one of the pilgrimages of Nepal

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Lord Shiva in Nepal

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Kali Puja

Maa Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of Maa Durga. She is usually shown with her feet on the chest of Lord Shiva and wearing a garland of skulls. She symbolizes the darker side of life and epitomizes strength or “Shakti.” Kali is worshipped on the night of Kartik Amavasya in October/November. The day is also celebrated as Shyama Kali, the first 10 avtaars of Devi Durga. The reason behind worshipping Kali is destroying all evil both that lies in the outside world and within us.


Celebration

Kali Puja is a major festival for the people of Bengal after Durga Puja. It is celebrated with gusto and enthusiasm. Like Diwali, people in Bengal light lamps, and fire crackers to welcome Ma Kali. Houses are decorated and rangoli is drawn in front of the houses. Kali puja is carried out late in the night. People seek he blessings of Maa Kali during the puja.


Legends

Kali became popular as a powerful goddess with the composition of the text Devi Mahatmya in the 5th and the 6th century AD. The legend goes that two demons, Shambhu and Nishambhu disturbed the peace of Lord Indra. After endless battles when the gods failed, they sought help from Lord Shiva and Parvati. The gods sought protection of Maa Durga or Shakti. Kali was born out of Durga’s brow as Kal Bhoi Nashini.

Along with her two escorts, Dakini and Jogini, she was meant to destroy all evils and the growing cruelty of demons. It is believed that Kaali was so much engrossed in the killing spree that she went on killing everything within her sight. To stop this, Lord Shiva, threw himself under her feet. She was so shocked with this act of Lord Shiva, that she stuck her tongue out in disbelief. Hence we have the common image of Kali standing with her feet on Shiva’s chest and her tongue out.

History

Kali puja is celebrated with lots of gusto and fanfare in Bengal after Durga Puja during the time of Diwali. It is believed that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep was the first to celebrate Kali Puja in his territory. Everyone was ordered to celebrate Kali puja and thus 10,000 images of Kali were worshipped. Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times before the present Kali puja. It is believed that the present form of Kali is due to a dream by a distinguished scholar of Indian charms and black magic or ‘Tantra’ and the author of Tantric Saar, Krishnananda Agambagish, a contemporary of Lord Chaitanya. In his dream he was ordered to make herimage after the first figure he saw in the morning. At dawn, Krishnanand saw a dark complexioned maid with left hand protruding and making cow dung cakes with her right hand. Her body was glowing with white dots. The vermillion spread over her forehead while she was wiping the sweat from her forehead.  The hair was untidy. When she came face to face with an elderly Krishnananda, she bit her tongue in shame.  This posture of the housemaid was later utilized to envisage the idol of Goddess Kali. Thus was formed the image of Kali.

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Lord Shiva’s Abode Comes Under Nature’s Fury

Forty-year-old Moti Ram was standing with Pavji at a relief camp in Mirpurkhas where doctors from Karachi had come to give free treatment.

But both men suffered from an affliction that no doctor had a cure for. “Our heart bleeds for our temple. Can somebody save it?” asked Ram. “We need to pray to Shiva in this hour of need. Only he can help us,” says Pavji.

The men were referring to the Shiva temple which is located at village number 330 in Mirpurkhas. Like the nearby Hasanabad village from where the two men come, the place of worship too came under nature’s fury and now stands submerged. It is the only temple in the area dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Kaanji, a 65-year-old hari from the village, had donated the strip of land for the temple four years ago. “I don’t have a son. So when I prayed for one, I saw Shiva in my dream and that’s when I decided to build a temple in his honour,” he said.

Three volunteers, Ram Chand, Prem Kumar and Hari Ram, then formed a committee on Kaanji’s behalf and decided to take his mission forward. “We went door- to-door collecting funds for our noble cause,” recalled Chand. “Some people gave us five rupees, others 10,” added Kumar with a smile. After 17 months of painstaking work, they managed to get Rs135,000 from poor haris (farm workers) like themselves. Although it was far from complete, after just one year’s effort, pilgrims from dozens of villages began converging at the site to honour Bhagwan Shiva’s name.

More importantly, the temple stands as a symbol of Hindu and Muslim unity in the neighbourhood. “Not only Hindus, but also our Muslim brothers contributed to funds for this temple,” said Chand. “Here we all live together as friends. When our Muslim brothers build a mosque, we also give donations,” Kumar added.

On the opposite side of the road, a part of the village still stands. Ali Mohammad was on his way to offer his prayers at a mosque here. He was one such person who gave Rs10 for the cause. “I can understand their pain. I would have felt terrible if our mosque had been destroyed,” he said.

Chairperson Pakistan Hindu Welfare Association Mangla Sharma says the government has never built a new temple for the community since partition. “Actually, under the constitution, the government is not bound to build ‘new temples’ for the community,” she said. The Evacuee Trust, a government body that is supposed to look after the temples, has resources to only look after those that were built before partition.

“All temples made after the partition were built by the community members themselves,” said minority MNA Kishan Chand Parwani, who belongs to Mirpurkhas.

Sharma says there was a time when there were more than a 100 temples in Karachi, but now only four remain functional in the city.

Back at the camp site, Moti Ram and Pavji lamented that not only the elected MNA from Mirpurkhas, Munawar Ali Talpur, had any consideration for their woes, but their minority ‘elder’ Parwani too had disappointed them in his efforts to save the temple. While Talpur remained unreachable, Parwani assured from his Karachi residence that he would be sending his men to the area “the first thing in the morning.”

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Shiva Aarti

Lord Shiva symbolizes 'shakti' or power, and is known as the destroyer. He is the most powerful God of the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads of the Hindu trinity. He always appears in a meditating posture, with his matted hair holding the flowing Ganges, a crescent moon, a serpent coiled around his neck, covered with ash all over and a trident held firmly in one hand. In the temples, Lord Shiva is represented as a phallic symbol of the 'linga', representing the energies necessary for life on both the microcosmic and the macrocosmic levels, which, in turn, constitutes the whole universe.

Lord Shiva Aarti (with lyrics)

Jai Shiv onkara, Prabhu jai Shiv onkara
Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv ardhangi dhara, Om
Har Har Mahadev....

Ekanan, chaturanan, panchanan raje,
Hansasan GarudaSan Vrishvahan saje, Om Har
Har Mahadev....

Do bhuj, charu chaturbhui dashmukh ati sohe
Tinon rup nirakhte tribhuvan janmohe, Om Har
Har Mahadev....

Akshyamala banamala mundmal dhari
Chandan mrigmad sohai, bhale shubhkari, Om
Har Har Mahadev....

Shvetambar Pitambar Bagambar ange,
Brahmadik Sankadik Pretadik sange, Om Har
Har Mahadev....

Kar madhye kamandalu au trishul bhari,
Sukhkari dukhahari jagpalankari, Om Har Har
Mahadev....

Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv janat aviveka,
Pranavakshar men shobhit ye tinon eka, Om
Har Har Mahadev....

Trigun svami ki arti jo koi nar gave
Kahat Shivanand svami man vanchhit phal pave.

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Gangaur Festival

Gangaur is all about honoring the goddess Gauri. A manifestation of Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife), she
represents purity and austerity.

Gangaur signifies Lord Shiva and Parvati together. It's believed that Parvati returned to her parental home during Gangaur, to bless her friends with marital bliss. On the last day, Parvait was given a grand farewell by her loved ones and Lord Shiva arrived to escort her home.

When is Gangaur Celebrated:

In 2011, Gangaur will be celebrated on April 6-7. However, festival rituals commence the day after Holi.
Where is Gangaur Celebrated:
Gangaur is celebrated all over Rajasthan, and is one of the state's most important festivals. The most notable celebrations take place in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Nathdwara. In Udaipur, Gangaur coincides with the Mewar Festival.

How is Gangaur Celebrated:

The festival is predominantly for women, who dress up in their best clothes pray for a husband of their choice, or the welfare of their husbands. On the last couple of days, colorful processions of bejeweled images of the goddess Gauri wind their way all over cities and villages, accompanied by local bands.

In Udaipur, there's a boat procession on Lake Pichola, and fireworks. Women balance several brass pitchers on their heads add to the interest. The occasion ends with fireworks on the banks of the lake.

Early in the morning in Jodhpur, thousands of maidens dress up, sing, and carry water and grass in pots.

In Jaipur, the pomp and pagentry of the traditional procession starts out from the Zanani-Deodhi of the City Palace. It passes through Tripolia Bazaar, Chhoti Chaupar, Gangauri Bazaar, Chaugan stadium, and finally converges near the Talkatora. Elephants, old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts, and folk performances are all part of it.

What Rituals are Performed During Gangaur:
All newly married women must fast for the whole 18 days of the festival. Even unmarried women fast and only eat one meal a day, in the hope of finding a good husband. Gangaur is also an auspicious time of year to select a life partner. Tribal men and women get the opportunity to meet and interact, pick there partners, and elope and marry.

In Jaipur, a sweet dish called ghewar is popularly distributed amongst friends and relatives.

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Teej

According to Hindu mythology, on the 3rd day (teej) after the new moon in the month of Shravan Goddess Parvati went to the house of lord Shiva, her husband and was united with him.

Teej is celebrated in India especially by women in the months of July-August marking the advent of monsoons. It has great significance in Rajasthan as it is observed to provide relief from the scorching heat of summer. Thus, it is popularly called the Sawan Festival.

History of Teej

The festival of Teej symbolizes reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Teej teaches us the sacrifice of wife to win the heart of husband. It is said that Parvati reborn and went through stringent fasting for 108 long years to prove her dedication, devotion and unconditional love towards Lord Shiva. Finally, 108 years of long sacrifice paid off and Lord Shiva accepted her as his wife. Till today, the festival of Teej is celebrated to honor the devotion of GoddessParvati – popularly known as TEEJ MATA. On this day, both married and unmarried women seek her blessings for their happy marital life.

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