Wednesday 29 February 2012
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha effects
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha represents the unified form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is evident from the name itself that this Rudraksha symbolizes a strong bond between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The person who wears it achieves the pleasure of a happy marital life. Gauri Shankar Rudraksha ties the husband-wife in a strong bond as they are one soul. It is considered to be one of the best Rudraksha to reduce marital bliss and bring happiness in a couple’s life. It is also helpful in increasing the inner strength and to understand one’s own weak points.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is a way to attain salvation. Worshipping Gauri Shankar Rudraksha at his worshipping place destroys the pain, suffering and other earthly obstacles and enhances the peace and pleasure in the family. Keep the Rudraksha in a safe (lock) to increase wealth and prosperity. It can bring success in your business.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is rarely found. It represents Goddess Parvati from one side and Lord Shiva from the other. It is regarded the best thing for peace and comfort in the family. It destroys the root cause of sufferings, pains and other worldly hindrances. A person who is not able to get married is advised to wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha.
The unified form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is the reason for the development and expansion of the universe. Gauri Shankar Rudraksha makes the relationship between a person and his spouse and friends better. It also enhances the relations between the family members.
Health benefits of Gauri Shankar Rudraksha
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is beneficial for treating sexual disorders. It gives mental peace and treats other physical ailments. A couple facing difficulties with having children are advised to wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha. It also provides a long life.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha Mantra
Om Gaurishankareya Namah,
Om Namah Shivaya
One can wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha on Monday morning after taking a bath. The person should remember Gauri Shankar and chant the given mantras while wearing it. It can be worn in a gold or silver cap or a red thread.
Keep the idol of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at your place of worshipping and worship them with full faith and devotion to get relief from all worldly hindrances. It helps in maintaining strong relationship of a person with his spouse or friends and brings peace and harmony in a married life. It also provides fruits of Dharma, Artha, Kaam and Moksha.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha represents the unified form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is evident from the name itself that this Rudraksha symbolizes a strong bond between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The person who wears it achieves the pleasure of a happy marital life. Gauri Shankar Rudraksha ties the husband-wife in a strong bond as they are one soul. It is considered to be one of the best Rudraksha to reduce marital bliss and bring happiness in a couple’s life. It is also helpful in increasing the inner strength and to understand one’s own weak points.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is a way to attain salvation. Worshipping Gauri Shankar Rudraksha at his worshipping place destroys the pain, suffering and other earthly obstacles and enhances the peace and pleasure in the family. Keep the Rudraksha in a safe (lock) to increase wealth and prosperity. It can bring success in your business.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is rarely found. It represents Goddess Parvati from one side and Lord Shiva from the other. It is regarded the best thing for peace and comfort in the family. It destroys the root cause of sufferings, pains and other worldly hindrances. A person who is not able to get married is advised to wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha.
The unified form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is the reason for the development and expansion of the universe. Gauri Shankar Rudraksha makes the relationship between a person and his spouse and friends better. It also enhances the relations between the family members.
Health benefits of Gauri Shankar Rudraksha
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is beneficial for treating sexual disorders. It gives mental peace and treats other physical ailments. A couple facing difficulties with having children are advised to wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha. It also provides a long life.
Gauri Shankar Rudraksha Mantra
Om Gaurishankareya Namah,
Om Namah Shivaya
One can wear Gauri Shankar Rudraksha on Monday morning after taking a bath. The person should remember Gauri Shankar and chant the given mantras while wearing it. It can be worn in a gold or silver cap or a red thread.
Keep the idol of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at your place of worshipping and worship them with full faith and devotion to get relief from all worldly hindrances. It helps in maintaining strong relationship of a person with his spouse or friends and brings peace and harmony in a married life. It also provides fruits of Dharma, Artha, Kaam and Moksha.
Thirteen Mukhi Rudraksha and Fourteen Mukhi Rudraksha
Terah Mukhi Rudraksha makes a person aware of his powers, strengths and helps him to attain wealth, happiness and a peaceful life. It is believed that Lord Kamdeva and Goddess Rati reside in this rudraksha which brings happiness in the marital life of a person who wears it. Saints, sages and ascetics wear it for spiritual achievements.
Benefits of Thirteen Mukhi Rudraksha
The person who holds Terah Mukhi Rudraksha lives his life like a King. The person attains immense wealth, respect and honour in the society. It is considered to be another form of Lord Indra. The person who holds this is blessed with attractiveness, mesmerism and charm.
Health Benefits of Thirteen Mukhi Rudraksha
Terah Mukhi Rudraksha is beneficial to prevent internal diseases in the body. According to the astrologers, this Rudraksha contains the qualities of planet Venus. People who do not have any child are blessed with children. It is very useful in removing skin diseases..
Thirteen Mukhi Rudraksha Mantra
Om Hreen Namah
Chant “Om Hrum Huma Namah” while wearing it.
Fourteen Mukhi Rudraksha
Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha represents Lord Hanuman. The person who wears the Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha on the crest achieves the supreme post. Lord Hanuman resides in this rudraksha which protects a person from evil spirits, ghosts, devils and the person lives a fearless life. By holding Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha, a person attains potential, enthusiasm and is protected at the time of the trouble.
Benefits of Fourteen Mukhi Rudraksha
By wearing fourteen Mukhi Rudraaksh, a person receives the blessings of Lord Shiva. He is blessed with happiness, peace and wealth. Monks and devotees of Lord Shiva usually wear it. It gives the power of meditation and imparts supreme knowledge. The person gets blessings from the demigods.
Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha brings happiness and represents fourteen disciplines, fourteen worlds and fourteen senses. One should definitely wear Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha to get relief from the effects of shani sade sati, mahadasha or shani pida. It pacifies the ill-effects of Saturn and Mars. It makes a person energetic and free from all diseases.
Health Benefits of Fourteen Mukhi Rudraksha
It is the suppressor of all diseases. Thus, the person gets relief from all kinds of health ailments.
It protects the family. Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha awakens the sixth sense in a person which helps him to predict the mis-happenings. It gives relief from all kinds of fears and provides protection. It provides versatile benefits to the holder.
Fourteen Mukhi Rudraksha Mantra
Chant “Om Namah Shivaya” while wearing the Chaudah Mukhi Rudraksha.
Eleven Mukhi Rudraksha and Twelve Mukhi Rudraksha
Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha gives results equivalent to that of feeding a hundred cows. Indra is the lord of this bead. Therefore, a person is blessed with happiness, wealth and fame. It controls the functioning of senses and mind. It is helpful in performing yogic sadhanas, yam - niyam,
aasan - shashthakarma etc.
Eleven Mukhi Rudraksha or Eleven Face Rudraksha
Worshipping Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha gives results equivalent to observing Ekadashi fast. According to the ancient Hindu scriptures, the fruits obtained after performing thousand Ashwamedha Yagya and Vajpeya Yagya are attained immediately by wearing Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha. Women can wear it for their husband’s long life and children. Worshipping Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha in the month of Savan is highly fruitful. It conquers the fear of death and wards off all kind of obstacles. It helps the person to take unbiased and right decisions in life. It provides intelligence and is also used for meditation and sadhanas.
Benefits of Eleven Mukhi Rudraksha
Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha is beneficial for asthma, breathing disorders and mental sickness. It makes the immunity system strong and helps in the prevention of communicable diseases.
Health Benefits of Eleven Mukhi Rudraksha
Shri Narayana Vishneva Namah,
Om Shri Rudraya Namah,
Om Hreem Hum Namah,
Om Hree Hru Namah.
Wear Gyarah Mukhi Rudraksha while chanting, “ Om Hree Hum Namah”.
Twelve Mukhi Rudraksha or Twelve Face Rudraksha
Barah Mukhi Rudraksha represents Lord Vishnu. It is blessed by the twelve forms of God, the Sun. It is also known as Dwadash - aditya. It provides lustre, radiance and strength to the person and gives freedom from the sins like killing of a cow, human etc. Due to the blessing of immense power of planet sun, this Rudraksha increases the radiance and positive attitude towards life.
Benefits of Twelve Mukhi Rudraksha
Barah Mukhi Rudraksha wards off poverty and brings wealth to a person. It provides protection from the attacks of wild animals and destroys the obstacles. Thus, also known as Aditya Rudraksha. The person who wears this Rudraksha gets results equivalent to the feeding 108 cows. It enhances the qualities of a person.
Health Benefits of Twelve Mukhi Rudraksha
Barah Mukhi Rudraksha provides protection against heart problems, lung disorders, skin diseases, physical and mental strains. The person leads a healthy and disease free life.
Twelve Mukhi Rudraksha Mantra
Shri Suryaya Namah,
Om Shri Suryay Namah
Wear Barah Mukhi Rudraksha while chanting, “Om Kron Shro Ron Namah”.
Ganesha Rudraksha - Ganesh Rudraksha - Ganpati Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha represents Lord Ganesha. It’s shape resembles Lord Ganesha with a protrusion seen in the shape of a trunk. A person who wears it gets relief from all obstacles, gains wealth and enjoy all kinds of worldly pleasure with blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Ganesha Rudraksha helps in increasing intelligence and makes a person capable to accomplish all the tasks. It brings luck and success. A person can get relief from all sufferings by keeping Ganesha Rudraksha at his worship place and worshipping it daily with proper rituals.
Ganesha Rudraksha Mantra
Om Ganga Ganpataya Namoh Namah,
Om Ganeshaya Namah,
Om Huma Namah
Ganesha Rudraksha should be worn on Monday in a silver or gold chain or a red thread. One should wear or worship Ganesha Rudraksha before starting any project or business to get success in all dimensions. Mostly those people who want to get success and are going to start a new venture should wear it.
Benefits of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha helps to overcome conflicts and disharmony. The mukh of the Rudraksha gets an elevation on its body similar to the trunk of an elephant resembling the idol of Lord Ganesha. It is very auspicious to wear Ganesha Rudraksha on the Chaturthi to get desired results.
According to the ancient scriptures, Ganesha Rudraksha emits positive energy and brings success in every field in the life of a person holding it. It helps in removing all the obstacles and brings luck. It also pacifies the ill-effects of Ketu. Since, Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the person who wears it gets blessed by them too.
Health benefits of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha helps in increasing the concentration power and improves writing skills. Since Lord Ganesha is the Lord of brain, this Rudraksha helps the person to attain high intelligence level. It enhances the positive effects of Jupiter, a ruling planet of education and intelligence. It is also helpful in reducing the effects of mental problems.
Characteristics of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha removes obstacles and provides wisdom. The person who wears it achieves prosperity . It provides physical, mental and spiritual benefits as well. Ganesha Rudraksha should be worshipped with devotion to get best results.
Ganesha Rudraksha helps in increasing intelligence and makes a person capable to accomplish all the tasks. It brings luck and success. A person can get relief from all sufferings by keeping Ganesha Rudraksha at his worship place and worshipping it daily with proper rituals.
Ganesha Rudraksha Mantra
Om Ganga Ganpataya Namoh Namah,
Om Ganeshaya Namah,
Om Huma Namah
Ganesha Rudraksha should be worn on Monday in a silver or gold chain or a red thread. One should wear or worship Ganesha Rudraksha before starting any project or business to get success in all dimensions. Mostly those people who want to get success and are going to start a new venture should wear it.
Benefits of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha helps to overcome conflicts and disharmony. The mukh of the Rudraksha gets an elevation on its body similar to the trunk of an elephant resembling the idol of Lord Ganesha. It is very auspicious to wear Ganesha Rudraksha on the Chaturthi to get desired results.
According to the ancient scriptures, Ganesha Rudraksha emits positive energy and brings success in every field in the life of a person holding it. It helps in removing all the obstacles and brings luck. It also pacifies the ill-effects of Ketu. Since, Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the person who wears it gets blessed by them too.
Health benefits of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha helps in increasing the concentration power and improves writing skills. Since Lord Ganesha is the Lord of brain, this Rudraksha helps the person to attain high intelligence level. It enhances the positive effects of Jupiter, a ruling planet of education and intelligence. It is also helpful in reducing the effects of mental problems.
Characteristics of Ganesha Rudraksha
Ganesha Rudraksha removes obstacles and provides wisdom. The person who wears it achieves prosperity . It provides physical, mental and spiritual benefits as well. Ganesha Rudraksha should be worshipped with devotion to get best results.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Today's Panchangam / Panchang
What is Panchangam?
Vedic Astrology divides time into five fundamental parts together called the Panchang. The Panchang is used by Vedic Astrologers to judge the auspiciousness of the time and is also used to calculate the vedic birthchart of a person.
Get the Panchang for anywhere, any date?
You can get the Panchangam for any date by selecting the date. This program supports Panchang starting from the year 1920.
Vedic Panchang For 28 February 2012
Head Value
Weekday Tuesday
Nakshatra Bharani
Yoga 26
Karan Tatika
Tithi Shashti Shukla
Sunrise 06:26
Sunset 18:21
For 28 February 2012
Vedic Astrology divides time into five fundamental parts together called the Panchang. The Panchang is used by Vedic Astrologers to judge the auspiciousness of the time and is also used to calculate the vedic birthchart of a person.
Get the Panchang for anywhere, any date?
You can get the Panchangam for any date by selecting the date. This program supports Panchang starting from the year 1920.
Vedic Panchang For 28 February 2012
Head Value
Weekday Tuesday
Nakshatra Bharani
Yoga 26
Karan Tatika
Tithi Shashti Shukla
Sunrise 06:26
Sunset 18:21
For 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
Friday 24 February 2012
Thursday 23 February 2012
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Blessings of Allah to Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A)
Hazart Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A) reached Makkah muazzama and one day while offering prayers in Kaaba, he heards voice saying " O moin-uddin I am greatly pleased with you and grant you pardon "Ask for any thing thou may’s like, so that we may grant that to the.
He submitted respectfully This " O Great God Give salvation to the followers and disciples of Moin-uddin come the reply " O Moin-uddin, you are accepted one I will give salvation to the followers and disciples and also to thoue who may enter the fold till the day of Resurrection".
After performing pilgrimage to Kabba and performing the Haj, He reached Medina, he was engaged in prayers in QUBA Mosque. During this time he received the mandate from the court of holy prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) to the effect that ;-
" O- Moinuddin! you are a helper of my religion, I entrust to you the country of HINDUSTAN (INDIA ),There prevails darkness proceed to India and spread the Gospel of truth."
Receiving, This mandate, he was immensely pleased but wondered, as to where Ajmer was situated. In the meanwhile, He was blessed by seeing the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) in dream and our NABI (S.A.W) showed him the city, the fort and the situation of Ajmer
He submitted respectfully This " O Great God Give salvation to the followers and disciples of Moin-uddin come the reply " O Moin-uddin, you are accepted one I will give salvation to the followers and disciples and also to thoue who may enter the fold till the day of Resurrection".
After performing pilgrimage to Kabba and performing the Haj, He reached Medina, he was engaged in prayers in QUBA Mosque. During this time he received the mandate from the court of holy prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) to the effect that ;-
" O- Moinuddin! you are a helper of my religion, I entrust to you the country of HINDUSTAN (INDIA ),There prevails darkness proceed to India and spread the Gospel of truth."
Receiving, This mandate, he was immensely pleased but wondered, as to where Ajmer was situated. In the meanwhile, He was blessed by seeing the Holy Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) in dream and our NABI (S.A.W) showed him the city, the fort and the situation of Ajmer
Khwaja Garib Nawaz
Hazrat Khwaja Garib Nawaz, Ajmer Sharif, India, Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, Ajmer Sharif, India Rajasthan
EarLy Life Of The Greatest Holy Sufi Hazrat Khawaja Garib Nawaz (R.A)
Rahmatu Allahi alaih (May the Mercy of Allah be upon him)
Lineage, Journey, Final Settlement at Ajmer, Establishment of Khanqah and His Message of Peace for Entire Humanity
Agar Gaiti Sarasar Bad Girad,
Chiragh-e-Chishtiyan Hargiz Namirad.
(If the Entire Universe is Devastated by the Storm, the Lamp of Chishtiyan Shall not Cease to Illuminate)
Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti (R.A.) popularly known as Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) was born in 1142 A.D. in Sijistan (Iran). His paternal genealogy is related to Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.) and that of his maternal to Hazrat Imam Hassan (A.S.) and thus he was a direct descendant of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.).
Khwaja Moin-uddin Hasan Chisti (R.A) occupies a prominent place among the spiritual Healers of the world. In his temperament as in the circumstance of his life Khwaja Sahib was destined for an extra ordinary career. Into a tottering civilization, fraught with material acquisition, which guaranteed no safety to human life and which conferred no spiritual freedom on human beings he burst forth all the masterful force of his personality, There is a complete blending of greatness and grace, mediation and action precept, practice, indifference of the mystic and idealism of a Saint. He stands for all that is true, Beautiful and Noble..
He is a SYMBOL OF LOVE, HARMONY AND TRUTH.
The sources of this power may be traced to his own exceptional endowments. Throughout his life, he exhibited the noble traits of character so peculiar to the house of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) to which he belonged.
His father, Sayyid Ghiyas-u’d-din, a pious man of some means, died when his son was in his teens. He left as legacy an orchard and a grinding mill. Once Moinuddin Hassan was looking after the plants in his garden that a mystic, Shaikh Ibrahim Qanduzi, happened to pass by. Shaikh Mu’in-u’d-din entertained him in his garden. Hagiologists trace the germination of mystic attitude in him to the blessings of this Saint. In fact, the most powerful factor in giving a mystic touch to his personality at this early stage was the condition of Sijistan which had suffered terribly at the hands of the Qara Khita and the Ghuzz Turks.
It drove the Khwaja’s mind inwards and he realized the futility of hankering after worldly glory or looking after worldly goods. He sold all his assets, gave the proceeds in charity and took to itineracy. He visited the eminent scholars of his age. While on his way to Iraq, he passed through Harvan, in the district of Naishapur. Here he met Khwaja ‘Usman Harwani’ and was so deeply impressed by his spiritual eminence that he decided to join the circle of his disciples. For twenty years he accompanied him on his arduous mystic journeys and performed all sorts of personal services to him. Shaikh Mu’in’d-din once told his disciples. “I did not give myself a moment’s rest from the service of my Peer-o-Murshid, and carried about his night clothes during his journeys and stoppages”.
Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Haj and Prophet’s command
As the great Khwaja become accomplished and perfect in every respect, the divine tutor (Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harwani (R.A.)) honored him with his robe and took him to Haj. Both then proceeded to Makkah and performed the Haj, and then went to Madina and stayed there for sometime, to get the blessings of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.)
One night in a trance he was ordered by the Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.)
“O Moinuddin! You are a prop of our faith. Proceed to India and show the path of truth to the people there. That is why he is known as Ataye Rasul/Naib-e-Rasul.” (Lieutenant of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.))
Later he undertook independent journeys and came into contact with eminent Saints and scholars like Shaikh Najm-u’d-din Kubra, Shaikh Najib-u’d-din ‘Abdul Qahir Suhrawardi, Shaikh Abu Sa’id Tabrizi, Shaikh Mahmud Ispahani, Shaikh Nasir-u’d-din Astarabadi and Shaikh ‘Abdul Wahid – all of whom were destined to exercise great influence on contemporary religious life and thought. He visited nearly all the great centers of learning in those days – Samarqand, Bukhara, Baghdad, Naishapur, Tabriz, Aush, Ispahan, Sabzawar, Mihna, Khirqan, Astarabd, Balkh and Ghaznin and aquainted himself with almost every important trend in Muslim religious life in the middle ages. His moral and spiritual qualities attracted many people to his fold and he appointed his Khalifas in Sabzwar and Balkh.
Shaikh Auhad-u’d-din Kirmani, Shaikh Shihab-u’d-din Suhrawardi and many other eminent mystics benefited by his company. Having thus roamed all over the Muslim lands which had not yet recovered from the terrible shocks of Qara Khitai and Ghuzz invasions and were to be ravaged very soon by the Mongols, he turned towards India. After a brief stay at Lahore, where he meditated at the Shrine of one of the prominent Sufi, Shaikh Ali Hajweri, he proceeded to Ajmer. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz composed a couplet paying a glowing tribute to Shaikh Hajweri :
(Ganj Bakhsh-e-Har Do Alam Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda, Na Qisan Ra Peer-e-Kamil, Kamilan Ra Peshwa)
He is a wealth bestowing Saint in this world and hereafter and an embodiment of divine light.
A complete spiritual guide for the imperfect disciples and a leader of the perfect Saints.
He adopted the Indian tradition and culture, seeing the inclination of Indians towards Music and singing he introduced Qawwali (Sama) to convey his message.
Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) breathed his last; after achieving the command given to him by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). His noble soul left the corporeal body on the 6th of Rajab 633 A.H./ 16th March 1236 at the age of 97. He was buried in the same prayer room (Hujra)which was the center of his divine activities, throughout his stay at Ajmer. Today his Shrine is popularly known as “Dargah Sharif of Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.)”. People of all walks of life and faith from all over the world, irrespective of their caste, creed and beliefs visit this great Shrine to offer flowers, Chaddar and Itar of their esteem and devotion. The rich and the poor stand side by side to pay their homage and respect to the divine soul and to acquire the peace of mind & soul to get the blessings of Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.)
Ajmer was not merely the seat of Chauhan power ; it was a religious center also where thousands of pilgrims assembled from far and near Shaikh Mu’in-u’d-din’s determination to work out the principles of Islamic mysticism at a place of such political and religious significance shows great self-confidence.
Gharib Nawaz was the exponent of the true spirit of Islam. Like orthodox and static theologians he did not engage himself in vain metaphysics but rigorously strove to save human sympathy from running into narrow grooves and struck at the very root of parochialism, casteism and religious exclusiveness which are being propagated by some vested interests. According to Gharib Nawaz the religion is not merely based on rituals and ecclesiastical formalities but “service of humanity” is its sole raison d’etre . Describing the qualities which endear a man to God, Gharib Nawaz referred to the following attributes : AWWAL SAKHAWATE CHUN SAKHAWATE DARIYA, DOM SHAFQAT-E-CHUN SHAFQAT-E-AFTAB, SIWAM TAWAZO-E-CHUN TAWAZO-E-ZAMEEN. (First, river like generosity; second, sun-like affection, and third earth like hospitality.) When once asked about the highest devotion of God, Gharib Nawaz remarked that it was nothing but
“Dar mandgaan ra fariyad raseedan wa haajat-e-baichaargaan ra rawa kardan wa gursingaan ra sair gardaneedan”
i.e. to redress the misery of those in distress, to fulfil the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry.
Gharib Nawaz loved humanity in general and the Indians in particular. Indeed he had a mission to bring a social and spiritual revolution.
He ruled over the hearts. The concepts of national integration, composite culture (Ganga-Jamni Tehzeeb) originated from his life style and teachings and thereafter were spread by his representative disciples.
Perhaps in no other country were the effects of this social and cultural revolution so marked and so far reaching as in India. Sufism (Islamic mysticism) reached India when it had entered the last and the most important phase of its history the organisation of Sufistic structure of Islam having various denominations, especially Naqshbandia, Qadriya, Suharwardia and Chishtiya. Among these denominations the Chishtiya order has been supremely successful on all levels of pluralistic society of India based on cultural, religious, and social differences.
EarLy Life Of The Greatest Holy Sufi Hazrat Khawaja Garib Nawaz (R.A)
Rahmatu Allahi alaih (May the Mercy of Allah be upon him)
Lineage, Journey, Final Settlement at Ajmer, Establishment of Khanqah and His Message of Peace for Entire Humanity
Agar Gaiti Sarasar Bad Girad,
Chiragh-e-Chishtiyan Hargiz Namirad.
(If the Entire Universe is Devastated by the Storm, the Lamp of Chishtiyan Shall not Cease to Illuminate)
Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti (R.A.) popularly known as Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) was born in 1142 A.D. in Sijistan (Iran). His paternal genealogy is related to Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.) and that of his maternal to Hazrat Imam Hassan (A.S.) and thus he was a direct descendant of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.).
Khwaja Moin-uddin Hasan Chisti (R.A) occupies a prominent place among the spiritual Healers of the world. In his temperament as in the circumstance of his life Khwaja Sahib was destined for an extra ordinary career. Into a tottering civilization, fraught with material acquisition, which guaranteed no safety to human life and which conferred no spiritual freedom on human beings he burst forth all the masterful force of his personality, There is a complete blending of greatness and grace, mediation and action precept, practice, indifference of the mystic and idealism of a Saint. He stands for all that is true, Beautiful and Noble..
He is a SYMBOL OF LOVE, HARMONY AND TRUTH.
The sources of this power may be traced to his own exceptional endowments. Throughout his life, he exhibited the noble traits of character so peculiar to the house of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) to which he belonged.
His father, Sayyid Ghiyas-u’d-din, a pious man of some means, died when his son was in his teens. He left as legacy an orchard and a grinding mill. Once Moinuddin Hassan was looking after the plants in his garden that a mystic, Shaikh Ibrahim Qanduzi, happened to pass by. Shaikh Mu’in-u’d-din entertained him in his garden. Hagiologists trace the germination of mystic attitude in him to the blessings of this Saint. In fact, the most powerful factor in giving a mystic touch to his personality at this early stage was the condition of Sijistan which had suffered terribly at the hands of the Qara Khita and the Ghuzz Turks.
It drove the Khwaja’s mind inwards and he realized the futility of hankering after worldly glory or looking after worldly goods. He sold all his assets, gave the proceeds in charity and took to itineracy. He visited the eminent scholars of his age. While on his way to Iraq, he passed through Harvan, in the district of Naishapur. Here he met Khwaja ‘Usman Harwani’ and was so deeply impressed by his spiritual eminence that he decided to join the circle of his disciples. For twenty years he accompanied him on his arduous mystic journeys and performed all sorts of personal services to him. Shaikh Mu’in’d-din once told his disciples. “I did not give myself a moment’s rest from the service of my Peer-o-Murshid, and carried about his night clothes during his journeys and stoppages”.
Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Haj and Prophet’s command
As the great Khwaja become accomplished and perfect in every respect, the divine tutor (Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harwani (R.A.)) honored him with his robe and took him to Haj. Both then proceeded to Makkah and performed the Haj, and then went to Madina and stayed there for sometime, to get the blessings of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.)
One night in a trance he was ordered by the Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.)
“O Moinuddin! You are a prop of our faith. Proceed to India and show the path of truth to the people there. That is why he is known as Ataye Rasul/Naib-e-Rasul.” (Lieutenant of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.))
Later he undertook independent journeys and came into contact with eminent Saints and scholars like Shaikh Najm-u’d-din Kubra, Shaikh Najib-u’d-din ‘Abdul Qahir Suhrawardi, Shaikh Abu Sa’id Tabrizi, Shaikh Mahmud Ispahani, Shaikh Nasir-u’d-din Astarabadi and Shaikh ‘Abdul Wahid – all of whom were destined to exercise great influence on contemporary religious life and thought. He visited nearly all the great centers of learning in those days – Samarqand, Bukhara, Baghdad, Naishapur, Tabriz, Aush, Ispahan, Sabzawar, Mihna, Khirqan, Astarabd, Balkh and Ghaznin and aquainted himself with almost every important trend in Muslim religious life in the middle ages. His moral and spiritual qualities attracted many people to his fold and he appointed his Khalifas in Sabzwar and Balkh.
Shaikh Auhad-u’d-din Kirmani, Shaikh Shihab-u’d-din Suhrawardi and many other eminent mystics benefited by his company. Having thus roamed all over the Muslim lands which had not yet recovered from the terrible shocks of Qara Khitai and Ghuzz invasions and were to be ravaged very soon by the Mongols, he turned towards India. After a brief stay at Lahore, where he meditated at the Shrine of one of the prominent Sufi, Shaikh Ali Hajweri, he proceeded to Ajmer. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz composed a couplet paying a glowing tribute to Shaikh Hajweri :
(Ganj Bakhsh-e-Har Do Alam Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda, Na Qisan Ra Peer-e-Kamil, Kamilan Ra Peshwa)
He is a wealth bestowing Saint in this world and hereafter and an embodiment of divine light.
A complete spiritual guide for the imperfect disciples and a leader of the perfect Saints.
He adopted the Indian tradition and culture, seeing the inclination of Indians towards Music and singing he introduced Qawwali (Sama) to convey his message.
Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) breathed his last; after achieving the command given to him by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). His noble soul left the corporeal body on the 6th of Rajab 633 A.H./ 16th March 1236 at the age of 97. He was buried in the same prayer room (Hujra)which was the center of his divine activities, throughout his stay at Ajmer. Today his Shrine is popularly known as “Dargah Sharif of Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.)”. People of all walks of life and faith from all over the world, irrespective of their caste, creed and beliefs visit this great Shrine to offer flowers, Chaddar and Itar of their esteem and devotion. The rich and the poor stand side by side to pay their homage and respect to the divine soul and to acquire the peace of mind & soul to get the blessings of Huzoor Gharib Nawaz (R.A.)
Ajmer was not merely the seat of Chauhan power ; it was a religious center also where thousands of pilgrims assembled from far and near Shaikh Mu’in-u’d-din’s determination to work out the principles of Islamic mysticism at a place of such political and religious significance shows great self-confidence.
Gharib Nawaz was the exponent of the true spirit of Islam. Like orthodox and static theologians he did not engage himself in vain metaphysics but rigorously strove to save human sympathy from running into narrow grooves and struck at the very root of parochialism, casteism and religious exclusiveness which are being propagated by some vested interests. According to Gharib Nawaz the religion is not merely based on rituals and ecclesiastical formalities but “service of humanity” is its sole raison d’etre . Describing the qualities which endear a man to God, Gharib Nawaz referred to the following attributes : AWWAL SAKHAWATE CHUN SAKHAWATE DARIYA, DOM SHAFQAT-E-CHUN SHAFQAT-E-AFTAB, SIWAM TAWAZO-E-CHUN TAWAZO-E-ZAMEEN. (First, river like generosity; second, sun-like affection, and third earth like hospitality.) When once asked about the highest devotion of God, Gharib Nawaz remarked that it was nothing but
“Dar mandgaan ra fariyad raseedan wa haajat-e-baichaargaan ra rawa kardan wa gursingaan ra sair gardaneedan”
i.e. to redress the misery of those in distress, to fulfil the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry.
Gharib Nawaz loved humanity in general and the Indians in particular. Indeed he had a mission to bring a social and spiritual revolution.
He ruled over the hearts. The concepts of national integration, composite culture (Ganga-Jamni Tehzeeb) originated from his life style and teachings and thereafter were spread by his representative disciples.
Perhaps in no other country were the effects of this social and cultural revolution so marked and so far reaching as in India. Sufism (Islamic mysticism) reached India when it had entered the last and the most important phase of its history the organisation of Sufistic structure of Islam having various denominations, especially Naqshbandia, Qadriya, Suharwardia and Chishtiya. Among these denominations the Chishtiya order has been supremely successful on all levels of pluralistic society of India based on cultural, religious, and social differences.
Patna ang Gaya Vishnupad Temple / Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya
Gaya derives its name from the mythological demon Gayasur (which literally means Gaya the holy demon), demon (asur, a Sanskrit word) and Gaya. Over its history dating millennia, the word asur got deleted and the name Gaya remained in currency. Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him. This incident transformed Gayasur into the series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of the Gaya city. Gaya was so holy that he had the power to absolve the sins of those who touched him or looked at him; after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform shraddha sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors. Gods and goddesses had promised to live on Gayasur's body after he died, and the hilltop protuberances of Gaya are surmounted by temples to various gods and goddesses. These hilltop temples at Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan and Brahmayoni are part of the pilgrimage circuit, and grand staircases have been built up to most of them
Sacred places in Gaya correspond to physical features, most of which occur naturally. Ghats and temples line the banks of the sacred Falgu River. Trees such as pipal trees and Akshayavat, the undying banyan, are especially sacred. The Mangla Gauri shrine is marked by two rounded stones that symbolize the breasts of the mythological Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva. The most popular temple today is Vishnupad, a place along the Falgu River, marked by a footprint of Vishnu incised into a block of basalt, that marks the act of Lord Vishnu subduing Gayasur by placing his foot on Gayasur's chest. The present day temple was rebuilt by Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, in the 18th century
Gaya is significant to Hindus from the point of view of salvation to the souls of ancestors (a ritual called pindadanam). According to Ramayana, when Lord Rama came to Gaya along with Sita for pitrupaksha (or to perform pindadanam), Sita cursed the Falgu River following some disobedience on the part of the river. The mythology states that on account of this curse, Falgu River lost its water, and the river is simply a vast stretch of sand dunes.
Vishnupad Temple located in the central part of the old town is believed to have been built over the footprints of Lord Vishnu. Inside the temple, the 40 cm long `footprint' of Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock and surrounded by a silver plated basin. This Shikhara style temple was constructed in 1787, by Queen Ahilya Bai of Indore, on the banks of the river Falgu. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple.
A flight of 1000 stone steps leads to the top of the Brahmajuni Hill, 1 km south-west of the Vishnupad Temple that affords a splendid view of the temple
Lord vishnu's right footprint is embedded on the stone called 'Dhrama shiela'. Pilgrims come here for praying.
They worship with milk and flower garlands so that their relatives soul have peace in eternal heaven.
Inside the temple, the 40 cm long `footprint' of Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock and surrounded by a silver plated basin.
The temple is situated on the banks of the Phalgu River, Gaya. The closest airport is located in Patna, four hours north.
The Poorva Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) (Howrah Station) at 9.15 am (Wed, Thurs, Sun) and arrives in Gaya at 3.50 pm. The night Doon Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) at 8 pm, reaches Gaya at 6 am, and then continues on to Haridwar.
Bus Buses to Patna (100km, 4 hr) and Ranchi (7 hr) depart from the Gandhi Maidan Bus Stand. Buses to Rajgir (3 hr) depart from the Gaurakshini Bus Stand, across the river. Buses to Rajgir and Nalanda (2 hr, every hour) depart from the Manpur bus stand on the other side of the Phalgu River.
Documented history of Gaya dates back to the birth of Gautam Buddha. About 15 km from Gaya town is Bodh Gaya, the place where Gautam Buddha got enlightenment. Since then the places around Gaya (Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Patliputra) had been the citadel of knowledge for the ancient world. These centers of knowledge further flourished under the rule of dynasties like the Mauryans who ruled from Patliputra (modern Patna) and covered the area beyond the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Gaya was a part of the Magadh region.
After discarding asceticism and concentrating on meditation, Gautama discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. He accepted a little rice pudding from a village girl named Sujata. Then, sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment; according to some traditions, this occurred approximately in May, and according to others in December. Gautama, from then on, was known as "The Perfectly Self-Awakened One", the Samyaksambuddha
The Bodhi tree was a large and very old specimen of the Sacred Fig, located at the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya (about 100 km from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar) under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later know as Gautama Buddha, arrived at Bodhi. The Bodhi Tree belongs to the Sacred Figs (Ficus religiosa), also known as Bo, Pipul (Peepal) or Ashwattha trees, which are sacred to Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. According to Buddhist belief, Siddharta Gautama meditated under this tree, mentioned as Ashwattha in the Tipitaka, when he achieved Nirvana. The word 'Ashvattha' is derived from the Sanskrit roots 'Shwa' meaning tomorrow, 'a' indicating negation, and 'tha' meaning "one that stands or remains". (The Hindu philosopher Shankaracharya interprets the name to indicate "One which does not remain the same tomorrow", such as the universe itself.)
The Sacred Fig currently growing at the Mahabodhi Temple is not the original specimen, but probably a direct clone descendant of it. This tree is a frequent destination for pilgrims, being the most important of the four holy sites for Buddhists. Another sacred specimen, also propagated from the original Bodhi tree, is the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka, planted in 288 BC, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm.
In religious iconography, the Bodhi tree is easily recognizable from its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.
A flight of 1000 stone steps leads to the top of the Brahmajuni Hill, 1 km south-west of the Vishnupad Temple that affords a splendid view of the temple
They worship with milk and flower garlands so that their relatives soul have peace in eternal heaven.
Inside the temple, the 40 cm long `footprint' of Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock and surrounded by a silver plated basin.
The temple is situated on the banks of the Phalgu River, Gaya. The closest airport is located in Patna, four hours north.
The Poorva Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) (Howrah Station) at 9.15 am (Wed, Thurs, Sun) and arrives in Gaya at 3.50 pm. The night Doon Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) at 8 pm, reaches Gaya at 6 am, and then continues on to Haridwar.
Bus Buses to Patna (100km, 4 hr) and Ranchi (7 hr) depart from the Gandhi Maidan Bus Stand. Buses to Rajgir (3 hr) depart from the Gaurakshini Bus Stand, across the river. Buses to Rajgir and Nalanda (2 hr, every hour) depart from the Manpur bus stand on the other side of the Phalgu River.
After discarding asceticism and concentrating on meditation, Gautama discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. He accepted a little rice pudding from a village girl named Sujata. Then, sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment; according to some traditions, this occurred approximately in May, and according to others in December. Gautama, from then on, was known as "The Perfectly Self-Awakened One", the Samyaksambuddha
The Bodhi tree was a large and very old specimen of the Sacred Fig, located at the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya (about 100 km from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar) under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later know as Gautama Buddha, arrived at Bodhi. The Bodhi Tree belongs to the Sacred Figs (Ficus religiosa), also known as Bo, Pipul (Peepal) or Ashwattha trees, which are sacred to Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. According to Buddhist belief, Siddharta Gautama meditated under this tree, mentioned as Ashwattha in the Tipitaka, when he achieved Nirvana. The word 'Ashvattha' is derived from the Sanskrit roots 'Shwa' meaning tomorrow, 'a' indicating negation, and 'tha' meaning "one that stands or remains". (The Hindu philosopher Shankaracharya interprets the name to indicate "One which does not remain the same tomorrow", such as the universe itself.)
The Sacred Fig currently growing at the Mahabodhi Temple is not the original specimen, but probably a direct clone descendant of it. This tree is a frequent destination for pilgrims, being the most important of the four holy sites for Buddhists. Another sacred specimen, also propagated from the original Bodhi tree, is the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka, planted in 288 BC, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm.
In religious iconography, the Bodhi tree is easily recognizable from its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.
GANGA SAGAR HISTORY
Kapil Muni Ashram
According to the legend, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could produce sons. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore 60,000 sons. Sagara performed the Ashwamedha Yagya sacrifice to declare his suzerainty over the neighbouring kingdoms. According to the prevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighbouring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The 60,000 sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapil Muni was meditating. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapila had captured it. They did not kill Kapil Muni as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditations. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapil Muni with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagara.
Time passed and later Bhagiratha, the great grandson of Sagara, chanced to come across the bones of his dead ancestors. He wanted to perform the shraddha of his ancestors but there was no water available for the ceremony. Agastya having drunk all the waters of the ocean, the country was passing through a severe drought. Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma, the Creator, to end the drought. Brahma asked him to pray to Vishnu, the Preserver, to allow the heavenly Ganga, issuing from His big toe, to come down to earth. Vishnu when prayed to by Bhagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Shiva, the third member of the Hindu trinity of Gods, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river was very forceful and if she were allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would split the earth. Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading Ganga on the matted hair piled high on his head. This ensnared and delayed the progress of the river which, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force and then gently descended to the Himalayas from whence it flowed to the plains bestowing its waters on the parched earth. And that is why the anthropomorphic image of Ganga is shown in the matted hair of Shiva who is also called Gangadhara. Being born in the Himalayas, Ganga is considered the elder sister of Parvati, who is also a daughter of the Himalayas
Kapil Muni
Kapil Muni was the son of Kardam Rishi and Daksh's daughter Devahooti. He was Avataar of Vishnu. Kardam Rishi had nine daughters also. After the birth of Kapil, Kardam Muni went to forest for Tap. Later he preached Saankhya Yog to his mother.
Once he was sitting in Samaadhi in his Aashram, that Raajaa Sagar's 60,000 sons came there in search of their father's Yagya horse. They found it tied with a tree nearby him, so they thought that Kapil Muni had stolen it. They started telling him some bad words. Kapil Muni opened his eyes and all of them were burned to ashes.
Then Raajaa Sagar sent his grandson Anshumaan in search of his 60,000 sons. He traced his uncles' footsteps and arrived at Kapil Muni's Aashram. He saw a mound of ashes near his Aashram. He understood everything. He greeted him and came to know the fate of his uncles. He asked him as how he could give them Mukti (emancipation). Kapil Muni suggested him to bring Gangaa on Prithvi so that her water can give them Mukti.
The ganges river is known as Mother Ganga.
Ganga sagar is the end of mother ganga 2700 Km. course where she
meets the bay of bengal.
Population: 75 million
Capital: Calcutta
Area: 88,000 sq km
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Main Language: Bengali
Literacy Rate: 59%
Initially, river Ganga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severe penances of the sage Bhagiratha and that is why she is also called Bhagirathi. According to the story, of the descent of the Ganga, once a number of demons were harassing the hermits by disturbing them in their ascetic duties. During the day, they would be chased into the ocean. But in the darkness of the night, they would emerge from the ocean and start harassing the hermits again. In desperation the hermits appealed to Rishi Agastya. Agastya, known for his gastronomic powers, drank all the water of the ocean. Though this was done in good faith, it resulted in depriving the world of the water needed for sustenance and the earth became parched and dry. Bhagiratha brought this drought to and end. 
Gangapujan Dashahara or Dussehra
This is literally the "birthday or descent of mother Ganges - Ganga Ma". Throughout india this festival lasts ten days beginning on the Amavasya (dark moon night) and going through to the dasami tithi (tenth phase of the Moon, the day before Pandava Nirjal Ekadasi)
"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Jyeshtha. River Ganga is worshipped as a mother as well as a Goddess, particularly by people of Uttara Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal through which the river flows. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify the bather of all sins. The Ganga is revered all over India even in places far from its course
According to the Agni Purana and Padma Purana, the Ganga descended to the earth on Ganga Dussehra day and a bath in the holy river on this day is said to purify one of all sins. To die on the banks of the Ganga is considered most auspicious. If that is not possible, then the immersion of the ashes after cremation in the river Ganga is a must, as it then releases one from the cycles of birth and re-birth.
the seven ways of worshipping the Ganga are: by calling out her name, 'Oh Ganga'; having darshan of her; by toughing her waters; by worshipping and bathing; by standing in the waters of the river; and by carrying clay dug out of the river. Ganga in her anthropomorphic form is shown as a beautiful young woman standing on a crocodile and holding a waterpot in her hands. Her image, with that of the Goddess Yamuna, another sacred river deity, is often depicted on the doors of temples and palaces. In Gujarat, there is a legend according to which Ganga came down to the earth on Rishi Panchami, the fifth day of Bhadra (September) at Tarnetar.
The river Ganga which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains at Haridwar, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites such as Benares and Prayag, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal (accessed from Diamond Harbor), where the Ganga breaks up into hundreds of streams, and drains into the sea, is honored as a pilgrimage site, signifying the spot where the ashes of the ancestors of Bhagiratha were purified by the waters of the Ganga.
The Kapila muni temple at this site is a center of worship. The origins of this temple are obscured in antiquity - the current structure being a recent one, housing a stone block considered to be a representation of Kapila Muni; there are are also images of Bhagiratha, Rama and Sita.
A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Saggitarius and this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses (sanyasis) from all over the state.
Ganga Sagar Mela A Dip for Moksha
The village priest leading his horde of devotees chants sab teerth baar baar, Ganga Sagar ek bar. You can go to all the holy places, but a pilgrimage to Ganga Sagar equals them all. A dip means redemption for all wrong done. This place is Sagar Island, on the confluence of the Ganga with the Bay of Bengal. The day “Makar Sankranti” or the last day of the month of Paus (December).
Legend has it that, before joining the sea, the Ganga watered the mortal remains of King Sagar’s 60000 sons liberating their souls once and forever. It was standing on the Sagar Island that the mythical Kapil Muni condoned th sins of the sons of King Sagar who had dared to stop the horse blessed at Lord Indra’s Aswamedha Yagna and tied it to a post near his temple. It is this legend that attracts people to this little island in a remote southern corner of West Bengal.
The Ganga Sagar mela (fair) is the largest annual assemblage of devotees in India. The greatness of the mela can be assessed from the fact that over a million pilgrims come from far-flung corners of India and beyond, speaking different languages and belonging to diverse castes and creeds, for a sacred dip at this holy confluence. For this, no invitation is given. No propaganda is carried out and overall no authority exists for carrying out the mela.
It is indeed a tough journey. A few days in packed buses and trains bring the pilgrims to Calcutta. From there, again a long bus journey to ferry ghats or jetty in Sunderbans area, followed by crossing the tidal river stretching for miles across. The last leg involves either walking or traveling by a local bus upto 30 kilometres depending on the location of embarkation point.
The journey can be tiring but religious fervour of the pilgrims overcomes all hardships. Kapil Muni ki jai, Kapil Muni ki jai, (Hail Kapil Muni), the din rises above the grinding motors of the launches ferrying the pilgrims across the Ganga and the countless buses plying between Calcutta and Namkhana. The problem of traveling doesn’t deter even the weak and vulnerable. Old people in their eighties, and village women carrying babies and little children in tow are a common sight.
The never ending stream of pilgrims keeps pouring in throughout the day and night before the auspicious day and occupies any available space on the sandy beach. They move about the place in groups, many displaying saffron and red flags, identifying the religious Akhara (group) they belong to as well as acting as beacon to the members who stray out of the group.
People walks to the sound of the bells, blowing conch shells and chanting prayers. Strains of devotional songs can be heard from far and near. And, the ceaseless din of loudspeakers. An array of shops, stacked with heaps of vermilion, rudraksha, colourful beads, conch shells line the pathways. Many a visitor stands wide-eyed before the shops selling everything from food stuff, household utensils to remote controlled toys.
People crowd around the naga sadhus (naked ascetics) without whom the Ganga Sagar mela is incomplete. Sitting naked in little huts near the temple and enjoying a chillum of ganja, (cannabis) they are also the target of tourists’ camera.
While devotees jostle in front of numerous temporary shrines of Hindu deities to pay homage, Kapil Muni’s temple remains the chief attraction. The temple of Kapil Muni, as we see it today, is by no means the spot where the sage meditated. It went under the sea millennium ago followed by the many others built in its place, which subsequently was also swallowed, by the advancing sea.
The present one was built only a few decades ago, quite a bit away from the sea. The tall dome of the temple is visible from a distance. In the temple, three images engraved in stone are displayed, the one in the middle is that of Kapil Muni. The sage is seen in a jogasana; his eyes wide open, looking towards the sea with millions of devotees before him. The idols of Ganga and King Sagar flank Kapil Muni and the horse of the sacrificial yagna stands at a distance.
The typical Ganga Sagar pilgrim is a country rustic, generally elderly, hardy, remarkably disciplined and fervent in his devotion. His dhoti seldom going below his knees, a cloth bound packet, containing everything needed for survival, on his head. And, of course, his women – heavily tattooed and clad in colourful saris.
As the night, pregnant with the auspicious moment, descends, all wait for the precise hour to take the dip. The sandy track to the water’s edge is crowded with people who sit around fires before proceeding for the bath, chanting devotional songs and prayers. The seaside presents a spectacle in the darkness before dawn with the large bonfire lit by the bathers to keep off the cold.
At midnight, the high tide drives the pilgrims back. The biting cold wind of mid – January from across the sea lashes the bare body. But there is a confidence on their faces and a kind of fire in their eyes. The confidence in God and the fire of earnest faith makes them brave the chill.
The stars in the sky have quite a long time to fade when the moment of truth comes. As soon as the priest announces, the auspicious pre-dawn hour, the crowds surge forward to meet the tide with a loud chorus Kapil Muni ki jai and plunge into the sea. Suddenly the place is charged with the extraordinary power of the believers.
After taking their holy dips, the shivering devotees trudge the one kilometre expanse leading to the brightly lit temple of Kapil Muni, where prayers were performed. Coconuts, flowers, vermilion, sweets, and money are offered to the image of the ancient sage.
The bustle of activity continues for quite sometime in the morning as the pilgrims perform a series of rituals including the symbolic godan to Brahmins. A calf is symbolically handed over to the Brahmin priest by the devotee. Many perform the symbolic crossing of the river of blood, baitarani to attain moksha or transcendation. It is interesting to observe the people, clutching the tail of a cow and wading through a puddle a few paces. Many people shave their heads and perform the last rites of departed relatives.
A number of marriages are solemnized on the beach during the day. Also, many local girls get married to the sea. This will ensure that theoretically they never become widows, even if their menfolk, braving the rough sea and tiger infested jungle for a living, die.
It is no wonder that for many tourists from abroad, like though French couple I met, Sagar mela is something more than a mammoth religious congregation. They have visited the mela twice and found “something which has disappeared from France and Europe at least half a century ago”.
Naturally this large an affair leads to some confusion. People get lost. The public address system works overtime as relatives try to trace those they have lost.
But the majority of the pilgrims take it easy. After the rituals are complete, they dry their clothes and hair, cook their food on open fires, eat and rest. Happy, contented and smiling, having made the pilgrimage.
The Ganga Sagar mela continues to throb with life, with the energy of millions of pilgrims. The pilgrimage may be extremely tough, but the pilgrims know that the visit will purify their souls. The visit fulfils their lifelong desire and often one can see tears of joy rolling down their cheeks. That is the magic of religion.
According to the legend, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could produce sons. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore 60,000 sons. Sagara performed the Ashwamedha Yagya sacrifice to declare his suzerainty over the neighbouring kingdoms. According to the prevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighbouring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The 60,000 sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapil Muni was meditating. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapila had captured it. They did not kill Kapil Muni as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditations. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapil Muni with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagara.
Time passed and later Bhagiratha, the great grandson of Sagara, chanced to come across the bones of his dead ancestors. He wanted to perform the shraddha of his ancestors but there was no water available for the ceremony. Agastya having drunk all the waters of the ocean, the country was passing through a severe drought. Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma, the Creator, to end the drought. Brahma asked him to pray to Vishnu, the Preserver, to allow the heavenly Ganga, issuing from His big toe, to come down to earth. Vishnu when prayed to by Bhagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Shiva, the third member of the Hindu trinity of Gods, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river was very forceful and if she were allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would split the earth. Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading Ganga on the matted hair piled high on his head. This ensnared and delayed the progress of the river which, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force and then gently descended to the Himalayas from whence it flowed to the plains bestowing its waters on the parched earth. And that is why the anthropomorphic image of Ganga is shown in the matted hair of Shiva who is also called Gangadhara. Being born in the Himalayas, Ganga is considered the elder sister of Parvati, who is also a daughter of the Himalayas
Kapil Muni was the son of Kardam Rishi and Daksh's daughter Devahooti. He was Avataar of Vishnu. Kardam Rishi had nine daughters also. After the birth of Kapil, Kardam Muni went to forest for Tap. Later he preached Saankhya Yog to his mother.
Once he was sitting in Samaadhi in his Aashram, that Raajaa Sagar's 60,000 sons came there in search of their father's Yagya horse. They found it tied with a tree nearby him, so they thought that Kapil Muni had stolen it. They started telling him some bad words. Kapil Muni opened his eyes and all of them were burned to ashes.
Then Raajaa Sagar sent his grandson Anshumaan in search of his 60,000 sons. He traced his uncles' footsteps and arrived at Kapil Muni's Aashram. He saw a mound of ashes near his Aashram. He understood everything. He greeted him and came to know the fate of his uncles. He asked him as how he could give them Mukti (emancipation). Kapil Muni suggested him to bring Gangaa on Prithvi so that her water can give them Mukti.
Ganga sagar is the end of mother ganga 2700 Km. course where she
meets the bay of bengal.
Population: 75 million
Capital: Calcutta
Area: 88,000 sq km
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Main Language: Bengali
Literacy Rate: 59%
This is literally the "birthday or descent of mother Ganges - Ganga Ma". Throughout india this festival lasts ten days beginning on the Amavasya (dark moon night) and going through to the dasami tithi (tenth phase of the Moon, the day before Pandava Nirjal Ekadasi)
"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Jyeshtha. River Ganga is worshipped as a mother as well as a Goddess, particularly by people of Uttara Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal through which the river flows. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify the bather of all sins. The Ganga is revered all over India even in places far from its course
the seven ways of worshipping the Ganga are: by calling out her name, 'Oh Ganga'; having darshan of her; by toughing her waters; by worshipping and bathing; by standing in the waters of the river; and by carrying clay dug out of the river. Ganga in her anthropomorphic form is shown as a beautiful young woman standing on a crocodile and holding a waterpot in her hands. Her image, with that of the Goddess Yamuna, another sacred river deity, is often depicted on the doors of temples and palaces. In Gujarat, there is a legend according to which Ganga came down to the earth on Rishi Panchami, the fifth day of Bhadra (September) at Tarnetar.
The river Ganga which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains at Haridwar, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites such as Benares and Prayag, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal (accessed from Diamond Harbor), where the Ganga breaks up into hundreds of streams, and drains into the sea, is honored as a pilgrimage site, signifying the spot where the ashes of the ancestors of Bhagiratha were purified by the waters of the Ganga.
The Kapila muni temple at this site is a center of worship. The origins of this temple are obscured in antiquity - the current structure being a recent one, housing a stone block considered to be a representation of Kapila Muni; there are are also images of Bhagiratha, Rama and Sita.
A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Saggitarius and this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses (sanyasis) from all over the state.
Ganga Sagar Mela A Dip for Moksha
The village priest leading his horde of devotees chants sab teerth baar baar, Ganga Sagar ek bar. You can go to all the holy places, but a pilgrimage to Ganga Sagar equals them all. A dip means redemption for all wrong done. This place is Sagar Island, on the confluence of the Ganga with the Bay of Bengal. The day “Makar Sankranti” or the last day of the month of Paus (December).
Legend has it that, before joining the sea, the Ganga watered the mortal remains of King Sagar’s 60000 sons liberating their souls once and forever. It was standing on the Sagar Island that the mythical Kapil Muni condoned th sins of the sons of King Sagar who had dared to stop the horse blessed at Lord Indra’s Aswamedha Yagna and tied it to a post near his temple. It is this legend that attracts people to this little island in a remote southern corner of West Bengal.
The Ganga Sagar mela (fair) is the largest annual assemblage of devotees in India. The greatness of the mela can be assessed from the fact that over a million pilgrims come from far-flung corners of India and beyond, speaking different languages and belonging to diverse castes and creeds, for a sacred dip at this holy confluence. For this, no invitation is given. No propaganda is carried out and overall no authority exists for carrying out the mela.
It is indeed a tough journey. A few days in packed buses and trains bring the pilgrims to Calcutta. From there, again a long bus journey to ferry ghats or jetty in Sunderbans area, followed by crossing the tidal river stretching for miles across. The last leg involves either walking or traveling by a local bus upto 30 kilometres depending on the location of embarkation point.
The journey can be tiring but religious fervour of the pilgrims overcomes all hardships. Kapil Muni ki jai, Kapil Muni ki jai, (Hail Kapil Muni), the din rises above the grinding motors of the launches ferrying the pilgrims across the Ganga and the countless buses plying between Calcutta and Namkhana. The problem of traveling doesn’t deter even the weak and vulnerable. Old people in their eighties, and village women carrying babies and little children in tow are a common sight.
The never ending stream of pilgrims keeps pouring in throughout the day and night before the auspicious day and occupies any available space on the sandy beach. They move about the place in groups, many displaying saffron and red flags, identifying the religious Akhara (group) they belong to as well as acting as beacon to the members who stray out of the group.
People walks to the sound of the bells, blowing conch shells and chanting prayers. Strains of devotional songs can be heard from far and near. And, the ceaseless din of loudspeakers. An array of shops, stacked with heaps of vermilion, rudraksha, colourful beads, conch shells line the pathways. Many a visitor stands wide-eyed before the shops selling everything from food stuff, household utensils to remote controlled toys.
People crowd around the naga sadhus (naked ascetics) without whom the Ganga Sagar mela is incomplete. Sitting naked in little huts near the temple and enjoying a chillum of ganja, (cannabis) they are also the target of tourists’ camera.
While devotees jostle in front of numerous temporary shrines of Hindu deities to pay homage, Kapil Muni’s temple remains the chief attraction. The temple of Kapil Muni, as we see it today, is by no means the spot where the sage meditated. It went under the sea millennium ago followed by the many others built in its place, which subsequently was also swallowed, by the advancing sea.
The present one was built only a few decades ago, quite a bit away from the sea. The tall dome of the temple is visible from a distance. In the temple, three images engraved in stone are displayed, the one in the middle is that of Kapil Muni. The sage is seen in a jogasana; his eyes wide open, looking towards the sea with millions of devotees before him. The idols of Ganga and King Sagar flank Kapil Muni and the horse of the sacrificial yagna stands at a distance.
The typical Ganga Sagar pilgrim is a country rustic, generally elderly, hardy, remarkably disciplined and fervent in his devotion. His dhoti seldom going below his knees, a cloth bound packet, containing everything needed for survival, on his head. And, of course, his women – heavily tattooed and clad in colourful saris.
As the night, pregnant with the auspicious moment, descends, all wait for the precise hour to take the dip. The sandy track to the water’s edge is crowded with people who sit around fires before proceeding for the bath, chanting devotional songs and prayers. The seaside presents a spectacle in the darkness before dawn with the large bonfire lit by the bathers to keep off the cold.
At midnight, the high tide drives the pilgrims back. The biting cold wind of mid – January from across the sea lashes the bare body. But there is a confidence on their faces and a kind of fire in their eyes. The confidence in God and the fire of earnest faith makes them brave the chill.
The stars in the sky have quite a long time to fade when the moment of truth comes. As soon as the priest announces, the auspicious pre-dawn hour, the crowds surge forward to meet the tide with a loud chorus Kapil Muni ki jai and plunge into the sea. Suddenly the place is charged with the extraordinary power of the believers.
After taking their holy dips, the shivering devotees trudge the one kilometre expanse leading to the brightly lit temple of Kapil Muni, where prayers were performed. Coconuts, flowers, vermilion, sweets, and money are offered to the image of the ancient sage.
The bustle of activity continues for quite sometime in the morning as the pilgrims perform a series of rituals including the symbolic godan to Brahmins. A calf is symbolically handed over to the Brahmin priest by the devotee. Many perform the symbolic crossing of the river of blood, baitarani to attain moksha or transcendation. It is interesting to observe the people, clutching the tail of a cow and wading through a puddle a few paces. Many people shave their heads and perform the last rites of departed relatives.
A number of marriages are solemnized on the beach during the day. Also, many local girls get married to the sea. This will ensure that theoretically they never become widows, even if their menfolk, braving the rough sea and tiger infested jungle for a living, die.
It is no wonder that for many tourists from abroad, like though French couple I met, Sagar mela is something more than a mammoth religious congregation. They have visited the mela twice and found “something which has disappeared from France and Europe at least half a century ago”.
Naturally this large an affair leads to some confusion. People get lost. The public address system works overtime as relatives try to trace those they have lost.
But the majority of the pilgrims take it easy. After the rituals are complete, they dry their clothes and hair, cook their food on open fires, eat and rest. Happy, contented and smiling, having made the pilgrimage.
The Ganga Sagar mela continues to throb with life, with the energy of millions of pilgrims. The pilgrimage may be extremely tough, but the pilgrims know that the visit will purify their souls. The visit fulfils their lifelong desire and often one can see tears of joy rolling down their cheeks. That is the magic of religion.
Story of False Parvati
Shiva had once gone on a visit to a city named Shonitapura. He was accompanied by many gandharvas and apsaras. Parvati was left behind in Kailasa and Shiva felt lonely without her.
He called Nandi and said, Go to Kailasa and ask Parvati to come here.
Nandi went to kailasa and told Parvati that Shiva wanted her. Parvati said that this would take a little time, since she wanted to get ready first. Nadi went back and reported to Shiva what Parvati had said. Shiva waited for a little while, but Parvati did not come. He therefore sent Nandi again to Kailasa with the injuction that he should not come back without Parvati.
The apasaras meanwhile decided that they would play a trick on Shiva. One of them would disguise herself and pretend to be Parvati. An apsara named Chitralekha agreed to do this. Another apsara named Urvashi diguised herself as Nandi. Other apsara disguised themselves as companions of Parvati.
So good were their disguises that it was impossible to detect them as being false.
The false Nandi then brought the false Parvati to Shiva and said, Parvati has come. Her companions, the other goddesses, have also come.
Shiva was delighted. He was not able to detect that this was a false Parvati. While they were having great fun, the real Parvati, the real Nandi and the real goddesses turned up and there was utter confusion. No one could tell the real ones from the false ones. Finally the mess was sorted out when the apsaras adopted their real forms.
Neither Shiva nor Parvati were angry at this practical joke.
This is an incident from the time when Parvati went away to do tapasya so as to become fair. Before going away to meditate, she called Nandi to her and said, My husband does not know the difference between real Parvatis and false ones. Keep careful guard at the gate and do not let any false Parvatis enter.
There was an asura named Adi. He performed tapasya and wanted a boon from Brahma which would make him immortal. Brahma refused to grant him this, but granted him the boon that Adi would be very strong. Happy with this boon, Adi wandered around the Himalayas and discovered Nadi standing guard at the gate to Shiva's palace.
What are you doing here? the asura asked Nandi.
Nandi reported the conversation that had taken place with Parvati.
The demon went away. But he soon returned, this time disguised as Parvati. Lest Nandi not let him pass, he slimed through the gate disguised as a snake. And once inside the palace, he resumed his form of Parvati. He then went to meet Shiva. Shiva did not realize that this was a false Parvati and he came forward to embrace Adi. But no sooner had Shiva embraced him, than the asura adopted his own form and tried to kill Shiva. The two fought and Shiva killed Adi. But before dying, the asura played another trick.
He told Shiva, I have a brother who is stronger than me. He will return here in the form of Parvati and will kill you. This was a blatant lie. Adi had no brother.
The real Parvati returned after finishing her tapasya. But Shiva thought that this was demon disguised as Parvati. He created many beings from his body so as to kill Parvati. But Parvati also created many beings from her own body and these swallowed up Shiva's beings. When this had gone on thousands of times. Shiva realized that this must be the real Paravati.
Shiva and Parvati were united.
There were not more false Parvatis.
He called Nandi and said, Go to Kailasa and ask Parvati to come here.
Nandi went to kailasa and told Parvati that Shiva wanted her. Parvati said that this would take a little time, since she wanted to get ready first. Nadi went back and reported to Shiva what Parvati had said. Shiva waited for a little while, but Parvati did not come. He therefore sent Nandi again to Kailasa with the injuction that he should not come back without Parvati.
The apasaras meanwhile decided that they would play a trick on Shiva. One of them would disguise herself and pretend to be Parvati. An apsara named Chitralekha agreed to do this. Another apsara named Urvashi diguised herself as Nandi. Other apsara disguised themselves as companions of Parvati.
So good were their disguises that it was impossible to detect them as being false.
The false Nandi then brought the false Parvati to Shiva and said, Parvati has come. Her companions, the other goddesses, have also come.
Shiva was delighted. He was not able to detect that this was a false Parvati. While they were having great fun, the real Parvati, the real Nandi and the real goddesses turned up and there was utter confusion. No one could tell the real ones from the false ones. Finally the mess was sorted out when the apsaras adopted their real forms.
Neither Shiva nor Parvati were angry at this practical joke.
This is an incident from the time when Parvati went away to do tapasya so as to become fair. Before going away to meditate, she called Nandi to her and said, My husband does not know the difference between real Parvatis and false ones. Keep careful guard at the gate and do not let any false Parvatis enter.
There was an asura named Adi. He performed tapasya and wanted a boon from Brahma which would make him immortal. Brahma refused to grant him this, but granted him the boon that Adi would be very strong. Happy with this boon, Adi wandered around the Himalayas and discovered Nadi standing guard at the gate to Shiva's palace.
What are you doing here? the asura asked Nandi.
Nandi reported the conversation that had taken place with Parvati.
The demon went away. But he soon returned, this time disguised as Parvati. Lest Nandi not let him pass, he slimed through the gate disguised as a snake. And once inside the palace, he resumed his form of Parvati. He then went to meet Shiva. Shiva did not realize that this was a false Parvati and he came forward to embrace Adi. But no sooner had Shiva embraced him, than the asura adopted his own form and tried to kill Shiva. The two fought and Shiva killed Adi. But before dying, the asura played another trick.
He told Shiva, I have a brother who is stronger than me. He will return here in the form of Parvati and will kill you. This was a blatant lie. Adi had no brother.
The real Parvati returned after finishing her tapasya. But Shiva thought that this was demon disguised as Parvati. He created many beings from his body so as to kill Parvati. But Parvati also created many beings from her own body and these swallowed up Shiva's beings. When this had gone on thousands of times. Shiva realized that this must be the real Paravati.
Shiva and Parvati were united.
There were not more false Parvatis.
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