‘What a wonderful tree! She exclaimed. ‘The three leaves indicate the three eyes of Lord Shiva and the three stages of all existence- birth, the journey of life and death. They also represent the three realms- heaven, earth and the world below. So three is an auspicious number.’
In India, the term Trimurti is used in reference to the three faces of god. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are collectively known as the Trinity. Together they represent the oneness of the universe while retaining their distinctive nature and are known for their ability to grant boons. Hymns are chanted every day all over India, in temples and homes, and countless stories abound in their praise. Here is the tale of the Origin of The Crescent Moon According to legend, the moon god, Chandra, was born three times, which is why he also came to be known as Trijanmi. The first time, he was created by Brahma, and the second time, he emerged from the eyes of Sage Atri. Chandra’s radiance became so powerful and intolerable that he was immersed in an ocean of milk to ensure the world’s survival. Durning another event, which involved the churning of the ocean by the Asuras and the Devas, chandra was reborn and released, along with Goddess Lakshmi. Thus, Chandra came to be known as …
A determined Parvati began her penance, abstaining from food and only focusing on her chanting, which earned her the name Aparna, or ‘the girl who refuses to eat even a leaf’. With each passing day, her tapasya became more and more severe, until the entire world was aware of her meditation. Years passed, and Parvati grew powerful with the strength she obtained from her intense penance. In the meantime, Shiva came to learn about everything that had transpired- her devotion to him and his failure to notice her. He realised that she wasn’t a mere mortal, and decided to test her faith. Shiva approached Parvati disguised as a Sanyasi begging for food. Though she was deep in meditation, she sensed the sanyasi’s presence and opened her eyes. A wave of peace and calm swept over Shiva. Parvati stared at him without realising who he was, and then offered him all she had. While receiving the alms, the ascetic asked, ‘why are you performing this penance?’ ‘It is for Shiva. I wish to marry him, ‘she …
In India, the term Trimurti is used in reference to the three faces of god. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are collectively known as the Trinity. Together they represent the oneness of the universe while retaining their distinctive nature and are known for their ability to grant boons. Hymns are chanted every day all over India, in temples and homes, and countless stories abound in their praise. Here is the most Intense tale of Kamadeva trying to break Lord Shiva’s Penance and Why? The god and goddess of eternal love, Kamadeva and Rati, were a lovely couple. Their affection for each other blossomed visibly during the spring season, and their companions included flowers, buds, cuckoos, parrots, honeybees and lush green trees. One day, Kamadeva’s father, Vishnu, summoned him to his abode and said, ‘I have a difficult task for you. You are the only one with the ability to wake Shiva from his stupor. Once you do that, he will open his eyes and see the beautiful Parvati. As you are the god …
In India, the term Trimurti is used in reference to the three faces of god. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are collectively known as the Trinity. Together they represent the oneness of the universe while retaining their distinctive nature and are known for their ability to grant boons. Hymns are chanted every day all over India, in temples and homes, and countless stories abound in their praise. Here is the tale of the Birth Of Parvati Taraka was a powerful and ambitious demon, and a devotee of Lord Brahma. One day he began a severe penance for Brahma, living on a mountain for a long period of time: Pleased with Taraka’s devotion, the creator appeared before him. ‘O my lord!’ Taraka cried. ‘My life’s purpose has been fulfilled now that I have felt your presence.’ Brahma smiled. ‘Tell me what your heart desires.’ Also Read: Brahma is Worshipped Only in the Most Ancient City of Pushkar ‘I want to live forever, replied Taraka. ‘My dearest devotee, you know that such a boon is …
In India, the term Trimurti is used in reference to the three faces of god. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are collectively known as the Trinity. Together they represent the oneness of the universe while retaining their distinctive nature and are known for their ability to grant boons. Hymns are chanted every day all over India, in temples and homes, and countless stories abound in their praise. Here is the tale of Sati, the wife of Shiva King Daksha was one of the sons of Lord Brahma. Daksha had many daughters. Twenty-seven of them were married to the handsome moon god, Chandra and among his remaining daughters, Dakshayani was married to Shiva. Daksha was not at all happy with Dakshayani’s choice. Shiva spent most of his time either on Mount Kailash in the freezing Himalayas or in Cremation grounds. To make matters worse, he looked positively dreadful with his long, dark, matted locks and that snake wrapped around his neck like a garland. Daksha felt that his beautiful daughter deserved a better husband. …
The asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda were inseparable. They shared everything equally- food, clothes and even their kingdom. In the hope of gaining immortality, they performed severe penance to please Brahma. After a long time, the god finally appeared. ‘We are overjoyed to be in your presence, my lord!’ they said, bowing to Brahma. ‘Your penance is commendable, my dear devotees.’ Brahma smiled. ‘I will grant you a boon. Tell me, what do you wish for?’ Sunda and Upasunda had been waiting for this moment. ‘We want to be immortal.’ they chorused. Also Read: The Choice of Death- Legend of Madhu Kaitabha ‘I am afraid that is impossible. Any living being that is born must die. I am only the creator, and have no power to stop death. Ask me for something else instead. ‘ After careful thought, Sunda and Upasunda said. ‘Then give us such a boon that will allow us to die only by each other’s hand and no other.’ Now, Brahma was famous for granting boons to his asura devotees. More often …
In India, the term Trimurti is used in reference to the three faces of god. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and collectively called the Trinity. Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe and everything both living and non-living. He is said to have risen from a Lotus that emerged from Vishnu’s belly button. Just as an Artisan moulds statues, Brahma is the eternal sculptor responsible for the intricacies of all life forms. We are all his children. Also Read : The Choice Of Death- The Legend of Madhu Kaitabha Ages ago, the god of love, Kamadeva and his wife, Rati, prayed fervently to Brahma for a boon. They wanted a special bow and arrow. So they fasted and meditated for days and days, and finally Brahma appeared. Kamadeva said, ‘Dear Lord, give me a bow and arrow that will make anyone I shoot it with fall instantly in Love with the nearest person.’ Brahma considered the request. ‘This boon is perfect!’ he thought. ‘It will encourage more humans to fall in love and …
My dear Co-travellers, Road To Nara has been my Laboratory for sharing my life experiences as a a Writer, as a Documentarian and as an Educator for sometime now. And ever since I started writing here I have tried to bring in my understandings from any walk of life that spoke to me ever. Be it my Travels, from my School, My Yogic or the Spiritual way of being, my experiences with nature, The Himalayas and many a times about the Art world, Primarily Sharing from the lives of Writers and Photographers. Also Read: Children of War and a Photographic Journey into the Parallel Universe And all my co-travellers here, who visit this space, many a ones whose views I cherish who bring their own world to make this space a little more chirpier and happier. This Special Edition goes out to each one of you with whom I have ever interacted. This week, I am sharing about a film that shaped something unexplainable in me, that I think gave me a perspective on how …
The internet was supposed to liberate knowledge, but in fact it buried it, first under a vast sewer of ignorance, laziness, bigotry, superstition and filth and then beneath the cloak of political surveillance. Now cyberspace exists exclusively to promote commerce, gossip and pornography. And of course to hunt down sedition. Only paper is safe. Books are the key. A book cannot be accessed from afar, you have to hold it, you have to read it. And finally become it. : ँ : Thank you If today is the first time you have arrived on The Road to Nara, you are heartily welcome ~ Namaste ROAD TO NARA : To have an access to Stories of Culture, History, Passion, Art, People, Lores, Rivers, Folk, Mysticism, Meditation, Mountains, Trees and Tantric Science of Ancient India and the Indigenous World to your mailbox. Do share your e-address Type your email… Subscribe Follow Nature : ँ : I will take this opportunity to introduce you to About me and importantly As a co-traveller, will take you through the Ten Lessons I learnt …
It was the year end night. Some friends had come over to celebrate. I had also called my brother-in-law who is an Investigating officer and an entertaining storyteller but seemed not quite himself that night. He stood alone, in dark, looking down dreamily with a tilted glass, now empty. I walked over and asked playfully if he was regretting over missing a shot at a culprit. Thankfully, he had his wit intact. He beckoned me to come out of the room. “What’s the matter Rana? I asked.” We walked towards the balcony. Bhaiya, in the noontime today, a doctor came over to the office and he narrated a story, and ever since I have heard his tale, I do not know what to make of it. Really? What is it? What happened. Rana spoke with passion as he does and just like the doctor he spoke in first person; I started my first job at a hospital in Alibaug. Each case provided me with new knowledge more than my books. Every patient even now teaches …
Tonight is Paush Purnima night as I right this. And it marks the start of the largest and the Oldest Congregation of Humankind ever meeting at the Sangam of India’s three ancient Rivers Ganga, Jamuna and the legendary Saraswati. The Maha Kumbh Mela of 2025 is set to take place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, from January 13 to February 26, 2025. Kumbh literally means a kalash “Pot” or “pitcher” in Sanskrit. and has significance going back to the times unknown. It is the most remarkable gathering of ascetics from all sects, traditions and cults in India. The Kumbh Mela is believed to commemorate the legendary event of the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) when the nectar of immortality (Amrit) was discovered. It is said that a drop each of this divine nectar fell into the rivers from the ‘pitcher’ the kumbh at four locations where the Mela is held, giving these places immense spiritual significance. Bathing ritual is the most significant ritual performed at Kumbh. Although taking a dip in the sacred waters on …
It was in January 1774 India’s 1st Governor General, Warren Hastings began to make arrangements for the establishment of India’s first Post Office Department. A Post Master General was appointed who took forward the plan ahead. During the administration of Warren Hastings (1774 – 1785) in India, the post office was placed on a better footing than before and steps were taken to make the post available to a limited extent of private communications as well. The ‘Copper Ticket’, on the other hand, was the first pre-paid token stamp issued from Patna, 1774. This stamp now belongs to Dilip Shah of Jabalpur. This ticket was also known as ‘Azimabad Ekanni’ & ‘Azimabad Duanni’. This opened up the postal service to the public and letters were no longer restricted to government departments and business houses. “Among the many things, good & bad, that the modern world has produced, surely the postal system, which covers the world, is one of its most beneficient activities.” ~ Jawahar Lal Nehru but this post is not merely about the First …
And as I press on this note to myself, some lessons that i am carrying from previous years that are not goals, neither resolutions but some learnings that shall lead to better days, better moments and hopefully a better me. And hence I wish that 2025 becomes a year of clarity, of serving, teaching, uplifting and doing… Read more
that at a given period of my school life, I kept reading that book for several years at least once a year. And there was this one paragraph that got stuck with me which talked about a person’s handwriting
Folktales are Oral stories that are passed down by the elders to the younger generation. For centuries, folktales have been a crucial medium for preserving cultural traditions and teaching the youth to understand the world around them. A Short History of Folktales in India People believe that Indian folk tales originated in ancient India during the Vedic period (10000 BCE to 5000 BCE). And subsequently, they passed down these tales from generation to generation through oral tradition. And often used them as a means of entertainment and education. These tales evolved over time, incorporating elements from different cultures and regions of India. The tales typically have a rural or village setting and feature ordinary people, animals, and magical creatures. They are popular among all age groups due to their simplicity, humor, and accessibility. This post is dedicated to land of Nagaland; preserving the lesser known folktale from this Northeastern state of India and Northwestern region of Myanmar. Who is the Greatest Man in the World: A Folktale from Nagaland One day a man was going …
My Road To Nara Family, Namaste again. I hope you have all been healthy and enjoying these last few weeks of 2024. In late March, when i announced my break for I think five months, which initially i thought would be a lot more and I will start writing here a lot earlier, but life threw a beautiful mix of intensity and learning all these past months that strangely i enjoyed my new found freedom to an extent it became harder for me to come back here. But it was not the ‘not writing here’ part which concerned me most, it was not missing it. Family life, School- its responsibilities and then my own personal and professional commitments to myself. Some posts that were published earlier in last two months were pre-scheduled, so much so that I had written them in May itself. I forgot about them and couldn’t write or comment back as i didn’t see them for over a month. I will try to get back to the posts and answer each one. …
It’s been 10 years of those 10 electrifying current-passing days for what brought seeing to my spirit. Even today I only think of ‘why’, was I there or was it that I was demanded by the Mother to witness it. Someone who has been away from most kind of cruelties, being born in a lineage who never tasted fish, leave meat. May be it happened to shake wake me up for all what life revolves around, some harsher realities, some withering truths. To may be learn the ways and come out of the skin of merely being a meek observer that after a decade of witnessing it eventually brought me immense strength. And learn to observe to absorb. And I absorbed; the smell of the blood, the count of the severed big buffalo heads or peacocks, even pigs, goats, ducks and bodies of geese. And of course it were not the fallen bodies that pricked me but those dead big open eyes that were always looking at someone or the Sky but not you. And …
On October 15, 1932, history was made! The civil aviation industry in India, now one of the world’s largest, owes its beginnings to a single flight. It was taken by a Paris-born Parsi with a vision to connect with his roots & shape the future. Indians remember Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata as the leader of India’s largest industrial group for five decades. He is also celebrated as a visionary who played a crucial role in establishing the aviation industry in India, including the flagship airline JRD Tata was born in Paris but shocked many when he renounced French citizenship and returned to India. Just twelve days after the launch of India’s first flying club in Bombay – the Aero Club of India & Burma – JRD achieved his dream of becoming a pilot. n 1932, following the family tradition, JRD established a business named Tata Airlines. Their vision was to transport mail & passengers in India. They faced a problem: lack of proper facilities. Initially, the firm operated out of a small hut with a …
One day, the nawab sent word to maharaja Krishnachandra that he wanted the whole earth measured, from side to side and from end to end, and that he would greatly appreciate it if maharaja would take it upon himself to count the stars in the sky as well. The Maharaja was astounded and said, ‘I don’t want to seem uncooperative, but you have commanded me to do the impossible.’ And the Nawab said, ‘But do it you will.’ So the Maharaja fell into a brown study and brooded over how he might fulfill the demands of the Nawab. It was not long before Gopal Bhar passed by, and seeing the Maharaja in such a state of despair, he tugged gently at the ends of his mustache and said, ‘Maharaj, what is this I see? If you have. troubles, you need only tell your Gopal, and all will be well.’ The king was not so easily consoled. He said, ‘No Gopal, this is a problem even you cannot solve. The Nawab has commanded me to measure …
A poor widow lived with her two sons and two daughters-in-law. All four of them scolded and ill-treated her all day. She had no one to whom she could turn and tell her woes. As she kept all her woes to herself, she grew fatter and fatter. Her sons and daughters-in-law now found that it was a matter for ridicule. They mocked at her for growing fatter by the day and asked her to eat less. One day, when everyone in the house had gone out somewhere, she wandered away from home in sheer misery and found herself walking outside town. There she saw a deserted old house. It was in ruins and had no roof. She went in and suddenly felt lonelier and more miserable than ever; she found she couldn’t bear to keep her miseries to herself any longer. She had to tell someone. So she told all her tales of grievance against her first son to the wall in front of her. As she finished, the wall collapsed under the weight of …
We are into the sunset of March, and as I wait for the Sun to melt my resolves again this summer, I try to pull many a me’s within me. To take a cue from the happier poets and write about happiness; But how will it come without a company? Without anyone to share it with. May be by adapting, One more time. Going placidly amid the noise and haste, and understanding what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrenderby being on good terms with all persons, from your side. Speaking your truth quietly and clearly;and listening to others,even to the dull and the ignorant;knowing they too have their story. by Avoiding loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. By enjoying your achievements as well as your plans. By keeping an interest in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of …
A Joy filled, Colourful and Auspicious Holi to each one. The colourful festival of Holi, literally meaning ‘burning’, is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna and heralds the onset of spring season. Holi is One of the two Indian Festivals, amongst a plethora of them and other than Diwali that the world recognises. And for us here in India, it has quite a few meanings. Foremost and the simplest one is its arrival marks the end of a long and Cold winter, and that the time of colour and water has arrived. And since this beautiful festival starts with fire, the night before, symbolising the legend of Holika Dahan; a story of Truth and devotion’s victory over Evil. here on ROAD TO NARA, I will take my co-travellers on an outing sharing a Visual History of this Ancient and most colourful festival on Earth, Holi. Unraveling the Mystique of the Indian Holi Festival From All-Women to Coed, from Music and Fire to Water,From Feast to Bhang. Holi is Called by various …
Sage Narada could travel instantly to any part of the world whether it was the skies, the earth or below the ground. He did not possess a home or a vehicle, and was notorious for mischievously engineering many misunderstandings. However, he would always side with the truth and his words were taken seriously. His presence was always welcomed by devas, asuras and humans. Narada advised everyone he met to become a sage like him and constantly pray to Vishnu. This upset his father greatly. Brahma said to his son, ‘Look, you are free to do whatever you want to do- you have few responsibilities and almost no attachments, but the common man on earth has much more to worry about and must undergo his share of suffering. Don’t think that you know what’s best for others, especially when you have no understanding of a mortal life, of marriage and children, of joy and sorrow. Narada, however, did not heed his father’s words and only smiled mockingly at Brahma before going on his way. A few …
Children have been busy since the turn of the year at School. There were unexpected holidays due to extreme cold in December and most of January which sidelined and pushed away various activities that children were waiting for and well likewise we, the teachers. One amongst which and everyone’s favourite was Picnic that could not happen either in December or in January. Hence the first thing when Picnic dates di not match the weather, we decided to bring Parents in instead of taking children out for something that we called as ‘The Food Festival’, it was the first of its kind we organised at our small school. Here children got there own ingredients, spices and other things; prepared and cooked a few different snacks by themselves with the help of teachers of course, decorated their stalls, kept prices of them all and then sold various food items to the parents and other invitees. It was lovely and contagious to see their excitement enjoyed by one and all. It almost turned into a small lesson in …
ROAD TO NARA 