Skip to main content

Featured Post

Review of Executive Lounges at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS)

During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport.  That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’t ju

Navaratri Experiences – 9

Ashtami – the eighth day of Navaratri is celebrated as Durgaashtami all over India. We too celebrated this day remembering the Devi in her avatar as MAHISHASURA MARDINI, for this was the decoration in the temple yesterday.

From Miscellaneous

According to the Devi Mahatmyam, the Asura named Mahisha (who took the form of a wild bull) performed great penance to Brahma, who, pleased with him, offered a boon. Mahisha asked for immortality, which Brahma said was impossible. Mahisha then asked that he should not be killed by men, Devas, asuras, or any other creatures, and this boon was granted by Brahma. In his arrogance, he did not name women, for he considered them inferior to him.

When the Devas could no longer bear the atrocities of Mahisha, they went with Brahma to Shiva and Vishnu, and asked them to relieve them of their troubles. Vishnu and Shiva’s anger presented itself in the form of a lustre, to which was added the lustre of the other gods – Brahma, Indra and all the other Devas. This divine lustre assumed the shape of a woman – the Devi, and was given the ornaments and the weapons of the gods.

The Devi fought with Mahishasura for nine days and nine nights – the period which we now celebrate as Navaratri. On the tenth day, she killed the Asura, just as he was transforming into his Asura form from his Bull form. Thus, under the feet of the Devi, we can see the head of a bull, while the Asura is seen being killed.

From Miscellaneous

We also took the opportunity of visiting the Bengali Durga Puja Pandal at Chembur, where the same form of the Devi is worshipped. Samhith loved seeing the beautiful decoration at the Durga Puja, especially since it is his first visit.



Here is the view of the wonderful setting for the Devi, where the organisers have tried to create a replica of the Victoria Memorial at Kolkata.

From Miscellaneous

From Miscellaneous

Here are the images of the deities…..

From Miscellaneous

And here is the main deity – Mahishasura Mardini, again….

From Miscellaneous

Here is the photo of a chandelier inside the hall, which Samhith was fascinated by…..

From Miscellaneous

We also visited the Fine Arts Society, Chembur, to see their Bommai Kolu, which is one of the best in the area. Here is the golu - with 11 steps……..

From Miscellaneous

Most of their toys are old ones, handed over by old patrons, and hence of much better quality than is available these days. Take a closer look at some of them………..

From Miscellaneous

Their Dasavatharam set is especially beautiful…..

From Miscellaneous

And take a look at this figure of Vamana (the Vamana avatar) from the temple at Thirukolvilur near Thiruvannamalai. The beauty of the toys is amazing!!

From Miscellaneous

The decoration around the golu is based on Kailas, the abode of Shiva. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas have been made with cotton, and around it are gardens, with statues of goddesses kept here and there. It is a beautiful sight, which Samhith enjoyed, and wants to replicate at home next year…

From Miscellaneous

Well, that was the end of the eighth day of Navaratri. Looking forward to Navami and Saraswati puja and what it brings along………

Comments

  1. I didn't miss the temple alankaram after all! Pls tell Samhith that!He came down on navami and was very distressed that I missed all the "alangarams" and that it was Brahma and Saraswati that day :) I got to see on one of them on your blog.And I maintain that Raji's Kollu beats the Fine Arts Society one anyday for aesthetic and antique value; Raji's reminds me of the one at my grandmom's place where the dolls are more than a century old!

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks usha, Shall tell my mom... she enjoys keeping the golu, and will be happy to hear your comment.
    Anu

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan