Gyan-Vapi, the Well of Knowledge, Varanasi

- By Aishwarya Javaglekar

The Gyan-Vapi (Well of Knowledge) in Varanasi lies near the Great Mosque of Aurangzeb and the present Vishwanath temple, the Golden Temple of Varanasi.

An old photograph of the Gyan-Vapi

The land around Gyan-Vapi has been considered sacred since historical times, and has had an eventful past. The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by Qutb ud-din-Aibek in 1194 during a raid of Varanasi. In its place, he built the Razia Mosque. The temple was rebuilt in 1585 by Todar Mal from Akbar's Court, and was destroyed once again by Aurangzeb in 1669. He used the materials from the temple to build a mosque, calling it the Great Mosque of Aurangzeb. The Vishwanath temple, built once again under the patronage of Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar in 1776, still stands next to Aurangzeb's mosque.

Incorporation of the second Vishwanath temple in Aurangzeb's mosque

While the Gyan-Vapi lies in the mosque precincts, legend says that the original Vishwanath Shiva Linga (an object of worship personifying the god Shiva) is hidden inside the well. During the British period, the Gyan-Vapi was a pilgrimage destination for many Hindus, who believed the well water to be more sacred than the Ganges itself.

A view of the Gyan-Vapi mosque (left) and Vishwanath temple (right)

While some consider the well to be a testament to the tumultuous relations between Hindus and Muslims, standing on ground sacred for both religions and surrounded by Hindu, Muslim, Jain and Buddhist iconography, the well manifests the diversity of Indian culture and the city of Varanasi.

Claude Martin's legacy

- By Aishwarya Javalgekar

Of all the Europeans who made fortunes in India, Major-General Claude Martin is unique,  because he bequeathed the major part of his wealth to charities, and thus left a lasting legacy in India.

Claude Martin was the son of a casket maker from Lyon. Abandoning the family business, he came to India as an officer in the French East India Company. When the French lost Pondicherry to the English, he switched over to the British East India Company. His fortunes took a turn for the better after that; and his services were requested by the Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-Daulah. As an able administrator and man of astute financial acumen, he soon amassed a great fortune. He was believed to be the richest Frenchman in India!

Claude Martin (Photo taken from www.lmbcal.ac.in/)

From this wealth, he commissioned the construction of Constantia, a palatial building that was supposed to be his country residence. Though its construction began in 1785, it could not be completed until 1802, two years after Martin's death. Martin is buried beneath the building, in a vault constructed specially for that purpose; for which he left detailed instructions in his will.

Martin dedicated his fortune to the establishment of schools in Lucknow, Calcutta and Lyon, his birthplace in France. The schools were named 'La Martinière' in his memory. As per his will, the school in Lucknow was established at Constantia. 

Constantia: now called La Martinière College, Lucknow

Even after all these years, La Martinière schools and colleges still remain among the grandest educational institutions in India.  

Thrissur Pooram

One of Kerala's biggest festivals is the 'elephant festival' at Thrissur. The festivities, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, last for over 36 hours. They start when small elephant processions carry deities from various villages across Thrissur and culminate at the grounds of the Vadukunathan Temple.

The festival is marked by fireworks, and a display of umbrellas, as well as caparisons that adorn the elephants. Typically, the festival takes place during April-May.

See the crowds!

Mahouts have trained themselves to stand atop the elephants.

It's amazing how these elephants remain calm even when faced with hordes of people. 

There is increasing awareness in Kerala these days regarding the need for better treatment of elephants. A movement against the training and use of elephants is slowly taking shape. However, elephants have been an integral part of Kerala culture for hundreds of years and in fact, many of the majestic elephants have fan clubs of their own. You can find these fan clubs on facebook these days. Fans eagerly await the festivals and the processions.

The Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

May conjures up images of sweltering Indian summers, but in the north-eastern mountains of Meghalaya, it is the time for the Indian Summer Monsoon. 

Cherapunjee in Meghalaya is among the rainiest places in the world; but you can easily visit it before the monsoon arrives in full force. Apart from the cool weather and beautiful clouds, the chief attractions of Cherapunjee are the famous Living Root Bridges. 

The Living Root Bridges are a man-made natural wonder. The local Khasi people developed an ancient network of bridge building that leaves visitors stunned. The secondary roots of the rubber fig tree (scientific name: Ficus elastica) are directed around a hollow betel nut bark until they stretch across the opposite bank of the river. As the tree grows, the roots are woven together and the bridge strengthened to withstand significant weight.

It takes anything from 15 to 30 years to get a bridge started, and then they go on and on, until the tree itself dies.

Here is one bridge, in the making. Perhaps in another 10 years it will be ready. Ficus trees have very long lives; so these "Living Bridges" of Meghalaya continue to live and grow for many decades.

The bridges are not easy to reach. Meghalaya is made up of valleys, and the bridges are usually at the bottom of the valley, where there is a river flowing below. It's usually a long trek down, for example, this one in Cherrapunjee.

There are several Living Root bridges in Meghalaya. There's one bridge in fact, which has been used to create seats to watch a football match :) Some bridges, like the first one in this blogpost, are on two levels (called double-decker bridges). Some are twin bridges built parallel to each other.

It is a fully developed Culture of Bridges, in which one generation invests patiently for the coming generation. How amazing is that!

Saraswati idols at Kumartuli, Calcutta

Basant Panchami was celebrated yesterday in Calcutta, heralding the arrival of spring.  Homes, shops, schools and colleges, all celebrate Basant Panchami by worshipping Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning and of the Arts.

For several weeks before the festival, the potters at Kumartuli work hard to create beautiful idols of the goddess. I love the unfinished look of the statues, when they have no paint. Pure magic with clay and straw and water.

Saraswati is always depicted with a veena, a plucked stringed instrument that is mentioned in the natyashastra. In the photo below you can see how the hands are a different colour. That's because the hands are made separately, and attached after the base structure dries.

After the basic structure is completed, details are added. Crown, wavy hair, jewellery, these add beauty to the figures.

Here are some of the idols, being painted: in this one, the saree is the only part that is painted; only a first coat has been done. It will be further finished with more details and shading.

 Here's another one, see the curl of hair near the ears, on the cheek :) :) It is a traditional way of depicting beauty.

This one is also very beautiful, and waiting for more work to be done.

The entire area is busy at work. Some of the statues are very big, like the ones in this photo which the two men are working on.

There are decorations and embellishments also being sold.

I wanted to spend more time, but I had lots of other things to do. I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse!

Suprabhatam – The Dawn Prayer

- by Deepa Krishnan

This morning I listened to Suprabhatam - the Dawn Prayer - as sung in the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh. This is the prayer sung to wake up the sleeping Lord Vishnu. To me, there has always been something mesmerising and calming about the sound of this morning chant. 

Perhaps the sound of Sanskrit appeals to me; or perhaps it is the cadence itself, or perhaps it is the knowledge that I am listening to something very old.

On an impulse, I looked up the Tirumala website for a translation of the Dawn Prayer - and found myself captivated by the beauty of the lyrics.

Wake up, Lord, the song says, wake up! See the beauty of the Dawn! 
The breeze carries the scent of half-opened blue lotuses; it blows gently through coconut and arecanut trees. 
Green parrots in beautiful cages open their eyes; they eat bananas and sweet payasam, and sing gracefully. 
The black bees hum loudly, declaring themselves more beautiful than the flowers! 
Wake up, Lord, and with your waking, render the three worlds auspicious!

For me, the imagery these words conjure up is very "South Indian". In my mind, I can see a green prosperous fertile country, with rice fields and coconut groves, where the morning brings with it gentle breezes and calm beauty. 

Dark-skinned beautiful women walk in the fields, their sarees brilliant with colour. Temple spires – tall, colorful gopurams - rise above the trees. White oxen are being yoked to the plough. Everything is green and beautiful…and somehow blessed. (It is just me or does anyone else see these things? I don’t know!) 

Other than descriptions of the land, the Dawn Prayer also contains poetic descriptions of Vishnu:
Darling child of Kausalya! Lord with the Eagle Banner! 
Lord of the Seshachala Hills! Padmanabha, he of the Lotus Navel! 
Purushottama, ideal among Men! Madhava! Janardana! Chakrapani, Holder of the Divine Discus! Lord of the ten incarnations! He whose body is marked by the sacred Srivatsa sign!

The names go on, each bringing with it more and more rich visual images, until the whole Dawn Prayer is infused with a divine grace where God and Nature intertwine, where lines blur, where all you can see is the glory of the Universal Truth manifested in everything around you. 

Dawn sighting of the Lord of Tirumala!

Is it not fitting, then, that the dawn darshanam (sighting of the Lord) in the Tirumala temple is also called “Viswarupa Sarva darshanam”? (For those who do not know, the Viswarupa is the Cosmic Form of the Lord, said to contain the entire Universe in itself).

I am not religious, but I tell you, the Suprabhatam with its full meaning is enough to give me goosebumps.

My only regret is that my knowledge of Sanskrit is still half-baked, that three years of learning it is nowhere near enough to appreciate its depth and grace.

Truly, when you do not know the languages of your ancestors, you have lost half the world.

The colourful bazaars of Udaipur

If you start walking past the Jagdish Temple, into the little lanes, you will come across a wealth of colour: Udaipur's market for fresh vegetables.

Here's a glimpse of the market, from Steve and Wendy Johnston who visited this week.

Many of the stalls are run by women. Right now the market is full of fresh winter veggies.

Indian gooseberry (amla), waiting to be pickled

Chukandar (beetroot); both the tuber as well as the greens are used in Rajasthani curry recipes

There is a community of basket makers in Udaipur, who supply these bamboo baskets

The namkeen shops sell very popular savouries

And the sweet shops are especially enticing!

More namkeen (savoury snacks) and sweets

And what's a bazaar without a couple of cows!!

If you'd like to explore the market, check out the Ghat and Bazaar Walk on the Udaipur Magic website: http://udaipurmagic.net/udaipur-bazaar-ghatwalk.html

Portrait of a musician from the Mir tribe, Gujarat

On our Ahmedabad Crafts Tour, we photographed this performer from the nomadic Mir tribe. Look at the wonderful colours on the stringed instrument in this portrait! I have never seen a musical instrument decorated like this. Have you?

Here is a closer look. Look at how the singer has personalised the instrument. The sense of colour and drama is incredible. The text on the left says Jai Khodiyar Maa, invoking the folk goddess Khodiyar, who is popular in Gujarat. There are interesting designs stencilled on the instrument; and even little Chinese or Japanese stickers have been used. I learnt that the word he uses for the instrument is "santaar". I had not heard this word before. Taar means string. I assume santaar means 4-string. Probably this is a variant of the taanpura?

The overall effect is amazing. See the photo below, with his family also nearby. I find so much beauty in this colourful chaos.

Shundorbon (Sundarban) - the Beautiful Forests of Bengal

- by Deepa Krishnan

The Shundorbon (Sundarban) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. Shundorbon means 'Beautiful Forest'. It is easily accessible from Calcutta.

A halophyte is a plant that grows in waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray.

"Shundorbon" is made of two Bengali words: Shundor (beautiful) and Bon (forest). The name comes from the beautiful Shundari tree which makes up more than 70% of the forest.

The Shundorbon extends over Bangladesh and India, covering approximately 10,000 square kilometres. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

India has 3% of the world’s mangroves, of which the Sundarbans comprise almost half of the total area. Apart from the Sundarbans, the other large belts of mangroves are in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.

The Sundarban National Park is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a wide variety of birds, reptiles and invertebrates, including the salt-water crocodile.

Photo credits:
First photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans#/media/File:Boat,_trees_and_water_in_Sundarbans.jpg
The Sundari tree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritiera_fomes#/media/File:Sundarbans_02.jpg
Map of Shundorbon: Public domain

Araiyar Sevai: Sacred Recitals of the Vaishnavite Faith

Credit: Bharathwaj Thirumalai Ananthanpillai

Although it is 1200 years old, not many people know about Araiyar Sevai, a sacred art form of Tamil Nadu.

Araiyar Sevai is centered on the ritual singing and dance-enactment of the hymns of the Naalayiram Divya Prabandham (The 4000 Sacred Verses).

These verses were composed by the 12 Alvars (Poet-Saints) in praise of Vishnu, and were compiled in their present form by Nathamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. These hymns are still sung extensively today. However the enactment / performance of these hymns by the Araiyars is now increasingly rare.

Araiyar Sevai is usually performed in the presence of the temple utsavamoorty, i.e., the temple's processional deity.

Although temple inscriptions suggest its performance was once widespread, it is today only performed in a few temples in Tamil Nadu. These include the main temple at Srirangam, the Azhagiya Manavala Perumal and Alwar Tirunagari Temples near Trichy, and the temple of Andal at Srivilliputhur.

The performers are known as the Araiyar, and like all such traditions in India, it is a group of hereditary performers, who train from childhood to become proficient in the art. The photo below is from Srirangam:

Credit: http://jaghamani.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-post_19.html

An araiyar sevai begins with a ritual summons, where the officiating priest calls upon the araiyar to come before the deity. The araiyar replies with a formulaic response and puts on the araiyar kullai (a conical hat) as he approaches. He then sounds a few strokes on the cymbals and begins the performance.

Each verse is performed in three steps. In the first, the araiyar sings the verse. In the second, he dances a few steps which, through a system of ritualised gestures, give expression to the literal meaning of the verse. In the third step, he explains the inner meaning of the verse, as explained in Tampirāṉ paṭi, a traditional commentary on the Divya Prabandham.

In this video you can see a performance: see the high musical quality of the story-recital:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMgDUTnq910 

Here is another performance, this one is quite different and I enjoyed watching the slow progress of the dance steps. The mudras and the footwork definitely have similarities with the other classical dance forms of South India, thus establishing their roots in the Natya Shastra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su5C4crgWKI
In this video, you can see how a program begins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl_9LTxQxkM 

In this video, I was happy to see a young Araiyar, although there is not much happening in the video by way of music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2cPtXHTvtk

The tradition is dying. Why? Because, frankly, we don't reward any of our performing arts. There is no patronage system that will entice a young man to adopt the way of life of his ancestors. We neither know about these arts, nor do we actively encourage them.

Here is the story of 83-year old Araiyar Srinivasa Rangachariyar, which I found on a blog. He has been peforming since the age of 13. I was delighted to see his grandson being trained. But there is simply not enough income! And yet the responsibility of keeping the art alive is on the shoulders of this young man. How will he manage?

Blog by Prabhu S: http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2010/12/araiyar-sevai-saving-rare-art.html

Odhani dyeing, Jodhpur

Pink and orange are definitely the colours of Rajasthan. In Jodhpur I went to see this community of dyers. They were working with odhanis (scarves / dupattas) that day, laying them neatly in rows for drying.

The colours used to be natural once upon a time, of course. But these days the colours are synthetic, and sustained exposure can harm your skin. The women wear arm-gloves while handling the wet cloth, but their fingers are exposed to the dye. Some of them veil their faces, not from modesty, but to protect it from the harsh Rajasthani sun. 

Jnana Pravaha, Varanasi

Baluchari Saree from Jnana Pravaha collection

For those interested in the preservation and documentation of India's great textile legacy, Jnana Pravaha in Varanasi is a good resource.

Jnana Pravaha was founded in 1997 by Bimla Poddar and Suresh Neotia.

Bimla Poddar was born in Varanasi and grew up there, so this institute was set up on the outskirts of the city. She is married into the Ambuja Cements family (this family surname is originally Neotia, there were 3 brothers, one of whom was adopted by his maternal grandfather Poddar). 

The Jnana Pravaha director R C Sharma used to be Director General / Vice Chancellor of the National Museum in Delhi. I don't know who is the person after his death. But Bimla Poddar is active in it. 

Their textile collection has some specialities: Phulkaris, many things from Bengal - excellent Balucharis, and Bengal textile folk art (really good stuff), then they also have a really good set of old Kashmiri shawl examples.

Here is a beautiful old Phulkari from their collection:

Please read about them: http://www.jnanapravaha.org/index.php They are doing a lot more than just textiles. It has a handicraft atelier, as well as a museum. It's very impressive. They organise a lot of lectures, music performances, etc. There is a Mumbai chapter which is also very active.

Granth Sahib - The Scripture for a Universal Religion

- by Aishwarya Javaglekar

The sacred book of Sikhism, known as the Guru Granth Sahib, is venerated by all Sikhs as the highest embodiment of Sikh philosophy and way of life.

At the Golden Temple in Amritsar, every evening, the Granth Sahib is carried in a procession. It is taken from its usual golden shrine (the Harmandir Sahib) to a room upstairs (Akal Takht), to rest for the night. The book is brought back early next morning.

Palkhi Sahib (procession)

The Guru Granth Sahib is a magnificent collection of religious and mystical poetry by thirty-six composers written in twenty-two languages. It incorporates the compositions of Hindu devotees, Muslim, divines and Sufi poets along with the ten Sikh gurus.

The Guru Granth Sahib - the scripture for a universal religion! (Photo credits: www.sikhanswers.com)

The sacred verses in the Granth Sahib are called Gurbani, meaning Guru’s word. Here, guru doesn't mean a particular person. It means the wisdom of the world. Thus, the Granth Sahib isn't meant to be the word of a person. It is the wisdom of the world compiled into a single book. It includes the preachings of all religions, and is regarded as a complete, sacrosanct message from God.

Painting of Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, dictating the text of Granth Sahib. He first compiled the book in 1604. It was completed by Guru Gobind Singh in 1705. (Photo credits: www.vismaadnaad.org)

In his final address to the Sikhs in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, said:

“Those who desire to behold the Guru should obey the Granth Sahib. Its contents are the visible body of the Guru."

Nachiyar Amman shrine in Chennai

I photographed this gorgeous idol of the folk goddess Nachiamman or Nachiyar Amman on Badrian Street in Chennai. The idol was housed in a little shrine and the flower seller women were offering their prayers to her. 

Nachiamma is one of the benevolent forms of the goddess, said to bestow good health and prosperity on her worshippers. 

I was struck by the alangaaram of the idol (decoration). She is depicted with beautiful dark eyes, with a smiling countenance. Her forehead is smeared with three lines of ash, and the auspicious red kungumam is prominently placed in the middle. Her nose-rings and round heavy olai (ear-rings) speak clearly of her folk origins.

Even though she is benevolent, her power is clearly visible in the sword, axe and trident which she holds. A halo of flames is around her head.  She is dressed in a golden silk saree, with a green border. The flower-sellers in the market have adorned her with fresh garlands.

Below this relatively new idol, there is an old black granite idol - possibly the original one that was established in this shrine. Offerings of flowers, coconuts, neem leaves and lemons have been made as per the usual practice in such goddess temples. In front of the idol is an image of the lion / tiger, which is the mount of the goddess.

I photographed this elderly flower seller as she came out of the temple after offering prayers. To me, she looked like the goddess herself, come to life.

- Photos and text by Deepa Krishnan

The Painted Havelis of Shekhawati (1)

Every once in a while, exotic cliches come alive. Peacock posing against faded wall, in the village of Mandawa.

Photo credit: Gaurav Jain, Delhi Magic

Some of India's most wealthy Marwari business families have their havelis in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. Birla, Piramal, Dalmia, Goenka etc are known to all Indians. Today many of the havelis lie abandoned, making for a surreal walk through what must be the country's largest open-air art gallery.