Navaratri 2009 - our Bommai Kolu

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.

Navaratri 2009 - our Bommai Kolu

The most anticipated festival of the year is here at last, and we are all done with the preparations, and ready to make the most of the celebrations during the next nine days. Mornings are busy with all the work involved, but evenings are something to look forward to, with people coming home to look at our Bommai Kolu, and us visiting others’ houses for the same reason. The day ends with a visit to our local temple, where the celebrations are held on a grand scale, the highlight being a decorated tableau depicted some form of the Devi, either illustrating a story about her, or showing one of her many forms. Come; join me as I take you along with me through the navaratri festivities in my neighbourhood…..

We have worked long and hard for arranging our Bommai Kolu this year, a proceeding that was even more interesting, considering that we haven’t been able to celebrate any festival for the last two years. Here are the final results of all our hard work!

Here's the complete Kolu....

Take a closer look......

Take a closer look at some of the dolls......

The marapacchi..... The set on the right is a gift from my mom and aunt this year.... beautiful, aren't they??

Some of the gods and goddesses.....

Here's Shrek's son driving a cart full of sacks of grain!!

These are all wooden toys technically belonging to Samhith!

And here is the best part of our kolu - the arrangement for which we put in a whole lot of effort!

This is the first part - the city with the airport....

And here is the village with a jungle behind.....

And here's the railway line over the mountain which connects the two....

Take a closer look at the village.......right in front is the railway station....

and here is the village temple, built in the Kerala style by Samhith.... note the small Ganesha temple outside with a real idol inside.....

Here are more of Samhith's creations : a garden for the city......

...and another house, also for the city...

Here is the cliff overhanging the sea.. with sea creatures in it.....

And finally, here is Thomas the Tank Engine chugging along the mountain railway line.....

The preparations for this Kolu took ages, and led me to neglect most of my other duties, but the effort has been worth it! What do you think??????

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 Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.

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