Ramanisblog

Tag: Sabarimala

  • Modern Ayyappa Temple With Ancient Hindu Discipline

    Recently I was told to visit an Ayappa temple run By Ayyappa Sangam in Tiruchi.

    I have seen some of the Ayyappa temples in places other than Sabarimala.

    Most of them start with good intentions and discipline and time takes a toll on both.

    “3 km from the Bus Stand, Located near the district court of Trichy, is a peaceful temple and attracts many people in all week days. This temple is famous for its discipline and neatness. Special pooja’s for unmarried, child expecting peoples. Open : 5 a.m. to 10.50 a.m. & 5 p.m. to 8.50 p.m.”

    The temple is located near the Court.

    Ayyappa Temple, Tiruchi
    Ayyappa Temple, Tiruchi

    Absolute Silence is what one notices and of course cleanliness.

    There no shouting calling out the Names of God nor is the habit of Dakshina in the ‘plate’

    If your mobile phone rings inside the temple premises, it is confiscated and returned you after 48 hours and a Notice is put out to this effect.

    Wise and insightful sayings are put up on the Wall.

    All instructions to the Devotees are in a polite , yet firm language.

    If you want to feel Divinity please visit this  temple.

    The poojas are an experience.

  • How To Wear a Dhoti-Indian Pancha Kacha and Regular Style Videos

    Indians(Men) wear Dhoti as their outer wear.

    Dhoti Indian outer wear
    Pancha Kacham

    This is generally a cotton cloth-now Polyester has come into being-wrapped around the waist.

    There are two types of cloth specification based on their length.

    One is 4 yards and another is yards.(There are 10/6 and 9/5 as well,these are recommended people who are tall)

    While 4 yards will be enough for wrapping around the waist once, 8 yards will come for two wraps around.

    The apprehension that the Dhoti will come off the waist is only an uncomfortable feeling and once one gets used to wearing the Dhoti he will feel comfortable.

    Dhoti is very comfortable,convenient, easy to wear, economical  and airy.
    It takes very little time to wear and washing is simple and one can do it with hand.

    There are various colors,mostly white,black,Saffron and Navy Blue.

    Only white is recommended by the Sastras(Hindu Rule Book for House Holders)

    Black/Navy Blue is not recommended,but people who visit Sabarimalai to have  Darshan of Lord Ayyappa wear this color, possibly to identify them as Pilgrims visiting Sabarimalai.

    Saffon colour Dhoti is worn by Ascetics .

    Householders are proscribed from wearing this Dhoti of this colour.

    Eight yards Dhoti shall be more comfortable as 4 yards will be not sufficient in length for adults of more than 5’6″.

    There are two styles of wearing Dhoti.

    One is wearing it just by wrapping around the waist.

    The other is called ‘ Pancha Kachcham'( five fold tuck in) , which is prescribed by the Sastras for House holders(Unmarried should not wear in this style)

    It indicates that one is married.

    Panchakacha is , now a days worn by the Hindus, during functions, both for auspicious and inauspicious)

    In fact it should be worn daily.

    Panchakacha style wrapping is reported to preserve the electrical/magnetic forces in the Human Body and does not earth it,as the wrapped cloth is fully connected at all ends with no loose ends.

    Kaccha means the part of cloth that is tucked to the back, in between the legs. The Pancha Kaccha has five folds of cloth in the kaccha and the nine-yards saree, doesn’t have a fold.

     

    In case one of us aren’t aware.. The kacha style of dressing (where in the saree or the dhoti is worn in the style that ultimately is similar to a pair of pants) has been made compulsory for the married lot because-

    #1 To indicate that you are married and you shouldn’t even remotely dream of having a crush on the married guy/girl
    #2 To conserve the positive sexual energy that drains out via the moolaadhaara.. Now don’t ask me why, but looks like another subtle energy source gets wasted via the moolaadhara and the Kacha helps conserve all the reproductive energy.

    http://rebelliousmasala.blogspot.in/2011/07/some-scientific-explanations-to-indian.html

    Steps to wear Pancha Kacha

    Open the 8 or 9 yard dhoti completely.

    Hold the dhoti such that you are right down the center of the dhoti (lengthwise). Both the ends should be free and you should be holding the dhoti such that there is enough dhoti to go around you just once.

    Wrap it around you once (as shown) keeping the wrap a little tight at the stomach portion.

    Fold the dhoti a few times so that the it is held firmly at your hip.

    Take the end that is on top (typically should be the one to your left); Starting from the end, slowly make folds of about 2 inches each (kosuval).

    Insert the folds into the wrap around the hip (as shown).

    Take the breadth portion of the top fold and starting from the end (so that the border coloring is visible), make similar folds (as shown).

    Insert this second set of folds on top of the previous one (as shown).

    Take the other free end of the dhoti, starting breadthwise, make similar folds.

    Run this between your legs and bring it behind you (as shown).

    Ensure that the folds are not twisted.

    Insert the new set of folds behind your back (as shown).

    Check that the kachcham looks like this .

    For images for each step click

    http://www.wikihow.com/Wear-a-Pancha-Kachcham

     

     

     

     

    Looks complicated.

    It is not.

    Once you get the hang of it, it is very simple.

    For wrapping around the waist you can tie thw first fold either on the left side of your waist or right,depending on which ever is convenient to you( left-handed might prefer Right tuck in)

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  • Haunted Campus Buildings.My experience with the Paranormal.

    One can not dismiss these things totally untrue.

    I have two experiences .

    It was in 1968 -69 in Chennai,India where I completed my Graduation and i was a hostel student.

    One of my friends, who had a house near by vacated his house and joined the hostel.

    On being asked why he replied that his house was haunted and that his parents have shifted to Bangalore and   to continue his studies he had joined the hostel.

    About four of us went to the said House along with the one who said his house was haunted after watching a late night movie.

    Around 1 am, (Ido not recollect the exact time), we had all the glass panes of the windows closed and had the doors of the house locked( we were in the first floor room of the house).

    After about 15-30 minutes Jasmine Scent wafted through the air.

    It was followed by the figure of a lady floating through the glass pane.

    Needless to say we ran to the hostel for cover and one my friends had an attack of Fever for several days.

    Another instance.

    I went to Sabarimala,Kerala, as a Pilgrimage.

    This place is revered to be Abode of Lord Ayyappa and one has to undergo strict  Discipline( non-Hindus also visit the place) before embarking on the pilgrimage.(1970)

    We stayed in a place ,Pampa.After morning rituals we noticed that an elderly man of about Eighty  in a small temporary shelter( every one has to make one) ,sitting in front of the photo of Lord Ayyappa,exhorting and crying that he be allowed to visit the sanctum sanctorum(which is about 2 km up the hill) for he was informed in the dream that he need not come to the sanctum sanctorum.

    After about 15 – 20 minutes, a man from the people around us stood up and stood in front of the crying man and informed him “I shall give my Vision here for you’

    The crying man asked him as to who he was and what authority he had to speak to him thus.

    The man straightened and said”if it is true I am God ,I shall show my Vision in my true form here this evening at 6-40( the time the Vision in the form of a Light appears every year).

    Then he started running through the river up-stream towards the sanctum.

    We were instructed by our Guru to chase him.

    Five or  six of us(those who followed him were by no means ardently devout or deeply religious and are practical men from fields like marketing,Accountancy),chased him and found it difficult to catch up with the man who was around fifty years and we  were in the age group of 20 -30.

    Eventually we caught up with him, caught his hands and asked him to come with us to meet our Guru.

    He straightened and said ‘Who can call Me?”-

    Next ,

    Our hands were clutching thin air and the man simply vanished.

    I am qualified in Philosophy and Psychology and a hard-core Management Professional with a Skeptic outlook on Spirituality.(only of late I have become an Advaitin by conviction)

    Till date I am unable to comprehend what took place around 40 years ago with all my Analytical Skills and logic)

    Story:

    Plenty of college campuses have creepy spots. Desolate library stacks, bathrooms that no one uses, and dark pathways have been giving college kids the willies for years. But there are some spots that are bona fide haunted, with a history to prove it. Read on to learn about 10 campus buildings that are more than just a little creepy.

    1. Jennings Hall, Bennington College: This building now houses the music department of Bennington college, and students have often witnessed paranormal activity. It was the inspiration for The Haunting of Hill House, a Shirley Jackson novel. Strange voices, footsteps, and instruments that play themselves have been heard. The area Bennington College is located in is known as “Bennington Triangle” where many people went missing between 1920 and 1950.
      1. Strayer College: The Strayer College building in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is the former site of Eastern State School and Hospital. The building is rumored to be haunted by patients who were killed or treated unfairly. Figures follow people, doors slam shut to trap people inside, and the former morgue is cold and breezy even without windows. The 4th floor is believed to be especially treacherous, so much so that it’s life threatening.
      2. Pemberton Hall, Eastern Illinois University: At Pemberton Hall, a girl was brutally murdered and raped by a psychotic janitor. The hall is now haunted, with doors mysteriously locking after young girls enter, bloody footprints, and clocks that turn back in time. Music plays from the piano the victim played on, even though the entire floor is boarded up.
      3. Alpha Theta House, Dartmouth College: The Alpha Theta fraternity house experienced a boiler explosion and fire, killing fraternity brothers and their female companions. These spirits are said to haunt the house, particularly in the house basement, which is the remaining original structure.
      4. Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority House, Ohio University: This sorority house was once a private residence and a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was stormed when locals found out that the owner was harboring fugitive slaves, and a slave named Nicodemus was shot there. He has since haunted the house, which has passed hands among several Greek groups in the university, presumably due to the disturbances.
      5. Sage College of Albany Fine Arts/Graphic Design Building: Sage College of Albany’s Graphic Design building is located in a former children’s orphanage, and has ghosts from the children who died in a fire set by the caretaker. Numerous ghosts can still be heard in the building.
      6. Baylor University Library: Baylor University’s library has some original works from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with a statue in her likeness in front of the building. The statue’s arms are said to move, and she has been seen peering inside the top floor window. She may also be seen walking the halls at night in a white gown holding a candle.
      7. Graceland House, Davis & Elkins College: In the Graceland House, a slave was beaten to death and buried in the dirt floor basement, and may still be there. This house has noises and feelings of being watched or followed, so badly that a prom held there had to be shut down.
      8. Shelton Hall, Boston University: This dorm was once a Sheraton Hotel overlooking the Charles River and Fenway Park. Before it became a dorm, playwright Eugene O’Neill lived and subsequently died in room 401. He now haunts that floor, which the school reserves for writing students.
      9. Texas Tech University Water Tower: On the coldest night of the year in Lubbock, 5-6 young men can be seen on the top catwalk going around the water tank. They will stay up all night as if spending the night. This sighting has happened each year from around 1949 on.

                  http://www.matchacollege.com/blog/2011/10-campus-buildings-that-are-totally-haunted/


  • Makara Jyothi Sabarimalai Man made? NO.

    Updated 23 February 2014.

    I received information from a Reader through Facebook that Indian Express Newspaper Reporter has clicked a Photo of people lighting the Makara Jothi.Unfortunately he has not been able to get it from the IE archives.

    Instead he forwarded me a Link which I am providing below..

    ”

    The Media and individuals who are sceptical of the Makarajyothi have disputed it. According to them the light is an artificial fire clandestinely lit by the officials of Sabarimala temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in connivance with some of the forest and police officials. It is created by burning a large quantity of camphor cubes kept in a silver platter. Several correspondents have visited the hill station where the camphor-fire is lit is claimed to be in the control of the forest department of the Government of Kerala.

     Sceptics’ explanation

    A number of attempts have been made by rationalists, other individuals, and Media to find out the truth behind this miracle and to give a natural explanation to it.

    In 1973 about 24 persons from the Kollam district of Kerala reached Ponnambalamedu hills where the light appreared and bursted fire crackers. They were later taken into custody by the police after a complaint (“defiling the sanctity of Ponnambalamedu”) was lodged by B. Madhavan Nair, the then chairman of Travancore Devaswam Board. Since they did not commit any crime under the Indian Penal Code, they were to be released unconditionally.[citation needed] In 1980, a group of rationalists from Trichur also visited Ponnambalamedu and reported about it.”

    Link to the above information does not seem to work.

    Even in this article there is NO evidence that the Makara Jothi is Man Made.

    Please read below towards the closing of the post on Makara Jothi and Makara Vilakku.

    Makara Jothi is an unexplained Phenomenon while Makara Vilakku is lit on the Ponnambla Medu by the Devaswam Board .

    I have visited Sabarimalai about 15 times and had Darshan of the Jyoti in 1971.

    The light could have been due to Astronomical phenomena at the time of Sun changing Signs.

    I have ascertained through extensive study that no Astronomical/Star/Electrical/Magnetic activity is associated with the appearance of the Jyothi at the latitude/longitude at the site.

    The other reason is people light camphor or other materials.

    If you look at the jyothi,it appears thrice in immediate succession, with not enough time in between to light by man thrice.

    The jyothi’s shape is some thing that does not indicate man made fire.

    It bobs ans skims in the sky;this again is not possible if the jyothi is man made.

    “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
    Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

    WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE / Hamlet Act 1. Scene V abt. 1601

    Story:

    Every year, lakhs of pilgrims – mostly from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — throng to the hill temple to witness the divine light that pops up three times soon after the deeparadhana (the ceremony of showing lighted camphor to the idol of Ayyappa) at around 7 pm.

    This year too, the transition of the rashi from Dhanu to the auspicious Makara (the Malayalam month of Makara) took place at 6.44 pm Friday and this was followed by the deeparadhana at 6.50 pm.

    At 7.07 pm, the first blob of light popped up on Ponnabalamedu as lakhs of pilgrims chanted the Ayyappa Sharanam mantra. Within minutes, two more episodes of the `divine’ light appeared against the backdrop of a pitch dark winter sky.

    Critics, including a few Ayyappa devotees, have of late questioned the appearance of the divine light. A few, who had studied the `phenomenon’ and got `evidence’, had come to the conclusion that there was nothing divine or mysterious about the light. The Ponnambalamedu is a thick forested area and is closely guarded by the State Forest Department and the Electricity Board. Nobody is allowed to go to the area.

    Sources say that atop the Ponnambalamedu there was a small temple that was once the centre of worship of a few tribes who prayed and paid their respects to Ayyappa once a year by lighting camphor and wood.

    After the tribes vanished and were `consumed’ by modernisation, officials of the electricity board continued lighting huge amounts of camphor on Makara 1 or January 14 every year.

    Now, sources say, the tribal temple has vanished and a huge concrete platform has been constructed. Huge heaps of camphor are put into large bowls and lighted. Soon, the flames are extinguished using large wet sacks. After a few minutes, it is lit again and the process goes on for two more times.

    Recently, the Kerala government and the temple authorities admitted for the first time the Jyothi was not a celestial occurrence but a fire lighted by men.

    Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran openly said: “I was present on the Makaravillukku day at the Sabarimala last season. I saw the celestial star and it is at that very time that Makaravilakku is lighted. There is no doubt about it that it is lighted by the men.”

    Rahul Easwar, grandson of Sabarimala chief priest, later said: “It’s a misunderstanding in the mind of misinformed people not informed devotees. Makarajyothi is different and Makaravillkku is different that’s why there are two names. Makarajyothi is a celestial star while Makaravillakku is symbolic lighting of lamp in place called Ponambalamedu, where there was a temple earlier.”

    An embarrassed Devaswom Board, which administers the temple and earns crores during the Jyothi season, said it had absolutely no role in lighting Makaravillaku as it happens in a jungle, which is not under the Board’s control.

    Ponnambalamedu is about 4 Km away from the Sabarimala temple and very close to Kochupamba Power Substation which supplies power to Sabarimala. It is under the control of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

    There is just one rough road that leads to Ponnambalamedu and this is closely guarded by the Forest Department officials. Ponnambalamedu is at an elevation of 1170m above MSL and Sabarimala is just 544m – making the view of the Jyothi very clear.

    While the Jyothi may be man-made, the appearance of `Garuda’ — an eagle – is still a mystery. The eagle escorts the Thiruvaabharanam (the box that carries the ornaments for Ayyappa) from the royal palace in Pandalam and then vanishes. It comes back then the ornaments are taken from Sabarimala to Pandalam.

    So why are the authorities keeping silent on the divine light. It is pure commerce. The State earns crores during the Sabarimala Jyothi pilgrimage season. According to the figures provided by the Devasom, collections at the temple had crossed Rs.131 crore as of Thursday, while last season it was Rs.120 crore during the same period. All this may go up in flames if there is an official denial.

    While the Dewasom earns in crores, the devotees are put to hardships. The authorities charge Rs 350 for rooms with the promise of cots and beds. But in reality, there are no cots, the toilets are dirty and the authorities collect Rs 600 to 900 unofficially.

    The money for annadhanam is not properly accounted; those who pay in thousands get priority for darshan and there is large scale pilferage and kickbacks in construction projects.

    Will the stampede open the proverbial can of worms?

    http://news.in.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4805771&page=4

    This article does not advance arguments or proof that the Light is man-made.

    Why the provocative title?

    Please read my blog on makara jothi 2011for unbiased writing.

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  • Sabarmalai Makara Jothi-appeared in(?) a different way?-Video.

    Lord Ayyappa.

    Please watch the video.

    I have first visited Sabarimalai for the first time in 1971 for Makara Vilakku and had darshan.

    Since then I have visited Sabarimalai about 15 times, though not for Jothi .

    However I have been seeing it on TV every year.

    This year I have noted the following points in Live telecast on Jaya TV in Bangaloreand my sister in law at Madras on Sankara TV.

    Jaya TV.-While Tiruvaabaranam was  in the process of being adorned on the Lord, the Sannidhi seemed to be open.

    -Some pilgrims(not police/volunteers) were found to be not  in Sabarimala attire.Couple of them were wearing white shirts.

    -Garudan hovering over the Tiruvaabarana procession was missing.

    -Normally the Jothi appears between 18-43 abd 18-47.

    -This year it was at 19-11(give or take a couple of minutes)

    -Finally the jothi.It normallyappears once the Deepaaradanai is completed for the Lord and a celestial light floats and skims beneath the Star thrice.

    This year, the light appeared to be a circular blob,it did not skim and fade.

    It appeared only twice and after the first sighting it disappeared immediately and reappeared .

    I  am pained.

    Was there any short coming in the performance of Rituals.?

    Will some body who has witnessed in the Jothi in 2011 in person inform me on this?

    * I will write on Makara Jothi , a miraculous phenomenon in detail for those who  may not know about it(especially foreign readers)