SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2015 (PAGE-3) SACRED SPACE BOOK REVIEW Upanishads Rediscovering Hinduism in the Himalayas Surinder Koul sacerdotal rites. Description about several obliterated sculptures of Source of Spirituality Albeit, the writer is professionally medical doctor, who often trav- images of Hindu Goddess and Gods , carved pillars, floral designs els to Arunachal Pradesh, the remotest part of the country and other on plinth slabs, full lotus carved on circular stone slab in Malinithan R C Kotwal Rajasthan and M.P. of present day India. places, out of her inquisitiveness and yearning to study cultural and temple premises are mentioned in minute details . Book also car- The exact numbers of the Upanishads are not clearly architectural sites in the country, yet she has produced the book as ries out various performances of worshipping that was prevalent in Upanishads means the inner or mystic teaching. The term known. Scholars differ on the total number of Upanishads as an intellectual fallow for interested people to undertake further deep main land India among the Hindus and had been practiced by the research about cultural heritage, sociological and environmental people in Arunachal Pradesh also from ages. It has identified tem- "Upanishad" is derived from Upa(Near) , ni ( down) and shad well as what constitutes an Upanishad. Some of the Upan- (to sit) i.e sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the aspects of earlier called NEFA now lately rechristened as Arunachal ples precincts and ruins where worshipping of Shiva Linga, worship- ishads are very ancient, but some are of recent origin. Pradesh. This region Arunachal Pradesh, had remained neglected ping of Durga as Malini still exist and on auspicious occasion devo- teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine. The Upan- The original Upanishads are the end portions of the four ishads are sometimes referred to as Vedanta, variously inter- most of the time, even after Indian independence, but the Chinese tees from the nearby states do throng these sanctified places to pay Vedas, and thereby came to be identified with "Vedanta" aggression and their intrusion of 1962 in upper parts of NEFAbrought preted to mean the last chapters of the Vedas or the object, their obeisance to these Gods and Goddess. Full account through which literally means the end of the Vedas. They dealt with in lime light its strategic significance and urgency of connectivity to sharp photographs, of stone images of Laxmi, Lord Indira. Nandi, Kar- the highest purpose of the Veda. The concepts of Brahman the philosophical aspects of the Vedas and were taught in the forefront in Indian Govt. The aborigines of this region must had tikaya, Lord Surya and Lord Ganesha , three headed Lord Brahama, (ultimate Reality) and Atman (soul-self) are central ideas in ancient India to highly qualified and selected individuals. The lived the lives of confinement and limited contentment due to in acces- Goddess Saraswati, Lord Krishna and Radha, Varah with boar all the Upanishads and "Know your Atman" their thematic Upanishadic texts are part of the Shruti literature and are sibility, lack of communication, economic underdevelopment, road head and body of human, figure of Vidhadhar and well chiseled out focus. Shri Adi Shankara explains in his commentary on the considered to be divine in origin. They are associated with connectivity net work among various tribes settlements in stray clus- images of favourite animals of deities on stone pillars that have been Katha that it means "Knowledge of the self" or "Knowledge several ancient seers. Some of these lived at least twenty ters. Physical location of the region is falling in Outer Himalaya, Patkoi found almost around in the state in these ruins of temples complex- generations before Lord Krishna and probable date of the ranges and is vivisected by number of rivers and streams, emanat- es are well documented. ing from Higher Mahabharata war. Prominent among these were It is empirically evident Himalayas which in that these consecrated Yaganavalkya, Uddalaka, Aruni, Shandilya, Aitareya, Pippla- turn are tributaries of places might have had pada and Sanatkumara. huge river Brahma- magnificent Hindu dedicat- Today there are estimated 200-250 Upanishads, some putra. Climatically, ed temples and places of well known and some least known. The Bhagvat Gita is also Arunachal Pradesh worship in some period of known as an Upanishads because it contains the essence receives highest rain time. And the ruins and of many of the Upanishads. I have listed 108 Upanishads as fall, which makes the stone images do corrobo- per the list contained in the Muktiupainshad. I have arrange region susceptible to rate that the then inhabi- them in four categories according to a particular Veda, to large scale occur- tants of this undulated which each of them belong. Out of 108, rence of landslide, mountainous verdant resulting into damag- region must had been pro- Upanishads only 10 have been commented upon by sever- ing of permanent al archarayas like Adi Shankaracharya. These are fessing Saktism, Vaishnav- road link net work and ism and Shaivism, all the Ishavasya, Kena, Katha, Aithreya, Brihadaranyaka, Prash- housing colonies major sects of Hinduism in na, Mandukya, Taittireya, Chandogya and Mundaka. These along the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh as had have been popularized by Swami Vivekananda and others. mountain ridges cov- been the Hindu religious They all deal with highest degree of philosophy and meta- ered with alpine doctrines in rest of Indian physics. There are Upanishads which even tells us how to shrubs and conifer- sub continent. The writer worship a particular god. But majority of them deal with meth- ous tree line. has given sufficient chroni- ods of Yoga and Renunciation (Sanyasa). For compiling cally documentary support, Basically Upanishads have been written thousands of this master piece of Mahabharata and work, the author has Ramayan epics to relate years back. Some say 4000 BC or so on forth. In western travelled at length to each and every corner of the state to have the world also many scholars, writers have examined and stud- and justify the religious history of the region with that of Hinduism and first hand ground information about the ancient temples, shrines, its format of worship, pattern of rituals, customs and beliefs and its ied Upanishads and have accepted the level of wisdom, spir- ruins which were destroyed and annihilated under various cultural ituality and Moksha concept by great Hindu sages thousands philosophy, an article of faith. Since, Vedas are the common source invasion, conquests and devastated by natural upheavals in North of Hinduism in all its all varied stages, therefore the author has right- of years ago. The first introduction of Upanishads to the west- East in past centuries. Most of these crumbled age old temple struc- ly spelled out the proof of religious commonness of Hinduism between ern world was through a translation into Persian made in 17th tures were further eroded and denudated under vagaries of nature Arunachal Pradesh and Indian heart land. Moreover, the research from time to time in past centuries. In spite of cultural influx and eco- century. More than a century late a known French scholar, work done by the author in this book does certify that people of of Brahma".1 nomic depravity of the region , the influence of Hinduism might had Anquetill Duperron brought a copy of manuscript from Per- Arunachal Pradesh were not isolated from Indian society. The authors of most Upanishads are unknown. Various diminished with the passage of time, but the essence of its philoso- sia to France and translated it into French and Latin simple, The book is hard bound, better printed on art paper, spread over theories have suggested different names. Scholars are also universal." phy must not have vanished, that is why still local people revere Hin- on 135 pages, having paper cover jacket, embossed with beautiful du Gods and Goddess and do maintain their Hindu way of prayers. uncertain about the exact centuries in which Upanishads The first English translation was made by a learned Hin- picture of Shiva Linga, Parvati idols girdled in colored swath of holy were composed. The general area of the composition of the Yet the author has made strenuous efforts to recast the religious cloth, a trident pitched by side, a symbolic weapon of Lord Shiva. du, Raja Ram Mohan roy (1775-1833). Basically Upanishads significance of places, highlights of main archaeological findings with early Upanishads was Northern India, on the east of lower contains the essence of Vedic teachings and have an uni- Cost of the book is INR 995/ and is easily available at leading book- Ganga region, on the north by the Himalayan Hills and on the help of local folk tales, beliefs, traditions and customs and exist- shops. The book makes an interesting reading not from cultural her- versal approach. Study of Upanishads gives us insight into ing literature available in comprehensive manner. Book is portioned the south by the Vindhya mountain range. This region cov- itage point of view only but also from diverse aspects of its strategic the extra ordinary religious thoughts given by great sages. in various chapters and each subject matter has been well elucidat- ers Bihar, Nepal, UP, Uttarakhand, HP, Haryana, Eastern location, environment, its class of populace, border trade and com- (The author is Superintendent of Police S K Police Academy Udhampur) ed with understandable references and related Hindu oblations, and merce and border sensitivity due to ingress and egress people. Explore economic potential of Thiksey Dr. Mohinder Kumar destroyed; 11 foot bridges were destroyed; village had 25 commercial cum privatel water mills (runtuk) on nallah, all of which were destroyed and washed away even as no sign of existence of these water mills was left (each water mill cost Rs.2.00 lakh of invest- Thiksey is a big village bifurcated as Thiksey-I and Thiksey-II.