A Journey To Discover Life

 We have no Knowledge of the beginning and end of the world, the first and last of this ancient book has fallen out ~  Abu Talib Karim. Rightly said by the poet laureate of Emperor Shah Jahan above, we do not actually know the beginning and end of anything in the universe, be it the traditions, culture or human race, or the world. What we know are fragments of the past we extract from evidence. It is in vain to try to determine the first and last of something. For the past few months, owing to some media hype on Jauhar, many of you have asked me questions. I tried to answer most of them. However, a lot remained unsaid and unwritten. Mostly because some things are impossible to put into words. But here I try my best. Today is a very significant day in history. On the 23rd of February 1568, the world saw the last “Jauhar” of Chittorgarh, recorded in the medieval history of India. Akbar had invaded Mewar, and the four-month siege of four months ended in the Saka. There was no bet...

Here are some sources of Mythological Links I found while reading James Todd's Annals of Mewar. This section is subject to updates if I find any further links . Mewari Ramayana Script commissioned by Rana Jagat Singh Kush, Son of Rama, had four sons, two of whom were Kushanabha and Kushambha. Kushanabha was the founder of Muhadhya, later Kanauj. Kushamba had also founded a city in his name, Kausambi. The other two are said to have built their capitals, Dharmarunya and Vasumitra, traces of neither of which are found in the present History Dushmanta and Shakuntala's son Bharata had four sons, namely, Kalinjra, Keril, Pandh, and Chowal. Kalinjra is the celebrated fortress of Bundelkhand. Keril found its place in the 36 royal clans (see part one). Pandh's capital was present-day Tanjore. Chowal's ancestors survived in the Saurastra region. Chowal thrived in a place named the same, 7 miles from Junagarh, Gujarat. From Rama, the Royals of Mewar, Marwar, Jaipur and Bikaner thr...

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons,  Labh  and  Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at  Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until  Kanaksen  (Often traced as the founder)moved to  Dwarika, Saurashtra.  "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the  Ahar  valleys (Aravallis). The  Sisodia  clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded  Birnagar  in AD 144. Four generations hence,  Vijay Sen ...

Rao Nahar Panwar made Mandore the capital of Marwar, Rajasthan, until Rao Jodha shifted to the Mehrangarh Fort. Mandore, a few km from the blue city of Jodhpur, now stands as a tourist spot with an archaeological park of ancient temples.  Dated back to around the 6th Century and older, these temples are an example of wonderfully curved stone architectural wonders. Amongst them stands a temple to an unusual deity. The King of Lanka, the demon devotee of Shiva, Ravana. Surprised? The Brahmins of this place religiously worship him twice every day. Why? Temples at Mandore During the Puranic times, Maya Danav, the architect among Demons, son of Rishi Kashyap and his wife Aditi, used to rule Mandore, with his consort, the Apsara queen Hema. They had two sons, Mayavi and Dhundhuvi, but yearned for a daughter. Devotees of Shiva prayed to him for a daughter. Once, an Apsara, Madhura, visited Kailash in the absence of Devi Parvati and tried to seduce the Lord. Angered at her action, the Devi...

Recently on social media, I found many debates rising on Ram's decisions as a King and a Husband. Did his Dharma as a King overshadow his Dharma as a husband? Did he love and respect his partner? Where was Sita in all of this? Ram: The King Who Became a God The ancient Valmiki Ramayana depicts Ram as a mortal king, a ruler of Ayodhya whose deeds and adherence to dharma elevated him to divine stature. Later texts, especially after Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, revere him as an incarnation of Vishnu, the divine preserver, descended to restore righteousness on Earth. This article considers Ram primarily as a king, a human whose life illuminates the ideal of rulership through action, duty, and sacrifice. In Hindu philosophy, every life is believed to possess a purpose. While most individuals spend their years seeking it, a few rare souls, mahapurushas, recognise their purpose from childhood and dedicate themselves entirely to it. Ram was one such being. The Context of Treta Yug Ram was bo...

She was born to the King and Queen of Mithila after they waited decades for a child. Having adopted a girl child already, King Janaka accepted yet another girl child with open arms, unlike King Dasharatha, who was desperate for sons so much that he gave away his only daughter for it. She was named Urmila, meaning the waves of Passion. From her very childhood, she grew up listening to tales of bravery and sacrifice, legends and Gods from the sages who were patronised by their father. The sisters were taught to be brave enough to question all the rites and rituals rather than blindly follow them like most others. Janaka was too happy to answer all of his daughter's curiosities. She used to travel to various Ashrams of well-known hermits with her father and sister. One such time, she was visiting the annual Yajna of the King-Priest Vishwamitra. They arrived there, amongst other Kings and Royals of Aryavarta and were shocked to hear how time and again the demon Taraka and her son Maric...

Dasharatha was very protective of his sons. He had got them after almost a lifetime of waiting and yajnas, so they were his lifeline. Ram, the eldest, won hearts with his humble, generous ways. Bharata, the second, was his favourite queen's brave son, and Laxman and Shatrughan were the twins to the lesser queen, who followed their brothers like shadows. They were a peaceful, happy family. Sage Vasistha was their Kulaguru, teaching them the Vedic hymns and the righteous ways of life. The Princes grew up in the luxurious, protected premises of the palace. The King of Mithila, too, was childless. Mother Earth granted him a daughter. Sita grew up learning and curious, followed by the king's second daughter, Urmila and their cousins Mandavi and Shrutakirti. They grew up knowing the natural ways of life, and their father took them to learn from men to know more about man and his natural instincts. The princesses were curious and always questioning the traditions, and the Princes lear...