Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple – Ujjain

Dedicated to: Lord Shiva

Significance: One of the twelve Jyotilingas of Lord Shiva

Saivism is one of the dominant faiths in the Indian system of beliefs. Saivite temples constitute a sizable majority of temples in India.

Modern Ujjain lies along the banks of the holy Shipra River. It is built upon the ancient city of the Ujjayini. Ujjayini is one of the four cities of legend sanctified by the drop of Amrit which fell on the spot after the Amrit Manthan, when ambrosia was churned from the ocean depths.

The Soaring Mahakaleshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The mention of the temple has been done in Several Puranas of the Hindu Mythology. The names of Kalidasa and Ujjain are for always linked together. Kalidasa, have sung the praises of the temple. Lord Shiva is also known as the 'Mahakal' and suggesting the eternal existence of the Almighty. The Jyotirlinga is said to be 'Swayambhu' (self-manifested) as it obtained its power from within itself, not like the other 11 lingams that were established ritually by chanting 'mantra'. There is another reason which makes it different from the other temples any where on the Earth is that the prasada offered here to the deity can be re-offered.

The temple is also known as the 'Dakshinamurti', as the image of the lord kept in the temple faces the southern direction. This is the only Jyotirlinga where the idol of the lord faces south. Another form of Lord Shiva, Omkareshwar is places above the shrine at the sanctum. The site is festooned by the images of Lord Ganesh, Parvati and Kartikay, which are placed in the west, north and east direction respectively. In the south, there is an image of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s Cow. The third storey at the sanctum consists of an idol of Nagchandreshwar (another form of Lord Shiva). The “darshan” of Nagchandreshwar are available only on the day of Nagpanchami.

Ujjain along with the Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Benares, Kanchipuram, and Dwarka is considered to be the 7 Mukti Stalas in India. A Kumbha Mela is organized in Ujjain when Jupiter resides in the zodiac sign of Scorpio.

Distance:

54 kms from Indore, 183 kms from Bhopal

Getting There:

There are several trains which connect Ujjain with rest of the nation. Ujjain Junction Railway Station lies on the Western railway zone. The nearest airport serving to the Holy town is Indore. Regular bus services are available from Indore, Gwalior, Ahmedabad and Bhopal to Ujjain.

Best time:

According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is considered as the destroyer of the Universe. 'Mahashivratri' is a major festival that is celebrated here in the temple with full enthusiasm and dedication. On the eve of Mahashivratri, a grand fair is held in the environs of the temple. Through out the night, prayers and worship are offered to the Lord Shiva. To celebrate the festival and pay homage to the lord people flock here from all over the World.

Accommodation in Ujjain:

There are a plenty of accommodation options available at Ujjain. One can chose from the kind of accommodation according to his requirements and budget. During Kumbha Mela, Mahashivratri and Nagpanchami it is advisable to book your rooms in advance. One can also opt to stay at Indore which is about an hour drive from Ujjain.

"Om Namah Shivaya"

Hindus Holiest City - VARANASI

The HINDUS HOLIEST CITY, VARANASI IS PERPETUALLY overflowing with pilgrims. To visit it once in a lifetime is every Hindu’s goal; to die here is to have the greatest chance of moksha (salvation). It is, therefore, not an easy city for a person to visit.

Walk down to the river for a boat ride, either early in the morning or in the late afternoon when the sun’s rays are enjoyable rather than punishing. Give this city some time: zipping in for a dawn boat ride and then out again is rarely satisfying. Varanasi is about watching a nonstop pilgrimage city going about business. A city as old as Babylon, Varanasi is, for Hindus, quite simply Kashi (city of Divine Light). Of the Hindu’s seven Sacred Cities, it is the most sacred. The others are the Haridwar, Ujjain, Mathura, Ayodhya, Dwarka, and Kanchipuram. Each is dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu, except Kanchipuram which is dedicated to both.

Thus, although it is a center for Hindu culture and has fine music and art. From the most humble upward, pilgrims often make their yatras by bus on excursion, singing bhajans along the way.

Varanasi was already thriving 2,500 years ago when Buddha came to Sarnath to deliver his first oration making it sacred to Buddhists, too. Later, Muslims periodically plundered the city: the widowed Shah Jahan Forbade temple- rebuilding, and pious Aurangzeb converted one temple into a mosque. Early British arrivals wrote of being intoxicated by Varanasi’s exoticism and mystery. Winding your way through the maze of narrow, filthy alleys swarming with cows and pilgrims, you feel something of this as you peek into temples of all sizes, some simple, some flashy, like Tulsi Manasmunda, funded by the Birla family. Pilgrims flood in and out of then ceaselessly.

Despite the city’s squalor- for no other word will fit – the holiness of Varanasi has been the inspiration for some of the most sublime creations in Hindu culture. Classical music was nurtured in the temples and today the city produces many of the India’s top musicians and stages important music festivals.

Getting there:

Varanasi is well connected and accessible to major Indian cities and tourist spots. There are daily domestic flights and trains to and fro from Varanasi. Varanasi also has a good network of roads connecting it with the nearby places.

Accommodation:

There are several options ranging from hotels, resorts, lodges, guest houses, dharamshala’s etc.

Best time to Visit:

Any time is the best time to take a holy dip in the sacred water of Ganga River.

Har Har Gange...!!

"Sail from antiquity to eternity on the Ganga and let spirituality immerse you."

The dominant force of eastern India is the Ganga. Its hundreds of Tributaries trickle down the Himalayan slopes, link up into rivers, and create the life- giving Gangetic Plain Delta. The Ganga flows past Knur, near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and then continues to Allahabad, where it takes in the Yamuna River, which has already watered Delhi and Agra. Then further it flows through Varanasi and into Bihar state. Here, at the city of Patna, major tributaries swell its waters: the Ghaghara, the Son, and the Gandak. Soon the Great River begins to split into hundreds of threads to become the vast delta whose blessings of nourishment and punishments of flooding are shared by West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The Ganga is sacred to Hindus. A Hindu’s Ganga Yatra (journey, pilgrimage) begins at the river’s source, Gangotri, near Rishikesh then descends to Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi. At each stop the river’s water is revered: just a few droplets, not a hard scrub, can purify. The Ganga’s water is especially purifying since Hindus believe it to be the goddess Ganga flowing eternally from the summit of Mount Meru, the abode of the gods, down through Shiva’s matted locks. To bathe in the waters is to cleanse oneself of the Karma of previous and current lives and so be prepared for death and rebirth into a better life. Hindus from all over India attend the mass ritual bathing that take place during the Kumbh Mela festival held every three years at one of Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain in turn. Of these, Allahabad, also known as Prayag (confluence) because the Yamuna and Ganga meet there, is especially sacred so the Kumbh Mela held here is known as Maha Kumbh Mela: the city also has an annual Magh Mela.

At Chunar, Upstream from Varanasi, the Ganga turns sharply north and then makes a great arc through the holy city. This combined with the high west banks and the flat land on the east banks, creates an extra ordinary, almost tangible bowl of light, especially at sunrise. Hindus have for centuries thought of Varanasi as Kashi (City of Divine Light), or as Kashika (The Shining One), referring to the light of Shiva.

Historically, the Gangetic Plain was the hearth of Indian Culture, and settlements spread east ward from this core region more than three millennia ago. The Ganga was a highway for east – west trade across the subcontinent, and it irrigated and fed the soil to produce rich farmland. Thus, early cities such as Patliputra (Patna) grew to be capitals of great empires. Later, the Mughals made Allahabad one of their capitals. The British pushed their influence up the Ganga from Calcutta to protect their vital trading route.

Today the rich alluvial plains formed by deposits from the Himalayan Mountains form one of the world’s most densely populated regions. Deforestation of the Himalayan Mountains means additional silt is carried down river and helps cause flooding: more than a third of Bangladesh is flooded annually. Ironically, this rich silt is essential to the nourishment of the rice crops being intensively farmed throughout the Ganga Basin.

Traditional Kerala Art Forms

Kerala is bestowed with some ancient traditional art forms that are still today performed with the same zeal and enthusiasm. We discuss here two art forms.

Kathakali
The art form of Kathakali is the oldest forms in the world, which crystallized at around the same time as Shakespeare was scribbling the plays, though elements of it stem from 2nd-century temple rituals. The Kathakali performance is the dramatized presentation of a play, usually based on the Hindu epics the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. All the great themes are covered – righteousness and evil, frailty and courage, poverty and prosperity, war and peace. Drummers and singers accompany the actors, who narrate the story through their precise movements, particularly mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions. Traditionally, performances took place in temple grounds and went from 8pm until dawn, now shorter performances in other open-air locales, as well as indoor halls are also popular.

Preparation for the performance is lengthy and disciplined. Paint, fantastic costumes, highly decorated headpieces and meditation transform the actors both physically and mentally into the gods, heroes, and demons they are about to play. You can see cut down performances in tourist hot spots all over the state and there are Kathakali schools that encourage the visitors. Many temples festivals across the state feature all night Kathakali Shows.

The performances in Kochi are accompanied by instrumental as well as vocal aids. The expressions are suggested by the delicate hand movements and are complemented by the movements of the face, particularly, the eyes. The dance form is believed to have originated from the dance drama called Ramanattam. At Kochi, the Kathakali dance has a significant part of the socio-cultural sector of the entire state of Kerala.

Kalariyappayat
Kalariyappayat is an ancient tradition of martial training and discipline. Still taught throughout Kerala, Some believe it is the forerunner of all martial arts. Its roots can be traced back to the 12th century when skirmishes among the many feudal principalities in the region were common.
Masters of Kalariyappayat, called Gurukkal, teach their craft inside a special arena called a Kalari. The Kalari is a part gymnasium, part school, and part temple. Its construction follows traditional principles: its rectangular design is always aligned east-west and Hindu deities are represented in each corner.

Kalariyappayat movements - the foundation of choreography that uses the actor’s bodies and gestures as the primary tools of expression – can be traced in Kerala’s performing arts, such as Kathakali and Kootiattam (traditional Sanskrit drama), and in ritual arts such as Theyyam.