TALES FROM THE PAST

SIGNIFICANCE OF EATING CURD (DAHI) Milk and milk products are a vital part of our Dharma. Sri Krishna’s association with butter and worship of Kamdhenu underline the importance attached to milk. Dahi/ curd/ Yogurt is a form of milk and a wonder drug for body. Curd aids digestion and acts as a natural laxative. It has many vital nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium. It is easier to digest so those who have problem in having milk due to lactose intolerance can eat curd. The tradition of giving curd-sugar (दही चीनी) to a student before going to give exams is because this combination cools the body and helps to check stress. Curd is rich in calcium, which triggers less production of cortisol and helps in losing weight. The anti-fungal property of yogurt makes it the best remedy for removing dandruff. Eating curd everyday helps in reducing cholesterol levels, thus lowering the risk of high blood pressure and hypertension. Yogurt in face packs acts as a

PANCHAMRITA  पयोदधि घृतं चैव मधु च शर्करायुतं । पञ्चामृतं मयानीतं स्नानार्थं प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥ Panchamrita Abhishek is a Hindu ritual performed at all homes and temples where the idols are bathed with Panchamrita with chanting of mantras. The oldest reference to Panchamrita is,perhaps, in Mahabharata which says that it emerged in Samudra Manthan. It is a combination of two words, “Pancha” means five and “Amrita” means nectar of Devas. Panchamrita is a mixture of 5 ingredients-Milk, Curd, Honey, jaggery and Ghee. Symbolic meaning: Milk-purity and piousness Curd-prosperity and progeny Honey-sweet speech and unity Jaggery-sweetness and bliss Ghee-knowledge and victory When ripe fruits of Banana and Mangoes are also used, it is known as Phala Panchamrita where Phala means fruits. Five Devas reside in Panchamrita- Milk- has Soma Curd-has Vayu Honey-has Vishwedeva Ghee-has Surya Jaggery-has Savitru Offering these together in Panchamrita signifies “May the quality of Devas blossom in our life.

NEELAKURINJI: A RARE FLOWER  The Anamalai hills near Munnar in Kerala have the highest concentration of Neelakurinji (blue flower): flower that blooms only once in 12 years.(last in 2018). Each shrub reproduces once in its life time and dies after flowering. The honey from the neelakurinji is very special. It lasts for about 15 years without getting spoilt. The Kurinjimala Sanctuary gives the most spectacular view of Neelakurinji. Nilgiri Hills (the blue mountains) got the name from this very flower.

SAPHALA EKADASHI: LUMPAKA’s STORY 1st Ekadashi of the year. If performed with devotion and sincerity, it removes sins of previous births and wins the blessings of Shri Hari Vishnu. A king called Mahishmata had four sons. The eldest son Lumpaka was given to evil ways. So the King exiled him. Lumpaka started living in the nearby forest and became a dacoit robbing passers by. He lived only on raw meat and fruits inhabiting a tree under which there was a murti of Sri Vishnu. However, Lumpaka never bothered to worship it at all. Two days before Saphala Ekadashi, Lumpaka fell ill and could not fetch any food to eat. So he observed fast for 2 days. On the day of Saphala Ekadashi, he saw the Vishnu murti and prayed to Vishnu to relieve him from his illness. The whole day he observed fast unintentionally and offered the fruits fallen from the tree to Sri Vishnu. Even this unintentional act of worship washed away his sins and he became virtuous. He was accepted back by his father and became a me

YANTRODHARAK HANUMANTHA, HAMPI (KAR) Here, on a hill near Tungabhadra River, the image of Sri Hanuman is enclosed in a hexagonal amulet in prayer mudra. It is said that the shrine is built where Hanuman met Sri Ram for the 1st time. Other belief is that Sri Vyasaraja used to pray to Hanuman in this place by drawing his image on the rocks. By the time he finished his prayers, the picture used to disappear. When this happened for 12 days in a row, he pleaded with Sri Hanuman to appear before him. Hanuman appeared and asked Sri Vyasaraja to constrain him in a six-sided amulet and build a shrine. 12 monkeys are carved around this amulet. They represent the 12 days Sri Vyasaraja prayed to Hanuman. Each monkey holds the tail of the monkey in front of him but faces backward. Nearby, there is a shrine dedicated to Sri Ram. There is a fig tree also. At its foot, there are snake-stones showing snake worship. Yantrodharak Hanuman Stotram is believed to have been written here. Chanting it thrice

SRI NANDANAR AND MAHADEV  Nandanar, one of the 63 Nayanars, was a Shiva bhakt who was born in a lower caste. Once, he went to Tiruppungur and stood outside to have darshan. However, he could not see the shivlingam as Nandi was blocking his view. It is said that at Shiva’s command, Nandi moved a few feet to the right so that Nandanar could view the lingam. Even today, at Tiruppungur, Nandi sits to one side. Nandanar longed to visit the Chidambaram Mandir but feared that due to his low birth, he would not get entry. As he postponed his visit daily, he was called Tirrunalaipovvar (He who will go tomorrow). Finally, one day he went to Chidambaram. He kept circumambulating the mandir a number of times, in desperation to have Nataraja darshan. Soon he was exhausted and dozed off. It is said that Shiva appeared in his dream and told him to enter the Mandir through the yagna fire. Nandanar entered the yagna fire. He reappeared with matted hair and the sacred thread across his chest. As he ent

ARULMIGU KANDA SWAMI KOVIL, TIRUPPORUR (TN)  Mandir dating back to Pallava period. Dedicated to Murugan. After vanquishing Soorapadman at Tiruchendur, Skanda destroyed the rest of the Rakshasas here at Tirupporur ('place of the sacred war'). Sthalapurana says that here, Murugan with his consorts Valli and Devayanai granted protection to devas and expounded the meaning of Pranava to Agastya Muni. Skanda worshipped Shiva as Vanmeekeswarar to rid himself of the sin of having killed Soorapadman. The founding guru of Thiruporur was Srimad Chidambaraswamy who was an ardent worshipper of "Madurai Meenakshi Amman". In a vision, Devi bade him to build a mandir for Sri Muruga at Thiruporur. He unearthed the Swayambu murtis of Muruga with his consorts and established the Mandir The swayambhu murti of Muruga is in the form of a palmyra tree. Beneath it is the murti of Muruga in Brahmasasta form with his consorts on both sides. It is said that the small murtis were made by Chidam

KAPALEESHWARAR KSHETRAM, MYLAPORE DIST. CHENNAI Shiva Lingam here is said to be swayambhu meaning it is self-manifested. It is said that once Brahma Ji became proud of his 5 heads. To teach him a lesson, Shiva cut off one of his heads. So, here Shiva is called Kabaleeswarar. Also, it was here that Ma Parvati worshipped Shiva in the form of a peacock which is known as Mayil in Tamil. Once, Shiv was teaching Parvati the meaning of five lettered Mantra Na Ma Shi Va Ya and the glory of the sacred ash. She got distracted with the appearance of a peacock. She was then cursed to become a peacock by him. Then Mata came to this place and offered her prayers to him. After she regained her original form she was named as Karpagavalli by Shiva. It is at this place that Mata gave Muruga the spear or Sakthi Vel. A shrine of Ma Parvati, who is revered here in the form of Karpagambal, is also present in the complex. It attracts huge crowds on Fridays when the murti is bedecked with a garland of gold c

MAHADEV AND BHAKTA KANNAPPA/ THINNADU  A couple of Boya caste in Udumooru village of Andhra Pradesh had a son Thinnadu. He was good at archery and was a Shiv Bhakt. Everyday Thinnadu hunted a wild animal and offered it on a Shivlinga in the forest mandir. The same Shivlinga was worshipped by a Brahman who was horrified at the way Thinnadu made the blood-smeared offering to Shiva. One day, when the Brahman was near the Mandir, he saw Thinnadu coming carrying a dead animal in hands and water in his mouth for offering on Shivlinga. But that day, Thinnadu saw blood oozing out from the left eye on the Shivlinga. He tried to apply forest herbs but blood did not stop. So Thinnadu cut his left eye and placed it on the Shivlinga. Blood stopped immediately. Now the right eye on Shivlinga started dripping blood. Thinnadu decided to offer his right eye too but without eyesight he would not know where to place the eye on Shivlinga correctly. So he lifted his leg and put his toe on the right side o