone which is now on the outer peripherals of Kaaba, It has been encased in a silver casing which the Hajis touch and kiss and derive great bliss. I will reproduce below another aerial view of the image and please note that it does resemble Shivalinga.

The stone was venerated at the Kaaba in pre-Islamic pagan times. According to Islamic tradition, it was set intact into the Kaaba's wall by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the year 605 A.D., five years before his first revelation. Since then it has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of pilgrims. Islamic tradition holds that it fell from the heaven as a guide for Adam and Eve to build an altar, although it has often been described as a meteorite, a hypothesis, which is now uncertain.

Muhammad is credited with setting the Black Stone in the current place in the wall of the Kaaba. A story found in Ibn Ishaq's Sirah Rasul Allah tells how the clans of Mecca renovated the Kaaba following a major fire which had partly destroyed the structure. The Black Stone had been temporarily removed to facilitate the rebuilding work. The clans could not agree on which one of them should have the honour of setting the Black Stone back in its place.

They decided to wait for the next man to come through the gate and ask him to make the decision. That individual happened to be the 35-year-old Muhammad, five years before his prophethood. He asked the elders of the clans to bring him a cloth and put the Black Stone in its centre. Each of the clan leaders held the corners of the cloth and carried the Black Stone to the right spot. Then, Muhammad himself set the stone in place, satisfying the honour of all of the clans (Wiki)

The Black Stone plays an important role in the central ritual of the hajj, when pilgrims must walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counterclockwise direction. They attempt to kiss the Black Stone seven times, once for each circumambulation of the Kaaba, emulating the actions of Muhammad. In modern times, large crowds make it practically impossible for everyone to kiss the stone, so it is currently acceptable to point in the direction of the Stone on each of their seven circuits around the structure. It is interesting to note that this circumambulation is similar to the hIndu Practice in Temples, only that it is done anti clock wise.

Enjoy here the Kaaba as seen in 1950. The Kaaba had 360 images worshipped during Pre Islamic times.

“The word Kabaa may originate from Tamil and the word Kabaalishwaran. Tamil is considered one of the oldest languages of the world.Dravidian’s worshiped Lord Shiva as their Primal Deity – from the Indus valley civilization. Shiva Temple’s in South India are called as Kabaalishwaran temple’s. Kabaali, therefore – refer to Lord Shiva.

There are many other words in Islam that appear to be connected to Hinduism. For example, in Sanskrit Allah, Akka and Amba are synonyms. They signify a goddess or mother. The Islamic practice of Bakari Eed (Eid) derives from the Go-(M)edh and Ashva-(M)edh Yagnas or sacrifices of Vedic times. Eed in Sanskrit means worship. The Islamic word Eed for festive days, signifying days of worship, is therefore a pure Sanskrit word.  [Note: The word Bakari is an Indian language word for a goat. (Muslims sacrifice goats during Eid).

Since Eed means worship and Griha means ‘house’, the Islamic word Idgah signifies a ‘House of worship’ which is the exact Sanskrit connotation of the term. Similarly the word ‘Namaz’ derives from two Sanskrit roots ‘Nama’ and ‘Yajna’ (NAMa yAJna) meaning bowing and worshipping.

Recital of the Namaz (Nama-smaranam in Hindi) five times a day owes its origin to the Vedic injunction of Panchmahayagna (five daily worship- Panch-Maha-Yagna) which is part of the daily Vedic ritual prescribed for all individuals.

Laylat Al Qadr is considered the holiest night of the year for Muslims, and is traditionally celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan. It is known as the "Night of Power," and commemorates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Any Prayers said that day is said to be equivalent to prayers said for 1000 months and angels are said to be passing by that night to carry your prayers and answer them. This belief is very similar to Maha Sivarathri and Vaikunta Ekadesi.

Onre Kulam Oruvane DEivam.  There is One God and One Humanity.

Vasudeva Kudumbakam- The entire universe is one family.

Let us find unity in Diversity.

Om.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nidhivan- Tales stranger than Fiction

Nidhivan is a sacred temple of Bankey bihari which is situated at Vrindavan. The major part of the temple is surrounded with huge bushy forests. The temple derives its name from Nidhi meaning Treasure and van meaning forest.

An amazing part of the forest is that all trees and hollow here and have their branches twisted downwards. Also the land at the temple is really dry - still the trees remain green all throughout the year.

It is said that these trees are in fact ‘Gopis’. After nightfall, they perform maharasleela with Shree Krishna and Radha Rani. Those with wholesome devotion feel something amazing and attractive in this place. From all over the world, devotees come here to worship the unique form of god.

There is also an abundance of monkeys and chirping birds in Nidhivan. All the priests and devotees chants mantras in this place and makes the surrounding pure and religious.

There is also a small well inside the area. It is believed that one while performing raas-leela; radha became thirsty and Krishna built a well with his flute and quenched her thirst.

After the evening aarti, all the windows in front of Nidhivan gets closed till the morning.

It is believed that after nightfall, Shri Krishna himself comes here and performs ‘Maha-raasleela’. Many locals have claimed to have heard the sound of "ghungroos" at night. It is said that all the trees around the are light up at night to welcome the Gods. Night stay at Bankey Bihari temple is restricted after sunset. Those who have stayed back have either been found dead or have lost their minds.

After the evening puja; some beautifying items like a saree, some laddus, bangles, paan leaves, kalash jal etc are kept and the temple is locked. In the morning, as the temple gate opens everything is found scattered, sweets are tasted and the paan leaves are chewed. It is believed that after raas leela; Shree Krishna and radha rani comes there for rest. It is said that it is the love and devotion of the people of Vrindavan that forces Krishna to come there every night.

There is another story of the rock found in the garden. Once, a young Krishna and his friends were playing hide and seek in forest and the Lord hid behind the mountain.

It is said that by hearing the sweet flute of Shree Krishna, the large mountain got melted into a rock piece. In the present date, the foot prints of Bal Krishna and his calf can be seen on the mountain.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Kohinoor Diamond

The Kohinoor Diamond in the British Crown Jewels was the Eye of Hindu Goddess of Warangal.
The Kohinoor diamond was originally installed as one of the eyes of the presiding goddess of Warangal by the Kakatiya kings. In 1323 Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq defeated the Kakatiya rulers and took the diamond from the temple. Due to this sin, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq was murdered just one year latter in a conspiracy by his own son. The cursed jewel was passed on to various kings throughout history, always bringing great misfortune and death.


Goddess Badhrakali of Warangal, the true owner of Kohinoor diamond.

In 1839, on his deathbed, Maharaj Ranjit Singh of Punjab donated the Koh-i-noor diamond to Lord Jagannath of the Puri Jagannath Temple in Orissa, but as he died the diamond was refused to be transferred to the temple by the British administrators. Thus for a second time the diamond had been stolen from a Hindu temple.
In 1850, the jewel was stolen from India and delivered to the British monarchy by force. Due to the curse of the diamond, the British empire also began to collapse shortly after it acquired the Kohinoor diamond. Today this same Kohinoor diamond is the crown jewel of the British empire, to be worn by the Queen of England. There have been many suggestions that the diamond should be returned to India.
The Jewel in the Crown: The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Its 750-year history is peppered with tales of murder and treachery. Now, secret papers recently released have added another twist to the 186-carat gem’s colourful history.
Some 155 years ago, a nine-year-old boy carrying a silk cushion was brought before Queen Victoria. His job was simple: to present Britain with the most glittering and symbolic spoil of its war to subjugate the Indian sub-continent.The boy was Duleep Singh, the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, and the prize his new imperial masters had made him travel 4,200 miles to deliver was the Koh-i-Noor diamond – the mysterious and terrible stone of emperors.
The 186-carat gem, whose name means Mountain of Light in Persian and was described by one Mughal emperor as being “worth half the daily expense of the whole world”, carried with it a curse and a 750-year bloodstained history of murder, megalomania and treachery.
But its passage to Britain in 1851 carried a different meaning: it was a carefully choreographed exercise in establishing the majesty of the Raj – and the one-way flow of riches from it.
Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General of India who was credited with masterminding the subjugation of the Punjab in the Second Sikh War in 1849 and subsequent surrender of the diamond, ordered that Prince Duleep, London’s new puppet Maharajah of Lahore, deliver the Koh-i-Noor in person.
The diamond was war booty and its delivery was to be a spectacle carried out in much the same manner as the tribute paid by defeated enemies of Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors. It was the centrepiece of the Great Exhibition of 1851, attracting thousands of visitors.


After the assassination of Nadir Shah, another victim of the curse, the diamond passed through the hands of his successors, each dethroned and ritually blinded, until it was passed in return for sanctuary to Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Lahore, self-declared ruler of Punjab and father of Duleep Singh.
Within 40 years, the stone had passed into the possession of Lord Dalhousie after a military campaign every bit as ruthless and blood-soaked as those which had previously been fought for possession of the Koh-i-Noor. What followed was a process of the Anglicisation of the diamond.

A spokesman for the High Commission in London said: “The Indian government has a legitimate claim. We hope to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”
But behind closed doors in Whitehall, it is unlikely that the position outlined 30 years ago has changed.
Epilogue: On 21 February 2013, while visiting India, David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, stated that it would be illogical to return the diamond to India. He further stated, “I certainly don’t believe in returnism, as it were. I don’t think that’s sensible.” We should remember that his country forced India to hand over this priceless diamond during the colonial era. Cameron is keen to tap into India’s economic rise, but says he is “anxious to focus on the present and future rather than reach back into the past”.


Final verdict: Finders keepers, Loosers weepers.


Krishnamachari Santhanam

Mylapore Kapaleeswarar Temple

One of the sacred shrines in Tamil Nadu is Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, in Chennai City.It is a Siva Temple, and the name of the Lord is ARULMIGU KAPALEESWARAR. The name of the Goddess is ARULMIGU KARPAGAMBAL.It is a lovely temple with a Stately Spire or ‘Gopuram’ as it is called. There is a big tank on its West. The temple and the tank are surrounded by Broad streets on the four sides. The view of the temple and the tank is picturesque.

Mylapore is on the sea coast and the shore is away by half a mile of thickly populated residential area.

The Legend Behind The Temple



The name Mylapore is derived from the legend that the Goddess Uma worshipped Siva in the form of a peacock (or mayil in Tamil). We can see a representation of this legend on stone in a small Shrine under a Punnai tree (Sthala Vriksha) in the Courtyard of the temple.

The temple's name is derived from the words kapalam (head) and eeshwarar an alias of lord Shiva. According to the Puranas, during the meeting of Brahma and Shiva at top of Mount Kailash Brahma failed to show the due respect to Shiva. Due to this, Shiva plucked of one of Brahma's heads (kapalams). In an act of penance, Brahma came down to the site of Mylapore and installed a Lingam to please Shiva. This place is known as Sukra Puri, Veda Puri, among many other names including “Kailaye Mayilai and Mayilaye Kayilai “which means this place is equal to kailash. Goddess Karpagambal, a form of Shiva's consort Parvati, due to a curse became a pea-hen and did penance here to get back her original personality. Shiva's son Murugan received the spear (Sakthi Vel) for the destruction of a demon from Parvati here. Brahma had worshipped here to get rid of his ego and get back his power to create. The four Vedas have worshipped here. Sukracharya worshipped the Lord here and got back his lost eye. Rama has worshipped here and won the war against Ravana and brought back Sita from Lanka. The daughter of Sivanesa Chettiar Angam Poompavai got her lost life here by the powers of Thirugnana Sambandar. Vayilar Nayanar, a saiva saint, attained salvation here and Mylapore is also the birth place of Thiruvalluvar who wrote Thirukkural. In Thevaram special mention is made about the beautiful Madaveedhi as “Malgun Mathri Thavazhum Maada Veedhi Mylappil Ullar”. Thiruganana Sambandar, Arunagirinathar have sung the glory of Karpagambal, Singara Velar. The 10 day festival during March / April is a treat to watch and Arubathu Moovar festival is attended by lakhs of devotees every year.


Also the charriot festival or Ther as called in Tamil is very famous in Mylapore.



During the Tamil month of Panguni, the traditional brahmotsavam (annual festival) takes place when the entire neighborhood comes alive with a mela (carnival)-like atmosphere. Since this month corresponds to the mid-March to mid-April duration, the Kapaleeshwarar temple celebrates the nine day-long as Panguni Peruvizha (Spring festival). The festival starts with Dwajarohanam (flag hoisting), includes the therotsavam, (Tamil, ther, "car/chariot"; utsavam, "festival"), Arupathimoovar festival and concludes with the Tirukkalyanam (Marriage of Kapaleeswarar & Karpagambal). In Brahmotsavam, the idols of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal are decorated with clothes and jewels, are mounted on a vahana, and then taken around the temple and its water tank in a pradakshinam (a clockwise path when seen from above). This is repeated with different vahanas over the next nine days. The more important of the individual pradakshinams are the Athigara Nandhi on the third day, the Rishaba Vahanam on the midnight of the fifth day, the ther (about 13 meters in height and pulled by people) on the seventh morning, and the Arupathimoovar festival on the eighth day.

The Arupathimoovar festival is the most important procession. It is named after the sixty-three Nayanmars who have attained salvation by their love & devotion to the all-compassionate Lord Shiva. All sixty-three Nayanmar idols follow the Kapaleeshwarar idol on this procession. During the car festival, Kapaleeshwarar is depicted holding a bow while seated on a throne, with his consort Karpagambal alongside. Brahma is depicted riding the Chariot. The chariot is decorated with flowers and statues, and there are huge gatherings of devotees to pull the chariot.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Bramha Temple, Kumbakonam

Bounded by the River Kaveri on the north and the Arasalar River on the south, the town of Kumbakonam is 40 km. northeast of Thanjavur, and 60 km. inland from the coast of Tamil Nadu. It is home to the Shri Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, which is a very interesting example of Brahma worship.

The most significant to note is the hidden fourth face of Bramha , which is actually that of Gayathri Devi. She completes the incomplete kandith face of Bramha to make him eligible to do the yagna. Darshan of this face of Gayathri gets sakshathkar for a sadhaka.

There are three sanctum sanctorum in the temple, the one for Lord Brahmma with His consorts Mother Saraswathi and Mother Gayatri in a standing posture seeking the blessings of Lord Vedanarayana Perumal, the second for Lord Veda Narayanaperumal accompanied by His consorts Mothers Sridevi and Bhoodevi and the third is for Lord Yoga Narasimha with His two consorts. Thus, the devotee can have the darshan of three Lords in the temple.



The temple conducts Brahmma Sankalpa Puja educational and trade progress boons.  Devotees perform special pujas for Lord Brahmma and Mothers Saraswathi and Gayatri before admitting children to school.  Special pujas are performed during Thursdays.  Pujas are performed for Mother Mahalakshmi on Fridays and Perumal on Saturdays for relief from debt burdens.  Homas are performed for Lord  Yoga Narasimha by devotees for longevity on their 60th, 70th and 80th birthday occasions.

While some call this a Visnu temple, it is properly considered a Brahma temple, and has been categorized as such for many years. Kumbakonam appears on all of the 'short lists' of rare Brahma temples in India. It is known by various names: Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, Brahnam Kovil, and the Bramman Temple.

The temple is located beside the Mahamagha tank, in what is now called Pattunoolkara (silk weaver) Street. Of the 17 major temples in Kumbakonam, 12 are Saivite, 5 are Vaisnava, and only the Vedanarayana Perumal is dedicated to the worship of Brahmadeva. In general, the temples on the outskirts of Kumbakonam are relatively modern, having been constructed by the Naik kings, but the temples in the center of Kumbakonam are ancient, going back to the Chola period. Sri Vedanarayana Perumal Temple falls into the latter category. During the 7th century, Kumbakonam was the capital of the Cholas.

There is a popular sloka addressed to Guru-Teacher seeking wisdom running

Gurur Brahmma Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheswarah
Guru Sakshath Param Brahmma Thasmai Sri Gurave Namah

covering the three Lords.  There are many stories about Brahmma, that he took the form of a swan to find the head of Lord Shiva but failed.  To hide the defeat, He lied that he had seen Shiva’s head.  Also, as Mother Parvathi mistook Brahmma for Shiva as both had five heads then, to avoid the confusion, one head of Brahmma was removed reducing to four.  Thus, worship of Brahmma was discontinued.  But according to philosophy, one born should finally reach the Creator Himself.  Brahmma is the Creator and also He is the one protecting the Vedas by chanting them by His four tongues.  He enjoys His own importance in the scriptures.   Among the few such temples dedicated to Him, the Brahmma temple in Kumbakonam is one.  He graces here the devotees with His consorts Mothers Saraswathi and Gayatri.

It is widely common that many are proud of their high learning barring a few and Lord Brahmma was no exception to this mentality.  He thought that He alone can create which Lord Shiva and Vishnu cannot.  Knowing this, Lord Vishnu sent a ghost (Bhooda) to Brahmma who trembled on seeing the creature.  He ran to Lord Vishnu saying that a ghost not created by Him was threatening and sought protection.  Lord Vishnu said that it was created by Him to check his pride and that he would also forget the art of creation.

When begged for a remedy, Lord Vishnu suggested that he go to Earth and perform penance.  Brahmma chose this place, Kumbakonam that stays stable even after the destroying Pralaya floods.  All the Devas assisted Brahmma in his penance.  Pleased with Brahmma’s penance, Lord Vishnu appeared before him, taught the Vedas and reinstated Brahamma to his earlier status.  Perumal became Lord Veda Narayana Perumal and Mother Vedavalli.  To facilitate the final bath of Brahmma and the Devas after the penance, Perumal created a river with His club known as Hari Sollaru which later days faced changes and it is Arasalaru today.

There are a number of famous pastimes involving Lord Brahma that are associated with this temple. When Lord Brahma was gathering the tools for his works of creation, most notably the Amritham, he kept his paraphernalia in the Kumbam, the pot which contained seeds of all the life forms. These Brahmadeva put to use after the Pralaya, when the material universe was annihilated by flood at the end of the age.Since Bramha kept the pot/Kumbha in this place , this place got the name Kumbhakonam.





Here on top you can have darshan of the Kumbakonam Mahamagam tank.


Krishnamachari Santhanam

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2,500-year-old city of Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE. It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45–50m in height. The tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two golden sculptured vimanas, the shrines over the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of the main deities.  There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple. It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of the World". The temple is the most prominent landmark and most visited tourist attraction in the city. The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, celebrated during April and May, attracts 1 million visitors.

The Meenakshi temple is believed to have been founded by Indra (king of Deva celestial deities).While he was on a pilgrimage to atone for his misdeeds. He felt his burden lifting as he neared the swayambu lingam (self formed lingam, a representation of Shiva used for worship in temples) of Madurai. He ascribed this miracle to the lingam and constructed the temple to enshrine it. Indra worshipped Shiva, who caused golden lotuses to appear in the nearby pool.[15] Tamil literature speaks of the temple over the last two millennia. Thirugnanasambandar, the famous Hindu saint of Saiva philosophy, mentioned this temple as early as the 7th century, and described the deity as Aalavai Iraivan. The temple is believed to have been sacked by the infamous Muslim invader Malik Kafur in 1310 and all the ancient elements were destroyed. The initiative to rebuild the structure was taken by first Nayak king of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1559–1600).
Early in the 14th century, disputes arose over the succession to the Pandya throne. Taking notice of these events, Ala-ud-din of Delhi, dispatched his general, Malik Kafur, in 1310 to invade the weakened kingdom. Malik Kafur marched south, ransacking kingdoms on the way and causing enormous changes to the political configuration of central and Southern India. He marched into Madurai, sacking the town, paralysing trade, suppressing public worship, and making civilian life miserable. The great Meenakshi temple with its fourteen towers was pulled down, destroying the nearby streets and buildings, and leaving only the two shrines of Sundaresvara and Meenakshi intact. The events are controversial: as another account describes them,

The above is the famous sculpture of Meenakshi Kalyanam sculpted in Granite.



Golden Vimana of Meenakshi sanctum sanctorum.

Krishnamachari Santhanam