Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Katyayani Sanghshri made of rarest Panchloha alloy देवी कात्यायनी संघश्री

A user's photo.Ancient Murti of Katyayani SanghSri made of rarest Panchaloha Alloy(देवी कात्यायनी संघश्री)
Making Panchaloha images was a well kept secret for a long time and ...their color changing properties added to their mysticism.
The most famous Panchaloha statue, that of Nataraja (The Dancing Lord) was removed during British Colonial rule. Composition The composition is laid down in the Shilpa shastras, an ancient Sanskrit text on icon making. It is traditionally described as an alloy of gold (Au), silver(Ag), copper(Cu), iron (Fe) and lead(Pb) as the major constituent; In some traditions, particularly Tibetan, it was considered auspicious to use thokcha, meteorite iron; either as a component of the alloy in general, or for a specific object or purpose. The amount used could vary, depending upon the material's availability and suitability, among other considerations. A small, largely symbolic quantity of "sky-iron" might be added, or it might be included as a significant part of the alloy-recipe.

 

Modhera Sun Temple Gujrat,India

Modhera Sun Temple: As one traverses the length and breadth of Gujarat, one constantly stumbles across architectural legacies of the' Solanki' rule. You keep coming across, living spaces and monuments of another time, offering an eclectic glimpse of the artistic and ingenious beauty that makes this exotically state vibrant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Temple,_Modhera

This temple dedicated to the Hindu Sun-God, Surya. It is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati, 25 km from Mehsana and 102 km from Ahmedabad. It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty. In the present times, prayers are not offered in this temple. This temple is now under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India.

Surya Kund

This Suryakunda, also known as Ramakunda, is a large rectangular stepped tank measuring 53.6 x 36.6 meters under the east face of sabhamandap used to store pure water. Devotees were required to perform ceremonial ablutions here before worshiping the Sun God.
The Suryakund is a finest example of geometry. The organization of stone into composition gives shape to a dazzling pattern of art. It is proportioned with innumerable stone steps leading devotees down to its base. 108 miniature shrines are carved in between the steps inside the tank. Also number 108 considered to be auspicious as Hindu rosary has same number of beads.
 

Akshardham Temple, Delhi

A user's photo.Akshardham Temple, Delhi
The main monument, at the center of the complex, is 141-foot(43 m) high, 316-foot (96 m) wide, and 370-foot (110 m) long, and is covere...d top to bottom with carved details of flora , fauna , dancers , musicians , and deities .
Designed in accordance with ancient Vedic text known as the Sthapatya Shastra , it features a blend of architectural styles from across India. It is constructed entirely from Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble , and has no support from steel or concrete. The monument also consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, nine domes, and 20,000 murtis and statues of Hindu sadhus , devotees , and acharyas . The monument also features the Gajendra Pith at its base, a plinth paying tribute to the elephant for its importance in Hindu culture and India's history. It contains 148 scale sized elephants in total and weighs a total of 3000 tons.

Vidyashankar Temple, Sringeri

A user's photo.Vidyashankar Temple, Sringeri
Built: 1342 CE
The temple can be regarded as the epitome of ancient astronomical engineering prevalent in Bharat. The main temple ...hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac. Windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged such that equinoxes sunrise views reach the deity. The twelve pillars in the Vidyashankar temple are popularly known as Rashistambhas (zodiacal pillars). Symbols of the twelve divisions of the zodiac are engraved on these pillars. The temple is an architectural marvel. Among the many delicate carvings, lions that are engraved in biped positions on the pillars may be mentioned. There are stone balls inside the growling faces of the lions and they can be moved inside their mouths. It is said that the design of the pillars involved certain astronomical concepts. For example, the first rays of the rising sun fall on specific pillars with the zodiacal symbol on the pillar corresponding to the position of the sun.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rodHDQCjBtw

 

Ahilya Fort

A user's photo.Stunning 18th century Ahilya Fort and Temple palace on the bank of Narmada river, Built by Philosopher queen Ahilyabai
Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahilyabai_Holkar
 

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF KING YAYATI

THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF KING YAYATI
'THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF KING YAYATI

Yayati was one powerful king who ruled seven island of the world, whose father was King Nahusa who was well known king of Aila dynasty. Yati was the eldest son of Nahusa who became sage and he was succeeded by Nahusa’s second son Yayati. Nahusa reigned Pratishthan/Pratishthanpura, a place near #Prayag modern Allahabad. Pratishthanpura is currently known as Jhunsi (not Jhansi), near Allahabad and this central capital was spread till Saraswati River in west where generation of Purus later settled after thousands of years. There is one more Pratisthana, in Maharashtra which is also associated with King Ila. Yayati has two queens; Devayani and Sharmistha.  Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and Sharmistha gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Puru. 

Puru: The central kingdom of Prathisthanpura was given to his youngest son “Puru” as he was the most righteous king. The #southeast kingdom was given to #Druhyu, #south kingdom to his son #Yadu, the #west to his son #Turvasu and #north to his son #Anu. Yayati enthroned his youngest son, Puru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Puru, under Puru's control. [1] THE son of Puru was Janamejaya; his son was Prachinvat; his son was Pravira; his son was Manasyu; his son was Bhayada; his son was Sudyumna; his son was Bahugava; his son was Samyati; his son was Ahamyati; his son was Raudraswa, who had ten sons, Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthandileyu, Ghriteyu, Jaleyu, Sthaleyu, Santateyu, Dhaneyu, Vaneyu, and Vrateyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantinara. whose sons were Tansu, Apratiratha, and Dhruva. The son of the second of these was Kanwa, and his son was Medhatithi, from whom the Kanwayana Brahmanas descended. Anila was the son of Tansu, and he had four sons, of whom Dushyanta was the elder. The son of Dushyanta was the emperor #Bharata. In the same lineage was son of Suhotra, whose son was Hastin, who founded the city of #Hastinapura. Further in same lineage was the great king #Prithu, son of king Para. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority: he levels it: introduces cultivation: erects cities. Earth called after him Prithivi: typified as a cow. In the same lineage after many generation was King #Kuru who gave his name to #Kurukshetra. [7]

#Yadu gave rise to Yadu vansha, and one of his descandents was Lord Krishna. Yadu had four sons, #Sahasrajit, #Kroshti, Nala, and Raghu. SAHASRAJIT was the son of the elder of these, and he had three sons, Haihaya, Venu, and Haya. The son of Haihaya was Dharmanetra; his son was Kunti; his son was Sahanji; his son was Mahishmat; his son was Bhadrasena; his son was Durdama; his son was Dhanaka, who had four sons, Kritaviryya, Kritagni, Kritavarman, and Kritaujas. Kritaviryya son was Arjuna (not Mahabharat Period), the sovereign of the seven Dwipas (islands). At the expiration of his long reign Krittavirya was killed by Lord Parasurama. [8] Of the sons of this king, the five principal were Sura, Surasena, Vrishana, Madhu, and Jayadhwaja. In the same lineage was Vrisha whose son was Madhu; he had a hundred sons, the chief of whom was Vrishni, and from him the family obtained the name of Vrishni. From the name of their father, Madhu, they were also called #Madhavas; whilst from the denomination of their common ancestor Yadu, the whole were termed Yadavas.[8] Similarly the lineage of Krosthi, Nala and Raghu goes is defined in Vishnu Puran.

Turvasu: The son of Turvasu was Vahni; his son was Gobanu; his son was Traisamba; his son was Karandhama; his son was Marutta. Marutta had no children, and he therefore adopted Dushyanta, of the family of Puru; by which the line of Turvasu merged into that of Puru. [2]

Druhyu: Druhyus and his descendant are believed to have formed the Twipra Kingdom[3] and Mandhata Kingdom also called Shivapuri or Onkareshwar, is an island in the Narmada river in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh [4] The Puranas say that they moved north and west, and then settled in Gandhara, Aratta (northwest Punjab). (VP IV.17) The Druhyus were driven out of the land of the seven rivers by Mandhatr and their next king Ghandara settled in a north-western region which became known as Ghandara. The Pracetas [the sons of Praceta] occupied the northern side of India (Afghanisthan to Kashmir), which was devoid of Vedic civilization, and became kings there. (Bhagavata 9.23.15-16; Visnu 4.17.5; Vayu 99.11-12; Brahmanda 3.74.11-12 and Marsya 48.9., [5]. More recently, some scholars have theorised that the Druhyu could be ancestors of Zoroastrian, Iranian, Greek or European peoples, or more likely, the Celtic Druid class. Particularly, as the Rg Veda describes this proto-Indo European tribe as migrating North. [6]

Anu: The names of Anu(s) and Druhyus are often taken together due to #Anu_Druhyu_Migration [10]. Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, Sabhanara, Chakshusha, and Paramekshu. The son of the first was Kalanara; his son was Srinjaya; his son was Puranjaya; his son was Janamejaya; his son was Mahamani; his son was Mahamanas, who had two sons, Usinara and Titikshu. Usinara had five sons, Sivi, Trina, Gara, Krimi, Darvan. Sivi had four sons, Vrishadarbha, Suvira, Kaikeya, and Madra. Titikshu had one son, Ushadratha; his son was Hema; his son was Sutapas; his son was Bali, on whose wife five sons were begotten by Dirghatamas, or #Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Suhma, and Pundra; and their descendants, and the five countries they inhabited, were known by the same names. The son of Anga was Para; whose genealogy continued to Mahabharat period where Satyakarma was Dhritavrata, Satyakarma’s son was Adhiratha, who found #Karna of Mahabharat in a basket. The son of Karna was Vrishasena. These were the Anga kings.

Pratishthana of Jhunsi was the most important locality of Prayag, the city of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati river (modern Allahabad) and it was founded by King Aila and was the capital of Pururavas and other kings of Lunar Dynasty. The place gave start to current world’s population of Yadus, Tarvasus-Purus, Druhyus and Anu(s) which migrated all around the world. Once belonging to the rulers of Maurya, Shunga, Kushana and Gupta period, the ancient Pratisthana has lost its identity to the modernity of Jhunsi. Kalidasa too mentions about Pratishthana in his Sanskrit drama Vikramōrvaśīyam. He has given an imaginary account of this palace of Pururavas which was magnificent. Various myths are also associated with this site. An inscription of Trilochanapala, the Pratihara king, was discovered from the site in 1830. There are various legends associated with this place. 
=====================================================
References & Readings:
[1] http://www.prabhupada.de/Books/SB/09/19.html
[2] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:turvasu
[3] A sper Rajmala, the ancient royal chronicle of the Kings of Tripura
[4] http://www.jatland.com/home/Mandhata
[5] http://vedabase.net/sb/9/23/en1
[6] http://www.indiadivine.org/content/topic/1111841-sanskrit-in-english/
[7] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-19
[8] Vishnu Puran, Book 4, Chapter 11. [http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-11]
[9] A History of Travancore by P. Shungoonny Menon. https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog
[10] https://vamadevananda.wordpress.com/tag/druhyus/' Yayati was one powerful king who ruled seven island of the world, whose father was King Nahusa who was well known king of Aila dynasty. Yati was the eldest son of Nahusa who became sage and he was succeeded by Nahusa’s second son Yayati. Nahusa reigned Pratishthan/Pratishthanpura, a place near ‪ Prayag  modern Allahabad. Pratishthanpura is currently known as Jhunsi (not Jhansi), near Allahabad and this central capital was spread till Saraswati River in west where generation of Purus later settled after thousands of years. There is one more Pratisthana, in Maharashtra which is also associated with King Ila. Yayati has two queens; Devayani and Sharmistha. Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and Sharmistha gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Puru.
Puru: The central kingdom of Prathisthanpura was given to his youngest son “Puru” as he was the most righteous king. The ‪southeast kingdom was given to ‪Dhruva. South kingdom to his son Yadu‬, the ‪‎west‬ to his son ‪Turvasu and north to his son ‪Anu Yayati enthroned his youngest son, Puru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Puru, under Puru's control. [1] THE son of Puru was Janamejaya; his son was Prachinvat; his son was Pravira; his son was Manasyu; his son was Bhayada; his son was Sudyumna; his son was Bahugava; his son was Samyati; his son was Ahamyati; his son was Raudraswa, who had ten sons, Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthandileyu, Ghriteyu, Jaleyu, Sthaleyu, Santateyu, Dhaneyu, Vaneyu, and Vrateyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantinara. whose sons were Tansu, Apratiratha, and Dhruva. The son of the second of these was Kanwa, and his son was Medhatithi, from whom the Kanwayana Brahmanas descended. Anila was the son of Tansu, and he had four sons, of whom Dushyanta was the elder. The son of Dushyanta was the emperor Bharat In the same lineage was son of Suhotra, whose son was Hastin, who founded the city of ‪  Hastinapura‬. Further in same lineage was the great king Prithu‬, son of king Para. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority: he levels it: introduces cultivation: erects cities. Earth called after him Prithivi: typified as a cow. In the same lineage after many generation was King Kuru‬ who gave his name to Kurukshetra‬. [7]
 Yadu gave rise to Yadu vansha, and one of his descandents was Lord Krishna. Yadu had four sons, Sahasrajit‬, Kroshti‬, Nala, and Raghu. SAHASRAJIT was the son of the elder of these, and he had three sons, Haihaya, Venu, and Haya. The son of Haihaya was Dharmanetra; his son was Kunti; his son was Sahanji; his son was Mahishmat; his son was Bhadrasena; his son was Durdama; his son was Dhanaka, who had four sons, Kritaviryya, Kritagni, Kritavarman, and Kritaujas. Kritaviryya son was Arjuna (not Mahabharat Period), the sovereign of the seven Dwipas (islands). At the expiration of his long reign Krittavirya was killed by Lord Parasurama. [8] Of the sons of this king, the five principal were Sura, Surasena, Vrishana, Madhu, and Jayadhwaja. In the same lineage was Vrisha whose son was Madhu; he had a hundred sons, the chief of whom was Vrishni, and from him the family obtained the name of Vrishni. From the name of their father, Madhu, they were also called Madhavas‬; whilst from the denomination of their common ancestor Yadu, the whole were termed Yadavas.[8] Similarly the lineage of Krosthi, Nala and Raghu goes is defined in Vishnu Puran.
Turvasu: The son of Turvasu was Vahni; his son was Gobanu; his son was Traisamba; his son was Karandhama; his son was Marutta. Marutta had no children, and he therefore adopted Dushyanta, of the family of Puru; by which the line of Turvasu merged into that of Puru. [2]
Druhyu: Druhyus and his descendant are believed to have formed the Twipra Kingdom[3] and Mandhata Kingdom also called Shivapuri or Onkareshwar, is an island in the Narmada river in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh [4] The Puranas say that they moved north and west, and then settled in Gandhara, Aratta (northwest Punjab). (VP IV.17) The Druhyus were driven out of the land of the seven rivers by Mandhatr and their next king Ghandara settled in a north-western region which became known as Ghandara. The Pracetas [the sons of Praceta] occupied the northern side of India (Afghanisthan to Kashmir), which was devoid of Vedic civilization, and became kings there. (Bhagavata 9.23.15-16; Visnu 4.17.5; Vayu 99.11-12; Brahmanda 3.74.11-12 and Marsya 48.9., [5]. More recently, some scholars have theorised that the Druhyu could be ancestors of Zoroastrian, Iranian, Greek or European peoples, or more likely, the Celtic Druid class. Particularly, as the Rg Veda describes this proto-Indo European tribe as migrating North. [6]
Anu: The names of Anu(s) and Druhyus are often taken together due to Anu_Druhyu_Migration‬ [10]. Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, Sabhanara, Chakshusha, and Paramekshu. The son of the first was Kalanara; his son was Srinjaya; his son was Puranjaya; his son was Janamejaya; his son was Mahamani; his son was Mahamanas, who had two sons, Usinara and Titikshu. Usinara had five sons, Sivi, Trina, Gara, Krimi, Darvan. Sivi had four sons, Vrishadarbha, Suvira, Kaikeya, and Madra. Titikshu had one son, Ushadratha; his son was Hema; his son was Sutapas; his son was Bali, on whose wife five sons were begotten by Dirghatamas, or ‪‎Anga‬, Banga, Kalinga, Suhma, and Pundra; and their descendants, and the five countries they inhabited, were known by the same names. The son of Anga was Para; whose genealogy continued to Mahabharat period where Satyakarma was Dhritavrata, Satyakarma’s son was Adhiratha, who found Karna‬ of Mahabharat in a basket. The son of Karna was Vrishasena. These were the Anga kings.
Pratishthana of Jhunsi was the most important locality of Prayag, the city of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati river (modern Allahabad) and it was founded by King Aila and was the capital of Pururavas and other kings of Lunar Dynasty. The place gave start to current world’s population of Yadus, Tarvasus-Purus, Druhyus and Anu(s) which migrated all around the world. Once belonging to the rulers of Maurya, Shunga, Kushana and Gupta period, the ancient Pratisthana has lost its identity to the modernity of Jhunsi. Kalidasa too mentions about Pratishthana in his Sanskrit drama Vikramōrvaśīyam. He has given an imaginary account of this palace of Pururavas which was magnificent. Various myths are also associated with this site. An inscription of Trilochanapala, the Pratihara king, was discovered from the site in 1830. There are various legends associated with this place.
From ancient Indian scientific forum
 =====================================================
References & Readings:
[1] http://www.prabhupada.de/Books/SB/09/19.html
[2] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:turvasu
[3] A sper Rajmala, the ancient royal chronicle of the Kings of Tripura
[4] http://www.jatland.com/home/Mandhata
[5] http://vedabase.net/sb/9/23/en1
[6] http://www.indiadivine.org/…/t…/1111841-sanskrit-in-english/
[7] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-19
[8] Vishnu Puran, Book 4, Chapter 11. [http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-11]
[9] A History of Travancore by P. Shungoonny Menon. https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog
[10] https://vamadevananda.wordpress.com/tag/druhyus/

पांडवों ने बनाया था ये चमत्कारी मंदिर, आज तक नहीं बन सकी छत


यह मंदिर हिमाचल प्रदेश के मंडी नामक स्थान पर स्थित है। यहां मां शिकारी देवी विराजमान है। इस मंदिर के साथ जुड़ी कई मान्यताएं और भी रहस्यमय हैं। कहा जाता है कि यहां मार्कंडेय ऋषि ने तपस्या की थी। जब उन्हें तपस्या करते बहुत साल बीत गए तो मां दुर्गा प्रकट हुई थीं।
मंदिर का रिश्ता पांडवों से भी बताया जाता है। कहते हैं कि पांडवों ने अज्ञातवास के दौरान इसी स्थान पर मां दुर्गा की तपस्या कर वरदान प्राप्त किया और बाद में कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध में विजयी हुए। विजयश्री का वरदान पाकर पांडवों ने यहां माता के मंदिर का निर्माण किया।
पांडवों ने मंदिर का निर्माण करवा दिया और उसमें मूर्ति भी स्थापित कर दी लेकिन किसी कारण से वे छत नहीं लगा सके। मूर्ति स्थापना के बाद वे यहां से चले गए और आज तक यह मंदिर बिना छत का है। पांडवों के अचानक जाने की वजह क्या थी?

इसका पुख्ता जवाब किसी के पास नहीं है। कुछ श्रद्धालुओं का मानना है कि उस दौरान पांडव अज्ञातवास में थे। संभवतः यहां उनकी पहचान साबित होने का भय था, इसलिए वे चले गए।
इस इलाके में हर साल बहुत बर्फ पड़ती है। बर्फ के कारण आसपास का क्षेत्र पूरी तरह कुदरत के सफेद रंग में रंग जाता है लेकिन मां के स्थान पर कभी बर्फ नहीं गिरती। लोगों का कहना है कि यह मां शिकारी देवी का चमत्कार है।

मंदिर के नामकरण के बारे में लोग कहते हैं कि बहुत पुराने जमाने में यहां घना जंगल था। तब यहां शिकारी आया करते थे, इसलिए मंदिर का नाम शिकारी देवी हो गया। लोगों का यह भी कहना है कि जो एक बार यहां मां भगवती का आशीर्वाद ले लेता है, मां उसके सभी दुखों का शिकार कर उसे सुखी और निर्भय बना देती हैं। हर साल यहां लाखों श्रद्धालु आते हैं और मां के आगे शीश झुकाकर आशीर्वाद मांगते हैं, लेकिन उनके मन में भी यह सवाल जरूर उठता है कि इस मंदिर की छत क्यों नहीं बन पाई?

कहा जाता है कि कई लोगों ने यहां छत बनाने की कोशिश की लेकिन उनके सामने कई बाधाएं आईं और मंदिर की छत आज तक नहीं बन सकी।