Carved from a single block of black basalt stone of unknown origin, the Budhanilkantha statue is 5 meters in length and it lies in a reclining position inside a recessed tank of water (representing the cosmic sea) that is 13 meters in length.
Called the Sleeping Vishnu, or Jalakshayan Narayan, the statue depicts the deity reclining on the twisting coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha (Shesha is the eternal, multi-headed king of the serpent deities known as Nagas, and also is the servant of Vishnu).
Vishnu’s legs are crossed and the eleven heads of Shesha cradle his head.
Vishnu’s four hands hold objects that are symbols of his divine qualities: a chakra or disc (representing the mind), a conch-shell (the four elements), a lotus flower (the moving universe) and the club (primeval knowledge).
“Budhanilkatha’s name has been a source of endless confusion.
It has nothing to do with the Buddha (budha means “old”, though that doesn’t stop Buddhist Newars – a particular sect of Nepalese Buddhists – from worshipping the image). The real puzzler is why Budhanilkantha (literally “Old Blue Throat”), a title which unquestionably refers to Shiva, has been attached here to Vishnu.
The myth of Shiva’s blue throat, a favorite in Nepal, relates how the gods churned the ocean of existence and inadvertently unleashed a poison that threatened to destroy the world.
They begged Shiva to save them from their blunder and he obliged by drinking the poison. His throat burning, the great god flew up to the range north of Kathmandu, struck the mountainside with his trident to create a lake, Gosainkund, and quenched his thirst – suffering no lasting ill effect except for a blue patch on his throat.
The water in the Sleeping Vishnu’s tank is popularly believed to originate in Gosainkund, and Shaivas claim a reclining image of Shiva can be seen under the waters of the lake during the annual Shiva festival there in August, which perhaps explains the association.
Local legend maintains that a mirror-like statue of Shiva lies on the statue’s underside.”
That the Narasimha Avatar took place in Ahobilam is referred in the Koorma Purana.
I checked the Koorma Purana and the more detailed one the Vishnu Purana.
There seems to be no mention of the place of Hiranyakasipu‘s specifically , though there is a detailed description of his palace.
There is also the reference of Hirayaksha brother of Hiranya having been killed by Varaha in Eastern Nepal.
”
Varahakshetra, at the confluence of the Saptakoshi and Koka rivers, is 20 km from a town in eastern Nepal – Dharan. . Here, the Boar- Varaha,
an incarnation of Lord Vishnu has been said to have killed the demon-Hiranyaksha.”
There are also other Temples dedicated to Narasimha near Kathmandu, Nepal.
Considering the genealogy of Daksha and Hirannya, it looks that these Kings must have lived in the north of the Vindhyas, somewhere near the foothills
of the Himalayas.
Prahaladapuri Temple.
Now there is a reference to Prahalada, son of Hiranyakasipu having built the city f Multan In Pakistan.
”
According to the opinion of some historians, Prahlada Maharaja was born in Treta-yuga in the city of Multan, in the state of Punjab. He was born of Hiranyakashipu, a king of the dynasty of Kashyapa. Prahlada Maharaja was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, but his father was very much against Vishnu. Because the father and son thus differed in their consciousness, the demon father inflicted all kinds of bodily pain upon Prahlada. When this torture became intolerable, the Supreme Lord appeared as Narasimhadeva and killed the great demon Hiranyakashipu… – Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita, Antya 9.10
Prahladpuri Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Multan (now in Pakistan), earlier known as Kashyapapur. It is named after Prahlada and dedicated to Lord Narasimha. The temple of Prahladpuri is said to have been built by Prahlada Maharaj in honor of Lord Narasimha.
The Prahladapuri temple like the Sun Temple of Multan had been destroyed after Muslim conquest of Multan, suffered several material losses and was reduced to a nondescript shrine by the 19th century.
The temple was built on a high platform inside Multan Fort, adjacent to tomb of Hazrat Baha’ul Haq Zakariya, and was before 1992 a prominent landmark of Multan. It had a main hall, circumlocutory and skylights and a large mandapa. The central hall had a replica of the deity under a baldachin (a luxurious type of cloth from Bagdad). Adjacent to temple was dharamshala complex.
..
Traditions, however, claim that the original temple was a columnar structure and both the roof and the columns supporting it were made of pure gold. It is further stated that for some unknown reason, this entire building sank into ground and over it was built a new temple.
After the partition of India, many Hindus migrated and the affairs of temple were managed by minority Hindus of city. The original deity of Lord Narasimha was brought to India by Baba Narayan Das Batra from Multan at the time of partition in 1947. The deity is now at Haridwar (Narasimhadham Road).
In 1992, the temple was completely destroyed by mob in retaliation of news of Babri Masjid demolition in India. Many peaceful protests were held by minority organizations and have requested the government of Pakistan to restore this ancient temple of importance
.
I am checking the Puranas for clarity.
Readers may send their information with references from The Vedas and Puranas.
I am not sure about the authenticity of the Sthala Puranas as some of thm are blatantly at variance with the Puranas.
A Post on this subject follows..
More curious Vasishta is from South India follows.
Prahladapuri Temple.
The original temple of Prahladpuri is said to have been built by Prahlad, son of Hiranyakashipu, the king of Multan (Kashya-papura)[1] in honor of Narsing Avatar, an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, who emerged from the pillar to save Prahlada.[2][3][4][5]
The Prahladapuri temple like the Sun Temple of Multan had been destroyed after Muslim conquest of Multan, suffered several material losses and was reduced to a nondescript shrine by the 19th century.
It is located on top of a raised platform inside the Fort of Multan, adjacent to tomb of Hazrat Baha’ul Haq Zakariya.
A mosque has subsequently built adjacent to temple.[6] The records suggested by Dr. A.N. Khan say that temple was once rebuilt in decade of 1810, when area was under rule of Sikhs.
However, Alexander Burnes, who visited the temple in 1831, said that he found it deserted and without a roof. Later, in year 1849, when British laid siege of Multan Fort against Mul Raj, a shell fired by British army fell on gunpowder store within the fort, thus destroying almost all of the fort except the mausoleums of Bahauddin Zakaria and his sons and the Prahladpuri temple complex. …
However, the temple was soon rebuilt by then prosperous Hindu community of Multan and was managed by the community, who regulated Mahant of Prahladpuri temple.
After the partition of India, many Hindus migrated and the affairs of temple were managed by minority Hindus of city.
The original idols of Lord Narasimha was brought to India by Baba Narayan Das Batra from Multan at the time of partition in 1947.
Mimamsa was at its apex and it followed the Rituals vigorously with the result that the Yagnas were performed excessively and sacrifice of animals was
at its peak.
At the other end were innumerable gods, Goddesses.
Seto machendranath.
Karma Kanda per se is very complicated and people were fed up.
Buddhism filled in the void with its Philosophy of change , its Nireswara vada, denial of Personal God, Idol worship and its denial of Vedic Authority.
It is an irony that Buddha is being worshiped as God.
There is a temple in Nepal where Lord Shiva and The Buddha are worshiped in a Temple and in the same Image.
The Patan temple, also known as the Rato Machchhindranath Temple, is one of the oldest temple which dates back from 16th century.[2] It is one of the famous temples of the Kathmandu Valley. It lies in the southern part of the Patan Durbar Square. Each of the four well crafted wooden doors of this temple is guarded by two lion figures while the four corners of the temple are guarded by Khyah, a Yeti-like demonic figure.[1] Rato Machchhindranath spends six months of the year in this temple.
The village of Bungamati, regarded as the birthplace of Machchhindranath, is a traditional Newar town located 10 km from downtown Kathmandu.
The temple of Rato Machchhindranath is located in the heart of this village and it is known as his second home.
It is a well crafted shikhara styled temple.After the chariot festival, Rato Machchhindranath spends the next six month in this temple.
Legend od Machendranath.
When Guru Gorakhnath visited Patan, he captured all the rain showering serpents of Patan and started to meditate after he was disappointed by the locals as they did not grant him any alms on his request.
Bunga dyah statue.
As a result, Patan faced drought for a long time.
The then king of Patan, on the advice of his advisers, invited Machchhindranath, Guru of Gorakhnath, to Patan.
When Gorakhnath learned that his teacher was in Patan he released all the rain showering serpents and went to see him.
As soon as the rain showering serpents were set free, Patan again got plenty of rainfall every year.
After that day, the locals of Patan worshiped Machchhindranath as the god of rain.
Bunga Dyah Jātrā (Devanagari: बुंग द्यः जात्रा) is a chariot procession honoring the Buddhist deity of compassion Avalokiteśvara(Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) held in Lalitpur, Nepal. It is one of the greatest religious events in the city and the longest chariot festival celebrated in the country.
Bunga Dyah is also known as Raktalokitesvara Karunamaya and Rāto Machhendranāth (रातो मछिन्द्रनाथ), and is revered as the giver of rain.
The name Rato Machhendranath means Red Machhendranath in a reference to the color of the deity’s image.
The chariot festival is held according to the lunar calendar, so the date is changeable.
It begins on the 4th day of the bright fortnight ofBachhalā (बछला), the seventh month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar.
The chariot procession was instituted to celebrate the arrival of Bunga Dyah in Nepal and the end of a devastating drought
. It was started when Narendra Deva was the king (640-683 AD).
Preparations for the festival begin with the construction of a 60-foot tall chariot at Pulchok at the western end of Lalitpur.
When the chariot is complete, the image of Bunga Dyah from his temple is installed in it.
Revellers then drag the chariot through the streets of Lalitpur on a tour that lasts a month.
The chariot of Bunga Dyah is accompanied on the journey by a similar but smaller chariot of Chākuwā Dyah (चाकुवा द्यः).
The deity is another Bodhisattva and is also known as Minnāth.
The route of the chariot procession starts at Pulchok and passes through Gabahal, Hakha, Sundhara,
Lagankhel and ends atJawalakhel. As per time-honored tradition, the chariot is pulled exclusively by women on the stretch between the localities of Iti and Thati.
This part of the chariot procession is known as Yākah Misāyā Bhujyā (याकः मिसाया भुज्या).
The parade finishes at the open ground of Jawalakhel which is situated at the western side of Lalitpur.
There, the festivities conclude with the ceremony of Bhoto Jatra, the display of the bhoto, a traditional Nepalese vest.
Bhoto Jatra, which literally means “vest festival”, is the climax of the chariot procession of Bunga Dyah Jatra.
After the two chariots arrive in Jawalakhel, astrologers choose an auspicious date to hold the Bhoto Jatra festival.
On the appointed day in the presence of the head of state, a government official climbs on to the chariot and holds up a jewel-studded black vest from the four sides of the chariot so that all the people gathered around can have a look at it.
The display is a re-enactment of an event that happened eons ago.
According to legend, a Newar Jyapu farmer lost the vest which he had received as a gift from the serpent god Karkotaka Naga for doing him a favour.
One day, the farmer had come to Jawalakhel to watch the chariot pulling festival where he saw someone wearing his missing garment.
A quarrel ensued over the vest, and since neither party could prove ownership, it was agreed that the undershirt would be kept with Bunga Dyah until the rightful owner comes to claim it with adequate proof.
Since then, the vest has been shown to the public annually as a call to potential claimants to step forward.
The living goddess Kumari of Patan also arrives in Jawalakhel to observe Bhoto Jatra.
She watches the ceremony from a special rest house.
The auspicious day when the Bhoto Jatra is held is determined by astrologers, so the date is changeable.
In 2014, the vest showing will be held on 22 June.
After the festival, the chariot is dismantled and the parts are stored until it is time for the procession the next year.
RatoMachhendranath is taken to a temple in the nearby village of Bungamati, also known as the second home of the rain god.
The deity spends the next six months in that temple.
It may sound crazy, but Mohamed Salmo Miya did what most people would be afraid to do. Bitten by a cobra while working in his rice paddy field southeast of Kathmandu, Miya chased after the venomous snake and bit it — to death.
“I could have killed it with a stick but bit it with my teeth instead because I was angry,” Reuters reported Miya, 55, as saying.
He said a snake charmer told him that if you bite a snake that has bitten you, nothing bad will happen.
Miya did eventually seek medical treatment on the urging of his family, neighbors and police, BBC News reported.
He will not be charged because the reptile is not considered endangered.
According to Agence France-Presse, about 20,000 snake bites are reported in Nepal each year, resulting in an estimated 1,000 deaths.
Khagendra Thapa, who is expected to be the world’s shortest man next month when he turns 18, looks at the legs of Miss Nepalbeauty pageant winners during a news conference in Kathmandu September 24, 2010. The Nepal Tourism Board has nominated Thapa and Miss Nepal beauty pageant winners as goodwill ambassadors to promote tourism in Nepal. Thapa will carry the message: “Shortest man in the world from the highest mountain in the world invites you to visit Nepal.
You must be logged in to post a comment.