Introduction

What are the Navagrahas?

This article is part one of a two-part full-length

feature on the Navagraha Sthallas - unique

temples around Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, that

are dedicated to the worship of the Navagrahas

(nine planets). Each one of these Navagrahas

temples is dedicated to individual graha. This

article provides information about the Navagrahas

and these one-of-a-kind nine temples. It contains

details of each Navagraha and the astrological,

mythological and historical angles associated with

its temple.

The Navagrahas, nine grahas or celestial bodies

are :-

• Surya (Sun)

• Chandra (Moon)

• Mangal (Mars)

• Budha (Mercury)

• Guru (Jupiter)

• Shukra (Venus)

• Shani (Saturn)

• Rahu & Ketu (The two nodes of the Solar

and Lunar eclipses)

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not included in the

Navagrahas either because they were probably

not known to exist or were thought to be too far

away to exert any influence.

For the believer Navagrahas permeate all aspects

of life. The Navagrahas occupy a unique niche in

the Hindu pantheon. The Navagrahas are neither a

part of the triumvirate of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

and nor a part of other major deities of Hinduism

like the goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati

or other deities such as Hanuman, Ganesh and

Kartikeya.

continued on page 2

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10- Vedic IndiaKumbh Mela

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EDITORIAL

stC o n n e c t i n g V a a s t u t o t h e 21 C e n t u r y

VaastuyogamNEWSLETTER

Welcome to the March 2013 issue of Vaastuyogam.

In response to regular and repeated requests from

readers, to explain India’s age old festivals,

pilgrimages and customs in pictures and in text.

Vaastuyogam , this month, carries in-depth articles

on Kumbh and Navagrahashas.

The problem is that Hindu ways and means have

stayed undocumented or lost in arcane texts known

only to reticent individuals praying silently in the

carved corridors of ancient temples. The cut-and-

thrust of modern lifestyles has pushed our scant

knowledge of our ancient customs even further into

the shadows.

It is our mission at Vaastuyogam to research this

deeply interesting and useful knowledge and make

it accessible in English to the public at large.

Our two articles one on The Kumbh Mela and the

other ‘Belief is Relief’ on the grahas and their

propitiation at the Navagraha Stallams around

Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, hope to achieve

these very objectives.

The Kumbh is the world’s single largest religious

congregation and in the words of Mark Tully is an

awe-inspiring demonstration of simple piety.

Those lucky enough to visit the Mela know this to be

true.

Happy reading.

- Jyotisha1Nava Graha

jyotishajyotisha

jyotisha

The Navagrahas move in the celestial

sphere with reference to the stellar

constellations known as Nakshatra. There

are twenty-seven Nakshatras which are

repeated in the Hindu calendar every

month. The movement of the Navagrahas in

respect Nakshatras are said to control a

person’s destiny including his/her thoughts

and deeds, status and prosperity.

The Navagrahas are considered to be

intermediaries between the principal deity in

the temple – almost always Shiva and the

worshipper. Each of the Navagrahas is in

charge of specific areas that concern the

devotee. It could be health, wealth,

knowledge, marital bliss and just about

anything about everything else.

The Navagrahas are said to affect the

physical and mental condition of human

beings. They are considered to have

malevolent as well as benevolent influences

on the day-to-day activities of the individual.

It is deemed to be in one’s best interest to be

in the good books of the Navagrahs and

never – ever – to provoke them. It could be

solving a petty problem or a major

encumbrance it is believed that worshipping

a specific graha for a specific need will get

the devotee what he craves.

Each graha is assigned a specific day of the

u March 2013

continued on page 3

week to ensure remembrance and worship.

For Surya it is Sunday; for Chandra it is

Monday; for Mangal it is Tuesday; for Budha

its Wednesday; for Guru it is Thursday; for

Shukra it is Friday and for Shani it is

Saturday. No day of the week is specifically

associated with Rahu and Ketu because

Rahu and Ketu do not have any physical

presence.

Each graha has assigned to itself a specific

color, grain, metal, vehicle and gem-stone.

For instance, the colour for Surya is red; the

grain for Chandra is paddy; the vehicle for

Budha is a horse; the metal for Shukra is

silver and the gem for Shani is sapphire.

Of the Navagrahas Mangal (Mars), Shani

(Saturn) plus Rahu and Ketu are said to be

malefic.

Navaratna is a Sanskrit word which means

“nine gems” and is related to the nine

planets or Navagraha in Hindu Vedic

astrology. The word Nava means ‘nine’ and

Ratna means ‘gem’. Each gemstone is

related to one Graha among the Navgrahas.

Navaratna gemstones are considered

auspicious and believed to give good health,

prosperity, happiness and peace of mind to

those who wear it. It protects against

negative energies or malefic effects of

planets and strengthens the positive

influences of the gems.

Diamond, ruby, emerald, blue sapphire and

pearl are named as Maharatnas as they are

considered to be superior to other gem.

Navaratna Nine Gems in Hindu Astrology

The Navagrahas and The Nine Unique Temples in Tamil Nadu Dedicated to Their Worship.

- Part One

1

Usually people wear Navaratnas in the form

of rings. The positions of planets keep on

changing, accordingly the dasa and

mahadasas of the planets. Astrology says

that the malefic effects of Planets can be

balanced by the effect of beneficial planets

when one wears the Navaratna Jewellery.

1) Ruby – Manikkam or Manek – Lord Surya

or Sun

2) Pearl – Moti – Lord Chandra or Moon

3) Red Coral – Moonga – Lord Kuja or

Planet Mars

4) Emerald – Marakatam or Panna – Lord

Budh or Mercury

5) Yellow Sapphire – Pukharaj – Jupiter or

Lord Guru

6) Diamond – Heera or Vairam – Venus or

Lord Shukra

7) Blue Sapphire – Neelam – Saturn or Lord

Shani

8) Hessonite – Gomedh – Lord Rahu

9) Cat’s Eye – Vaiduryam – Lord Ketu

The Navagraha pujas are mostly performed

at home by engaging a knowledgeable and

senior priest. It is also a tradition – especially

in the southern India – to install Nava

Grahams on a platform in a separate

Navaratna Gemstones and their Planetary

Representations

Worship of the Navagrahas

BELIEF IS RELIEF

Navagraha, British Museum originally from Konark, Orissa. From left: Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Budha, Brihaspati, Shukra, Shani, Rahu, Ketu

jyotisha

enclosure in Shiva and Devi temples. In

most of the Shiva temples, particularly in

south India, one can see the Navagraha

shrines worshipped as secondary deities

enshrined in a corner of the temple.

However, in the state of Tamil Nadu there

are nine unique temples to be found in a

radius of 70 kilometers around the temple

town Kumbakonam that are dedicated to the

worship of each individual of the

Navagrahas.

The nine planets are invariably found in

every Saiva temple in South India. In many

North Indian temples they are depicted on

the lintels of doors, to protect the temple and

all those who enter it. They may also be

housed in a separate Mandapa (a small

pavilion) or at least a platform where the

images of these nine Grahas are installed in

such a way that no two of them will face each

other. It is sometimes stated that the images

of the planets are set up in the temples in the

order in which they are in the

zodiacal circle at the time of

the construction of the temple.

In Indian Astrology, movement

o f t h e N a v a g r a h a s i s

considered to have a major

role in influencing the fortunes

of any individual. In order to

mitigate the negative effects of

a planet which is debilated in

the birth chart or to provide

more potency to a planet that

is in an exalted state, believers

undertake pilgrimage to

d e s i g n a t e d N a v a g r a h a

temples.

Navagraha Temp les in

Tamilnadu are the 9 temples

dedicated to Navagrahas – the

nine celestial planets of Hindu

ast ronomy. These n ine

Navagraha temples are

Navagraha temples

located near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

Each of these Navagraha shrines is situated

in a different village, and is dedicated to one

of the 9 Navagrahas. That is, the first temple

Sooriyanar Kovil is dedicated to Lord Surya,

while the second temple Thingaloor

Chandra Navagrahastalam is dedicated to

Lord Chandra likewise. However, an

interesting aspect is that majority of the

temples enshrine Lord Shiva and his

consort goddess Parvati are the primary

deities though they both have different

names at the different temples.

The Navagraha Temples of Tamil Nadu are

located in Nagapattinam, Tiruvaru and

Thanjavur Districts. This lush green district,

through which the Cauvery flows, has these

nine Shiva temples. Each of these temple

enshrines a Navagraha. Six of the

Navagraha temples are situated on the

northern bank of Cauvery and three on the

southern bank.

There is unfortunately no way of dating

these temples (except Suriyanar Koil which

was built in 1100 AD) due to lack of concrete

written evidence. We can only go by

circumstantial evidence, one method being

the compositions of the Nayanmars who

Age of the temples

composed and sang hymns about the

Navagraha temples around 7th Century AD.

There the assumption is that all these

temples were in existence around 7th

Century AD.

1) Suriyanar Koil of Sun God : Suriyanar

Temple is dedicated to Hindu Sun God and

is situated 3 km from Aduthurai, which is on

the Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai Road in

Tamil Nadu.

2) Thingaloor Temple : Thingaloor

Kailasanathar Temple is dedicated to Lord

Chandra or Moon God and is situated 1.5

km f rom Thi rupayhanam, on the

Kumbakonam - Thiruvayyaru Road.

3) Vaitheeswaran Kovil: Vaitheeswaran

Temple is dedicated to Angaraka (Sewai or

Chowa) and is situated 4 km from

Mayiladuthurai, on the Chidambaram Road.

4) Thiruvenkadu Temple: Thiruvenkadu

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Lord Budha and is situated 10 km south-

east of Sirkali.

5 ) A l a n g u d i Te m p l e : A l a n g u d i

Navagraha Temples and Their Location

u March 2013 3

2

continued on page 4

Route map of Navagraha Temples near Kumbakonam

jyotisha

4 Vaastuyogam u March 2013

3

Abathsahayeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Brihaspati (Guru or Vyazhan or Planet

Jupiter) and is about 15 km from

K u m b a k o n a m o n t h e w a y t o

Needamangalam.

6) Kan janoor Temple : Kan janoor

Agneeswarar Temple is dedicated to Sukran

(Velli or Planet Venus) and is located at an

interior village on the Mayiladuthurai -

Kathiramangalam Road.

7) Thirunal lar Temple: Thirunal lar

Darbaranyeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Lord Shani (Sani or Saturn) and is located 5

km on the way to Peralam - Karaikkal.

8 ) T h i r u n a g e s w a r a m Te m p l e :

Thirunageswaram Naganathaswamy

Temple is dedicated to Lord Rahu and is

situated about 7 km from Kumbakonam -

Karaikkal Road.

9 ) K e e z h p e r u m p a l l a m Te m p l e :

Keezhperumpallam Temple is dedicated to

Lord Kethu and is situated near Poompuhar

on the Mayiladuthurai - Poompuhar Road.

Lord Surya or the Sun God occupies the

central place amongst the Navagrahas

facing the east. Also known as Ravi, Surya is

the Lord of ‘Simha Rashi’ or Leo sign in

Zodiac. Surya’s vahana is a chariot drawn

by seven horses. The seven horses

represent the seven colors of the white light

and seven days of a week. He presides over

‘Raviwar’ or Sunday, his color is red and

gemstone is ruby.

Surya is, by himself, a very powerful deity.

He bestows health, success and prosperity.

SURYA

My salutations to Surya, creator of the

splendorous day, son of the sage Kashyapa

and destroyer of ignorance and all

sins

- Navagraha Stotram

He ensures victory over ill-wishers. Valmiki

writes in the Ramayana that when Lord

Rama had to go to war against Ravana,

Rishi Agasatya taught him the Aditya

Hrudaya Stotra in order to invoke Surya to

aid his campaign.

The Mahabharata says that Surya is the son

of the sage Kashyapa and Aditi, daughter of

Daksha. Hence, he is also known as Aditya.

The Aditya Hrudaya Stotra details Surya’s

other names: Savita, Bhanu, Pushan,

Divakara, Haridasuvan, Sahasrachis,

Saptasapti, Marthanda, Bhaskara, Ravi,

Mahatejas and Lokasakshi. Prayers to

Surya are believed to be effacious in the

curing of ailments such as problems with the

eyes, weak bones, fevers of long duration

and skin problems. He is believed to control

the well-being of one’s father.

Surya is portrayed as seated in a single-

wheeled chariot drawn by seven horses

denoting the seven days of the week. A halo

usually emanates from the image, signifying

Surya’s power as also the light he emits. The

charioteer is Aruna, the dawn.

Suryanar Koil, Suryanar Temple or

Sooriyanaar Koil, is the first of the 9

Navagraha Temples in Tamil Nadu, located

about 1 km from Tirumangalakkudi which

l i e s b e t w e e n K u m b a k o n a m a n d

Mayavaram, near Thanjavur, in Tamilnadu.

Popular known as Surya Sthalam,

Suryanaar Kovil is dedicated to the Sun God

or Lord Surya, the first of Navagrahas. This

is the only temple in South India dedicated

Suryanar Temple - Navagraha Temple of

Sun God

continued on page 5

In the Hindu Mythology, the Navagrahas have an exalted position in a persons life as they

exert a great influence and it is said that the proper worship of these 9 planets can greatly

tone down their malefic influence and thus grant peace and prosperity in a persons life.

The entire place where the Navagraha is installed in a temple is a black granite stand and

the Navagrahas are also black granite with the facial features not so well formed, but they

are well decorated with the most favored colored cloth of the particular planet. Entire

pedestal that they are placed on has small channels that lead the water, milk, curd, yoghurt

and oil abhisheka that the idols are regularly done to a clean place. The oil from shani puja

/ abhishek is collected to light the lamps in the temple. So on and so forth.

As per Hindu customs, the Navagraha are typically placed in a single square with the Sun

(Surya) in the center and the other deities surrounding Surya; no two of them are made to

face each other. In South India, their images are generally found in all important Saiva

temples. They are invariably placed in a separate hall, on a pedestal of about three feet in

height, usually to the north-east of the sanctum sanctorum.

jyotisha

4

exclusively to Surya (Sun God). In the

sanctum, Brihaspati is depicted as

worshipping Lord Shiva Suryanarayana.

The other planets are enshrined separately.

The presiding deity, Sri Suryanarayana

swamy, is found in a lying posture inside the

sanctum sanctorum with his consorts Sri

Usha Devi and Sri Pratyusha Devi. The

other eight Navagrahas are seen facing the

Sun God. Besides, Suriyanar Temple also

embodies the shrines of Kasi Vishwanath,

Visalakshi and Brihaspati (Guru) within the

sanctum. The Kol Theertha Vinayakar

(Ganesha or Pillayar) shrine is a prominent

sculpture here.

Lord Surya Bhagawan is known as the giver

of health, success and prosperity. It is

believed that those who are affected by

'Graha Dhosham' and negative influence of

Lord Shani (Planet Saturn), Ashtama Shani

(Shani in 8th house) and Janma Shani

(Shani in 1st house) can visit Suryanar Koil

to get relieved of their sufferings. Wheat,

Red Lotus, Erukku (Madar Plant) and

Sakkarai Pongal are some of the offerings to

worship the Lord.

Sooriyanar Temple History and Architecture

Sooriyanar Kovil faces west and is built in

such a way to receive maximum beneficial

rays from the planets. Built by Chola King,

Kulothunga Chola I in the year 1100 AD, the

temple features a huge tower with three tiers

and five domes at the top. The sanctum and

the ardhamandapam are built of stone. This

is the only Navagraha temple where all the

nine grahas (nine planets) can be found in

separate sannadhis (Sanctums).

There is a tank called Surya Pushkarni,

which lies to the north of the Rajagopuram.

This is considered as a sacred bathing ghat.

There are around 15 theerthams in the

Suryanar Temple. The one which is located

inside the temple is called as Jnana

Koopam. The inscriptions from the period of

Krishna Deva Raya speak about the

endowments made to this temple. Nearby

the temple is the Poolaivala River. A

sacrificial platform (bali peetam) is seen at

the entrance and to its east lies a mandap.

An idol of a horse, the Sun God’s vaahanam

(vehicle), is seen here. The steps in front of

Guru Bhagwan lead to the idols of other

grahas.

The annual Ratha Saptami festival

(Rathasapthami) during the Tamil month of

Thai (January – February) is one of the main

festival celebrated here. The first Sundays in

the months of Aavani (Leo) and Kartikai

(Scorpio) is also considered very

auspicious. Vijaya Dashami and annual

Brahmotsavam festival (Bhrammotsavam)

are also held with much devotion.

Suryanar Temple is opened from 6:00 AM to

12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Suryanar Koil is about 21 km from

Swamimalai and 15 km from Kumbakonam.

It is about 20 km from Mayiladuthurai on the

Suryanar Temple Festivals

Temple Timings

How to reach Suryanar Temple

Kumbakonam - Aduthurai – Mayiladuthurai

Road. Aduthurai Railway Station is the

nearest railway station.

Note: According to prescribed procedure

one must visit the Thirumangalakudi temple

before worshiping at Suryanar Temple. The

visit to Thirumangalakudi is necessary and

without it the entire trip to the Navagraha

temples – especially Suryanar Temple – will

remain incomplete.

Chandra is a lunar deity and is also known

as Soma. The Moon represents the mind,

feminine nature, beauty and happiness. He

is believed to ride his chariot across the sky

every night, pulled by ten white horses or an

antelope. He is also called ‘Nishadipati’ and

‘Kshuparaka’. Lord Chandra is also one of

the Gods of Fertility. Chandra is the god of

Karka rashi or cancer zodiac sign. The

mental stability and well-being of a person

largely depends on the placement of the

moon in his horoscope. As Soma he

presides over ‘Somavar’ or Monday and

gemstone is pearl.

When the celestial of Ocean of milk was

being churned, Chandra was one of the first

to emerge from it. He has pride of place in

Lord Shiva’s matted hair. This powerful

Graham is next only to Surya in his strength

and power to bestow favors on his

worshippers. He is Lord Shiva’s left eye

while Surya is the right eye. Chandra grants

a comfortable long life and fame. He cures

eye ailments (especially those of the left

eye) and skin diseases. Most importantly,

Chandra is the graha who helps remove

stress and sorrow. People suffering from

mental ailments seek a cure from him.

Chandra is believed to control the well-being

of one’s mother. Those with strained family

relations pray to him to remove frictions

within the family.

Kailasanathar Temple, the second of the 9

CHANDRA

Thingaloor Kailasanathar Temple –

Navagraha Temple of Lord Chandra

I bow to the Moon god who adorns the crest

of Shiva, white like snow who emerged out of

the Ocean of Milk.

- Navagraha Stotram

u March 2013 5

continued on page 6

The Navagrahas are considered to be intermediaries between the principal deity in the temple – almost always Shiva and the worshipper. Each of the Navagrahas is in charge of specific areas that concern the devotee. It could be health, wealth, knowledge, marital bliss and just about anything about everything else.

jyotisha

6 Vaastuyogam u March 2013

5

Navagraham Temples in Tamilnadu,

dedicated to Lord Chandra (Moon God), the

second graha of the Navagrahas. This

Chandra Navagraha Stalam is located at

Thingaloor which is about 8 km from

Tiruvaiyaru near Thanjavur in Tamilnadu.

Thingaloor is named after the Tamil word,

‘Thingal’, which means Chandra or Moon.

As most of the other Navagraha Temples of

Tamilnadu, Kailasanathar Temple is also a

Shiva Stalam and the main deities

worshipped here are Kailasanathar and

Goddess Periyanakiamman.

Legend says that the Lord Chandra

worshipped Lord Shiva here to save him

from a curse and gained his blessings.

Hence it is believed that those who have any

Chandra Dosha in their horoscopes can get

relief from suffering by offering prayers and

perfoming pujas to Lord Kailasanathar,

Goddess Periyanayaki and Chandra

Bhagwan. Devotees who worship Lord

Chandra are blessed with good health,

mother’s welfare, and get rid of the stress

and sorrow in daily life.

Thingaloor Kailasanathar Temple is about

1500 years old. Built in the 7th century by

Pallava King Rajasimha, this ancient

Shaivite shrine reflects the early Dravidian

architecture. A huge Nandi is seen in the

front, facing the temple. The 16-sided Shiva

lingam at the main shrine is made out of

black granite. A unique feature of Thingaloor

Temple is that during the months of Puratasi

(September - October) and Panguni (March

- April), the rays of the moon fall on the Shiva

Lingam.

This Chandra Sthalam is associated with

the life of Tirunavukkarasar, one of the 63

Nayanmars (Saivite saints). Legend says

that there lived a merchant, Appoodi Adikal,

at Thingaloor, who was a devotee of

Tirunavukkarasar. Appoodi Adigal had an

opportunity to host the saint, when he visited

Temple Architecture

Thingaloor Temple History

Thingaloor. At the same time, his son was

bitten by a venomous snake. However, the

merchant continued to serve the saint

without revealing the tragedy. The saint was

inspired by his devotion and restored the

boy’s life by singing songs in praise of Lord

Shiva at this temple. This collection of ten

s o n g s c a m e t o b e k n o w n a s

‘Thirupathikam’.

As Lord Chandran’s color is white, he is

offered with raw rice mixed with jaggery,

white Arali (a flower), and white clothing. It is

believed that this pooja removes obstacles

in life. Besides, special pujas are performed

on all full moon days. Thingaloor is the

shrine where one prays for the health and

prosperity of one’s mother. Kailasnatha

bestows fame on the devotee and cures skin

and eye problems.

The temple is opened from 7:00 AM to 1:00

PM and 4:00PM to 8:00 PM on all days.

Thingaloor Temple is about 36 km from

Kumbakonam, on the way to Tiruvaiyaru. It

is about 1 km from Thirupayhanam which is

on the Kumbakonam - Thiruvayyaru Road.

Kumbakonam Railway Station is the

nearest railway station. Frequent buses are

a l s o a v a i l a b l e . S e t h u E x p r e s s

(Rameswaram to Tambaram) and Tirupati

Express (Tiruchirapalli - Tirupati) passes

through Kumbakonam Railway Station.

Budha is generally represented with four

hands, three of his hands holding a sword, a

shield and a mace respectively while the

fourth one is held in usual varada mudra. He

rides a carpet or an eagle or a chariot drawn

by lions. Mercury represents one’s

intelligence and communication. The planet

governs the nervous system. His color is

green his day is Wednesday or ‘Budhwar’

and his gemstone is Emerald. Budha is the

Temple Offerings

Temple Timings

How to reach Thingaloor Kailasanathar

Temple

BUDHA – PLANET MERCURY

I bow to Budha who is dark of hue, of

unparalleled beauty and of composed

countenance.

- Navagraha Stotram

God of Mithuna Rashi and Kanya Rashi in

Astrology.

In Hindu mythology, Buddha is Buddhi

Nathan ( he who imparts wisdom) or Graha

Peeda Hara ( He who destroys the malefic

influence of other planets) Budha’s

controlling deity being Maha Vishnu or

Narayana, praying either to Budha or

reciting the Vishnu Sahasra Namam ( The

Thousand names of Vishnu) bestows

wisdom, intellect and excellence in

education – both technical and the fine arts –

promotion of the place of work and success

in business ventures.

Budha confers the art of communication well

and also a sense of humor! He controls the

lungs, intestines and the nervous system

and is the one to be prayed for a solution any

problems with these organs. He is in charge

of the well-being of maternal uncles. He is a

gentle planet , peaceful in nature and grants

wealth and vehicles. He is light green in

color and I attired in green robes. Wearing

an emerald or worshiping him on

Wednesdays is considered auspicious.

Budha, is the son of Chandra.

S w e t h a r a n y e s w a r a r Te m p l e a t

Thiruvenkadu, the fourth Navagraha

sthalam of the 9 Navagraha Temples in

Tamil Nadu, is the abode for Bhudhan or

Bhuda (planet Mercury). Thiruvenkadu

Bhudha Sthalam is located near

Poompuhar, around 10 km from Sirkazhi,

24 km east of Mayuram and 59 km from

Kumbakonam. The presiding deity is Lord

Shiva as Swedharanyeshwarar and

Goddess Parvati as Brahma Vidya Nayaki

A m b a l ( B r a h m a v i d y a n a y a k i ) .

Swetharanyeswarar Temple enshrines a

separate sanctum sanctorum for Bhudhan

or Bhudan, one the nine Navagrahas .

The name Thiruvenkadu, also spelled

Thiruvengadu, means ‘sacred white forest’

(Ven means white and Kadu means forest).

It is said that this place was surrounded by

thick forests on all sides and when seen

from a distance, it looked white, and hence

Swetharanyeswarar Temple Thiruvenkadu

Navagraha Sthalam Tamilnadu

Temple History

continued on page 7

jyotisha

6

the name. In Sanskrit it is known as

Swetaranyam (Swetam means white and

Aranyam means forest). The place also

bears various names such as Jnana-

aranya, (forest of wisdom), Patala Kailas

and Aadi Chidambaram.

Thiruvenkadu Temple is surrounded by five

prakarams known as pancha prakarams.

Here the Lord is consecrated in His forms as

Aghoramurthi (manifestation of His wild and

angry form) and Nataraja (a manifestation of

Shiva, assumed as the Lord of Dance). The

Nataraja image holds seven instruments

and weapons, namely, Vetalam, Khadgam,

Udukku, Mani, Kedayam, Kapalam and

Trisulam.

A unique feature about Swetharanyeswarar

Temple is that the image of Lord Shiva has

five faces, Easanam, Tatpurusham,

Aghoram, Vamadevam and Sadyojatam.

The posture of Nandi at the entrance is

another unique feature here. It bears nine

scars on its body and is seated at the

entrance of Devi’s shrine. The face is turned

towards the Lord’s shrine and ears cocked

towards that of Devi, signifying that it is

ready to receive orders from the Divine

Couple. Devi in Her divine form of

Bhadrakali has a separate shrine. Besides,

there are separate shrines for Ashta

Lakhsmis and the Navagrahas.

Swetharanyeswarar Temple has three

theerthams (holy tanks) called as Agni

Theertham, Surya Theertham and Chandra

Theertham which are said to have been

created out of the three drops which fell from

Lord Shiva's eyes when he was dancing.

The sthala vrikshams are also three in

number - Vilvam, Vadaval and Konrai. The

stone inscriptions on the walls of the

temples depict important historical

information on the Chola Dynasty and about

several kings of Vijayanagar. The rivers,

Kaveri and Manikarnika, run near the holy

shrine.

Worship to Lord Shiva's fiery form

Temple Architecture

Worship

Aghoramurthy is considered to be of great

importance especially on Sunday nights.

Budhan is the planetary ruler for knowledge,

music, astrology, Maths, sculpting, medicine

and language skills. Wednesdays are very

auspicious to Budha and offering pooja on

this day is believed to rectify any Budhan

Dhosham in horoscope. Budha is attired in

green and can be offered with green moong

dhal, white kanthal flower and green cloth.

The temple has three water tanks – The

Surya (Sun) kulam, the Soma (Moon) kulam

and the Agni (Fire) kulam named after

Shiva’s three eyes. (Kulam means water

tank) Bathing in these tanks and worshiping

Shiva here for 45 days is believed to be

particularly efficacious for couples praying

for a child.

The most important festival is the float Thiruvenkadu Temple Festivals

festival which is celebrated on the last day of

12 day celebrations in the Tamil month of

Maasi (February - March).

The temple is opened from 6 AM to 12.00

PM and 4 PM to 9 PM

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is situated 23

kilometers away from Mayiladuthurai, on the

Sirkali – Poompuhar linking road. The

temple is 10 km from Sirkazhi and 59 km

from Kumbakonam.

Shiyali Railway Station, Thanjavur is the

nearest railway station, about 9 km from the

temple. Thiruvenkadu is accessible by road

from Vaitheeswaran Koil railway station and

Semponnar Koil railway station as well.

Temple Timings

How to reach Swetharanyeswarar Temple at

Thiruvenkadu

To be continued...

u March 2013 7

jyotisha

The Navagrahas

Parle-G or Parle Glucose is a brand of biscuits

manufactured by Parle Products in India. As of

2011, it is the largest selling brand of biscuits

in the world according to Nielsen. In 2013,

Parle-G became India's first domestic FMCG

brand to cross Rs. 5,000 crore in retail sales.

Parle Products was established in the Vile

Parle suburb of Mumbai, in 1929. It began

manufacturing biscuits in 1939. In 1947, when

India became independent, the company

launched an ad campaign, showcasing its

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Gluco brand of biscuits as an Indian

alternative to the British biscuits. Parle-G

biscuits were earlier called 'Parle Gluco'

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a later brand slogan also stated "G means

Genius".

Very surprisingly expatriate Indians still

choose Parle G instead of the many

established brands available abroad. Parle-G

is sold in US in most of the Indian stores in

packc of 20 for about 2$.

Primarily eaten as a tea-time snack, Parle-G is

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doctors distribute Parle G biscuits after blood

donation as well.

For decades, the product has been instantly

recognized by its iconic white and yellow wax

Marketing

9

paper wrapper with the depiction of a young

girl on the front. That boy/girl on the packet

hasn't changed for ages, and many Indians

remember it from their very early childhood

memories. The only thing that has changed is

the packing material; the plastic packaging

today used to be in some kind of butter-paper

(type) wrap until about late 90s.

Parle G is ranked 7th in the most Trusted

Brands Survey conducted last year. One of

the reasons behind the popularity of this brand

is its strong distribution network. It is

distributed over 6 million retail stores in the

country and is even available in villages with a

population of 500. Parle gets over 90% of its

revenue from popular biscuit brands such as

Parle-G, Hide & Seek and Krackjack.

Compared with rivals such as Britannia

Industries Ltd and ITC Foods, the maker of

Parle Group

l

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l

Parle Products was founded in 1929 in British India. It was owned by the Chauhan

family of Vile Parle, Mumbai. The Parle brand became well known in India following the

success of products such as the Parle-G biscuits and Thums Up soft drink.

The original Parle company was amicably split into three separate companies owned

by the different factions of the original Chauhan family:

Parle Products, led by Vijay, Sharad and Anup Chauhan (owner of the brands Parle-G,

Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Monaco and KrackJack)

Parle Agro, led by Prakash Chauhan and his daughters Schauna, Alisha and Nadia

(owner of the brands such as Frooti and Appy)

Parle Bisleri, led by Ramesh Chauhan

All three companies continue to use the family trademark name "Parle".

Parle-G or Parle Glucose is a brand of biscuits manufactured by Parle Products in India. As of 2011, it is the largest selling brand of biscuits in the world according to Nielsen. In 2013, Parle-G became India's first domestic FMCG brand to cross Rs. 5,000 crore in retail sales.

8 Vaastuyogam u March 2013

Any packaged snack/food that contains sweet taste and is retailed in packets comes

under the sway of the planet Venus whose colour is yellow. Retail business comes under

the influence of the planet Mars which is colour red.

In the Parle-G biscuit packaging there is ample presence of the two colours Yellow and

Red. This has ensured the longevity of the product and the profitability of the company.

RaoSpeak

Parle - G BiscuitsPackaging Is The Key

continued from page 8

CORPORATE LOGOS

For decades, the product has been instantly recognized by its iconic white and yellow wax paper wrapper with the depiction of a young girl on the front. That boy/girl on the packet hasn't changed for ages, and many Indians remember it from their very early childhood memories. The only thing that has changed is the packing material; the plastic packaging today used to be in some kind of butter-paper (type) wrap until about late 90s.

Sunfeast biscuits, Parle has been slow in

expanding into new product categories. Over

the past few years, Parle’s main focus was

growing its biscuit sales through increased

distribution and new products as demand for

biscuits was particularly strong from 2007 to

2010.

Parle-G has consolidated its position as the

world's largest selling biscuit brand, says a

new report by market researcher Nielsen. The

study, for last year, says Parle-G has topped

brands like Kraft's Oreo, Wal-Mart's private

labels and Mexico's Gamesa in voulme sales

to lead the Rs 11,295-crore Indian biscuits

category.

Parle-G facts

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If a month's production of Parle-G biscuits are stacked side-by-side, the distance

between Earth to Moon of 7.25 lakh kms can be covered.

400 million Parle-G is produced daily.

1 billion packs of Parle-G are produced monthly.

Parle-G biscuits are sold in more than 5 million retail stores.

4,551 Parle-G biscuits are consumed per second.

If all Parle-G biscuits consumed annually are put end to-end, they would cover the

Earth's circumference 192 times.

Parle-G sells more than all the biscuit brands sold in China which is the fourth largest

biscuit market in the world.

From mid-90s to mid-2000 the price of Parle-G remained unchanged.

Major Indian Biscuit Brands

u March 2013 9

The Kumbh Mela is the world's largest

religious gathering, with 80 million people

expected to attend in 2013. It is held every

third year at one of the four places by

rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag),

Nashik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbh Mela is

held at each of these four places every

twelfth year. The rivers at these four places

are: the Ganges at Haridwar, the confluence

(Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna

and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the

Godawari at Nashik, and the Shipra at

Ujjain.

The last "Kumbh Mela" held in 2001 in

Prayag (Allahabad, U.P) was estimated by

the authorities to have attracted between 30

and 70 million people.

The current Kumbh Mela began on 14

January 2013 at Prayag (Allahabad, U.P) .

According to expectations more than 100

million people will attend the 2013

Kumbhamela. The next Kumbh Mela will be

held at Nashikin Maharashtra on the bank of

the river Godavari in 2015 (15 August to 13

September).continued on page 11

This article is a researched article and borrows heavily from printed and electronic encyclopedias as well as material provided by our panel of research scholars, astrologers, academics and pundits.

History

The first written evidence of the Kumbha

Mela can be found in the accounts of

Chinese monk Xuanzang (formerly

romanised as Hsuan Tsang) who visited

India in 629–645 CE, during the reign of

King Harshavardhana. However, similar

observances date back many centuries,

where the river festivals first started getting

organised. According to medieval Hindu

theology, its origin is found in one of the most

popular medieval puranas, the Bhagavata

Purana. The Samudramanthan episode

(Churning of the ocean of milk), is

mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu

Purana, the Mahabharata, and the

Ramayana. The account goes that the

Devas had lost their strength by the curse of

Durväsä Muni, and to regain it, they

approached Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva.

They directed all the demigods to Lord

Vishnu who instructed them to churn the

ocean of milk Ksheera Sagara (primordial

ocean of milk) to receive amrita (the nectar

of immortality). This required them to make a

temporary agreement with their arch

enemies, the Asuras, to work together with a

promise of sharing the wealth equally

thereafter. However, when the Kumbha

(urn) containing the amrita appeared, a fight

- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Kumbh Mela Special“And those who were seen dancing were

thought to be mad by those who could not hear the music.”

u March 201310

ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights

(equivalent to twelve human years) the

Devas and Asuras fought in the sky for the

pot of amrita. It is believed that during the

battle, Lord Vishnu (incarnated as Mohini-

Mürti) flew away with the Kumbha of elixir

spilling drops of amrita at four places:

Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and

Nashik.

Kumbh Mela is celebrated at these different

locations depending on the position of the

planet of B?haspati (Jupiter) and the sun.

When Jupiter and the sun are in the zodiac

sign Leo (Simha Rashi) it is held in

Trimbakeshwar, Nashik; when the sun is in

Aquarius (Kumbh Rashi) it is celebrated at

Haridwar; when Jupiter is in Taurus

(Vrishabha Rashi) and the sun is in

Capricorn (Makar Rashi) Kumbha Mela is

celebrated at Prayag; and Jupiter and the sun

are in Scorpio (Vrishchik Rashi) the Mela is

celebrated at Ujjain. Each site's celebration

dates are calculated in advance according to a

special combination of zodiacal positions of

Sun, Moon, and Jupiter.

The major event of the festival is ritual bathing

at the banks of the river in whichever town

Kumbh Mela is being held. Other activities

include religious discussions, devotional

singing, mass feeding of holy men and women

and the poor, and religious assemblies where

doctrines are debated and standardised.

Thousands of holy men and women attend,

and the auspiciousness of the festival is in part

attributable to this. The sadhus are seen clad

in saffron sheets with Vibhuti ashes dabbed on

their skin as per the requirements of ancient

traditions. Some, called nagasanyasis, may

not wear any clothes even in severe winter.

The order of entering the water is fixed, with

the Juna, the Niranjani and Mahanirvani

akharas preceding.

continued from page10

continued on page12

u March 2013 11

David Yeadon, author and illustrator of more than twenty booksand a regular travel

correspondent for National Geographic,

National Geographic Traveler, The

Washington Post, The New York Times, and

other publications visited the last Kumbh

Mela held in Prayag (Allahabad) in 2001:-

Given below are excerpts from his very

moving account of the visit which is

published as “A Bath for Fifteen Million

People” in the Traveller’ Tales – India:-

“You should see the Kumbh Mela at

Allahabad.” I’d been advised by a friend in

Kathmandu. “It’s an incredible festival of

cleansing. Fifteen million people – all

coming to the Ganges once every twelve

years. Incredible. You might just make it. It’s

worth a try!”…

From a distance the Kumbh Mela looks like

a vast military encampment: thousands of

Kumbh Mela SpecialKumbh Mela Special

square white tents with four sided pyramidal

roofs lined up in endless rows fill the dusty

flats around the Triveni Sangam, the

confluence of the three rivers (you can

actually see only two, but in India nothing is

what it seems and everyone insists that it is

the third, invisible river Saraswati that

endows the place with unique significance.)

It is very hot. A white dust hangs in a cloud

over the site, giving a haloed mystic feeling.

I’ve been walking for almost an hour from

the cordoned-off entrance to the Sangam.

Actually, walking is not quite the word, more

like half-carried, half-trampled by a thick

mélange of humanity filling the hundred-

foot-wide “corridors” between the tents and

the fenced encampments of the sadhus, the

gurus, the sanyasins and the swamis.

Each encampment has its own ceremonial

entrance made up of rickety scaf foldings

and tied bamboo poles topped with painted

symbols, logos and depiction of Hindu

deities. A vast supermarket of salvation

specialists. Hundreds of them from all over

India, each surrounded by his own faithful

disciples and followers. The women in their

bright saris feverishly cook and clean

outside the square tents, while men,

bearded, ascetic, and clad in dhotis or dark

robes, gather in hunched groups around

their chosen wise men to listen and debate

and nod and sleep and listen again.

I sat overlooking the merger of the two

rivers. The sun sank, an enormous orange

globe squashing into the horizon, purpling

the dust haze, gilding the bodies of the

bathers. The moon rose, big, fat and silver in

the evening sky. There were thousands of

people by the river now. The bathing

increased but everything seemed to be in

slow motion.

I watched one old man, almost naked ,

progress through the careful rituals of

washing. He was hardly visible through the

throng and yet he acted as if he were the

only person thereby the river, unaware of

everything but the slow steady rhythms of

his cleansing. After washing every part of his

In this Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, a Naga Sadhu, center, watches as other Hindu holy men of

the Juna Akhara sect participate in a ritual that is believed to rid them of all ties in this life

and dedicate themselves to serving God as a Naga or naked holy men, at Sangam, the

confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna River during the Maha Kumbh festival in

Allahabad, India. The significance of nakedness is that they will not have any worldly ties

to material belongings, even something as simple as clothes. This ritual that transforms

selected holy men to Naga can only be done at the Kumbh festival.

continued on page13

continued from page 11

u March 201312

Kumbh Kumbh

body he began to clean his small brass

pitcher, slowly rubbing it with sand,

polishing the battered metal with a

flattened twig, buffing its rough surface

with a wet cloth, until it gleamed in the

moonlight. Then he disappeared and

other bodies took his place by the river.

I sensed timelessness and began to

feel the power of this strange gathering.

Each person performed the rituals in his

or her own way and yet from a distance

there seemed to be a mystical unity

among all of them, all these souls as

one soul, cleansing, reviving, touching

eternity in the flow of the wide river,

linking with infinity, becoming part of the

whole of which we all are a part.

I made my way slowly to the river and

knelt down. For a moment there was no

me left in me. The river, the people, the

movements, the night breeze, the

moon, life, death, all became as one

continuum. A smooth, seamless totality.

An experience beyond experience. A

knowingness beyond knowledge.

I washed my face and arms and let the

water fall back to the flowing river where

it was carried away into the night.

Allahabad Medical Students Input Medical

Records From Clinic 4 Into The Custom Ipad App.

Dr. Ravi Rao at Kumbh Mela 2013

u March 2013 13

Mela SpecialMela Special

continued from page12

continued on page15

- Sir Mark Tully

“The Kumbh Mela is anawe-inspiring demonstration of simple piety…”

Sir Mark Tully KBE, (born William Mark

Tu l ly in 1935) i s "bes t - loved

Englishman." The former Bureau Chief

of BBC, New Delhi. He worked for BBC

for a period of 30 years before resigning

in July 1994. He held the position of

Chief of Bureau, BBC, Delhi for 20

years. Tully was made an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire in 1985 and

was awarded the Padma Shree in 1992.

Sir Mark Tully

The Kumbh Mela

Excerpts from The Kumbh Mela by Mark

Tully Published by Viking, New Delhi 1991

and by Penguin Books Ltd, London in 1992

as Chapter 3 of the book No Full Stops In

India. It narrates his experiences of the

Kumbh Mela 1989 held at Allahabad.

Where the Ganges and the Yamuna meet

people from many, many, different traditions

of Hinduism come together. It is a religion so

diverse that scholars often deny it can be

classified as one faith, and yet in Hinduism

you don’t find the hostility between different

schools of theology, different sects, which

has been such a feature of religions of the

Semitic traditions. This is because the

Indian tradition has always been profoundly

suspicious of certainty, has accepted that

God is indefinable, and that many roads

lead to salvation, so no one can claim a

monopoly of the truth…

The Kumbh Mela also brings together

people of very different backgrounds. There

will be well-educated and prosperous

pilgrims, and those who have come to ply

their trade – barbers and boat men will be in

big demand. Politicians will come to do their

business too. There will be many genuinely

holy men, some charlatans, and some

obscurantists.

But the majority of those who will come to

bathe in the Sangam will be villagers. Many

will have travelled long distances in

overcrowded trains; they will have nothing

but the barest necessities with them and

may have nowhere to sleep except the

banks of the rivers. Their faith is based on

custom and tradition, and at the last Kumbh

Mela they were dismissed by many

journal is ts and commentators as

superstitious. But one person’s superstition

is another person’s faith. Throughout the

ages it has been the simple piety of faithful

people who have not had the chance to be

educated, or the to reflect deeply, which has

been the bedrock of all religions. Of course

the Kumbh Mela is a magnificent spectacle

too. Millions of people gathered in one

place, colorful holy men, naked sadhus,

wondrous feats of asceticism, piety on a

scale unparalleled anywhere else…

From the jetty I could see the Sangam,

where the blue waters of the Yamuna mixed

with the muddy brown Ganges and then

flowed away, sadly more brown than blue,

towards Varanasi…

When I got talking to D.I.G Mishra I found

that he had been a senior officer at the last

Kumbh Mela. His predecessors had left

inadequate notes about their arrangements

and the problems they faced and so he set

out to make a close study of the Mela and to

record his findings meticulously . That had

led to a book on the Kumbh Mela which was

on sale this time.

D.I.G Mishra helped me to find my way

through the maze of religious organizations

attending the Kumbh Mela – more than 800.

‘The akharas’ he told me , ‘are the focal point

of the Kumbh Mela – the big draw, with their

naked sadhus. They are the gymnosophists,

the warriors of the faith. They have the right

to march in procession to the central point of

the Sangam to bathe on the big days , and

they guard that right jealously.’

That is not surprising because the Kumbh

Mela is the most important gathering of

Hindu holy men. The akharas are monastic

orders of militant sadhus. Historians are not

entirely clear about their origins, but they are

related to the ascetic orders founded by the

great Hindu reformer AdiShankaracharya.

He lived in the eighth or ninth century and is

often credited with the final defeat of

Buddhism in India, although some scholars

argue that Buddhism was already on the

way out. Adi Shankaracharya learnt from his

enemies and introduced the Buddhist

u March 201314

Write ChoiceWrite ChoiceWrite Choice features excerpts direct from the important books of

distinguished writers. It is hoped that readers will be enthused to

broaden their perspectives by reading the original works from which

the excerpts have been gleaned.

continued on page16

tradition of monasticism to strengthen the

sinews of Hinduism.

The akharas are said to have defended

ascetics against attacks from militant

Muslim fakirs. Some of them also hired out

their services as mercenaries. As with all

good soldiers, there was considerable

rivalry between the different regiments,

which often lead to fights. The British

administration put strict restrictions on the

movement of the akharas’ naked sadhus, or

nagas, but even Victorian prudery could not

prevent them marching at Kumbh Mela. The

administrator of the 1906 Kumbh Mela had

had to order a cavalry charge to break up a

battle between the nagas. D.I.G. Mishra was

to have his own difficulties with these quick

tempered ascetics, although he had taken

the precaution of separating the camps of

the akharas who followed Lord Shiva from

those of their long-standing enemies who

followed Lord Vishnu.

The akharas were now changing, as Mishra

explained to me. ‘Most of the sadhus now

wear clothes. They are also out to recruit a

better class of person. For many years now

there has been intense rivalry between them

to attract good scholars, because they

realize now that faith must be tempered with

reason. They are also anxious to get older

people with influence. Everyone has to deal

with government – even sadhus – and for

that you need influence.

‘But do many influential people take

sannyas [renounce all worldly ties]

nowadays? Surely they don’t want to give up

their modern lifestyle.’

‘Oh yes, plenty do. I think I will take the robe

when I have finished with the police.’

‘I think I will go for one of the modern

organizations’

The great reformer Adi Shankaracharya

formed four monasteries – one in the north,

one in the south, one in the east and one in

the west – to be bastions of the faith. Each is

still headed by a Shankaracharya, and three

of them had come with their followers to the

Kumbh Mela. A fifth Shankaracharya,

whose claim to enjoy the Hindu equivalent of

apostolic succession is disputed, was also

there.

There were hundreds of other holy men and

organizations whose pedigrees were not as

good as the akharas’ and Shankaracharyas’

but who all had their disciples. Gurus known

in the West , like Maharishi Yogi, were well

represented, and so was the Hare Krishna

movement. One thousand seven hundred

other religious organizations applied for

places at the Mela for the first time. Mishra

said, ‘We decided the best way to deal with

them was to say we would charge for all the

facilities they got. We didn’t hear from them

again. The Kumbh Mela is, of course, a

wonderful opportunity for religious

organizations to recruit and raise funds, but

the competition is very stiff.

Mishra also had to deal with the wandering

sadhus, the mendicants who were not

attached to any akharas or other religious

group. They camped near the free kitchens

set up by some of the organizations. Mishra

was rather dismissive of the mendicants:

’They normally become viraktas or

wandering sadhus’, he said, ‘because they

have lost their families or are frustrated with

life. But there are some genuinely spiritual

people among them.’

According to Mishra most of the pilgrims

came for only one of the big days, but he

estimated there were also some 100,000

kalpvasis, pilgrims who came for a longer

stay and who took a vow to bathe three

times a day in the Ganges, to eat just one

meal a day – and that uncooked or coked by

their own hands – and to spend their time

meditating and reflecting on the state of their

soul.

It is very hard not to be cynical about the

Brahmin priests who attend to the

immediate physical and spiritual needs of

those who come to bathe in the Sangam.

The lesser priests are known as ghatias.

They set up stalls on the river edges, or

ghats, where they look after the clothes of

the bathers help them with their toilet when

they come out of the river and say a brief

mantra to complete the process of

purification.

Shri Ram Mishra was an elderly ghatia who

said his family had been ghatias here for

generations. He claimed to have looked

after Mrs Gandhi when she bathed in the

Sangam. He sat cross-legged on a low

wooden platform. A piece of sacking draped

behind him kept out some of the sand and

the dust. He had small bowls of the powders

and pastes necessary for replacing the

tilkas and sindoor washed away in the river.

There were mirrors and combs too. A

woman bather put twenty-five paise into a

basket in front of the ghatia and gave him a

u March 2013 15

Write ChoiceWrite Choice

continued from page14

handful of potatoes. He gave her a piece of

sacred grass to hold , poured a teaspoonful

of Ganges water over her hand and

mumbled a brief blessing.

A hundred yards or so behind the ghatias

were the pandas, who are big businessmen.

Each panda was identified by a huge flag.

These Brahmins act as family priests,

maintain their clients genealogies, arrange

for their stay at the Kumbh Mela and perform

ceremonies for the souls of their dead.

Rajesh Kumar Panda was writing up the

latest developments in the family of a

peasant from central India. The family trees

are kept in long, thin notebooks whose

yellow pages are bound in red.

‘Ram Swarup had two sons, so what were

their names?’ he asked brusquely.

‘Omprakashand Shivram.’The priest

scribbled hurriedly.

‘Have they married?’ Do they have any

children?’ Hurry up. Can’t you see how busy

I am?’

When he had updated the genealogy, he

turned to me and asked my business. After

getting through the inevitable rigmarole , he

demanded twenty-five rupees for explaining

the role of the pandas. When I agreed, he

told me that this was a family business of the

ghatias. All pandas have a district of India in

which they ply their trade. Rajesh Kumar’s

was Jabalpur, in central India. He visited his

client’s there, selling Ganges water to those

who had not visited Allahabad recently and

encouraging them to be more regular in their

bathes.

At the back of his stall was a capacious tin

trunk full of his client’s registers of birth,

marriages and death, each one wrapped

carefully in a cloth. Rajesh Kumar took me

outside his stall to see his flag, which

depicted Hanuman trampling on a demon.

Many of the pandas had chosen one or

another member of the Hindu pantheon for

their flags, but there were secular emblems

flying above the stalls too – there was a

steam engine, a train complete with a guard

carrying a green glag, a fish, and a plough

and oxen.

‘Now you see how my clients will recognize

me.’ He said. ‘They ask where the Hanuman

panda is, and they are directed to my flag.

Now pay me my twenty-five rupees quickly –

I must get back to my clients.

I made my way back to the press camp with

the pilgrims who had bathed and were on

their home. I had never been in such a

peaceful crowd. There was no frenzy, just

the calm certainty of faith: the knowledge

that what had to be done had been done.

The vast majority of the pilgrims were

villagers. Their faith gave them the courage

to ignore the ugly rumors and the fortitude to

travel in overcrowded trains and busses, to

walk for many miles and sleep in the open.

The elite for the most part ignored the

Kumbh Mela, but those who did come

travelled in cars and slept in tents.

No other country in the world could provide a

spectacle like the Kumbh Mela. It was a

triumph for the much maligned Indian

administrators, but it was a greater triumph

for the people of India. And how did the

English language press react to this

triumph? Inevitably, with scorn.

The Times of India, the country’s most

influential paper, published a long article

replete with phrases like, Obscurantism

rules the roost in Kumbh’, ‘Religious dogma

overwhelmed reason at the Kumbh’, and

‘The Kumbh after all remained a mere

spectacle with its million hues but little

substance.’The Times of India criticized the

Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s politics, but made

no attempt to analyze the piety of the

millions who bathed at the Sangam.

u March 201316

continued from page15

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