Maha Shivratri ... The Great Night of Shiva.... A Mega Event in Paradise Island

The Tandava also known as The Cosmic Dance of Shiva

Mahashivaratri or the ‘Great Night of Lord Shiva’ is celebrated predominantly by the Hindu population in Mauritius, with great pomp, enthusiasm and devotion. Thousands of devotees all around the country visit the ‘Ganga Talao’, a volcanic lake called ‘Grand Bassin’ in the high plateau. The pilgrims go there to offer their prayers and bring back (sacred water from the lake) along with them. 

Below are a few pictures of the Ganga Talao aka Grand Bassin

(The Shiva Temple on the edge of Ganga Talao )

     ( The lake as seen from the Hanuman Temple on the crater peak )

Extract from wikipedia:
Ganga Talao (Hindi: गङ तलओ; also known as Grand Bassin) is a crater lake situated in a secluded mountain area in the district of Savanne, deep in the heart of Mauritius. It is about 1800 feet above sea level. The first group of pilgrims who went to Ganga Talao were from the village of Triolet and it was led by Pandit Giri Gossayne from Terre Rouge in 1898.
It is considered the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius
There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Gods including Hanuman, Lakshmi, and others along the Grand Bassin. During Shivaratri, many pilgrims in Mauritius walk bare feet from their homes to the lake.

( Pilgrims on the way to the lake, with The 108ft statue of the Mahadev)

Preparations for the festival start a month ago as the pilgrims will be making beautifully decorated “Kanwars” or “Trishul” which they will carry on their way to and back from Ganga Talao. Normally, an idol is placed in the middle of the Kanwar and the idol is then immersed in the sea after the devotee completes his pilgrimage. The pilgrims chant holy hymns along their way in devotion for Lord Shiva. Volunteers often offer food, fruits and juice to the pilgrims on their way and even set up stalls for them to rest when they feel exhausted.

After returning from the pilgrimage, the devotees offer the water to the shiva ling in the nearest temple of their village and attend the Char pahar ki puja without which their prayer would be incomplete. Patriotism is manifested during this festival with people from all the communities encouraging pilgrims to keep up the pace, helping devotees to carry kanwars, offering food and drinks as well as making way for the pilgrims on the road. The government is also  investing massively in these religious activities by donating funds to socio-religious associations so that the festival goes on smoothly, blending with the occurrence of task force being set up for cleaning the villages and the sacred places.

The Kanwar, 

The police force will be at its peak during the pilgrimage ensuring the safety of the pilgrims. All local councils will be greatly involved by providing scavenging services, medical facilities, placing banners mostly everywhere and organizing cultural programs. This depicts the rainbow nation of Mauritius with the government bestowing full freedom to practice one’s own religion and each and every other religions having mutual respect for each other. Nothing is more beautiful than witnessing the vibrancy of all the colours together and this makes the beauty of our little paradise.

My Little Challenge

After five years being away from Mauritius, I  now have the opportunity to re-live this amazing event and get the feel of being reconnected . The way I feel about the Maha Shivratri is a bit hard to describe ,but if I had to say it in one word ,it would be Ethereal. One gets the feeling of being part of something big, part of this ever continuous Cosmic Dance.

Like thousands of Mauritians, I too will attempt this pilgrimage on foot. Though am only doing the return trip. A mere 53 km. The fact that I am going through the whole event after a 5 year hiatus , it is  much more fun and exciting. Am all hyped up and itching to go. * (Another blog and heaps of pics to expected ) 

The Cosmic Dance of Shiva

( Times of India - article by K P Shashidharan is author of 'Whispering Mind'.)

The cosmic dance of Shiva symbolises the interplay of dynamic and static divine energy flow, containing the five principles of eternal energy — creation, preservation, destruction, illusion and emancipation.

Shiva dances in 'Rudra Tandava' or the dance of destruction in an aureole of fire, creating wild thunder storms all around the universe, even shattering the Sun, the Moon and stellar bodies with his matted hair, marks of ash on the forehead, trident, drum, lifting his left leg and balancing over a demon of ignorance, with snakes crawling over his arms, legs, and braided hair that depict egotism. His upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or 'dumroo' standing for the male-female vital principle, while the lower gestures us to "Be fearless". A skull on his head depicts conquest over death. Goddess Ganga, epitomising the holy river, sits on his hairdo. His third eye represents omniscience, insight, and enlightenment.

Locks of matted hair/thick like luxuriant Amazon rain forest/spread all over/stirring never ending cyclones, tsunamis! Ceaseless torrents/cascading cataracts/flood water of the Ganga/caused holocaust, apocalypse/unprecedented obliteration in the Milky Way! Blazing inferno originated/from his third eye raged like wild fire/blazed all over his forehead/engulfing everything in the aureole of fire!

The 'Lasya' or the gentle form of his dance, known as 'Aananda Tandavam' or dance of bliss is associated with the creation of the world, after its total destruction. Shiva's two different cosmic dances take place in one's 'Chidambaram' or in the sky of the mind, portrayed as the centre of consciousness situated at the altar of one's heart.

Shiva is the symbol of 'Brahmn', the universal consciousness. The cosmic serpent called 'Kundalini', draped by the Lord of all dance, is mythically present in every living form. Arousal of the 'kundalini' is a metaphor for the awakening of the seven energy centres or 'chakras' situated in the spine.

The sacred text, the Bhagavad Gita, interprets that the three basic gunas - satvic, tamasic and rajasic - that combine with each other to create life forms in the universe. The divine entity is divided into nine; but only eight of them are perceived by human intellect - earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and pride. The ninth part of the divine entity is eternally shrouded in the mystery of creation.

Fritjof Capra, in his book 'The Tao of Physics' paid due tribute to the Hindu view of matter and established its linkage with modern physics with empirical research in 1972. He observed the linkage between the ancient Vedic mythology, religious symbolism, art and modern physics: "Every subatomic particle not only does an energy dance, but is also an energy dance; a pulsating process of creation and destruction...without end...For the modern Physicists, then, Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

The European Centre for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva-CERN had unveiled in 2004 the two metre-tall statue of Nataraja, the form of Shiva depictd in dance pose. The dancing Indian deity, representing the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction also depicts the dynamics of subatomic particles, the basis of creation of the universe that is being researched by physicists around the world.

The Place l Call Home

The Place I Call Home

There is going to be a day
Long after today
Feeling tired and weird
With the experience that I gained

Thinking to myself
In this life
What did I achieve?
In this fools world

It is when you realize
Nothing mattered
More than being wise
In this small lives of ours

There would be times
During the stages of your life
That you felt betrayed
Devastated & embarrassed

Those were the times
That you wanted a place to hide
Somewhere safe
Like a mothers womb

Which place can be safer?
To protect you from all misery
To say don’t worry
And everything’s fine. 

I was younger then
It is the place that I like to call home
But today, things change
Most of all, I changed

I am all old and weary
Thinking of the times 
When I ignored the call
Of my inner cry

Thinking to myself
Like a baby protected in the mothers womb
When will I go back to the place that I’ve grown
The place that I call HOME.

Who are you ?? Why do you worry ??....

When one’s resources are completely at an end and one realises one’s absolutely helpless state, then, like a man drowning, knowing he can no longer rely upon himself or save himself, one reaches up and calls out for help from the outside.

In this way, perhaps certain heavy sorrows, extremely dire situations, catastrophes or calamities become the turning point of one’s life. From a feeling of self-sufficiency, from a basic egoistical arrogance of feeling that one is capable of doing everything in this world, one comes into a sudden realisation that here is something which one cannot face.

As long as the Mind is in state of I (egoism), the mind is lost, because egoism is the first product of ignorance. It contains the essence of individuality. And this individuality is  state of alienation from one’s eternal oneness , one’s unity with the Divine Reality. And this state of alienation from our divine Cosmic Origin, which deprives us completely of the awareness of our essential parts of the supreme power, is the root of all the sufferings, afflictions of the worldly life.

To start liberation from total bondage in this net of I-ness and mine-ness, attachment, selfishness and an identification with these inner principles of a separate, finite, little ego-personality, then the first thing needful is to realise and recognise the insufficiency of this little ego-principle, which up till that moment was to you the centre of your universe, the most important and precious thing in the world, the dearest thing, for which, to protect its interest, you have been prepared to fight with anyone.

When this ego-principle is recognised in its true colours, that it, as a matter of fact, constitutes your real problem, that it is the factor that holds you in thraldom, in bondage, then you realise that if you rely upon it, you will ultimately be left in the lurch. When that realisation begins to dawn and you start looking up for a higher Being, a higher Power to take you out of this predicament which has been brought about by giving over-importance to the ego, then commences your liberation.

suddenly, when the attachments of the sentimental and emotional aspect of  your personality begin to invade your consciousness and begin to overcome and overwhelm you, then you find yourself in a terrible fix. Suddenly there is this clash between the clear thinking intelligence, the rational aspect, and the overwhelming and very powerful emotional and sentimental aspect .

And the sentimental aspect  is now trying to undo everything. And in this state of fix, not able to decide what to do, this normally clear thinking young man, who had come with no doubts about what he had to do that day, cries aloud for help. They say: “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity”.

Why do you worry without cause? Whom do you fear without reason? Who can kill you? The soul is neither born, nor does it die.

Whatever happened, happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only. You need not have any regrets for the past. You need not worry for the future. The present is happening...

What did you lose that you cry about? What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost? What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything - whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to him.

You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else the day after tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is yours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows.

Change is the law of the universe. What you think of as death, is indeed life. In one instance you can be a millionaire, and in the other instance you can be steeped in poverty. Yours and mine, big and small - erase these ideas from your mind. Then everything is yours and you belong to everyone.

This body is not yours, neither are you of the body. The body is made of fire, water, air, earth and ether, and will disappear into these elements. But the soul is permanent - so who are you? Dedicate your being to God. He is the one to be ultimately relied upon. Those who know of his support are forever free from fear, worry and sorrow. Whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God. This will bring you the tremendous experience of joy and life-freedom forever.      

There is No Dark Side of the Moon...In fact it is all Dark !!!!

There is no Dark of Side Of The Moon , In fact it is All Dark

It is common to say that time heals all wounds.  And generally, it does.  Painful episodes from your life become less painful over time.  It is just harder to remember the degree of discomfort you felt in the past either from a physical injury or from an emotionally difficult time. 

There is good reason for pain to fade over time.  Even though an event may have been painful, it does not make sense for us to relive that pain again repeatedly in the future.  Pain tends to focus your attention on the painful item and i hurts most when it returns.

A nuclear bomb of my past exploded and now I am caught in this mushroom cloud of despair and desolation.The walls of this fortress of mine is crumbling down, adding Another Brick in the Wall seems useless. I am Marooned and i want Run Like Hell from this Sorrow.I am going through a Momentary Lapse of Reason and i hear the Echoes in my mind shouting Hey You it is Time. I remain here Behind The Wall listening to the Delicate Sound of Thunder, feeling Comfortably Numb. I Wish You Were Here to Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun  and See Emily Play. One of These Days i feel like i want to Take It Back. But for now it is Good Bye Blue Sky.

They flood my mind as rivers flood oceans,
Seated among My Thoughts,It is there that they snicker,
Their mild monotone laugh echoes across my mind
Slowly , they pierce through me
Has anyone else heard this ?
Does anyone hear it now ?
Is this me , a recollection , a deception
Perhaps not, I am depressed again

 i don't think i can keep on writing . i am drawing a blank.

Starry Night -The Beauty of the Heavens Above

Watching the night sky, for some it is a romantic , for others it can be a philosophical journey, for some (nerds) it is Star Wars and Star Trek ,for me,well tonight it a little bit frustrating. Yes, it is raining and so no star gazing tonight. I have always been fascinated by the Moon ,stars , planets ,galaxies,and the vast universe. I remember the days when my cousin and I spent hours on the rooftop of our house star gazing and on one special night we were able to witness the full eclipse of the moon. It was an amazing experience. 

Afterwards i drifted away and did not really  take  time to appreciate the the beauty of the heavens above until recently i witnessed something really amazing. A couple of weeks ago , while on a little trip , i saw what probably was one the most beautiful and clear night skies. I was stunned and then also realised how much i much i had forgotten about the stars,planets and constellations. I had to trace my steps back and do what i did as kid , that is getting to know your reference points in the night sky. 

How to find the Crux also known as the Southern Cross

My first one was the Southern Cross aka the Crux , the iconic constellation represented on the Australian and New Zealand flags.

Facing South , two very bright stars in the Milky Way can be seen quite near the horizon , one roughly above the other. They are known as Alpha Centauri* ( Rigil Kentauri ) and Beta Centauri  ( Hadar). Alpha being the lower one. These bright stars are typically called "The Pointers" as they point towards the Southern Cross.Drawing a line from aplha  through beta , continue a very short distance and you will encounter the Cross lying on its left side

Alpha Centauri  is also the brightest star in the centauri constellation  and is the closest star to our Solar system and a mere 4.3 light years away. ( one light year being 10 trillion km )

Orion's Belt

The constellation of Orion is one of the most impressive sights in the night sky.Viewed from the southern hemisphere the Orion appears upside-down but is is to recognise. Three bright stars in a line in the centre  of the constellation form the belt. Below these are two bright stars , Betelgeuse and Bellatrix . Above  the belt are two more bright stars , Rigel and Saiph.

Rigel is the brightest star in this constellation and shines with a white is bright light. Betelgeuse is the next brightest, it is  a red supergiant star , so massive in fact that if it was in the sun's place , it would have swallowed the Earth. Betelgeuse is 310 light-years away  while Rigel is 900 light years away.Even though Rigel is much further  than Betelgeuse , it is much brighter  and gives much more light.

The three stars in the belt  are Mintika , Alnilam and Alnitak. In the middle of these stars is an object that appears as a fuzzy or  fade star. It is in fact the spectacular  Great Nebula in  Orion. This great Nebula acts as a nursery  for stars . When the stars  are formed ,their heat causes the clouds to glow.   
  

People find different kind of inspiration from the observing the night sky,be it for scientific  advancement and  understanding the mysteries of the universe, be it for philosophical questions about our being and relations to God or be it  for a crazy weirdo like me who just contemplates its beauty. I would also like to share a very poetic description i came across while looking for the different pictures and facts. It is an epilogue of a book called "The Cosmic Dance - An invitation to experience our Oneness" by Joyce Rupp. 

" God as a dancer,  moving with all beings, dancing forth the creation, evolution -- where everything is dancing with everyone and everything else. All are held in the arms of compassionate belonging, yet each is set free to explore and expand and bring forth new expressions of itself. The universe is dance, alive with energy that brings forth and engages all things in rhythmic  relationship -- stars and galaxies, suns and planets, birds and butterflies, wind,waters, and soil, toads and humans-- all in one grand harmonious dance !  Earth is a divine work of art , a poem unfolding , a song ever being sung, always bringing forth greater and greater expressions of beauty and love "

"This I believe ! Each of us is a dancer in this cosmic dance. Each being, each human alive today is here,it participate in the creative adventure that is the universe. there can be no spectators, Some deep longing --each one's unique gift, a passion for belonging , our dream for the world of love and unity -- is urging us to get up and dance " -  Mary Southard

I also recommend the following BBC  STARGAZING Series  with Prof Brian Cox and Dara O'Brian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xldz4EuV2U

My Hunt for the HTC One

Ever since I broke my Samsung Galaxy SII by dropping my table lamp on it, I have been on the lookout for a suitable replacement. As an Android fan boy, i could not get myself to turn to the Dark Side and end up getting an Iphone 5.That would have been synonymous with selling my soul to the devil even though I am a little Red Devil myself (if you know what i mean ). I was very much tempted to just upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy S2 to the S4 until i came across the HTC One.

 

What i Like  about the HTC One 

The best thing about the HTC One is its look and feel. It's one of the best looking smartphones hands down. And, perhaps more importantly, it's built to last.

The One also feels great , and that has a lot to do with the slight curvature of the rear panel. HTC chose to make the One's battery fixed in place, and that's not ideal, at least not for me.( i tend to use my phone a lot  thus draining down the battery quite easily ) But one benefit of this decision was that the battery could be placed between the display and the other internal hardware components, which enabled the company to create the comfortable curve of the One's rear panel. 

The One's rear panel is made almost entirely of brushed aluminum, with the exception of two horizontal ridges that lift the device just slightly off of the surface it's placed on, to protect the camera lens.The front of the One also features aluminum panels at the top and bottom of the display, and the metal stretches to all four corners on the front and back. This is notable because the aluminum helps protect the display from damage during drops and bumps. A pretty good feature specially for a klutz like me.

HTC One Speakers and Beats Audio Tech

I also like how the front-facing speakers look on the One, and they work very well. The One's notification LED is placed beneath the speaker holes, so it's not noticeable when it's not in use - and it looks cool when the LED in the speaker hole blinks. And I like how the One doesn't have any hardware buttons on its display. 

The One has two separate sets of speakers, one atop the front panel and one at its rear, so it can provide stereo sound. The HTC One's speakers are slightly louder than the GS4, HTC also claims that the One is optimized for use with Beats headphones, which implies you'll get better sound using a Beats headset than you would with headphones from another manufacturer. As I don't own any Beats products I don't think that i'll able to test it.

HTC One LCD Display

I prefer the display on the HTC One to the screen on Samsung's GS4. They're both high-quality displays. However, the LCD on the One is consistently brighter, even when both screens are set to their highest brightness settings, and the GS4 display seems slightly more pixilated in some instances

Determining which phone's display is best for you is largely a matter of preference, so you should check out both the One and GS4 side by side, if you can. The HTC packs a 1080p HD, 468ppi LCD. The GS4 has a 1080p HD 441ppi Super AMOLED display. So the resolution differences aren't major; it's the display type that makes a difference here. ( You can get full technical specs from gsmarena.com)

At the end of the day, HTC might well get bust in a year or two but  with the HTC One as its flagship model, they might go out with a bang.