About Microblading..Page 4 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Why should you ...Page 3 The essence of Navratri Navratri, also spelled Navaratri or Navarathri, is a ly affairs and started practicing austere penance as an asce- 9 day long Hindu festival celebrated in almost every tic. At the same time, the gods (devas) were under an attack part of India. In most parts it is celebrated in honour of from demons (asuras) who were being led by Surapadman and Tarakasura. They had a boon that only Shiva or his off- the divine Devi - Durga, a re-incarnation of spring could kill them. Adi Shakti. In the southern and eastern states of India, MA KATYAYANI the Durga Puja is synonymous with worshipping the Ma Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri. Goddess - Navratri, wherein goddess Durga battles She has four hands and she wields a long sword and a lotus and emerges victorious over Mahishasura - the in two of them. She blesses with the third hand and protects buffalo demon. In the northern and western states, the with the fourth one. festival celebrates the battle and victory of god Rama According to the legends, there was a sage known as 'Kat' over the demon king Ravana. In both cases, the who had a son named 'Katya'. Later, a sage named 'Katyayan' took birth as his descendant. Sage Katyayan had festival celebrates the victory of the good over evil. no offspring. He observed austere penance and prayed to The 9 days of Navratri are dedicated to the worship of 9 the gods for a child. forms of the Goddess - Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Meanwhile, the demon Mahishasura was creating a lot of Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, trouble for the gods. The gods approached Vishnu to sought Kaalaratri, Mahagauri, Durga or ParaShakti. Here are the a way to end Mahishasura. At Vishnu's behest, Shiva and stories of each of these Goddesses. Brahma joined him and then the Trinity (Vishnu, Shiva and MA SHAILAPUTRI Brahma) emitted flames which took the form of Katyayani. Ma Shailaputri (Daughter (putri) of Mountain (shaila)) A manifestation of Durga, she then took birth as the daugh- is worshipped on the first day of Navaratra. Shailaputri was ter of Sage Katyayan as a result of which she came to be the daughter of the God of Mountains, Himalaya. Popularly known as Katyayani. known as Parvati, her husband is Shiva and she has two MA KAALRATRI sons - Kartikeya and Ganesha. In her previous incarnation, she was Sati - the daughter of a great king, Daksha. Ma Kaalratri is the goddess who is worshiped on the sev- According to the legend, Daksha Prajapati was one of the enth day of Navratri. Kaal refers to time as well as death in sons of Lord Brahma. Hindi whereas ratri refers to night or darkness/ignorance. MA BRAHMACHARINI Hence, Ma Kaalratri is the one which brings the death of Ma Brahmacharini is the goddess worshiped on the sec- darkness or the one who ends ignorance. She is also com- ond day of Navratri. It is one of the nine avatars of Goddess monly referred as Kali. Durga. In this avatar, Durga embodies tapa or penance. The Once two demons named Shumbha and Nishumbha name Brahmacharini is derived from two words - "Brahma" invaded devaloka and defeated Indra and his army. After here means tapa or penance and "Charini" means an ardent losing his kingdom, Swarga, Indra along with all the other female follower. gods went towards the Himalayas to seek help. They prayed After she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire of the to goddess Parvati and sought her assistance in getting their yagna, Durga took birth as the daughter of the King of the But after seeing Parvati's resolve to get him, Shiva relents bining the three words, one can derive the meaning of her kingdom back. Parvati created Chandi and sent her to kill Mountains, Himavan or Himalaya. She was named Parvati the demons. In the battlefield, Shumbha and Nishumbha (after the Sanskrit name for mountains - parvat) or and agrees for the marriage. On the day of marriage, Shiva name which means the one who is the creator of this "little reaches King's Himavan's palace in a most terrorizing form cosmic egg" called Universe. This form is a happy manifes- sent two demons Chanda and Munda. Chandi created Hemavati. another goddess, Kali, to fight Chanda-Munda. Kali killed When Parvati grew up, sage Narada - son of Brahma, along with the strangest marriage procession. His body is tation of the goddess. both of them and thus came to be known as Chamunda. paid her a visit. He told her that she did have a chance to smeared with ash, with snakes around his neck as well as in It is said that when the universe was non-existent and marry her husband from her previous birth, Lord Shiva, if the matted locks of his unkempt hair. The marriage proces- there was darkness everywhere, Ma Kushmanda produced MA MAHAGAURI she followed a path of penance. Determined to marry Shiva sion consists of ghosts, ascetics, sages, goblins, ganas, this "little cosmic egg" with her smile. The universe was Mahagauri is the Goddess worshiped on the eighth day in this birth as well, Parvati embarked upon an extremely ghouls and aghoris. Upon seeing such a terrorizing form of then filled with light. It is believed that she is the source of difficult regime of penance and devotion. Lord Shiva and his strange marriage procession, Parvati's all the energy in the universe. Further, it is also believed that of the 9-day long festival of Navratri in India. Maha means mother and other relatives are left in a state of shock. Most she lives in the core of the Sun and thus provides energy to extremely and gauri means white. She is worshiped by MA CHANDRAGHANTA of them faint purely out of terror. all the beings. She is believed to provide direction to Surya, devotees to attain loyalty in relationships and create life- On the third day of Navratri, the third Power (Shakti) of To avoid any embarrassment to her family and to Lord the Sun God. long bonds. Goddess Durga is worshipped. This avatar of Goddess Shiva, Parvati transforms herself into a terrorizing form - The story of Mahagauri has many versions. The most Durga is known and worshipped as Ma Chandraghanta Chandraghanta. MA SKANDAMATA popular is this. After killing all demons in the form of (Mother Chandraghanta). Her forehead is bedecked with Ma Skandamata is the fifth avatar of Durga and is wor- Kaalratri, Parvati was left with skin as dark as night. Her the crescent moon (Hindi: Chandra) resembling the shape MA KUSHMANDA shipped on the fifth day of Navratri. Skanda is another husband Shiva teased her with the nickname 'Kali' (dark- of a temple bell (Hindi: ghantaa). Ma Kushmanda is worshipped by devotees on the fourth name for Lord Kartikeya (Parvati's son and Lord Ganesha's skinned). Agitated, Parvati applied to Brahma by undergo- Upon the insistence of Sage Narada, Parvati, the daugh- day of Navratri. This avatar of Adi Shakti is also referred to brother). Mata means mother and thus Skandamata means ing a severe penance lasting many days, to regain her fair ter of Himalaya observed austere penance to get Lord Shiva as the Smiling Goddess. Her name is made up of three dis- mother of Skanda or Kartikeya. As is clear from the name, skin. Pleased, Brahma advised her to take a bath in the as her consort. Shiva, after losing Sati, had become tinct words. The first word is "Ku" which means little. The she is another form of Parvati. Mansarovar River in the Himalayas (some local variants detached from worldly affairs and had retired into the second word is "Ushma" which means warmth or energy. The birth of Kartikeya is an interesting story. After Sati replace the Mansarovar River with the holy Ganges river). mountains in deep meditation, isolation and austerity. And the third word is "Anda" which means egg. Upon com- immolated herself, Shiva became detached from the world- Courtesy: https://www.tell-a-tale.com The Shrine of Bagge Waali Mata Ashok Sharma According to the priest, the shrine is centuries old and nobody knows who exactly sculpted the original idols Religion is an integral part of our culture and India is and when .The shrine has two sculpted idols of one each the land of gods,saints and seers. In Hinduism, various of the Goddess and the other of Veer Langar.These idols gods and goddesses are worshipped in the shrines across remained in the open for a long time when one of the the length and breadth of our country.There are a num- great mystics and religious scholars of Udhampur, late ber of famous shrines such as Ajmer Sharief, Kedar Nath Pt. Dev Raj Sharma (Dec 04, 1912 to Dec10, 2008) who temple, Badrinath Temple, Golden temple and others had studied Sanskrit Vishard at Uttarvehni,started living which attract devotees and pilgrims from various parts at the shrine first from 1963 to 1968 and later from 1970 of our country and abroad.Like other parts of our coun- to 1978.He would remain in a hut and meditated at the try, Jammu Division of our state is known for many shrine for a long time in all types of weather.Narrating shrines such as Vaishno Devi ji Shrine, Shahdara Sharief his experiences, his illustrious son Pt Prabhakar said that shrine, Pingla Mata Shrine, Bawe wali Mata shrine the roof of his hut would be blown off by strong storms etc.Lacs of devotees visit these shrines every year to pay many a time and he would sleep in the open.He got con- obeisance and seek the blessings of Gods and Goddesses structed a small temple and the pilgrims started visiting for themselves and their nears and dear ones.One of the the shrine in large number.