Going Places - Shiva Yatra

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

Having done a Krishna and Ram Yatra, my third journey will of course be a Shiva Yatra (pilgrimage or journey).

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati 

Lord Shiva is one of the Supreme Gods in the Hindu religion and is considered the God of Destruction. The concept of destruction often makes him a God to fear but he is a very misunderstood God as He is also very benevolent and supposedly easy to please. (What would I know, the Gods never seem to hear me!)

Lord Shiva is also known as Mahadev (Great God) and while he does have many benevolent forms, he also has fearsome forms (known as his Rudra roop).

Lord Shiva supposedly creates the Universe and destroys it both via his cosmic dance the Tandava. The Ananda Tandava creates and the Rudra Tandava destroys.

There are many temples and holy places in India dedicated to Lord Shiva, but my Shiva Yatra would consist of Varanasi (Kashi) - Allahabad - Rishikesh - Hardwar - Trimbakeshwar - Somnath

google maps - all places are approximate

Varanasi (aka Benaras and Kashi) is considered the holiest place in India. It is situated on the banks of the river Ganges in Uttar Pradesh and was supposedly created by Lord Shiva after the death of his first wife Sati.

Varanasi 

image from wikipedia

Allahabad's original name was Prayaga (place of offerings) and is referred to as Triveni Sangam (confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati). The Prayag Shrine is considered to be one of the Shakti Peeth's. When Sati died, Shiva was devastated and carried her body as he wandered around. Parts of it fell and these places are known as Shakti Peeths. These Peeths are considered very holy and powerful as they are also the union of Shiv and Shakti (Sati).

Prayag Temple

image source: google images

Hardwar situated on the banks of the river Ganges in Uttarkhand is known as the Gateway to Lord Shiva and is one of the 7 holiest places in India. It is considered to be the hometown of Sati and one of the places where drops of Amrit (elixir of life) accidentally slipped from the pitcher being carried by the Lord Vishnu's celestial bird Garuda. Hardwar is also considered to contain the footsteps of Shiva.

Har ki pauri - Footsteps of Lord Shiva

image from wikipedia

Rishikesh - I include this under the Shiva Yatra as this is so close to Hardwar. Rishikesh is also considered to be one of the holy places in India and is associated more with Lord Ram who was supposed to have meditated here on his life's purpose. Not sure now with the recent floods if this place is safe to visit.

Statue of a meditating Lord Shiva

image source wikipedia

Somnath Temple near Veraval in Gujarat is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. Jyotirlinga are shrines where it is believed Lord Shiva manifested and revealed himself as a column of light (Jyoti - light) to his devotees. Somnath means "The protector of the Moon God". It is believed that at Somnath Lord Shiva absorbed the curse placed on the Moon God and hence He wears the crescent moon on his head.

Somnath Temple

image source wikipedia

Trimbakeshwar Temple situated in the Nashik district of Maharashtra on the banks of the Godavari river is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines. While all other Jyotirlingas have Lord Shiva as it's deity, Trimabeshwar has the faces of the Tridev (3 Gods), Lord Brahma (the creator), Lord Vishnu (the sustainer) and Lord Shiva (the destroyer).

Trimbakeshwar temple

image source: google images

Karpur Gauram Karunavataram |

Sansara Saram Bhujagendra Haram ||

Sada Vasantam Hridayaravinde |

Bhavam Bhavani Sahitam Namami ||

The one who is as pure/white as a camphor
The personification of compassion
Who is the essence of the world
With the serpent king as his garland
Always residing in the lotus of the heart
 Oh Lord and Goddess (Shiva and Sati)

I bow to you both

(translation from wikipedia)

Join me tomorrow on my fourth journey.

My journeys so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra
Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )


Day 2 posts that I enjoyed
Mahabore's Surpanakha's lust for Rama  - from the Ramayana - how could I not enjoy this one.
Susan's 7 memories of her dad - a very sweet and touching post, a wonderful tribute to her dad.

Have a wonderful day.

Warm Regards


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Going Places - Ram Yatra

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

Having "completed" my first journey with a Krishna Yatra, it's time for my second one and this time it's a Ram Yatra (pilgrimage or journey).

Ram and Sita

image source - google images

Lord Ram was the 7th avatar of Bhagwan (God) Vishnu and considered to be the most perfect human being that ever walked the earth. He was a paragon of virtue, a benevolent and merciful king, a dutiful son, a caring brother, husband and father, and a great warrior. Hence earned the title of Maryada Purushottama (the Perfect Man or Upholder of Limits and Morality or Lord of Virtue).

When I was little my grandmother would tell me stories of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and of other Gods and Goddesses.  I would sit riveted and each story brought me great joy. But Lord Ram was always my epic hero, who has since then lived in my heart. My favourite moment was when she would describe the meeting of Ram and Sita in the Pushpa Vatika (Garden of flowers) and how he broke Lord Shiva's dhanush (bow) at Sita's Swayamvar (choosing of a groom).

As per my Krishna Yatra, the purpose of this journey is to trace the steps of my Beloved Lord Ram. To feel his presence in the holy places, to imagine the life that he led, to perhaps relive the moment when Ram and Sita first beheld each other and when Ram held the bow aloft. To also understand the hardships and anguish he faced and to feel the excitement of the magnificent feats he performed. To feel that moment when my God annihilated evil and brought peace back to Earth. And to live in joy of His every moment.

The Ramayana is an epic that delights me each time I read it or watch it or hear it - I never tire of it. So just the thought of a Ram Yatra brings me indescribable joy and would consist of - Ayodhya - Janakpur (Mithila) - Chitrakoot - Panchvati - Hampi (Kishkindha) - Rameshwaram.

google maps - all places are approximate

Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram is situated on the banks of the river Sarayu in Uttar Pradesh. Lord Ram was the son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya of the kingdom of Kosala.

Ayodhya, birthplace of Lord Ram 

picture source Wikipedia

Janakpur (Mithila), is the hometown of Sita, Ram's wife who is believed to be the avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu's consort Goddess Lakshmi. In her earthly form, Sita was considered the daughter of the Earth Goddess Bhudevi and was found in a furrow by King Janaka of Mithila.

Janki Mandir at Janakpur (Mithila), Sita's homeland

image source Wikipedia

Chitrakoot, situated on the banks of the Mandakini river, currently straddles both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Lord Ram was exiled from his kingdom by his stepmother Queen Kaikeyki via 2 boons that were granted to her by King Dasharatha. Ram and his brother Lakshman, and Sita went into exile for 14 years and spent 11.5 years in Chitrakoot.

Anusuya Ashram that Ram, Sita and Lakshman visited during their stay in Chitrakoot

image source Wikipedia

Panchvati, situated on the banks of the Godavari River is in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. During their stay in Panchvati, Ravana, the Rakshasa (demon) king of Lanka kidnapped Sita and imprisoned her in the Ashok Vatika (garden) in his capital of Lanka (modern day Sri Lanka). Ram and Lakshman then travelled south in search of Sita.

Tapovan, Nashik 

image source: google images

Hampi (Kishkindha) situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river is the place where Ram met Hanuman, an ape-like humanoid, who helped him find Sita. Hanuman is considered to be the avatar of Lord Shiva and an ardent devotee of Lord Ram.

Kishkinda from Rishimyuk Parvat where Ram met Hanuman

image from Wikipedia

Rameshwaram, on the east coast of India in Tamilnadu, is the closest point to Sri Lanka. It is from here that Ram is believed to have built the Ram Setu (bridge) that connected India to Lanka. Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman and their vanar sena (monkey army) marched across the bridge to Lanka. Eventually Lord Ram killed Ravana, destroyed the Rakshasas and brought peace to the Earth.

Ram Setu 

Satellite image, Google maps

The festival of Diwali marks the end of Lord Ram's exile, the destruction of the Rakshasas and the beginning of the reign of King Ram known as Ram Rajya.

While Lord Krishna taught us the meaning of karma, Lord Ram through his life, taught us the meaning of dharma (right thought, speech and action, and duty).

Lord Ram, Ayodhya

google source: google images

Mangal bhavan amangal haari 

Dravahu su Dasharatha ajir bihari 

Abode of all goodness and the destroyer of all evil

Who played in the courtyard of King Dasharatha. have compassion for me.

Join me tomorrow on my third journey.

My journey so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra


Day 1 posts I enjoyed:
Preetilata's Meraki - love the theme and a new word to learn
Suresh's Save This Sinner - love the humour.

Have a Blessed day and check out some other  day 2 posts

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Warm Regards


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Going places - Krishna Yatra

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but eventually I made a list and then culled back to the 7 that my heart truly rejoiced with.  And as I closed in on my 7, I was surprised that all 7 turned up in my beloved and beautiful homeland of India. 

I've always wondered what it must've been like to live in the times when the Gods walked the earth. And since I won't have the pleasure of experiencing that in this lifetime, the next best thing would be to visit the places where they lived and perhaps imagine myself in that time.

There is no particular order to my journeys, but as I'm also linking this post for the letter G at ABC Wednesday, my first is a Lord Krishna Yatra (pilgrimage or journey).

Krishna and Radha 

image source - google images

Lord Krishna was the 8th avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu one of the three Supreme God's in the Hindu religion.

Lord Krishna also lovingly known as Gopala (protector of cows), Govinda (one who enlivens the senses)  was born in Mathura and spent his childhood as a cowherd in Gokul and Vrindavan situated on the banks of the river Yamuna (a tributary of the Ganges) in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter he moved to Dwarka in Gujarat where he ruled for many years until his death.

Lord Krishna was also adored by the Gopis (cowherd girls) of Vrindavan with whom he danced. It is said that he would appear in front of each Gopi serenading each one separately. This was his Ras Lila (Divine play). The most famous of them was Radha who was the beloved of Lord Krishna. The Gopis were enchanted by the sound of Lord Krishna's bansuri (flute) and would dance while he played. Rather than a romantic twist, this was Supreme Bhakti (selfless devotion to God) and the Lord's equal love for all beings.

The Bhagavad Gita, the song of Bhagavan (God), the Hindu scriptures, was relayed by Lord Krishna via a conversation with Prince Arjun during the battle of Kurukshetra in the epic The Mahabharata. The Gita provides us with the teachings of Lord Krishna in particular the philosophy of karma. Kurukshetra is situated in the state of Haryana.

My Krishna Yatra would consist of  Gokul - Vrindavan - Mathura - Dwarka - Kurukshetra. But more than the worshipping part of the Yatra, my aim is to feel the spirits in the air, to hear the mesmerising sound of His bansuri (flute) and imagine the ras lila, to hear the comforting words of the Lord reassuring Arjun that He would return from age to age to protect the righteous, annihilate evil and re-establish dharma (right thought speech, action and duty).

And hopefully being there will transport me to that the time and place when my God walked the earth.

from Google maps - all places are approximate

Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna 

picture source Wikipedia

Vrindavan 

picture source Wikipedia

Dwarka - Dwarkadheesh Temple 

picture source Wikipedia

Prince Arjun and Lord Krishna (his charioteer) on the battlefield at Kurukshetra

image source Wikipedia

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanir Bhavati Bharatha

Abhyuthanam Adharmasya Tadathmanam Srijamyaham.

Parithranaya Sadhunam Vinashayacha Dushkritham

Dharma Samsthapanarthaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge 

Whenever there is a fall in righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, I manifest

For the protection of the good, for the annihilation of evil and to re-establish righteousness, I appear millennium after millennium.

~Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita~

Join me tomorrow on my second journey.

Have a Glorious day and if you get some time drop by and visit the day 1 posts  and the letter G

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Warm Regards


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