Deepavali

Deepavali, the festival of lights,  is one of the oldest festival celebrated in India. It comes 18  days after Dusserah (another oldest festival) and immediately after the harvests. It falls towards the end of October and beginning of November.
The references to this festival can be seen even in the oldest Sanskrit texts like Padma Purana, Skanda Purana and in the grave writings of 11th century Arab traveller Al Burni, 15th Century Italian traveller Nicolo Conti, 16th century Portuguese traveller Domigo Paes, 18th century British scholar like  Sir William Jones etc...

The five day festival starts with Dhanatreya, then the Narak Chathurthi on the second day, the magnificent Diwali in the third day, Govardhan Puja or Diwali Paduva on the fourth  and the Bhai Dhuj on the fifth day.
Everyday has its own cultural and and ritual significance. Diwali falling on the third day of celebrations is on the new moon or Amavasi which is the darkest night of Autumn. All the houses, buildings, every village and towns are lit with oil lamps traditionally, now also with electric lamps. Different varieties of special Diwali sweets, new clothes, new jewellery etc. are the speciality of these days.

Different regions of India has different stories associated with Diwali depending on the type of Lunisolar calendar they are using. The most popular of the stories associated with Diwali is the return of Prince Rama from an unfair exile into the forests for 14 years along with his wife and brother. Upon his return the people of his kingdom welcomed him by lighting oil lamps all over the kingdom. 

Wish you all a very happy Diwali

Moore Market, Madras

My day out at the famous Moore Market in Madras looking for some old books from the British period did not bring me much but these were a good introduction for what I was looking for.

The book on Churchill was a surprise as it had a dedication by a daughter to her father on his birthday in 1966.

The Cambridge grammar book was a delight as it is my favourite and makes a good gift for those students who need help with the language.

It is quite embarrassing to realise that I do not know much about the country of my tourists whom I take around south India. I do hope the other few books will help me know more about Great Britain.

Muchilottu Devi

Perinchellore was an old town famous for its scholarly Brahmans who were very good in the knowledge of Vedas, grammar, literature, astrology, medicine etc.. Scholars from all over came to Perinchellore to debate with the Brahmans there to test their own erudition. One such family in Perinchellore was Rayaramangalam. It so happened with them that the latest generation had no male heirs to continue their family lineage. They prayed to their family goddess by offering special Puja. Soon they got a daughter but not a son. Sensing a divine intervention the parents accepted her gratefully and named DeviKanya. They brought her up giving her the best they had including education. 

The girl grew up to be a scholar, naturally,  and her erudition spread among the scholarly circle of  the area in spite of being a girl. It was the custom at that time for the Brahman girls to be married off at the age of 12. Devi's parents proposed her the marriage and she agreed but on one condition. She will marry the man who will defeat her in a scholarly debate. Her parents had to agree and the marriage day was fixed. 

Many scholars came from far and wide both young and old. For two days nobody could defeat Devi. This was a blow to the Scholars of Perinchellore to be defeated and that too by a girl. For her parents she was a divine child but for others she was a mere girl who has to be shown her place in the world. So on the third day they deliberately guided the debate to the topic of Rasas which are the human feelings. They asked her which is the most significant of the Rasas to which Devi correctly replied as Sringara or erotic love. Then the scholars asked which is the most painful of the Rasas. Devi had no hesitation in saying it is the pain of child birth experienced by women. 

The Brahman scholars were enraged. They asked how can a virgin know all these feelings without experiencing it. They felt she is not a kanya (Virgin) and proclaimed the punishment due to such a woman for the innocent Devi. She was outclassed and expelled from the community. 

Though heartbroken, her parents could not do anything against the decision of the community. Devi walked away from her house, her village and went straight to the temple at EachiKulangara and entered into a deep meditative prayer of forty days. At the end of it she woke up with the realization that she had to leave her body to prove her innocence. At the Brahma Muhurtham, that is thirty six minutes before sun rise she prayed her final prayer and went to a place called Karivellore and made herself  a pyre and jumped into the fire after taking off one of her anklet and leaving it near the pyre. 

Alas! The fire was not enough to burn her body completely as it lost its flame midway. After a while a coconut tree climber from the lower caste was passing by carrying some dry fronds and Devi called out to him asking him to put the dry palm leaves into her fire. The man was frightened by the terrific site, he ran away without looking back. 

Next came that way a man from the Muchilottu community. Another lower caste community who deal in oil which was more important than electricity in those days. Devi asked him to pour the oil  that he was carrying in a pot into her pyre. Though terrified the man sensed a certain divinity in the stoic Devi and poured oil into the fire hoping it would put off the fire. Instead the fire was set ablaze again and the Devi disappeared into it after blessing him. From then on the Devi has been deified as the Goddess of the Muchillottu community and celebrated as Theyyam every year to this day.

Kundalini Power

What is kundalini Shakti?
Kundalini shakti, which is considered the invincible power, lies at the base of one's spine. It is a Sanskrit term meaning "coiled power" and refers to the "sleeping serpent," which upon awakening, results in self-awareness and spiritual growth.
Kundalini shakti may also be referred to as "divine energy" in Western understanding.
Kundalini shakti is present in every human being but is dormant in most. Also referred to as the "supreme power" and "basic force," the shakti finds mention in many sacred texts of Hinduism.
Kundalini shakti is the feminine power that lies coiled at the base of the spine. On awakening, it travels up the spine to the sahasrara to unite with Lord Shiva, the masculine power. Though it is mentioned as such in the sacred texts of Hinduism, kundalini is not just associated with a particular religion.
Mentioned by various beliefs in different names and using different symbols, it is the supreme power that guides one on his/her chosen path.
*The additional benefits of kundalini power awakening include:
●Boosts performance of chakras and balances them.
●Connects with universal Consciousness.
●Increases sense of perception.
●Promotes psychic abilities.
●Enhances spiritual experiences.
●Improves intelligence.
●Promotes sense of calm.
●Boosts cardiovascular and respiratory function.
*Kundalini shakti may be awakened by the following methods:
●Practicing asanas.
●Regular practice of pranayama
Performing mudras.
●A guru's grace.
In Hinduism, kundalini is personified as the Divine Mother: Bhairavi, Shakti Maa, Kali Maa, or other goddesses. She is the feminine power at the base of the spine, which travels up the spine to unite with the masculine power, her consort, Lord Shiva (Shakta), in the seventh chakra, sahasrara. This union of opposites is a powerful symbol depicted in all cultures.
In the ancient scriptures, kundalini is described in three different manifestations. The first is unmanifest cosmic energy: Para-kundalini. The second is vital energy of the created universe: Prana-kundalini. The third is consciousness: Shakti-kundalini, the intermediary between the other two.
Shakti-kundalini is the link to higher awareness, the revealer of all mantras, and the eternal source of bliss flowing from sahasrara (crown chakra). Through her shristi krama (process of creation), she creates by descending from sahasrara through all the chakras. She sustains by abiding in the muladhara chakra. Through her laya karma (process of absorption), she destroys or dissolves by ascending and returning to sahasrara.
When Shakti descends to the lower chakras, she is known as jagan mohini (world bewilder) and causes maya: delusion, limitation, ignorance, and ensnarement in material life. As she descends, she becomes grosser and loses her power and subtlety.
As kundalini shakti ascends through the chakras, she becomes subtler. On her pathway upward, she reabsorbs all the creative principles that originally descended from sahasrara. This is called laya-absorption. During this homeward journey, Shakti removes the veils of maya (illusion), which evaporate like a mirage.
As kundalini ascends through the chakras, mental limitations are gradually removed so consciousness can shine in its pristine glory. Mental fluctuations settle down and the mind becomes serene. Awareness flows smoothly and the mind becomes a vehicle for bliss and happiness.
At sahasrara chakra kundalini merges with Shiva, who is identified with her. In her formless state she is consciousness. In her creative form she is Shakti, the power of manifestation.
Therefore, kundalini's descent creates increasing ignorance, bondage, and delusion. The same kundalini energy, as it ascends, causes spiritual awakening, freedom, and wisdom.🙏​


compiled from external source

Thank you

Spirituality and comparative religion along with history and culture are the thoughts I discuss the most on my tours. Naturally, as Kerala was devastated by flood and our lives got disrupted and unsettled, there comes a question, how did our spirituality help us to deal with the situation.
Well, our spirituality, in the first place, was not about prosperity and happiness. It is a state of being, where one is perfectly at terms with the present, good or bad, and also aware that things could change any moment.
As the flood would decide Some of us had to restart our lives from the scratch, rebuilding the house to buying the kitchen utensils to beds and et al .
Yes indeed, the disaster and its impact was beyond our scope of imagination. Still, we survived.
Thank you my friends for all your good wishes and prayers.
At the moment, I am at a tourism college on a brief teaching assignment, on east coast in a small village.

New Academic Year 2018

Every year our Monsoon arrives unfailingly on 1st of June. That's the day our Schools re-open after the two months of Summer vacation. All our memories about the first day at School are wet. 

Surprisingly, this year, it was sunny and bright. Our monsoon had arrived two weeks early. 

For all those  thousands of children who are starting their school for the first time in their life, "We Wish you a successful student life. May you have the blessing to learn well and work hard." 

For our teachers, " May you continue to be the ultimate Inspiration to all your students, this academic year too. "

May we all live up to the great learning tradition of our Country and be the worthy successors of those great sages who gave us the Wisdom to see and live this life the best possible way.