Lot of times I meet people who have an idea of what India is based on the movies they have seen or what’s portrayed in the media. Some of the comments I have heard can be borderline rude and racist. I will try my best to give you a glimpse of Bharat (aka India) as there is a lot I’ll also learn in the process.
India is a world into itself, like no other place, also known as Bharat or Hindustan. To know more about India, we have to first learn more about it’s history. That’s one of my goal this year, to educate myself about its history and dig deeper into my roots.
All I know is that it was inhabited by the Indus Valley Civilization since the Bronze Age. In fact, it was one of the three Old World Civilizations, others being Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (I learned about that when I was in Egypt last year).
The blending of the Indo-Aryan culture led to the formation of the Vedic civilization during the Iron Age. The Vedas are large body of religious texts composed in Sanskrit literature and form the basis of Hinduism. Their beliefs is based on the four Purusarthas, the proper goals or aims of human life, namely Dharma (ethics/duties), Artha (prosperity/work), Kama (desires/passions) and Moksha (liberation/freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth).
During this period, it also led to the rise of Sramana movements (one who performs acts of austerity for higher purpose) such as Buddhism and Jainism, which challenged the religious orthodoxy of the Vedic period. It’s no irony that my last name is derived from the word Jainism. The followers of Jainism believe in non-violence and wouldn’t harm any creature, even the tiny bacteria. It’s not easy being a true Jain, so I consider myself more spiritual and, of course, non-violent.
Lot of dynasties and empires have come and gone from the Kuru to the Maurya, to the Gupta, and to the Chola Dynasty. Even Alexander the Great reached as far as Bharat. Epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata gives an insight about life during those periods and the Bhagavada Gita is as sacred to the Hindus as the Bible to the Christians. Bharat was invaded and ruled by the Mughals for 331 years and then by the British until it gained independence in 1947, who divided the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan. In spite of being ruled by foreigners, it’s fascinating that the locals kept on practicing their religion and belief system. It’s beautiful to see the oldest religion of the Old World still flourishing in India.
Banganga
Not too far from my family home is one of the oldest religious sites, known as Banganga. I enjoy taking a stroll there because it can instantly transports me to the ancient world. This is how life would have been thousand years ago and feels like not much has changed. The area is hustling and bustling with flower sellers, priests, musicians and devotees. There are at least 15 to 30 temples that surrounds the Banganga Tank, dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanumana, Rama, Lakshmi and others. It’s a spiritual experience to visit each of these temples in the morning for prayer as the priests are singing age old Sanskrit verses and offering milk, flowers, incense and fire to the deities. I visit the oldest Shiva temple and bathe the lingham while bowing down for blessings for love and fortune. Then, I visit the Ganesha temple for his blessings to remove obstacles on my journey. Lastly, I stop at the Lakshmi temple for her blessings in receiving abundance. What a beautiful way to start my morning filled with energetic healing! Equally powerful and ecstatic is the evening aarti puja (offering of light) over chanting Vedic verses and ringing of bells.
As the legend of Banganga goes, exiled King Rama, overcome with fatigue and thirst, in search of his kidnapped wife Sita, asked his brother Lakshmana to bring him some water. Lakshman instantly shot an arrow into the ground, and water gushed forth from the ground, creating a tributary of the Ganges, which flows over a thousand miles away, hence its name, Banganga, the Ganga created by a baan (arrow). The tank was build in AD 1127 at the very spot where Lakshman shot the arrow.
If you ever want to get transported to an ancient world in a big city like Mumbai, then this is the perfect gateway. It’s an energetic vortex I get to experience every day when I visit my family home. Hopefully one day you can visit this side of the world.
