Bhishma Panchak Vrat Katha

          The last 5 days of the month of Karttika are traditionally known as the Bhishma Panchaka or the Vishnu Panchaka. Grandfather Bhishma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. In the Hari BhaktiVilasa, it is said that if one is capable, one should observe fasting from certain foodstuffs on the Bhishma Panchaka for the pleasure of the Lord. This is optional. "The fast should begin by remembering Bhismadeva on the Ekadasi day and should end on Poornima (the full moon).

          After the victory of the Pandavas in Mahabharata war, Shri Krishna took the Pandavas to Bhishma and requested him to teach them wisdom of immortal nature. That time Bhshma was lying on sara-sayya and waiting for the days of the solstice sun were to occur. At the request of the Shri Krishna the great warrior Bhsishma provided the wisdom of Raja Dharma, Varna Dharma and Moksha Dharama to Krishna as well as Pandavas. This continued from Ekdashi (11th day) to Poornima (full moon day) for 5 days. After the knowledge sharing session was over, Krishna acknowledged Bhishma saying "These five days would be auspicious and lucky from today. These five days of fasting in the future will be called Bhishma Quintet. This fast would be very auspicious. Those who will observe this and keep the vow they will get the best journey after death. It will free you from the former accumulated sins and salvation by works. Thus Bhishma Panchak Vrat was started by Lord Krishna.

           If someone observes this fast, he is considered to have observed all other fasts, because it is greatly meritorious and frees one from great sins. Therefore, everyone should make a great endeavor to fast on these last five days of Bhismadeva. The strictest way of doing this fast is to take only the five products of the cow (pancha gavya) on each of the five days or fast by restricting the eating like during ekadasis: no grains and beans. only fruits and roots.

Various Levels of fasting:

Type-1
One can eat products of the cow for each day:

• First day: Cow dung (Gomaya)
• Second day: Cow urine (Go-mutra)
• Third day: Cow milk (Kshiira)
• Fourth day: Cow yoghurt (Dahi)
• Fifth day: All products of the cow mixed (Pancha-gavya)

Type-2
If one can't follow type-1, then please take take fruits and roots fruits with lots of seeds should be avoided like guava, pomegranate,cucumber etc. Boiled potatoes, raw banana and sweet potato can be taken. We can use sea salt for taste. Cashewnuts(PLAIN) raisins, dates can be taken. Milk products to be avoided.

Type-3
If one can't follow level 2, one can take "Havishya."

Ingredients for Havishya as mentioned in Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa (13.10-13)
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The following are ingredients that can be used in making Havishya, which is
like a khichari made with these items.

Aatap rice
Unadulterated Ghee from cow
Saindhava salt (sea salt)
Milk from cow
Milk with cream
Ripe Banana
Kaala-Shaaka
Wheat
Fruits (Skanda Puraana, Naagara Khanda says they must be with a small seed
or with few seeds only)
Mango
Jackfruit
Labali fruit
Roots except kesa grass root
Pippalii
Haritakii
Naagaranga
Ikshu-dravya or sugarcane derivatives (other than gur or mollasses)
No oil in any form

The following ingredients though part of Havishya need to be avoided in the month of Kartika:

Mung dal
Til oil
Beta-shaaka
Shashtikaa-shaaka
Radish
Jeeraa
Tamarind

Why Celebrate Deepawali?

WHY CELEBRATE DEEPAWALI?

     Deepawali means “row of lamps.” It is beautiful to behold artistically lit lamps with different patterns in temples, courtyards of homes and pillars of large massive historical shrines. This bright, charming festival creates warmth during the winter season.

     However, the ambiance is changing with the massive development of alternate kinds of lighting equipment. Not only are the Deepawali lamps being blurred in comparison but people’s understanding of Deepawali has also become clouded. Instead of an auspicious Deepawali (shubha Deepawali), it has simply reduced to a Happy Diwali.

     Deepawali is the festival of harmony, integration, joy, and spiritual awakening; a wholesome festival in nature. Spiritually, it is a reminder of Sri Rama’s return to Ayodhya after 14 years of absence upon being cast to the forest by his stepmother, Kaikeyi. Sri Rama was eager to return and meet all the residents of Ayodhya. In fact, when Vibhishana had requested Sri Rama to stay and attend the coronation ceremony of his ascending the throne of Lanka, Sri Rama declined softly, saying, “If I stay even for an extra moment, my brother Bharata will end his life. Moreover, my dear Vibhishana, however great the wealth of Lanka is, but my Janani, Ayodhya is beckoning me to come as early as possible. My Ayodhya is far superior to heaven.”

     Sri Rama then sent Hanumana with the message of his arrival to Ayodhya and to observe whether this will bring happiness to Bharata. Had Bharata showed any apathy, Sri Rama would not have come home to Ayodhya. He would allow Bharata to rule Ayodhya, while he himself continues to stay in the forest. However, Bharata, who was more than eager to receive Sri Rama, started preparing for his arrival. The subjects were enthused to spontaneously prepare for Sri Rama’s arrival along with Sita, Laxmana and the entire host of banara sena(army of monkeys). To prove their eagerness, they started lighting lamps all over Ayodhya.

     They decorated the city with rows of lamps on high towers and on pillars. They further placed lamps on top of tall bamboo sticks. The residents did not realize the beauty and harmony the lit lamps were creating. But as Sri Rama and his entourage looked down from their Pushpak Vimana (the special airplane of Kubera), they were fascinated to see the beautifully lit city from their higher altitude. The magnificent sight below signaled, “Here I am, Ayodhya! Oh, my dear Sri Rama, Sita and Laxmana, I am eagerly waiting for this moment. Incomparable to any other city, I am lit up with lamps and decorations; see me from above. I am fully ready to host you forever in my bosom.”

     Deepawali is a reminder of that joyous festival; it is supposed to remind us that we are all the inhabitants of that land, which is suffering from separation of Sri Rama for so many years. He is coming now, let us prepare for his arrival— what a mood! This is real Deepawali.

     The lamps also denote the act of removing darkness from the heart, which is nothing but ignorance. Let us honor Deepawali as celebrated by the residents of Ayodhya and welcome Sri Rama in our heart, which has continually banished him from our core. Now, light it up with proper understanding and devotion so that he can see from above, “the bird's eye view”, and land his plane directly in our heart.

Jai Sri Rama!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kublai Khan, the Conquerer

          Genghis Khan's grandson was called Kublai Khan. When he became the leader of Mongols he moved from the windswept steppes of Central Asia to rule the most splendid court in the world, in China. At this time, China was the most sophisticated, technologically advanced country in the world. Kublai Khan's armies overthrew the ruling Song dynasty in China. By 1279 he controlled most of the country. He founded he Yuan dynasty in China which lasted till 1368. Yuan means "origin of universe".

          Kublai was taught the art of warfare from a young age and, while still a boy, became a skilled fighter, hunter and horseman. He was exposed to Chinese culture and philosophy, for which he developed an affinity that would stay with him and inform many of his decisions later in life. When his brother Möngke became the Great Khan in 1251 after death of Guyuk, he placed Kublai in charge of northern China while he set out to conquer their enemies to the south. In addition to the learning and customs of the population under his control, Kublai appointed Chinese advisers. He also helped his brother expand the empire with successful military campaigns of his own.

          In 1259, while locked in battle with the Song in southern China, Kublai received word that Möngke had been killed in battle. Soon after he learned that his younger brother Ariq Böke had consolidated power at the Mongolian capital of Karakorum and called a meeting of royal families who named him Great Khan. With his own designs on the throne, Kublai forged a truce with the Song and returned home, where he disputed his brother’s claim and had himself named Great Khan in 1260. It lead to raise of civil war between the two. Eventually Kublai became victorious in 1264. Ariq Böke surrendered in Shangdu (also known as Xanadu) to Kublai, who spared his life.

          Kublai Khan was a fair ruler and a brilliant general. He strengthened his empire by building long roads to far territories. He organised charity for the sick and food supply during famine. He tried to invade Japan twice, without success. For his respect for Chinese culture, Kublai Khan moved the capital of the empire from Karakorum to Dadu, modern-day Beijing, and ruled through an administrative structure more in keeping with local tradition. His rule was distinguished by its improvements in infrastructure, religious tolerance, use of paper money as the primary means of exchange and trade expansion with the West.

          By 1279,Kublai Khan had definitively conquered the Song and he became the first Mongol to rule the whole of China. In celebration of his newly expanded empire, Kublai Khan declared a new Yuan Dynasty, of which he was the first and most successful ruler.

          After his death in 1294, the might mongol empire started t decline and by the end of mid 1300's it had already broken up. In 1369, Timur made himself the ruler of Samarkhand in central asia. He set out to recreate mongol empire. and conquered Persia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and part of Russia. In 1397, he invaded India and died on the way to China in 1405.

Life In the Ice Age

          During long periods of the Earth's history, large areas of land have been covered by ice. As temperature fell, sheets of ice upto 200m thick spread across land and sea. The last of these ice ages had a dramatic effect on human and animal life.

          The earliest ice age occurred some 2300 million years ago. Geological evidence shows that succeeding ice ages lasted between 20 and 50 million years. As the climate cooled, glaciers formed at the North and South poles. The ice advanced and retreated in waves, known as glaciations. The most recent ice age entered its coldest period about 22000 years ago, when ice sheets covered much of North America and northern Eurasia. As the seas froze, the sea level fell by over 100 m in places, exposing bridges of land between land masses. The Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska for example became dry land, allowing animals such as mammoths and deer to move between Asia and North America. After them came human hunters, the first humans to colonize North America. Camels and horses moved from the Americas into Asia. When the climate warmed, the ice melted, sea level rose, and this and other land bridges disappeared.

          Conditions were extremely harsh for the people lived near the ice sheets. Woolly mammoths were a valuable source of meat, skin for clothes and bones for weapons and carvings. Men hunted in groups, driving the mammoths up against cliff-faces so they could close in for the kill. They attacked with sharp weapons and spears made of flint and wood, and large stones. One mammoth provided enough meat to survive many months. Leftovers were stored in holes dug in the frozen ground. Bones and tusks made a framework for huts, covered with hides and turf.

          The last ice age reaches its coldest point around 18000 years ago. The Bering Strait floods over again as the ice melts and sea levels rise. Around 12000 years ago in Europe, glaciers retreat and the ice age ends. 

Offerings Process at Jagannatha Temple

          The offering of food and connected worship rituals are the most important part of the worship in the Jagannatha Temple. The cost of the Bhoga Mandapa offerings is not paid by the Government of Temple Administration, but it is covered by the various Mathas, that supply rice, wheat, dal, ghee, molasses, sugar, suji, black pepper, gram, mung dal, milk, curd, spices, turmeric, cumin, salt, hing, chickpea flour, vegetable oil, coconuts, vegetables and firewood for the cooking. After the offerings, the food is sold to the general public in Ananda Bazar by the Mathas. According to the demand, the Bhoga Mandapa offering is done two or three times a day. The ingredients are kept in the store on the back of the kitchen. The cooks are required to eat their meal before going to the temple kitchen for their service, so that “they will not hunger after the food” they are preparing. Besides, they must keep a cloth tied over their mouth, to avoid any contamination of the food. It is said that if the food is polluted in any way, the clay pots will break before the food is offered.

Mahaprasadam

          During the dressing of the Deities in the morning, the first Bhoga offering is placed within the Garbha griha, in three rectangles drawn with colored powders. A small portion of Bhoga is placed in a metal plate and put on the Ratnavedi with the other upachara articles (water, flowers, lamp, etc), while the rest is kept on the ground in clay pots. The preparation of the day food offering is also very complex. Ten mahamudras, the mula mantra and astra mantra (svaha) are used. The priest looks at the food with mudras and places a protection on it with the astra mantra. The mula mantra (yam) symbolizing Vayu is used to blow away impurities, then water is sprinkled, then again Vayu dries it. With the right hand the Agni mantra (ram) is used to burn the matter to ashes, and the Varuna mantra (vam) is used to recreate it as nectar. At this point the priest offers padya and achamaniya to the Deity and honors the food with an offering of sandalwood paste, rice and flower, chanting the mantra “sri krishnaya sangopangaya sarvatmane bhagavate idam naivedyam svaha”. Then he calls down the tejas from the mouth of the Deity, touches the food with his hand and chants the mula mantra eight times. Holding flowers in his hand, he asks the Deity to take the food. Then he offers some drops of water saying amrtapastaranamasi and performs the five grasa mudras offering five morsels of food to strengthen the five Pranas (pranaya svaha, apanaya svaha, vyanaya svaha, udannaya svaha, samanaya svaha). Then he chants the mula mantra on japa for 54 or 108 times. Then he offers the drinking water, then the nectar (some drops from another container of water, transformed by the mantra amrtapidhanamasi). He then offers achamana, dries the face of the Lord with a towel, then offers tambula (rolled betel leaf). The food offering is thus completed.

          The doors to the Ratna vedi are opened, the arati is offered with seven flames of burning camphor in a metal plate, then flowers and vandanam (offering homage) are offered. The arati is performed to the accompaniment of music in the Nata Mandapa. To complete the worship, the priest meditates on the Deity as pure consciousness and withdraws the divine tejas into his own heart. He first takes the offered flowers in his hand, puts them to the right nostril of the vigraha so that the tejas will descend into them, and then raises the flowers to his own left nostril and “inspires” the divine tejas back into his own heart. The samarpani mudra closes the completion of the ritual.

          The food offered to Jagannatha is sent to the shrine of Vimala Devi for a short puja, after which it is considered mahaprasada. Finally, the priest takes some of the offered flowers on his body and accepts the remnants of the offerings (lamp, flowers, sandalwood paste, etc) and some mahaprasadam. The mahaprasadam is traditionally distributed to the Sevakas and the devotees in the temple and consumed immediately. An important part of the worship consists in asking forgiveness for any mistakes committed in the process.

Mahaprasadam for sale

The Incas

          From the mountains of Peru, the god-emperor of the Incas ruled a highly organized empire. Civil war and Spanish invasion finally caused the empire to fall. The Incas took over from the Chimu as rulers of the Andes mountains of South America. Their civilization reached its peak during 1400s under the ruler Pachacuti, who defeated an invading army from neighboring state. Pachacuti reformed the way the kingdom was run. He appointed a central administration to control the building of towns and ensure that farms and workshops were run efficiently. From the capital, Cuzco, he and his successors expanded the Inca empire to to include parts of Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Inca Banner

          The Incas built stone cities and fine roads, which were used by traders. Goods were  exchanged for goods of equal value. They did not use money. Farmers terraced the mountain slopes to grow corn, cotton and potatoes. Though they had neither writing nor wheeled vehicles, the Incas had many skills including music, bridge-building and medicine. The Incas communicated over long distances by sending fast runners with messages in the form of quipos (knotted cards). A message could be sent mote than 200 KM in a day along a system of paved roads. Masks of gods were worn by priests for ceremonies and were often richly decorated.

Inca God

          The Inca army was the most powerful in the area at that time, because they could turn an ordinary villager or farmer into a soldier, ready for battle. This is because every male Inca had to take part in war at least once so as to be prepared for warfare again when needed. The Incas had no iron or steel, and their weapons were not much better than those of their enemies. They went into battle with the beating of drums and the blowing of trumpets. The armor used by the Incas included:

• Helmets made of wood, copper, bronze, cane, or animal skin; some were adorned with feathers
• Round or square shields made from wood or hide
• Cloth tunics padded with cotton and small wooden planks to protect the spine.

The Inca weaponry included:

• Bronze or bone-tipped spears
• Two-handed wooden swords with serrated edges
• Clubs with stone and spiked metal heads
• Woolen slings and stones
• Stone or copper headed battle-axes
• Bolas (stones fastened to lengths of cord)

          In 1525, the Inca empire was at it peak. But in 1527, after emperor Huayna Capac died, the empire was split between his two sons Atahualpa and Huascar and civil war broke out. In the 1530s, a Spanish expedition led by Francisco Pizarro arrived seeking gold. The Europeans were impressed by Cuzco's palaces, temples and water supply. They were also surprised by the fortress of Sacsahuaman, which was built from huge stones that fitted together perfectly without mortar. Though they were few in numbers, the Spaniards had horses and guns, which were both new to Incas. In 1532, Pizarro captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa and demanded for a ransom a room full of gold and two rooms full of silver. The ransom was paid, but Atahualpa was killed anyway. The leaderless Inca armies were swiftly defeated, although resistance to Spanish rule continued from scattered mountain forts such as Machu and Pichhu, until 1572.

Machu Pichhu

Life and Death in Egypt

          The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They buried dead people in tombs filled with items filled for use in the afterlife. These tombs, with their paintings and treasures tell us much about these remarkable people. When a body was mummified, the dead person's liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed, wrapped and stored in containers called canopic jars. The head shaped lids represented protective gods. Egyptians believed that for a person's soul to prosper in next world, the body has to be preserved. That's why they made mummies. Dead bodies were embalmed and dried, then wrapped in linen strips and placed in coffins.

Canopic Jars

          The finest tombs were those of the kings. Some were buried in pyramids, but later rulers were laid to rest in rock tombs, in the valley of kings. Most of the tombs were ransacked by robbers, but one survived largely intact. It was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. The tomb belonged to the boy-king Tutankhamun and inside were priceless treasures of a vanished world. Tutankhamun's gold death mask covered the face of the death king. His body was wrapped in linen inside a nest of three coffins, encased in a stone sarcophagus and protected by four wooden shrines.

King Tut

          The Egyptian empire is at the height of its power during the reign of king Tuthmosis 3. Other famous rulers of Egypt were Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Ramesses 2. Alexander, the great takes control of Egypt in 332 BC and founds Alexandria. Rule by the Ptolemies ends after Cleopatra kills herself in 30 BC. Egypt then becomes a province of Roman empire.

Tomb Paintings

          Egypt's greatness lasted for over 2500 years. The Egyptians were skilled in maths and astronomy and created a calendar of 365 days. They have a system of picture writing called hieroglyphics. Each picture or hieroglyph, stood for an idea or sound. Hieroglyphs were written on walls as well as on sheets of papyrus. People trained to write them were called scribes. They built pyramids and temples bigger than any structure seen before. They also traded overseas in large ships. Even people who conquered Egypt later, such as Romans stood in awe of the Egyptian achievements.