Saturday, May 10, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Wild Ass at Saurashtra's Forest
In Gujarati Donkey is called as " GedhadO" and among in Tamil nadu's Sourashtrians the same word pronounciated as " Ghedad ". We can also find Surname as " Ghedad " Or " GhedaNNu" of some families of Tamil Nadu's Sourashtrians. Mostly they belongs to Jamadagni / Jabali Gothra.
Two subspecies of the Asiatic Wild Ass are found in India - the Indian Wild Ass (E.h. khur) and the Tibetan Wild Ass (E.h. kiang), found in the Himalayan deserts of Ladakh. In peninsular India the Indian Wild Ass represents the horse family. The general colour of its hide varies from reddish grey to fawn or pale chestnut. It has an erect dark chocolate-brown mane on its neck, which extends along the spine to the root of the tail as a thin stripe; the lower parts are white. The height at the shoulders is 3ft 8in - 4ft (110-120cm) and full-grown adults tip the scales at 250-290kg. The males are slightly superior in size and darker of colour than the females though this difference is not easily distinguishable.
The Wild Ass relies on its speed and keen sight for survival. An ass at full gallop can reach speeds up to 50 km an hour; average speeds can be 30-35 km an hour. They live in herds of up to 30-40 members, sometimes reaching 100, under the leadership of an alpha male who guides the movement of the herd.
Today the Indian Wild Ass is confined to the scorching Saurashtra's deserts of the Little Rann of Kutch. It enjoys protection in the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary in the Saurashtra's Little Rann, under the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972. Once the khur galloped across the open sandy deserts of Kutch but habitat destruction and poaching drove this fascinating creature to islands, locally known as bets, in the temporary marshes of the Rann.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Love-Story From Saurashtra
Once upon a time there was a Viderbha king named Bhishamka, whose capital was Kundinpur. He and his loving wife Shudhamati had five mighty sons. They always longed for a daughter. Shudhamti, who was a great devotee of goddess Amba-Bhawani prayed and begged before the deity to bless her with a pretty and talented daughter. The deity pitied her. Soon Shudhamati was blessed with prettiest daughter, on the 12’Th of Baisakh (May). Shudhamati looked after Rukmini with a great care. She had mastered Rukmini, not only in arts and music but also educated her in the martial skills like her brothers.
Rukmini grew up into a fine lady and started receiving proposals from various princes but she didn’t approve of any. So Shudhamati was very worried about her marriage.
On one fine day a priest and a match-maker named Kiritiman, visited Shudhamati. He was just back from Dwaraka and was highly impressed by the kindness of Dwarakadhish (Lord of Dwaraka) Krishna . His eyes were bewildered, after viewing the wealth and the grandeur of Dwaraka. He was treated with love and respect by the citizens over there. Dwarakadhish lord Krishna , personally had treated him regally. He then described whole-heartedly, in details about the wealth of the glorious Dwaraka. He later narrated all about the charismatic personality and the nobleness, of the powerful Yadva ruler Krishna , to Shudhamati. Then Shudhamati had vowed herself to marry off her daughter Rukmini to Dwarakadhish. The lucid description of Dwaraka and lord Krishna had not only created a good impact on Shudhamati’s mind but also had impressed her daughter Rukmini very well. Kiritiman then gifted a painting of Lord Krishna to Rukmini and Rukmini had immediatly fell in love with the image of lord Krishna . She tactfully conveyed her approval to her mother. Then both of them succeeded in getting Bhishmaka’s consent.
Rukmi, Rukmini’s, cunning, evil-minded and aggressive eldest brother had always criticizedKrishna . He opposed this marriage strongly. He declared to marry off his sister to Chedi King Shishupal, who was a vessel of the Magadha King Jarasandha. Rukmi had very selfish political motives behind this declaration. To suppress the opposition from his parents, he sent a messenger to Pragjyotishpur and requested King Jarasandha to help him. Bhishmaka then was threatened by King Jarasandha that, Kundinpur will be soon besieged if the king doesn’t agree with Rukmi and marry off his daughter Rukmini to Shishupal. The King Bhishmaka was helpless and soon the invitations of Rukmini’s wedding with Shishupala were sent to everyone.
The surpassingly beautiful Princess Rukmini was scared and worried. She gradually sank into the depression. She’d stopped eating properly or taking care of herself. One day while worshipping and praying to Amba-Bhawani, she got a brilliant idea. She immediately dipped her finger in the “Ashtagandha” or the holy paste of sandal-wood mixed well with saffron and other herbs. She wrote a valentine on a lotus petal with finger dipped in Ashtagandha. She wrote….
You dignified eternal charmer… unconditional lover…your glimpse soothes injured mind… can’t think of living without you…. .Please do accept my proposal… arrive on the eve of my wedding…early in the morning at the temple of Amba-Bhawani to
She then handed this valentine to Sudeva Bhatt; her most trusted Brahmin messenger. Sudeva speedily rode to Dwaraka, with the letter well hidden in his head-gear. He narrated the story to Dwarakadhish Lord Krishna and handed over the valentine. Lord Krishna kissed her valentine and then replied “The truest wishes expressed from the bottom of the heart are always fulfilled.” This message was soon conveyed to her. Then her disturbed mind was calmed.
It was an eve before the wedding. Rukmini’s body was smeared with the paste of sandalwood and turmeric. The ritual bath with the perfumed water, mixed with the rose-petals was given to Rukmini by her maids. Then she was heavily decked. She overcame all the oppositions and dodged all the securities provided by her mean-minded brother Rukmi and headed towards the Amba-Bhavani’s temple, for the pre-wedding worships
All the invitees had then arrived in Kundinapur and were welcomed warmly by Bhishmaka; amongst them were Yadava kings Balram, Satwik, Gad along with their selected henchmen. Rukmini’s brothers; especially Rukmi was very disturbed to see them but couldn’t do anything as they were honorable guests. Rukmi was relieved, when he noticed that Krishna was absent.
In the temple while worshipping, a huge garland of red flowers that had adorned goddess Amba-Bhawani’s statue fell on the right side, into the delicate hands of Rukmini. Rukmini then was very delighted, as this was certainly considered as a good omen. She kept that garland carefully in her platter.
After finishing her prayers as Rukmini came out of the temple, she was overjoyed to see her lordKrishna waiting for her, outside the temple in his chariot. She shyly went ahead. She took that garland from her platter and adorned Krishna ’s neck with it. Then lord Krishna immediately adorned Rukmini with the garland of Basil leaves which he was wearing. Hence the prime ritual of the wedding; exchanging the garlands was performed. Both of them, then headed speedily towards Prabhas, where the wedding preparations were already made.
Infuriated Rukmi and his men then attacked upon Yadvas. They fought very fiercely. Eventually Rukmi was defeated and arrested. His head was shaven off and vermillion was smeared on his head.
After finishing the wedding rituals at Prabhas, lord Krishna and his newly-wed wife Rukmini went to Dwaraka. Their wedding was celebrated very pompously at Dwarka.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Salem VeNpattu (White silk) Dhoties Got GI
Salem Sourashtrians Special Variety in handloom is White-silk dhoti. (VeN pattu Veshti). Some five Co-operative society and its weaver members are producing this handloom variety. Already Salem is famous for Mango . The famous Tamil Poem " Selathu mambazalam thithikkum mambazlam " is familier around the country. Now the "White-Silk Dhoti" also belongs Identity of Salem. This Geographical Identification is given by Government of India under GI rules. Handloom weavers expecting a Sales boom after Govt's announcement if GI of Salem is " VeNpattu Veshti".
Friday, February 24, 2012
Lohan kaar of Saurashtra
The Lohana claim descent from the Lava son of Rama, and thus status as Suryavanshi Kshatriya and are said to be a branch of Rathor clan of Kshatriyas or Rajputs.
The Lohanas, also known as Thakkar, trace their roots in history right up to the emergence of Aryans, a linguistic of Indo-Iranians in the Indian sub-continent (which then included today's Afghanistan) making theirs the oldest surviving community in the world. According to Puranic (ancient Indian texts of lore and legends) sources the Aryan civilization was established by king Ishaku (Ikshvaku) some two or three millennia before Christ (BC). His 22nd descendant(Ref: Valmiki Ramayan; Balkand Sarg 70 shlok 38 to 43;) was the great king Raghu, a great conqueror, who established the Rahguvansh Dynasty.
It is believed by Legend that the Lohanas are descendants of the Rama (Son of King Raghu), who bore two sons: Luv and Kush. Descendants of Kush are known as Kushwaha. His younger son Luv was given the North (uttar Kaushala) of his kingdom (Refer :Valmk Ramayan Uttar Kand sarg 107], which came to be, called Luvalka or Luv's land consisting of present day Lahore (Pakistan) as it's Capital. Luv is portrayed in the Ramayana as a great warrior. In one of the episodes of the Ramayana even though he is a mere boy in the hermitage, he brings the entire army of his father Lord Rama (under the command of his uncle Laxman) to a standstill by the prowess at archery (of course along with his older brother Kush). His descendants too were cast in the same mould, but they were not satisfied with Luvalka and pushed to the west and annexed today's Afghanistan and adjoining areas.
Around 580 BC., when king Bimbisara ruled over Bharat (India), the society came to be divided into different communities based on their occupation. One of their communities was called Kshatriyas and King Luv's descendants were classed with them and came to be known as Luvanam, which was also referred to as Luvana. The Luvanas from Loharghat became known as Loharana (masters of swords; or iron ("Loha") chiefs ("Rana")), which later became Lohana.
As per their folk tales, Jashraj, who lived around between 1205 and 1231, was at his wedding mandap when he came to know that enemies were taking away cows, the holy animal worshipped by Hindus. he left his feras and went after enemies to save cows. He was assisted in war even by his own sister Harkor. Although, the enemy from Kabul was eventually defeated, and Jashraj became victorious, he was killed as a result of an enemy strategem. He has ever since been worshiped by Lohanas and Bhanushalis as Veer Dada Jashraj and his sister Harkor Pabaru is worshiped as kuladevi by the Lohana clan.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saurashtra's dance forms
Rasa
A form of dance which is supposed to belong to Kutch and Suarashtra is performed all over Gujarat. The rasa traditions are as old as the Puranic period. In various parts of the country, Rasa are danced in different manners. The main feature of Rasa is dancing in a circle by men and woman, to the accompaniment of musical instruments and keeping time either by clapping or beating of two sticks. The number of dancers go from 8,16, 32 up to 64 couples, who also sing the song. There are three varieties of Rasaka described.
Danda Rasaka-Rasa dance where Danda or sticks are used.
Mandala or Tala Rasaka-Rasa dance where clapping is used.
Lata Rasaka-Rasa dance where dancers cling to each other and dance like a creeper to a tree.
Most of the art traditions of Gujarat trace their origin to the mythological times of Lord Krishna. He is said to have been an exponent of art of dancing. Raas Nritya is a form of dance performed by lord Krishna with Gopikas. The Dandia variety of the Raas Nritya of Gujarat is generally performed by a group of youthful persons, both males and females, who move in circles to measured steps, beating time with small sticks (called dandia) singing to the accompaniment of Dhol, Cymbals, Zanz, flute or Shehnai. When the time beat is given by the clapping of palms and performed males or femals, it is called Garbi.
The Gof variety of the raas is an intricate performance wherein the performers holding coloured strings attached to a top, move in circles weaving and unweaving different patterns.
The Mers of Saurashtra are known for their folk dance called the Mer Raas. White shepherds perform what is called the Gher Raas. The Gheria Raas is a dance performed by the agriculturists of south Gujarat.
All these dance forms preserved by hundreds of years, though not having any contact with their homeland by Tamil Nadu Sourashtra community's people migraters from Saurashtra. A small variation in dance name is found comparing with above name to Tamil Nadu's Sourashtra language.
Adi Sankaracharya's Saurashtra Visit
Dwaravati, now Dwaraka, was the first city of eminence in Saurashtra in pre-historic times. But today, Dwaraka can hardly be called a city, though it continues to be one of the most important temple towns in India. Almost all roads in the town lead to the temple of Dwarakadheesh Shri Krishna. Situated right next to the temple is the Sharada Peetha, one of the four peethas (monasteries) established by Adi Shankaracharya 12 centuries ago, as history books tell us.
Why did he choose Dwaraka to set up his first peetha? “Adi Shankara envisioned India’s unity in cultural, religious and all other aspects and hence he established his peethas in the four corners of India, beginning with Dwaraka,” reasons Swami Sadananda Saraswati, Pramukh Dandi Swami at Sharada Peetha.
Swami Sadananda Saraswati is referred to, albeit in hushed tones, as the next Shankaracharya of Dwaraka Sharada Peeth. Fluent in Sanskrit, Hindi and Gujarati, the ascetic’s understanding of the annals of history, however, remains Shankara-centric. “Our duty calls upon us to travel within the country, revive and rejuvenate Hinduism and society,” he says.
Mahamahopadhyay J.N. Dwivedi, director of Dwarakadheesh Sanskrit Academy and Indology Research Institute, tells us that the current Shankaracharya of Dwaraka is 78th since the time of Adi Shankara. “There has not been a single day when Dwaraka Peetha did not have a Shankaracharya,” he says. “There is an interesting copper plate inscription at the peetha which was issued by King Sudhanva in 477 BC.” (The peetha puts Adi Shankara’s birth at around 507 BC.) There are no other records available. In fact, the institute has undertaken an ambitious project to trace the actual path undertaken by Shankara during his Bharat Digvijaya Yatra.
If we go by the popular
history that Shankara was born in AD 788, it was a period when the great Valabhi dynasty had met its end in Saurashtra region, with the defeat and death on battlefield of King Shiladitya VII in 779. Fall of Valabhi led to the emergence of many small states in the region. It is said that around the same time, Wagher tribes of Okhamandal region, where Dwaraka is situated, became independent. While Waghers were in control of the Okhamandal and the coastline, the control of the hinterland was passed onto the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty. Shankara’s travel in Saurashtra region and then to Dwaraka seems to have taken place during the reign of Nagabhatta, the Gurjara-Pratihara ruler who ruled from Avanti (Ujjain).
There are varying accounts about King Sudhanva, too. According to Wikipedia, he was a Malayali king and disciple of Shankara. Swami Sadananda Saraswati speculates that Sudhanva could have ruled from Avanti. But, according to Naval Udela Chandanshu, a detailed account in Marathi about Adi Shankara’s life, Sudhanva was a king of Dwaraka who had fallen under the influence of Jainism. Written by S.D. Kulkarni, the book is based on Brihat Shankar Vijaya, written by Chitsukhacharya, and Prachin Shankar Vijaya, written by Anandagiri.
The Naval Udela Chandanshu states that, “Organising the religious order was his [Shankara's] main aim. He knew that it would be easier to organise the religion if such an effort is blessed by royal patronage. So he, along with Sureshwaracharya, proceeded to Dwaraka, where Kumrila Bhatta had been a Raj Guru.
“When Acharya [Shankara] entered Dwaraka, the king personally welcomed him and expressed his desire to be Acharya’s disciple. Acharya accepted the king’s wish with much happiness. The king then urged Acharya to take up residence in Dwaraka. Acharya told the king that he respected the king’s wish but it was his duty to travel all over India. He said, ‘I will establish a Dharmapeetha here in your capital. I would like you to be the patron of this Dharmapeetha.’ Upon this, the king bowed to Acharya’s command and urged him to appoint Sureshwaracharya as the first pontiff of Dwaraka Peetha.” (This paragraph is roughly translated from original work in Marathi.)
Jayashri Vyas, a lawyer from Dwaraka, takes us to the Bhadrakali temple. Shankara chose Bhadrakali and Siddheshwara as the reigning deities of the Dwaraka Sharada Peetha. “When Shankara visited the Bhadrakali temple, he had placed his staff at the feet of the goddess; the tradition continues since then,” says Vyas.
There is another interesting temple dedicated to all Shankaracharyas in Dwaraka. Situated rather oddly in a small lane named after the late Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of the Reliance group, this temple has a statue of Shankara in a padmasana position. On both sides of the statue are placed smaller statues of successive Shankaracharyas who have headed Dwaraka Peetha.
According to Glory of Dwarka & Saradapita, a book authored by Swami Sadananda Saraswati, when Shankara arrived in Dwaraka, the Trailokya temple in the town was empty. The idol of the deity had been thrown away by non-believers. He reinstated the idol and built Sharada Peetha on the same premises.
There are hardly any historical details available of Shankara’s journey in Saurashtra region, leading up to Dwaraka. The Missionary, a book published by the Chinmaya Mission Trust, merely mentions that after beginning his southward journey from Badrinath, Shankara went to Dwaraka. “On his way to Dwaraka, he visited Girnar, Somnatha temple and Prabhasa Teertha [the place where Lord Shri Krishna breathed his last],” says the book.
On other hand, some people like Balubhai Joshi of Prabhas Patan, the town that is home to Somnatha, say that they have never come across any reference to a
shastrarth (discourse) by Shankara during his journey to Dwaraka. He, however, is certain about Shankara’s visit to Prabhas Patan. “Adi Shankara wrote Dwadashjyotirlinga Stotra. The first verse in this composition is in praise of Somnatha. How could he have authored a Sanskrit composition without ever visiting the temple?” asks Joshi, a highly respected senior citizen in the town.
Local people believe that when Shankara travelled in this region, he prayed inside a cave near Triveni Sangam in Prabhas Patan. This cave is now the venue of Sharada mutt in Somnatha. While the actual Sharada mutt is above the ground, the cave is situated underground and can be accessed using steps that have been specially put in place for devotees so that they can visit the venue where Shankara is believed to have rested and prayed during his journey in Saurashtra.
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