Aneela Nike Post: October 2021

Saturday, 30 October 2021

Ancient caves in the city

Ancient caves in the city

In the metropolitan city of Mumbai, in the western suburb of this city, on the outskirts, are the Kanheri caves, which date back to more than 2,000 years. The caves – 140 in total are in good condition, all carved out of a single black rock, contain many ancient Buddhist sculptures, carvings, paintings and inscriptions dating from 1st century BCE to 10th century CE. It attracts tourists and visitors from all over India.

The Kanheri Caves are a group of caves and rock-cut monuments cut into a massive basalt hill in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, on the former island of Salsette in the western outskirts of Mumbai, India. Many living in the city haven’t heard or know about this ancient heritage site. Ie t provides a study of those ancient days, the life and living close to nature with an abundance of natural resources now lost in the random expanding metropolitan city damaging the ancient and historical sites.

Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, which means Black hills. The site is on a hillside, and is accessible via rock-cut steps. The cave complex comprises one hundred and nine caves. The caves were used for congregational worship, for studying the scriptures and for meditation. Since then these caves were being used for living, studying and meditation, they came to be known by the name of Buddhist Viharas. Kanheri Caves also served as a university during the rule of Kushanas and Mauryas. Those days it must have been a thriving centre of learning with people and monks from outside coming to study the scriptures and Buddhisim.

Now a part of the Sanjaya Gandhi National Park of Mumbai's Borivali locality, the Kanheri Caves were once inhabited by the monks as a refuge from the rains and harsh weather. It is also said, the word Kanheri has been derived from the Hindi word Krishnagiri or Kanha-Giri, which means Krishna's home (Krishna implies the dark one). The distance between National Park and Kanheri Caves takes 12 minutes to travel from the National Park to Kanheri Caves by road. The approximate distance between National Park and Kanheri Caves is 10 km. Travel time refers to the time taken if the distance is covered by a car.

The site is on a hillside, and is accessible via rock-cut steps. The Kanheri Caves are a group of rock-cut monuments formed from a massive basalt rock in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the western outskirts of Mumbai. They contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit name, Krishnagiri, which means, Black hill. Each cave has a stone plinth that functioned as a bed. A congregation hall with huge stone pillars contains a Stupa (a Buddhist shrine). Rock-cut channels above the caves fed rainwater into cisterns, which provided the complex with water. Once the caves were converted to permanent monasteries, their walls were carved with intricate reliefs of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. Kanheri had become an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast by the 3rd century CE. Most of the caves were used as the Buddhist Viharas, meant for living, studying and meditating. The larger caves functioned as Chaitvas, or halls for congregational worship. The Avalokiteshwara is the most distinctive figure.

The large number of Viharas demonstrate that there was a well organized establishment of Buddhist monks. This establishment was also connected with many active trading centers, such as the busy ports of Sopara, Kalyan, Nasik, Paithan and Ujjain. Kanheri was a University center by the time the area was under the rule of the Maurayan and Kushan empires. In the late 10th century, the Buddhist teacher Atisha (980–1054) came to the Krishnagiri Vihara to study Buddhist meditation under Rahulagupta.

Nearly 51 legible inscriptions and 26 epigraphs are found at Kanheri, which include inscriptions in Brahmi, Devanagari and 3 Pahlavi epigraphs found in Cave 90. One of the significant inscriptions mentions the marriage of Satavahana ruler Vashishtiputra Satakarni with the daughter of Rudradaman. These inscriptions are historically valuable to understand the richness of our past much better.

There are many inscriptions on stone tablets, also two inscriptions of Yajna Sri Satakarni (170-199 CE), in cave No. 81 and in the Chaitya cave No. 3. A 494-495 CE inscription found at Kanheri mentions the Traikutaka dynasty.

Now with the city expanding from all sides and the concrete jungle coming up, the ancient treasures are being damaged and getting lost to the present generation. This heritage site offers a peek into life thousands of years ago.

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Thursday, 21 October 2021

Diwali - The festival of lights

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Diwali - The festival of lights

Diwali or Deepawali is a festival of lights and is one of the major festivals celebrated in India by Indians -Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists. The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu month of Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). Traditional diya and colourful lighting, home decoration, shopping, fireworks, puja, gifts, feast, and sweets are all part of the festivities. It is celebrated all over India and by the Indian diaspora around the world.

Coming soon, Diwali will be celebrated all over India and by the Indian community all over the world. It is the festival of lights, bringing happiness and celebration of victory of good over evil. Everywhere and in every home you get to see colourful lights, traditional lamps, decorated lanterns, feasts and an assortment of sweets. New clothes and dresses are bought and worn especially giving kids a feeling of the festivity.

In Malaysia, the traditional Indian festival of Diwali is celebrated as Hari Diwali in the month of Aswayuja. It is a national public holiday as in India during Diwali. Diwali is also celebrated with much fervor wherever Indians have settled overseas, like USA, UK, Fiji, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe and where ever Indians have settled abroad. The festival connects them to their Indian roots, culture and tradition. Also reminds them of the celebration of their ancestors in India earlier.

Diwali or Divali is derived from the Sanskrit dīpāvali meaning row or series of lights. The term is derived from the Sanskrit words dīpa, lamp, light, lantern, candle, that which glows, shines, illuminates or knowledge and āvali, a row, range, continuous line, series. Normally it is referred to as Diwali and the traditionalists call it Deepawali. Both mean the same and describe it as the festival of lights.

The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest, it coincides with the new moon (amāvasyā) and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The festivities begin two days before amāvasyā, on Dhanteras, and extend two days after, on the second day of the month of Kartik. (According to Indologist Constance Jones, this night ends the lunar month of Ashwin and starts the month of Kartik.

In India, almost all schools have Diwali vacation. Children anxiously wait for the festival, to wear new clothes, fire crackers and enjoy a wide range of sweets. The market is flooded with colourful lamps, decorated lanterns of various shapes and sizes, along with a wide range of crackers and fireworks, including lanterns and fireworks, even coming from China. In recent years, Indians have started boycotting Chinese products which to a great extent has affected their business. People are coming back to the traditional clay lamps, which has its own fervor.

The whole of India is in a festive mood with Indian community overseas in festive spirit to celebrate the festival of lights. Diwali is also the festival of overindulgence in delicacies and sweets, decorating of homes, giving gifts, special offers in shops and malls, with wide options of clothes, gifts, etc for your loved ones.

Being one of the most popular festivals of Indians, especially Hindus, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, with many other regional traditions. In most regions, it is celebrated as the auspicious day when Lord Rama returned to his kingdom Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating Ravana in Lanka and serving the fourteen years of exile.

In the lead-up to Diwali, people prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangoli, perform puja and special ceremonies for Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light crackers and fireworks, and enjoy family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared. Diwali is also a major cultural event for the Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts. Diwali is usually celebrated twenty days after the Vijayadashami (Dussehra) festival, with Dhanteras, or the regional equivalent, marking the first day of the festival when people prepare by cleaning their homes and making decorations on the floor, such as rangolis. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. The third day is the day of Lakshmi Puja and the darkest night of the traditional month. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). Some Hindu communities mark the last day as Bhai Dooj or the regional equivalent, which is dedicated to the bond between brother and sister, while other Hindus and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as Vishwakarma Puja and observe it by performing pujas in their work spaces and offering prayers for good luck and prosperity.

Some other faiths in India also celebrate their respective festivals alongside Diwali. The Jains observe their own Diwali which marks the final liberation of Mahavira, the Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas to mark the release of Guru Hargobind from a Mughal rulers captivity, while Newar Buddhists, unlike other Buddhists, celebrate Diwali by worshipping Lakshmi, while the Hindus of Eastern India and Bangladesh generally celebrate Diwali, by worshipping goddess Kali. The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in India, Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival climax is on the third day and is called the main Diwali. It is an official holiday in a dozen countries, while the other festive days are regionally observed as either public or optional restricted holidays in India. In Nepal, it is also a multiday festival, although the days and rituals are named differently, with the climax being called the Tihar festival by Hindus and Swanti festival by Buddhists. And few days after Diwali comes Tulsi Puja or Tulsi Vivah, which too is observed and celebrated all over India. Tulsi Vivah is a Hindu festival in which a ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi with god Shaligram or Vishnu is held. The Tulsi wedding signifies the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the wedding season in Hinduism. The ceremonial festival is performed anytime between Prabodhini Ekadashi and Kartik Poornima.

Tulsi is venerated as a goddess in Hinduism and is sometimes considered as a wife of Vishnu, with the epithet, Vishnupriya, the beloved of Vishnu. The legend behind Tulsi Vivah and its rites are told in the scripture, Padma Purana. According to Hindu scripture, the Tulsi plant was a woman named Vrinda (Vrinda; a synonym of Tulsi).She was married to the Asura king Jalandhar, who due to her piety and devotion to Vishnu, became invincible. Even Devtas could not defeat Jalandhar, so they requested Vishnu - the preserver in the Trinity - to find a solution. When leaving for war Vrinda promised Jalandhar for doing Sankalpa for his victory till he returns but Lord Vishnu disguised himself as Jalandhar and she saw him, she left her Sankalpa and touched his feet. With her Sankalpa destroyed, Jalandhar lost his power and was killed by Shiva and his head fell in Vrinda's palace.

Seeing this she realized it was not her husband but Lord Vishnu. Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to become Shaligram and to be separated from his wife, Lakshmi. This was later fulfilled when he was transformed into the black Shaligram stone (actually a fossil), and in his Rama avatar, was separated from his wife Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana. Vrinda then drowned herself in the ocean, and the gods (or Vishnu himself) transferred her soul to a plant, which was henceforth called Tulsi. As per the blessing by Vishnu to marry Vrinda in her next birth, Vishnu – in form of Shaligram - married Tulsi on Prabodhini Ekadashi. To commemorate this event, the ceremony of Tulsi Vivah is performed.

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Saturday, 9 October 2021

Are we the same people?

Are we the same people?

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The fact is India and Pakistan are really different; Muslim League leaders demanded and separated from India to have their own country called Pakistan fearing that Hindus may dominate and suppress others. In the last seventy two years, India and Pakistan have gone their own way. India progressed as a country is respected in the comity of nations, while Pakistan is considered as a failed state that exports terrorism. Both were independent nations in 1947. India is a vibrant and biggest democracy in the world with secular and liberal credentials. While Pakistan is an Islamic nation and martial law was imposed many times in Pakistan by the military rulers.......

Many people wonder whether we are the same. And if so why do we react and behave differently? A foreigner friend of mine once asked – ‘Are Indians and Pakistanis the same? They look alike but there’s something, which makes them different. Indians are tolerant, literate with a wider outlook and Pakistanis, intolerant, majority are illiterate with narrow outlook.

I responded – We may look alike. We may dress similarly. We may eat the same kind of food. We may share the common culture, history and tradition. There may be many commonalities, but we are not the same. There is something which sets us apart. If we were the same, then why did we part in August 1947? Why did they demand a separate Muslim nation? Why did we fight four wars? You ask a Pakistani, he too might tell you the same. Though we share a common border, we are different just like we share a common border with China and are very different from them.

Pakistan is in a state of confusion. They have an identity crisis. Sometimes they like to believe, they are Arabs, sometimes claim to be Turks or Uzbeks, sometimes believe they are Afghans or even Iranians. They don't like to accept they are from Indian subcontinent whose ancestors were Hindus who were converted by force, coaxed or threatened. As long as they don't accept their roots and history, they will continue to be in a state of confusion and ignorance. Same with their heroes. People who invaded their land, attacked, killed and raped the woman and local residents are proclaimed as their heroes and their missiles are named after them. The new generation exposed to the outer world are learning about these fallacies.

Some of the politicians from north, in the early years were bent upon convincing that Pakistanis are our brothers, unjustly separated from us, who long for peace and friendship with India. The truth is that Pakistan is a separate Islamic nation, distinct, independent country. Just as you see the external similarities between us; look closely and deeper, you will find distinct dissimilarities in us – in politics, the people, the dressing their approach to problems, their mindset and thinking, their home-grown problems, their government, etc.

Most of the kids of the Pakistan army personnel are studying abroad. And after retirement, the army generals go abroad and settle in UK, US, Australia, Canada and other countries. The common man suffers making it difficult to survive with mismanagement and rising prices. May be this forces them to get violent or pick up the gun. Even today with threats and warnings from FATF and IMF, and sanctions looming large, the ruling party and media are singing praises of Imran Khan though some leaders and a few from the media criticize him for destroying Pakistan. Some, like Fiza Khan, a Television anchor even claims him to be a world leader of stature who is respected and heard by the world. But everyone knows the truth. His motor-mouth statements and interviews along with uncalled for statements and utterances by his ministers, mainly Sheikh Chilly Rashid and Fawad Choudhary do a lot of harm to the country. With the economic crises, political isolation, terrorist activity, prices rising, no one knows where the country is heading. They have been exposed for playing a double game in Afghanistan. It will cost them dearly. US and its allies are already working on taking action.

The people of India know what they want and where they are heading. To be one of the top 3-4 economies in the world, this tells the story of India’s long term planning, progress and influence around the world. It is respected and India’s views are considered. Still Pakistan tries to compare itself with India after more than seventy years of independence. The people of India and Pakistan might look the same but they are vastly different from each other. We see things in a different perspective of carrying everyone along in our journey to progress. Pakistan keep talking about Islam and the masses are fed with false history and stories of bravado of the Pakistan army and their leaders.

The Pakistan government doesn't think on long term policies with its merits for the benefit of Pakistan. Their mindset is such that they look for short term policy which can benefit the army and politicians. The army officers and politicians are rich with most of their children living abroad. The vast majority of the population is poor and illiterate. They are fed with lies, glorifying Pakistan, wrong history and hatred for India, especially Hindus. They don’t talk about Osama bin Laden being killed by the Americans in Pakistan. He is hailed as martyr. Rest is all Indian propaganda.

However whatever happens in Pakistan will have some consequences for India. India has to be a quiet observer and watch what unfolds or happens there from time to time. It is clear – we are not the same people. And they too feel the same. Until 1947 we may have been the same, but they were brainwashed into believing they're a separate community, different and superior and India is out to destroy them. And partition happened on 15 August 1947. The two nations went their way but the animosity continued.

Trying to prove we are the same, creates more mistrust and suspicion. Sometimes, being different and accepting it with mutual respect for one another, helps to give peace a better chance! To understand the Pakistanis better one should just have a look at their media or TV channels. The anchors, the so called political analysts, defense strategists, ex-army officers or experts blame all their failures are due to India. Anything wrong that happens in Pakistan, it's immediately blamed on India. Everything is due to Indian conspiracy or a result of Indian propaganda. These anchors or experts are either really ignorant or illiterate, it shows from the way they speak lies and direct venom against India. And their vastly illiterate population believes them without knowing the facts.

Ask any Pakistani about the four wars Pakistan initiated against India, they will say that Pakistan won all the four wars and their brave Pakistan army defeated the coward Indian invaders. They have an Indian obsession though it's over seventy years since Pakistan was formed. And they're shocked and jealous of India's progress - its power, its rising economy, its world-wide influence in business, industry, trade, corporate and foreign investment. And visit of top political leaders, diplomats and officials from other leading countries to India regularly, and also Indians occupying senior positions in top notch multinational companies in USA and around the world.

Listen to the Pakistani anchors and experts like Fiza Khan, Qamar Cheema, Zaid Ahmed, Anika, Hilali and others, they give an impression that Pakistan is a progressive, rich, modern and a vibrant country, very influential, leader of the Muslim world and economically well off and a major player in this region. And have every right to interfere in Afghanistan and play a major role in guiding the Taliban. Also claim they have sacrificed and contributed a lot for Afghanistan and helped Americans in the war on terror for decades. And claim to be victims of terrorism. And try to glorify Pakistan as a strong country with a strong and powerful army and ISI the number one intelligence agency in the world. However there are a few sane voices like Arzoo Kazmi, Aalia Shah, Najam Sethi, Hamid Mir and Hasan Nissar who believe in facts and present the truth. But some of them are abused and called traitors but nevertheless they continue to report objectively.

But the fact is otherwise, Pakistan is in a chaos, the economy is in shambles with IMF and FATF imposing strict penalties. The Imran Khan government is on a borrowing spree from various agencies and countries. Nobody believes Pakistan and it's seen as the epicenter of terrorism and an exporter of terror. Osama bin Laden was found to be hiding here. And its claim to be a player in the region is a myth. It's more of a trouble creator. Major terrorist organizations are based here. And many UN designated terrorists are given shelter here. Every other day, there is some blast or killing in the Afghan-Pak border areas or we hear of Pakistan army soldiers being attacked by different factions of Taliban. It's almost isolated in the world, except for support from China and Turkey to some extent. They too are realizing the futility in supporting Pakistan.

Pakistanis fail to realize before August 1947 they were part of India and their ancestors were Hindus, who were converted by coercion or by force. They disown their culture, history and their origin. They try to make false and funny claims of being Arabs, Turks, Afghans, etc. They're all in a confused state of mind without a history, tradition and culture. Tarek Fateh a critic of this thought tries to remind them of their origin, culture and past and he is criticized for it. He is also called a traitor. Though some educated Pakistanis are accepting the facts and regretting of having separated from India.

The Pakistanis praise and claim the invaders of Hindustan as their heroes though they have nothing to do with them. They have named their missiles after Gazi and Ghaznavi. Claim Abdali as the saviour of Islam by defeating the Hindu Marathas in the battle of Panipat. What kind of mindset can you expect from them who overlook their own history, culture and roots? The Arabs look down upon them. They're not welcome in many countries. Their passport is looked at with disdain and suspicion and many a times it attracts questioning, body search and special checks. It's not only common Pakistanis but also politicians and actors. A popular Pakistani actress in a TV interview narrated the treatment meted out to them with tears in her eyes. She emphasized about the insult and this is how they are treated in foreign airports, especially western airports.

The joke going around India - how do the Pakistani Generals and officers go around with medals tucked on their uniform though they have lost all wars? They even forget to make a mention of how they lost half their country in 1971 and 93,000 troops surrendered before the Indian Army in Dhaka. If reminded, they just wave it off saying its Indian propaganda. And now it hurts them to see how Bangladesh has gone ahead of Pakistan in many fields with a healthy economy, high GDP, the people whom they looked down upon, calling them names and teasing them for being dark, short and speaking Bengali.

Imran Khan when he became Prime Minister was hailed as an educated PM who could present Pakistan's views and arguments on the world stage. But he turned out to be a politically novice and illiterate about world affairs. He once said - Germany and Japan share borders. Though they fought against each other are now together. He continues his faux pas and makes loose statements and continues to put his foot in the mouth. Many of his statements have done more harm than good for Pakistan.

Pakistan is almost a size of an Indian state. They try to compare anything and everything with India, little realising India is far ahead of Pakistan in every field, be it the armed forces, economy, education, literacy, health care, manufacturing, trade, exports, etc. But the politicians and media are bent on comparing itself with India. Any debate or discussion is not complete without any reference or criticism of India. Pakistan is not taken in seriously in the world. Their intolerant face and suppression of minorities are highlighted in the media.

Pick up any school book of history in Pakistan, children are taught hatred against non-Muslims. Islam is glorified. They are taught Hindus are Khafirs, inferior and that they ill-treat women. The nation was born out of hatred for Hindus. And they continue to do so. So every generation are taught to hate Indians and Hindus. The recent news about Ramayana and Mahabharata being included in school syllabus and a temple being built in one of the Gulf countries has upset them. The exhibiting of a model of Ram Mandir in Dubai Expo is breaking news. This shows their intolerance. See their media and their TV channels or social media. It is full of venom against India. They blame India for all their failures. Indian conspiracy and Indian propaganda are the favourite words of the anchors and experts. Now with internet and social media, many Pakistanis are learning the truth as to how the government, army and media are hiding their failures and blaming it on India, and how the general public is fooled. And learn how Pakistan is fast moving towards becoming a failed state.

When you mention India, the world looks at it positively as a world leader, a strong economy, a large market with well developed infrastructure, modern industries, IT giant with educated, skilled and hard-working people, a progressive country worth collaborating with and investing in. And when you mention Pakistan, the world looks at it with suspicion, a country sheltering terrorists and an exporter of terror with large illiterate population with extremist views and with its economy in shambles and the government on a borrowing spree, nobody would take the risk of investing there. Chanakya, the ancient Indian thinker had pronounced – those who don’t know their history will soon be bereft of their geography.

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