Lava or Luv(Sanskrit: लव meaning "particle", Telugu: లవుడు, Tamil: இலவன், Malay: Tilawi, Indonesian: Lawa, Khmer: Jupalaks, Lao: Phra Lao, Thai: Phra Lop) and his twin brother Kusha, were the children of Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Lava was the elder of the two and is said to have wheatish golden complexion like their mother, while Kusha had blueish complexion like their father. Lava is purported to have founded Lavapuri,that is, the modern day city of Lahore,which is named after hi The Southeast Asian country Laos and the Thai city Lopburi were both named after him. The Leva Patidar are present-day Indo-Aryan ethnic groups who claim to be descendants of Lava. Lava belongs to the Ikshvaku clan or Suryavansh Dynasty of Kshatriyas in Vedic civilization in ancient India...........According to Ramayana Sita was banished from the kingdom of Ayodhya by Rama due to the gossip of kingdom folk. She took refuge in the ashram of sage Valmiki located on the banks of the Tamsa river.^[8] Lava and Kusha were born at the ashram and were educated and trained in military skills under the tutelage of kowshikar.When Rama performed the Ashvamedha Yagya, the sacrifice horse strayed into their forest, which was captured by Lava and Kusha. Unaware that the horse belonged to Rama and he was their father, they engaged in conflict and defeated Rama's army led by his brothers. Eventually, Rama himself came to battle his own sons. After Hanuman and Valmiki's intervention, Rama knows the truth and invites them to return to Ayodhya.
Lava and Kusha became rulers after their father Rama and founded the cities of Lahore (called Lavapuri in ancient times) and Kasur respectively. The king of Kosala Raghava Rama installed his son Lava at Sravasti and Kusha at Kushavati.
^[9] There is a temple associated with Lava (or Loh) inside Shahi Qila, Lahore

Lal Ded

Lal Ded
 

Kashmir has produced many saints, poets and mystics. Among them, Lal Ded is very prominent. In Kashmir, some people consider her a poet, some consider her a holywoman and some consider her a sufi, a yogi, or a devotee of Shiva. Sume even consider her an avtar. But every Kashmiri considers her a wise woman. Every Kashmiri has some sayings of Lalla on the tip of his tongue. The Kashmiri language is full of her sayings.  Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims affectionately call her "Mother Lalla" or "Granny Lalla". She is also called "Lallayogeshwari". Some people call her Lalla, the mystic.  It is said that Lal Ded was born in 1355 in Pandrethan to a Kashmiri Pandit family. Even as a child, Lalla was wise and religious-minded. When Lalla was twelve years old, she was married. Her in-laws lived in Pampur. The in-laws gave her the name Padmavati. Her mother-in-law was very cruel. She never gave her any peace. It is claimed that her mother-in-law used to put a stone on Lalla's plate (tha:l). She would then cover the stone with rice so that people would get the impression that Lalla had a plateful of rice. Lalla would remain half fed, but would never complain about her mother-in-law. Her father-in-law was a good man and he was kind to her, but her mother-in-law made her miserable. She would even speak ill of Lalla to her husband. Poor Lalla knew no happiness either with her husband or with her mother-in-law.  When Lalla was twenty-six she renounced the family and became a devotee of Shiva. Like a mad person, she would go around naked.  She became a disciple of Sidh Srikanth. She would only keep the company of sadhus and pi:rs. She did not think in terms of men and women. She would claim that she had yet to encounter a man, and that is why she went about naked. But when she saw Shah Hamdan, she hid herself saying: "I saw a man, I saw a man."  Why is Lalla so famous in Kashmir? She was illiterate, but she was wise. Her sayings are full of wisdom. In these sayings, she dealt with everything from life, yoga, and God to dharma and a:tma:. Her riddles are on the lips of every Kashmiri.  The exact date of Lalla's death is not known. It is claimed that she died in Bijbehara (vejibro:r). People like Granny Lalla do not really die. Lal Ded is alive in her sayings and in the hearts of Kashmiris.  The sayings of Lalla number around two hundred.   <<< Click here for audio clips >>>

Five Sayings of Lal Ded

I By a way I came, but I went not by the way.
While I was yet on the midst of the embankment
with its crazy bridges, the day failed for me.
I looked within my poke, and not a cowry came to hand
(or, atI, was there).
What shall I give for the ferry-fee?
(Translated by G. Grierson)
II
Passionate, with longing in mine eyes,
Searching wide, and seeking nights and days,
Lo' I beheld the Truthful One, the Wise,
Here in mine own House to fill my gaze.
(Translated by R.C. Temple)
III
Holy books will disappear, and then only the mystic formula will remain.
When the mystic formula departed, naught but mind was left.
When the mind disappeared naught was left anywhere,
And a voice became merged within the Void.
(Translated by G. Grierson)
IV
You are the heaven and You are the earth,
You are the day and You are the night,
You are all pervading air,
You are the sacred offering of rice and flowers and of water;
You are Yourself all in all,
What can I offer You?
V
With a thin rope of untwisted thread
Tow I ever my boat o'er the sea.
Will God hear the prayers that I have said?
Will he safely over carry me?
Water in a cup of unbaked clay,
Whirling and wasting, my dizzy soul
Slowly is filling to melt away.
Oh, how fain would I reach my goal.
(Translated by R.C. Temple)

Kashmir: Sufis, Saints and Shrines

Kashmir: Sufis, Saints and Shrines

An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri by Braj B. Kachru
For centuries the Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir have lived together. The Kashmiri Muslims have been influenced by the Hindus, and the Hindus have been influenced by the Muslims.
Kashmir is the only place in India where Muslims have surnames such as 'pandit' and 'bhat'. The Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims have a distinctive culture and way of living. Even the sufis of Kashmir are of a special type.
How Sufism came to Kashmir is a long story. The famous sufis of Kashmir are Sayyid Bulbul Shah, Sayyid Ali Hamdani, and Mir Mohammad Hamdani. It is claimed that Hindu thought and religion greatly influenced Kashmiri sufis. The result was that Kashmir produced sufis with a different outlook. Some people call these sufis "Muslim risi:s''.
Among the "Muslim risi:s", the most famous risi: is Sheikh-nur-ud-din. Out of love and veneration, the Hindus and Muslims call him Nandirishi. The Kashmiri Pandits also call him Sahzanand.
The shrine of Nandrishi is locat.ed in Chrar-e-Sharief. This is a small village about five miles from Nagam. Both Hindus and Muslims go to this shrine to offer flowers.
It is difficult to say when Nandrishi was actually born. It is said by some that he was born in 1377 in a village called Kaimuh. People also say that Lalded nursed Nandrishi as a child. In addition to this, there are many other stories about him that are popular in Kashmir. Some of these stories must be true, while others must have been created by the people.
Many stories are also told about Nandrishi's parents. Some say that his parents made a living by stealing and robbing, which made Nandrishi unhappy. But others say that his father, Salar Sanz, was a pious man.
It is said that Nandrishi left home when he was thirty years old He meditated for twelve years inside a cave. This cave was in a forest where he could not get much to eat. When Nandrishi completed his meditation, he spread his ideas among the Kashmiris.
Many Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims became Nandrishi's disciples. They renounced the world and took shelter in a ziya:rath. They gave up eating meat and observed celibacy. They devoted themselves completely to meditation in their ziya:rath. On their death, these rishis were buried in their ziya:ratsi. Kashmiris have great reverence for these ziya:ratsi and devotedly go there to place flowers on the graves. These shrines are still found in Kashmir. Two well- known shrines are in Aishmukam and Anantnag. Janakrishi lived in Aishmukam, and Rishmol lived in Anantnag. There are three famous shrines in Srinagar. Batmal, Thagbab Sahib, and RishiPir lived in these.
Out of all these rishis, Nandrishi is considered outstanding. That is why his sayings are uttered by Kashmiris with great reverence.

Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib, a Sufi saint.

The shrine of Makhdoom Sahib.

The beautifully inlaid doorway to Shah Hamdan's shrine.

Pather Masjid, the valley's only unconsecrated mosque.

Khwaja Nur-ud-Din Walli with Baba Nassar-ud-Din, the great saint who propounded Kashmiri Sufism.

En route to Lolab valley, the Sufi shrine of Shah Walli, who was reputed to have the power of raising the dead.

The shrine of Bamadin at Bamzoo.

The shrine of Baba Reshi.

Rozabal, supposedly the tomb of Jesus.

The steps to the shrine of Zain Shah at Aishmuqam, where also is found Asa-i-Sharif or the Staff of Moses.



POSTED BY;   VIPUL KOUL
EDITED  BY:   ASHOK KOUL

 

On home soil, Pandits yearn for homecoming

Though overnight rains played a spoilsport, yet thousands of devotees, especially migrant Kashmiri Pandits had reached the temple to pay obeisance and seek blessings of the goddess.
Amid the smoke emanating from incense sticks and praises for goddess Maharagya Devi popularly known as Mata Kheerbhawani, a group of Kashmiri Pandit women were hoping for better days ahead.
“We have seen worst, not show us good,” they sang in the premises of the temple abuzz with hymns and intermittent sound of bells.
Though overnight rains played a spoilsport, yet thousands of devotees, especially migrant Kashmiri Pandits had reached the temple to pay obeisance and seek blessings of the goddess.
For BhusanLalKoul, who had come from Jammu, travelling to Ganderbal is always a “sacred journey.”
“I am growing older, but I will continue to come here till I am alive,” he says. For 78-year-old Koul, the plan to bring back KPs to Valley is a serious concern. “I had a good house at HabbaKadal, which I sold in 1998. If I return, where would I go, I have no property. At the same time, I am not ready to live far from my Muslim brethren. What to do in these circumstances?” Koul asked.
Accompanied by his wife Rajni, he says let there be a place where “we can live the way we used to. Old days were great, no tension, no worries and there was only peace and love all around.”
Many devotees asserted that the return of KPs was a complicated matter. “It is not easy to go back to the places where we used to live. We have sold our properties to Muslims. How can we ask them to sell it back to us,” says Poornima, who lives with her husband RavinderBhat at Muthi camp in Jammu. “The idea of separate township doesn’t suit us. We want same culture, ethos, brotherhood, peace and harmony, which we had before leaving this place.”
For young Vijay, the idea of homecoming is full of challenges. “If I come, I have to resign from the present post at Bangalore. My wife is also working there in a school. She too has to leave her job. And here, we don’t want to live in isolation,” he says. “If government would ensure job to me and my wife, I will return and live at my village in Kulgam district.” For Vijay’s wife, Shewta, return is only possible when members of Muslim community support it. “In a garden, you will never see flowers of one kind only. Different kinds of flowers make the garden perfect and beautiful. Kashmir is a garden and you need to have Muslims, Sikhs and others by your side.”
While old lot is yearning to return to their homeland, there is a visible generation gap between them and the youngsters. 24-year-old Shikha is an architect in Mumbai. “I was not born when my parents left this place. I am earning more than Rs 50,000 a month. If government gives me the same package in Kashmir, I would return and settle down here forever,” she says. “I would like to return and live jointly with the majority community. See how Muslims are helping us today here. How can we live far from them in isolation?” Many friends of Shikha echoed similar views.
However, in the temple, there were also those who supported the idea of separate colonies. MotiKoul, who contested on BJP’s ticket from HabbaKadal Assembly segment unsuccessfully, says that there is no harm if Pandits return and live in a separate town.
“Whatever properties they had, they have sold. Every KP yearns to get connected to Valley,” he says. “I believe that to ensure return there is a need of taking some Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) like providing jobs to Pandit youth, ensuring protection of temples and ordering an inquiry into their migration. This will help raise the morale of Pandits and ensure smooth return. Let there be a separate smart city to begin with.”

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Ancient temple that links Pandits to roots

Ancient temple that links Pandits to roots
Inder Kak and his wife Bimla sat under an overarching Chinar reminiscing about the past and longing for a return home as hymns reverberated through the air at the 105-year-old Kheer Bhawani temple, a sacred site for the scattered members of the Kashmiri Pandit community
Kak and his wife lived in Srinagar’s old city, an erstwhile militant bastion also called the downtown, before migrating to an excruciating weather of Jammu’s plains in early 1990, when panicked members of the Kashmiri Pandit community left their Valley homes as an unprecedented insurgency swept the region.
Kak, who works in a private company, and Bimla, a teacher, are now in their sixties and away from home for the past 25 years.
The Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmulla village of Ganderbal district, nearly 20 km east of Srinagar, gives the couple a rare moment to relive the past, which they are longing to live again.
“As a matter of fact,” Kak said, “We are forced to live in Jammu. It is a necessity, not a luxury.”
The harsh climate of Jammu’s plains, where mercury rises to sweltering 40 degrees Celsius and more compared to the Valley’s modest summer, is one of the reasons that Kaks could never make a home in exile.
At Kheer Bhawani temple, thousands of Pandits have made a tiring journey to attend the annual festival. The temple complex is known as Kheer Bhawani as the devotees offer milk and kheer (milk pudding) to the sacred spring which, the legend has, changes its colour.
The temple was constructed by former monarch Pratap Singh in 1912 even as the springs there held religious sanctity for Kashmiri Pandits for many centuries, with members of the community claiming the place’s origin dates back to the times of Lord Rama.
In the modern times, when thousands of Pandits have lost their homes in Kashmir and the state government is trying hard to bring them back, the temple offers a deep connect to the people of this lost tribe.
At the temple, scenes of former neighbours and old friends having accidental meetings as they come to worship are common on the day of festival.
The festival also offers a rare interaction between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims, many of whom form the security ring shielding the temple and the local vendors who prepare kheer and candles, offered as part of the worshiping ritual.
Dilip Kumar Bhat, 37, is a regular visitor to the festival. A resident of militant stronghold Muran in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Bhat never left the Valley and says he has never missed visiting the Kheer Bhawani temple since he was a child.
Bhat, who was accompanied by his migrant cousin Veer Ji Tickoo, said he was driven to Tulmulla village by his Muslim neighbour Showkat Ahmad.
Ahmad was touring the temple with his son Luqman as Bhat talked about the spirituality of the place and how “all religions lead to one goal”.
“We are neighbours and we are together always. They share their food with us and we share our food with them,” Bhat said.

क्षीर भवानी मंदिर

अमरनाथ गुफा के बाद कश्मीर के क्षीर भवानी मंदिर की मान्यता सबसे ज्यादा है। जो लोग अमरनाथ नहीं जा पाते हैं वह यहां आकर मोक्ष की प्राप्त‌ि के लिए प्रर्थना करते हैं। मंगलवार को कश्मीर में मां भवानी का जन्मदिन धूमधाम से मनाया गया। इस मौके पर क्षीर भवानी मंदिर में हर वर्ष की तरह बड़े मेले का आयोजन किया गया। देश भर के साथ विदेशों से आए हजारों भक्तों ने माता के दर्शन किए।श्रीनगर से करीब 25 किलोमीटर दूर गांदरबल जिले के तुल्मुल्ला गांव में� मंगलवार को मां भवानी के जन्मदिन पर भक्तों बहुत बड़ा मेला लगा। कश्मीरी पंडितों में मां भवानी को कुल देवी माना जाता है।आज के दिन देश विदेश से भक्त यहां आकार माता के जल स्वरूप की पूजा करते हैं। जम्मू से आए भक्त मोती लाल कॉल (85) ने बताया कि वह करीब 15 वर्षों के बाद कश्मीर आए हैं। उन्हें यहां आकर काफी शांति मिली।कॉल के अनुसार, उन्होंने कश्मीर की खुशहाली के लिए प्रार्थना की और मां से दुआ मांगी कि जिस भाईचारे के लिए कश्मीर माना जाता रहा है वह हमेशा कायम रहे।एक और भक्त मीनाक्षी धर (23) जो दिल्ली से आई थी, का कहना था कि वह पहली बार कश्मीर आई हैं और उन्हें यहां आकर काफी अच्छा लगा। उन्होंने मां से यही मांगा कि कश्मीर में शांति बनी रहे और वह दुबारा यहां आकर रहे।माता क्षीर भवानी के मंदिर के बारे में मान्यता है कि यहां पर हनुमान जी� माता को जल स्वरूप में अपने कमंडल में लाए थे। यह भी कहा जाता है कि जिस दिन इस जल कुंड का पता चला वह� ज्येष्ट अष्टमी का दिन था। इसलिए हर साल इसी दिन मेला लगता है।माता को प्रसन्न करने के लिए दूध और शक्कर में पकाए चावलों का भोग चढ़ाने के साथ-साथ पूजा अर्चना और हवन किया जाता� है। भक्तों का मानना है कि माता आज भी इस जल कुंड में वास करती हैं।यह जल कुंड� वक्त के साथ साथ रंग बदलता रहता है, जिससे भक्तों को� अच्छे और बुरे समय का ध्यान हो जाता है। यह� कुंड लाखों लोगों के लिए आस्था का केंद्र बना हुआ है। एक भक्त विजय कॉल ने बताया कि 90 के दशक में जब कश्मीर में हालात खराब थे तो उस समय जल कुंड का रंग काला हो गया था जो बुरे समय का प्रतीक है।यह जल कुंड� वक्त के साथ साथ रंग बदलता रहता है, जिससे भक्तों को� अच्छे और बुरे समय का ध्यान हो जाता है। यह� कुंड लाखों लोगों के लिए आस्था का केंद्र बना हुआ है। एक भक्त विजय कॉल ने बताया कि 90 के दशक में जब कश्मीर में हालात खराब थे तो उस समय जल कुंड का रंग काला हो गया था जो बुरे समय का प्रतीक है।उन्होंने यह भी बताया कि जब रंग हरा या नीला हो तो तब समय अच्छा होता है। गौरतलब यह है कि इस मंदिर का निर्माण 1912 में राजा हरि सिंह ने� करवाया था। इस मंदिर की खास बात यहां का जल कुंड है, जिसके साथ लाखों भक्तों की आस्था जुड़ी हुई है।क्षीर भवानी मंदिर की खासियत यह भी है कि आज भी इस स्थान पर सदियों से चला आ रहा कश्मीरी भाईचारा जिंदा है। मंदिर में चढ़ने वाली सामग्री इलाके के स्थानीय लोग बेचते हैं जो भाईचारे का एक बहुत बड़ा उदाहरण है।

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Every month the Eighth Day of Bright Half of moon is observed as Ashtami or Atham. It is consided to be the auspicious day of the month and fast is being observed by the male & the female members of the Pandit family. This day is celebrated as the day of Kashmir Deity - Kheer Bhawani and thus "Kheer" is prepared and offered to her. Since this day is auspicious thus it is also observed as a "meatless day" by those who do not fast. 

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Kashmiri Pandit Festivals

Shivratri / Heyrath / Herath: 
Shivratri or Hayrath is regarded as the most important festivals of Kashmiri Pandits. This day is celebrated one day ahead of celebrations by the other Hindus. Pandits celebrate this day on thirteenth of the dark half of the month of Phalguna (February - March) however rest of the Hindus celebrate this day on fourteenth. The word "Heyrath" has been derived from Sanskrit word "Haratri" which means Night of Hara (other name of Lord Shiva. Heyrath is actually not about Shiv-Parvati marriage celebration, rather it has altogether a different legend associated with it. It is said - as mentioned in Bhairavotsava - that on this day the Bhairava and Bhairavi, His Shakti or cosmic energy, are propitiated through Tantric worship. Heyrath Pooza comprises of observance of the fasts during the day and performance of Yagna (fire sacrifice) during the night. Fish, Meat, and even Vegetarian dishes are cooked as the part of the sacrificial food and offered to the deities. After the offerings are made and Pooza is completed, the same food is eaten by the family members.
As per the manuscripts, it is said that a Linga appeared in the dusk of early night as the blazing column of fire. This was witnessed by Mahadevi's mind born sons - Vatuk Bhairava and Rama Bhairava; who tried to find its start and end and failed miserably. Then, they started singing its praises to Mahadevi who herself merged in that fire Linga. Mahadevi then blessed both Vatuk and Rama Bhairava and said that they would be worshipped by the humans and would receive sacrificial offerings on that day every year. Since Vatuk and Rama Bhairava have emerged from pitcher full of water therefore on Heyrath a pitcher full of water in which walnuts are kept for soaking and worshipped along with Shiva, Parvati, Kumara, Ganesha, their ganas or attendant deities, yoginis and kshetrapalas (guardians of the quarters). 

Khetchimavas / Khetsimavas / Yakshamavas:
Khetchimavas is dates back to the hoary antiquity, which is celebrated on last day of the dark fornight of Pausha (December - January). On this day, Khichri, is offered to Kubera as sacrificial food. In night, a pestle or any stone is , is washed and anointed with sandalwood paste and vermilion and then worshipped as Kubera. After the Puja is over the portion of Naveidya is kept on the outer wall of his house by the worshipper in the belief that Yaksha will come to eat it and rest of the food eaten by the family members as Prasad.

Navreh:
This day is celebrated as the New Year's Day. It is the first day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra (March–April. The word Navreh has been derived from sanskrit word "Nav varsha" which mean New Year. On the eve of Navreh or Navroz, a platter of unhusked rice with a bread, a cup of yogurt, a little salt, a little sugar candy, a few walnuts or almonds, a silver coin, a pen, a mirror, some flowers (rose, marigold, crocus, or jasmine) and the new panchanga or almanac is kept and seen as the first thing on waking up in the morning. The same ritual is observed on Sonth or the Kashmiri spring festival. It is believed that some 5079 years ago the Saptrishi era of Kashmiri Hindu calendar has started on this very day. As per the legend, on this date the saptrishis gathered on Hari Parbat when the first ray of the sun fell on the Chakreshwara and paid tributes to her. Since then the astrologers have marked this date as the basis of their calculations.

Zyeth Atham / Zishtha Atham:
Zyeth Atham is celebrated on the eighth day of the bright half of Jiyashtha month (May-June) as pradhurbhava of Regnya Bhaghwati also known as Kheer Bhawani. Devotees offer their prayers by keeping fast all day, waving lamps, burning incense and offering Kheer, milk, loaf sugar and flowers to the Goddess. Ritually there is no specific Puja associated with this festival. Another day called Asharha Atam is celebrated on the similar grounds.

Teil Atham:
This festival is celebrated on the 8th day of the bright fortnight of Phalguna month. This is marked as the culmination of the Shivratri festival and hence adieu is bid to the winters. On this day Puja is offered to the chosen deity and number of lamps are lit in the home. In old days a tradition of tieng Kangri (filled with fire) with long rope and then moving it round and round in circles till it bumped down was practised. This was also called Jaa Teen Teen - meaning its burning flame.

Teiky Tschoram:
This festival is celebrated to pay tribute to Goddess Tripursundari (one who is beautiful in all the three worlds). Her cult is more prominent in Tikoo / Tiku clan of Pandtits. Tripursundari is believed to have the combined powers of all the three Goddesses - Maha Lakshmi, Maha-Saraswati and Maha-Kali. This day also marks the tantric tradition of Kashmiri Pandits as the Goddess is ritually accessed through Tantra and Mantra.

Pann:
Pann literally meaning Thread, is associated with the spinning of newly produced cotton and worshipping the twin agricultural goddesses Vibha and Garbha. The Goddesses are offered with Roth or sweet bread cakes. This festival is celebrated on Ganesh Chathurthi (Vinayak Tschoram). Beeb Garabh Maj is represented by a lota or a water pot which is placed in the centre of the place where the Puja is to be performed, a cotton thread being tied to its neck and handful of dramun or runner grass kept inside it, pointing again to its agricultural origin. A story is told at the Pan Puja which is quite similar to the Satyanaryana Katha, showing some sort of confusion between two different Pujas. Preparation of the roths and their distribution for ushering in prosperity and auspiciousness has, however, become an important part of Kashmiri Pandit religious life. Read The Legend

Shravan Punim / Raksha Bandhan:
On this day the Kashmiri Pandits collect the holy clay from the Shankaracharya hill, mix mercury with it and make the required number of 'Partheshwaras' for a private pooja. They keep fast on this day and immerse the Partheshwara in the river waters in the evening. The Amarnath yatra also commences on this day to have the glimpse of Ice Lingum which waxes and wanes with the growth and decline of moon. Read The Legend

Haar / Ashad:
There are four important days in Ashad. Seventh day of bright fortnight called Haar satam, is celebrated by making a Haar Mandul in the courtyar called Vuz. Haar Mandul is round design filled with colors made to greet the goddess who is expected to grace the house with the arrival. On the similar notes, Vyuga, a design is also made - however Vyuga is made to greet the newly wed bride and groom to the house.

Kaw Punim:
This is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month Magha. As per the rituals, two sticks are tied in the form of cross and woven to make a flat spoon. Then after Puja, yellow rice or Tehar is offered to the crow. This festival is celebrated as the mark of love for the birds.

Gada Batta:
Gadda Batta means literally means fish and rice. On any Tuesday or Saturday of the dark fortnight in the lunar month of Pausha, fish is specially prepared and offered to Ghar Devta. The offering is marked by cleaning a place in room on the top floor and placing a plateful of rice and fish (some serve raw fish) for the Ghar Devta. After placing the rice and fish to the dity a feast with the near and dear ones is held. Read The Legend

Shishur:
Shishur means winter and this occasion is for the newly born baby or newly web bride. On this day a little lime powder is placed in a piece of 'Zarbaft' cloth and stitched into a small triangular shape. This is then fixed on the cap of the new born or on the side of the sari which covers the head of the bride. The rationale behind this custom is to ward off any evil eye and any ill omen.

Gaur Trai / Gauri Trai / Gauri Tritya:
This day is celebrated on the third day of the bright fortnight of the Magha month. This day is celebrated for Godess Gauri or Saraswati - the Goddess of learning and knowledge. As per the tradition, if there is a new born child or there is an addition of a new bride in the family, then on this day the family priest is called and which offers Puja to the Saraswati. This is the day when the ne born child is taught his first alphabet. The very next day is also celebrated as Tripur Tschoram / Chaturthi and prayers are offered to Goddess of divine energy Tripursundari.

Ancient Festivals:
Mithra Punim celebrated on the fourteenth (full moon) night of the bright fortnight (shukla paksha) of the Hindu autumn month of Ashvin or Ashwayuja. The next morning was called Mitra Prabhat (Bamdad-e-Mithra), or the Morning of Mitra. Lotuses, rose petals and marigolds, washed in the water of the rivers Vitasta (now called Vyeth or Jhelum), Sarsati (Sarasvati), Madmati (Madhumati), and Kishenganga (Kruhun Ganga or Krishna Ganga), or in the water of the Ganges, along with walnuts, fruits and milk or milk-based sweets, were kept on a decorated platter in the honor of Mithra.
Monjhar Taher marks the Lunar Month of Marga Shirsha. Taher - yellow rice is cooked on all auspicious days including Tuesdays and Saturdays of this month and offered to a chosen deity. The Taher is also distributed among the friends, neighbors and relatives. However on the first day of the month the Rice is cooked and offered to the Ghar Divta (God of the Home. It is said that celebrating this often fulfills the wishes. Coinciding with this is a very significant observance on this day called the Matrika Pujan.
Vyatha Truvah is the day celebrate to offer Puja on the holy ghats of the river Vitasta. The river is worshipped by offering water, milk oblations vermillion, raw rice and flowers. On this day people also go to Verinaag as a pilgrimage since it is considered to the source of Vitasta.
Dodh is the day celebrated as the day when the bride informs her in-laws that she is in the family way. As per the tradition, the girl informs her mother of the news, and then she carries two pots of yughurt send from her parents and places them infront of her in-laws. This is considered as an informtion for the in-laws that they need now to take care of the girl's health, comfort and diet.

Other days like Amavasya, Purnima, Ekadashi, Ashtami are the monthly fasts and, besides, there are occasional ones like Chandan Shashti, Bhimsen Ekadashi, Kali Ashtami, Shiva Chaturdashi, Kumara Shashti and the like. The anniversary day of the parents and also of the sages like Alakheshwari and Rishi Peer are also observed as fast days.

Kheer Bhawani......

Kheer Bhawani is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kheer Bhawani (originally just Bhawani) constructed over a sacred spring .The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir. The temple is situated at a distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar near the village of Tul Mul. The term kheer refers to rice pudding that is offered in the spring to propitiate the Goddess, which became part of the name of the temple. As is the custom with Hindu deities, she has many names: Maharagya Devi, Ragnya Devi, Rajni, Ragnya Bhagwati, and so on.It is the most important temple for the followers of Historical Vedic Religion in Kashmir, known as the Kashmiri Pandits. Around the temple is an area covered with smooth and beautiful stones. In it are large, old-growth chinar trees beneath which the pilgrims sit or sleep on mats of grass. While most of the colours do not have any particular significance, the colour of the spring water changes occasionally. When black or darkish, it is believed to be an indication of inauspicious times for Kashmir. In 1886, Walter Lawrence, the-then British settlement commissioner for land, during his visit to the spring, reported the water of the spring to have a violet tinge. Kashmiris claim to have observed a darkish or murky tinge to the water just before the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the 1989 insurgency in the valley.
Maharagya was pleased with the devotion of Ravana and appeared before him and Ravana got an image of the Goddess installed in Sri Lanka. However, the Goddess became displeased with the vicious and licentious life of Ravana and so didn't want to stay in Sri Lanka. Therefore, she is believed to have instructed Lord Hanuman to get the image from Sri Lanka and install it at the holy spot of Tul Mull.
The mention of Kheer Bhawani is found in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. Kalhana writes that the sacred spring of Tula Mula is situated in a marshy ground. The name of the spring is Mata Ragini Kund (pond).
Maharagini is the form of Durga Bhagvati. The brahmins of Kashmir worship this spring and pilgrims from every comer of the country visit to have the darshan of the place.
In Rajtarangini, Tula Mula and the spring of Maharagya has been considered very sacred and the brahmins of Tula Mula considered notable for their spiritual prowess. Thousands of years ago, many floods occurred in Kashmir and the sacred spring of Tula Mula was inundated under its sway and the holy place could nowhere be traced. At last, Kashmir's Yogi Krishna Pandit had a dream in which the Goddess appeared to him and directed that she would swim in the form of a snake at the proper place and that he should stick large poles to demarcate the holy spot in the marsh land. Subsequently, when the water subsided there the holy spot was discovered. This event happened during the Samvat 4041 (Hindu lunar date).
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak in his book Aini-Akbari mentions the area of Tula Mula extending over a region of hundred bighas (unit of land area) of land, which used to sink in the marshy lands during the summer season.
Swami Rama Tirtha and Swami Vivekananda also visited here to have the darshan of the place.
In the past, with incessant offering of milk and sugar candy in the spring by pilgrims, a thick layer of offerings had accumulated at its base. When it was cleared, the ruins of an old temple and shrine slabs engraved with figures were discovered. Here many images were also found but nobody rebuilt the temple till the Samvat 1969 (Hindu lunar date) when Maharaja Pratap Singh who was the disciple of the Goddess, got a temple of marble made in the midst of the spring which shines like a pearl in a shell. The marble temple was completed in 1920s. Some people are of the opinion that there was a mulberry tree near holy spot of Kheer Bhawani which, in local language, is called tul mul. But tul mul is also derived from the Sanskrit word atulya mulya meaning great value. It is believed that Ravana, after his worship of the Goddess, offered her kheer (rice pudding), which she accepted and since then it is called Kheer Bhawani. Pandit Prasad Joo Parimoo, a Kashmiri pandit, is believed to have been a grahasta (house-holder) saint of tall order and as such his peers would call him Jada Bharata, who was a legendary saint of Puranas times. He used to live in Sekidafer area of Srinagar in Kashmir. He was married but didn't have any children so he is said to have finally adopted a son named Madhav Joo. He would regularly meditate at this holy spring and during one such occasion, while being in a meditative trance (samadhi), he is said to have had a vision of the deity of Mata Kheer Bhawani, who reprimanded him for his hasty decision of going for an adoption when she was herself desirous of taking birth in his family as his daughter. Nonetheless, she is said to have blessed him with the boon and eventually Pandit Prasad Joo Parimoo's wife did give birth to a daughter, who was named Haar Maal. Approximate year of her birth would be 1870-1880 . In the course of time, Smt Haar Maal got married to Pandit Narayan Joo Bhan and gave birth to a son in 1898 who later came to be called Bhagwan Gopinath during his lifetime .0A unique septagonal spring dedicated to Goddess Kheir Bhawani flows from west(sheer or head section) to the east(padh or feet). The holy spring is known to change its colour with various hues of red, pink, orange, green, blue, white, etc. which was noted by Abul Fazal and Swami Vivekananda. A black shade of the spring water is believed to be inauspicious

डरावनी जगहें

गुड़ियों का द्वीप

कुछ जगहों पर हैलोवीन के बिना भी दिल दहल जाता है. मसलन मेक्सिको के इसला डे ला मुनेकास में पेड़ों पर सैकड़ों टूटी फूटी पुतलियां लटकी हैं. यहां डूबी एक लड़की की आत्मा के डर से द्वीप के एक निवासी ने गुड़िया जमा करना शुरु किया था. कहते हैं कि बाद में वह खुद भी डूब मरा.

ढहता सैनिटोरियम

भयावह जगहों में बर्लिन के निकट बेलित्स के सैनिटोरियम की इमारतें भी हैं. फेफड़े का यह क्लीनिक 1902 में खोला गया था. यह दोनें विश्व युद्धों के दौरान सैनिक अस्पताल रहा. इसके सिर्फ एक हिस्से का जीर्णोद्धार हुआ है, बाकी ध्वस्त हो रहा है और पर्यटकों को बीते दिनों की भयावह याद दिलाता है.

भुतहा माहौल

यह हार्त्स पर्वत श्रृंखला का सबसे ऊंचा पहाड़ ही नहीं है. लोग इसे ब्लॉक पहाड़ भी पुकारते हैं. कहते हैं कि अप्रैल महीने की अंतिम रात को यहां भूत प्रेत और चुड़ैलें जमा होती हैं. हालांकि इसे अब तक किसी ने देखा नहीं है लेकिन पर्यटक वहां अजीबोगरीब चीजें मिलने की बात कहते हैं.

ड्रैकुला का महल

रुमानिया के ट्रांस सिल्वेनिया में ब्रान का महल है. ब्राम स्टोकर की कहानियों का काउंट ड्रैकुला यहां दरबार लगाया करता था. और सचमुच यह महल स्टोकर की कहानियों के वर्णन जैसा ही दिखता है. रात गिरते ही यहां का माहौल भयावह हो जाता है.

हड्डियों वाला गिरजा

प्राग से करीब 70 किलोमीटर दूर एक गिरजा शांति के बदले भय की वजह बनता है. सेडलेच शहर में स्थित इस गिरजे के भूतल में क्रॉस, शैंडेलियर और कप प्लेट इंसानी हड्डियों से बनाए गए हैं. विचार सिविल इंजीनियर फ्रांटिचेक रिंट का था. गिरजा अब विश्व धरोहर है.

पालेरमो के ममी

इटली के पालेरमो शहर में कापुचीन ईसाई धर्मगुरुओं की कब्रगाह कमजोर दिल वालों के लिए नहीं है. सिलिसी के इस शहर के नीचे दर्जनों लाशें टंगी हैं.1599 से 1881 के बीच यहां रईश नागरिकों को दफनाया जाता था. कब्र में ममी बनाकर रखा जाना समृद्धि का प्रतीक माना जाता था.

प्रिप्याट का भुतहा शहर

यूक्रेन में प्रिप्याट शहर सिर्फ 16 साल अस्तित्व में रहा. उसके बाद चेरनोबिल परमाणु दुर्घटना ने 43,000 निवासियों वाले इस शहर को भुतहा शहर बना दिया. 1986 से यह शहर दुर्घटनाग्रस्त परमाणु संयंत्र के आसपास के प्रतिबंधित इलाकों में शामिल है. यहां समय थम गया है.

आत्महत्यारों का जंगल

जापान में फूजी पहाड़ियों की तलछटी में आओगाहारा का घना डरावना जंगल है. 1960 के दशक से यह आत्महत्या करने वालों को अपनी ओर आकर्षित कर रहा है. उस समय छपी एक किताब में यहां आत्महत्या किए जाने का वर्णन किया गया था.

कॉर्नवेल की जेल

ब्रिटेन के कॉर्नवेल में बॉडमिन मूर्स के बाहरी इलाके में 1779 में बनी जेल है, जिसका इस्तेमाल फांसी देने के लिए भी किया जाता था. 1929 में बंद यह जेल अब खंडहर में तब्दील हो गई है. कुछ लोग यहां पराभौतिक गतिविधियों की बात कहते हैं.

आत्महत्यारों का जंगल

जापान में फूजी पहाड़ियों की तलछटी में आओगाहारा का घना डरावना जंगल है. 1960 के दशक से यह आत्महत्या करने वालों को अपनी ओर आकर्षित कर रहा है. उस समय छपी एक किताब में यहां आत्महत्या किए जाने का वर्णन किया गया था.

मनोरोग अस्पताल

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में भी एक डरावना क्लीनिक है. विक्टोरिया प्रांत के बीचवर्थ के पूर्व ल्यूनेटिक असायलम की दीवारें 19वीं सदी में मनोरोग के शिकार लोगों की चिकित्सा की कहानी कहती हैं. गाइड उस समय इलाज के डरावने तरीकों के बारे में बताते हैं.

मनोरोग अस्पताल

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में भी एक डरावना क्लीनिक है. विक्टोरिया प्रांत के बीचवर्थ के पूर्व ल्यूनेटिक असायलम की दीवारें 19वीं सदी में मनोरोग के शिकार लोगों की चिकित्सा की कहानी कहती हैं. गाइड उस समय इलाज के डरावने तरीकों के बारे में बताते हैं.

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