Dasari's of South India

Castes and tribes of South India

Dasari's

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Dasari's are the mendicants of Vaishnava orientation they dont belong to a particular caste and the story how they end up as Dasari is quiet surprising...

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The family head, one being devoid of an offspring, vowes if he be blessed with children would devote one of his child to the service of his god. He subsequently gets many sons, one of whom he names 'Dasan' (Servant of God) dedicating him entirely to God. A Dasan is forfeited all claim to participate in his father's estate & subsequently his offspring are therefore all beggars. They usually wander about singing hymns playing a leather instrument called tappai.  All Dasaris are Vaishnavites & admission to the community is obtained by being branded (Mudra affixation) by a Vaishnavite guru. They live by begging from door to door, the profession is almost hereditary in some families. The five insignia of a Dasari are the conch shell, which he blows to announce his arrival; the gong which he strikes as he goes his rounds; the tall iron lamp which he keeps lighted as he begs; the brass or copper vessel affixed with Vaishnavite symbols, suspended from his shoulder, in which he receives alms; & the small metal image of Hanumān, which he hangs round his neck. Of these, the iron lamp is at once the most conspicuous and the most indispensable. It is said to represent Lord Venkateshvara. Dasaris also subsist by doing pooja's at ceremonial and festival occasions.

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Source: Excerpts taken from the "Castes and tribes of southern India" 

by Edgar Thurston, & K Rangachari

Publication date 1909 Publisher Madras : Government Press

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A typical south Indian home in the 50s Before the festival of lights Diwali

A typical south Indian home in the 50s Before the festival of lights Diwali; 

As the Madisar Clad Granny & Mom duo prepare Delicacies for Diwali over the traditional kumpty stove, the kids watch with awe waiting to savour the delicacies, whereas the unmarried young grandaughter watches the making learning the trade from granny, the new dresses bought for Diwali are laid on table & the head of the house combing his hair in the adjacent room set to go out, the sweet being made today in the iron kadai is Somaas with Kara sev and murukku for savoury..The prepared savouries are kept in brass vessels to help them aerate the heat thereby preventing development of moisture..

King Mahabali and Dwarf Vamana

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King Mahabali and Dwarf Vamana

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Mahabali was a very great and generous King who ruled present days Kerala, He never said no to any one. To test it Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf priest named Vamana, visits his palace asking for a piece of land. The generous King said, he could have as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin said that he just wanted land measured by his three steps. The King is surprised by the strange request and agrees. A courtier of the King, sensed some impending danger & warned the king. But King Mahabali stood by his words asking Vamana to go ahead.  Vamana assumes humongous form, so that With his first step the whole earth was covered and with his second step he measured the whole of the skies. Then he asked King Mahabali where is the space for him to keep his third step.

The King realised that his third step will destroy the earth and its beings, So with folded hands the King bowed before Vamana and asked him to place his last step on his head, so that he could keep the promise. Vamana placed his foot on the head of the King and pushed him to Patala logha. There Lord Vishnu then manifested before the King and blessed him. King Mahabali was pleased to see his lord. The King was so much attached with his country and people that he requested to be allowed to visit Kerala at least once in a year. Lord Vishnu was moved by the Kings nobility & granted his wish. It is the very day of the visit of King Mahabali to his Country - Kerala, Onam festival is celebrated to commemorate the kings return by decorating their homes by floral patterns called as Pookalam and prepare Onam Sadhya a sumptuous feast fit for the king, so that when the king comes to his kingdom everywhere there is joy and celebration so that the king is happy to see his kingdom is prosperous the way he left it and He blesses his subjects with abundance and returns back to Padal Logha...

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Damayanthi's Lamentations .

Damayanthi's Lamentations .

Damayanthi to Hamsa: "Immensely fascinated by hearing the virtues of the acclaimed king Nala, I am meditating arduously on his unknown form, Deep stricken by the sharp arrows projected from the Kama Devas sugarcane bow, heaving deep sighs, I have become wan and distraught, This anguish, waxing day by day, I haven't revealed even to my friends,  Do not delay, dear swan, but go at once to the King Nala and tell him everything about my love for him, seeking an appropriate time for us to unite as one"

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The great poet Kalidasa was the first one to bring in the theme of a Non human charecter as a messenger between two seperated lovers in Megadoota ( Mega - Cloud + Doota - Messenger) which is none other than the Swan Hamsa, this concept later become a popular theme in poetry, where using even inanimate objects like natural elements like breeze, rain, leaf were used to transmit, convey and portray love messages. The swan messenger is one such example and a classic representation., which was later visualised and immortalised by Raja Ravi Varma portray the beautiful Damayanthi and the bird exchange confidences .

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Raja Ravi varma has exactly pinned down the image as per description in the stories as Damayanthi was the most unparalleled beauty in History and the portrayal was so beautiful that Damayanthi was the most highly reproduced work of art which decorates innumerable house walls in India

Seperation : Celestial Nymph Urvasi and Earth Bound King Pururava

Seperation : Celestial Nymph Urvasi and Earth Bound King Pururava

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An Emotional Drama by Poet Kalidasa and Art by the Painter Prince Raja Ravi Varma .

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The Story line:

Urvasi was one among the most beautiful Celestial nymphs of Lord Indra, owing to a curse bestowed upon her, she was deemed to pass certain period on Earth, in human form forgetting her past, while in her sojourn on earth, She became the favourite mistress of King Pururava of Pratisthana country.  When the prescribed period of her humiliation was over, she gains back the senses of her original self & suddenly rises up into the air and soon disappears into the skies.. When she began to go away from her earthly protector, King Pururava, in vain attempts to detain her and drag her down..

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For her its just an another day as she happily see him off, but on the other hand for Him - She was "Everything" and He Loved her so truly that he wasnt able bear her leaving him, a broke man he takes it so keen to his heart her leaving and trembles in pain holding his chest with one hand and her robe in the other trying in vain to stop her and hold her close to his heart...Shown here is the emotional cocktail...

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"Bagiratha Prayathan" : The Descent of the Ganges to the Earth by the great efforts of Bagiratha

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"Bagiratha Prayathan" : The Descent of the Ganges to the Earth by the great efforts of Bagiratha

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Bhagiratha the King turned sage is credited in bringing the Holy river Ganga to earth, he did this to get his ancestors freed from the curse & gain a place in the Pitru Loka. It was due to the continued efforts of Bhagiratha which made river Ganga to decend down to earth.. He performed severe penance towards Ganga, Pleased Ganga presented herself before Bhagiratha asking for his wish, Bhagiratha told her about the fate of his ancestors & that they can attain Pitru Loka just by her touch..On agreeing to his desire, she said that she would be descending to earth with terrific speed so that it would reach the nether world the Patala loka., wasting all his efforts & then It was found that only Lord Siva could control the speed of descending Ganga, so he decided to request the Lord to help him..Bhagiratha again performed severe penance towards Lord Siva which is famously known as "Bagiratha Prayathana"..Pleased by his will the Lord appeared before Bhagiratha who requested the Lord to receive the speeding Goddess Ganga in his matted locks & release her slowly.

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Lord Siva stood firm with raised chest, two hands firmly supported on his hip and other two hands on the back with his ‘Trisul’ held horizontally..Ganga descended down thundering with great force on Shiva's head & disappeared in the matted locks of the Lord to reappear through a branch of his matted hair with gentle flow...Rest is history

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Vadapatra saye : The Lord who sleeps on the banyan tree leaf..

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Vadapatra saye :

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Vadapatra saye : The Lord who sleeps on the banyan tree leaf..

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The Lord who sleeps on the banyan tree leaf..

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During the Maha Pralayam - The Universal Deluge, Lord Vishnu takes the form of a small baby afloat on a tender banyan leaf over the cosmic waters, swallowing the universe along with its beings for safe keeping, to release them safely after the Pralayam to continue the life forms and its creative cycle

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Krishna's Mischief

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When Shri Krishna was a kid, he habitually used to eat soil. One day, his mother Yashodha caught him red handed concealing soil in his mouth, so she tied his hands in silk robe and asked whether he was eating soil. but Shri Krishna lied that he wasn't eating soil. To find out the truth, she asked Krishna to open his mouth., When he opened mouth, Yashodha was startled to find the whole universe inside, which made her go unconscious...

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Seen here is beautiful depiction by Raja Ravi Varma and the Subjects in the picture are Krishna, Yashodha  and Balarama..

Gopuls Cartoons depicting life in days of yore

A typical South Indian family home in 60's..The father leaves to his office carrying the files from which page markers protrude out, dressed in formal suit with a pen & Spectacle frame in his coat pocket, but still in traditional hairdo, pierced ears with Kadukan (ear hoop stud) & Religious mark of viboothi on forehead along with a Topi in his hand, A jasmine flower tucked in ear lobe, He carries water in a bottle hung in a home knit bottle sling, his wife in traditional madisar saree prepares the betel paan as his younger son feeds it to dad, while his elder daughter witnesses the scenario with much delight..

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The wall has photos of kiddos displayed in an old home made frame, the wooden chime clock tells the time of the day, on to the right hangs the deceased elders photo, a round yellow light tungsten bulb hangs vertical overhead whose light rays are focussed down using ceramic decor shade, the betel box with its contents lay open in a collapsible wooden chair, the bits of betel debris on the floor, on the wall a collapsible cloth hanger houses an old umbrella which doubles as a walking stick, and a versatile cloth bag which holds paper documents, even the coir floor mat displays its hospitality by the words 'Welcome' on it...

Good Old days we all long for....

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Classic masterpiece art of Mr Gopulu for Ananda Vikatan Tamil Weekly Magazine

Gajendra Moksha or Gaja Mukthi

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Gajendra Moksha or Gaja Mukthi

The Liberation of Gajendra the elephant king is a mythical legend stated in the 8th chapter of the Bhagavata Puraṇa. This story was narrated by Sri Suka to Emperor Parikshit  In this episode, Gajaendra the elephant comes to quench his thirst along with its herd to a lake, where it gets trapped by the crocodile living in the waters, however it tried in vain Gajendhra was unable to free himself from the clutches prays to Lord Vishnu with a lotus from the pond as an offering, moved by the cries Lord descends down to earth and kills the crocodile and protect Gajendra and helps him achieve moksha, or salvation..

Churning the cosmic ocean..

We all know the famous story of gods & demons standing opposite sides churn the milky ocean using Mountain as a churner, the snake as a rope and pivoting the hill in place over Kurma's back for a grip., in order to obtain the Amrita, to regain back their lost powers, but what we are unaware is that on churning the milky cosmic ocean - fourteen wonderful treasures that became the prototypes for their earthly & heavenly counterparts were brought up from the depths, the order in which they energed are as follows

1. Chandra, the moon,

2. Parijata the wish fulfiling tree 

3. Airavata, Indra’s white elephant,

4. Surabhu, the cow of plenty

5. Sura, the goddess of wine, who became Varuni, the wife of Varuna

6. Alaghala Visha the poision spit by the snake drank by Shiva

7. Rambha the Apsaras (celestial dancer)

8. Uccaihshravas - The celestial horse

9. Goddess Lakshmi 

10. Panchajanya, Vishnu’s conch

11. Dhanus the mighty bow

12. Kaustuba a jewel made of Various gems

13. Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, who rose up out of the waters carrying in his hands the supreme treasure, the amrita.

14. Amrita .

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Mohini

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Mohini and Bhasmasura

Bhasmasura a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, He undertakes a harsh penance. Lord Shiva, pleased by his will promises to grant his wish. Bhasmasura asks the power that anyone whose head is touched with his hand should burn into Ashes (Bhasma - Ash and Asura - Demon)

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With his newly acquired power Bhasmasura unleashes it against the world. Even he wanted to try it on Lord Shiva the granter of the power, So everyone prayed to Lord Vishnu to help. Vishnu takes the form of Mohini a damsel with divine beauty & meets Bhasmasura. Mohini was of unparalleled  beauty that Bhasmasura immediately fell head over heel in love with Mohini.

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Bhasmasura asks her hand in marriage,  Mohini tells him that she would only marry a person who would match her dance steps exactly, Bhasmasura agreed and they start dancing during which suddenly, Mohini, strikes a pose with her hand atop her own head. As Bhasmasura imitated her without thinking of his boon, he was tricked into touching his own head & ac Bhasmasura immediately burnt up and turned into ashes, due to the power he had recently gained..Lord Shiva watches the scene hiding behind a nearby tree..

Usha's Dream

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Usha's Dream:

Usha was the beautiful daughter of King Banasura (Asura king), one night she had a dream, in which She met a very handsome young man, whom she had never seen before., in morning she was in tears, her friend Chitralekha asked the reason and she narrated the dream and as she could not find who he was, Chitralekha said to usha "Dont worry I had learnt the art of painting from Sage Naradha and i will paint all the Gods & kings on the face of earth  and every human being reputed to be handsome and you can tell me which one you saw in dream"

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Chitralekha began to paint Devas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Charanas, Pannangas, Daityas, Vidyadharas, Yakshas, Saints, Sages., etc For every one Usha shook her head and said: "Not he, My lord was much more handsome than this". And so it went on. .

Chitralekha now began to paint the kings on earth. House after House was rejected by the princess. When she came to the house of the Yadhava's, Usha said: "Wait there is some resemblance to My lord. Who is this?" .

It was Vasudeva.. Chitralekha then painted Balarama and Krishna. The resemblance was more pronounced, according to Usha, specially when Krishna was painted. Chitralekha finally painted the picture of Aniruddha & from the blush on the face of Usha, she knew that this was the man. .

She smiled at Usha & said: "Now that I know who has stolen your heart, I will steal him & bring him to you." .

Night had fallen. Chitralekha well versed in advanced Yoga levitation flew in the air, reached Dwarakha, entered the palace found Aniruddha sleeping alone on a cot. She lifted him bodily & brought him to Shonitapura & left him by the side of Usha

Shantanu and Ganga

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King Shantanu and Ganga..

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King Shantanu fell in love with Ganga & proposed her. She agreed on a condition that he would not question her acts., she gave birth to a son, she drowned the child in river. Shantanu could not ask the reason due to his promise, One after other, 7 sons were born to them all were drowned by Ganga. When Ganga was about to drown the eighth son, King Shantanu confronted her. Finally, Ganga explained about a curse given to her, that her children were cursed to be born on earth and drowned, except the 8th child who will live a long life but to never have a wife or children, he would be virtuous, conversant with all the holy scriptures, obedient son to his father.  She added that she will take him to the heavens & send him back at right moment. With these words she disappeared along with the child, while  grief struck Shantanu tried to stop her in vain, tormented with the thought of spending the rest of his life without her...That Child was none other than the great Bhishma..

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Raja Ravi varma Painting

Krishna's Love

Krishna's Love

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Krishna said "Everyone says that I am complete bliss, full of raga's. All the world derives pleasure from Me. Is there anyone who can give Me pleasure? One who has a hundred times more qualities than Me could give pleasure to My mind. One who is more qualified than Me is impossible to find in the material world. But in Radha alone, I feel the presence of one who can give Me pleasure. Although my beauty defeats the beauty of ten million Cupid's, although it is unequalled & unsurpassed, and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Radha, gives pleasure to My eyes. The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the sweet words of Radha. And although My touch is cooler than ten million moons, I am refreshed by the touch of Radha. Thus, although I am the source of happiness for the entire world, the beauty and attributes of Radha are My life and soul" .

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Ravivarma's Subjects

Raja Ravi Varma's Subjects

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Raja Ravi varma was very choosy in selecting the type of women with traits that approximated his heroines of the classical Indian poetry, more especially from the neo classical Manipravada schools of Malayalam in which the sensuous, even erotic, adornation of the feminine charm is the dominant theme..

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He found this in his own people especially from the matrilineal Nair community women., from which the men of higher castes took their wives, he painted them in great variety of works at their bathing ghat, on the swing, or at siesta, playing musical instruments, listening to gossips, at vigils, at trysts, temples and merged them to charecters in Puranas, Itihasa, Godesses, Legends and imparted life and gave a face to them through his master strokes and in fact it was through his portrayal most of the hindu gods are personified and still worshipped..

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Ravi varma draped most of his heroines in the saree and it is a tribute to his aesthetic sense that it was a charm of his heroines draped in the saree that persuaded, to a great extent, the young women hood of those period in India to take to this costume as their national dress., Even the women of Kerala who were long habituated to the white mundu took to the saree with enthusiasm...

Tilottama - The Celestial Apsaras

Tilottama: Apsaras at the ball game by Raja Ravi Varma c.1900s

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Tilottama was Lord Indra's renowned Apsaras - A Mythical Heavenly Courtesan She was sent by Indra to earth for creating discord between the two brothers Sunda & Upsunda, whose fraternal love was so strong, together they were so powerful that Indra feared they might depose him any moment...

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Tilottama played her appointed part very well, She approached them & each brother fell for her Charm claiming her for his own & alas their bonding broke, they started fighting and at last they ended up killing each other.....Tilottama went back to Indra loga with the news of her success in completing the given job..

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Seen here is Tilottama playing ball game at the garden.. .

Markandeya - The Immortal

Makandeya 

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Markandeya is one among the important immortals in Hindu mythology., He was born through a boon given by Lord Shiva to a Saintly couple who had no heir for long time, and when the Lord appeared before them two choices were given One is a Son who will live a long life but will be a bad charectered and Other will be a son who will be a gem of a person but would live only 16 years, the couple chose the later..As time rolled the fateful day came on his 16th Birthday where Yama the god of death came to take the boys life, Markandeya was praying to lord Shiva and Yama threw his Noose which encircled both Shiva Ling and Markandeya, Enraged Shiva appeared out of the Shiva Linga and Yama got feared and all the gods trembled and came to pacify Shiva and to save Yama from his wrath, Then Shiva blessed Markandeya with Always 16 Boon, and it is said that Markandeya is a great Chiranjivi, one whose body always appears young, beautiful and saintly on account of his boon granted by Lord Shiva to be 16 Forever. Markandeya has thus become the synonym for longer life. The blessing of the elderly even today is, “May you live like Markandeya, forever youthful and beautiful" Hindus believe that even now he is living somewhere in the earth..

Nala Damayanti

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Lamentations of Nala:

King Nala was the son of Nishada King while Damayanti was the daughter of Vidarba King. Both Nala and Damayanthi had no equal in beauty, and on continually hearing of each others virtues through the swan messenger Hamsa, they developed an infatuation for each other which later developed in to love ending in marriage..

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Unfortunately Nala was so fond of dice game, and lost everything in the game. They were banished from their kingdom by the machinations  of Kali, and went to live in the outskirts of the city. .

Eventually their circumstances become so dire, that they had to share the same cloth for attire. To save Damayanthi from this situation, one night, while she was asleep, Nala tore the cloth they shared in a way leaving her with most of it so that she may return to her father and live in comfort..

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Nala and Damayanthi through Raja Ravi varma's eyes .

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Radha Krishna Love

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Radha Krishna Love

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Krishna plays the flute on hearing this all the gopis start dancing around,However Krishna's eyes longingly search for Radha, While the whole universe yearned for Krishna & his Love, He yearned for Radha's Love. Krishna was the most beautiful but Radha was more gorgeous & surpassed him in every way, she had the purest heart, truest love for him & she often made him feel heaven on earth merely by her presence. While every women was running behind Krishna he was running behind Radha to gain her audience, but the major set back was that Radha was already taken in marriage. The worst barrier ever in a love story. While she struggled in vain to hide her feelings for Krishna & tried to love her husband but it wasnt happening as Love was the purest feel one could get only once, that too on one person, for her that had already blossomed for Krishna. As every act of her husband made her long for Krishna more intensely, Eventually, she accepted her Love was for Krishna as she found out the fact that her love for Krishna would never diminish & couldnt be transended on to someone else. She thought about Krishna every second of her life. However, Krishna was then a King with a family and had duties to fulfill. So he never married Radha & even was not able to meet her after he left Gokula., but there doesnt end the story as Love isn’t about being married or being with someone constantly in a physical nearness, but in fact Love is something  connected by soul. That’s exactly what Radha and Krishna were experiencing, They thought about each other every moment of their lives that they became one soul in two bodies.. The bonding has been so strongly established such that one cannot say Krishna without saying Radha, and cannot say Radha without thinking of Krishna. And even Krishna's legally married wife's dint get that recognition, we never say Bama krishna or Rukmini Krishna, That is the recognition Krishna gave Radha - above all. At last Radha came to Krishna, stayed with him in disguise and died at his lap listening to his divine flute & that was the last time Krishna played the flute after which he broke it throwing itaway - a tribute to his pure love for her

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Vamakali - The one who stamped Shiva

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VamaKali

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Vamakali is typically shown with her left foot stamping violently on Shiva's chest., this depiction of Shiva is refered in many cultures as Shava the corpse. Vamakali is usually worshipped by non-householders who undertake austere rituals. The pose of Kali shows the conclusion of an episode in which Kali uncontrollably rampaging after destroying many demons and consuming them in blood and flesh. All the gods fearing that Kali would not stop until she destroyed the world, run to Shiva to pacify her, but all his attempts failed at last he could only think of one way to pacify her. He laid down on the battlefield under her fierce stampede so that she would have to step on him. Kali seeing her consort crushed under her foot, Kali realized that she had gone too far, and calms down...

Faith...

Faith

A pure act of unparalleled devotion and faith..Seen here is Thinna Replacing the second eye to lord Shiva and since after amputation he would totally rendered vision less to perform the feat he uses his feet to mark the location of the eye and when he is about to amputate the second eye lord shiva appears out of the linga and stops him..And rest is history of ordinary Tinna elated to highest order in Saivaism as one of the Nayanar to be fondly called Kannappa Nayanar

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The incident occurred at Sri Kalahasthi in Present days Andhrapradesh and there is a dedicated shrine housing Kannappa Lingam top of the hill adjacent to the Main Twmple of Sri Kalahasthi

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East India Company painting documentation painting 1900s property of the Victoria and Albert museum London .

Saint Tukaram leaves to heaven

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Saint Tukaram leaves to heaven..

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Saint Tukaram, also referred to as Sant Tukaram, Bhakta Tukaram, Tukaram Maharaj, Tukobaand Tukobaraya, was a Hindu poet and sant of  Bhakti movement in 17th Century, He was a part of the egalitarian, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition in Maharastra. Tukaram is best known for his devotional poetry Abhanga &  community-oriented worship with spiritual songs known as kirtans. His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. He was a Grihasta Sant (A Saint leading Family Life)

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One day Tukaram called all his disciples and told them that he will be going to Vaikuntam - Lord Vishnus abode on an appointed Chaitra - Krishna - Dvithiya day in 1706, asking them to meet him at the banks of the Indrayani river on that day, His family, disciples all gathered singing kirtan, Lord Vitthala sent his Garuda Viman and Tukaram boarded it in his Human form and the whole village saw him depart wishing him farewell... .

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Dharba Sayana Rama

Darbha Sayana Rama

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Ravana's brother Vibheeshana surrenders to Lord Ram, he narrates the plight of Sita as a prisoner in Raavana's Ashoka Vana., on hearing this tormented Lord Ram decides to act swift

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Lord Ram undertakes a fast reclining on the auspicious Darbha grass bed at the banks of Sethu river, addressing Varuna the lord of the sea to help him find a way to cross the sea., Varuna asks him to build a bridge across the sea with boulders in the route he shows,  the rest is history... Seen here is the Lord Ram reclining on the Darbha grass surrounded by his faithful few, Ram in this posture is called as the Darbha Sayana Ramar ( Darbha - Variety of grass, Sayana - Reclining) .

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A temple is dedicated to commemorate this event in Thirupulani, Tamilnadu., where the main deity is in reclining pose over Dharbha grass., and the place is itself named in Tamil as Thirupulani (Thiru - Holy, Pul - Grass, Ani - Reclining) after the above incident. The temple is one of the most important Divyadesas in the Vaishnava Sampradaya owing to the doctrine of Surrender

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On account of Vibheshana's surrender, Lord Ram explains his stand, ‘I cannot reject anyone who comes to me for protection. This is my dharma. Even If Raavan himself came to me, I would not reject him., So how can I reject his brother who has done me no wrong.’ .

As he accepts all who, in absolute surrender, seek shelter at his feet. Their sins are burnt out by the mere act of surrender. .

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Andal Nachiyar

Andal - The Girl who bound Lord in Garland
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Periyazhwar was a staunch devotee of Vadabadrasayee Perumal of Srivilliputhur who offered his prayers to the Lord every day. One day he found a baby girl under a tulsi plant in his Garden in the month of Aadi in Puram Star on a Tuesday 1300 years back, Periyazhwar named her “Kodhai” (Andal), who grew up as an ardent devotee of Lord Perumal. Her Bhakthi, transformed into love to such an extent that she wanted to marry the Lord
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Periyazhwar used to make tulsi garland to offer it to the Lord. One day innocent Andal took the garland, adorned herself to see in the mirror whether she would be a suitable bride to the lord. One day a strand of her hair was struck to the garland & Periyazhwar found this act done Andal, got furious with her made another fresh garland & offered it to the God. To his surprise, the garland fell down from the God's shoulders. He heard a divine voice “Why didn’t you offer me the garland worn by Andal? I want to adorn the garland worn by her. She is not a mere mortal. She is born for me”
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Periyazhwar then offered the garland which was worn by Andal, God accepted it. Thereafter he garlanded the Lord everyday, after trying it first with Andal. Even today its practiced that the garland is offered first to the Aandal at Sri Villiputhur in Tamilnadu, the same is removed & sent to Thirupathi in Andhra to adorn the Lord during Brahmotsavam. .
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When Andal attained age of marriage, she was too fascinated with Lord Ranganathar of Sri Rangam as she has heard about him from her father., She was stubborn on marrying the Lord, Periyazhwar meditated to God without knowing what to do. God appeared in his dreams and said not to hesitate to get his daughter married to him. God also made him realize that Andal was none other than Bhudevi herself. Aandal was carried in a palanquin to Sri Rangam and she entered the inner shrine of Sri Ranganathar and merged in to the idol....
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#indiantiquest #simplesoulstories #andal

Outcomes of the Mahabharata war

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Outcomes of the Mahabharata war: Gandhari's curse that lead to Krishnas Death..

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Krishna remembers Gandharis curse, the time has come, omens started appearing - Krishna's Sanga, Chakra & Chariot disappears from earth, Balaramas plough weapon disappears, Yadu clan gets lost in ecstasy forgets morality, disrespect elders, Sambha, Krishna's son gets curse to give birth to an iron mace which will lead to destruction of their clan, to avoid the curse the mace was ground to a fine powder except for a small triangular piece of metal, all were dissolved in river, that triangular piece was swallowed by a fish which was caught by a hunter & he makes it his arrow head, the dissolved powders gets deposited in river side grass blades become mace & Yadu boys playfully pulled the blades of grass fought & killed each other, all his son's & relatives were killed, Krishna recollected prediction of Rishi Durvasa that His death lies in his foot. Meanwhile Balarama sits in meditation & leaves his body, a serpent comes out of his mouth & reaches heaven (It is adisesha). Alone, tired & exhausted Krishna laid down under a tree, the hunter Jara who has made the arrow out of the cursed mace piece mistook the beautiful foot of Krishna as a deer & shot that lethal arrow piercing in Krishna’s foot - the vulnerable part. Soon the hunter realises his mistake & pleades the lord for forgiveness. Lord Krishna consoles him that his death was inevitable. Krishna says that in his previous birth as Ram he killed Vaali from behind a tree. So, Krishna has now reaped the price for the same through the hunter who was Vaali in his previous birth. This story tells us the fact that, even for the God's, Law's of Karma remains the same. Lord Krishna leaves the mortal world from which Kaliyuga started, Arjuna reaches the spot burns the remains & performs final rites for his beloved Sarathy..

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