Sthala Puranam-1: Chidambaram

The Daruka Vana Episode


In those days of the yore, there lived the group of Rishis (also referred to as the 10,000 monks in some accounts) in the dense Daruka Vana (the forest of Thillai trees- Thillai is a variety of the mango tree.). These Rishis, were extremely learned and unimaginably knowledgeable but did not understand that without divine grace, the human knowledge is of no use.These Rishis were consumed with pride and believed that they could bring all gods under their control by use of the mantras and yagnas.


The Lords, Shiva and Vishnu decide to vanquish the pride and arrogance of these Rishis. Shiva takes the form of  Bhikshaatana (the naked mendicant, wearing only sandals) with surpassed beauty and Vishnu takes the form of Mohini.


They enter into the hermitage of these Rishis begging for alms. The women of the hermitage seeing the infinite beauty and grace of Bhikshaatana fall madly in love with him and forget propreity and proper conduct. When the Rishis saw Mohini's dazzling beauty and her enchanting dance, they become desirous of her and lose their minds.


When some of the Rishis see all this impropriety, they start a huge sacrifice. Deeming Bhikshaatana and Mohini to be the root cause of all this confusion, the Rishis direct this yagna against them. First they invoke a tiger from the sacrificial fire and throw it on Shiva-Bhikshaatana. The Lord catches the tiger, tears off its skin using his little finger and with grace, drapes it as his loin cloth.


Enraged and offended, the Rishis then invoke poisonous snakes out of the fire and throw it on Shiva-Bhikshaatana, He adorned them as his ornaments on his arms and neck. Then the Lord began his dance. The other set of two hands appeared , and his third eye shone on his forehead. And the Great Lord, danced to the tune of the Damaru or the hour-glass shaped drum, which was played by Lord Vishnu. The Rishis, now sent an apasmara (a black dwarf, a symbol of ignorance and laziness), the Lord continuing his dance, broke the back of the apasmara with his legs and used him as a dance platform. The Rishis now throw fire against him and the lord held the fire in his left hand.The  powerful mantras used by the Rishis against Lord Shiva became his anklets.

With the Damaru in his upper right hand, the Fire in his upper left hand,the the Great God danced with all fervour and grace, with a smiling face. Such was the power of the cosmic dance that Lord Vishnu trembled, the Rishis fell to the ground. Goddess Parvati who had come to witness the dance shook with fear-The Power of the dance was unbearable. The Lord smiling, raised his left foot and seeing his form the Rishis attained realization. They all danced- the entire creation danced.


Patanjali and Vyaaghrapaada


Lord Vishnu was so blissful upon witnessing this dance, that Adi Shesha could not bear the weight of Lord Vishnu. As Vishnu was seated on Adi Shesha, the thousand-hooded king of snakes , Lord Vishnu was so absorbed in the cosmic dance of Shiva that his body started vibrating to the tunes of Lord Shiva's dance. 


It became very difficult for Adi Shesha to carry Vishnu any longer and he was on the verge of a collapse. He asked Vishnu about such increase in his bodily weight. Vishnu replied saying that this was because of the increase in his happiness due to witnessing the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva and he narrated the entire Daruka Vana episode.


On listening to this, Adi Shesha so wanted to witness the dance of Lord Shiva , he took leave from Vishnu and proceeds to do penance to get a boon from Lord Shiva, which is granted. Vishnu predicts that Lord Shiva would grace him with the boon, as well as to do a commentatory on Grammar and also in the Natya Shastra (art of dance). Adi Shesha being an evolved soul is granted his wishes and contemplates on how to descend on the earth to watch the cosmic dance. He finds that Gonika, a yogini has been praying for a worthy son to whom she could impart all her knowledge and wisdom.He decides to be born her son.


On fine morning, Gonika still unhappy that her desires are not fulfilled, decides to offer prayers to the Sun, and in the process, takes up handful of water to offer the water abulations (Arghya) to the Sun God. While Pouring out the Arghya she discovers a small snake in her palms which falls (Pata) on the ground and turns into a male child. This child asks her to accept him for a son and she gladly does that. Gonika names this son as Patanjali (Pata means fall, Anjali- means hands in the prayerful gesture), since he  fell out of her palms when she was offering Arghya to the Sun God. Patanjali, accordingly proceeds to the Thillai forest  and worships the Swayambhu (self-formed) linga of Lord Shiva on the south banks of the Lotus pond  in the forest. 


Vyaaghrapada was the son of Rishi Madhyandina, who lived on the banks of the river Ganga. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and also desired to see the Cosmic dance of the Lord. He was engaged in a stringent penance. He wished to offer flowers to Lord Shiva before the insects suck out honey and damaged the flowers. So, he prayed to Lord Shiva to get the feet of a tiger so that he could travel through the woods in the night to gently collect flowers for the worship and also asked for a bee's eyes so that he can identify flowers in the dark that are untouched by insects. Since he was granted his wishes, he came to be known as Vyaaghrapaada (the one with tiger feet). He also reached the Thillai forest and started worshipping the Swayambhu Linga, waiting for the day when he would be able to witness the cosmic dance.


Some accounts also speak of the three thousand dikshitars joining these two devotees, waiting to watch the Lord's Cosmic dance.

 Nataraaja Painting. Please note Patanjali and Vyaaghrapaada

The Dance Competition: Thillai Kaali vs Nataraaja


There's a legend which says that when the day of the cosmic dance came forth, Kaali, the Guardian diety of the Thillai forest, interfered and demanded from Lord Shiva that he can give darshan to his devotees only after he beats her in a dance competition.


The challenge is accepted and the competition begins. It was a tough competition and it didn't seem to end. The left ear-ring of Lord Shiva falls down and while he dances, he holds the earring by his left leg, lifts his left leg above his head and wears the earring, such that the falling down nor the wearing of the earring was noticed. This posture of lifting the left leg above the head is called Urdhva Tandava and is a posture that females are not entitled to practice. So, Kaali could not respond to Lord Shiva's posture and had to accept defeat and is said to have retreated to the outskrits of the Thillai forest.


This event was supposed to have taken place where presently thousand-pillared hall stands in the temple premises


The Ananda Tandava


The Lord fulfills his promise to his devotees on the day when the Sun is in the Pushya Constellation (Pushya/Poosa Nakshatra) in the month of Thai (Jan-Feb). When the day arrived, a rain of flowers fell from the heavens. The stage (Sabha) was all set- it was illuminated with the brightness of a thousand suns and moons.


In between all of this illuminated Sabha, appeared the form of Lord Nataraja along with his consort Parvati- his four arms holding the Damaru and the fire, and three eyes flashing on his smiling face, the apasmaara beneath his legs- the Lord showed his Lotus foot, dancing in enchanting rhythm and showing the Abhaya(fearlessness) gesture. All creation rejoiced when they witnessed this joyful dance (the Ananda Tandava)- all fainted in happiness and everybody joined in the dance.


Lord Shiva granted Patanjali and Vyaaghrapaada two boons. They prayed to Lord Shiva that he should grant the joy of witnessing the Ananda Tandava to all his devotees, so that they can attain liberation (Moksha) by just having his darshan, at the Kanaka Sabha in Chidambaram and that he should grace them forever. The Lord granted these wishes.


The Ananda Tandava Posture


The Ananda Tandava posture of Nataraja represents panchakritya functions of the godhead that created the dynamic force that created the world

  

The demon under Nataraja's feet signifies that ignorance is under His feet.

The Fire in this hand (power of destruction) means He is the destroyer of evil.

The raised hand (Abhaya or Pataka mudra) signifies that He is the savior of all life.

The Ring at the back, or the arc of fire called Thiruvashi or Prabhavati signifies the cosmos and the perpetual motion of the earth.

The drum in his hand signifies the origin of Life.

The lotus pedestal signifies "Om", the sound of the universe.

His right eye, left eye and third eye signify the sun, moon and fire/knowledge, respectively.

His right earring (makara kundalam) and left earring (sthri kundalam) signify the union of man and woman (right is man, left is woman).

The crescent moon in his hair signifies benevolence and beauty.

The flowing of river Ganges through his matted hair signifies eternity of life.

The sreading of his hair and drape signify the force of his dance.


Another notable point of this posture is that it is based on the six point star. Nataraja's head forms the topmost point of the star, while his spreading hair and right hand form the upper side points. His drape and raised left leg form the lower points, and His right leg that rests on the demon Apasmaara forms the lowest point. Surrounding this is the arc of fire.


The Significance of Chidambaram


The myths and legends of Chidambaram state that Siva was compelled to continue his dance at Chidambaram, rather than in the Thillai forest, because he could see that the original site could not sustain the powerful energies of the dance.
He identified the snaking ida and pingala currents in our bodies with geographical locations north and south of Chidambaram, and then said that the central channel [natuvinadi] passed directly through Thillai, making it the centre of the universe
It is through this analogy that Chidambaram, according to local tradition, became the centre of the cosmos, the axisaround which all the rest of the universe rotates.


Significance of the temple design

Pagoda di Scialembrom [Chidambaram]", by Giulio Ferrario from Il Costume Moderno o Antico, an Italian edition, 1828, a drawing of the main gopuram and detailed plan of the central structure
• The place where temple located is the center point of world's magnetic equator.
• Three of the five Panchaboothasthala temples, those at Kalahasti, Kanchipuram and Chidambaram all stand on a straight line exactly at 79 degree 41 minutes East longitude - truly an engineering, astrological and geographical wonder. Of the other two temples, Tiruvanaikkaval is located at around 3 degrees to the south and exactly 1 degree to the west of the northern tip of this divine axis, while Tiruvannamalai is around midway (1.5 degree to the south and 0.5 degree to the west). 
• The 9 gateways signify the 9 orifices in the human body.
• The Chitsabai or Ponnambalam, the sanctum sanctorum represents the heart which is reached by a flight of 5 stairs called the Panchaakshara padi - pancha meaning 5, akshara – indestructible syllables – "SI VA YA NA MA:", from a raised anterior dias - the Kanakasabai. The access to the Sabhai is through the sides of the stage (and not from the front as in most temples). The Chit sabha roof is supported by four pillars symbolic of the four Vedas.
• The Ponnambalam or the Sanctum sanctorum is held by 28 pillars – representing the 28 agamas or set methodologies for the worship of Shiva. The roof is held by a set of 64 beams representing the 64 forms of art and is held by several cross-beams representing the innumerable blood vessels. The roof has been laid by 21,600 golden tiles with the word SIVAYANAMA: inscribed on them representing 21600 breaths.[16] The golden tiles are fixed using 72,000 golden nails which represents the no. of nadis exists in human body. The roof is topped by a set of 9 sacred pots or kalasas, representing the 9 forms of energy. The artha mandapa(sanctum) has six pillars denoting the six shastras (holy texts).
• The hall next to the artha mantapa has eighteen pillars symbolizing the eighteen Puranas.
• Sri Nataraj Mandir at Satara is a replica of this temple.

The Chidambara Rahasyam-

To the right of the idol of the Nataraja Vigraha inside the Golden Stage (Kanaka Sabha), are hung 5 strands of golden Vilva leaves, hid by a curtain thats black on the out side and red inside. 


 This is the Chidambara Rahasyam-  the soul in our bodies is believed to be present in the heart, in a small space filled with vacuum, whose diameter is one-tenth of the diameter of one strand of hair, the space behind the Vilva leaves is reminiscent of the vacuum in which the soul of the universe resides.


This residence of the soul or aatma sthanam is the Kanaka Sabha, and the aatma is the Paramaatma, namely Lord Nataraja, who performs the cosmic dance from within us. Just like our aatma is the centre of our existence, the Kanaka Sabha is the centre of existence of the entire universe.


That is why Chidambaram symbolizes the Aakasha Tattva (ether or vacuum) of all the Pancha Bhootas sthalas.


All we need to do is, surrender ourselves to Lord Nataraja, whose consort is the enchanting Shivakaamsundari, so that through his cosmic dance from within ourselves, he leads us to Moksha.

 Bibliography

www.wikipedia.org
http://www.iyengaryoga.in/life_patanjali.htm
http://www.chidambaram.rajadeekshithar.com/temple_history.htm

Some scientific explanations to Indian traditions & customs- The actual reason why they were brought into place and how have they changed now.. Part-2

1) Why do we have to go to temples? Why are men asked to remove their shirts inside the temples? And women are expected to be in their traditional dresses? A very basic question, God is everywhere, so  why temples?

I'll have to write a seperate blog on this :) Hats off to our ancestors for having these concepts inside their brains..

#1 Initially, temples were really really small.. And later they were made really really huge, an influence Buddhism had on our kings.. But the flip side of it, people went to temples everyday, kept their diabetes and obesity in check.. seriously!

#2 Temples were built according to the Agama Shaastra, which was the science of building temples. The dimensions, ratios, the shape, infact everything about the a temple were related to spiritual concepts. Like the pillars and the Gopurams were usually 7-storied, indicating the seven births a human took. The Garbha Griha (The inner most sanctum sanctorum) is usually kept dark, in resemblance to the womb and it was an indication that the Garbha Griha is our heart and the God is our soul. The outer prakaaraas are an indication of the outer world. The whole construction is meant to say that : Deep within you, the god resides in your aatma sthaana as the aatma. Besides, the pillars were full of sculptures, to inspire people about various great saints and devotees of God.

The Dwaja Stambha was meant to indicate that we leave all our shortcomings, all our desires at the outer of the temple and walk towards God, as our humble selves. So, there's so much to it than mere architecture

#3 The temples catered to the five human senses-

•   Sight- The carved artistic excellence found in the Vigraha of the Lord, the carved pillars and the temple pond, the deepaaradhanaa- all of this is meant to refresh our sight
•   Sound- The sound of the bells within the temple, the musical instruments, the vedic chants- all these sounds give us a lot of positive energy
•   Smell- The sweet smell of incense, of the flowers are to cater to our nasal fancies
•   Speech- People usually say silent or loud prayers, and inside a temple, people generally speak out more positive words.
•   Touch-  One tends to touch the deepa, the prasaadam and apply it to one's forehead or eat the prasada.

So a temple is meant to refresh the five senses

#4 The level of Positive energy within a temple is at its maximum. Yes, and thats primarily because of the temple architecture. There's this scientific concept of Corona Discharge- Sharp ends tend to attract positive ions and the blunt ends tend to attract negative ions. The same concept is used in a lightening arrestor. The Vimana of the temple gopuram is made of copper, and its pinnacles are very very sharp. The Vimana being a conductor and its ends being very very sharp attract loads of positive ions. And the diety is placed exactly beneath the pinnacle of the Vimana, and hence all the positive energy is directed towards the main diety. The next question you'll ask me is: the diety is made of granite. My answer: before a kumbhabishekam is done, a small rectangular pit is dug at the spot the diety will be placed within the sanctum sanctorum. A Yantra carved on a copper sheet that is sanctified with lots of mantras, are buried in that pit along with precious stones and metals. The centre of the idol is placed exactly on top of this rectangular pit. So folks, its all about conduction of positive energy.

The more prayers and vedic mantras that are chanted, increases the flow of positive energy and we call that as Saaniddhyam, meaning, you'll feel the presence of the Diety in that temple.

#5 Men are asked to remove their shirts to expose their torso to all that positive energy and women are asked to wear gold/metal ornaments so that they are receptive to all those positive ions also.

So, if you are really really upset about something and you need a change, I bet a proper temple is the best place to be in to cheer up yourself.

#6  God is indeed everywhere, temples are just an assertion that yes, god does exist amidst us. Building a temple and digging a pond is considered very meritorious. Reason: it offers employment to so many people for years together ( Ok, we build temples using cement now and it still continues to offer employment) and after the temple is built, there are a number of people who are dependent on being employed in the temple.

2) What is the speciality thats tagged with Vedic Chants?

I found out this answer in an article, that was a write-up on Kanchi Mahaperiyava's speech.

The space around us is filled with atoms. Atoms occupy every place in the universe. When we speak , the atoms vibrate with each other in a particular frequency and the sound is thus propagated from one mouth to another. This frequency of oscillation disturbs atoms in the sorrounding environment too, which includes ourselves. Its a proven scientific fact that positive words differ in frequncey with negative words. The same is the case with positive thoughts.

The Vedas are filled with divinity and when someone chants it, the sorrounding atmosphere gets charged with all the positive frequency. It affects the minds of the people , and as it travels it has the capability to affect even the atmosphere. Chants that are spoken aloud with complete faith have their own magical effect.

This change in frequency can change our minds, and if that is possible, anything is possible. That is the power attributed to Vedic Chants. Vedic mantras when chanted with faith, are like magical incantations., they bestow the one who chants with all prosperity and well being.

That is exactly the reason we are asked to speak positively, always..!

Some scientific explanations to Indian traditions & customs- The actual reason why they were brought into place and how have they changed now.. Part -1

I always ask a "Why" when anything is said, because it helps me to do stuff better.. And add that to a large amount curiosity and amusement, and that's how I got answers to some really difficult questions, pertaining to the Indian traditions and customs..

1) Why should one apply bindi/tilak/any mark on the forehead?

The three most important Nadi in our bodies ( for the other curious people like myself: a Nadi is a channel of flow of consciousness or the subtle life-force that connects the various energy centres of our bodies) namely Idaa, Pingalaa and Sushumnaa run through the forehead, with the Sushumna in between the eyes, Idaa and Pingalaa on its either sides.

Men and Women had to apply a mark of Vibuti, or Vermillion or Sandal Paste on their foreheads.

If you notice carefully, men either have to apply the Vibhuti pattai or the Thiruman with Sri Churnam. Its application is such that each time its applied, your fingers touch the three Nadis and hence keep them activated. Women are encouraged to apply vermillion in between their eyebrows, because this point directly is connected to the Pitituary Gland. I have never been able to get any scientific verification done, but this is what I have been told.

Besides, Vibhuti, Thiruman have this capability to absorb the water beneath the skin.

And hence, this has been considered auspicious and the absence of it, not-so-auspicious. But primarily its the activation of the Nadis thats been given importance here and the application of the tilak is considered compulsory.

2) Why is it necessary to wear earrings?

We have nerve branches from all the body at the tip of the ears. and earrings are worn to keep these nerves activated. They say that to check if all organs work fine for a new born baby, they generally pull its ear and if the baby cries out loud, it really is healthy.

I've heard some people say that one maintains good health if one wears gold earrings as it translates the energy of the sun into our bodies and the energy of the sun helps us to maintain good health.

3) Why is it necessary to wear bangles?

For the same reason, the activation of Nadis and nerves.

4) Are anklets compulsory too?

Well, the part of the ankle that the anklet holds on to is supposed to be an accupressure point for the stomach. Again, I could never have it verified.

5) People kept Kudumis or Shikhas.. Why aren't we supposed to cut hair?

The men and women were forbidden from cutting hair. Everyone had to maintain their shikha..

I confirmed it with a couple of vaidheekas.. People who keep a full fledged shikha run a lower risk of head injuries, becos the Shikhas act a sponge that prevents sudden shock to the Medulla Oblangata, beneath our brains. Say one falls down, backward, his shikha is likely to hit the floor first than his skull... and FYI, you just have to hit the medulla oblangata a bit too hard, and I'm not sure you'd walk alive again...Spooky? Not meant to be... But the shikhas were kept as a natural, 24*7 helmet.

Besides, men were identified as belonging to a particular school of Study based on the style of the shikha... So Shikha were maintained, as a respect to the Guru Shishya Parampara.

6)What about the Pancha kacha and the 9-Yards saree?... This style of dressing sure is complex...

People did give a great deal of thought to the way of dressing.. It had to cover our bodies and we had to be enormously decent too.. Yes, thats right.. But folks had to tell me some other reason..

Kaccha means the part of cloth that is tucked to the back, in between the legs. The Pancha Kaccha has five folds of cloth in the kaccha and the nine-yards saree, doesn't have a fold.

In case one of us aren't aware.. The kacha style of dressing (where in the saree or the dhoti is worn in the style that ultimately is similar to a pair of pants) has been made compulsory for the married lot because-

#1 To indicate that you are married and you shouldn't even remotely dream of having a crush on the married guy/girl

#2 To conserve the positive sexual energy that drains out via the moolaadhaara.. Now don't ask me why, but looks like another subtle energy source gets wasted via the moolaadhara and the Kacha helps conserve all the reproductive energy.

I don't doubt it but I've never been able to figure out how this somebody arrived at this conclusion.

But logically speaking, a Panchakacha is a lot more comfortable attire for men and so is the nine-yards saree for the women.. Wearing it properly can help you run so fast that  even win a running race isn't a big problem when you are in one; however its just a matter of time before you get used to it. How did I arrive at THIS conclusion: live, first-hand accounts of people who are used to the Kacha style of dressing

But again, its our uniform for religious activities, just like its common for a soldier to be in his camaflouge while he's at war.

For the rest, watch out for part-II

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OMCC works with Dalit Freedom Network.
DFN has Dr. Kancha Illaiah on its Advisory Board.
Dr. Kancha Illaiah is a Professor in Osmania University, Hyderbad.
DFN has William Armstrong on its Advisory Board.
William Armstrong is a former US Senator from Colarado (Republican).
William Armstrong is currently the President of Colorado Christian University.
Colorado Christian University�s one of the strategic objective is to share the love of Christ around the World.
DFN has Udit Raj on its Advisory Board.
Udit Raj claims Joseph Pitts as a great friend of India.
Joseph Pitts is a Republican US Congressman from Pennsylvannia.
Joseph Pitts sent a letter to Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State �USA, requesting USA to deny visa to N.Modi.
Joseph Pitts has led a Congressional delegation to Pakistan & India.
Joseph Pitts is Founder and Co-Chairman of the �Kashmir Forum�.
Joseph Pitts along with Congressman John Conyers introduced legislation condemning actions of N.Modi.
John Conyers is Congressman from Michigan�s 14th congressional district.
The 14th district contains Dearbon, a major city.
Dearbon has the largest Arab Americans for a city of its size.
Udit Raj is member of National Integration Council, Government of India.
Udit Raj is National Chairman of Buddha Education Foundation.
Udit Raj is National Chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations.
Udit Raj leads Dalit International Foundation
Udit Raj leads Lord Buddha Club.
Udit Raj was part of an international Steering Committee on Kashmir
Majid Tramboo promoted the Steering Committee.
DFN has Baroness Caroline Cox on its Advisory Board.
Baroness Caroline Cox is Deputy Speaker, House of Lords, England.
Suhasini Haidar is daughter of Subramanian Swamy
Suhasini Haidar is daughter-in-law of Salman Haidar
Salman retired as Foreign Secretary in 1996.
Salman was later appointed as High Commissioner to the UK.
Salman was also India's ambassador to China.
Salman has written weekly columns for "The Statesman".
Salman was Minister/Deputy permanent representation of India at UN.
Salman directed South Asian Political Initiative, a Ford Foundation funded project.
Nadira Alvi married V S Naipaul
Nadira Alvi, a journalist, is sister of recently assassinated Maj Gen Amir Faisal Alvi, the ex-chief of Pakistan's elite SSG
�Resalat� is a Tehran-based Persian daily.
�Ettela�at� is another Tehran-based Persian daily.
�Resallat� and �Ettela�at�signed MoU with �Siyasat� and �Munif�
Siyasat and Munif are Hyderbad, Andhra Pradesh based dailies.
Toseeh is another Persian daily.
Toseeh has tied up with Vaarta.
Vaarta is one of the dailies from A.G.A.Publications Pvt Ltd.
A.G.A Publications Pvt Ltd is one of the companies in Sanghi Group
Sanghi Group was co-promoted by Gireesh Sanghi with his brothers.
Gireesh Sanghi is Congress M.P, Rajaya Sabha
Gireesh Sanghi is All India Vaish Federation National President.
Mahendra Mohan Gupta is on the Advisory Board of AIVF
Mahendra Mohan Gupta is Chairman of Dainik Jagran Group
Ramoji Group is headed by Ramoji Rao
Ramoji Rao is Founder & Chairman of Eenadu
Eenadu is the largest Telugu news daily in Andhra Pradesh.
Ramoji Group also owns ETV Network.
ETV Network produces content in Telugu, Bangla, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Gujarati, Urdu & Hindi.
Ramoji is reported to be close to Chandra Babu Naidu and supported of Telugu Desam Party.
Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd�s parent company is Ramoji Group.
Blackstone Group is reported to have invested Rs600 crore in UEL.
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd brings out The Deccan Chronicle newspaper.
DCHL also brings out �Andhra Bhoomi� a telugu newspaper.
DCHL also brings out �Asian Age�.
DCHL became a publishing parter of �The New York Times�.
DCHL began publishing �The International Herald Tribune�
T.Venkatram Reddy is the Chairman of DCHL.
T.Venkatram Reddy is fromer MP, Rajhya Sabha from Congress.
M.J.Akbar was Editor-in-Chief of Deccan Chronicle and Asian Age.
M.J.Akbar is Founder and Chairman of the fortnightly the Covert.
M.J. Akbar worked at �Times of India�, �Sunday� & �The Telegraph�
M.J.Akbar was an Congress MLA from 1989 to 1991.
M.J.Akbar joined The Brookings Institution, Washington in 2006, as a Visiting Fellow on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World.
M.J.Akbar was a member of the �Forum of Islamic Scholars and Intellectual� held in Makkha al-Mukaramma in 2005.
M.J.Akbar�s wife is Mallika Joseph.
Mallika Joseph worked at Times of India.
Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
YSR Reddy is from the Congress party (INC).
YSR Reddy�s father, Raja Reddy, setup a degree college and a Polytechnic in Pulivendula.
YSR Reddy has said that his one year study at Andhra Loyola College (ALC), a Jesuit institution, influenced him so much that he handed over the Pulivendula colleges to the Loyola Group.
The YS family has established several educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh.
YSR Reddy�s daughter is Sharmila.
Sharmila married Anil Kumar, Anil Kumar converted to Christianity after the marriage.
Anil Kumar set up �Anil World Evangelism� and is an active Evangelist.
YSR Reddy�s son is YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
YS Jagan is a youth Congress Leader.
YS Jagan is Chairman of Jagati Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Bhumna Karunakara Reddy is close to YSR Reddy.
Karunakara Reddy is the Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
JPPL publishes the newspaper Sakshi.
Chandra Babu Naidu has claimed that Lanco group was forced to invest in JPPL.
L. Sridhar is alleged to have made the investment from Lanco Group.
L Sridhar is Lanco Infratech�s Vice Chairman
L Sridhar�s brother is L.Rajagopal.
L.Rajagopal joined Congress in 2003.
L Rajagopal is the son-in-law of P.Upendra.
P.Upendra is a former Minister from Congress.
Lanco Group�s Chairman is L. Rajagopal
Andhra Prabha is a telugu newspaper started in 1938.
Andhra Prabha is owned by The New Indian Express Group.
Andhra Jyothi is a telugu newspaper.
Andhra Jyothi�s Managing Director is Vemuri Radhakrishna.
SUN TV Network is owned by Kalanidhi Maran.
Kalanidhi Maran is the Chairman & Managing Director of SUN TV Network.
SUN TV network owns: Sun TV, Gemini TV, Teja TV, Surya TV, Kiran TV, Udaya TV, Surjo TV among other channels.
Kalanidhi Maran owns the tamil daily �Dinakaran�.
Dinakaran was started by a former DMK Minister K.P.Kandasamy.
Kalanidhi Maran�s brother is Dayanidhi Maran.
Dayanidhi Maran was Minister of Communications and IT in the UPA government.
Kalanidhi Maran�s father was Murasoli Maran.
Murasoli Maran was a Union Minister from the DMK party.
Murasoli Maran edited a tamil daily �Murasoli�.
Murasoli Maran was an editor to �The Rising Sun� a English weekly.
Murasoli Maran as a publisher published the following tamil magazines: Kungumam, Muththaram, Vannathirai & Sumangali.
Murasoli Maran�s uncle is M.Karunanidhi.
M.Karunanidhi is Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from the DMK party.
M.Karunanidhi launched Kalaignar TV in 2007.
M.K.Azhagiri owns Kalaignar TV.
M.K.Azhagiri is M.Karunanidhi�s son.
M.K.Stalin is another son of the M.Karunanidhi..
M.K.Stalin was named after Joseph Stalin.
Joseph Stalin was the authoritarian leader of the Soviet Union.
M.K.Stalin is the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration in Tamil Nadu.
Kanimozhi is one of the daughters of M.Karunanidhi.
Kanimozhi was a sub-editor for the �The Hindu�.
Kanimohi was Editor in Charge of �Kungumam� a tamil weekly.
Kanimozhi became a Rajya Sabha member in 2007.
Kanimozhi conducted programs in SUN TV and Vijay TV.
Kanimozhi�s second husband G.Aravindan is Singapore based Tamil literary figure.
Dina Thanthi a tamil daily was founded bu Si.Pa.Aditanar.
Aditanar�s second son is Sivanthi Athithan.
Sivanthi Athithan owns Dina Thanthi.
Aditanar had launced the tamil evening daily �Malai Murasu�.
Aditanar set up Malar Publications Ltd.
Malar Publications Ltd. Brings out the tamil evening newspaper Malai Malar.
Balasubramanian Adityan son of Sivanthi Athithan managers Malar Publications Ltd.
B.Adityan set up �Air Media Network Pvt Ltd� (AMN)
AMN is into cable distribution, content productions and broadcasting.
AMN owns AMN TV
AMN has produced content for FM radio, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Vijay TV.
Dina Mani is a tamil newspaper.
Dina Mani is owned by The New Indian Express Group. (NIEG)
NIEG owns Kannadaprabha, Andhraprabha, Malaylamvarikha, Indiavarta and Expressbuzz.
NIEG also owns Cinemaexpress & Tamilanexpress
STAR Vijay TV is a tamil TV channel.
Vijay TV is owned by STAR TV
STAR TV is owned by News Corporation based in Hong Kong.
News Corporation is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Fox Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of News Corporation.
FEG owns Fox News Channel, in USA.
Fox News is a conservative, pro-church Republican Party channel in US
News Corporation owns the The Wall Street Journal
Jaya TV is a tamil TV channel.
Jaya TV is owned by Jaya Network.
Jaya Network is owned by J.Jayalalitha
Jayalalitha was the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (AIADMK party)
Makkal TV is owned by Makkal Tholaikatchi
Act Now for Harmony and Democracy�s (ANHAD) Founding and Managing Trustee is Shabnam Hashmi
Shabnam�s father was a freedom fighter.
Shabnam went to USSR on a cultural exchange scholarship for six years.
Shabham is married to Gauhar Raza.
KN Panikkar is a Founding trustee of ANHAD
Panikkar is an Indian Marxist Historian.
Panikkar was the Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankarcharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala.
Panikkar received Homi Bhabha Senior Fellowship.
Panikkar was awarded Padma Bhushan.
Harsh Mander is a Founding trustee of ANHAD
Harsh Mander is a Human Rights activist, author and was in the IAS.
Harsh Mander was close to Ajit Jogi
Harsh Mander, born into Sikh faith, was in-charge of the relief camps in Indore during the 1984 riots.
Harsh Mander served as Managing Director of SC/ST Finance Corporation.
Harsh Mander was the Director of ActionAid India.
Ajit Jogi was the Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh.
Ajit Jogi is from the Congress party (INC).
It is claimed that after Ajit Jogi, a tribal Christian became the CM the rate of Christian conversions has gone up.
Harsh Mander received the 2002 �Rev. M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award�
Rev M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award was awarded by �Vigil India Movement.
Shubha Mudgal is a trustee of ANHAD
Shubha�s parents Skand and Jaya Gupta were professors of English literature at Allahabad University.
Shubha�s grand-father Prof. P.C.Gupta was also a professor at Allahabad University.
Shubha�s first husband was Justice Mukul Mudgal of Delhi High Court.
Shubha is currently married to Aneesh Pradan, a tabla player.
Shubha received Padma Shri.
Shubha has received several awards in the field of music.
Kamla Bhasin is a trustee of ANHAD
Kamla is an Indian feminist.
Kamla was a lecturer in the Orientation Centre of the German Foundation for Developing Countries, Bad Honnef, West Germany.
Kamla was the Development Secretary of Seva Mandir, Udaipur.
Saeed Akhtar Mirza is a trustee of ANHAD
Saeed Mirza is a writer and director in Hindi films and television.
Saeed Mirza�s father is Akhtar Mirza
Akhtar Mirza was a noted film script writer.
Asianet Communications Limited (ACL) has a majority stake in Asianet TV.
ACL is owned by Jupiter Entertainment Ventures Limited (JEVL).
JEVL is a subsidiary of Jupiter Capitals Ltd.
The other media outlets of ACL are: Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Best FM 95, Asianet Suvarana, Suvarna News, Asianet Sitara and Sitara News.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar is the Chairman & Editor-in-chief.
Rajeev Chandrasekar entered Rajya Sabha in 2006.
Rajeev Chandrasekar�s uncle is M.K.Narayanan
M.K.Narayanan is National Security Advisor
M.K.Narayanan headed the Intelligence Bureau from 1987 to 1990.
Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi, is owned by M P Virendrakumar
Virendrakumar is a MP through Janata Dal (Secular), from Kerala
In Kerala, Deva Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) party is a constituent of Left Democratic Front
Latest Editor of Mathrubhumi is Kesava Menon
Kesava Menon was the Associate Editor of The Hindu before taking up this position
Shashi Tharoor is an Indian Diplomat.
Shashi is the son of late Chandran Tharoor.
Chandran was a journalist working for Amrita Bazar Patrika of Calcutta.
Chandran headed "The Statesman" in 1959.
Shashi Tharoor is going to contest as INC (Congress) candidate in 2009.
Ishaan and Kanishk are twin sons of Shashi.
Ishaan lives in Hong Kong and works for "Time" magazine.
Kanishk lives in London and works for "OpenDemocracy".
Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan is a sister of Shashi.
Smita Tharoor is another sister of Shashi.
Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is daughter of Shobha.
Ragini is the editor of "India Currents".
Shobha writes in "India Currents"
India Currents is an Indian American monthly.
Shashi's first wife was Tilottama Mukherji from Kolkata.
Tilottama was/is a journalist and scholar.
Sahshi's second wife is Christ Giles, a Canadian.
Christa is Deputy Secretary of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.
Mukundan Unni was Shashi's maternal uncle.
Tharoor Parameswar was Chandran Tharoor's elder brother.
Parameswar was the founder publisher of the Indian edition of "Reader's Digest".
Param resurrected & presided the Advertising Club of Bombay.
Param was also the Advertising Manager of Amrita Bazar Patrika.
Shobhana Bhartia is the Chairperson and Editorial Director of Hindustan Times group
Shobhana is the daughter of KK Birla; grand daughter of GD Birla.
KK Birla joined INC (Congress) party in 1984.
KK Birla was later elected Rajya Sabha member in 1984.
Shobhana is married to Shyam Sunder Bhartia
Shyam is the Chariman of Jubliant Organosys Ltd, a Pharma company
Shyam is the son of late Mohan Lal Bhartia.
Shamit Bhartia and Priyavrat Bhartia are their sons
Shamit is a Director at the Hindustan Times group.
Shobhana was nominated for Rajya Sabha in 2006.
Shobhana is politically affiliated to INC (Congress).
She was nominated by UPA headed by Sonia Gandhi.
Shobhana was a 2005 Padma Shree award. This was after UPA formed the government in 2004.
Priyavrat is a Director at the Hindustan Times group.
Shamit heads franchises of Dominoes Pizza and Hot Breads.
Shamit also looks after the chain store �Monday to Sunday�
Shobhana is a close family friend of Scindias.
Late Madhavrao Scindia was a Minister from the INC (Congress) party.
Jyotiraditya Scindia is Madhavrao�s son.
Jyotiraditya is a MP from the INC (Congress) party.
Karan Thapar writes a weekly column in Hindustan Times.
Vir Sanghvi writes two columns �Counter Point� and �Rude Food�
Barkha Dutt writes the column �Third Eye�
Sonal Kalra is a editor of HT City a supplement of Hindustan Times and writes a column.
- Joseph Bain D'Souza was CEO of a housing project in which Mrinal Gore, PB Samant and Suresh Narvekar were trustees.
- N. Ram was a founder of Students Federation of India, CPI(M)'s student wing.
- N. Ram's niece is married to Dayanidhi Maran.
- Joseph D'Souza is the head of All India Christian Council.
- Dalit Freedom Network operates out of a church in Colorado. Melody Divine is part of DFN and Melody Divine works for Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.
- Joseph D'Souza is listed in Pat Robertson's 700 club, a group for fundamentalist Christians.
- Dalit Freedom Network is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

Dont worry.....Hinduism & Indian culture is safe guarded by the above people. Long Live India :-)

Vaaraahi Navaratri

We all celebrate the Mother Goddess for nine days during the Navaratri, which falls during the month of Ashwina, (spanning september-october). But few people know that we have more than a navaratri..

In fact Devi is worshipped during navaratris that occur 4 times a year..

They are:

• Sharadha Navartri (the month of Ashwina),
• the Matangi or Poushya Navaratri (starts with the month of Margashirsha),
• the Vasantha Navaratri (the month of Chaitra)
• the Varahi Navaratri (the month of Ashadha)

Of these Sharadha Navaratri and Vasantha Navaratri are well known. The other two are called Gupta Navaratris.

Varahi Navaratri is dedicated to the worship of Varahi. The Bhavanopanishad says that "Vaaraahi Pitru Roopam", that is,Vaaraahi is the emodiment of the Father, while explaning the concept of the Self in the Upanishad.

Varahi can be considered as the Supreme Commander of Lalita Mahatripurasundari's forces as "Dandanayika" or "Dandanatha" – the commander-general of Lalita's army. She is the feminine form of the Varaha Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Durga Saptashati (The Seven Hundred Verses of Durga) mentions her as the Shakti of Vishnu, one of the seven Maatrikas (Goddesses), who along with Chaamunda and Kaushiki Devi,defeat the demon Raktabija, who could regenerate from the drops of his own blood.

Varahi is fifth in line of the seven Matrikas and hence called Panchami. She is invoked to ward off evil, to remove her devotees from peril and to destroy the enemy. The Devi Mahatmya suggests that one should invoke Varahi for longevity. She is also invoked for attaining Kaivalya pada (i.e Moksha). Those who chant Varahi's Mantra feel this extra-ordinary sense of courage and will-power to overcome any difficulty.

She takes the face of a female boar i.e a Sow and the body of a female with a dark complexion similar to a dark cloud (just like Lord Vishnu's), and has two/four/six arms as per various depictions. . In her hands, she holds the ghanta (bell), a chamara (a yak's tail), a chakra (discus), and a gada (mace), Sharnga (the bow of Lord Vishnu), the Musala (the pestle) and the Hala (the plough), and sometimes the Kapala (skull-cup) and showing the Abhaya (Fearlessness) Mudra and Varada (Boons-Bestowing) Mudra, and also holds the Paasha (Noose) and Angusha (Axe) according to various depictions. She rides on the Buffalo. In some depictions she is described as being pot-bellied and full-breasted, and sometimes standing, seated or dancing.

Varahi Tantra mentions that Varahi has five forms : Svapna Varahi, Chanda Varahi, Mahi Varahi (Bhairavi), Krcca Varahi, and Matsya Varahi

Let's offer our Salutations to Varahi, the destroyer of enemies, the Supreme Commander of the Divine Army, and one who bestows her devotess with prosperity and Moksha!!

Grandma's Tales-2

Grandma's further explanations continued a couple of weekends later... In case a person's father had more than one elder brothers, the eldest "Periyappa" was referred to as "Ponnappa", and the younger Periyappa as Periyappa..Similarly, the great grandmothers were called "Periya Paatis" or "Mokka Paatis"...It was good, the great-grandchildren got to see their  great-grandmothers... Interesting proposition...

The Grandparents of the olden days got to see nearly four-five  generations of their family in their lifetimes..And I attribute it all to the amount of physical work people did in those days, which helped in extending their life span.

From the way my grandma speaks and tells me tales of times that are far gone, I feel that people had more humanity to them, and life was much more simplified. We were not so modernized, and may be never made so much advancement in the fields of science and technology. But looking at the rate of environment degaradation and the amount of pollution we have, not to forget the threat we have due to the electromagnetic radiations emitted from our cellphones to microwave ovens, I feel for a moment that the earlier lifestyle never brought with it, environment degardation in such a massive scale.

May be we should take the best features of our ancient lifestyles and imbibe them, atleast the ones that are possible... It looks like it really makes a difference!

Grandma's Tales

My Grandma's fascinating anecdotes are worth sharing with all.... She's adept in telling accounts of the yesteryear traditions that they followed in their day-to-day life.....


Today, I got to hear from her, how people addressed each other in the olden days...
Point no. one, women never mentioned the name of their husbands, because they used believe that speaking out the name of their husbands may reduce the guy's lifetime


They never spoke to an outsider (read: a male other than their father or husband or uncles), and in case they were questioned by an outsider male, they'd go behind a door and let out sounds, suitable to the question, and the guy who made the query, would understand the answer from the sounds made by the women folk.


The women used to refer their husbands in the olden Tirunelveli territories by the name of the local deities because men generally were named after the deities... or else they'd refer the husbands by similar sounding tree names (for eg: mara ilai (=murunga ilai meaning drumstick leaves) for a guy named murugesan)
And in case someone inquires the woman her husband's name, she'd call a child playing near by and ask the child to speak out the husband's name... And later, this was modified as referring to the husband as the father of their children... in case, ganesh is the son, the lady would refer to the husband saying "Ganesh-Appa"..  I've myself seen both instances... :)


And yes ofcourse, no youngster would speak in front of elders unless he's asked to, those days... and similarly, no man would talk to his wife, in the presence of the elders at home... This was a decorum, none dared to override...


The Sister-in-law would refer to the elder brother's wife as "Manni" even though the sister-in-law would be elder to the brother's wife.. and the brother's wife in turn would refer to the lady as "Akka"... So ultimately, even for a joke, none would call each others' names...


Similarly, the girl's parents would never dare to call the son-in-law by his name... He would always be referred to as "Maapillai" and he'd be given due respects without fail.... else there were chances that the
"Maapillai" may get displeased.... Similary when the Maapillai comes to the girl's place, the womenfolk of the household, would never sit in front of him, or even have a free chat with him.. The men of the house would talk to the son-in-law, eventually.!


There's another interesting anecdote... Those days in Kerala, if someone knocks at the door, the woman would ask "Who is it ?".. The person at the other end would say "It is me".. Now the woman would start telling a huge list of names of the people she knows and the moment she'd say the name of the person outside, the guy would say "hmmmm" and then the lady may open the door if she knows for sure, that she identifies the person outside.... And so, if anyone would say "Its me!", folks used to tease, "Don't talk like a Keralite.. how would i know who's you" :P :P


Similarly, lengthy names had general short forms... Rajalakshmi became Raji, Bhuvaneshwari became Bhuvana, Krishnamoorthy became Kicha, Ramakrishna/ Ramasubramani became Ramu, Subramanian became Subbu or Subbaani, Chandrashekar/Chandramouli became Chandru, Lalitha became Lalli...


The way Grandma potrays it, Life looked much simpler during the black and white era... and people were much closer with each other... and more on this would follow...!

Why is India now, the way it is...

I do not find the politics in India fascinating, and like many fellow citizens, I'm not ashamed to admit this.Most of us don't care about what's happening in the political front because we know that politics is all about "money, thirst for power, and filled to the brim with corruption" and without having anyone to explain, we all know that, by default, any politician can never be "good". We know we can never believe that a particular minister would ever do something good for the nation because, before he accidentally does something good for the nation, one can be 200% sure that he is probably having nothing else to do for himself or whatever he is doing in the name of welfare is a stunt for the upcoming elections.

I'm proud to be an Indian, for its glorious past, for the country that it is, and for that unique culture and tradition that every Indian carries with oneself. But I'm never able to talk proudly about my country's government, or anything even remotely related to politics.The recent news we've been coming across are really disturbing.. " 2G Scam" "A family ruling a state" "The Poor dying out of hunger" "Farmers committing suicide because they can't repay debts totalling to Rs.1 Lakh" and to top it all, we have all this external threat coming in from the terrorists. I mean, where are we heading, as a country?

Whenever I see the likes of Kalmadi, Karunanidhi, Raja, Kanimozhi on tv, there's one question that keeps troubling me... We all know that these folks are guilty... Guilty for n-number of crimes, about which we as the public have very little knowledge. But the very little knowledge  is enough to flare up anger in anybody. Because these guys, in the name of running a govt. are actually eating up the tax-payers' money. They are thieves because, they've never earned sweating it out in the sun or giving their life and blood towards their work. They have just been stealing our money all THE time. When all of us know this much, shouldn't we have already beat him up the moment these people are seen in the public for the first time? Why have we left him free in the first place? Would we all go behind a thief only if he comes and actually takes away something from us in person? Isn't it high time it strikes our heads that without us actually realising about it, these people are stealing away all our hard-earned income??

And the cheap tricks these people play during the election campaigns are a source for poor jokes, that we post on Facebook or Twitter... They'll give out the most idiotic statements.... " They are trying to frame us up.. we are not responsible for anything".. Arey... It obviously seen from the Politician's face that he has done everything... and its an open secret which everyone knows, and so why would someone "frame" the politician up... These statements sound like the blame game that kids play.... Even kids talk much more sensibly than these bunch of politicians do..

I find a couple of Tata Tea "Jaago Re" advertisements really interesting... Especially the one in which a guy asks a politician about " his qualifications because we have to trust him with the work of running this country"... Thats a very relevant point. What qualification does Karunanidhi have? What qualification does Rabdi Devi have? And even if Dr.Manmohan Singh holds more than a dozen doctorates, does he want us to believe that "he never knew that A.Raja was taking home crores of rupees right under his nose and he was unaware of it all the time"??. Dayanidhi Maran, though being an MBA, did everything within the Communication Ministry to make things favourable for his Sun Network to thrive... He brought up the Re.1 plan to just make us look like fools... Do you think that the One Rupee plan is all that we need, right now? And just for the record, did that really help your phone bills going down??? So, point proved: when it comes to money, the educated and the illiterate politicians tend to show no difference... Please send them to the Standard One moral science class... These bunch of people need to realise the importance of moral values more than all of our kids do...

If we don't end up paying our taxes for once, I'm sure the Income Tax Department would land up at your door step soon... They'll talk rules, they'll threaten you and will even check your credentials. So what about these politicians? Has the I-T Dept ever considered raiding a politician's residence if he's missed paying tax once? Its true that these politicians keep a number of goondas engaged for their "security"... if you go single-handedly there's less chance that you'd be even seen the next time... How about if 10,000 people go beat a single politician up? He'd learn the lesson of a life time.. I don't actually mean it when I say "beat-up".. But if we all oppose, in some non-violent form, the politician has to step down. Gandhi's principles are needed to be in place right NOW than EVER in the history of India.

And the only thing we can do is, vote. Exercise your right to vote. Choose the right candidate.. Or the choose the better of the lot. If you feel no candidate is eligible, exercise Form 49-0. But never let your vote go waste... Your vote  is like a small drop in the ocean. If there are thousand more people who have voted the same way like you have, it makes a HUGE difference.. If the thousand becomes tens of thousands, it will make a BIGGER difference. Have you noticed the way Bihar has changed? I don't know about Nitish Kumar... But the way he has made things turn normal in Bihar, the state has become exactly the opposite to how it was when Laloo Prasad was ruling..  Laloo had claimed Bihar to be "his property"... And if Bihar is back in to the path of development, its because the people of that state chose to vote.. Unanimously for Nitish Kumar.... 

If its possible in Bihar, the same phenomenal change is possible in the entire country... I have heard a few people say " whoever comes, the same kind of people will rule the roost... Every body is corrupt".. Dude, you say all this because you don't have to face problems in getting 3 square meals a day, a strong roof above your head, and besides an employment that can help you get all that want... If you don't vote, you are making things worse for yourself, if not for you, atleast for your progeny... If we as a democracy, don't instill fear about the power of the people in the minds of these politicians, we're letting them believe that they can win votes by paying Rs.500 to each of the voters... If we don't vote, we deserve for living in such a poorly governed country!!

Bottom Line: Please Vote..... Thats the only thing you can do, for the betterment of your country!!

Rama Navami & Krishna Janmaashtami: Of Course, they have a lot in similar!!

I read all about this in one of Kanchi Mahaperiyava's discourses and I thought, why not share it with others!!
Ok, Rama Navami is when we get a chance to celebrate Lord Rama's birthday and Krishna Janmaashtami is when we celebrate Lord Krishna's birthday... Fine.. So, thats a reason good enough to party... But, apparently, there's more to it..Its not limited to the birthdays of a bunch of god-men :P


Ok.. Chill... Lord Rama was born in Treta Yuga (approx. more than 10,000 years ago), in the spring month of Chaitra ( also known as Chitra in Tamil, spans the period of 14 April-14 May every year) on the nineth day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha Navami, nava=nine in sanskrit) when the moon was in the Punarvasu Constellation (Punarvasu Nakshatra) to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya. Ofcourse his birth was preceded by auspicious signs and little Rama was born on midday at 12 P.M. There are no words to describe the beauty and the brilliance of baby Rama, and to commemorate the auspicious arrival of Rama, we still celebrate his Birthday!


Lord Krishna was born in Dwapara Yuga (approx. more than 6000 years ago), in the monsoon month of Shravana ( also known as Avani in Tamil, follows from mid-August to mid-sept) on the eighth day of the dark fortnight ( Krishna Paksha Ashtami, Ashta=Eight in Sanskrit) when the moon was in the Rohini Constellation ( Rohini Nakshatra) at midnight at 12 AM sharp to the Vrishni Clan's Chief Vasudeva and Mother Devaki. He's the charming thief who stole all hearts and was brought up by another Chief Nanda and Mother Yashoda. Krishna Vaasudeva's (Krishna's the son of Vasudeva and hence he's Vaasudeva) exploits and mischief are still sung today in every household.


Ok, we know that both Rama and Krishna were incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but why did they choose to be born on the eighth and the ninth day of the fortnight( apparently, Ashtami and Navami are considered inauspicious and anyone who knows this will never venture into any important work on a Ashtami or Navami) ? It is to symbolically show that all days are favourable for Gods and these folks knew that the only day they'll get all the attention is when all their devotees aren't engaged in any other business.. Clever Gods, eh?
Yes, God doesn't have reservations or apprehensions. He's everything and everything is unto Him. He's ready to offer himself to people who come to him. You take a step towards Him and He'll take ten steps towards you. He's not bound by time, people and of course, SIGNS :) but he's sure bound to devotion and you can take that word from me :)


The offerings that we make to Rama are more of an uncooked kind.. Paanakam(made out of water, ginger paste, jaggery) and uncooked pulsels (Bengal Gram and chiefly Green Gram),.. They say this is because Rama spent the most illustrious part of his life in Forest and so, to keep his body cool, we make these simple preparations as offerings. But, more than for Rama, we human beings need to consume these preparations because, come April and the temperatures soar sky-high and its not as difficult as Rocket Science to realise that we need to do the best to protect ourselves from the scorching heat. So God's offerings are for all of  us; be assured.. :)


Krishna, as I told is known for his mischief. People still like his baby image more than his adult self. He's the darling of Vrindavan and butter is, his favourite dish, side-dish,dessert... All in one :) Besides, Murukku, Seedai et al ( for those not familiar with these names, they are famous traditional South Indian Savouries, made out of rice flour) are things that little kids find easy to hold in their hands and yummy to chew.. In the days when biscuits, cerelac and chocolate bars were not even remotely visualised, these preparations were given to kids when their teeths were coming up and they needed something to constantly chew upon.. And ofcourse, kids like a variety of dishes..And so butter, Seedai, Murukku and Appam are the most preferred offerings to Krishna on Janmaashtami. Yes, they are more for the human beings and less for the Gods.. Because, here also, the offerings will be consumed by you and me and scores of all other people who can lay their hands on these delicious eatables.. Mouth Watering, eh? Sorry, I can't help it either :)


Rama amd Krishna, wanted to convey the same message.. Each of them did that in a different way altogether. The more straight forward Rama was, equally clever Krishna was. The more difficulty that Rama faced in his life time, Krishna enjoyed doubly in his life time. They just appeared in different forms and names for the betterment of Humanity.


Hence, the celebration of their birthdays is a remembrance of their lives as a message. Its never important to do a pooja in their names, or offer variety foods. Its important to dive deep into Bhakti and realise the lesson they had to give all of us.I bet that sounds a bit like Rocket Science ? :)