Trip to Varanasi - Namami Gange!!

Trip to Varanasi...Namami Gange!

Without doubt, the land of Varanasi or Kashi (the British had named this place Benares) has been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus for ages. It is the oldest living city in the world, and I quote Mark Twain’s words: “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

We were told by our young guide Mr. Manjeet Sahani that we should consider staying at Ganges Grand, close to Godowlia Crossing and to Dashashwamedha Ghat – the main Ghat at Varanasi. We went by his suggestion and had booked ourselves at Ganges Grand and arrived there directly from Varanasi Airport on 14th November 2018. Just a couple of days back a 3.5 KM stretch of 4 lanes flyover had been inaugurated by our PM Modi and what used to be a one hour travel to the city, now takes just 20 to 30 minutes. Swachch Bharat mission has done wonders to this holy city and I can say it with surety that Kashi is now cleaner than Bangalore. With 65% floating population and with festivities around the year, it is a mammoth task to keep the city clean. The entire city is sweeped clean three times a day. The day we arrived at Varanasi, the Bihari’s major festival “Chath Puja” had just concluded with flowers and leaves thrown around at random. But by evening, before the start of Ganga Aarathi, it was sweeped clean from all debris.

Since the check-in time at the hotel was 12 noon, we kept the luggage at the reception and started our exploration of the lanes and by lanes of Varanasi. Quite naturally, the first stop was at Dashashwamedha Ghat – as the name suggests this was the very place where 10 horses were sacrificed by Lord Brahma during a yagna he performed. The present day ghat was first built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in 1748, but a few decades later Queen of Indore Ahilyabhai Holker rebuilt it in 1774.

Ghats in Varanasi are riverfront steps leading to the banks of Ganges. The city has 87 ghats, two of which are exclusively used as cremation sites and these are Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghat. Wood used for burning comes through the river front and not by road from nearby forest areas. In a day, close to 300 to 350 pyres are lit…Hindus consider that dying in Varanasi rids one from the cycle of births and deaths and one attains salvation. There is an eternal flame in Manikarnika Ghat which is used for lighting the pyre and as the legend says this has been there since the time Lord Shiva came to this place. As legend says, Lord Vishnu had dug up a well (Manikarnika Kund) for Shiva and Parvathi to bathe and an ear ring made from Mani (bead) fell into the well and that’s how this ghat came to be known as Manikarnika Ghat. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Dharmeshwar in Manikarnika Ghat and water from the same well that was dug by Vishnu is pumped up for the devotees to use it on the Shivaling – Dharmeshwar. Digging of the well was necessary as Ganga did not exist at that point in time. With Lord Shiva’s blessings Yamaraj’s namkaran festivities were conducted here. This is the same place where Dharmaraya (Yudishtira) did his tapasya to Lord Yamaraj.

We proceeded to take the blessings of Kashi Vishalakshi – Mata Parvati or Gauri. This temple is considered as Shakthi Peetha and also gets its name from the legend that Mata Sati’s earrings (karna kundala) or eyes had fallen at this sacred spot here and that’s why this place is known as the Manikarni or Manikarnika. According to the Puranas, Vishalakshi Manikarnika or Vishalakshi Manikarni is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas. Vishalakshi Temple is a powerful Shakti Peetha and a visit is considered as a blessing by all her devotees. In the Puranas, it is clearly mentioned that the Varanasi city will exist even after the Pralaya.

It would be incomplete if we did not visit a Bhairav temple after taking the blessings of Kashi Vishalakshi. In a way Devi Durga created nine shaktis and stationed them in various places within Kashi to protect the holy city, in a similar way eight Bhairav’s were created to protect the devotees from all sorts of evil. Praying to Anand Bhairav will bring happiness and prosperity while developing a strong mental strength to be courageous.

In none of these temples we were allowed to take snaps; and I am relying on the written narrative to present what we saw and observed and what the Purohit and Manjeet informed about the significance of the place and temple. We went on a motor boat ride in the afternoon from Dashashwamedha Ghat to Assi Ghat on one end to Manikarnika Ghat at the other. Our plan was to return at dusk and get a prime position to see the Ganga Aarthi from close quarters. Manjeet was extremely resourceful in getting a vantage spot from where we were able to witness the entire one and half hour Aarathi. Significant was the way organizers allowed the crowd to participate in the samuhik bhajan and later helping to light the 8 tier lamp which was a culmination of Aarthi’s using incense sticks first, Dhoop, Deep, the eight tier lit lamp and finally the single bowl Mangalaarthi. This extravaganza was a feast to the eyes – kind of devotion with an emotional involvement in the entire proceedings…

Day Two: 15th November, also our 33rd wedding anniversary – we commenced with a dip in the holy Ganges with a hope that we start the remaining part of our life with a clean slate. Our first stop was at Varahi temple. This is a mystical underground temple and only the Purohit can enter this temple using a flight of stairs that leads underground. No special puja is offered here, only the daily puja as conducted by the temple Purohit. This temple is open only for two hours in the morning from 5 AM to 7 AM. This tradition has been followed for ages and no one clearly knows the reason. The deity can be seen only through two holes on top - From one hole we can see the face and the feet from the other. The position of the holes are indeed strategically located as one cannot see both face and feet from a single hole. Devotees pray for relief from legal issues, official problems etc. at this temple.
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Our next stop was a Kaal Bhairav Temple. As the legend goes Shiva intervened as a divine column of light between Brahma and Vishnu when they were competing for supremacy. An angry Brahma stared at the column with his fifth head which started to burn out of anger. Shiva at that instant created a new Bhairava or Kaal Bhairava to decapitate the 5th head. However, the head got stuck to Kaal Bhairava’s hand. Shiva ordered Kaal Bhairava to go to places to rid himself of the sin of having killed a Brahmin. It was only when Kaal Bhairava reached Varanasi, that the head got separated from his hand and hence this pace is also called Kapaal Mochan Teerth. Shiva ordered Kaal Bhairava to forever remain in Varanasi to remove the sins of his dovotees.

It is said that if a person does not have a proper destination, Kashi is the best place for him. Young Harikesh, born to Yaksh Purnabhadra and Kanaka Kundala from a very young age had become a devotee of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was describing the beauty of Varanasi in Anandavan to Parvati when her eyes fell on an emaciated young boy, none other than Harikesha. Learning about his intense devotion to Lord Shiva, Parvati requested Lord Shiva to bless the boy appropriately. Lord Shiva blessed the boy and said that he shall forever remain in Kashi and bless all those who pray to Lord Shiva. Addressing Harikesh as Yaksh Raj, he ordained his two Shiv Gans, Samparam and Utparam to always be present with Yaksh Raj. Lord Shiva proclaimed that those who do not worship Yaksh Raj, (or Dandapani – one who wields the stick) would not get the benefit of mukti in Kashi.

Our next stop was at BHU – the vast expanse of the campus that houses all academic faculties. The ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times in the history. In 1930s, Pandit Madan Mohan decided to replicate the temple inside BHU campus and Birla family took up the work. In 1931, the foundation for the temple was made. The temple was completed in 1966. Since it is a replica of Kashi Vishwanath temple, it is called as the New Vishwanath temple. This temple has the highest temple tower in the world. The temple gopuram is 77 metre tall and is completely made of marble. There are 9 shrines inside this temple. In the ground floor, there is a large Shiva temple. In the first floor, there are shrines for Durga and Lakshmi Narayan. Other main temples are Hanuman temple, Ganesh temple, Parvati temple, Nataraj temple, Saraswathi temple and Nandi. The complete prose of the Gita is inscribed on the walls along with pictures.

Our next stop: Durga Mandir built in the 18th century by Maharani of Bengal. This temple in its entirety has been painted sindoor ‘red’. The temple tank (Kund or Kalyani) has been recently reconstructed and inaugurated by PM Modi. It is believed that the main idol of Maa Durga is a swayambu - it means that Maa Durga has herself appeared in this sanctum sanctorum in the form of an idol – as Goddess of Strength & Power.

We proceeded to Sankat Mochan (reliever from troubles) Hanuman’s temple. It is believed that this temple has been built on the very spot where Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman. Tradition promises that regular visitors to the temple will gain the special favour of Lord Hanuman. Every Tuesday and Saturday thousands of people queue up in front of the temple to offer prayers to Lord Hanuman. According to Vedic Astrology, Hanuman saves human beings from the anger of the planet Shani (Saturn), and especially people who have an ill-placed Saturn in their horoscopes visit this temple for astrological remedies. This is supposed to be the most effective way for appeasing Shani. While the story goes that Hanuman did not hesitate to engulf the Sun in his mouth – the lord of all planets; this humbled all the gods and angels, making them worship him for releasing the Sun. Some astrologers believe that worshipping Hanuman can neutralise the ill-effect of Mangal (Mars) and practically any planet that has an ill effect on human life. Unfortunately, in 2006 there was a bomb explosion within the premises where a wedding was organised. However, chanting and prayers did not stop and from the very next day the temple was back to normal in offering daily prayers. There is a security outpost now and everyone is subject to frisking.

Our next visit was to take the blessings of Lord Shiva’s sister – Kaudi Mata. It is believed that visit to Kashi is incomplete without a visit to the Kaudi (Chozhi) Mata Temple. This temple is known by various names such as Chozhi or Cowrie Mata, and Gauri Mata. The name owes its origin to the cowries or shells which are thrown to the goddess as offering. The goddess here is considered to be a sister of Shiva. According to legend, Shiva’s sister had her temple within the ancient temple complex. However, when she saw thousands of common people touch and hug her brother while praying, she became jealous and tried to stop this practice. At this, Shiva became angry. He said that, “He was at Kashi so the common people could pray to him the way they liked.” As a punishment he banished her and sent her out of the temple. She repented and prayed to Shiva for mercy, and finally he relented. He could not take back the curse, but He decreed that all those who visit Kashi should visit her too. A trip to Kashi would be ineffective if one returned without visiting her. Hence, it is a practice to visit the Chozhi Mata Temple after visiting all the temples in Kashi and performing all rituals. One can buy cowries outside the temple, throw a few on the goddess and ask her to bless them by bestowing on them the fruits of their Kashi Yatra, and bring back a few cowries as Prasad and keep it in their respective prayer room.

Our penultimate stoppage was at Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev Mandir, the final one being Kashi Vishwanath. Believed to be constructed in the 18th century, this is one of the oldest and most famous in the holy city of Varanasi. It is believed that the Shiva Ling emerged by itself 2,500 years back and its size increases each year by the size of a ‘til’ sesame seed. A unique combination of Malyali and Banarasi culture is represented by this temple. Hindu devotees celebrate here their famous festivals such as Mahashivratri, Shravan Somvara, Navratri, Makar Sankranti, Ayappa Puja etc. The idols of other Hindu deities namely, Maa Parvati, Vibhandeshwar, Bhairav and Lord Ayappa are also there in this temple complex. It is considered that Mata Sharda had spent some days in Varanasi at this temple.

In none of the temples explained above we were allowed to take snaps. On hindsight, It is best kept that way I think, as it will be a catalyst for people to visit this Punya Kshetra and spend a couple of days visiting the innumerable temples. Every house is a temple in Varanasi and each has its own unique story to tell.

We had planned to get Rudrabhisheka done for Kashi Viswanath and we presented ourselves at the gate at 4:30 PM. One of the inner sanctum Purohits came outside the temple premises to lead us back inside to a spacious hall adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Sanctum Sanctorum. While chanting of Rudra after sankalpa took almost an hour, what was heartening to note were the two giant size TV screens with the camera placed inside the sanctum. All of the one hour that we spent in the chanting of the Rudra, Lord Kashi Vishwanath was visible large and clear on the TV Screen. Exactly at 6:15 PM, the gates around the Moola Vigraha were removed and this signalled that we could go inside and offer our prayers with Panchamrutha and perform Mangalarthi. The tradition followed here is amazing…each person is allowed to offer Panchamrutha, garlands and touch the Linga. There was also Karpoora in a small earthen pot which we used for doing the Mangalarathi. The feeling was awesome, some kind of inner ecstacy that swept us both from this world to the surreal world. The continuous waves of devotees, the general din around us just did not seem to matter. We felt blessed entering his house and touching his feet from such close quarters. Each time I recollect those moments, I can reconstruct the complete image in my mind – I hope it will remain etched forever in my memory.

Having completed our Darshan, our next target was to get a vantage position near the entrance to watch the Saptharishi Aarathi. Saptharishi Aarathi is conducted simultaneously by seven Purohits one from each Gotra. This event takes an hour and half from start to finish. The event starts by closing the entrance doors for dharma darshan and entire inner sanctum is cleaned with milk and water. The Linga is located at a lower level than the floor and it is quite a task to remove all the water, flowers and leaves to make a fresh start. We did get a vantage point and were able to see the Lead Purohit from very close quarters. All seven of them, once they got a cue from the Lead, do the Panchamrutha abhishakam in absolute unison. This takes 20 minutes for completion. Later the Linga is decorated with Flowers. Then comes on the Kavacha of Naga Devatha – made out of silver, its lower ring-like portion slips into the Linga. Once the second round of flower decoration is completed, which takes about 30 minutes, an array of diyas in a rhombus format is placed around the Linga. Amidst chanting of mantras, all the seven Purohits perform the Mangala Aarathi in stages. First, it is with incense sticks, later with a single diya, then it is Srigandha, the tiered lamp comes next before the final one which is in super-size silver bowl. Once the lamps are lit on the rhombus formation, the electric lights are switched off…this gives it an “Out-of-this-World” touch. The chanting amidst the Aarathi takes a good 30 to 40 minutes and it is a treat to the eyes. The chanting commences at a slow pace with each Purohit holding an Aarathi in one hand and swinging the bell in the other. It gradually picks up pace and reaches a crescendo. I am quite sure every devotees heart beat would be racing at the same pace of the ringing bells as it reaches its peak. It casts a spell and has a mesmerising effect. While I have tried to explain in words, seeing is believing and I have said this earlier on and would like to say it again – that a visit to this temple is a must for every Devotee.

Although our day at Kashi Vishwanath temple came to a close, we hope to carry all that we saw and experienced in our memories and keep it afresh in the days and years ahead. We closed our day by visiting Annapoorneshwari temple and the adjacent dining hall where food is served to all devotees twice a day.

Har Har Mahadev!

Special Note: Should any of you want the services of Manjeet Sahani, he is reachable at +91-7388130874. His website is www.varanasiheritagetour.com– he needs a month or two advance notice to block dates in the peak season time: October to March. His services come for a fee…

Sarvam Krishnarpanam Astu...

One of our close relatives had suggested that we visit the Jagannath Temple at Agara in HSR Layout and we decided to be there on Monday, 8th October 2018.

HSR Layout is an abbreviation of Hosur-Sarjapura Road Layout, and once upon a time this was way out of the city limits. The exponential growth in this area in the last 12 to 15 years can be attributed to the IT & ITES organizations setting up shop in the Outer Ring Road. Till recently, I wasn’t aware that Bangalore had such a significant Odiya population, until my wife and I visited this temple, built and very well maintained by Odiya community. The architecture of this temple takes inspiration from the Puri-Jagannath Temple. Although it is a miniature replica in terms of the size and area, the idols bear a remarkable resemblance to the original one at Puri. The idols are carved out from the trunk of a fragrant log of wood, similar to the original one at Puri.

It is dedicated to Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra – the only brothers and sister temple, if I am not mistaken. It is more popularly referred to as Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra – the main trinity. While the present day deity at Puri was built by the Ganga dynasty. However, as per the legend, Jagannatha temple owes its origins to the tribals and originally worshipped secretly by the tribal chief Viswavasu. King Indradyumna who had heard about the powerful deity was determined to see and worship the deity. Having been denied to see and offer his prayers. King Indradyumna observed a fast unto death, determined to see the principal deity Neela Madhaba. It was then that a celestial voice announced to the king that “Thou shalt see him”…The king built a magnificent temple. The King had a vision of Lord Jagannath and an astral voice directed him to receive the log of a fragrant tree by the sea shore to make idols of the God. It is believed that Indradyumna got Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods to build the magnificent temple to house the idols. Lord Vishnu himself appeared in the guise of a carpenter to make the idols, but on the condition that he was to be left alone and undisturbed until he finished the work.

After just two weeks, when there was no noise from within the temple, the queen got anxious and requested the king to open the door and check if all was well. They saw Vishnu at work, and he promptly abandoned his work and left with the work unfinished, since the King had not kept his side of the promise by not disturbing him. The idol was devoid of hands, but King Indradyumna heard a divine voice asking him to install the idol, as is, and which he did. To this day all the Lord Jagannath temples around the country have the idols carved out of wood, devoid of hands and the face prominently and decoratively carved. Once every 8 or 12 or 18 years, when one lunar month follows another lunar month in the Indian calendar month of Ashada, the old idols are buried within the temple premises and three new ones in the same size, shape, and with elaborate carvings to get the look and feel of the earlier ones are installed. The most recent change was done in the year 2015 CE.

As per the scriptures, Lord Jagannath is the best brother to his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra; best husband to Goddess Mahalaxmi and the best son to his parents as he performs the annual Shraddha in the month of Marghashira during Amavasya. As a master, he enjoys all the comforts during various festivals, grants wishes to his subjects and to those who surrender before him, he takes the utmost care.

While all the replica Lord Jagannatha temples across the land may not carry the aura or the divine powers of the Puri-Jagannatha temple, people visiting the temple feel blessed, merely by being present in his abode and surrendering before him. If the mind is pure and there is devotion in the prayers, the Lord will certainly grant his wishes.

Sarvam Krishnarpanam Astu (Everything, I offer to Krishna)

Sri Chokkanathaswamy Temple

We were extremely lucky to have met the elderly Smt. Shakuntala Keshavachar at Sri Chokkanathaswamy temple yesterday, 1st October 2018. This is one of the oldest temples in Bengaluru, dating to the Chola period of the 10th century AD.

The word ‘Chokka’ means beautiful in Telugu. Members of Shakuntala’s family are temple trustees and her late husband, Sri R Keshavachar, was its hereditary priest for decades. “While Chokkanatha is also a name for Shiva, it is used here as a description for Vishnu as Lord Chokka Perumal. This temple is said to have been built during the rule of the Shaivite Chola dynasty by one Thiripuraanthakan of Talaikkaadu and his wife Chettichi Parpathi.

The mighty Cholas left an imprint on the area in and around Bangalore between the 10th and 12th century. They renamed and regrouped local areas into new administrative units and also built temples that reconfirmed their presence as a regional power. Ancient inscriptions in Tamil can still be seen on the outer walls surrounding the sanctum. Historical records indicate that the temple also received extensive attention during Vijayanagar rule.

Extensive renovations over the years have also altered the Chokkanathaswamy Temple’s exterior. We understand that the present form and shape bears very little resemblance to the original Chola structure. But inside the sanctum and ardha-mantapas attributed to the Chola period, all appears to be intact and in its original form.

The idols of Lord Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi are carved from the sacred saligrama shila, an ammonite fossil found in the Gandaki river in Nepal. As told in the puranas, to wash away the four curses of Sati Brindha, Lord Vishnu took four avatars (incarnations). He became stone (Sri Saligrama), grass (Kush), tree (Peepal) and plant (Tulasi). Essentially, all these four are present within the perimeter of all Vishnu temples. Sri Saligrama is considered the most sacred stone worshipped by Vaishnavites. Saligrama Shila is found in a place called Damodar Kunda near the Kali-Gandaki river in Nepal. The saligrama stones, absolutely black in colour, are hundreds of millions of years old – from the times when Himalayas was an ocean floor. Scientifically, they are described as fossil-stones characterized by the presence of discus marks – embedded fossil ammonites. Ammonites are the most widely known fossil, possessing the typically ribbed spiral-form resembling a tightly coiled rams’ horns.

If Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Linga, Lord Vishnu is worshipped in the form of a Saligrama.

The temple Sthala Purana mentions an unknown sage who invoked Vishnu’s blessings through powerful penance and installed the mula-vigraha (consecration idol) here on elevated land so the temple could harness and transmit cosmic energy. Twelve points in the temple are said to vibrate with powerful pranic energy. We were lucky to have been shown the 12 pranic points by Smt. Shakuntala Keshavachar herself – three points are in the immediate periphery of the inner sanctum, while the remaining nine are on the outer pathway surrounding the temple. The points have been painted as a square box at each of these nine points and one has to face the mula-vigraha while doing dhyana. We were advised by the elderly Shakuntala ajji to repeat “Om Namo Narayanaya” 21 times at each of these 12 pranic points through Dhyana and finally complete pradakshina for a minimum five times.

There are three basic ways to invoke the Lord: Prayer/Bhajan – this could be individual or in a group setting where the person singing/chanting benefits oneself as also the nearby listeners. Parayana is the second form – recitation or chanting of the Vedic Mantras, done in a community setting where the entire community benefits from the prayer. The third and the most powerful for the inner self is Dhyana. One should do this with eyes closed (not pay any attention to unfolding events within your immediate vicinity); ears closed (shutting yourself from any distractions/noise); lips sealed (not speaking, not even the mantra “Om Namo Narayanaya”) but saying it from the depths of your mind. This is meditation in its pristine form!

For my wife and myself, being initiated into “Dhyana” with such simple clarity was a completely new and enriching experience. Before our departure, we bowed and took the blessings of this Guru, for we had learnt something different…

Sri Dharmarayaswamy Temple

Sri Dharmarayaswamy Temple:

It is said that the Mauryan Kings introduced writing to India 2,300 years ago and Vedic hymns started being put down in writing less than 2,000 years back. Until then the corpus of Vedic knowledge was transmitted orally. Modern studies using powerful software that can reconstruct the ancient skies indicates 3102 BC as the dates of the Mahabharatha war. The Mahabharatha epic itself in its original version contained 8,800 verses, named Jaya. Later, it became 24,000 verses and was called Bharatha. Finally it was recited as 1,00,000 verses epic, which could mean that all the additional verses may have been poetic exaggerations or imagined material. We are talking about events that occurred roughly 5,200 years ago from the present times.

The five powerful and skilled sons of Pandu, the King of Hastinapur (Haryana as is presently known) and the hundred sons of Pandu's cousin Dhritarashtra were engaged in the Kurukshetra war and that is how the epic Mahabharatha came to be recited as a report of the events that were unfolding day-by-day. Vedic hymns and shlokas have a unique feature in its construction and recitation. Once committed to memory, the structure and words remains intact, because there is only this one single way of creating and reciting. When the structure and words remain intact, there is virtually no chance of this being altered, when passed on by word of mouth. Generation after generation this knowledge of the verses have been passed on with no change in the structure of the verses. This was perhaps a pristine way of communication, absolutely faultless...an individual's interpretation after reading aloud the verses could vary but the content over generations has remained intact and hence, a good part of what we hear today is extremely accurate description of the events that occurred more than 5,200 years back.

Even the scholars of the present times acknowledge that the Vedic hymns were structured in a manner that memorising and recalling them when necessary would be easy and it also helps the scholars memorise thousands of verses with ease. We also understand that it enhances the capacity to retain...

The birth of Pandavas is traced back to 3229 BCE, when Yudhistira was born to Kunti, through her boon that she could call any of the divine Gods and bear a child. She invoked Yama, the God of Death and Dharma and Yudhistira was born, also known as Dharmaraya. Yudhistira's name indicates steadfastness at all times, even at war when things are most difficult. As he was the son of Yama, he was the most righteous and steadfast, a follower of Dharma in all walks of life, and shining like the brilliant sun in the knowledge of law, ethics, and morality. He was the most righteous of the brothers never having spoken a lie in his life, except during the final war where he was made selectively to suppress the truth.

As part of our Monday routine, to visit a Temple constructed in the bygone era, both my wife and I chanced upon a write-up regarding a temple dedicated to the Pandavas. Honestly, this was something new and I bet none of us had possibly heard of a temple being dedicated to the Pandavas. It got us very curious to know more about this temple and off we went visiting today. It is in the heart of the city, in the extremely busy and congested K R Market area. it is believed that the temple was constructed by the Ganga Arasu people. These people also known as Vanhi Kula Kshatriyas or "Thigalas" (communities that was into agriculture and horticulture).

The Archaeology Survey of India which had undertaken a study of the stone and masonry, has concluded that this temple is about 800 years old. It is also learnt that when Bangalore city was built by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century, the Kempegowda Gopuras (towers) were built in the four corners of the city keeping the Sri Dharmarayaswamy Temple as a centre point. The four towers are the Ulsoor tower in the North-East, The Bellary Road Tower in the North-West, The Lalbagh Tower in the South-East, The Gavipura Tower in the South-West.

The Gonga Arasu or Ganga Arasu kings used to build their towns near lakes or river beds and also, built their temples at a lower level to the ground with a further lower level pradakshina patha. Sri Dharmaraya Swamy temple was built in the Sidhikatte lake bed area and it is below the land level that existed prior to current Bangalore. It is also learnt that this old town was called as Kalyanapuri, a Town of Temples, Ponds & Religious centres. Later, it was named as "Bendhakaluru" and then as "Bengaluru". Built in the Dravidian style, it is one of those rare temples dedicated to the Pandavas and Draupadi. While it is named after Dharmaraya aka Yudhishtira, the eldest of the five Pandavas, it is Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, who is worshipped. Next to them are idols of Arjuna, Bheema, Nakula and Sahadeva, apart from Krishna and Adi Shakti. The temple resembles the architectural features of the Gangas, the Pallavas and the Vijayanagara styles. The garbhagruha is in Ganga style, the Vimanagopura is in Pallava style and the mukhamantapa is in Vijayanagar style, which shows the development of this temple in three different ages. The fourth stage of development of rajagopura and sabhangana was taken up in the 20th century.

Mythology has it that Draupadi created an army of soldiers, called Veerakumaras, after the Mahabharata war, to fight a demon called Timirasura. When the Pandavas were ascending to heaven, the Veerakumaras asked her to stay back. She promised them that she would come back to earth once every year. The ten-day Karaga marks the symbolic homecoming of Draupadi. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The temple records reveal that Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar visited this temple in 1811 AD, was an ardent devotee and donated huge properties in the form of land and jewels to the temple. The administration of the temple was undertaken by the Mysore royal family. After independence, the temple was taken up by Muzrai department and as per the Muzrai records this is the oldest temple maintained by the department.

There is a beautiful idol of Gopalakrishna flanked by Rukmani and Radhe, immediately behind the Sri Dharmarayaswamy temple, within the same temple complex, while at the entrance to the temple is Lord Vigneshwara to the right and Gramadevethe on the left flank. We considered ourselves blessed that we got Lord Krishna's darshan on the auspicious occasion of Gokulashtami.

As we were returning home, in the immediate vicinity was Jalakanteshwara Swamy temple. How do we not visit Lord Shiva, especially on Shravana Somvara and take his blessings? As mentioned above, the Ganga Arasu built their temples at a lower level to the ground. This temple of Jalakanteshwara Swamy temple has been built in an area that was a Kalyani (sacred pond), between 300 and 400 years back. While the superstructure is in a sorry state of disrepair, the temple idols, Prasanna Gangadheshwara Swamy, Vigneshwara, Subramanya and Goddess Parvathi in a standing position (and not the normally seen cross legged seated position) are beautiful.

We were far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city's most busy locality for the two hours that we spent inside. It was great to have transported our minds to the day and age of the Gods when they were in their mortal form. The message they have left behind, although archaic, still has crystal clear clarity! Today, we are armed with the most sophisticated means to communicate, but can we really take pride in what message we are passing on to our next generation and whether we are understood? Are we, at all?

Bettadasanapura Thimmarayaswamy Temple

Our date with God: One of the lesser known temples and less visited by people is Thimmarayaswamy temple on a rocky hill in Bettadasanapura on the BMTC bus route no. 378.

One of the most busy routes connecting Kengeri with Electronic city is BMTC route no. 378 and its variants. I understand that there is a bus every ten minutes from both ends making it the most popular routes as well as the most frequent in all of BMTC’s routes. Sadly though, the road is treacherous specially during the monsoon. It is impossible to make out the depth of the pot holes filled to its brim with water and neither can we see the sections of road that have caved in post laying of the sewage lines. Speed breakers or humps/bumps are most common in Bangalore – it has the distinction of being the most bumped city in the world. Our ride today in the monsoon rains was literally like a roller coaster ride, bobbing up and down right through the journey of 14 KM’s. I was using Google maps navigation on my mobile held firmly on a windscreen holder – so I thought until we hit a hump and a pot hole back-to-back. The mobile flew out of the holder and disappeared, invisible to both my wife and I. We soon realised that it was lying somewhere on the floor board and close to my feet and the ABC controls. Retrieving the same was such an ordeal while driving on a heavily congested road not knowing who would come from which side…the two-wheeler riders have this uncanny ability to squeeze through any available gap and plonk themselves right in front of you. But, no one can beat the yellow board cabs – small, medium and large who tear around the city as if the world is coming to an end in the next few seconds. Amidst all the chaos on the roads, it was quite natural for us to miss out an instruction, our navigating partner was barking out on Google maps. To get our bearings reset, we stopped at a roadside shop and asked the owner to guide us back to the place we were heading. Suspecting that we were relying on Google maps, he said don’t rely on that, instead follow the bus traveling on route 378. That wasn’t an issue at all, for these buses are so frequent that one would see them chasing each other back-to-back… we followed one and did land up at the right place eventually.

The temple is perched on top of a rocky bolder. The name of this place is self-explanatory: Betta means hill, Dasa means a devotee and Pura is a village in Kannada. Lord Vishnu or Srinivasa or Venkateshwara is fondly called Thimmappa in Kannada and hence the Lord is referred to as Thimmarayaswamy here at this temple. The rocky bolder, which forms a hill is not very steep and has little or no vegetation in its immediate surroundings. But, 1,200 years back this solitary hillock was in midst of a dense forest, being an extension of Bannerghatta forest jurisdiction. While there is no historical reference as to who built the temple, the story goes that Gauthama Maharishi who meditated here was blessed with a vision of Lord Thimmarayaswamy (Vishnu) along with Goddess Sreedevi and Goddess Bhoodevi. Gauthama Maharishi was one of the seven Saptharishi’s of the Vedic times and is known to be the discoverer of Mantras. It was here at the very place of his meditation that Maharishi was blessed with a vision that he decided to place the idol of Lord Vishnu, flanked on either side by Sreedevi and Bhoodevi. At a distance of around 30 feet is the monolith pillar or Garuda dwajha with Lord Anjaneya carved at the base. Sandwiched between these two are two Arli mara or the sacred fig tree. The legend states that Gauthama Maharishi had found this ideal spot to meditate and was blessed with a vision of the Lord himself and in remembrance of this vision he decided to build a temple. The temple archaka or purohit told us that although the entire temple complex and its immediate surrounding is on a rocky bolder, this Arli Mara has stood the test of time and nobody can explain how its roots have bored through the solid rock to the soil below. It certainly is “Divine intervention” that can only explain its very existence. Another unique aspect of this temple is the presence of a Nagarakallu (idol of King Cobra). Normally, one does not see a Nagarakallu in the vicinity of Lord Vishnu’s idol. This proves that this Vishnu idol and the Nagarkallu are truly from the bygone era. There is also a rock cut Kalyani (Pushkarani) or sacred pond next to the temple.

Post Gauthama Maharishi’s period, the Cholas, who found this idol in the open took it upon themselves to build a temple enclosure/structure around the idol as well as a compound wall built like a fortress with rough cut granite stones. They also ensured that the religious rituals were carried out without a break, every single day and abhishekha once a week, every Saturday. Subsequent to the passing away of the Chola dynasty and for almost a period of 600 years this temple was left alone without the daily puja. Folklore says that the Lord himself appeared in the dream of Raja Dasappa Nayaka that here is an idol of mine that has been lying unattended and that this Raja must make efforts to revive and restart the daily rituals of purification and worship. When the Raja (King) came to this spot to inspect he was shocked to see temple surrounded by dense jungle and wild animals. It was with his effort that the surroundings were cleared and daily religious rituals recommenced. And, to this day the daily and weekly puja continues…

Surrounded by hills in the Kingdom of Raja Dasappa, this temple after its revival came to be known as Bettadasanapura Thimmarayaswamy. Later additions to this temple are idols of Anjaneya to the right of the moola vigraha and Mahalakshmi to the left. And in comparison, in the recent past, closer to 300 years or so, a temple with an idol of Shiva – Kashi Vishwanath, with Ganapathi to his right and Parvathi to his left, has been built. The difference between the old and new temples is stark; original having been built more than 1,200 years back with granite stones and the new Kashi Vishwanath temple superstructure made with brick and mortar.

This temple is now under the management of Government, but they have not really spent time and effort for its upkeep, let alone providing financial support to restore or improve the temple complex. It is in a state of neglect and urgently requires great support from all devotees to pool in their resources to bring back to its past glory. This temple Moola Vigraha is the family God for 33 villages around this area and most of the devotees come during the holy month of Shravana on Saturday (Shanivara), besides Vaikunta Ekadashi and Vijayadashmi. Even to this day as was followed during the Chola dynasty, abhishekha is done only once a week on a Saturday. It is also said that people who are willing to place their entire faith in the Supreme, the Lord grants them their wish.

In God we Trust!!

Bhoga Nandishwara Temple

Our visit to Bhoga Nandishwara temple yesterday: At the foot hills of Nandi hills near Bangalore is one of Karnataka’s oldest temples. From the inscriptions found in Chikkaballapura, it is believed that this temple was built by Queen Ratnavali in the 9th century. The Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, and the Vijayanagara kings who controlled this region over a period of 700 years added to the works commenced by Queen Ratnavali. One finds a mix of all the different architectural designs of the various rulers in one temple, including pillars sculpted on blackstone.

As we entered through the main entrance in this sprawling temple complex, we first had darshan of Lord Vishnu. We are used to seeing the lord in his full solitary form and glory! Here, he is flanked by Padmavathi and Lakshmi in the main sanctum sanctorum.

Next one was dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra Swamy, who is the manifestation of Lord Shiva’s wrath. He is a warrior God worshipped by rulers and soldiers during the times of war. As the legend goes, Goddess Parvathi as ‘Sati’ marry’s Lord Shiva and when her father Dhaksha performs Ashwamedha Yagna and denigrates Lord Shiva; She feels humiliated and immolates herself by jumping into the pyre. Lord Shiva takes the massive and ferrocious form of Veerabhadra to slay Daksha and quell his arrogance. It is said that Daksha is only a manifestation of the ego people have as part of themselves. This can be destroyed by Veerabhadra, the divine power which also resides in all of us. We pray to Lord Veerabhadra Swamy to rid ourselves of this ego.

We enter the main temple where Shiva and Parvathi as Uma-Maheshvara are carved on a single saligrama stone and worshipped together. Nowhere else in the country will you find them worshipped together. Shiva is in his ‘Linga’ form, but it is only out here he is worshipped as an idol. Flanked to his right is Arunachaleshwara, built by the Gangas of Talakad, in the 13th century and Bhoga Nandishwara to his left, built by the Cholas. Other than Tiruvunnamalai in Tamil Nadu, this is the only other temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped as Arunachaleshwara. It is interesting to note that the 4 stages of the Hindu way of life has been depicted in this temple complex. The first two – childhood and youth is represented as Arunachaleshwara and Bhoga Nandishwara, the third stage of wedded life is in the form of Uma-Maheshwara and the fourth and final stage is atop the Nandi Hills as Yoga Nandeeshwara, in meditation. No celebration or festivities are conducted in the hilltop temple to mark the final stage in life where one renunciates. Whereas, the temple at the foothills observes all festivals with pomp and pageantry.

The Vasanta Mantapa, sandwiched between the main deity and the Kalyani (sacred temple tank) was contributed by the Hoysala’s and is the venue for the wedding of Shiva and Parvathi performed annually on Maha Shivarathri. On the whole, it certainly is a must visit temple…for the stories that it tells us; handed from the previous generation to its next, keeping the core intact.

Midnight Walk!

When our 1981 fellow batch mate from Trichy, an NITTian (REC Trichy then with us known as RECTIANS) who now heads ITI at Bangalore offered to host a mini get-together of us 10 RECTIANS, we all jumped at it…why miss out a chance to meet, slip into the time machine and get on a memory recall mode? We were all a boisterous group way back in the late 70’s, when talking to each other was the only sane way of spending our time. Undoubtedly a good thing, as to this day, we are proficient in keeping the conversation going with whomsoever.

No TV, no cell phones, the only pastime was to either participate in some sports related activity, or get into voice-chat or ball-talk as we used to call it…just today I was shocked to see a kid maybe 2 to 3 years of age with his parents and grandparents enjoying a meal at a table adjacent to ours. The mom wanted some peaceful time talking to the family of elders and to keep the kid quiet in a corner had switched on to a cartoon in her smart phone. It was kept in a near vertical position by making the phone lean against a glass of water and the kid was happily engrossed in watching its favourite cartoon characters. The parents got their much needed private time to catch up.

Consider another scene: my wife and I go for an evening walk in a gated community zone, close to where we live. There are limited number of houses in this area and vehicle movement is scarce making it nice for us walkers to make a few circular trips on the peripheral road. Both of us have observed that quite a few young moms come for an evening stroll along with their kids. Invariably, for the entire duration of the stroll, moms are on their cell phone yakking away to glory and least concerned about their child. As youngsters, the quickest and the easiest way to learn is by imitating and I still remember my grandparents and my father in particular keeping the children forever engaged in a conversation. This they emphatically stated was the most sure shot way to teach the children just about anything and everything…engage with them and allow them to ask their endless stream of questions was what my dad would keep saying to his daughters when their kids crossed second year. Provide them with honest and truthful answers and they will grow up to be responsible and caring people with a willingness to hear and engage in the fine art of conversation. The modern gadgets may have brought the distant people seemingly close, but the ones near are getting distant! More importantly, they are not learning in an age when learning through observation, listening and imitating is at its peak! It is a sad sight to see these young kids lightly tap their mothers on their cheek to seek attention, but all that they get in return is a glare or a stare to leave their mothers alone. If only us parents wake up to the reality and give attention where it is due…the world will be so much more a friendlier place…

Thankfully, we RECTIAN’s (well, mostly!) are not addicted to our smart phones, but we have learnt to use it smartly for the purpose it is meant for and prefer to live with it, and not centre ourselves around it. Last evening when the ten of us gathered at the ITI officers club, we used our smart phones extensively to capture the moments of togetherness, wearing a huge carefree smile across our faces, not knowing when we would get another chance to meet and greet each other like this…

Incidentally, ITI established in 1948 is the first Public Sector Unit established in the post-Independence era. ITI, more recently got a new lease of life when the present Central Govt. laid emphasis on various schemes on developing telecom infrastructure under the 'Digital India' Initiative and 'Make in India' Initiative. In fact ITI has declared profits after a whopping gap of 16 years and that’s a real Turnaround. With a seasoned and an able RECTIAN now at the helm, we are sure this PSU will make giant strides in the years to come. We wish our fellow RECTIAN all the Very Best!!

With so much of catching up to do, it got a bit late and I was just in time to catch the last Metro from Baiyappanahalli station at 11 PM on the purple line. I was a bit apprehensive if I would be able to get a connecting train from Majestic cross over point on the green line to Yelachenahalli – the terminal station, 2 KM’s from my home. Metro schedules have been designed keeping in mind that people should not get stranded midway at the cross over point. Two pairs of train on each Purple and Green line give a breather at Majestic to ensure no person is left behind and that is being more than fair! Although my son had kept me informed about this arrangement, self-experience proved the point beyond doubt! I arrived at Yelachenahalli at 11:45 PM and decided to walk the two KM’s home. While there were a few autorikshaw’s at the station exit, I had made up my mind to be a bit adventurous and walk the last mile. Not that I’ve not done this before, but on hindsight, I felt that it may have been wiser to hop on to an autorikshaw.

The walk brought some nostalgic memories…soon after joining the BPO organisation located at STPI in Electronic City in the year 2000, I used to park my two wheeler at my Father-in-law’s place in 8^th block Jayanagar and take the company provided transport to Electronic city. We used to work the US day time which equated to pretty odd Indian hours…by the time the company transport dropped me back at 8^th block Jayanagar, it would be 2 AM and not a single soul anywhere. I would, as quietly as possible wheel out my scooter from my father-in-law’s compound, start and dash towards home. Those days Konankunte was lesser known and sparsely populated. The 6 KM stretch would be dark with plenty of stray dogs roaming the streets. Each of these packs have their own jurisdiction and would be careful not to cross their self-defined boundaries. In almost a relay like manner dogs would chase my scooter till I reached the end of my street. This was friendly territory as we regularly fed these dogs in our street. Hearing my scooter sound they would remain silent and act as friendly pilots till I reached the entrance to my house.

The fear of driving in the dead of night remained confined to just the dogs, since cell phone snatching, mugging, extortion, ATM etc. did not exist during those days. 

However, it wasn’t so last night. While I was trying to be brave outwardly, my heart was in my mouth for the entire distance of 2 KM’s. The first negative thought that crossed my mind was fear of being pulled up for my wallet. Not that I carry any cash, but there are plenty of ATM’s around. The next thought was plain and simple mugging – the local don having his bit of fun at my expense! The third was getting run over by a recklessly speeding vehicle. The fourth was someone snatching my cell phone at knife point. To make matters scarier, the weather was straight out of a Hollywood horror movie – windy, accompanied by a light drizzle. Sections of road’s street lights kept switching off at random making it real spooky!! Then, to top it all, the creepy feeling that someone was following me…I heard voices but wasn’t sure if they were in my head or outside. When I did gather some courage to turn back and take a look, I found that 4 people were juggling amongst themselves on a single bike trying to balance. They gave me a sheepish grin before speeding off…what a relief it was  – I let out a huge sigh and proceeded on my adventurous walk.  After safely reaching home in 20 minutes, I realised that all the fears were just a figment of my imagination – all created in my mind! Do we really live in the moment and savour it or are we living in an imaginary world and creating a mess for ourselves? That's a question each of us have to find our own answers...

Incidentally there wasn’t a single dog in the entire 2 KM’s stretch! Spotting a few may have perhaps allayed my imaginary fears…maybe…or maybe not!

Shrungagiri Shanmukha Devasthana

This week our Monday trip to a temple in and around Bangalore took us to the lesser known, Shrungagiri Shanmukha Temple (Six Faced God) in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. This temple is close to where we live in Konankunte, but we still used Google’s help to guide us correctly and without us getting lost in the many lanes and by lanes.

As the story goes, it was Lord Shanmukha's own will to choose the barren Hillock in Rajarajeshwari Nagar as His abode and manifested in His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamiji of Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri’s dream. Sringeri Swamiji entrusted Dr. R. Arunachalam with the job of building Shrungagiri Sri Shanmukha Temple on this hillock. Thus ordained and blessed, Dr. Arunachalam's extraordinary visionary capacity guided him to design the entire temple structure based on the very name of Lord Shanmukha, which means a Six Faced God.

From the temple’s website: The Crystal Dome stands at a commanding height of 42' from the top of the Temple Gopuram, embedded with 2500 Nos. of 1' diameter crystals. During day time, when direct Sun Light falls on the crystals, the same is converted into a beautiful Rainbow pattern. In the evening, the crystals are illuminated by 27 Watt LED lights, each crystal disseminating 16 colour combination lights, forming 138 patterns. The temple roof is fitted with a Sun Tracking System having 2 vertical and 2 horizontal sun light sensors, which position themselves to face the Sun from morning till evening and track maximum Sun rays at any given point of time during the day. The Sun rays thus tracked are directed on to the main deity, from any direction, enabling Surya Kirana Abhisheka to Lord Shanmukha from sunrise to sunset.

We had the good fortune of meeting Lord Shiva’s entire family, starting with Panchmukhi Ganapathi seated on a lion. This is truly a rare sculpture, because Ganesh’s vahana is his inseparable mouse. As we climbed the stairs to the Arunachaleshwara temple, we had to go past Nagarakatte and the giant sized Trishul and Damroo of Lord Shiva, painted bright yellow, visible from afar. The Shivalinga was amazing: Spatika Shivalinga carved out of crystal clear crystal. Unlike the other ancient temples in the South, This one is very spacious and can even accommodate more than 100 to 150 people on auspicious days when the footfalls are very high. As we entered through the main entrance to our left was an idol of Chandikeshwara. As told in the puranas, Chandikeshwara occupies the foremost position in the worship of Lord Shiva as we can get the blessings of the Lord only through him. He is in a constant state of deep meditation not realizing who comes to the temple. But, he is a person who keeps records of our visit to the temple and so it is customary to snap your fingers or gently clap thrice while uttering Lord Shiva’s name close to his idol, so that he realizes our presence, take his blessings and then proceed to seek the Lord’s blessings.

To his left is Goddess Parvathi – the divine mother! We seek her blessings and then climb to the main deity’s sanctum – Shrungagiri Shanmukha, second son of Lord Shiva. Referred to as God of war and protector of earth, he is also known as Karthikeya or Murugan or Subramanya. The main idol of Subramanya has six faces with three visible as we face the deity. And as we circumambulate, it is possible to see the balance three faces from a window at the back side of the sanctum. Beautifully carved and tastefully decorated with flowers we seek the blessings of Lord Subramanya and his two wives, SriValli and Devasena.

The unique thing about this temple is its giant Gopuram with six faces. The six faces represent the six rays or six attributes; Wisdom, Detachment, Strength, Fame, Wealth and Divinity.

There is a newly constructed hall close the temple, where an idol of Adi Shankaracharya has been placed for people to pay respects to the Jagat Guru. His life story in the form of paintings adorns the walls of this massive hall – certainly a place to spend some time… Just a few hundred steps from this hall is the abode of Gramadevathe: Karumariamman Temple. Visit to Shanmukha Temple is not complete without visiting this amman kovil.

True tales are stranger than fiction!

I just watched Deepak Ramola's 'Allow yourself to be stupid sometimes' on YouTube, and this took me back to my most recent Mumbai - Bengaluru trip. I was at Mumbai airport trying to kill an hour or so before the flight departure from the swanky and not-so-new terminal.

I was sitting and watching a vendor replenishing the stock in a vending machine. It took him almost an hour to replace the old unsold stock with fresh stock and once done, he checked whether the controls were in place and then moved on to the next vending machine down the same aisle.

I made my way to the vending machine to see if there was anything interesting; something that would not cost more than 20 Indian rupees as I had just those two ten rupee notes in my purse. I found an item - a chocolate bar for Rs 20. I inserted the first Ten Rupee note (the old design, which is longer and wider than the new ten rupees note recently introduced). The counter accepted and credited me Rs 10. My next ten rupee note was from the new series. The moment I inserted this note into the slot, it spat out the note...it literally flew out of the machine, in a way chastising and telling me nonchalantly, "do not insert fake notes". Not wanting to feel defeated by an AI, I inserted the same note once again, but this time I was prepared to catch the note if the AI spat it out. And, it did...I was ready for it and with some awkward movements of my torso and a back-pack perched on my shoulder, I was able to catch it. I guess it was a pretty comical sight watching a 59 years old grey haired person struggling with a simple vending machine. How stupid can anybody get!!

I was now pretty confident that the new series of Ten Rupee note was not programmed in the control panel, so the next best thing was to ask someone walking past me in the aisle to exchange the new with an old note. I started asking loudly to a few passersby if they would be willing to exchange an old with a new...out of curiosity, a few did come forward to understand my problem, they delved into their purse only to discover that none of them had an old ten rupee note. I am quite sure most would have taken me for a glorified street urchin asking for money...but, it was nice to know that I had company...most people do not carry cash...plastic money has become so commonplace here in India that there is no need to make your hip pocket bulky. In a manner of speaking, I wasn't really feeling out of place!!

My problem wasn't getting solved either. I kept at my job of asking all passersby to check their purse and help me by exchanging their old for my new note. When I was finally on the verge of giving up and letting go, along came a youngster, who said, "Uncle, why don't you try with coins?" Not having cash itself was a bit embarrassing, where was the question of having coins? He said, "Uncle, don't worry, use the coins that I have!" Between the two of us we could garner Rs 5 in coins. I profusely thanked him and gave him my new Rupees Ten note and told him to keep the change!

I inserted the coins and finally saw a credit of Rs 15 on display screen! For this amount, it was only a 500 ml bottle of water that the vending machine could offer. I settled for it and was able to get a bottle of Bailey's water from the vending machine!

After all the sweat by allowing myself to be stupid at times albeit unknowingly, water was probably the only stuff that could quench my thirst and bring a smile on my otherwise stressed out face.

On hindsight, it was really nice talking to strangers and the sheer variety strange looks each one gave me...I could probably recall their expressions and write many more blogs...

Was this a Dream?

Was this a Dream?

My wife and I attended a program organised by Ashwath's family in December 2015. While I had put my thoughts together, I had not posted the same in my blogspot. I chanced upon this written article and decided to post it. The thoughts are still relevant today, three years later and does really bring back memories from the past to the present! 

“Tamboori” – this word brings a flood of memories in the minds of Dr C Aswath’s millions of fans around the world. This was his signature ‘final’ song in each of his live performances. It was hence befitting to have called the musical evening by this name by his family when they decided to hold a program in his memory on 12^th December 2015. While we lost one of the most eminent and prolific Kannada Sugama Sangeetha exponents six years back, the legend lives on in the minds of the people, his millions of fans, his core group of artists who had accompanied him through thick and thin and last but not the least, his extended family.

The entire team from his erstwhile troupe who agreed to put together and perform for the audience on 12^th did an exemplary job and we had the eerie feeling that Aswath was around somewhere in the backstage, guiding and motivating his artists to give their one hundred percent. Towards half way into the musical evening when the recorded version of Aswath’s song “Shalmala” – from his most successful live performance “Kannadave Sathya”  was played, there was absolute pin drop silence in the hall and one could hear a quick intake of breadth – an involuntary action when there is a catch in the throat. People were with him when he rendered this song in his inimitable style then and today it was as if history had repeated itself. With a packed audience in the R V Dental college auditorium and not an inch of space left, we suddenly got the feeling that he was around somewhere. The rapturous applause he received now was in no way lesser than the thunderous applause he received during Kannadave Sathya, held in Palace ground amidst a record Lakh and Twenty Thousand die-hard fans.

We are sure,  Aswath, would have been proud of his family for having put together such a fine program, and all this…without a formal induction or training on organizational skills required to combine the various pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that happens backstage to make any program a grand success. It requires weeks and  months of planning and organizing to ensure that every angle is covered to a perfection! A stickler for ‘Perfection,’ Aswath demanded and got 100% from each member of his troupe; hence this program “Tamboori” organized by his family as a mark of respect and remembrance would have been particularly significant to him! Wherever he is, the thought that he could have used his near and dear ones more often for their amazing organizational skills must be crossing his mind!  

H S Venkatesh Murthy articulated so very well in his brief recollections of life and times with Dr C Aswath. He said, Aswath is the ‘one’ music composer who brought out the depth and range of the poetry through his musical compositions and one could visualize the situations or the people and theme in their inner mind and heart. Each of the listeners present in his ‘Live’ performances visualized in that ‘moment’ in a manner that was completely their own emotional feelings…a connection that each individual could bring to life from their own personal experiences, past and present. This was the uniqueness of Aswath’s music compositions! There wasn’t a parallel during his days and I guess, there isn’t one as we live in the present! HS continued to add that Aswath, while singing to  any audience, be it large or small or even in a close circle amongst friends and family, there was this depth that couldn’t be separated from him.

His fans and the packed full houses in all his live performances had been his source of strength and perhaps the reason for his tremendous success. He loved his audience in much the same way as a Guru would love his students in a Gurukul…fiercely protective but at the same time giving them all that he had. And the audience reciprocated in much the same way, crying when he became emotional, whilst  singing and dancing with ecstasy on a fast number like “Shravana Banthu Shravana”. T N Seetharam, a very close and dear friend did mention this point in his short speech. He said that he was so enchanted with the rendering of this song that it made him feel why we should not have all the twelve months as Shravana! Having directed the most successful TV serial “Mukta-Mukta”, he had asked Aswath to compose and sing the music for the title song. In a magnanimous gesture he said people watched the serial because they wanted to listen to Aswath’s title track.

Long gone, yet having the magical power to draw people and family together…can only be the mark of a Legendary Genius – A shining Star! Not just the one in the sky, but in each of our hearts!