Mystery

The divine Nidhivan forest in Vrindavan India

September 9 2020

Nidhivan: Forest of Mysteries

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Nestled in the middle of the holy city of Vrindavan, Nidhivan forest is teeming with divine mysteries. The god of compassion, love, and tenderness Lord Krishna is believed to visit this place everyday after sundown. But he doesn’t just visit the place for the heck of it, he visits the place with his lady love Radha for Rasleela. In Sanskrit, ‘ras’ means aesthetics and ‘leela’ means play or act. Together, the word means ‘Dance of divine love’.

Image showcasing Lord Krishna with Radha and gopis doing Rasleela in Nidhivan — Lord Krishna engaged in divine Rasleela with Radha and the gopis.

In ancient Indian scriptures, it is said that Lord Krishna was once playing his flute on the banks of the river Yamuna in Vrindavan. As soon as the sweet divine music spread quietly through the air, Radha along with her friends (called gopis meaning cow-herding women) came running to the source and started dancing around the lord. This act of divine love and devotion is called Rasleela. And apparently, this has been happening everyday in Nidhivan. Let’s dive into the mystery.

The Mystery of the Forest

There is a temple within the grounds of the woods. Everyday after the evening rituals are completed, the entrance to Nidhivan is shut down. Not a single soul is allowed to enter the area. It is even believed that birds and animals who usually inhabit the place (since it’s a forest) during the day, cannot be seen after 7 pm. How they know the time, is beyond me.

There are houses surrounding the area (since the forest literally sits in the middle of a freaking city). Every evening all the doors and windows looking out towards the forest are shut and not opened until sunrise. So, everyone gives the lord and his troupe privacy for late night extravaganza (unlike some people who just can’t keep their noses off your business).

Aerial view of the Nidhivan Forest in Vrindavan India.

Inside the divine grounds is a palace called Rang Mahal (in Hindi ‘rang’ means color and ‘mahal’ means palace). Every evening, the temple administration prepares the bed for Lord Krishna. The bed is made out of solid sandalwood. On the bedside, a jar filled with water is kept along with a Neem twig (in ancient India people brushed their teeth with neem tree twig, don’t ask) and ‘pan’ (a betel leaf filled with areca nuts).

Each morning when the attendants open the door, the bed appears slept in, the water drank, the neem twig used, and the pan consumed. It seems like the lord was engaged in passionate and divine lovemaking after sunset. It is speculated that some prying individuals decided to stay behind and witness the mystery unfold. Apparently, some lost their vision, and some approached insanity. The same happens to those with houses surrounding the area deciding to open doors and windows.

There is something interesting about the trees in the woods here too. They are all short in height and twisted around the trunks. None of the branches shoot upwards but somehow get entangled around the tree’s trunk.

Twisted and entangled tree in Nidhivan Forest, Vrindavan India.

All the tulsi (basil; the plant is considered holy and worshiped) plants in the area grow in pairs. It is believed that the gopis who are part of the nightly Rasleela are shape-shifters. Every morning, after sunrise they shift into these twisted trees and once the sun sets, they turn back to their true avatar as beautiful women ready to shower their lord with unconditional love and devotion.

July 13 2020

ALCOHOL DRINKING GOD: KAAL BHAIRAV

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Kaal Bhairav is the presiding deity of the holy town of Ujjain in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. One might think he is just another Hindu god but wait till you find out his secret. This god guzzles down alcohol like any drunkard on a Friday night at the bar! And that too, quite literally! Logic and reasoning have given up, but devotees are convinced beyond doubt that the statue of the god at this temple actually swallows the liquor which is given as offering.

Kaal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain, India where the god drinks alcohol — Temple of Kaal Bhairav

ABOUT THE LORD

Kaal Bhairav in an extreme and fierce manifestation of the Hindu God of destruction, Lord Shiva. He is associated with annihilation and his representation reflects the powers he possesses. Wild unkempt hair and big blaring eyes peeping into your very soul with a garland of skulls adorning his neck. This god demands attention and fear. Kaal Bhairav is associated with occult practices. In India, the god is worshiped by the Aghoris. The Aghoris are a small group of nudist ascetics whose ways of life might bewilder the normal. They can be seen living in and around graveyards/cremation rounds wearing ashes of cremated bodies on their forehead, and jewelry made out of human skeletal remains.

There are a lot of Bhairava temples around India, but the Kaal Bhairav Temple of Ujjain stands out. Located on the banks of river Shipra, the temple enjoys constant attention from its millions of devotees. It remains swamped by visitors throughout the year.

GOD DRINKS ALCOHOL

If you happen to visit India, do stop by this unique temple. The black stoned Kaal Bhairav temple is located right in the middle of a Hindu cremation ground. As you enter the alleyway leading up to the temple, you are greeted by small stalls selling items which will serve as your offering for the god. If you look closer, you will find liquor bottles of all shapes and sizes. Though Kaal Bhairav is not very brand conscious when it comes to choosing his drink, people buy all kinds of liquor like local brands, Old Monk, Jack Daniels, etc.

Shops selling alcohol in front of the Kaal Bhairav Temple

On any given day, the temple is overcrowded. If you somehow manage to find your way into the inner sanctum of the temple where the god resides, you will not be disappointed. The statue of Kaal Bhairav looks nothing like other Hindu gods you might have seen. It is bright orange in color with a forehead smeared in gold leaves. The god has bold and black eyebrows. Out of all his features, it is his eyes that stand out. The statue has two holes carved into the body and you can see the lord’s eyes peering from the cavity. There is something so unsettling and unnerving about his eyes. It seems as if his glance follows you around and can delve deep into your soul. The statue invokes fear and demands absolute respect.

Kaal Bhairav drinks alcohol — Statue of Kaal Bhairav in Ujjain, India.

Kaal Bhairav’s statue also has a human like mouth with a full set of lips. When devotees come up to the statue with their bottle of liquor as offering, the head priest pours some of the liquor out into a stainless-steel dish. He then, ever so slightly tilts the dish near the god’s mouth. And right before your eyes, the liquor is gone! Drunk by the lord. If you do not believe me, here is a video to help you pick up your jaws from the floor.

Legend has it that the statue is not hollow and there is no secret cavity inside the statue where the liquor is stored. The head priest argues that there is no slit in the mouth of the statue too. It is believed that extensive research and excavation have been carried out before, to unearth any tunnel or source where the alcohol might run-off to, but nothing has ever been found.

The temple remains an enigma. To the believers, their god drinks alcohol just like he always has for hundreds of years. For non-believers, there might be a run-off or secret hidden in plain sight. But whether you’re a believer or an atheist, you will agree with one thing. Kaal Bhairav radiates dominance and demands faith. Believe in him and he will move mountains for you.

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April 24 2020

ARANMULA KANNADI: UNIQUE METAL MIRROR

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(For best on the go experience, click on the red audio icon at the beginning of the post to stream narration.)

In a small village in the southern Indian state of Kerela, lies the secret of handcrafting Aranmula Kannadi. This truly unique object is in fact a mirror. But not just any mirror. The reflective surface is made of a metal alloy!

*The unique metal mirror, Aranmula Kannadi.*

Aranmula is well known for Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple dedicated to the Hindu god of love and compassion, Krishna. The holy Pamba river flows through this temple town and once a year a regatta of boats is organized on its waters during the harvest festival of Onam. But it is the unique metallurgical handcrafting of the metal mirror, Aranmula Kannadi that stands out. The locals believe that the mirrors bring luck and prosperity and therefore, despite its exorbitant price every household has this auspicious object.

The metal mirror have been in use long before the advent of the modern mirrors. The details of their construction are still shrouded in mystery. Only a few artisan households in the village hold the technical know-how of making them. The metal mirror have become a part of ‘Ashtamangalya’ set which is a set of eight auspicious items arranged together during religious ceremonies.

The Origin of the Metal Mirror

The origins of the metal mirror can be traced to the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple located in the village. It is believed that during the earlier construction phase of the temple, eight artisan families were brought in from Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. They were responsible for all the artwork and carvings to be done in the temple.

On one fine morning, when the artisans were working on crafting a bronze crown for the presiding deity, they accidentally discovered the remarkable reflective property of an alloy of copper and tin. From then on, they tried different variations of the alloy and perfected it. This became the standard of making the mirrors and 2000 years later, is still followed strictly and is a classified secret.

No one knows the actual composition used for making these mirrors. They are formed from an alloy of copper and tin mixed in a well-guarded ratio. The reflection on the mirror is frontal and therefore removes the deviation which occur on other typical mirrors. Once the mirrors are cast in molds and allowed to cool down, the artisans spend multiple days polishing them to achieve the desired result. The image reflected on the mirror is true and distortion free.

There is a quick test to check the distortion free nature of the reflection formed by the mirror. Bring a piece of paper and touch the mirror at one point. You will find that there in no gap between the point where the paper touches the mirror and the actual reflection. If you perform this same experiment with a modern mirror, you will find a gap due to refraction of light.

*Image shows the distortion free nature of the metal mirrors.*

The Aranmula Kannadi remains a truly unique and bizarre feat of metallurgical skills achieved by the artisans. And even though, the prices are aptly high, it is must buy. After all, not everyone is willing to show you for what you truly are!