Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Dusshera

Featured Post

Odisha Part 11: Discovering the Jaina Heritage of Odisha at the caves of Udaygiri and Khandgiri

The Hindu and Buddhist history of Odisha , or rather, ancient Kalinga, is rather well known to everyone. Who hasn’t heard of the grand temples of Odisha – Puri, Lingaraj and Konark, or the great war of Kalinga which inspired Ashoka to convert to Buddhism? In contrast, very few know of the Jaina heritage of this region. This is quite a pity, since, just around 7 km from the city, is one of India’s most ancient inscriptions, which throws light on the Jaina heritage of Odisha. This inscription is the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela, in the hills of Udaygiri. Udaygiri and Khandgiri are two hills located opposite each other, and both are testaments to the rich Jaina heritage of Odisha. The caves at Udaygiri are older, while Khandgiri is relatively newer, but has lasted much longer, and continues to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains even today. These hills, from inscriptions and excavations of caves, shrines and rock beds, appear to have been a haven for Jaina monks, right from the ...
1 comment
Read more

Ramlila at Chembur

Navaratri is the celebration of victory over evil. Whether it is the Devi slaying Mahishasura or Rama slaying Ravana, the theme remains the same, though the players might change. It is interesting to note that in the southern, eastern, and western parts of the country, it is the Devi who is revered, while it is mostly in the north that Ram takes centre stage. No matter what the gender bias, stories are always fun, which is why I dragged a reluctant Samhith from his Percy Jackson book, to see a real hero in action... or at least, a hero on stage - at our local Ramlila.
3 comments
Read more

Navaratri 2010 - Day 10 - Part 2 - Dusshera

In my last post, Navatatri 2010 - Day 10 - Part1 , I spoke about Vijayadasami, the conclusion of Navaratri. However, there's another aspect of the same day too, which is why this post is in two parts. While Navaratri i s a festival dedicated to the goddess, it is also associated with Lord Rama and his defeat of Ravana. All over the north, this event is celebrated on a grand scale as Ram Leela - the acts of Rama. Over nine days and nights, actors enact the roles of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Ravana, among the many characters of the Ramayana, living their parts as they play it. The tenth day or Dusshera is when this epic concludes with Lord Rama aiming an arrow at Ravana's heart, and an effigy of the dreaded asura goes up in flames. I last attended Ram Leela as a kid when I was in Delhi, about Samhith's age, and don't remember much about it. The urge to see it again was great, but it didn't look possible, until this year, when I learnt that there was one being conduc...
3 comments
Read more

Navaratri 2010 - Day 10 - Part 1 - Vijayadasami

The nine days of the festival are over, and the tenth day is a fitting conclusion to nine days of revelry. Signifying the victory of good over evil, it heralds new beginnings and is a day for starting new ventures.  Vijayadasami is a day not just for celebrations, but also auspicious for starting something new. This year, Samhith begins his official studies in Carnatic Music (sounds great, doesn't it? But its just an euphemism for saying that his new music classes started today :)) We started off the day at the Fine Arts Society, Chembur, where we officially began the class by paying our respects to the teachers and repeating a couple of lines of the new songs from her. However, the main attraction there is their spectacular Golu. Spectacular is the right word, for they have 15 huge steps full of dolls, each one better than the other! Most of them are huge and so well crafted, it is a pleasure to see them year after year. They also manage to get some in...
2 comments
Read more

Navaratri Experience -11- Dusshera

The tenth day of Navaratri – Dusshera or Vijaya Dashami celebrates the victory of good over evil. Whether one considers it the celebration of the Devi’s victory over Mahishasura, or Rama’s victory over Ravana, we celebrate the end of tyranny and evil, and usher in a new era of goodness and righteousness. This is the reason it is considered auspicious to begin new ventures on this day. Be it buying a new house, opening a shop, or starting a course of study, this is one of the most auspicious days to do so. People studying the arts, especially the classical forms like music and dance, begin their classes on this day. This year, Samhith stepped into the vast world of classical music, joining a music initiation course for Tiny Tots at the Chembur Fine Arts Society. It was a beautiful sight at the hall, which was lined with musical instruments of every kind. From Miscellaneous From Miscellaneous The prayers began at 9 AM sharp, followed by a symbolic beginning of each class. I ha...
Post a Comment
Read more