Ashadha Gupt Navratri 2025: Dates, Shubh Muhurat, Rituals, And Dos & Don'ts
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Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Hidden Stories: A Pune temple where Rajmata Jijamata, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj once prayed
At Someshwar Temple in Pune's Pashan, a fortress-like wall separates the outside world from the realm of the gods. In this Hindu month of Shravan, lakhs of devotees step in through the thick, wooden doors of the temple to spend time with the divine. 'On August 18, the last Monday of Shravan, we expect 10,000-20,000 people,' says Popatrao Jadhav, chairman of the Shri Kshetra Someshwar Devasthan Trust. The temple is bustling, and the gates stay open from early morning to late evening. 'A majority of the devotees are regulars. In the mid-17th century, Rajmata Jijamata, the mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was a regular. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a child, and Rajmata Jijamata would bring him here to pray. It was she who was instrumental in carrying out the renovation of the temple. Since then, the temple has been maintained as a heritage structure,' says Jadhav. Black stone and a discovery of gold coins The Someshwar Temple, which is spread over 3.5 acres, is believed to be 900 years old. Popat says that its earliest history is lost in time. Located beside the Ramnadi, with three gates, the temple is dedicated to Shiva, but the imposing complex contains several other shrines to Ganesha, Maruti and Bhairavnath. A giant banyan tree, a deepmala or tiered lights that tower at 40 ft, and a yajna mandap are among the other sites. The temple is built of black stone, which creates an imposing character. The architecture is in the Hemadpanti style, named after Hemadri Pandit of the Yadava dynasty, in which black stone and lime, rather than mortar, are used to construct interlocking masonry. Devotees make their way to the main temple, where the sanctum stands below the ground level. Most families get their darshan from a distance, from a white domed hall at a higher level where wall art depicts armies on horses engaged in war. This is where history merges with myth, and devotion holds supreme. The Swayambhu Shivalinga, i.e. a shiva linga that has occurred naturally and was not created by human hands, gives the temple its reputation of being jagrut (the deity is believed to be residing within the idol) and wish-fulfilling. Popat says, 'During the Peshwa era, Shivram Bhat Chitrav Swami discovered some gold coins, and gave these to Nanasaheb Peshwa. According to the wishes of Chitrav Swami, Nanasaheb Peshwa carried out renovation work at Someshwar Temple.' Sculpted stones depict fading figures. 'There is a lot of history in the temple. We find that the devotees are interested in understanding our connection to the past,' says Popat. After ritual prayers are over, a number of devotees make their way to a permanent exhibition of temple models from across India, such as Shri Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat and Shri Mallikarjun Jyotirlinga. 'These are the 12 jyotirling that were installed in 2015 so that devotees can get a glimpse of these pilgrimage sites,' says Popat. For a deeper contemplation, the temple has a hall where one can meditate.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Varalakshmi Vratam at Dokiparru temple big draw
VIJAYAWADA: The auspicious Varalakshmi Vratam was observed with great devotion and fervour at the Dokiparru temple today. Devotees gathered in large numbers to participate in the sacred rituals dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, seeking her blessings for prosperity, wealth, and well-being. The temple premises were adorned with vibrant decorations, and the air resonated with chants and prayers as devotees performed the traditional puja with utmost reverence. The Varalakshmi Vratam, a Hindu festival observed by women, involves elaborate rituals, including the offering of flowers, fruits, and sweets to the goddess. Devotees, dressed in traditional attire, took part in the ceremonies, which were conducted by temple priests following Vedic traditions. Special arrangements were made to accommodate the large turnout, ensuring spiritually enriching experience for all. Local organisers and temple authorities expressed their satisfaction with the event, emphasising the community's deep-rooted faith in the goddess. The celebrations concluded with the distribution of prasadam, fostering a sense of unity among the devotees.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Column by Devdutt Pattanaik
On the top of many Hindu temples, one finds the image of a head looking down on the people below — his eyes protruding from its sockets, his mouth wide open, his tongue out. This is called the Kirtimukha, the Head of Glory, or Vajramukha, the Eternal Head. There are many stories to explain its origins. The most popular is that of a goblin who was created by Shiva to kill demons. But when the demons apologised, Shiva forgave them. Now, the goblin was hungry and asked the lord for food. Shiva said, 'Why don't you eat your own body?' The creature began eating his hands, legs, and body, until there was nothing left. Impressed by his obedience, Shiva declared that his head would be placed on top of all temples, a symbol of insatiable hunger, devotion, and how useless the head is without the body — a counterpoint to when Brahmins claim they rose from the head of the Vedic Purusha, the primal man. There are other stories of this head. In goddess temples of North India, one finds the image of Bhairava (a fierce form of Shiva) holding in his hand the head of Brahma. It is said that at the dawn of time, the deity had four heads facing the four directions. But then he saw the goddess Shatarupa (the multi-formed one, the first woman) and grew a fifth head on top, expressing his desire for her. Disgusted by this, the goddess called upon Rudra to protect her, and thus Bhairava was born. He chopped off Brahma's fifth head, and he still holds it in his hand. According to some lore, this head can be detached only when he goes to the city of Kashi and washes his hand in the Ganga. Beheading sons and fathers In Shiva temples, one finds the image of Veerabhadra holding a head in one hand. This is the head of Daksha Prajapati, who neither understood nor recognised the greatness of the lord, leading Veerabhadra, a terrifying creature born of Shiva's hair, to behead him. Daksha was also the father-in-law of Shiva — the one whose daughter, Sati, chooses the lord as her husband against her father's wishes. But tensions between her father and her husband lead to Sati taking her own life, angering Shiva, who, in the form of Veerabhadra, beheads his father-in-law. It is the head of the man who realised the power of Shiva when he lost control over his own body, the source of his own prejudices. Folk versions of the Mahabharata speak of a great warrior (known as Bilalsen in Nepal) who had taken a vow to always fight for the losing side. He was extremely strong. Krishna feared that such a person, who would keep switching sides, would prevent any war from coming to an end — especially the war being fought at Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. So, Krishna asked the warrior to give him his head in alms. The warrior, who never refused requests of charity, cut off his own head and gave it to Krishna on the condition that it would be kept alive and allowed to witness the Mahabharata war. In Rajasthan, this warrior is called Barbarik and is considered the grandson of Bhima, the son of Ghatotkacha by a Naga princess. The same story is told in other parts of India, such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Malwa, Bundelkhand, Garhwal, and Himachal, where he is considered to be Bilalsen, the son of Bhima. His head was placed on top of a mountain, and every time it laughed, it produced such force that the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas were pushed in opposite directions, unable to fight. So the head was brought down and placed on the ground by Krishna. When Krishna wept like a widow Another such head appears in South India — in the story of Aravana, Arjuna's son by the Naga princess Ulupi. Aravana was an extremely strong warrior who was sacrificed on the eve of the Mahabharata war. He did not want to die a virgin and begged to be given a wife before his sacrifice. Since no woman wanted to marry him, Krishna took the form of a woman, married him for the night, enabling his sacrifice at dawn. For him, Krishna wept like a widow. Aravana's head was also placed on top of a tree so that he could witness the war. While everyone believes the Mahabharata to be a war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, Aravana realises that it is actually a war orchestrated by Krishna so that the blood of kings can quench the thirst of the Earth goddess, who is exhausted by their ambition and greed. The head atop the temple thus forces temple devotees to look at life from a different perspective. Everything is not about us. Devdutt Pattanaik is the author of 50 books on mythology, art and culture.
