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Krishna angaraha chathurdasi.

kgopalan

Active member
Krishna paksham tuesday (sevvai=angarahan) chathurdasi thithi; This is equivalent to solar eclipse punyah kaalam.This comes on 31-3-2011 and on 25-10-2011 this year. In the journal "vaithikasri" March 2006 edition page no 7 an article is there. yama tharpanam should be done on that day.

Fourteen yama tharpana manthrams are there. after finishing bath and sandhyavandhanam do sankalpam krishna angaaraha chathurdasi punyahkalae yamatharpanam karishyae.
each 3 times.
yamaaya namaha yamam tharpayami.

dharmarajaaya namaha dharmarajam tharpayami.

mruthyave namaha mruthyum tharpayami.

anthakaya namaha anthakam tharpayami.

vaivasvathaaya namaha vaivasvatham tharpayami.

kaalaaya namaha kaalam tharpayami.

sarva bootha kshayaaya namaha sarva bootha kshayam tharpayami.

audhumbaraaya namaha audhumbaram tharpayami.

dhathnaaya namaha dhathnam tharpayaami.

neelaaya namaha neelam tharpayami.

parameshtinae namaha parameshtinam tharpayaami.

vrukodharaya namaha vrukodharam tharpayaami.

chithraaya namaha chithram tharpayaami.

chithra gupthaaya namaha chithraguptham tharpayami.

Then slogam; yamo nihanthaa pithru dharmarajo vaivasvatho dhandharashcha kaalaha

praythaathipo mruthyuragaapahaari kruthaanthako may subha maathanothu.


Neelaparvatha sangaasaha rudhra kobha samudhbhava

kaaladhandaadhara sriman vaivasvatha namosthuthey.
 
[h=2]Upanayanam. Kaarya kramam for yajur vedha iyers aapasthamba soothram.[/h]
UPANAYANAM BRAHMOPADESAM. serial no.1 (1) Anuggai.2. ganapathy pooja..3.ganapathy yathasthanam sankalpam. 4 kalasa sthapanam varuna pooja. 5. udhaka santhi japam. 6 punyahavachanam. 7 grahapreethy. 8 nandhi sratham 9 anna prasnam (if not done earlier) 10. raksha bandanam. 11. Angurarpanam. 12. chowla homam. 13. chola dig bhavanam. 14. new yagyopavedam. 15. kumara bojanam. hair cutting. 16. samith 17. Ammi. 18 Vasthram. 19 Mounjee. 20. deer skin. 21 Prokshanam. 22 Hastha grahanam. 23. parirakshanam. 24. homam. 25 guru upadesam. 26 Upanayana sankalpam. 27 Upanayana anuggai. 28 Graha preethy. 29 Paatha prakshalanam. Brahmopadesam. 31. Palasa dhanda dharanam. 32. Surya darsanam. 33. Samidha dhaanam. 34. Guru sishya samvaadham. 35 Biksha saranam. 36 Pranava sradha medha pooja. 37 Palasa homam. 38 Guru dhakshina. 39 AAsirvaadam. 40. Haarathy.

Anuggai= Permission, Vigneswara pooja. Udhaka shanthy. Requirements for upanayana poorvangam. Turmeric powder 100 gram; kumkumam 50 gram; sandal powder 10 gram; thodutha pushpam 5 metre. coconut,4; Plantain fruit 25. betel 100 nos; betel nut 100 gram; pakku potlam and seeval 100 gram; mango leaf bunches 8 nos; haaram 1; plantain leaf 8; wheat 2kilo; raw rice 2 kilo; black gram 500 grams; black ellu 200 gram;

Brass kudam 1; for udhaka shanthi; one brass sombu for prathisaram and punyahavaachanam; pancha pathra uthirini; Thambalam/ Tray 4 nos; kinnam or pakku mattai kinnam 12 nos; mud paligai 5 nos; Paddy; black ellu; green gram and Black gram and kadugu each 20 gram as paaligai saman. cow's milk 250 ml;

On the brahmopadesam day; Haaram 1; thodutha pushpam 4 metre; coconut 10;Plantain fruits 50; betels 100 nos; betel nuts and and paaku potlam 100 gram; scented chunnam 1 bottle; wheat 2 kilo; raw rice 2 kilo; plantain leaf 4 nos; deeksha vasthram 9x5 one no.; jaggary; curd; honey; kadugu; rice flower each 20 grams; Havis 100 gram; Ghee 500 gram; Knief 1; Dhothy for kumara bojanam 2 metre 2 nos; Ammi 1;

deer skin small piece; Brahmopadesa pattu 1 no; bitchai raw rice 5 kilo; coconut 2; silver and gold poonal each 1; pancha pathra uthirini; plate or some container to give bikshai; pakku matai plates and kinnam; 12 nos; visiri; sundal and appam for neivedhyam..no.10 nool kandu 1;

Draw kolam in a cleaned place spread wheat and over it plantain leaf and over it raw rice and over it brass kudam duly filled in scented water (elakai; krambu, pachai kalpooram and vetti ver and a drop of ghee and silver and gold ornaments, outside of the brass kudam decorate with no.10 nool and apply sandal paste and kumkumam and place a turmeric pasted coconut on mango leaf bunch along with dharbhai koorcham

Haaram and kumba vasthram in one metre length; and in brass sombu pour water and decorate it with sandal paste mango leaf bunch turmeric paste added coconut with koorcham for punya havachanam. 6 sastrigals are required for doing japam of variuos manthras . It will take 3 to 4 hours for them to finish chanting manthras and also they will chant punyahavachanam manthras. This water will be poured on the child who is going to wear poonal the next day.

Then Nandhi : 10 sastrigals are required for nandhi. No prachinavedham no ellu ; plantain leaves 10 nos; raw rice 5 kilo; paruppu 1 kilo; valaikai 10 nos 9x5 cotton dhothy 10 nos; optional; dhhakshinai; Homam is also there for nandhi; but now a days nobody is doing homam; meals for them. pancha pathira uthirini in copper 10 nos. for them optional;coconut 10 nos; thamboolam and fruits optional.

Prathisara bandham= raksha bandanam.IN brass sombu decorated with sandal paste and kumkumam, mango leaf bunch; koorcham and turmeric pasted coconut place it over rice varunan aavaahanam pooja, In the north side of the kalasam place some raw rice and place a turmeric pasted nool with sandal paste and with flower. sastrigal then chant varuna sooktham and other veda manthras. Then it will be knotted on the right hand . to be continued

Then Angurarpanam= 5 mud paligai; paligai dhanyam paddy;black gellu; black gram; green gram;kadugu. soak in water the previous day itself. to clean 5 mud paligai punyahavachanam should be done. place a brass sombu on some raw rice. pour water into the brass sombu. decorate the brass sombu with sandal paste and kumkumam and place mango leaf bunch and turmeric pasted coconut and one koorcham. do punyahavachana manthra japam( pavamaana sooktham (4 times) . place in a tray 5 mud paligai pour some mud on them. First prokshanam of punyahavachana theertham to the mud paaligai.

In the centre paligai aavaahanam of Brahma. In the east side paligai avahanam of Indran. In the south side yaman; In the west side varunan. In the north side somam. do upachara pooja for these devadas.

Add milk in the paligai dhanyam and water, sastrigal must chant oshadhi sooktham now. First in the centre (Brahma paligai) pour some dhanyam with manthra first time and then without manthra pour the dhanyam 2 times. Then with other manthras for each from east ,south,west,north one time with manthras and 2 times without manthram.

Then say Om by touching each paligai. THen request 5 or 7 or 9 sumangalis to pour the germinated seeds along with milky water. You have to give for these sumangalis sandal paste, kumkumam, flower, thamboolam and dakshinai. Then cover these paligai with mud and pour some water daily morning and evening and these things should be poured in the river or tank. ladies will do kummi dance to finish this function.

IN the book it has been written that sumangalis without any children should not participate in this paligai seed thelithal. In some places it is said that sumangalis should pour only milky water and not the dhanyams. Do as per family tradition. to be continued

Hair cutting: Here comes homam So you need Homa kundam or 10 bricks and sand 5 kilo; vratti 25 nos; srai 5kg; visiri; match box; camphor Start poorvangam portion for Homam place near it the following items; Gold and Silver poonal; water; Dharbhai koorcham; vasthram; ammi kal; palasa dhandam; deer skin; and Mounchi=Dharbhai kairu.

Do 8 homam with manthras and do jayadhi homam; Apply hot water on the boy's head to be continued

With the help of knief and three dharbhai , cut thr hair and dharbhai from east.south.west.north directions separately each with chanting manthras. and put the hair under a athi tree.

New poonal for the boy chanting usual manthras. Then kumara bhojanam. request brahmacharis in even nos; 4 or 6 donate them 2 yards cotton dhoty and request them to take lunch along with this boy. This boy now will do parisheshanam and aapochana pranahoodhi along with other boys.lunch should be without kaaram and salt. that is sweets.

Then the barber will cut his hair. the boy has to take bath and should wear new clothes and marks in the forehead. now he has to wear silver and gold poonal. Then place one samithu in the fire chanting manthras. In the northern side of the homa kundam place one ammi and request the boy to place his right leg on the ammi and chant manthras. Then he is wearing new vasthram chanting manthras.

By chanting manthras he is wearing mounchi=dharbhai kair in his hip thrice clockwise. Then deer skin in his poonal. Then water prokshanam with manthras. Then by chanting manthras his guru will touch his hands.then the guru will requst the devadas to protect him.Then guru upadesam. Then sankalpam for upanayanam. Then 11 homamas.Permission for guru upadesam; Graha preethi.

Brahmopadesam. in a duly covered by pattu vasthram. samitha dhaanam. Then the boy must take biksha first from his mother and then from all ladies. Pranava sradha metha pooja: permission to do pranava sradha medha pooja;ganesa 16 upachara pooja, punyaha vachanam; graha preethy.AAvaahanam of pranava sradha metha and do 16 upachara pooja. Then do aavaahanam inthe homa kundam indran and eight thikku paalakargal.

Vasthra dhaanam to guru; palasa homam chanting 11 manthras Jayadhi homam; Guru dhakshinai; sthamba pooja eesaanaadhi sthamba pooja; aasirvaadham.harathy.

Boy's Maternal grandfather ,Amman seer varisai: Silver and gold poonal; Brahmopadesa pattu; aasirvadha vesti; saree;silver pancha pathra uthirini; plate to receive bikshai rice .sweets,murukku. athirasam.thamboolam. manjal;kumkumam; flowers, plantain fruits.paruppu thengai.

Inform caterer quantity of meals,tiffin,cofee for these 2 days. you may use naathaswaram cd; If required get rented shamiana, chairs, meals table. ; If you want to give gifts, buy them, bags required to put the thamboolam; fruit or coconut . You may call only your close relatives.

You can do it in your house. Do it according to the financial position of the individual.

In reply to upanayanam days i am giving here the details. First UTHIRAYANAM; From 16 th january to 15th july every year is the best one. Tamil month MAASI month is good. STARS; aswathi;rohini; mirugasiesham;punarpoosam;poosam;uthiram; hastham;chithrai;swathi; anusham; uthiraadam; thiruvonam; avittam; sadayam; uthirathadhi; revathy.

THITHI; dwithiyayi;thruthiyai; panchami; sapthami;dasami;ekadasi ;dwadasi;thrayodasi, in sukla patcham. and in krishna patcham:dwithiyai, thruthiyay, and panchami. LAGNAM; rishabam;mithunam; katakam;kanni;thulam;dhanus; meenam.

The eighth place from lagnam should be empty. without any planets. During the period of mars asthamanam and/or neecham sama vedics should not do upanayanam. For rig vedis guru neecham or asthamanam; for yajur vedis sukrassthamanam or neecham and for atharvana vedam budan neecham or asthaman should not be there for upanayanam.

THARA PALAM; CHANDRA PALAM MUST BE THERE. KASARA YOGAM IS A MUST. Panchagam must be seen. If required panchaka preethi must be done. Thyaajyam for thithi,star, day.and lagnam should be seen./checked.

Un matching stars for subha muhurthangal; From the Birth star of one (male or female) 1,3,5,7,10,14,19,22, and 27 stars are not good. From the chandra rasi the 8th rasi 2 1/4 stars are not good. THITHI: chathurthy, shasty, astami;navami; dwadasi and chathurdasi are not good; YOGANGAL; Marana yogam;uthpadha yogam; Prabhalarishta yogam are not good. KARI NAAL AND DHANIYA NAAL should be avoided,

Rahu kalam; yama kandam; kuligai kalam; and tuesday and saturday are not good. for upanayanam the very next day of the Brahmopadesam day should not be a anadhyayanam day. that is New moon and Fulmoon day the previous day and the next day of the newmoon and full moon day and krishna pathcha astami days are anadhyayanam days. you can chant the vedas which you have learned in the previous days.

GURU BHALAM; If the guru is in lagnam, kendram;thirikonam or in ucchham thithi vaaram etc. dosham will not be there. If the chandran is on Rohini star no dosham for thithi, vaaram ,will be there. If there is on that particular month two new moon or two full moon or on that month no tamil madha pirappu or two tamil madha pirapuu on the month subha muhurtham on these months should be avoided. chithrai and vaikasi are exception for this rule. There are plenty of exceptions are also there.


Requirements for upanayanam; upanayana poorvangam; turmeric powder 100n gram; kunkumam 50 gram; sandal wood powder10 gram thodutha puspam saram 3 meter; coconut 4 nos; plantain fruit 25 nos; betel leaf 100 nos; betel nut 100 gram; paddy or wheat 2kg; raw rice 2 kg; black gram 250 gram; gingilly seeds 100 gram;plantain leaf 10 nos; mango tree leaf bunch 8 nos; paaligai 5 nos;cow's milk 250 milli; paaligai saman paddy;gingilly seeds, black gram; green gram; kadugu total 100 grams. udhaka shanthi kudam 1; prathisara sombu 1; thambalam 4nos; kinnam 4; pancha pathra uthirini. haaram (maalai) for the boy 1 no.

Anungai (Permission) ganesa pooja; navagraha preethi; punyaha vachanam; udhaka shanthi japa dakshinai; oshadhi sooktham for paligai japa dakshinai;prathi sara japa dakshinai; ayushya sooktha japa dakshinai; raksha bandhana graha preethi; nandhi; buktha dakshinai vaadhyar


dakshinai;punyahavachana japa dakshinai; nandhi dhakshinai;



Nandhi to satisfy and to get blessings of pithrus.; You can do by giving 9x5dhoty pancha pathra uthirini and meals and dakshinai; for ten persons; OR you can do with minimum 4 persons only by giving money after aavaahanam; for udaka santhi japam 6 sastrigals are required;

For sumangalies minimum 5 nos who are adding the paligai saman in the paligai you have to give thamboolam flower sandanam and kunkumam and dakshinai. these nandhi and udaka santhi can be done the previous day to upanayanam only morning time is the best.


Upanayanam and brahmopadesam; haaram for the boy 1 no; thodutha pushpam 2 meter; coconut 15 nos; plantain fruit 50 nos; betel leaves 100 nos; betel nut 100 grams; seeval 100 gram or pakku pottalam ; paddy or wheat 2 kilo; raw rice 1 kilo; plantain leaf 4 nos; deeksha vasthram 9 mulam 1; ghee 500 gram; havis 50 gram; jaggary; curd; honey; kadugu; rice flour each 25 grams; ammi 1 no; small knief 1 no; deer skin (maan thol) small piece; kumara bhojanam 4 mulam dhothi 2 nos; brahmopadesha pattu 1 no; silver poonal; gold poonal;bikshai raw rice 5 kilo; mud madagu big2 and small 8 nos; visiri4 nos; vratti 10 nos; umi and srai thool wooden pieces 2 kilo; biksha thambalam 2 nos; sundal and appam for neivedhyam

; Jadha karmadhi vaideeka vivaram; Ganapathy pooja; jadha karma anuggai; kaalaatheetha krichram; begining graha preethi; curd ;honey bali karana taking dhaanam; punyaha vachanam dakshinai; namakaranam and anna praasanam (food taking) and then vapanam hair removal from head; upanayana anuggai; graha preethi; poonal punyaha suddhi; kumara bhojana dakshinai; japa dakshinai; graha preethi; brahmopadesa anuggai; graha preethi ;guru padha pooja; brahmopadesa dakshinai; samidha dhana anuggai; graha preethi; mathru bikshai; saathgunyam; vadhyar sambhavanai;;

You can start from head hair cutting if you have already done naamakaranam and annapraasanam and jadhakarma; I have written here for those people who have not done jadha karma and naamakaranam and annapraasnam; Seer from boy's mother's father side: gold and silver poonal;aasirvada dhothy and saree blouse ;thaambalam; pancha pathra uthurini in silver or in copper;brahmopadesa pattu vasthram.raw rice for bikshai.sweets and murukku;

Naandhi= Ab udhaya srardham Viswedevar 2 persons; mother vargam 2 persons; father vargam 2 persons; mother's parents vargam 2 persons;Maha vishnu 2 persons; total 10 persons; you can give them raw rice with some green gram dhall and monthan plantain kaai; with poonal and dakshinai in 10 plantain leaves;or you can do this with minimum 5 persons according to financial status of the individual. abbudhayam means the growth of dharma artha and kamam. For these to grow you are doing aaradhanai to pithru devas. prarthana let the devathas make me to think always good deeds to others; and the pithrus say yes to this. these portions are taken from yajur vedha aapasthamba poorva prayogam book written by anna of Ramakrishna mutt.and pub liswhed by surabi jagathguru sadhapthi publications chennai 33.

Angurarpanam;=5 paaligai prayer to brahma in the centre; east indran; south yaman; west varunan (water devatha) north soman to fulfill all our desires and to make the function every success. this means that we have started the function as per sastra method.

Prathisara bandham= wearing the thread in the hand, for males Right hand and for females left hand; kanganam katti kolluthal he has decided full heartedly to do this function.

samidha dhanam= After upanayanam he becomes brahma chari and daily after sandhya vandhanam and gayathri japam. he has to do in the morning and evening daily samidha dhanam.homam with 12 samithu.

chowlam= kudumi vaippathu=It should be done in the end of first or third year. along with darbai you have to cut the hair of the boy on four directions with manthras and put the hair in a mud pot along with cow dung and it should be thrown away at the foot of athi tree. Mother or one brahmachari must be near the kartha to receive the removed hair and dharbai.

Ammi midhithal= along with manthra the boy should say that he will withstand problems boldly. The boy has to wear a new dhothi now and a megalai( a thread made from three dharbai 2 metre long) with manthras. Kumara bhojanam along with brahmachari's without salt and sour ;

pranava sradha medha pooja On those days it was done on the 4th day. now a days it is impossible and we are doing on the upanayanam day and aasirvadham to the boy.

Only after upanayanam he is eligible to learn vedam. Father; Father's father; father's brother ;elder brother or the old man of the same gothram;are the first grade eligible people to do brahmopadssam. widowcan be done uptaers should not do brahmopadasam.AApasthambar 1-27 upanayanam can be done to the boy upto the age of 16. Brahmachari should not sleep during day time;should notTAKE supari and thamboolam; should not see dance programes; only limited movement with ladies; to be continued​
 
PREPARATION OF PANCHAGAVYAM; DETAILS;place 6 empty cups.In the centre cup pour 35 grams of cow's urine;In the eastern side cup put cow's dung half of your thumb; pour 245 grams of cow's milk in the south side cup; Pour cow's curd 105 gram in the west side cup;pour 35 grams of cow's ghee in the north side cup; pour water 35 grams in the north east side cup;

With help of 2 dharbai touch the centre cup saying GAYATHRI MANTHRAM.; Saying gandad dwaaraam duradarsham......vaya sriyam .touch eastern side cup,cow's dung. saying aapyaaya swasame duthae ........sangathey. touch the south side milk cup; saying dadhikraavinno akarusham.......dhaarishat touch the cow's curd in the west side cup.

Saying sukramasi jyothirasi theyjosi touch the northern side ghee cup; Saying devasyathva savithuhu....maaththey touch the pure water cup in the north east direction cup.

These milk.curd,ghee, urine, dung must be collected from the same one cow.

Saying the same manthras in the same order pour the other cups contents in the centre cup..

. so the centre cup must be a bigger one.saying AUM (OM)for ten times.stirr well the centre cup . now you remove the other five cups.

Now pooja for the centre cup Goh(cow)devatha AAvaahana manthram AAgahwo........duhaana. Asmin pancha gavyae goh devatha dhyaayami, aavaahayami, aasanam,paadhyam;argyam;aachamanam;snaanam , aachamanam. vasthram, upaveetham;sandal paste, kumkumam; akshadai; pushpa maala; archanai, dhoopam. deepam, neivedhyam, banana fruit and thaamboolam;

camphor aarthi, Then chant goh suktham from aagaavo.......thavaveeryea It is in thaithareeya praa ash2.8.8..Then punar pooja, upacharam. yatha sthanam.

Separate mantra is there to take this panchakavyam inside your mouth. This panchakavyam can be used for abishekam to siva.

You can do abishekam by chanting rudram,chamakam,purusha sooktham; sree sooktham, bhagya sooktham ,durga sooktham etc;

IN the cow's urine water (varunan) in the cow's dung Agni is there, in the curd vaayu(air) is there, in the milk Moon is there. in ghee suryan is there.

First abishekam with water, then apply gingilly oil, then water ,then pancha kavyam, then water, then panchamritam. then water, do abishekam like this.
 
RAMESVARAM AND KASI YATRA TRAVELOGUE:

With God's grace we successfully completed our journey to Rameswaram. Really a wonderful experience. Sri Sundar Sastrigal (of Sankara Mutt, Councilor BJP) has made arrangements for stay at Sankara Mutt (2 A/C rooms and 2 non-A/C Rooms) and also made vehicle arrangements. First day we visited Tirupulani and Utra Kosa Mangai temples. Also got the opportunity to see Pampan Palam. We could watch a train passing through the Pampan Bridge from the Road. A wonderful scene.

Second day we took bath at Lakshman Teertham (36 Holy dip) and Ram Teertham followed by Samudra Snanam (36 holy dip). With wet clothes went to the temple for 23 teertham bath. Good arrangements made by Sri Sundar Sastrigal.

Also, visited Kothanda Ramar Sannithi, Ramanathaswamy temple and Ramar Padam. In a sepecail jeep visited Dhanushkodi and did sankalpam and took sand for immersion at Kasi. A joint family trip of all five brothers and three sisters (one sister with her husband) really gave us immense satisfaction. One of the days we also performed Srardam of our mother at Sastrigal's home. For all the three days wonderful food prepared by Sastrigal's sister including special meals on the day of Srardam.

Respected Sundar Ji, thanks for all the arrangements and pray god that you will help thousands of devottees visiting Rameswaram.

. Now we are planning for our Trip to Kasi and request your best wishes for a successful trip.

Here are a few contact numbers.

Mr. Subramaniam, Manager, Sankara Mutt - 9415228721, 9453002020
B. Suresh Shastri - 9415304785 , 9336902344
Srinivas. G.- 09935721213

Jaipur bhawan is very near the viswanath temple and dasawamedh ghat. It is run by Marwaris and hence the food is more vegetarian than vegetarian - no onion, non garlic, no food served inside rooms. Food is served by uniformed men in a very clean dining hall where you have to eat sitting on the floor. For a day long outing lunch/tiffin packets are arranged. Rooms are very airy, bright and clean.

Mr Shyam Sunder Sharma +(91)-(542)-2412674 , 2412766, 2412709 +(91)-9335415954 Jaipuria Bhawan, Nr Marwadi Hospital,Godowalia, Varanasi, Varanasi - 221001

ear Shri C S Muthukrishnan, during Jan'10, myself n my husband went to Devipattinam, before commencing our Kasi yathirai with the Rameshwaram trip.Following is the address of the person who performed the sankalpams n the necessary poojas for us. Kindly see if it will be of use:
Mr. V Jegannatha Iyengar, 1/58, Perumal Kovil Street, Navapashanam,Devipattinam-623514. Ramanathapuram Dist. (phone: 04567-264501)(94420-50217)


 

Kasi Yathra- Travelogue and some Useful information

KASHI TRIP - Part I

Preparations:
Ganga Kavery express which connects Chennai & Varanasi is a biweekly Express. We planned the trip to Allahabad, Varanasi & Gaya 100 days before the actual date of departure viz.. As our trip was coinciding with Diwali(Thanga Annapoorni, Thanga Visalakshi, Annakodda & Laddu Ther) we anticipated rush and purchased 90 days in advance, both onward and return tickets:
We wrote to Swamimalai V.Ramasesha Sastrigal(his brother's name is Mr.V.Krishnamurthy Ganapadigal) B-5/311. Hanuman Ghatt, Varanasi-221001(Phone 0542-2310134). The former's son is Mr.R.shiv Kumar. He is computer savvy. A MCA but in Purhoitam. His cell No. is 093353333137/09415336064. His email id is <[email protected]> He assured to provide us accommodation, food and also arrange transport and perform pithru karyams. He also gave contact name in Allahabad. Shri. N.Vasudeva shastrigal. Shivmath daraganj, Allahabad. 0532-2500799
Then we(each family) started doing purchases: For Khasi Shrraddham Dhoti for brahmana and Vadhyar:9x5 Three Nos, Gaya Shrraddham Dhoti for Gayawalis 9x5 five number(if mother is alive four nos only; Gaya Vadyar Dhoti 9x5 one no. Dhambathi Pooja: Two sets of following: Dhoti 9x5 ; 9 yard saree with blouse piece, Mangalyam, metti, mookuthi -(one each for Allahabad and Kashi).
Extra blouse pieces with kannadi seepu manjal kungumam valayal about 25 sets.
For Dheepa Dhanam: 31 Brass agals with oil & thiri; for payasa Dhanam Tumblers: 12 nos For Dhasa Dhanam: Gold coin, silver coin, silver kinnam, 9x5 veshti, Shawl/porvai, Kudai, Padarakshai, Pithalai Theertha sombu, Eversilver Milk Pathiram, Eayam poosiya Curd Pathiram, Visiri, Sandhana Kattaiu, Bell, Pusthagam(courtesy: Kunjan),

YATRA

The purpose of a Kashi Yatra is to perform Vedic rites for our ancestors. The Purohits were extremely helpful to explain various nuances of rituals. We performed the rites that are traditionally performed during a Kashi Yatra. I share this with all of you in the hope that it may be of reference material for future. I have provided contact numbers of some people there who will be able to arrange everything for anyone who desires to perform these rituals.

We got down at Allahabad at 4.30 Am after a train journey of 35 hours. Mr.Vasudevan sent his errand boy Mr.Venkatesh to Allahabad Rly Stn to pick us up. The Vedic rituals began at Allahabad. The rituals (even the more extensive ones) take about half a day (early morning to lunch).

Day of Arrival - Allahabad (Triveni Sangam) (Day 1)

Allahabad is the city where the three greatest rivers of India meet, and continue their journey further. The Ganga weaves her way down from the Himalayas from Gangotri, passing places made sacred by her arrival, like Rishikesh and Haridwar, and passing through the industrial city of Kanpur, before arriving at Allahabad to join her sisters as she makes her way to Kashi.

Yamuna also begins her journey in the Himalayas, at Yamunotri, and passes through Mathura and Brindavan, made more sacred by the association of Krishna, and finally arrives at Allahabad where she joins the Ganga to merge her identity with her. Saraswati arrives at Allahabad from god alone knows where, for she is an underground river, who remains unseen to mankind, making her presence felt at certain, extremely special places. She renders the holy Ganga and Yamuna even more pure, more sacred by her association with them at Allahabad. The place where these 3 rivers merge is the Triveni Sangam, a place where thousands and thousands congregate to pay their respects to the rivers and pray for their well being and forgiveness for their sins.


The three rivers maintain their identity and are visibly different as they merge. While the Yamuna is deep but calm and greenish in colour, the Ganga is shallow, but forceful and clear. The Saraswati remains hidden, but the faithful believe that she makes her presence felt underwater. During the monsoon, when the rivers are in full flow, the confluence of the rivers is seen clearly due to the force of the water, but the same force makes having a dip at the confluence difficult.

I was told that during the monsoon, most devotees bathe at the riverbank for safety, while the more ardent ones who are willing to pay for the risk involved go to the confluence in a boat, where a shallow area is created by the presence of a number of boats with a kind of net suspended in between, and bathe there. We went to the confluence of the rivers by a boat. A sort of platform had been constructed there, from which we climbed down into waist deep water.

We had a wonderful time bathing in the river. We could have stayed in the water for ages, if it hadn’t been for the rites and rituals we had to perform back at the mutt where we were staying. It was a wonderful experience.

A number of rituals are traditionally performed at Allahabad, mainly for appeasing our ancestors. There are a number of Mutts there who perform the rites. As at Kashi, there is no standard charge, but varies according to the rites one wants to perform and the budget.

An interesting ritual performed at the Sangam is that of Veni Daanam. This is a practice followed by married women for the long life of their husbands. The husband is supposed to comb and plait the wife’s hair and after decorating it with flowers, the end of the plait is cut off and offered to the rivers. Some men even shave off their hair/beard and offer it also to the rivers.

This procedure is performed while travelling by boat to the Sangam and the hair is offered along with flowers, etc at the confluence. There is nothing interesting in itself about this. What is interesting is that hair, being light normally floats on water, but at this place, the hair sinks straight to the bottom. Though hundreds of people offer their hair everyday, there is not a single strand of hair seen floating on the river.

Of course, there could and will be a scientific explanation for this phenomenon, but whatever it is, it gives us proof that nature is a wonderful thing….. Call it God or simply nature, it is indeed inspiring!

The temple of Veni Madhava (one of the trio along with Sethu Madhava and Bindu Madhava) is a little way inside the city. It is a small temple, with a small idol of Vishnu representing Veni Madhava. According to the legend painted on the walls of the temple, there was once a rakshasa who troubled all the Devas. Narada sought an audience with him to find out his weakness, and found that he suffered from a skin infliction.

He told the Asura to bathe in the Triveni Sangam at Allahabad, which the Asura proceeded to do. Amazed at finding himself cured, he wanted to possess the 3 great rivers who had cured him, and began drinking them up! When the rivers pleaded with Vishnu, he arrived in the form of Veni Madhava and killed him, restoring the rivers to their rightful place.

The Shayana Anjaneya temple is an important one right on the banks of the river. Here, the idol of Hanuman is larger than life, carrying Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders. Only, the idol is lying down. There are many stories about this temple. According to one, hanuman stepped over the rivers without their permission, angering them. They rose up and threw him to the ground, and crushed his ego.

According to the locals, every year, the river rises and covers the whole idol before going back, which they consider absolute proof of this story. Another legend mentions that this is where hanuman emerged with Rama and Lakshmana after defeating the king of Patala, the netherworld, Ahi Ravana. Whatever the story, the temple is a simple and nice one.

The Adi Shankara Vimana Mandapam, a temple built by the Kanchi Mutt is right next to this temple. This is a 3 storeyed temple with idols and sculptures of various Gods and Goddesses. It is worth a visit.

The other paces of interest in Allahabad are-

The Allahabad fort, on the banks of the Yamuna, where we take a boat to go to the Sangam.

The Bharadvaj Ashram, where Sage Bharadvaj lived

Anand Bhavan- the birth place of our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.


 
allahabad sankalpam:
1. Anugnai (Sankalpam)
2. Vighneshwara Puja (Prayers to Ganesha)
3. Prayschitta Sankalpam (atonement for sins committed, knowingly or unknowingly)
4. Veni Daanam (Women offer a part of their hair to the river praying for the long life of their husbands. The husband plaits the wife’s hair, decorates it with flowers and cuts off the tip of the plait and offers it to the river. It is an interesting fact that while hair normally floats on water, at the Sangam; it immediately sinks to the river bed. Though almost all married women offer their hair here, there is not a single strand found floating on the river!!!!) I did it for Mohana! first time in life.

5. Manal brought from Rameswaram is dissolved in Thiriveni
6. Triveni Sangam Snanam (husband and wife bathe together at the confluence of the 3 rivers, holding hands. One has to go to the confluence in a boat. A sort of platform has been erected at the point for the convenience of pilgrims)
7. Hiranya Shrraddham *
8. Pinda Pradaanam, Kshetra Pindam, Tarpanam **


9. Brumayagnam
10. Venimadhavar Dharisanam
11. Vada Vrutcha Dharisanam
12. To collect Pure Ganges water from Thriveni Sangamam for carrying back to home.


13. Aram Ghat Hanumar Dharisanam
14. Kanchi Kamakodi Temple visit
15. we performed Dampati Pooja at Allahabad. We reached Varanasi at 10 Pm. Mr.Krishnamurthy Ganapadigal has sent us Idly for night tiffin. We were accommodated in his newly purchased house which is a two storeyed building with a muttram for drying clothes. The house had 3 rooms, one big hall of around 700 sq.ft with one bath, one w.c and one Indian toilet. The house had pillows, jamukkalam & mats and 4 cots.


The rituals at Kashi take place over three days – the first day for the Maha sangalpam, the second day for Manikarnika Parvarupa (by doing homam) Shrraddham and the third day for the Pancha Teertha Shrraddham. Then, one goes to Gaya and performs the rituals there, and returns to Kashi for the Ganga Puja, Dampati Puja and only then visits the temples at Kashi.
 
Part II - Kasi Yatra Continued

Kashi (Varanasi) Day 2

1. Anugnai (Sankalpam)
2. Vighneshwara Puja (Prayers to Ganesha
3. Poorvanga Sangalpam
4. Navagraha Preethi Dhanam
5. Poorvanga Dasa Daanam ***

6. Naandhi Shrraddham *
7. Vaishnava Shrraddham *
8. Punyaa Vajanam (purification ritual)
9. Maha Sankalpam
10. Prayschitta Sankalpam (atonement for sins committed, knowingly or unknowingly)

11. Phala Daanam ***
12. Mahathasirvatham
13. Uttaranga Godaanam *** (we did not do)
14. Chakra Theertha Snanam
15. Manikarnika Teertha Snanam

Day 3

1. Manikarnika Hiranyaroopa Theertha Shrraddham : This was done in Parvanroopam(Homam Valarthu) Two Brahmanal Bhojanam(Those who are budgeted can do this hiranya roopam also)
2. Anna roopa theertha Shrraddham
3. Pinda dhanam
4. Shethra Pinda Dhanams
5. Thila Tharpanam
6. Brumayagnam

Day 4
 
Day 4:


1. Pancha Teertha Yatra (We went by a motor boat to these 5 Ghats and performed the rituals) Like Madras Auto towing another auto, The motor boat was towing two ordinary rowing boats. One boat exclusively for Rug Vedis. One boat to prepare avis and make pindams. The main motor boat for performing hiranya Shrraddham


i) Asi Ghat (Haridwar Teertham) – this is where the Asi river merges with the Ganga. Performing the rites here is believed to give one the fruits of performing the rites at Haridwar.
ii) Dashashwamedha Ghat (Rudra Sarovara Teertham) – this is the place where Brahma performed 10 Ashwamedha Yagnas, and hence it is considered sacred to perform the rites.


iii) Trilochana Ghat or varana Ghatt( Vishnu Paada Udaka Teertham)
iv) Pancha Ganga Ghat ( Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana, Doodhapappa- Sangam); Bindu Madhava Temple
v) Manikarnika Ghat (Manikarnika Teertham, Chakra Pushkarni Teertham) Shethra pinda dhanams in all 5 ghatts, thila tharpanam and Bruma yagnam


We left in the evening by 5 pm Varanasi by 2 Tata Sumos to Gaya. We reached Gaya at 10 Pm. we immediately rushed to see Thulasi Archanai, Sandhana kappu to Vishnu Padham.

Gaya Shrardham Day 5

Gaya being located in is a Shrraddha Bhoomi. The place where we were asked to stay is managed by a Gujarati lady who also speaks Tamil. We experienced continuous power cuts, no sun- light in bathrooms, inadequate water in Gaya( Lallu Prasad Yadav's Rajyam) (almost zero water for those who preferred to enter bath rooms at the end) (power cut also compounded the problem of not having water in overhead tank). We were also told Phalguni river is having knee deep water only and only prokshanam is possible.

Gaya is a holy place revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike. While to Hindus, it is the footprint of Vishnu (the Vishnu Padam), the Akshaya Vatam and the chance of performing the Vedic rites not just for 3 generations of ancestors, but anyone and everyone that attracts them to Gaya,

for Buddhists it is the sacred Banyan tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Indeed the regular influx of Buddhists from all over the world has made Bodh Gaya a tourist spot in Bihar, and a tourist attraction with all kind of facilities, something like an oasis in the heart of a desert!

Gaya is all about legends, and there are legends connected to every temple there and every rite that is performed.

Let me start with the name of the place. 'Gaya'. According to the legend, there was once an Asura named Gayasuran, who was a great devotee of Vishnu. When the Devas couldn’t bear the trouble he caused any more, they went to Vishnu and asked for a way out. Vishnu approached Gayasuran and told him that He wanted to perform a special yagna, and wanted a special place to perform it. Gayasuran offered his heart, and Vishnu accepted.

The yagna began, and soon, the fumes and the heat became unbearable, and Gayasuran started succumbing to it. Vishnu asked him for his final wish, and Gayasuran asked that the place he died would be immortalized by his name, and hence the name ‘Gaya’. Second, he asked that people should be allowed to perform the sacred rites (Pinda pradaanam) not only for their ancestors, but for anyone- family, distant relatives, friends and foes, non-Hindus, pets, unclaimed bodies- in short, for any dead human/creature they could think of.

This remains the only place where Pinda pradaanam is carried out in this manner. In fact, I am told that in a normal Shrraddham , 6 pindams are made (two for each generations which are no more); in a Teertha Shrraddham , as at Kashi, Allahabad, Rameswaram, etc., 16 pindams are offered, including all ancestors on both parents side; in the Gaya Shrraddham, 64 pindams are offered,

of which 16 are for the mother alone, since she carries her child for 9 whole months within her body, 16 for the ancestors, and 16 for all others as I have mentioned earlier. Of course, all this is a matter of faith and belief, but what is there in life if we don’t have faith? Anyway, once Vishnu granted his wishes, he stepped on him with his foot, leaving a footprint at this holy place, and granting liberation to Gayasuran.

It is this footprint which is worshipped as the Vishnu Padam. For the information of devotees, I must mention that for a fee of Rs.50/- an imprint of the Padam is taken on a muslin cloth and given. This is to be kept in the Puja room and is considered very auspicious.


1. Phalguni (Falguni) Teertha Snana Maha Sangalpam
2. Phalguni (Falguni) Teertha Snanam by way of bringing water from the river in sombu and brokshanam
3. Phalguni Hiranya Shrraddham (this is the traditional Shrraddham performed on the banks of any sacred river, here the Falguni.)

4. Shethra Pinda dhanam(17) (given to cow later)
5. Thila tharpanam
6. Vishnu Paada Hiranya Shrraddham †
7. Pinda prathanam ( 64 Pindams for those who have lost mother also; if mother alive 48 pindams)

8. Shethra Pinda Dharisanam at Vishnu Patham
9. Mathru Shodacee(not applicable to those whose mother is alive)
10. Akshaya Vata Anna/Hiranya Shrraddham † (with anna Shrraddham ) with homam
11. Akshaya Vata Pinda Pradaanam ** †
 
12. Shethra Pinda dhanam
13. Mathru Shodacee(not applicable to those whose mother is alive)
14. Thirupthi Dhakshinai Ask Gaya Brahmans if they are satisfied (according to legend, the Brahmins at Gaya are not easily satisfied and it is a tradition to ask them anyway in an attempt to satisfy them)

Acharya sambhavana (payment of the fees to the pundit)
15. Saka-Pathra-Ful- Dharisanam(Oru kai-Ilai-Pazham viduthal)
16. Bhodhi Vruksha Dharisanam

The next legend concerns the Falguni (or Falgu) river. There is knee deep water in the river at Gaya, though apparently, there is water upstream as well as downstream. It is clear that there is water under the ground, because, even as one digs into the ground with ones fingers, water appears. This is apparently because of a curse on the river. The story goes that Rama, along with his brothers and Sita, came to Gaya to perform the sacred rites for his father, Dasaratha.

When the brothers were bathing in the river, Sita was sitting on the banks, playing with the sand. Suddenly, Dasaratha appeared out of the sand, and asked for the Pindam, saying he was hungry. Sita asked him to wait till his sons returned, so that she could give him the traditional Pindam of rice and til. He refused to wait, asking her to give him pindams made of the sand in her hand.

Having no other option, she gave him the Pindam he desired with five witnesses – the Akshaya Vatam, the Falguni River, a cow, a Tulsi plant and a Brahmin. Soon, Rama returned and started the rituals. In those days apparently, the ancestors would arrive in person to collect their share, and when Dasaratha did not appear, they wondered why. Sita then told them what had happened, but Rama could not believe that his father would accept pindams made of sand.

Sita now mentioned her witnesses, and asked them to tell Rama the truth. Among the five, only the Akshaya Vatam took her side and told the truth, while the others lied, trying to take Rama’s side. In her anger, Sita cursed all of them thus: the Falguni river henceforth would have no water at Gaya; the Cow would no longer be worshipped from the front as all others are- only its backside would be worshipped; there would be no more Tulsi plants at Gaya and the Gaya Brahmins would never be satisfied, they would always be hungry and crave more and more. She then blessed the Akshaya Vatam saying that all who came to Gaya would perform the Pinda pradaanam at the Akshaya Vatam too.

Other temples in the vicinity are the Sakshi Gopal temple and the Mangala Gowri Temple, which is among the Shakti peethams. By the time Shrraddham was over, it was about 4.30 pm. we left Gaya around 5.30 Pm after visiting Bodh Gaya and reached Varanasi around 11.30 Pm. The roads were excellent thanks to National Highway Authority roads improvement programme of Govt. of India. Since one of the vehicles developed a snag, we had to wait for some time enroute.

BODH GAYA

We worship Dhakshinamurthy,Guru or preceptor. A preceptor is more than a teacher, for he not only teaches us things that extends our knowledge, but also those that enrich our lives, and make out life worth living. One of these was the Buddha. Whether we consider Him simply as a Buddhist guru, or the ninth avatar of Vishnu, it remains a fact that He was one of the greatest teachers of all time, and his legacy lives on today in the hearts of millions, some his followers, some simply his admirers. I take the opportunity to write an article on Gaya, one of the places most closely associated with the Buddha.

Bodh Gaya is about 18 Kms from Gaya. This is where Buddha came in quest of knowledge, and where he finally was enlightened. This is, truly, the birth place of Buddhism. There are, in all, seven sacred places for Buddhists, all associated with the life of Buddha. These are:

1. Lumbini – his birthplace, now in Nepal
2. Kapilavastu – his kingdom, also in Nepal
3. Bodh Gaya – where he attained enlightenment, in Bihar

4. Sarnath – where he gave his first discourse, in UP
5. Shravasti – where he taught many of his students, near Lucknow
6. Rajgir – where he loved when he fell ill, in Bihar, 80 Kms from Gaya
7. Kushinagar – where he breathed his last, in Bihar.
 
Part III Continued- Kasi Yatra

Buddha spent 6 weeks at Gaya. The first week he spent under the Bodhi tree, the second inside the temple, the third near a lake (it is said that when he placed a foot on the water, a lotus appeared under it), the fourth week in the area around the temple, the fifth under another Bodhi tree (which is no more- a pillar stands in its place) answering the questions of learned Brahmins, and the 6th week at the centre of the pond. It is believed that when a severe thunderstorm approached, Adisesha himself arrived to protect the Buddha, forming an umbrella over his head with his hoods. This is the reason Buddha is sometimes counted as the 9th avatar of Vishnu.

There are over 50 temples at Bodh Gaya, all built by foreign Buddhists. The most important one however, remains the Maha Bodhi Temple, where the Bodhi tree stands. But we visited only the main temple.

Bodhi Tree:This tree, though not the original one under which Buddha sat, is however, its descendant. The original tree was destroyed by the Mughals. A branch of the original tree had been taken to Sri Lanka by some Buddhist monks, and Ashoka ordered a branch of that tree to be brought and planted here. He himself took care of this tree. This second one was cut down on the orders of Ashoka’s wife because she was jealous of the attention he paid to it. Nevertheless, he got a second branch from the Sri Lanka tree and planted it. This third one was destroyed during a cyclone, and another branch planted. The present tree is the 4th. It is an amazing thing that branches from the original tree flourish wherever they are planted, all over the world!
Explanations:

* Shrraddham or performing the Vedic rites to appease one’s forefathers is of two types- Anna roopam and Hiranya roopam. Anna Shrraddham is where a certain number of Brahmins are invited, and are fed at the completion of the rituals. This is considered equivalent to feeding one’s ancestors.

However, this is quite tedious, and sometimes expensive. Hence the second option, Hiranya Shrraddham, where the Brahmins are fed only symbolically. This is a quicker and cheaper alternative to the same rituals. At places like Kashi the pundits offer us the option of choosing which kind of ritual we would like to perform, depending on our time and budget.

Naandhi and Vaishnava Shrraddham refer to the rites for appeasement of one’s ancestors and the Gods, respectively.

** Pinda pradaanam is the ritual of offering food to three (in case of Gaya, more than that) generations of our ancestors. Balls of cooked rice and Til (sesame seeds), which are thus offered are called the pindams.

*** Daanam - Strictly meaning Charity, Daanam refers to the procedure of donating things to the Brahmins in the name of our ancestors. There is a long list of things that need to be given, starting from simple things like umbrellas, fans, and mats to more expensive things made of silver and gold.

Among the more auspicious ones is the donation of a cow (Godaanam) and land, both of which are usually done in symbolic terms. Poorvanga and Uttaranga Daanam refer to the things needed to be given at the beginning and end of the rituals respectively, while Dasa Daanam refers to a set of 10 things that need to be donated.

† The Akshaya Vata and the Vishnu Pada are the only two places where one can perform the Vedic rites not only for our forefathers, but for anyone, family, friends, acquaintances, whatever caste, religion or community they may belong to… and also for animals, our pets, abandoned bodies, etc.. This is the uniqueness of Gaya which draws thousands of people from all parts of India.

DAY 6 DIWALI
(This year we did not have Diwali but had (original Ganga Snan)
1. Deepa dhanam
2. Payasa Dhanam
3. Dampati Puja (Prayers offered to an elderly married couple, invoking them as Vishwanath and Annapurna)

4. Uttaranga Dasa Daanam ***
5. Thanga Annapoorni, Kasi Viswanathar Dharisanam, Visalakshi Dharisanam(silver pavadai), Thanga Visalakshi in Nattukoottai Chettiar Chathiram Dharisanam
6. Kala Bairavar Samaradhanai ( 4 Brahmanal bhojanam) Samaradhanai expenses were borne by Kashi Vadhyar

DAY 7 North Indian Diwali(amavasai)
1. Ganga Puja (it is a tradition to bring back small sealed containers of water from the Ganges and distribute it among our near and dear ones. One container is kept at home as it is considered sacred and one is taken to Rameswaram where it is used to perform Abhishekam to the lingam. All these containers are kept and prayed to before they are distributed.)
2. Dhundi Ganapathi
3. Sozhiyamman Dharisanam

4. Kala Bhairavar Dhaisanam(Kasi Kayiru Vanguthal)
5. Bhanaras Hindu University- Birla Temple
6. Kala Bhairavar Dhaisanam

RAM NAGAR FORT
 
Kashi might be the abode of the gods, but it also been ruled by various kings, who left their imprint on the city. The Raja Ghat on the river, for example, was built by one of them, and history tells us that one of the kings actually jumped from one of its high turrets while trying to escape the British troops during the mutiny, and actually succeeded!

The last remnant memory of the kings of Benares is the Ramnagar Fort and Palace on the opposite banks of the Ganga, in a section of which the present scion of the royal family still resides. The palace is about 15Kms away by road, and an auto takes about half an hour to reach there. We however chose the longer, but more interesting and relaxing option- that of taking a row boat to the palace across the river. The journey took us a good one and a half hours, but the sheer bliss we experienced made every minute worth it!

The palace has now been converted into a museum, which closes around 4:30PM. If you want to have a leisurely stroll among the various antiquities displayed, make sure you keep at least 2 hours for the palace alone.

The entrance to the fort- the Lal Darwaza

The first section of the museum has various vintage cars belonging to the royal family. After this, we are led back in time thanks to the impressive collection of howdahs and palanquins made of silver and ivory. It is indeed wonderful to see such magnificence, and one wonders what things would have been like when the kings were at the height of their glory. The next section comprises entirely of weapons.

Anyway, coming back to the museum, the portions I found most interesting were those which displayed beautiful works of art, and gifts from kings of other states. These were truly worth seeing, considering that with the great advances in science and technology, it is impossible to come across such wonderful handwork. Carvings on ivories, brass and bronze, tapestries from various regions of ancient India… The list goes on and on and on………

The Palace

The section containing the ancient clothes of the kings, priceless collections from their wardrobe, don’t look so priceless any more. Most of them are moth eaten, and deserve much more care than they are given at present. The section containing portraits of the rulers is good though, and a must-see for al history buffs.

The Palace Door

The pride of the museum is an ancient clock which displays not only the year, month, week, and day, but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and constellations of stars! On the day of our visit the clock was not working. I wish the clock is repaired and restored early.

Another Section of the Palace

The name ‘Ramnagar’ is believed to have been given by the kings of Benares, when they decided to build their fort at this place. In ancient times, it was known as Vyasa Kashi, because the great Sage Vyasa (of Mahabharata fame) is believed to have lived here. According to the legend, Vyasa once incurred the wrath of Lord Shiva, who exiled him from Kashi. Vyasa chose to reside on the opposite bank of the Ganga, from where he could at least see the holy city. Thus this place came to known after him as Vyasa Kashi.

A tunnel-like passage from the quadrangle of the fort leads us under the fort to the river, on the banks of which is a temple known as the Vyasa temple. This temple has 3 lingams representing Vyasa, his son, Suka and Kashi Vishwanath. There is nothing much one can say about the temple, except that its location is absolutely wonderful. On one side is the Ganga, flowing in full force and on the other side are the high walls of the palace. The view is breathtaking, and as for the breeze, I have no words to describe it! I can assure you that it will be a wonderful experience.

DAY 8 Day of Departure

1. Visit to Varahi
2. We visited Kasi Viswanath Temple to see Laddu Ther and Annapoorni Temple to see Anna Kooda(This dharisanam is available only for a day that is on the day following North Indian Diwali or Prathamai Day) It would be better, if one cross checks with Vadhyar from Kashi about this Dharisanam before embarking on this trip)
3. Vadhyar Sambavanai

4. In the afternoon I visited Mrityunjeswar Mahadev Temple before winding up Kashi Yathra. We reached Chennai at 10.50 Am .
While doing all Karma/rituals we prayed for all(macro family) and sought blessings of pithrus(all).
We are thankful to God for making this trip possible. We are also thankful to Mr.K.Viswanathan (LMW retired)for his valuable guidance.
We derived lot of mental happiness.
 
KASHI TRIP (PART IV of Tavelogue)

Hope you might have gone through my previous write-up on kashi rituals.

Now I will attempt on my experiences relating to Kashi Ghatts and temples.

GHATTS

There are 64 Ghatts. I will describe a few Ghatts.
Asi Ghat is where the Asi river merges with the Ganga, this is the southern extreme of the city. Just next to this is the Tulsi Ghat where Tulsidas breathed his last. Then comes the Hanuman Ghat, which is where we stayed.

Next to this is the Karnataka state Ghat, where there is a palace built by the Maharaja of Mysore. These two Ghats are full of mutts and ashrams belonging to south India, and hence is full of south Indians at any time of the year. Next comes the Harishchandra Ghat, which is the place associated with the legend of the truthful king, Harishchandra, and the trials and tribulations he underwent. This is one of the burning Ghats of the city, where bodies of people of all castes and communities are consigned to flames.

Further upstream is the Kedar Ghat, with the Kedareshwar temple, followed by the Kshameshwar Ghat and then the Narad Ghat. The Narad Ghat, incidentally, is the only Ghat on which people don’t bathe. In mythology, Narada is depicted as the naughty saint who always creates trouble (with the best motives of course!), and it is believed that a couple bathing on this Ghat will start fighting amongst themselves!

The Raja Ghat is one belonging to the royal family of Varanasi, while the Shitala Ghat has a temple of Shitala Devi, who is prayed to, to avoid the pox. The Rana Mahal Ghat was built by Maharana Pratap, and is a fine example of Rajasthani architecture, as is the Maan Mandir Ghat further up, attributed to Man Singh, which also has an observatory on top. The Lalitha Ghat is the one nearest to the Vishwanath and Annapurna temples.

Next is the famous Manikarnika Ghat, where Parvati is believed to have dropped her ear rings. This is also a burning Ghat, where funeral pyres burn day and night, every single day. It is believed that there is always a pyre burning on this Ghat, at any time of the day or night. Till about 100 years back, the ashes of a pyre burning at midnight would be taken to the Vishwanath temple for the lingam for Abhishekam, but this practice has now been stopped. The fortune of being cremated at this Ghat is solely reserved for Hindus.

Then we come to the Panchaganga Ghat, which is among the more important ones. Here, it is believed, 5 different rivers merge, and when the river is in full force during the monsoon, the currents of the 5 rivers can be seen. On this Ghat are the Bindu Madhava Temple, and the mosque built by Aurangzeb after he demolished the original temple. The last of all the Ghats is the Varuna Ghat where the river Varuna merges with the Ganga.

It is sheer pleasure to go for a boat ride in the evening on the Ganges. Please take a simple row boat. There are motor boats too nowadays, but the pleasure the Ganga is waiting to give you can not be experienced in a fast boat.

Sunset on the Ganga

We had a wonderful time on the river. Time stood still, and even my boisterous son seemed to realize that this was something special. We watched the colours of the water change as the sun set over the horizon, we saw birds returning back to their nests after a days work, we noticed how adept the seagulls and kingfishers were at catching fish, we even saw a couple of cormorants (snake darters) hover over the surface of the water and catch their prey. But what I shall remember is the sight of the bats as it grew dark

. They swooped down, looking like oversized crows, and so perfectly caught fish in the dark. It was a sight we shall never forget. The beauty of nature is not as apparent in the landscape as it is in the life that makes up the landscape.

The climax of this wonderful boat ride on the Ganges is the Ganga aarti. The aarti is performed every evening at 7 PM on the main Ghats of the river, the most prominent being on the Dashashwamedha Ghat. The chants and the singing of the aarti songs created a wonderful atmosphere and the river and Ghats are full of people taking in this wonderful sight.

While the priests perform the traditional aarti to the river, laymen and women like us light up earthen lamps and gently let them down into the river, where they float down like glittering jewels. It is a sight that has to be seen to be believed, and it is certainly an uplifting experience.

PRAMODH
Parmodh, the boataman is like Guha from Ramayana Epic. He knows Tamil. May be he was a Brahmin in Poorva Janmam. He knows many of the rituals. Good Vaasanai. He is like a Man Friday to Swamimalai Sastrigals’ family.

What’s Varanasi without the Ganga? The river is the lifeline of the city. The city revolves around the river with everyone coming there to have a dip.. With its source in the Himalayas, the Ganges never dries up. Of course, with the kind of pollution that we are creating, and the kind of garbage that is put into the river, only the lord knows if this will last!
 
There wasn’t too much water in the Ganges. We had to climb down 60 steps on the Hanuman Ghat to reach the water. Each step was so high, climbing back up was an exercise in itself. If we lived in Varanasi, we would never put on weight!

The Ghats are scrupulously cleaned every day- the minor ones by people with brooms and buckets of water, the important and crowded ones by jets of water. It is a sight that brigs a cheer to one’s heart. Hal-burnt dead bodies are no longer thrown in the river. Authorities are posted on the burning Ghats to make sure that the bodies are burnt completely.

In spite of this, the sight of the Ghats on the Ganges is not a pleasant one. I believe that this has nothing to do with the authorities, but with the people themselves. People worship the Ganges as their mother, but don’t think twice before defiling her by throwing plastic bags in her .Nothing will change until the mentality of people changes, and that is going to be a slow process.

When we were performing all the rites and rituals, it struck me that in those ancient days, when people prayed to the Ganga and offered so many things to her, all those things were biodegradable. All the containers were made of leaves, and the offerings were easily soluble, or were eaten by the fishes. Today, everyone comes here to perform the same rituals, but everyone takes a shortcut by using plastic and non degradable substances.

People are more environment friendly today than ever before, and this is what gives me hope. It is my sincere request to all of you who read this article and visit Kashi to keep these things in mind, and avoid polluting the river in any way that you can. Let’s do our bit for the environment and for this wonderful river. It might not be much, but it will be a beginning if each one of us does our bit………….

The Temples:

The Vishwanath and Annapurna temples are the most popular and famous temples in Kashi, and the main reasons for a visit. However, our ancient texts mention a few more temples which are important and must be visited to complete the circuit of temples.

The Visalakshi Temple

Visalakshi is the second consort of Shiva in this holy city of Kashi. This temple is one among the 52 Shakti peethams, and is part of the famous triad of temples- Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi and Kashi Visalakshi. This small temple is situated in one of the narrow lanes around the Vishwanath temple, and it is mainly south Indians who seek out this temple.
Though the temple is quite small, the idol of the goddess is very beautiful. Behind the main stone idol of the goddess is another idol (some say it is a silver casting, others say it is an idol), believed to be the idol prayed to in ancient times. One of our guides told us that it was the swayambhu idol of the goddess, while another refuted this claim. Whatever it is, it is certainly worth a look, so remember to look behind the idol when you visit the temple.


Adi Shankaracharya, when he visited the temple, performed prayers to renew the powers of the temple and the goddess which had borne the brunt of several invasions. He also installed a Sri Yantram there, and it is to this Yantram that puja is done. Kumkumarchana to this Sri Yantram is considered very special, and can be performed by asking the pujari there. On Diwali day, she was decorated in Silver Pavadai.

NATTUKOTTAI CHETTIAR CHATHIRAM

The Thanga Visalakshi with Diamond studded Mangalyam and Velli Golusu was decorated and was kept in a podium in Chathiram for three days from Diwali Day. Karaikudi Chettiars had assembled in a large number there. We met Gomathy Achi w/o Mr.Kannappan a retire Railway employee who had been there on her 18th Diwali Visit to Kashi.

The Kala Bhairav temple

Kala Bhairav is the guardian deity of Kashi. He occupies the position of a guard/ watchman with a dog as his vehicle, and is regarded as one of the forms of Shiva himself. In Kashi, there are 8 Bhairav temples, collectively called Ashta Bhairav. These are - Kala Bhairav, Dhandapani, Veera Bhairav, Batuk Bhairav, Aashu Bhairav, Aananda Bhairav, Rudra Bhairav and Ruru Bhairav.

Among these, Kala Bhairav is the most important one, visited by all those who visit Kashi. Dhandapani, or the one who wields a stick, is the one who decides on the punishment, while Kala Bhairav is the one who enforces his decision. In the words of our guide, Dhandapani is the commissioner, while Kala Bhairav is the constable. As usual, it is the constable who is more feared, than the commissioner himself!

The specialty of this temple is the sacred thread available there. These threads, known as Kashi threads, are supposed to ward off evil forces, and are in great demand.

The Bindu Madhava Temple

Among the ancient temples in the must-visit list of Kashi temples is the Bindu Madhava Temple. This temple is also one of a trinity- Veni Madhava at Sangam in Allahabad, Bindu Madhava at Kashi and Sethu Madhava at Rameswaram. All these three temples are small, simple affairs, with similar idols which are rather small in size.
 
The Bindu Madhava Temple is best approached from the Panchaganga Ghat. There is, of course a road, but one which is rarely used by the pilgrims. The original temple was apparently a big and important one, but was destroyed by Aurangzeb, who (as usual) built a mosque over it. The mosque stands proudly till date, though a couple of turrets have fallen recently, while the new temple is a small one, practically invisible until we reach it.

The Chozhi Mata Temple

A visit to Kashi is incomplete without a visit to the Chozhi Mata Temple. This temple is known by various names such as Chozhi or Cowrie Mata, and Gauri Mata temple, and the name owes its origin to the cowries or shells which are thrown to the goddess as offering. The goddess her is considered to be a sister of Shiva.

According to legend, Shiva sister had her temple within the ancient temple complex. However, when she saw thousands of common people touch and hug her brother while praying, she became jealous and tried to stop this practice. At this, Shiva became angry. "He was at Kashi so that the common people could pray to him the way they liked" He said, and as punishment, banished her, and sent her out of the temple.

She repented and prayed to Shiva for mercy, and finally he relented. He could not take back the curse, but He decreed that al those who visit Kashi should visit her too. A trip to Kashi would be ineffective if one returned without visiting her. Hence it is a practice to visit the Chozhi Mata Temple after visiting all the temples in Kashi and performing all rituals. One can buy cowries outside the temple, throw a few on the goddess and ask her to bless them by bestowing on them the fruits of their Kashi Yatra, and bring back a few cowries as Prasad.

This temple is en-route to BHU and is quite easy to find, as it is frequented by quite a large crowd at all times. Do visit this temple and make your Yatra a success!

The Annapurna Temple

Food is one of the basic necessities of life, and it is no wonder that we say ‘Annam Brahma’, food is God. It is the mother who provides food for the child, and it is again no wonder that we pray to the goddess Parvati as Annapurna, the one who gives us food. It is believed that Parvati gave Alms to Shiva, and she is depicted with a bowl in one hand and ladle in the other, serving food to Shiva, standing in front of her, with his begging bowl in His hand.

The most popular temple of Annapurna is at Kashi followed by the one at Horanadu, in Karnataka Sef & Mohana have seen Horanadu. There are two other temples of Annapurna, one in Kerala, and one in Gujarat. I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting these last two temples. When I do, I shall surely write about them.The temple of Annapurna at Kashi is right next to the Vishwanath temple. This temple is attached to the Annapurna Mutt.

A highlight of this temple is that on the day before Diwali, a golden idol of Annapurna is opened for darshan. This idol can be seen only on that day and two suceedind days only, and it is indeed a great sight! We enjoyed. Annapurna sits in the middle with her trademark bowl and ladle. On her left is Lakshmi (Sridevi- the goddess of wealth) and on her right is Bhudevi (the goddess of the earth). All these idols are of pure Gold, and are beautiful to look at. In front of them stands Shiva, made of silver, asking for alms. We were fortunate enough to visit Kashi during Diwali .

In the sanctum of the temple, the idol of the goddess is a small one, which is always decorated in a sari when open for darshan. A silver mask covers her face, and little else can be seen. All the idols of Annapurna available show her in a sitting position, and we naturally assumed that that was how she was in this temple. However, we were in for a pleasant surprise.

It was then that we realized that the idol of Annapurna is made of black stone, quite small, and she is in the standing position. The image is simple, holding only the bowl and ladle. But goodness, she is so beautiful! The smile on her face is so charming, so real, it almost seems She is standing in front of us!

The Abhishekam is performed at 10:30AM every morning, but there again, there is an inevitable delay, so be patient, and you will be rewarded. It is worth a wait!

Another specialty of this temple is that food is served to all devotees….food is too simple a term for what is virtually a feast. Free coupons are available at the temple office and the food is served in a hall behind the temple. It is believed that the goddess takes her food only after making sure that all her devotees have had their fill. Try to partake of this Prasad at least once during your stay in Kashi.

It is also a tradition to perform some service before taking food here. So many devotees take their turn in serving a few devotees before starting to eat. This was a wonderful experience in itself, and a practice that must be encouraged.
 
( last & Final part)

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Kashi is known as the land of Shiva.. Everything in Kashi not only revolves around the main temple of Vishwanath, as Shiva is known here, but He is also believed to be in control of everything that happens in this holy city. Normally, in Hindu mythology, the nine planets, or Navagrahas, who govern our actions, are independent, and perform their duty without interference from the Gods (a case of not even God interfering with nature and her rules).

However, Kashi is a special city, an exception to this rule, where Shiva even governs the Navagrahas. It is believed that Lord Shaneeshwara (Saturn) once came to catch Shiva for the period of 7 ½ years (what is commonly called Saade-saati) , and found himself unable to enter the temple. He is believed to have stayed outside the temple, and hence the temple of Shaneeshwara outside the Vishwanath temple is much frequented by pilgrims who light oil lamps here, hoping to escape the clutch of Shani.

There are just too many legends to explain why Kashi is sacred, and why Shiva chose to reside here. I recently read an article where the writer explains in scientific terms, that in this area, the Ganges flows in a curve, in the northward direction. The curvature and the force of the river led to the formation of a natural amphitheatre, or natural steps in simpler terms.

This probably attracted our forefathers to this place, who built Ghats where the steps had formed, to have a bath, and installed their patron deity, Shiva as the lord of this place. Therefore, in order to avoid the confusion, let us not discuss the legends and accept the fact that here, Shiva is called Vishwanath or Vishweshwar, the lord of the world.

Kashi or Benares has been ruled by various great kings, some distinguished ones, and some not so famous. It even passed through a phase of being ruled over by the Buddhists. But the ancient temples, which saw so many rulers come and go, could not survive the onslaught of the Mughals. The temples were destroyed, not once, but a number of times by various Mughal invaders, leaving no trace of what the original temples might have looked like.

The temple, as it stands today, owes its existence to the Queen of Indore, Rani AhilyaBai Holkar. It was she who, seeing the sorry state of affairs here, not only provided the funds, but also made all the arrangements for building the temple. She was certainly a great woman, much ahead of her time, who took up the task of restoring to their glory, many of the ancient temples of India, which had suffered at the hands of plundering monarchs. The temple of Somnath is another such temple. Among the other temples which she helped build are the ones at Dwaraka, Triambakeshwar, and Parali Vaidyanath.

The present temple stands beside a mosque that had been built by Aurangzeb over the ruins of the original temple. The sacred idol, the Shiva lingam, had been hidden in a well, hoping to prevent its destruction. This well, now known as the Gyaana Vapi (well of knowledge) stands in an area between the temple and the mosque. There was some construction work going on (they are renovating the temple and the area around it), and we were unable to circumambulate the temple, and hence could not see the well.

Though Kashi is a place of great sanctity, it is also infamous for the Pandas, or a class of priests, who charge exorbitant amounts of money. If u talk to anyone who has visited Kashi, you will be sure to hear tales of how they have been overcharged and been taken for a ride by these people. The same goes for the temple too. However, the temple administration is now making efforts to remedy the situation. The first step it has taken in this direction is the creation of its own website.

This site has been well organized, with complete details about the temple, as well as the pujas conducted, the timings of the different Aarthis, and the charges for the various offerings. Best of all, it is possible to book pujas on the net well in advance, and arrange whether you want the puja to be performed in your presence, in which case the ticket allows you an entry into the temple bypassing the long queue, or in your absence, in which case, the Prasad is sent to you by post.

This is a good system, and must be appreciated. Of course, at this point of time, this doesn’t entirely bypass the earlier system of paying money to the priests. These days, there are a number of people who book for the pujas, and one often gets relegated to the back row from where we can hardly get a glimpse of what is going on. A little extra from your wallet goes a long way in getting you a prime position to watch the puja.

We attended the Saptharishi Aarthi in the evening.

The Saptharishi Aarthi is the aarti performed by 7 priests, each belonging to a different Gotram, performing the aarti to the lingam simultaneously. It is believed that every evening, the Saptarishis, the seven great sages come to perform aarti to the lord, and hence this puja is conducted every evening at 7 PM. This is followed by the Shringar Aarthi and finally the Shayan Aarti, when the Lord is put to sleep.

We attended only the saptarishis aarthi, but if you do, pay for the Shringar Aarti and stay for the Shayan aarti as well, which is free. Seeing these Aartis is an experience which must not be missed. We were absolutely spellbound seeing the way in which they decorated the Shiva lingam, but I have no words to describe the atmosphere during the final aarthi, which was simply divine, to say the least!
 
Please Add this Personnel Experience in Kasi Yatra.

Hello Dear Friends of my Community.
Very recently I had been to Kasi with my family to perform all karmas there.
Ofcourse for a first timer to this part of the country we donot want to take any risk of beleiving strangers and walk to Kanchi Shankar mutt, as known name and all that.
I had such a terrible experience with one of the Cook there.
First one should understand the arrangement being made there.

Depending upon our detail program at Allahabad , Varanasi and at Gaya an amount is informed to us which we have to pay in the office and get a stamped receipt for that.
It varies from Rs 8500 to Rs 12000.
Then we have to inform the correct date of arrival at Allahabad and the number of persons etc to the Authorities, accordingly all will be arranged, like picking us from Allahabad and completing all proceedings at Allahabad then droping us at Varanasi. Upto here every thing will be fine
.
Once you land at Varanasi you will be suitably accomadated at Mutt. Here also everything will be fine. Once You start your proceedings at Varanasi , the real triouble starts, because of one Cook there by name Mr. Kumar and his Dharmapatni, because you are under his mercy for every thing ,rite from a cup of Coffee to all other things. If he or his wife looses mode halfway , he will refuse to even cook for the Devasam and you will be in trouble. You cannot take Brahmins to Hotel for Sappadu etc. Even Pindams , just imagine made from the rice bought from nearby hotel.
So beware before booking your Kasi yatra at our Kanchi Shankara mutt ensure that this Genleman Mr. Kumar is not considered for cooking activities.



1. Aksha evida at Allahabad, Kasi and at Gaya.
As heard and one who is performing rituals will definately visit Aksha evida at Gaya and most of us will miss the same at Allahabad and at Kasi.
After having a dip at Sangamam and collecting Ganga from there request Boat man to show the Akasha evida at Allahabad. Before returning to the parking lot he will show you the Roots of Aksha evida on the banks of Yamuna River. He will be happy to show this for a small tip. ( This we refer as Moolam in regular Shrardham perfomed )
Next the Trunk in Kasi.

While coming out of Lord Vishwanatha temple walk on left side from the Door. You will find a Shaneeshwar temple there. Just opposite to that there is a small lane which will take you to the Trunck of Aksha evida. ( this we refer as Madhyam ).
Then ofcourse the Argyam at Gaya.

The next best thing in Kasi is to visit Vaarahi temple. Walkable distance from Lord Vishwanatha temple. But here the constraint is the temple is opened ony for an hour in the morning.( Between 5.30 to 6 AM and 6.30 to 7 AM). This godess is located in the Celler type arrangement and thru a small opening you can view ony the pada of this godess. Thru the other opening you can see little portion of the face of this Godess.
Just try next time when you visit Kasi.


Kasi Yatra
All of us have witnessed the Kasi yatra that was performed as a ritual during our marriages which was more of fun and enjoyment and we all went through it in a lighter vein in expectation of a bigger reward at the end of the show! As time passes by and years roll on, we are at cross roads many times, unable to take decisions and stand confused recounting all that we have done in the past? Did we do the right thing or not is a common question that challenges all individuals in its own way and its a related theory, always!

my good friend Varanasi Srinivasan who used to work for the American Embassy in New Delhi and presently in Washington D C is the son of(Late) Kasi Vishwanatha Sastrigal who is also known as Swamimalai Vishwanatha Sastrigal often used to highlight the living in Varanasi and advise me the importance of doing Pitru Karma in Varanasi and the adjoining holy centres in Allahabad and Gaya.

At the back of my mind, these words lay cemented and there was an urge within me to go to these places and do the karma rituals as prescribed in our shahstras. You may call it a blessing when my wife agreed to this idea and got enthused with this programme. I decided to take my mother who is 82 years old along with us and she readily agreed despite her age and limitations! The power of Kashi is so enormous that it infuses energy into any body willing to undertake the journey.

We decided to undertake this trip and chalked out our itenery. As per ritual rules, we went to Rameshwaram on the 29th october, 2009 by Rameshwaram Express and reached the destination on the 30th early morning. A very heavy downpour greeted us. We checked into Sringeri Sankara Mutt where the Manager one Mr Narayanan helped us do the sankalpam. After this we had the holy bath at the Sea and collected sand from the sea shore and came back to the temple to have Bath in all the 22 sacred wells situated right inside the premises of the temple.

The amazing fact is that all these wells are natural springs. The tastes of the water drawn from these wells are totally different! Followed by this ritual of taking holy bath, we performed srardham involving 5 priests. At the end of the rituals, we are directed to make 3 Sand Lingams representing Sethu Madhavan, Bindu Madhavan and Veni Madhavan. After the Puja, we immerse the lingams of sethu and Bindu Madhavan and carefully store the sand representng Veni Madhavan in a plastic box for continuing the rituals.

We had a nice Darshan of the Lord in his Lingam form which is one of the 12 Jyothirlingams and considered Swayambu ! We boarded the evening train from Rameshwaram and reached Chennai the next morning. Our flight tickets to Delhi and Varanasi were booked in advance for the 3rd November, 2009. The early morning flight from Chennai took us to our final destination @1.30pm. There was a person with a car to receive us at the airport and it was comfortable to reach the house of Varanasi Krishna murthy ganapadigal in the after noon. As the whole family was known to me since the past 45 years through my friend Srinivasan, we had the fortune of staying with the family!

Sri Ramana son of Sri Krishnamurthy ganapadigal took us on a boat ride on the ganges to see Ganga Aarthi which was performed with so much of devotion and religious fervour! The entire programme was for about an hour during which time, atleast 50 boats joined us with tourists and pilgrims from other ghats in the hly city of Varanasi. The joyous event of Ganga Aarthi left a deep impression in our hears and minds for ever!

We also had the opportunity to visit Kashi Vishwanathar temple where we performed Ganga abhishekam to the Lingam with our own hands! We were in ecstasy to find ourselves blessed and closer to the Lord with this ritual. Incidentaly, this Lingam is one of the 12 jyothirlingams and considered very sacred. A visit to Anna poorni Matha temple increased our joy which knew no bounds.

Kachouri and paani poori of Benares is something that is not to be missed and so we decided to have a go at these in one of the reputed shops. The taste of Kachouri and Paani Poori was fantastic and more so as it was the water from the holy ganges!

:we got ready to go to allahabad to take bath in the Triveni Sangam. We started at around 7 am from Varanasi and reached Allahabad at around 10am. There is a Sankara Mutt established by the Kanchi peetam to help pilgrims who arrive here to perform religious rituals. After the Sankalpam, we proceeded to Ganges from where a boat was hired and took us to the sangam whcih is considered to be very holy as there is a union of 3 rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi.

The color of the 2 rivers that of ganga and Yamuna are green and brown in color which merge and one can spot patches of green water and brown water in the river. the third river is Saraswathi which is invisible and is said to be flowing as under current along with Ganga and Yamuna. There are wooden platforms built and the pilgrims are helped to alight from the boat and get down from the platform to take the holy dip in the Sangam!We immersed the sand brought from Rameshwaram in the sangam and took a Holy dip. Hundreds of pilgrims take this holy dip and there is always crowd that can be compared to that of Dadar station in Mumbai.

After this holy dip, you get back to the house of Sri.and perform Srardham for your fore-fathers and ancestors by invoking the blessings from agni, the god of fire. the rital goes on till about 3pm and you are ready to crash the moment you drive back to Kashi and reach home.


We were asked to be ready at 6.30 am the next day for doing sankalpam and rituals associated with our Pitru Karma. Pandit Krishnamurthy Ganapadigal had invited about 40 veda-purohitas from all over Benares to recite all the 4 vedas and the entire atmosphere was filled with Veda-goshams which lifted your soul to sublime levels of happiness! We have never heard or seen so many pundits reciting Vedas and offerring diving blessings to my family in our life time!

The Homam- Srardham followed this ritual and gave us immense happiness and pleasure. Ofcourse, I had breathing problems associated with the smoke that forms a part of this ritual but then, when you think about the noble deed that you are doing to our fore-fathers and ancestors, these problems appear trivial?

We had to travel to 5 ghats by boat and perform Srardham by offerring Rice balls also called Pindam Pradhanam. The interesting aspect is that as we travel, our ardhanginis are made to cook these Rice right on the boat and it wll be ready as soon as we reach the next ghat where we are supposed to take bath and offer it.
the rituals ended with a grand thanks giving to Goddess ganga and its called Ganga Pooja!

The mother river is worshipped and thanked for the existence of human race and their protection by her ever copious flow. I was gently reminded of the song "Ram teri ganga meyli ho gayi, paapiyon ke paap dhote dhote"! how true and what magnanimity the holy mother Ganga has?


On the 4th day, you get ready to go to Gaya which is in the state of Bihar and is about 260kms from Varanasi by road. The highways are good and one can drive at a god speed. we reached Bodh Gaya which is about 15 kms from Gaya where we had booked a hotel to stay overnight. the next morning, we drove to Gaya where again a south Indian Brahmin Priest was present to guid us in our ritual performance. We went to the Phalguni river side and started our rituals of a Gaya Srardham.

Gaya srardham assumes great importance in a man's life since this is the only place where you can offer food not only to your ancestors but also to any one and everyone who have left their foot-prints in making of your life! This is the most sacred place where even your pets are remembered with love and dedication and food offerred to them! it is said that the persons to whom you offer food from your heart with sincerity, descend themselves to take the offerrings with their own hand and leave their blessings for ever.

When the priest explains the tatparya of this ritual while you are performing, there are great moments of tears jerking from the eyes and sometimes flows when you understand the importance of your deed that you are performing to help enable your ancestors achieve Moksha loka and invoke their blessings!
The offerrings of rice balls are placed at the feet of Lord Maha Vishnu in the temple premises which is popularly known as Vishnu Padam.


There is a place in Gaya called akshaya vatam meaning "Ever Green Tree" which is said to be exisitant from the Ramayana Yugam. Sita Devi is supposed to have blessed this tree as this pupil tree was the only one which stood as a witness to Sita devi when she narated as to how Dasaratha had come and eaten from her hand when Rama and Lakshman had gone to arrange for articles to perform Srardham for Dasaratha into the jungles!

Mythology says that during those times, people used to descend in their original form to accept the offerrings made to them during Srardham! The journey back to Varanasi was little tiring and we reached around 8.30 pm.
 
The final day was the conclusion of this holy yatra. We had to perform a Dhampathi Puja to conclude our holy trip and followed by a grand Samaradhanai- a feast for as many as 25 people!

The trip to Kasi is considered complete only with the Darshan and visit to the temples of Kala Bhairav from where Kasi charadu is procured and tied in the wrist. Chozhi amman, Kasi Visalakshi, Sankata vimochana Hanuman, Bindu Madhavar are the temples of importance and a must.

Our flight to Delhi was at 3.15pm and we had to take the connecting flight to chennai at 9.15 pm.

The Kasi yatra would stand complete with the Abhishekam of ganga water on Lord ramanatha swamy at Rameshwaram. We boarded the train to Rameshwaram on the 10th and reached on the 11th early morning. We stayed at hotel T T D C which was quite a comfortable room with basic facilities. As we queued up to have a darshan of the lord and perform abhishekam, a stranger who was right behind us and reciting rudra Prasna in sanskrit turned ut to be a scholar teaching in a sanskrit college in Varanasi!

It appeared that Lord Kashi Vishwanath himself had sent a representative to Rameshwaram to be with us and guide us through the rituals. We were in ecstasy when the Abhishekam was performed with Sri Madan Mohan Mishra ji reciting Rudra Prasna right from behind and into our ears. the joy was heavenly and left our eyes moist with no words to express! After the Pooja, a lady with her children from Karnataka wanted to perform a Dhampati pooja and honoured us by elevating our status to that of Blessers!

We were very happy and elated with this incident. We visited some important temples nearby and travelled upto Dhanushkoti which was totally submerged in the devastating cyclong that happened in 1964 and washed away the Pamban bridge too! The receded water and the remains of structures including that of the old Rameshwaram station which emerged after being submerged for several years gave a testimony to the devastating cyclone that brought fury and consumed scores of lives. we boarded a train back to chennai the same evening and returned on the 12th.

As per rituals, we had a grand samaradhanai on the 14th at home and did ganga Pooja followed by a regular "elai Potta saappadu"- feast which was well attended by about 20 people!

We announced our entry into the normal world of Loukikam-this material world!

Heart of hearts, there is an inner urge to be besides the Holy mother-ganges and are eagerly looking for an opportunity to visit Varanasi at the soonest!

Hara Hara Maha Dev!!
"Anna poorne sada Poorne sankara Prana Vallabhe
gyana varagya sidhyartham biksham dehita Parvati
mata cha parvati devi pita devo Maheshwarah
the expenses involved in allahabad, kasi and gaya for the rituals, shraddam etc.? including danams, dakshinai etc? kindly inform approximate amount needed.



Having stayed in Kashi for many years, I'd say the following:

(1) Visiting the Vishwanath temple:-
(a) If you care about money:- Be careful when visiting the temple. The approach to the temple is through a very narrow road lined with shops. To say that the shopkeepers are belligerent is an understatement. They'll try to get you to buy a lot of stuff, leave your footwear at their stores and so on. Don't listen to them. You can leave your footwear right at the temple gates.

Avoid carrying any leather goods(purses, belts) as you cannot take them inside and there are no good places to leave them outside the temple. Get elsewhere any pooja stuff, Ganga water(and milk) for pouring over the linga. You can do your own worship to the deity there. Don't give anybody any money because, once they sense a weakness, they'll demand money from you for everything. Go around like you know the place and ignore anybody who tries to give you directions. Definitely know Hindi or get someone who knows Hindi. The old temple where the jyotirlinga was is now a mosque and you cannot go there. You'll see Nandi facing that direction.

(b) If you do not care about money:- These traders and poojaris need to make a living as well. Nonspiritual though it may seem, this is the only way for many of them to make their ends meet. If you are so inclined, you can help as many people as you can. If you are doing this, get a guide. That way, you'll get to know the significance of each place and he can take to each poojari who does some pooja for you.

(2) Visiting the Vishalakshi temple:- Not many people know where this temple is. It is close to the old Vishwanath temple. Ask people there for directions and they'll tell you.

(3) Visiting the Vishwanath temple in BHU:- This is a very beautiful temple built in the Birla style. For many people, this is the default Vishwanath temple. If you don't explicitly specify that you want to go to the old temple, you will most likely be taken here.

(4) Durga kund temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple are other notable places. The Sankat Mochan temple is a very famous temple here and associated with Goswami Tulasidas, the author of Shri Tulasi Ramayana.

(5) Ganga - If you are collecting water from there, try to get it further away from the banks. If you take a boat, make sure it isn't overloaded(no more than three). The currents in the river here are deceptive, so please be careful.

(6) Ghats - There are lots of ghats here, each with its own significance. Some are bathing ghats and some aren't. Know the type of the ghat before you go there.

The people in general are very nice and helpful. You'll find really spiritual and pious people everywhere(and you'll also see people with all too human character flaws as well). However, if you have realistic expectations and show a tiny fraction of the patience that Shri Vishwanatha shows :), there is no reason why you wouldn't enjoy your trip. Watch where you are going though because you'll find paan spit everywhere.

If you are going in the winter, you should expect it to be mildly cold(approx 0C-4C) and if you are going there by train, you'd be better off travelling in an A/C compartment due to better thermal insulation and temperature regulation. Do consider carrying multiple layers of clothing if you aren't accustomed to cold weather.

Even if you don't wish to sample the local cuisine, consider trying out the sweet or 'meetha' paan and 'thandai'(if you do try this out, and if it matters to you, specifically ask for 'bhaang' to be excluded. It is added by default). Don't get south indian food here, you'll most likely be disappointed.

I think the Shankara matha there arranges accommodation, though I'm not very sure about this.



The temples of Kasi - Kala Bhairava Temple

The most famous temple in Kasi is the Viswanath temple.

But traditionally a pilgrim is expected to visit the Kala Bhairava
temple first. It is because Kala Bhairava is the Lord of Kasi. He is
the Kotwal or the magistrate. Adi Sankara in his Kala Bhairavashtakam
calls him

"Kasikarapuratinatha KalaBhairavam Bhaje".

We take Kala Bhairava's permission and then proceed to other temples.

So I will start with the KalaBhairava temple. We in Tamil Nadu are
familiar with Bhairava. All our Siva temples have a Bhairava nadai.
Kala Bhairava is the Lord of Kala ( time) or Death. This is a temple
which is believed to be not destroyed by the invaders. It is a
beautiful but small temple.

Two things you will immediately notice in the temple. One is the
presence of a number of dogs. Dog is the vahana of Bhairava and there
is a statue of a dog also. Another thing is the number of people
sitting around selling Black threads.

If you go to them they will tap
your head with peacock fathers and tie the black thread in your hand.
This thread has a number of knots in it. It is a Rakshai and is
supposed to ward off evils.

Long back this temple used to be frequented by Tantriks/Yogis who used
to remove evil by uttering mantras and touching you with the peacock
feathers. But now the Tantriks/Yogis have disappeared and these are
traders.


Talking about peacock feathers the Muslim holymen also use
peacock feathers to ward off evil. But the learned Muslim holymen have
also disappeared.

You might have heard of the term "kasikkayiru". In the old days
pilgrims to Kasi would come back with a number of Kasikayiru and tie
them in the hands of all people especially children. I remember the
time when my grandmother went to Kasi and got the thread for me.

You should recite KalaBhairava Ashtakam here. You can get books in
Devanagari script in the temple in case you do not have a sloka book.
But any pilgrim to Kasi should carry a book of slokas.

The last lines of the ashtakam are beautiful.

"kalbahiravashtakam patanthi e manoharam. Jnana mukti sadhanam vichtra
punya vardhanam. Soka, Moha, Dhainya, Loba, Kopa, Tapa nasanam, te
prayanti Kalabairavangri sannidim druvam."

There is another temple nearby called the Dhanda temple. Kala
Bhairava's weapon is a dhandam or stick. You would have heard about
Yama dhandam, the stick carried by Yama.

This temple has a stone
stick. You may not be able to see it as it is always covered by a silk
cloth. Please do not be taken in by the priest telling you that it is
Dhandapani or Lord Muruga. This is done to attract Tamil pilgrims.
Muruga also carries a Dhanda.

That is why he is called Dhandapani. But
this temple is for Kala Bhairava's Dhandam. There were other dhanda
temples in Kasi. None of them have survived.

You have to enquire about this temple which is not in the usual pilgrim's tour.

A small aside: The most popular Bhairava in Tamil Nadu in recent time
is Swarna Akarshana Bhairava. As the name shows gold attracting
Bhairava. He is a Bhairava of the Siddhas who were alchemists among


Yes. Unlike many of the Vahanas, the association of dogs and jackals
with Bhairava is very easy to understand. Bhairava stays in the
cremation grounds. He is the Lord of the Bhuthas. Dogs and jackals
frequent cremation grounds.

(At least they used to till now when our
municipal corporations seem bent on renovating the cremation grounds to
look like public parks.)

The other place where dogs are depicted is with Lord Dattatreya. He
has four dogs lying at his feet. These represent the four Vedas. But
in general dogs have a very low place in our religion.

It is because
we are Cow people and not sheep people like the Christians. Dogs are
used to herd the sheep. We had no use for the dog. Another reason for
the low status is the fact that dogs eat their own vomit.

We were very happy and elated with this incident. We visited some important temples nearby and travelled upto Dhanushkoti which was totally submerged in the devastating cyclong that happened in 1964 and washed away the Pamban bridge too! The receded water and the remains of structures including that of the old Rameshwaram station which emerged after being submerged for several years gave a testimony to the devastating cyclone that brought fury and consumed scores of lives. we boarded a train back to chennai the same evening and returned on the 12th.
 
As per rituals, we had a grand samaradhanai on the 14th at home and did ganga Pooja followed by a regular "elai Potta saappadu"- feast which was well attended by about 20 people!

We announced our entry into the normal world of Loukikam-this material world!

Heart of hearts, there is an inner urge to be besides the Holy mother-ganges and are eagerly looking for an opportunity to visit Varanasi at the soonest!

Hara Hara Maha Dev!!
"Anna poorne sada Poorne sankara Prana Vallabhe
gyana varagya sidhyartham biksham dehita Parvati
mata cha parvati devi pita devo Maheshwarah
the expenses involved in allahabad, kasi and gaya for the rituals, shraddam etc.? including danams, dakshinai etc? kindly inform approximate amount needed.



Having stayed in Kashi for many years, I'd say the following:

(1) Visiting the Vishwanath temple:-
(a) If you care about money:- Be careful when visiting the temple. The approach to the temple is through a very narrow road lined with shops. To say that the shopkeepers are belligerent is an understatement. They'll try to get you to buy a lot of stuff, leave your footwear at their stores and so on. Don't listen to them. You can leave your footwear right at the temple gates.

Avoid carrying any leather goods(purses, belts) as you cannot take them inside and there are no good places to leave them outside the temple. Get elsewhere any pooja stuff, Ganga water(and milk) for pouring over the linga. You can do your own worship to the deity there. Don't give anybody any money because, once they sense a weakness, they'll demand money from you for everything. Go around like you know the place and ignore anybody who tries to give you directions. Definitely know Hindi or get someone who knows Hindi. The old temple where the jyotirlinga was is now a mosque and you cannot go there. You'll see Nandi facing that direction.

(b) If you do not care about money:- These traders and poojaris need to make a living as well. Nonspiritual though it may seem, this is the only way for many of them to make their ends meet. If you are so inclined, you can help as many people as you can. If you are doing this, get a guide. That way, you'll get to know the significance of each place and he can take to each poojari who does some pooja for you.

(2) Visiting the Vishalakshi temple:- Not many people know where this temple is. It is close to the old Vishwanath temple. Ask people there for directions and they'll tell you.

(3) Visiting the Vishwanath temple in BHU:- This is a very beautiful temple built in the Birla style. For many people, this is the default Vishwanath temple. If you don't explicitly specify that you want to go to the old temple, you will most likely be taken here.

(4) Durga kund temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple are other notable places. The Sankat Mochan temple is a very famous temple here and associated with Goswami Tulasidas, the author of Shri Tulasi Ramayana.

(5) Ganga - If you are collecting water from there, try to get it further away from the banks. If you take a boat, make sure it isn't overloaded(no more than three). The currents in the river here are deceptive, so please be careful.

(6) Ghats - There are lots of ghats here, each with its own significance. Some are bathing ghats and some aren't. Know the type of the ghat before you go there.

The people in general are very nice and helpful. You'll find really spiritual and pious people everywhere(and you'll also see people with all too human character flaws as well). However, if you have realistic expectations and show a tiny fraction of the patience that Shri Vishwanatha shows :), there is no reason why you wouldn't enjoy your trip. Watch where you are going though because you'll find paan spit everywhere.

If you are going in the winter, you should expect it to be mildly cold(approx 0C-4C) and if you are going there by train, you'd be better off travelling in an A/C compartment due to better thermal insulation and temperature regulation. Do consider carrying multiple layers of clothing if you aren't accustomed to cold weather.

Even if you don't wish to sample the local cuisine, consider trying out the sweet or 'meetha' paan and 'thandai'(if you do try this out, and if it matters to you, specifically ask for 'bhaang' to be excluded. It is added by default). Don't get south indian food here, you'll most likely be disappointed.

I think the Shankara matha there arranges accommodation, though I'm not very sure about this.
 
The temples of Kasi - Kala Bhairava Temple

The most famous temple in Kasi is the Viswanath temple.

But traditionally a pilgrim is expected to visit the Kala Bhairava
temple first. It is because Kala Bhairava is the Lord of Kasi. He is
the Kotwal or the magistrate. Adi Sankara in his Kala Bhairavashtakam
calls him

"Kasikarapuratinatha KalaBhairavam Bhaje".

We take Kala Bhairava's permission and then proceed to other temples.

So I will start with the KalaBhairava temple. We in Tamil Nadu are
familiar with Bhairava. All our Siva temples have a Bhairava nadai.
Kala Bhairava is the Lord of Kala ( time) or Death. This is a temple
which is believed to be not destroyed by the invaders. It is a
beautiful but small temple.

Two things you will immediately notice in the temple. One is the
presence of a number of dogs. Dog is the vahana of Bhairava and there
is a statue of a dog also. Another thing is the number of people
sitting around selling Black threads.

If you go to them they will tap
your head with peacock fathers and tie the black thread in your hand.
This thread has a number of knots in it. It is a Rakshai and is
supposed to ward off evils.

Long back this temple used to be frequented by Tantriks/Yogis who used
to remove evil by uttering mantras and touching you with the peacock
feathers. But now the Tantriks/Yogis have disappeared and these are
traders.


Talking about peacock feathers the Muslim holymen also use
peacock feathers to ward off evil. But the learned Muslim holymen have
also disappeared.

You might have heard of the term "kasikkayiru". In the old days
pilgrims to Kasi would come back with a number of Kasikayiru and tie
them in the hands of all people especially children. I remember the
time when my grandmother went to Kasi and got the thread for me.

You should recite KalaBhairava Ashtakam here. You can get books in
Devanagari script in the temple in case you do not have a sloka book.
But any pilgrim to Kasi should carry a book of slokas.

The last lines of the ashtakam are beautiful.

"kalbahiravashtakam patanthi e manoharam. Jnana mukti sadhanam vichtra
punya vardhanam. Soka, Moha, Dhainya, Loba, Kopa, Tapa nasanam, te
prayanti Kalabairavangri sannidim druvam."

There is another temple nearby called the Dhanda temple. Kala
Bhairava's weapon is a dhandam or stick. You would have heard about
Yama dhandam, the stick carried by Yama.

This temple has a stone
stick. You may not be able to see it as it is always covered by a silk
cloth. Please do not be taken in by the priest telling you that it is
Dhandapani or Lord Muruga. This is done to attract Tamil pilgrims.
Muruga also carries a Dhanda.

That is why he is called Dhandapani. But
this temple is for Kala Bhairava's Dhandam. There were other dhanda
temples in Kasi. None of them have survived.

You have to enquire about this temple which is not in the usual pilgrim's tour.

A small aside: The most popular Bhairava in Tamil Nadu in recent time
is Swarna Akarshana Bhairava. As the name shows gold attracting
Bhairava. He is a Bhairava of the Siddhas who were alchemists among


Yes. Unlike many of the Vahanas, the association of dogs and jackals
with Bhairava is very easy to understand. Bhairava stays in the
cremation grounds. He is the Lord of the Bhuthas. Dogs and jackals
frequent cremation grounds.

(At least they used to till now when our
municipal corporations seem bent on renovating the cremation grounds to
look like public parks.)

The other place where dogs are depicted is with Lord Dattatreya. He
has four dogs lying at his feet. These represent the four Vedas. But
in general dogs have a very low place in our religion.

It is because
we are Cow people and not sheep people like the Christians. Dogs are
used to herd the sheep. We had no use for the dog. Another reason for
the low status is the fact that dogs eat their own vomit.built in its place.

A new temple was built by the Raja of Aundh (Satara, Maharashtra) in the 19th century. This temple is popular among the Vaishnavites of South India. If anyone knows the background of that popularity please post here.

This temple is at one of the ends of Varanasi called the Pancha Ganga Ghat. A very steep climb from the Ganga river. I have not been able to get there by road.
 
Durga temple:This temple was constructed by a Bengali Maharani in the 18th century. The name of the Maharani is not known. This is in the typical north Indian Nagara style. It is stained red with ocher and has a multi layered spire (shikhara) consisting of five segments symbolizing the five elements and supported by finely carved columns. This is a beautiful temple with a Beautiful MAA.

This temple was known as the monkey temple because of the presence of a large number of monkeys there. But the monkeys have disappeared. Talking about monkeys I remember the time when Tirupati temple was full of monkeys. I remember my younger brother was attacked by one (may be he was making faces at them).

There is a tank near the Durga temple known as Durga Kund. This is older than the temple and mentioned in old books.

Sankata Mochan Hanuman temple:This is a modern temple without any historical significance. However now they are claiming that it was established by Tulsidas the author of the Ram Charith Manas (Tulsi Ramayana). It is a very popular temple. It is a fairly large complex unlike the other Kasi temples. There is also a Tulsi Manas Temple: A modern concrete temple in memory of Tulsidas.

Viswanth Temple, Banares Hindu University.The foundation stone of this temple was laid in 1931. It took along time to complete the construction. This is said to be a replica of the original Kasi Viswanth temple. Worth visiting. You can see a photograph of the temple here.

Vishwanath Temple, bhu

Bharat Mata Mandir: A temple dedicated to Mother India. No idols. Only a big relief map of India. The map has been carved out of white marble. It is s

I will round off the temples of Kasi with two important temples.

Dhundi Ganapathy temple:

This temple is on the way to the Viswanath temple. It is a hole in the wall temple. Though it looks like roadside temple, it is actually one of the important ones. It is very near the place where the security check is done. You should come back after the security check and worship here. This is Ganesa with three eyes.

Sakshi Vinayaka Temple:

This small temple is not far from the Annapurna temple. It is a small temple and now it is in the middle of a shopping complex. It is customary to visit this temple after visiting the Viswanth and Annapurna temples. Sakshi Vinayaka is the witness to your pilgrimage.

This belief is similar to the Chandikeswara sannidhi in Siva temples of Tamil Nadu. He is supposed to keep a track of your pilgrimage to the temple. Chandikeswara is the person responsible for maintaining all the accounts of a Shiva temple.Chandikeswara was a great SivaBhaktha. And everybody

The Ghats of Varanasi - Manikarnika Ghat

Though there are hundreds of temples in Varanasi, none of the old temples are existing. But what remains from the ancient days are the Ghats. A Ghat is series of steps going down to a river or a tank.

You must take two boat trips one early in the morning before Sunrise and one in the night preferably on Purnima day along the river to view all the ghats. These Ghats represent the history of Hinduism. Many of them have historical and spiritual significance.

The most important Ghat Is the Manikarnika Ghat.

"The great cremation ground" (Mahasmasana)

The name Manikarnika (Jeweled Earring) comes from the legend of Siva dropping his ear ring here during the Thandava dance. Another Legend has it that Vishnu dug a well with his chakra, and the sweat created during his meditation filled the well. Shiva shook his head and his jeweled earring fell into the pit, hence the name Manikarnika.

Tradition has it that those that die at Benares and get cremated at the Manikarnika ghat, get liberated from the cycle of life and death.

You can recite The Shiva Thandava Stotram here. It is supposed to be written by King Ravana who was one of the greatest Shiva Bhakthas. There is also a stotram called Manikarnikashtakam which is attributed to Adi Sankara.

There is well nearby called Manikarnika Kund which according to mythology, predates the arrival of the Ganges has its source deep in the Himalayas . It is said to have been dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation with his disc.

I will never forget the day when early in the morning before sunrise I took my bath in the Manikarnika Kund and participated in an Yagna conducted facing the burning pyres of Manikarnika Ghat.

You can get the details of all the Ghats of Varanasi here.

http://varanasi.nic.in/ghat/ghat.htm

You can see the photographs of Manikarnika Ghat here.

Manikarnika Ghat Travel Guide, Manikarnika Ghat Tourist Info, Varanasi

Sambo Mahadeva !!!



HARISH CHANDRA GHAT

This ghat is name after King Harish Chandra. This is one of the two cremation ghats, and some times referred as Adi Manikarnika. You remember the climax of the Harischandra story in the cremation ground. There is an electric crematorium here now. However traditional funerals of wood fire continue.

HANUMAN GHAT

The ancient name of this ghats was Rameswaram ghat. Nothing great, but of lot of importance to Tamil Brahmins as the Brahmins who perform the ceremonies for ancestors stay in and around this ghat. Kanchi Madam has a branch here. They have also erected a Kamakshi temple. There is a Veda Patashala founded by a Tamil Brahmin Professor of Banares Hindu University.

KEDAR GHAT

This ghat is near the Hanuman ghat. At the top there is a Shiva (Kedareswara) temple. You enter the temple and you will immediately be back in a Tamil Nadu temple. The reason is very obvious. This temple is attached to the Kumaraswamy madam. In late Sixteenth century Kumaraswamy, a Tamil Saivite founded the madam. Now this is part of The Tirupparanthall (Tiruvaippadi) math. Fairly large temple unlike the other temples.

The ghat here is kept very clean and it is good to take a bath here and have Dharshan of Kedareswar. The Nayanmarrs were very much devoted to Shiva at Kedarnath. One of them wrote a poem called Kedarappan Pathikam. It is displayed prominently in the Shiva temple at Kedarnath. Most of Tamil Nadu are Shaivites. Other than the Veera Shaivas, Shivism is now almost exclusively Tamil.

DASASVAMEDHA GHAT

This is an ancient ghat and the busiest ghat. According to the mythology, Lord Brahma performed the ten-horses sacrifice (dasa-asvamedha) at this site. The historical sources infer that at this site the Hindu dynasty of the second century, the Bhara Siva Nagas had performed ten-horses sacrifice here. It is in the heart of the town with broad roads leading to it.

These are the ghats which would be of interest to the Tamil Brahmin pilgrim. Of course your Sasthirigals will take you on a conducted tour with specific instruction where to bathe and offer Pindams. Like you remember the famous quote "poonalai valam pottukkarathu". At that time you will not have time to appreciate the beauty of the ghats. You should go back later.

But Banares is not only temples and ghats. In my next post I will talk about what Banares means to the Hindu/Indian culture.




Conclusion -- Music, Silk, Lussi and Pan Benarasiwala

A holy city, Varanasi does not take a backseat when it comes to fine arts and literature. Great Indian writers have lived in this city from Kabir, Ravi Das, Tulsidas who wrote much of his Ramayana here, Kulluka Bhatt who wrote the best known commentary of Manu here in 15th century and Bharatendu Harishchandra. Later writers have been Jayshankar Prasad, Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla, Munshi Premchand, Jagannath Prasad Ratnakar, Devaki Nandan Khatri, and others

Sushruta, the great surgeon and author of Sushruta Samhita, the Sanskrit text of surgery, also lived in Varanasi.

Benares Gharana

Benares has always been famous for Hindustani music. The Benares Gharana has produced many famous musicians like Pt. Omkarnath Thakur,P t. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Girija Devi, Siddheshwari Devi, Dr. Lalmani Misra and his son Dr. Gopal Shankar Misra, Dr. N. Rajam, Dr. Rajbhan Singh, Pt. Anokhelal, Pt. Samta Prasad, Kanthe Maharaj, Pt. M. V. Kalvint, Sitara Devi, Gopi Krishna, Pt. Kishan Maharaj, Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Mahadev Mishra and numerous others.

Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan, a devotee of Saraswati and Lord Vishwanath , regularly played at the Vishwanath Temple.

Numerous festivals are celebrated that preserve traditional styles of classical and folk culture. All night, open music concerts like ones organised at Sankat Mochan Temple, Hori, Kajri and Chaiti Mela, Budwa Mangal, are annual features that draw connoisseurs from all over the world.

Other than these festivals concerts are held frequently in places along the ghats. Please enquire.

Did you notice a Tamil Brahmin in the list. Dr. N. Rajam. Padmabhushan Smt. N. Rajam. A famous violinist. She switched over from Carnatic music to Hindustani Music.

http://www.geocities.com/swarna_khuntia/nrajam.htm

The city was connected by a single road from Taxila going through Pataliputra during the Mauryan empire. Taxila where Chanakya is reported to have studied . A center of Hindu learning. Taxila - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This road was later renovated and extended by Sher Shah Suri during the 16th century and later came to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road.

Benares Silk

Banares is famous for Silk sarees. No self respecting Bride in North India would be seen in anything but a Benaresi Silk saree on the Wedding day. There are places all over the city selling these. There are also thousand of brokers who harass you with offers. Test the silk with flame test. The shopwallh will gladly do it for you. And they are expensive.

Benarasi Lassi:

Benares is famous for its Lassi. It is served in earthen pots. It is simply out of this world. Check up Chowk near Gowdolia. The best Lussi shops. This is the place where the Chowkamba bookstall is also located.

Benaresi Pan

Benaresi Pan has been widely known all over India. The betal leaves used in this Pan is different from the one used in South India. The variety used in South India is green. Rest of India uses dark green. Try it. But tell the pan wallah that you do not want Jharda (Tobacco). There are connoisseurs in this Pan business. My Bihari friends hold long conversations with the panwala about how it should be made. According to them it is an art. You remember the Pan Benarasiwala song?

I have written this for two reasons.

1. It feels like going back to Benares. I love the city. Once had an idea of spending 6 months every year there. But I have given it up because the Ghats are too crowded now and not suitable for Meditation on all the days.

2. Tamil Brahmins seem to consider Benares as a city only for Pithru Karyam. Though Pitru Karyam is important, that is not the only thing about Benares. Benares represents Hinduism, its history and culture. It has kept the tradition alive and will keep it alive till the end of time.
 
HAR HAR MAHADEV !!!

Kasi

Ariyur Sri.Viswanatha Sarma
B.5/286, Awadharbi, hanuman Ghat, Varanasi 221001
Phone : 05422277719
09451372420

This Sastrigal will guide you in a nice way
Book a tkt well in advance but this summer is not advisable., but Consult Mr.Visvanathan before booking a tkt.

Go to Kasi directly and when you are near Allahabad contact him thro cell and tell him by which coach you are coming. He will send a man to pick you up., put in lodge near Ganga, and his residence, arrage for your Break fast etc.,

Stay there for 3 days Min., then go to Allahabad or gaya, make your own trip. You can send the money to his bank account by M.T., or if you wish to hand over the cash, they prefer aall in Rs 10 notes.

Because changes are in need there.
Secondly you can buy many things like Kasi Pattu etc., but you should bargain. If you wish I will give a address where I bought 25 sarees and 10 dothis for my relations at cheapest rate.


Wish you to Visit Rameshwaram first take water and sand from Sea and then go to Kasi.

In Rameswaram there is a man called Kunjabhi cell No 9443685075.,

he will make all arrangements for you. After visiting Rameswaram go to Kasi, Gaya and Allahabad and take Gajes water from Allahabad Triveni sangamam, then again go to rameswaram do the Abhishegam for the Ligam, then Go to Dhanush Kodi. Now that all will be fullfilled and I am sure your parents will be pleased.
Secondly in ganges Tell the Visvanatha Sastrigal that your family alone should sit in the boat and No other should share!
Because if 5 families join it will be crowd.



Before making resevations

Go to all local Amman Temples, do Archana and get permission from the Village goddess and ganesa then do Yatra Pooja before leaving for Rameshwaram, and Kasi after visiting Kasi return Home stay for a week or 10 days the visit Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. Then after returning from Rameshwaram do pooja as a thanksgiving and Samaradhana to Brahmins.

You will be taken care of all.

Discuss everything with Visvanatha Ganapathy after 7.00 or 8.00 P.M. and I hope that He will be free to discuss. He will arrage for an Auto for sight seeing too.
A total of 3 days in Kasi, One / two day in Gaya and two days in alahabad all depends on your fathers health. Some times due to over exaration he will be tired. so take care

Gaya and Allahabad

At gaya
Contact M.N.Bacchu Accharya, Karnataka Bhavan Phone No 06312435432 and 2422723
cell 09931840631 and 9934023514


Allahabad

M.Sundaram,
Siva Madam, Dhara Kanj Near Check Post Mr.Subramaniam 05322508886; 2500799

For all other details contact Mr. Visvanatha Ganapathy


Kasi

I landed in Kasi behind schedule by 2hrs. Sastri sent a man who recived us at the station and we reached the lodge near Ganges and his House. Then Went to Ganges took a dip. had break fast/ Lunch returned to room where Sastry came for discussion. In the after noon he arraged an auto to go to the Kasi viswanatha Temple, poured the water that we took from Rameswaram, and made our purchases.

Second day we did Srardham, and in the evening sight seeing BHU., Birla Mandhir , kala Bhairavar etc., returned at 7.00 P.M.

Third day At 7.00 A.M sastry came to our room , Kasi Maha sankalpam, Manikarnika Pooja, Snanam, Panchaganga Pindam., where we offered Pinda by floating in a boat.., then did Dambhathi Pooja at Sastry's house and bought Anna Poorani, Copper chombhu etc., from a person Ravi Kumar located near the Lodge.

At 6.00 P.M. we left for Allahabad, by bus, stayed at Siva madam. we hired our Rickshaw there and reached Siva Madam.
Here we offered Veni Dhanam, Hiranya Srartham, ete., and went to Triveni sangamam, and took two 10 lit cans filled that with Ganga water and gave it in a shop near the Siva Madam who poured in Copper sombu and sealed all. By the time we finished our other rituals in the Madam that was filled.Here i triveni sangamam, we put the sand that we took from rameswaram.

Some old people prefer to do this for two days as they can not hurry up.

From here we went to Ayodhya it is 8 hrs journy by Bus.

There is nothing special and it is not advised for old people.

Then we went to gaya and we reached their at 1.00 A.M.,
The sastry had made arrangements to receive us at the station at that odd hour and we reached at 1.30 A.M.

At 7.00 A.M., we performed gaya Srartham, and here is the place where we are to put pinda for our Friends and relatives. (and here is a place where we should quit a fruit, grass, and a vegetables) Here also some old people wish to stay for two days depending on their health.

Then from their we left for Puri and visited Bhubhaneshwar and from Bhubhaneshwar returned Chennai.

In all the place we traveled by II A/C and reserved Lower berths and reserved two months before. (But Now it is three months)

We saved money for this up to Rs50,000 and spent 48,000 and rest we bought something for our neighbors who visited us and gave annapoorani, one Vishnu Padham, Ganga water Sombhu.

That s all

When we left, my wife's' brothers came to statiion for send off and gave us some sweets and Kattu sadham like Puliyodharai, Curd bath, Fruits etc., along with new Saree and dhoti and angavastram.
As this is the procedure from the wife's side that they should present something when they go to yatra. Here I offered Pinda for My FiL and MiL.

It is a memorable one!!

Please write a diary when you start till you complete which will help a lot.


One word I forgot to add.

The Sons and daughters who accompany their parents to Kasi, Gaya and Allahabad are advised to stay away from the ritual site. Let their father do the Karmas and Mantras the Sons, daughters should not hear.

Even a sigle word. The Sastry will explain the purpose of the rituals and explain the kartha why he is doing this and that and what are all the benifits etc., at times due to over joy the Sastry will build up few stories too.

If they hear those mantras and words the younger ones will think of quitting the Family life and enter in sanyasi life. this will spoil his carrer and there will be an empty mind.

Hence I request the elders to keep away their sons from absorbing the rituals that they are performing in Kasi, Gaya and Allahabad.

When a couple go along with their parents, for Putra Bhagyam, for child it is entirely different.

The process of Mantras are differ and once they reach home, they are to plant a tree as per the current affair. only with that the Yatra concludes.

Even the elders who fulfills the Kasi trip are advised to plant a tree as per their choice of the prayer.

For Sastriys alone it may cost Rs 25,000 for all the three sites.
Boarding, lodging sight seeing may be another 5,000 (The Less)
Train Fares, etc., Purchase of cloths, Collecting of Water from Triveni Sangam may be another Rs600/=, Purchase of Anna Purani image at kasi is a must.

So for all expenses we can roundly put Rs 40,000. in the year 2009.



We are giving this image to the people who visit us after we return from Kasi with full faith our requests were heard, sharing our blessings and joy with others and wish all who visits us, and pray that in all the houses there should not be any scarcity for food and all the persons should have sufficient food.

The receiver should also give due respect and should not throw in a place.
( you should not carry this Gangai sombu to some ones house and give it to them. They should come in person and recive the Gangai Sombu and Annapoorani from your house.)


Secondly, we are to give a Gangai sombu to each person who visits our house after we return from kasi. This is if a person is dead, his house will be polluted (Theettu) and if a person hear some ones death he should carry this Gangai Sombu given to him and give that to the final rites where the body is poured with the Ganges water for purification.

On our return we are to return by train only as we will be having Ganges water in our pack with lots of other purchases.


Just more points.

Every one talks about Sradham in Kasi, now without your asking I am giving more here. No one asked why are we go to Kasi to perform this is it not enough in doing at our place? Is it necessay to go all the way to kasi. Can't we do the same here?

Now my answers

There were 16 schools which is teaching Vedas.
Some are Apastambha Jãbãla,Baudhãyana, Kãnva, Mãdhyandineya, Sãpheya, Tãpaniya, Kãpola, Paundara, Vatsa, Ãvatika, Paramãvatika, Pãrãsra, Vaineya, Addha and Baudheya In this Kanva School at South India, Madhyadina Sakha at River bed near Ganges, Jabãlãs, Boudhãyanas and Tapaneyas were famous[1].


The Sradha we are performing in Kasi is Kothama School, at Gaya Bhodhayana School and Madyadina at Allahabad.


Since all the schools are from the same base, we are performing this in the shetra where it is beleived all the Pithrus are staying there only.


There is no Avhana and Prathistha Mantras for thes sites.


The performer will realise this when he is doing this karma here.
 
First you must go to RAMESWARAM and then to kasi and again to Rameswaram is the correct proceedure for iyers. So I am also giving the sastrigal's name s in RAMESVARAM. S. RADHA KRISHNA VADHYAR. Sri mathre graham. PHONE; (04573) 221943. cell; 9443508843; 9442461923; For boarding and lodging HOTEL TAMIL NADU IS THERE. KASI MUTT; LODGE PHONE NO; (04573) 223130.

K.R. VENKATARAMA SASTRIGAL. (04573) 223636, 222068. cell; 94866 72258.

SHRI. SWAMINATHA SARMA rameswaram cell; 99433 08217. He is doing THILA HOMAM AT HIS RESIDENCE FOR PITHRU SAPA/DOSHA NIVRUTHY.

In the ramanatha swamy temple daily early morning spatika linga sevai is there at 5 a. m. entry fee rupees fifty only. Sankara mutt is having AC ROOM AND NON AC ROOM . and sri. sundar sastrigal is there in sankara mutt. (sringeri sankara muut),. cell no; 09443321641 .

NAVA BHASHANAM DEVI PATTINAM. SRI. V. JAGANNATHA IYENGAR 1/58 PERUMAL KOIL STREET NABASANAM PIN; 623514. PHONE: (04567) 264501.

THIRUPULLANI; TPR. SRI. LAKSHMANA SASTRI. (04567) 254261 for tila homam.


If the 5th and 10th house lords are ill placed and the running dasa is of the ill placed planets this combines the pithru dosham. after tila homam here you have to do anna dhaanam in sholingur.
 
first you may go to devipattinam or nava bhaashaabnam which is near about 6 miles from ramanatha puram.do snaanam here with sankalpam in chakra theertham and also in the sea.here there are navagrahas in water, done prathistai and pooja by SRI RAMA . you may do abhishekam and pooja for these navagrahas.and have darsan of small temples there.

you may do hiranya sratham or theertha sratham here. during taking bath in the sea take one or seven or sand (one handful) by telling "" pipalaatha samuthpannea kruthyea loka bayankari saikatham they prathaasyaami aahaartham prakalpitham "" put the handful sand or stone in the sea.

Then go to rameswaram. have hair cut or shaving in lakshmana theertham . visit ramar temple here. have darshan of ramar paadham in gandha maadhana parvatham which is nearer about 2 or 3 miles. after having a dip in sugreeva theertham, jaambava theertham and angatha theertham. but now these theerthams are there or not i do not know.

take a bath in agni theertham( sea ) and do hiranya sratham. there are about 50 theerthams in within the ramanatha swamy temple. take bath from each well and atlast in kodi theertham. take sand and divide it into three and do pooja as sethu madhavar and bindhu madhavar, and another one in veni madhavar . take this veni madhavar sand to allahabad . take bath in the sea 12 times each for three times.
for each 12 snaanams do sankalpam and snaanaanga tharpanam after wearing madfi dhoti and marks on forehead and do gayathri japam. also do tharpanam here for sugreevan, nalan, maindan, seetha lakshmanan ramachandran three times for each with dhyaanam. also do pinda dhaanam with rice and ellu.

jeeps are available to go to dhanushkoti and return back. have nirmaalya darshan of ramanatha swamy at 5 am in the temple. you have to pay 50 rupees to see this I think. then take kodi theertham water in a bottle and return back to your house and do pooja and samaraadhanai in your house if you are not continuing yatra to kasi.

ifn you are having pithru dosham or naagha dosham in your horoscope you may do here thila homam and sarpa prathistai here.do cow dhaanam, bhoomi dhaanam and dhoty dhaanam here. use mattai coconut and sandal wood piece for cow and land dhaanam. with more dhakshinai.

you may also visit thirupullani or dharbha sayanam and have dharshan of lord in the temple there.
 

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