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...

Shiva - Sati/Parvati:  The Destroyer of the Trinity, the supreme God of Gods, was a loner, vagabond, refusing to settle down and be tied down by earthly relationships. Enters Sati, the daughter of Prajapati Daksha of Kankhal. At such a young age, her love moves everyone except her father. The reluctant Shiva had to answer her calls, and for the first time, somebody wanted to marry him as a boon. What followed was wrath between Shiva and Daksha, a clash of egos that ended the soft maiden Sati's life. She chose death after overhearing her father insult her husband. Shiva's sorrow turned to the angry tandav that destroyed the world. He roamed around as a vagabond again, this time with a broken heart!  A few years passed by in her memory as he roamed the land of Aryavarta, making a Linga at every Sati Peeth beside her. In that way, this time, he will always be there by her side to protect her. Enters Parvati, the daughter of Parvat Raj. She was believed to be Sati reborn by everyo...

The Rajputs were a group of brave and disciplined men and women. While the other Hindu Rulers surrendered to the Mughal Emperors and were attacked by the Afghans, they fought to keep their land and forts independent of these rulers. Many wars left their marks on the walls of the Rajputana Forts, and many stories became household tales of bravery in India. The forts of Chittor, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer... The battles of Haldighat, the love of Prithviraj and Sanyukta, and the Bhakti of Meera Bai are all now part of the folklore of India. Amidst these fairytale-like stories of princes and Princesses, Love and Patriotism, there lie tales of horror. Families lost in wars, kings brutally murdered, jealous step-brothers joining the enemy forces, princesses forced into marriage for political alliances and above all, the horrible scenes of Jauhar.  The ancient tradition of committing Sati in the husband's pyre is very commonly known. Jauhar was a speciality in Rajputana. When the army of the fort...

High in the mountains of Tibet in the Himalayas lies   Mt. Kailash,  around the dry slopes of the Himalayas that wear a bare look quite different from the evergreen valleys in other parts of the mountain range. From  Mt.   Kailash   at a distance to the left, one can spot the   Manasarovar  with its natural beauty, quite contrasting to the surrounding environment.  The environment itself seems spiritual enough away from the evils of the real world, even today. Nearby, there is a Buddhist monastery. But thousands of years before the birth of  Gautama Buddha,  there resided local tribes in this land. They struggled with basic everyday necessities of food and shelter, and fought nature daily to sustain their lives. The mountains had forests and available food then, different from what it is today. Their leader was a man of bravery and spirituality so high that they called him "  Lord of the land". His self-taught ar...