Showing posts with label Nandi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nandi. Show all posts

Monday, January 4, 2016

Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneshwar- लिंगराज मंदिर,भुवनेश्वर !

Main Entrance of Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar, Orissa

                  It was the rainy season when I visited Bhubaneswar, Orissa with my family. We planned to stay there for two days and one night. As it happens whenever we visit there with family, a visit to Lingaraja Temple and Ram Mandir is sure. Bhubaneswar is a city of temples. I had the wish to visit some more temples here, like Siddheshwar, Mukteswar, and 64-Yogini temple. Since we have our breakfasts after the morning worship, it is not possible to visit temples till late in the day. So we decided to visit Lingaraj temple and nearby temples on the first day and Ram Mandir on the next day. We reached Bhubaneswar early in the morning and stayed at a Hotel in the Ashok Nagar area that was near the railway station. We had not booked it in advance and the Auto-wala brought us here, but the hotel was newly built and good for staying with family. Our room was on the 4th floor but there was an elevator facility. We were fresh and ready by 8:30 AM in the morning and went directly to Lingaraja Temple which is situated in the old city area and about 4 km from the railway station. Since cell phones, cameras, and slippers are not allowed inside, we left them with our driver though there are arrangements for depositing them outside the temple. Bulls roam at the main gate but they are harmless and lazily eat bananas or other things given by devotees. Whenever I see such good-natured bulls near temples, I remember fearsome bulls in our villages. Nobody dares to go near them and they may enter whatever paddy fields they wish. People get angry at their loss but being a holy animal for Hindus, these bulls are not harmed. Sometimes they laugh at the stories related to these bulls. 

A small crowd to see the new Dream bike
that was brought to Lingaraja Temple gate
for first worship

               When we reached near the gate we saw a small crowd encircling a new bike that was brought there for first worship. I could not understand what was so funny in it, so I asked a person. He told me that it was no ordinary bike but a very costly one (many lakhs), named "Intruder". We too saw it and then went for security check up before approaching the main gate. The main gate is a big door clad in brass. Both of the shutters have some holy figures embossed on the brass cladding. One can see the figure of 'Nandi' (Guard of Shiva) on one shutter and 'Garuda' (Vehicle of Vishnu) on the other. It is so because the main deity here is both Shiva and Vishnu merged into one. 'Shivalinga' is about eight ft dia circular granite stone and the quartz 'Shaligram' is in the middle of it. One can see both 'Nandi' and 'Garuda' seated on the "Garud-Stambh" on the temple campus. Similarly, at the highest point of the temple, there is the emblem of both Gods, Vishnu's 'Chakra' and Shiva's 'Dhanush'. It is so because this land has been a merging place of two of the main sects of the Hindu religion, "Shaiva" and "Vaishnava". Even at one of the entrance pillars one can see the figure of both Gods Shiva and Vishnu merged into one just like "Ardhnarishwar" (which is on the other pillar). While the right half of the God is depicted as Shiva, the left half is Vishnu. (See the enclosed picture). 

Entrance of Lingaraja Temple !
Above the gate is ॐ and "Navagrahas"

              Big idols of lions in bright yellow color are installed on both sides before the entrance gate. They are four in numbers, two on each sides. What is peculiar in these lions are that they have mustaches like humans. Above the gate in the first row the holy symbol  ॐ (Om) is made, below it are nine figures of nine "Grahas"-called "Navagraha"- ("Graha" means planet in English). It is believed that these nine planets have deep effect on a man's life according to the their positions at the time of birth of that man. So before any auspicious occasion when worship of Gods is started, these "Navagrahas" are prayed to be calm and not to create any disturbance during the occasion. These nine planets according to Hindu mythology are - 1. Surya (Sun), 2. Chandra (Moon), 3. Mangal (Mars), 4. Budh (Mercury), 5. Guru (Jupiter), 6. Shukra (Venus), 7. Shani (Saturn), 8. Rahu and 9. Ketu. (Note that all these are not planets according to scientific definition, first seven are the astronomical object while rest two are shadow planets of earth and invisible). So figures of "Navagrahas" at the gate are for the devotees to pray to be calm during his worship of "Lingaraja" and other gods here.      

              When we entered the main gate, we looked for our familiar "Pundit ji" but could not find him. So we took another one who was approaching us. We washed our feet at the left of the entrance where taps are and took flowers and 'Deeps' (दीपक - बाती) for worship. They also sell a special flower here named "Shivalingi" which I take every time I visit here. As its name suggests its shape is like a "Shivalinga" with a hood of snake over it, as we see in the temples. The first temple on the left is of God Ganesha who is always worshiped first of all Gods (प्रथम पूज्य). Next is the "Garud-stambh" which I just mentioned above. A few steps left is the place from where one can have a good view (दर्शन) of the flag (ध्वज). At this place before entering the temple the "Pundit ji" will tell a brief history of the temple and he will not forget to tell that this temple is seven ft higher than the "Jagannath Mandir" at Puri. He will show the holy kitchen where "Bhog" is prepared and the covered path from the kitchen to the temple. The path is covered to prevent sunlight from reaching the "Bhog". It is believed that if sunlight reaches the "Bhog" then it will be assumed that the "Bhog" got offered to the Sun god and it can not be offered to Lingaraja. 

The Lingaraja Temple,Bhubaneswar,Orissa
Picture taken from 'Photo point' near the right gate

             Next we entered the main temple and worshiped there. Generally this temple is not as crowded as the "Jagannath Mandir" at Puri. Time of worship is also more available. We worshiped and touched the Lingaraja. It is only at the time of "Shringar Puja" that the devotees get a view (दर्शन) from a distance. After this worship the priests there would try to get donations for "Bhog" that amount may be a minimum Rs. 600/- to a few thousand. When we visited the first time they asked for a donation and I agreed to pay Rs. 600/-, when I came out of the exit gate of the main temple I saw they were also taking the same amount from my mother who came out a few minutes earlier than us. From then on I get to beware of these tricks. In lieu of this amount, they give a packet full of dry "Prasad" that may last for a few weeks. One can also purchase "Prasad" at the main entrance where they sell six to seven types of dry "Prasad".  

A view of Lingaraja Temple campus from above the right boundary wall

            The outer walls of the main temple are covered with stone statues which are now in a weathered state. On the campus there are many other small temples mainly of 'Shiva' but 'Parvati' temples in the back is more visited by the devotees. In some of the temples, no worships are done while in some others the priests would try to bring devotees for worship. A Sun statue on a platform in the open looks like smiling if you stare at it for a while. A big 'Ganesha' statue is adjacent to the main temple at about a 15 ft high platform. In front of it in the courtyard is a tree where people tie thread for their wishes. Near the smiling Sun statue is a 1½ ft high "Linga" in the open, on which there are engraved many "Shivalinga" spirally. It is called "Sahastralinga". They say that it looks continuously to the Goddess in the nearby temple and no one should obstruct this vision. Whosoever will do so, his all "Punya" will be lost as said (वचन) by the Goddess. The campus of the temple is pitched with local stones. Near the Sun god platform, there is a deep well covered and protected. There is a "Nandi" temple on the right side connected to the main temple. A big statue of "Nandi" the bull is placed in it. Devotees come to this temple after taking a round from behind the main temple completing their worship. It is a custom that when worship is over in the Shiva temple, the devotee goes to "Nandi" and tells their own wishes in the ears of "Nandi". These wishes go directly to the heart of Shiva due to a boon (वरदान) given to "Nandi" by Shiva himself. 

           In a small temple that is connected to the main temple in the back, there are small idols of "Dauji, Subhadra and Krishna" just like Puri's temple. 

            After completing the worship we donated to "Punditji" and came out of the temple and took our mobiles and cameras from our driver. He told us that if we wanted to take pictures of the main temple he would take us to a place made for it and it is on the way back. We happily agreed. He took us near a gate made in the right-hand side boundary of this temple complex. Near the gate, there was a platform on the outside that was higher than the boundary wall there. We went up through the steps. From here we could get a good view of the right side of the main temple. So we took pictures and selfies here and came back to our vehicle. The next visit was to Kedar Gouri, Parashurameswara, Mukteshwar, and Siddheswar temple, which I am going to describe in my coming blogs at this link. 

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Monday, April 27, 2015

Baba Basukinath Dham, Dumka district, Jharkhand, India

Baba Basukinathdham Temples at Basukinath (Jarmundi Block),Dumka, Jharkhand, India.


        By the grace of God Shiva, I have visited a number of Shiva temples including many Jyotirligas but there is something unique in Baba Basukinath Dham that attracts me the most. For the last twenty-five years, I have been visiting this temple which is located in a village-like surrounding at a distance of one km from the Deoghar-Dumka highway in Jarmundi block. Most of the visits were a part of Baidyanathdham, Deoghar, and Basukinathdham puja on the same day. Since not eating till worship is complete, is a practice in our society we would get up from bed early in the morning at Deoghar and take our baths and put on fresh or new clothes and rush to Baba Baidyanath temple, then complete our worship in an hour or two and then head towards Basukinath by our car or taxi. We would worship Baba with "Gangajal" and then try to offer "Jal" to each and every god established all around the courtyard. Final worship of Hanuman ji under a banyan tree midway to "Shivaganga". After paying "Dakshina" to 'Pundas' and donations to beggars outside the temple and taking "Prasad", we the hungry lot would rush to a "Dahi-Chuda" shop nearby and fill our stomachs. Then someone would say it is only 'Meetha-Meetha" (Sweet taste) we need "Namkeens". Then the shopkeeper would give some veg dish and "Pakodas". We were satisfied with the food but my wife would be complaining that she had not taken tea since morning and she had a mild headache. So the next step would be a tea shop with madam giving instructions to "Chaiwala" like make good tea, add extra tea leaves, boil it for extra time, make it hard and everyone will take a glass of tea but she would take two. Since many of the "Pundas" know her there, she would invite one or two "Punda Ji" whom she would see near the tea shop for tea. After enjoying tea we would say it is a "Devsthala" (God's place) so 'Paan' is desirable. Thus 'Paan' (betel leaf) completed our food part. Our next work would be marketing in the local market for about two hours and this part of the journey I disliked much. Wife and children enjoyed it as they purchased "Pedas" (A sweet made by drying milk by boiling), "Baddhis" (Thread necklace worn as prasad), bangles, earrings, toys, worship-related items like God's photos, statues, "Shankh" (conch shell), "Saji" (Flower basket made of bamboo, cane or brass), etc. So it was "shop till drop" before we would return to the hotel at Deoghar.
             Other journeys here were in the Hindu month of "Aashadha" which comes in the monsoon time. My father-in-law used to perform "Navaratri Puja" with his family at Basukinath Temple. In a room in the temple courtyard the "Kalash" was used to be placed and worshiped. Their family stayed for nine days at "Kamla Punda Ji's" guest house about 300 m away from the temple. They used to bring all the necessary items for this long stay by one of their own buses and return back after 'Puja' in the same way. Father-in-law would invite us to this "Puja" every year. During my posting at Dumka in the first part of the last decade of last century I used to visit there with my family. While my wife stayed there I would return in a day or two. These visits were an opportunity to know this place at a close distance.
                Now my father-in-law and his family do not come here for "Aashadha Navaratri" due to health issues but I used to visit there during my second posting at Dumka in 2006. This time for repair of some of the govt buildings, especially before 'Sawan' month. All the govt agencies had to work hard for preparations before "Sawan Mela" because this month witnessed a heavy rush of "Kanwariyas". During these visits, I also went to see a nearby "Ashram". My boss was one of the patrons of this "Ashram". He told me that this "Ashram" was established by a learned yogi who was a "Shiva-bhakt". He had a knowledge of 'Ayurveda' and was a lover of vegetation. I saw many rare trees there that are less known. One I remember was a gourd (Louki in Hindi) tree. Usually, gourds are grown on creepers but it was a small tree (in fact a shrub). Another was a shrub which flowers gave vermilion like powder when pressed and they called it "Sindoor ka ped" (vermilion tree). Apart from this, the yogi Baba knew the art of converting mercury to gold. Though any science student would say it is impossible but in the ancient times a lot of labor and research had been done on this process. I have seen many articles confirming that this thing happens. I personally do not believe in it. But my boss said that whenever the "Ashram" had a crunch of funds he would make gold from mercury and send one of his followers to sell it in the town. But he would never do this to collect huge wealth and he did not give this technique to any of his disciples. Baba is no more now and it is being run by the institution of Deoband, U.P. where Baba belonged.
               The construction of this temple is just like the "Baidyanath-Dham" temple, Deoghar but on a smaller scale. The "Shivaganga" (Holy pond) has similarly green stagnant water in which devotees, mostly from villages, take a few dips before going to the temple. We never dared to take dips in it and only sprinkled its water over ourselves with our hands. Its slippery steps are dangerous too. Once we visited here when "Shivaganga" was being cleaned. For it, whole water had been taken out. In the middle of the pond bed, we saw a 10'x10'x10' deep excavation in which a 'Shivalinga' and other gods had been made a long time ago. This submerges when "Shivaganga" is refilled after cleaning. The cleaning is done once in many years.
           Till three years ago this place, Basukinath, was reachable only by road but now one can go there also by train as Dumka-Deoghar is connected by railway line. In future when this rail route is extended to 'Rampurhat' in West Bengal, Basukinath will be reachable from both ends by rail. The work on this rail project is in progress.
             Since "Nandi" (Shiva's bull) is God's vehicle and gatekeeper, A big welcoming "Nandi" idol has been made at the triangular junction on the Dumka-Deoghar highway where we take a turn to Basukinath. "Nandi" is loved by Shiva very much, so bulls around Shiva temples roam freely everywhere and they are fed by the devotees. Here in Basukinathdham, the bulls roam inside the courtyard of the temple feeding on "bail-patras" and flowers offered to gods by the devotees. I remember a small bull that was physically disabled lived in the temple courtyard when we used to visit there in "Ashadh Navaratra" many years ago. My little daughter was very much interested in it. She would touch it and feed 'bail' leaves. Even now whenever she goes there with us, she would look for it but now we do not find it.
Lively temple of "Baba Basukinathdham" at Jarmundi block of Dumka (Santhal Pargana),
Jharkhand, India
            The name 'Basukinath' means 'master of Basuki'. 'Basuki' is the name of Shiva's snake and he adorns Shiva as garland on his neck. 'Basuki' is a 'Naag' variety of snake so 'Basukinath' is also called 'Nagesh' or 'Nageshwar' meaning God of "Naag". The priest here claims that this is one of the twelve "Jyotirlingas" mentioned in 'Shivapuran' and they have written "Nagesh Jyotirlinga" near the entrance of the main Shiva temple here. "Puranas" say that "Nagesh Jyotirlinga"  is in 'Darukavan' and they claim that the area around here is the 'Darukavan'. Whatever it may be most of the people in India think that 'Darukavan' and "Nagesh Jyotirlinga" are near Dwarka in Gujarat. Though there is no forest in a radius of five km from the temple, beyond that the forest has lovely and unique properties. It is thin and the trees found abundantly are "Khajur" (Date palm) and "Palash". The "Khajur" trees in a hilly landscape give a perennial beauty but come the month of March (in the spring season)  the unnoticed "Palash" trees come to full bloom in orange color. It looks like magic. It seems as if some artist has painted his canvas mostly in orange like a fire. The effect is fascinating and mesmerizing. You can see this wonder travelling on the Dumka-Deoghar highway, and even more on the newly built Dumka-Deoghar railway. The forest in the whole of the 'Santhal Pargana' area is like this.
              The priests here will tell you that Basukinath Mahadeva is the "Foujdari Baba" and that is his court is a 'Foujdari' court. It is an Urdu word. In Urdu, courts are of two types -"Deewani" and "Foujdari". "Deewani" courts hear the cases of lands and other disputes which take a long period to come to a decision while "Foujdari" courts hear matters of a criminal nature and take comparatively less time. So these priests mean that "Baba Baidyanath"  is a 'Deewani' court that will take time to fulfill your wishes while "Baba Basukinath" is a "Foujdari" court that will listen to you quickly.
                 And what a sweet 'Maithili bhajan' is sung here with full humility. It is like this .."बाबा बासुकीनाथ हम आयल छी भिखरिया, अहाँ के दुअरिया ना। ." ( O, Baba Basukinath! I the beggar have come to your doorsteps ...) .This song is named as "Nachari" (नचारी). Equally sweet "Bhajan" is "Vimal vibhooti budha barad vahanava se, lambe lambe lat latkaye baba Basuki..".   
              Though many types of pujas, marriage, Mundan, and Upnayan are performed here "Dharana" and "Phulaish" are two worship-related acts that have taken my attention. If a devotee of "Baba Basukinath" wants to get his wishes fulfilled but does not succeed he sits on "Dharana" here, meaning he will give his full time at the temple and will not return to his home till his wishes are fulfilled by "Baba Basukinath". Many people remain on "Dharana" for months. "Phulaish" is performed by an eager devotee who wants to know whether his wishes will get fulfilled by "Baba Basukinath" or not. In general "Phulaish" is said to have happened if a devotee during his worship of a deity (with wishes in his heart) places a flower over an idol and after a few seconds the flower falls down. It is said to be an indication that god will fulfill his wishes. But here "Phulaish" is performed with "Akshat" (rice soaked in water) and betel-nut. A heap of "Akshat" is made over Shivalinga and the betel nut placed on top of it. The devotee and others wait for a slide with the falling of the betel nut. Till this happens all pray loudly "Give o Lord, give". This loud prayer starts a vibration in the air and the process of "Phulaish" is hastened. This "Phulaish" is said to be an indication that the wishes of devotees will be fulfilled.
               I have found this place very lively, peaceful, and full of devotional energy. So do feel many of the people of adjoining states. I have seen many devotees traveling from Deoghar to Basukinath by giving "Dand". They keep a stick in their hand and lie down on the ground with face down, then mark on the ground with the stick as far as they can. Now they stand up and go to the mark and repeat the process again and again. It is called the "Dand". I salute their devotion and courage. 
         "Jai Baba Basukinath !!"

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