The Shankha-kshetra of Puri

- By Aishwarya Javalgekar

The famous Puri Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) was held this July in Orissa. As I was reading up on the festival, I came across a very interesting image.

A conch shaped map of Puri's places of worship

But first let me give you a short introduction. Jagannath is an important deity of Orissa. The Jagannath temple in Puri is also the abode of his siblings, Baladeva and Subhadra. These three deities are carried in three enourmous chariots during the Rath Yatra.

According to the article I read, the region of Puri is shaped like a conch, and is called Shankha-kshetra. Similarly Bhubaneshwar is called Chakra-kshetra and Konark is named Padma-kshetra, all representing attributes of the Hindu god Vishnu.

As you can see in the picture, the temple of Jagannath stands at the heart of the conch, which acts like a map of Puri itself. Around the temple are numerous temples, shrines, trees and other religious sites.  There are approximately 115 such sacred spots scattered around the Jagannath temple, connected to the temple through a network of roads like a spiderweb.

I am not sure if the places drawn on the image are to scale. It is nevertheless a beautiful

visual of the Shankha-kshetra.

If you want to know more about the Rath Yatra, you can read our article here.

The Lucknow School of Miniature Painting

This beautiful piece called 'Ascetics resting in a camp beside a Shrine' is a Mughal miniature painting from the Lucknow School. Created in the 1820s, it currently resides in the Mittal Museum of Hyderabad alongwith minature paintings from different schools across the country.

The Mughal style of miniature painting emerged in India during the 16th century. A blend of Persian, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist influences, the style developed in Mughal courts. It later spread to all courts, leading to the formation of different schools of Indian miniature painting.

The Lucknow School painted in the Mughal tradition, with some Rajput influences. This style of painting was popular till the 1800s, but declined slowly after the demise of the Awadhi Nawab Asaf-ud Daula. Later the school developed with European influences during the reign of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula. By the end of the 18th century, the Lucknow school had become a Indo-European style of miniature painting.

'Ascetics resting in a camp beside a Shrine' c. 1825-30

Even today in many parts of the country, you can see groups of bairagis (ascetics) gathered together. Look at all the skin colours and the costumes that the artist has represented in this painting; showcasing the diversity of the bairagis. 

Update - Scaffolding at the Taj Mahal

A few weeks back we had put up a post about the restoration work going on at the Taj Mahal, with a picture of the scaffolding on it pillars. Here's the picture:

We now have been told that this scaffolding would most probably remain for the rest of the year. They are also putting up new scaffolding on the central body of the structure.

Here's a picture of the scaffolding as of 9th August, 2016.

We'll keep posting new updates here. 

Veeragallu - The Hero Stones of Karnataka

by Karishma Shah

Hero worship is a popular theme across mainstream Indian cinema. Films typically portray heroes as a saviour of the masses, someone who is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Such morals and sentiments may seem misplaced in the modern world, but between the 5th and 13th centuries AD, these sacrificial qualities were worthy of commemoration. Memorial stones were erected to immortalise those who selflessly pledged their life for the protection of women, village men and property.

Hero stones (called veeragallu in Kannada) are found all over India. These ornate stones are spread all over Karnataka; many are also found in the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 

A three panel hero stone at the Kedareshvara temple, Shimoga dist. Karnataka.
Image courtesy: Wikimedia commons

A Hero stone is divided into three sections: the lower portion gives details of the hero and his act of sacrifice (fighting the enemy with a sword or a bow, the army, cattle, or a damsel in distress). The middle panel shows the hero being carried to heaven by angel, and the highest panel depicts him sitting in front of a God, generally represented by the Shiva Linga.

Some have 5 or 7 panels too:

5 panel hero stone with old Kannada inscription
Image courtesy: Wikimedia commons

They often carry inscriptions displaying a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures on carved stone. Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.

The classification of hero stones is based on the event for which the sacrifice was made. The Karnataka Itihasa Academy has a wonderful section with photos of hero stones. Dr. Devarakonda Reddy, historian and cultural expert, has published a classification of hero stones:

1. Attack on Forts
These depict war scenes with soldiers riding on elephants and horses. Some have a fort wall etched in them. The Begur veergallu (pictured below) is the most notable and can be found at the Bangalore museum.

Begur veeragallu, Bangalore Museum. Photo credit: Karnataka Itihasa Academy

2. Ooralivu (Defending the village)
A hero must be ready to defend the village from enemy attacks at any given time.

3. Gadi Kalaga (Defending borders)
Border disputes among neighbouring villages were common. Defending their territory from encroachment was an honourable way to go.

Photo credit: Dr Devarakonda Reddy

4. Go Grahana (Defending cattle)
Cattle was an indicator of wealth, and cattle lifting was a common practice with the kings of ancient India, as with the chiefs of ancient Greece. In the Mahabharata, the theft of cattle by Duryodhana was regarded as an insult, leading to the Battle of Viratnagar. The hero stones commemorate the men who defended such capture or theft of cattle.

Go Grahana, Hassan Museum
Photo Credit: Dr Devarakonda Reddy

4. Pendirudeyurchu, Penbuyyall (Savior of Women)
These commemorate heroes who sacrificed themselves to protect the dignity of women being assaulted by the enemies.

Protecting women's modesty
Photo Credit: Dr Devarakonda Reddy

5. Bete (Hunting)
Hunting was a very popular recreational game in Karnataka for royalty; and killing a wild beast such as a tiger or wild boar was no mean feat. Dogs were trained to corner the boars, and accompanied the men on these hunts. They hunted deer, crocodiles and defended themselves from a bear attack.

The Atakur inscription (939 AD) is unique, commemorating the death of the favorite hound of a grief stricken king (the hound died fighting a wild boar). Melagani located in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar,  has two memorial stones of 10th century erected for heroic endeavor of two hounds namely Loga and Dhalaga. Loga killed 70 boars and Dhalaga 50 boars.

Handi Bete (Wild Boar)
Photo Credit: Dr Devarakonda Reddy

Huli Bete (Tiger)
Photo Credit: Dr Devarakonda Reddy

If you are visiting Karnataka, a great place to see these stones is Agrahara Bachhali, where they are housed in a temple-like enclosure. Make a day trip from Mysore, which is very close.

Ceramic jars at the Goa Chitra Museum, Benaulim

- by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Ceramic Jars at Goa Chitra Museum

If you go to the Goa Chitra Museum in Benaulim, Goa, you'll see these beautiful ceramic jars, in a uniform white and brown design. These elegant jars were traditionally used in Goan households to store cooking oil.

Goan cuisine is a blend of different culinary traditions; Hindu, Mughal and Portuguese. These diverse traditions are brought together by local ingredients such as vegetables, oils and spices, that given the cuisine its sumptious flavour.

The most important oil used in this cuisine is coconut oil.

Coconut oil is extracted from copra, dried pieces of coconut. The oil, which is usually a clear liquid, turns into a creamy white solid in cold weather. Most of the dishes in Goan and South Indian cuisine rely on coconut oil for their authentic flavour.

Apart from coconut oil, sesame, gingelli, groundnut and sunflower oils are also frequently used in Goan food. Other oils used are castor oil, cashew oil, cotton seed oil, neem oil, clove oil and eucalyptus oil.

I can almost picturize the jars, slick with oil, kept in an old Goan kitchen. Can you?

Padayani: The spirit of central Travancore

- By Aishwarya Javalgekar and Deepa Krishnan

Kerala is famous for its rich cultural heritage, and has many popular art forms to its name. But an art form that is perhaps not yet widely known is Padayani; the worship of Mother Goddess, practiced in the Bhagavathy temples of the central Travancore region.

http://pathanamthittatourism.com/destinations/heritage/padayani.php

Padayani is not just an art form. It is a community gathering to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the entire village. It is a set of rituals that transcends the boundaries of caste and religion, generating a sense of unity.

The legend says that Padayani originated as a form of prayer to pacify the goddess Kali, after she killed the demon Darika. This art form has several important cultural aspects:

• Kolamezhuthu - These are beautiful and elaborate coloured drawings of folk deities. Kolams individually embody a certain character associated with spirits and deities. They are made from natural materials which comprise spathes (paalas) of the areca nut palm tree. Natural colours are painted on these paalas using a brush made from the stem of a coconut leaf. 
• Kolappattu - Folk songs with traditional lyrics that include the exaltation of the deities, as well as requests to obtain their grace
• Thappumelam - Musical performance specially featuring a Thappu, a drum made by covering a jackfruit hardwood piece with buffalohide
• Kolamthullal - A dance form that accompanies the festival
• Vinodam - Satire, an essential part of Padayani! This is performed making fun of petty vanities of people, as well as to target areas for social reform.

In this outstanding video below, you can see entire cultural process explained with English sub-titles. The first 3 minutes are an excellent introduction in Malayalam, without sub-titles, but the rest of the video has wonderful sub-titles.

Some practical information:

Padayani performances at temples are easily accessible from Cochin, Kumarakom or Alleppey. They are performed at night outside Bhadrakali temples, during the Padayani festival, typically between March and April. If you are visiting India this September, you can attend the padayani at the Neelamperoor Bhagavathy Temple at Kottayam on 29 Sep (photo below). It's only a 2hr drive from Cochin, and a 1hr drive from Kumarakom or Alleppey. 

http://babuscamera.blogspot.in/2008/09/pooram-padayani-at-neelamperoor.html

You can stay overnight in Kottayam if you prefer. The Athreya Ayurvedic Resort in Kottayam provides excellent therapies, so you can combine a detox stay with a festival visit. They also have yoga practitioners who can teach you yoga. 

If you'd like more information about a tour that incorporates the Padayani festival, please send an email to deepa@magictoursofindia.com. Or you can also look up the Kerala Festival Calendar (search for "patayani") to see the schedule.