Maharashtra: Ashtavinayaka Yatra Or Pilgrimage: Day 2

We started at 6.20am on Day-2. On the way we were treated to a bonus visit to a Vaishnodevi temple with an underground watery tunnel leading to the altar in Pune city. As the morning sun broke through we were heading for the first Ganapati temple and our fourth of Ashtavinayaka.

Chintamani Temple: We reached our first stop Theur—25km from Pune city around 9am. The Chintamani temple here is believed to be one of the larger and more famous of the eight revered shrines. The main temple hall has a black stone water fountain in it.  Beside the central shrine dedicated to Ganesha, there are three smaller shrines in the temple complex dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu-Lakshmi and Hanuman. Lord Ganesha is worshiped by the name ‘Chintamani’ (‘Chinta’ meaning ‘worry’) in this temple as it is believed he provides deliverance from all worries.

Siddhivinayak Temple: After breakfast at Theur we reached our next pilgrimage Shree Siddhivinayak’s Temple situated in the village of Siddhatek in Ahmednagar district, about 100 km from Pune, just before noon. The sanctum was built by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. The right-tasked incarnation of Ganesha as ‘Masterful Remover’, Shree Siddhivinayak is placed in brass frame. Legends surrounding the north-facing temple suggest it was built to commemorate the place where Lord Vishnu defeated the evil Asuras Madhu-Kaitabh with the blessing of Siddhi Vināyaka. The shrine is particularly popular during the festivals of Ganesh Jayanti, Vijayadashami and Somvati Amavasya.

Moreshwar or Mayureshwar Mandir: With a lunch break we were at the third temple of Day—2 and the sixth of our yatra at around 3.30pm. Mayureshwar or Moreshwar temple is situated in Pune district about 80 km from Pune city on the banks of Karha River in the village Morgaon. The deity is three-eyed, seated with his trunk turned towards the left (direction of success). The deity is flanked by idols of Siddhi and Buddhi, consorts of the Lord and his mount being a peacock (‘more’ in Marathi means ‘peacock’.) The temple is crucial as Hindu scriptures term this temple as the starting and ending point of a pilgrimage of eight revered Ganesha temples. Morgaon is the foremost center of worship of the Ganapatya sect, which considers Ganesha as the Supreme Being. A Hindu legend relates the temple to killing of the demon Sindhu by Ganesha. The exact date of building of the temple is unknown, though the Ganapatya saint Morya Gosavi is known to be associated with it. The temple flourished due to the patronage of the Peshwa rulers and descendants of Morya Gosavi.

On the way back to Pune city we had two bonus treats in terms of a famous Jejuri temple of Khandoba—the God of Jejuri, and a Balaji temple famous for its spectacular night lighting. Thanks to all these we reached the hotel well after 10pm and hardly had time to get ready again early morning for the third and last day of our pilgrimage.

                                                                    (To Be Continued…)

Maharashtra: Ashtavinayaka Yatra Or Pilgrimage: Day 1

Ashtavinayaka means ‘eight Ganeshas’. Lord Ganesha is the Hindu deity for unity, prosperity, learning and removal of all obstacles or crisis. These eight Ganeshas are worshiped in eight ancient temples situated in different parts of Maharashtra—most of them around Pune. The Ashtavinayaka Yatra or pilgrimage covers all of these eight temples and the Ganesha idol in each of them has its own distinct local history and legend. It is believed that these idols are created and nourished by nature only and not made by human hands. According to Hindu scriptures one has to visit the eight temples in one go and in a particular sequence. Breaks in terms of stay in hotels are allowed, but one cannot return home in between. As for the sequence most tour packages are made on the basis of convenience of pilgrims and suitability of travel routes. This pilgrimage is considered to be very important in Maharashtra.

There are tours from both Mumbai and Pune. From Mumbai the tours take three days including two night halts near Pune and the sequence of visits is as per convenience. Pune tours are mostly based on the recommended sequence—the compulsory repeat visit to the first temple after the rounds is hardly available though, and Pune tours consist of two days with one night halt. These tour packages take care of everything including all meals and hotel accommodation. Being from Mumbai we opted for the local package and got picked up by a luxury bus around 6am on 24^th January, 2014. We were straightaway guided to Mahad—the first temple on our Ashtavinayaka pilgrimageand the first darshan of Varadvinayaka.

Varadvinayaka Temple: It is situated in Mahad village in Raigad district, 146 km from Pune, nearer to Mumbai. The idol faces east and has his trunk turned to the left. The idol was found in the lake adjoining the temple and hence displays a weathered look. It is believed that wishes come true if prayers are offered at the village. An oil lamp, called Nandadeep, is believed to have been burning since 1892.

Ballaleshwar Temple: Our next stop was Ballaleshwar temple situated in Pali village in Raigad district about 120 km from Pune and just one hour’s drive from Mahad. It is believed that Ganesh appeared in front of his devotee named Ballal in the form of a Brahman. Shri Ballaleshwar is the only incarnation of Lord Ganesha which is known by a devotee’s name.

 

Near Temple at Pali

 Mahaganpati Temple: Our last temple on Day—1 was Ranjangaon on the way to Ahmednagar situated in the village of Ranjan—home to the shrine of Mahaganapati, one of the richest Ganesha temples of Maharashtra. Though it just about 50 kilometers away from Pune it took more than three hours from Pali with the lunch break taking one extra hour. The Maha Ganpati at Ranjangaon is the most powerful representation of Lord Ganesha. It is believed that after invoking this form of Ganpati, Shiva vanquished the demon Tripurasur. The idol has ten trunks and twenty hands.

We reached the hotel at Chinchwad, near Pune, at around 9.30pm and were ordered by the bus guide to be ready by 6am promising breakfast after the first darshan. Buffet dinner was served at the hotel and we managed about 4 hours of sleep. With Lord Ganesha beckoning you hardly any reason to complain.

                                                                                       (To Be Continued…)

Murder Of Arunachal Student: North East Brutalized In The Capital Again!

When students from our country face racial attacks in Australia or in the US, India put up an ‘Indian’ front against racism. When our officers like Devyani Khobragade is discriminated against and prosecuted in USA India put up a united and heated opposition. There is nothing wrong in that, in fact it is good and positive. However, when it comes to living within India we transform into racial or regional or linguistic or religiously chauvinistic animals and tear at each other in sheer intolerance or hate or feelings of racial superiority or whatever you may call it. In a country that boast of having unity in diversity we ourselves give our politicians avenues to exploit us and politicize every related issue possible under the sun.

The so-called mainstream ‘Indians’ can very easily find out whether the person they confront belongs to the North East or any other isolated part of the country. They just need to have a look on the appearance and need to hear just one word uttered in Hindi—our national language that creates more problems than integration. If those ‘Indians’ turn out to be traders or transporters or overwhelming locals they tend to make fun or to exploit their ‘victims’ at the slightest opportunity. It is unfortunate that such bullying mentality is found even in the North East where the so-called superior and educated plains people always tend to look down upon the tribal communities and try to exploit them out of an inexplicable sense of neglect and hatred. North Eastern India is geographically isolated from rest of India and people here look distinctly different owing to their different ethnic origins. Combined with this the appalling ignorance in rest of India about this region makes these people objects of fun and ridicule often bordering on hatred or racism. There have often been incidents of harassment and discrimination against North East students all over the country with the capital taking the lead.

A teen-aged student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Taniam, visited a shop in Delhi on Wednesday. Shopkeepers and on-lookers made fun of his looks and allegedly his hair style. When Nido protested he was brutally beaten up. Delhi police appeared on the scene and instead of arresting the culprits forced out a compromise almost at the expense of the student. Next morning Nido was found dead, apparently from injuries sustained. Even then a FIR was registered only on Friday and as per reports today Delhi police have arrested three suspects. Nido’s body was flown today to Arunachal Pradesh where his father is a Congress legislator and a full postmortem report was awaited. Delhi police and all ‘Indian’ leaders or politicians vehemently denied any trace of racism involved.

North East students today took out protests in the capital demanding justice for Nido and end of racism and discrimination against North Eastern students and people. Delhi’s ‘common-man-on-the-street’ Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently took on the Delhi police for totally wrong reasons as his own law minister violated the law involving raids against women. Now when the right reason is there to take on Delhi police he preferred only to order a magisterial inquiry into the gruesome incident. Of course, some of his ministers did a verbal service of criticizing Delhi police for their usual delay and highhandedness. Maybe the hyped common man is only that kind of an ‘Indian’.

We demand full justice for all North Eastern students in India, particularly in the capital. We extend full support to North East Students Union on their movement for justice. End racism within India first and then look outside. Allow them to feel and live like proud Indians too.