The History of the Aarti is best explained below , we have tried to simplify the journey so that you can be engrossed in it when reading .The state of Odisha has been blessed by the presence of so many deities & the Lord himself.
Our first explanation will be around the historical events that brought Guru Nanak Dev Ji to state of Orissa ( now known as Odisha) on his first Urdasi.
The Jagannath Sadak Road
Lord Jagannath Temple Puri
Baladeva – Subhadra – Jagannatha
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Bauli Math at Puri
Mangu Math at Puri
Bhai Himmat Singh from Puri
Maharaja Ranjit Singh & his last wish for The Kohinoor
Guru Nanak Datan Sahib, Cuttack, Odisha
The Anthem of the Universe
The Aarti sung by Shivpreet Singh
The Jagannath Sadak Road
The Jagannath Sadak Road
The Jagannath Sadak was the old pilgrim road from Calcutta to Puri. It took form sometime in late 1500’s and was the lifeline for all pilgrims who came to the Lord’s abode at Puri. It was, from 1825, known as the Orissa Trunk Road, but for the devotees who descended on this path and made the slow way to Puri, it had always been the Jagannath Sadak.
The road wound its way touching Belda, Dantan, Midnapore, Jaleswar, Basta, Balasore, Nilgiri, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dharamshala, Chhatia, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Pipili. The travellers covered the distances by bullock carts, hackneys, palanquins, horses, camels and elephants, but most of them trudged on foot. The road was a well-travelled one with many amenities for the pilgrims and travellers. There were Serais, Dharamshalas, wells, tanks, culverts, bridges, temples, rest sheds, Ghats, orchards etc. Many remnants of these are still visible on the isolated stretches of this once grand road.
The Jagannath Sadak was the road that was taken by Sri Chaitanya, Nanak and Kabir when they visited Puri. There are various travelers accounts, from the French, English, Dutch and Persian, travellers. This was the road which the conquering armies of the Mughals, Marathas, Afghans and later on the East India Company took to conquer Odisha. In fact, during their tenures, the Marahattas and the Englishmen had implemented a system of collecting toll tax for the maintenance of the road. With the advent of the railways in 1898, the Jagannath Sadak fell into disuse and over the next few years was lost forever.
The railways shortened the travel time from three weeks to fifteen hours. Many stretches of the road just vanished with time, it was encroached upon by villages and some lengths now form the NH-5. Today, only 168 km out of the original 510 km of the old road still exists. The circulation of traveler’s and the production of travel accounts in the late 1700s and early 1800 was limited to that those of the missionaries and the East India Company officials, and there was a marked asymmetry of relations and the perceptions that they had obtained and recorded.
Most of the early accounts were missionary reports, and were typical stereotyped accounts of idolatry, pagan worship, moral degeneracy, hellish characters etc. and revealed the broad spectrum of opinions and views and were remarkably parallel.
The significance and importance of this road can be gauged by the following which is an extract from a letter of 27th February 1877, written by Father G. de Clercx, a French priest of The Company of Jesus. This letter was written from Balasore where the French had a mission where Jesuit missionaries used to be stationed.He gives a vivid account of the road and pilgrims. ³It is at Jaggernauth, towards the south of Orissa, that one finds the place of pilgrimage the most visited in the whole of India. People come here from hundreds of miles away and even from the districts located on the foothills of the Himalayas.
Balasore, which is situated on the route of the pilgrims coming from the north-east of the peninsula, is continuously crossed by a crowd of pagans of all ages; of both the sexes and of all social levels, who visit or return to this place. The largest number comes on foot; some come on horsebacks, on the backs of camels or of elephants, or in carts of all types.
When, in January last, I was on the route from Midnapore to Balasore, the number of pilgrims was so -large that it looked like a procession as far as the eye could see. Most of them were full of tiredness; they moved forward painfully; quite a few had blood on their feet.´ ³During the month of February about 3,000 pilgrims stay at Balasore each day. In the eyes of the pagans, even the route going to Jaggernauth is sacred; often the indigenous people taking this route touch the earth with hands and kiss it with respect before putting their feet on that route.´
The oral history of the Jagannath Sadak is still rich and varied. There are many tales, fables and episodes which are still prevalent in the villages that were on the path of the old road. Popular ditties and limericks (called dhagas) are still sung. The Jagannath Sadak, the ancient travellers and pilgrims, the invading armies, all find mention in the songs, bhajans and religious texts of coastal Odisha.
To read more please click on the link below :
http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2015/Nov/engpdf/44-48.pdf
Lord Jagannath Temple Puri
Lord Jagannath Temple Puri
Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna, with His elder brother Balarama and His younger sister Subhadra, once visited Kurukshetra in a chariot. Two thousand years later, King Indradyumna started the temple of Jagannatha in Orissa at Puri, and he wanted to establish a picture in the temple of Krishna, Subhadra, and Balarama coming to Kuruksetra in the chariot during solar eclipse.
He employed Visvakarma to carve them from wood, and made a contract with Visvakarma that the sculptor would do his work behind closed doors and the King should not disturb him. But the King, being very impatient to see, forcefully opened the door.
Visvanatha stopped carving, but the king decided, “Never mind it is half finished. I shall install these deities in the temple.” Since then, the three deities Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra are being worshiped in India at Jagannatha Puri.
Baladeva – Subhadra – Jagannatha
Baladeva – Subhadra – Jagannatha
The significance of Jagannatha Puri and the story of how the Deities first appeared goes back many hundreds of years to the time of King Indradyumna, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is related that one time in his court the King heard from a devotee about an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, named Nila-madhava. (Nila-madhava is the Deity form of Lord Vishnu.) The King very much wanted to see this form of the Supreme and sent many Brahmanas to search for Nila-madhava. All came back unsuccessful except for Vidyapati, who did not come back at all. He had wandered to a distant town which was populated by a tribe of people known as Shabaras of non-Aryan heritage. He had stayed in the house of Visvasu, and later, at Visvasu’s request, married his daughter, Lalita.
After some time Vidyapati noticed that Visvasu would leave the house every night and return at noon the next day. Vidyapati asked his wife about this. Though her father had ordered her not to tell anyone, she told Vidyapati that Visvasu would go in secret to worship Nila-madhava. After repeated requests, Vidyapati finally got permission to go see Nila-madhava, only if he went blindfolded. But Vidyapati’s wife had bound some mustard seeds in his cloth so that a trail could be left to follow later. When they reached the shrine, Vidyapati saw the Deity Nila-madhava after the Shabara took off the blindfold, and he felt great ecstasy.
The story continues to relate that while Visvasu was out collecting items for worship, Vidyapati saw a bird fall into the nearby lake and drown. The soul of the bird suddenly took a spiritual form and ascended back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati wanted to do the same and climbed the tree to jump in the lake. Then a voice from the sky declared that before he jumped he should tell Indradyumna that he had found Nila-madhava.
When Visvasu returned to worship the Deity, Nila-madhava spoke and said that He had accepted the simple worship from him for so many days, but now He wanted to accept the opulent worship that would be offered by King Indradyumna. When Vidyapati went back to tell the King, Indradyumna immediately went to find Nila-madhava but could not locate Him. So the King arrested Visvasu, but a voice told him to release the Shabara and that he should build a temple on top of Nila Hill where the King would see the Lord as Daru-brahman, the wooden manifestation of the Absolute.
After great endeavor, King Indradyumna built the temple at Sri Kshetra, now known as Jagannatha Puri, and later prayed to Lord Brahma to consecrate it. However, Lord Brahma said that it was not within his power to consecrate the temple since Sri Kshetra is manifested by the Supreme’s own internal potency and is where the Lord manifests Himself. So Brahma simply put a flag on top of the temple and blessed it, saying that anyone who from a distance saw the flag and offered obeisances would easily be liberated from the material world. Nonetheless, after much waiting the King became anxious since Nila-madhava had not manifested Himself. Thinking his life was useless, the King decided he should end his life by fasting. But in a dream the Lord said that He would appear floating in from the sea in His form as Daru-brahman.
The King went to the shore and found a huge piece of wood that had the markings of a conch, disc, club, and lotus. This was Daru-brahman. But try as they might, the men could not budge the wood. In a dream the Lord spoke to the King and instructed him to get Visvasu and put a golden chariot in front of Daru-brahman. After doing this and forming a kirtana party to chant the holy names, and praying for Daru-brahman to mount the chariot, Daru-brahman was easily moved. Lord Brahma performed a sacrifice where the present temple now stands and installed a Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva, the Deity that is now on the western side of the temple.
From the wooden Daru-brahman, the King requested many expert carvers to carve the form of the Deity, but none could do so for their chisels immediately broke when they touched the wood. Finally the architect of the demigods, Visvakarma, (some say the Lord Himself) arrived as an old artist, Ananta Maharana, and promised that he would carve the Deity form of the Lord inside the temple in three weeks if the King would allow him to work behind closed doors. But after 14 days the King became very anxious because he could no longer hear the sounds of the carving. Finally he could stand it no more. On the advice of the queen he personally opened the doors of the temple to see what was happening. Then he saw the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Lady Subhadra. But because the King had opened the doors sooner than he was supposed to, the Deities were not completed; Their feet and hands had not yet been carved. Thus, the Supreme manifested Himself in this form.
The King felt he had committed a great offense for having opened the doors before the allotted three weeks had passed, so he decided to end his life. But in a dream Lord Jagannatha told the King that though he had broken his promise, this was just a part of the Supreme’s pastimes to display this particular form. The King was told that this form, even though it appeared to be incomplete, was actually the form of the Lord that was meant to be worshiped in this age of Kali-yuga. Occasionally the King could decorate the Deity with golden hands and feet. Yet those devotees filled with love would always see the form of Lord Jagannatha as the threefold bending form of Syamasundara, Krishna, holding a flute. Thus, the Supreme appeared in this form so that people could approach and see Him, especially as He rides through town on the huge carts during the Ratha-Yatra festival.
To read more about how Lord Jagannath came into existence please click on the link below :
https://rgyan.com/blogs/how-did-lord-jagannath-come-into-existence/
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Legend says that Guru Nanak arrived at Puri with his disciple ‘Mardana’ a Muslim follower. When Guru Nanak reached Puri beach in the evening near the present Swargadwar, he sat down in meditation.
Mardana was hungry but as he was a Muslim he was not allowed to enter the Jagannath temple for Mahaprasad. So the disciple blamed Nanak for selecting such a place where they had to face starvation.
Suddenly at that time somebody appeared and offered food and drink in golden utensils. In the early hours of morning however there was a commotion in the Jagannath temple because the gold utensils of the Lord were missing.
The news was conveyed to the Maharaja of Puri. Guru Nanak appeared to the Raja in his dream that night. So when the Raja heard about the theft, he smiled and marched towards sea-beach in a procession to welcome the saint.
The Raja found the saint in meditation and the gold utensils were lying close by. Then the king and his party gave a hearty reception to the saint who had come to Puri to pay his homage to Lord Jagannath.
Nanak was invited to visit the temple at the time of Arati in the evening. When the arati started, Guru Nanak stood silent, not participating. Later when asked why, he said, this was not homage enough to the glory and wonder of the Lord of the Universe, to whom Nature paid a far more sublime tribute. In reply, he sang verses which remain immortal for their exquisite mystic poetry:
The “Bhakti-Cult” and its exponents had the goal of uniting the human race through true devotion to God. Gathering momentum in mediaeval India, this socio-religious movement rejected casteism, pilgrimage etc. and emphasized the oneness of God.
Guru Nanak (1469-1539) started it in Punjab and was on a mission to explain it to all the countrymen. The other members of the cult were Ramananda and Kavir in Uttar Pradesh; Shri Chaitanya in Bengal; Namdev, Tukaram and Ramdas in Maharastra.
As an exponent of this new cult, Nanak travelled throughout India. While on his mission, he reached Jagannath Puri where Ballavacharya and Sri Chaitanya were his contemporaries.
One evening, he entered the temple reciting the Lord’s name. On the very entrance to Nata Mandir, he was suddenly charged with divine ecstasy. He originally believed in the formless worship of the Lord. But the symbolic image of Lord Jagannath was neither of any “Akar” nor was it “Nirakar”. Seeing this “Kimakar” (of which form ?) image of the Lord, he was simply astonished and was overwhelmed with deep reverence for the Lord. He understood the universalism of the Lord and believed in the symbolic cult of Jagannath. He started the ‘Namakirtan’ of the Lord in his own way.
Basically, Nanak believed in the formless worship of ‘Nirakar’ Bramha and hi motto was ‘Ek Omkar Satnam’. It means that he believed in ‘Omkar’ or ‘Pranava Brahma’ which has no form and stressed on the ‘Satnam’ or the true Namakirtan of the Lord. So, in his teachings, there is a blending of Vedic thoughts with the idea of the Namakirtan of personal God.
But, after seeing Jagannath for the first time, he could not reject him on the ground that he was incompatible with his philosophy. The ‘essence of the Vedas’, as He is called, appeared to Guru Nanak in the Pranava form and he could only start the Namakirtan. Just at that time, the Arati ceremony had started. All devotees stood up and gazed at the Lord with great devotion. But Nanak was so charged with ecstasy that he could not mark these reactions of the people. With great pleasure, he was seated in his previous posture and tears were rolling down his eyes.
A section of the priests marked this indifference of Nanak. They whispered to themselves as to his credibility and devotion to the Lord. When the Arati was over, they met with Nanak and asked him why he did not stand at Arati time. They further opined that mere rosaries and a garb don’t make a monk. In their view, his actions had amounted to disrespect for the Lord.
Guru Nanak had by that time understood the real potentialities of Lord Jagannath. He had seen the touch of universalism and Vedic symbolism manifest in the wonderful image of Lord Jagannath. So he replied to the priests :
“Dear brothers ! Does our Jagannath only exist here and in this wooden image? Is He not dazzling in the aura of his own greatness, inside all of all creation.”
While uttering these words, he became highly emotional and looking at the Lord, he started to sing a few stanzas from a Sikh composition. The meaning of the stanza reveals that he had a broader view of the Lord and that he considered Jagannath as the manifestation of the Divine Power.
The English translation of the stanza follows:
“Oh Jagannath, the Lord of the universe,
the entire sky is the plate of your Arati, the Sun
and Moon are two lamps, which are burning there.
The stars are the flame dazzling with sparks,
the Sandal wood fragrance caused due
to Malaya wind is your Dhupa, the wind
bearing its fragrance is flaming your fans. Oh
Lord of Light, the trees are offering flowers
for your Arati, oh Lord the liberator, this Arati
of yours is undescribable. The bells of this Arati
are only sounded through the Anahat Dhwani (relentless sound).”
As Nanak was originally a preacher of the Bhakti cult, he universalised Jagannath after realising his true potentialities. The Sadhus, the priests and the general public were stunned to hear such devotional songs of the Lord from Guru Nanak.
This instance points out Nanak’s analysis of Jagannath from a broader and universal outlook. It further signifies that Nanak had established Jagannath in the inner chamber of his heart.
In this land of Jagannath, Nanak met the Sankaracharya of Puri and discussed various shastras with him. The ‘Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat’ of Iswar Das also deals with Nanak’s meeting with Chaitanya at Puri and his interactions with him. As Nanak and Chaitanya had the common aim of integrating humanity through Bhakti or Devotion, both of their preaching had tremendous impact upon the minds of the people of Orissa. During Nanak’s stay at Puri and Cuttack, Udatta and Ramananda remained with him as friends and participated in Nanak’s Namakirtan throughout. The book, entitled ‘Prachina Utkala’ of late Jagabandhu Singh also mentions about Nanak’s entry to Jagannath temple. Accordingly, when Nanak entered the temple, the worshippers unknowingly drove him thinking that he was a Muslim. Nanak, being humiliated, went to the seashore and meditated on Jagannath
To read more please click on the link below :
https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Nanak_at_Puri
http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2012/Feb-March/engpdf/1-6.pdf
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Lord Jagannath at Puri
Chaitanya, along with his friend Nityananda, proceeded towards Orissa. He preached Vaishnavism wherever he went and held ‘Sankirtans’ or religious gatherings. He attracted thousands of people wherever he went. He stayed for some time at Puri and then proceeded to the south of India.
Gauranga visited the Tirupathi hills, Kancheepuram and the famous Srirangam on the banks of the Cauvery. From Srirangam he proceeded to Madurai, Rameswaram, and Kanyakumari. He also visited Udipi, Pandharpur, and Nasik. Up north, he visited Vrindavan, bathed in the Yamuna, and in several sacred pools, and visited the various shrines for worship. He prayed and danced in ecstasy to his heart’s content. He also visited Nabadwip, his birthplace. At last Gauranga returned to Puri and settled there.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Guru Nanak both met at Puri and spent some time there. This incident is recorded in Chaitanya Bhagbat of Iswar Das written in Oriya in 17th Century.
In the congregational singing led by Shri Chaitanya in Nagar Purushottama (Puri dham), Nanak and Saranga (another name for Mardana who played the sarangi), the two bothers Rupa and Sanatana alongwith Jagai and Madhai also joined in. Gopal Guru, for whom Guru Nanak had deep affection, was there as well, along with Nityananda Prabhu, who was considered an incarnation of Balarama. They all relished the kirtan at Jagannath Puri.” (Ishvar Das’s Chaitanya Bhagavat Adhyaya 64).
A popular legend is told of how Guru Nanak was entering the temple of Lord Jagannath, he met Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was coming out. Both offered pranams to each other. Then Nanak turned and started to leave the temple. Mahaprabhu asked him why he was not going inside to have darshan. Guru Nanak replied ‘I have already seen the Lord’.
To read more please click on the link below :
https://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/49358-guru-nanak-and-lord-jagannath/
https://www.learnreligions.com/sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-bio-1770329
Bauli Math at Puri
Bauli Math at Puri
Story has it that Guru Nanak in 1509 where he went into a deep meditation (samadhi) and that on the third day Lord Jagannath got worried about losing his status. Jagannath himself walked from his temple to meet Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Guru Nanak. One morning Guru Nanak went for a stroll. There were many people bathing, just as the pilgrims do now in their customary fully attired manner. Guru Nanak’s companion, Mardana, felt thirsty. The water all around was insipid. The Guru with his staff dug up the sand near him and there appeared a spring of cool drinking water, from which Mardana drank to his satisfaction.
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s also visited the Bauli Mathh where he stayed for a few days during his travels.
Mangu Math at Puri
Mangu Math at Puri
The Mutt is located in front of Simhadwar of the 12th-century shrine at the entrance of Dolamandap Sahi, one of the busiest roads of the town in Puri. The two-storied building, constructed with mortar and limestone powder over 100 years back.
Mangu Mutt, though not connected directly with Sri Jagannath Temple, connects Srikhetra with the founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Guru Nanak came to Puri in 1509 and offered ‘Arati’ to Lord Jagannath on the sand dune where the Mutt now stands.
In 1552, Guru Nanak’s son Sri Chand too offered prayers to the Lord at the same place. The Mutt was built in the 17th century by a famous saint of Udasin sect of Sikh faith and an ardent disciple of Guru Nanak, Mangu Das. Interestingly, a marble statue of Sri Chand, the only one in India, is worshipped in the Mutt.
The verses used by Guru Nanak while praying and conducting Arati of Lord Jagannath are recited in the Mutt. The verses were later included in the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib. “The Arati verses are recited in all gurudwaras,”
For that purpose, Janam Sakhis of Guru Nanak’s life and his visit to various places were got written in details. In the Janam Sakhi of Bhai Bala, Guru Nanak’s visit to Jagan Nath Puri is mentioned in great detail. Two places, Mangu Math and Bauli Math also find mention in the Janam Sakhi as being intimately connected with Guru Nanak’s visit to Puri. The third Guru, Guru Amar Dass, took further steps for propagation of Guru Nanak’s new creed and appointed missionaries for that purpose in different parts of the country. Bhai Mohan was the first missionary appointed for the area of Bengal and Orissa in about 1562 AD. The missionary work took a further fillip, when Baba Shri Chand accepted the supremacy of his father’s mission and his new creed, and undertook its propagation during the time of 4th and 5th Gurus. Baba Shri Chand, whose Udasi followers are now-a-days managing Bauli Math and Mangu Math in Puri, had become a Sanyasi and did not marry.
During the last years of his life, he adopted Baba Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the Sikhs, and entrusted to him the missionary work of Sikhism in various parts of India. Baba Gurditta under the guidance of Guru Hargobind opened many new missionary centres at far flung places.
To read more please click on the link below :
https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=42&tmpl=component&mapinfo=1
Bhai Himmat Singh from Puri
Bhai Himmat Singh from Puri
Bhai Himmat Singh (18 January 1661– 7 December 1705), was one of the original Panj Piare (the Five Beloved) the first five Singhs to be initiated into the Khalsa way of life. He was born on 18 January 1661 at Jagannath in a “low-caste” family of water suppliers. He came to Anandpur at the young age of 17, and attached himself to the service of Guru Gobind Singh.
Before initiation, he was called ‘Bhai Himmat’. The word ‘himmat’ or ਹਿੰਮਤ is a Punjabi word which means ‘courage’ or ‘brave’. He was one of the initial five Sikhs who one by one offered to lay down their heads in response to the Guru’s successive calls made at an assembly of the Sikhs especially summoned on the occasion of Baisakhi of 1756 Bk corresponding to 14 April, 1699. He along with the other four received the vows of the Khalsa at Guru Gobind Singh‘s hands and was given the name Himmat Singh.
Bhai Himmat Singh proved himself to be a brave warrior and while at Anandpur, he took part in battles with the surrounding hill chiefs and imperial commanders. He died in the battle of Chamkaur on 7 December, 1705 together with Bhai Sahib Singh and Bhai Mukham Singh also members of the historic Panj Pyares.
- Original Name: Bhai Himmat Rai.
- Became Bhai Himmat Singh
- water-carrier, born in Jagan-Nath Puri (Orissa), 1661
- Father name: Bhai Gulzaree Jee
- Mother name: Mata Dhanoo Jee
- Akal Chalana: Attained Shayeedie at Chamkaur Sahib on 1705
- Born in 1661, Bhai Sahib ji was about 5 years older than Guru Gobind Singh(1666-1708)
- At the time of creation of the Khalsa, Bhai Sahib ji was 38 years old
- Died aged 44 fighting against the Mughals at the battle of Chamkaur
Maharaja Ranjit Singh & his last wish for The Kohinoor
Maharaja Ranjit Singh & his last wish for The Kohinoor
According to Dhir, who has researched the Sikh connection with the Jagannath Temple, there is ample documentary proof that Maharaja Ranjit Singh had bequeathed the diamond to the Jagannath temple before his death in 1839. A letter written by the British government’s political agent from a camp near the Khyber Pass on July 2, 1829 is preserved in the National Archives of India at New Delhi. The letter, addressed to T.A. Maddock, the officiating secretary to the Government of India says: “Although the right Hon’ble Governor General of India will have received the melancholy intelligence of the demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh before my report on that event can arrive, I deem it my duty to announce that his highness expired at Lahore on the 27th ultimo.
During the last days of his illness, his highness declared to have bestowed in charity, money, jewels and other property to the supposed value of 50 lakhs of rupees. Among the jewels, he directed the well-known Coh-I-Nur (Kohinoor) diamond to be sent to the temple of Jagannath at Puri”. Last year, a INTACH team comprising of A.B.Tripathy, Baikuntha Panigrahi and Dhir had met the Director of the National Archives of India with a request that the original letter mentioning Ranjit Singh’s wishes should be displayed at the Bhubaneswar Centre of the Archives.According to Dhir, is an established fact that Maharaja Ranjit Singh had donated more gold and silver to the Jagannath Temple in Puri than even to Golden Temple at Amritsar.
He had a lifelong yearning to visit Puri, but his impairments restricted him from taking such a long journey. Just ten years later, the British took away the diamond from Ranjit Singh’s son, Duleep Singh, in 1849, even though they were fully aware of it being bequeathed to Lord Jagannath at Puri. The claim for the return of the Kohinoor was first made soon after Independence in 1947 by the Government of India. Another request followed in 1953, the year of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. But the really fight erupted in 1976 when the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in a letter to the British Prime Minister, James Callaghan, submitted a formal request for the return of the diamond to Pakistan. Pakistan’s claim was refused, but Callaghan gave a written assurance to Bhutto that there was no question that Britain would have handed it over to any other country.
Shortly after, a major newspaper in Teheran stated that the gem ought to be returned to Iran. In November 2000 the Taliban regime demanded the return of the diamond to Afghanistan.In April 2016, the Government of India had told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was neither “forcibly taken nor stolen” by the British, but had instead been gifted to the East India Company by the successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Archeological Survey of India made matters murkier by contradicting the government’s stand by stating in a RTI reply that the diamond was in fact “surrendered” by Duleep Singh to Queen Victoria of England. Jawaharlal Nehru had once said, “Diamonds are for the Emperors and India does not need Emperors.”
In October 1997, during Queen Elizabeth’s State Visit to India and Pakistan to mark the 50th anniversary of Independence, many Sikhs in India and Britain used the occasion to demand the return of the Koh-i-noor diamond.Dhir said that the Government of Odisha and the temple Board should put up a claim. Last year he had met many MLA’s and asked them to pass a resolution in the State Assembly for claiming the diamond back, but this did not happen. For the record, the Kohinoor had been in the possession of Mughal rulers in Delhi for 213 years, with rulers in Kandahar and Kabul for 66 years and with the British for nearly 172 years.
To read more please click on the link below :
https://orissadiary.com/jagannath-temple-sole-rightful-claimant-kohinoor/
http://www.maharajaranjitsingh.com/maharaja_ranjit_singh_and_kohinoor.html
Guru Nanak Datan Sahib, Cuttack, Odisha
Guru Nanak Datan Sahib, Cuttack, Odisha
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib or Kaliaboda Gurdwara – Guru Nanak Dev also stayed at Cuttock on his way to Puri. Here, among others, the local ruler Raja Partap Rudra Dev received instruction from him. The Shrine commemorative of the Guru is outside the town on the bank of Mahanadi River near Kishti Ghat aong the way to Jagannath Puri. It is served by Udasi priests. Now a Gurdwara has also been established; it is called Gurdwara Datan Sahib or, locally, Kaliaboda Gurdwara.
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib stands on the bank of Mahanadi at Cuttack city, about 25 km from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. This holy Gurdwara is a momento Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji’s visit to Odisha.
Guru Nanak visited Odisha in 1506 after travelling to Assam and Bengal. Guru Nanak took shelter in a small cottage. A mesmerist named Chetan Bharati was residing very close to the cottage. He was practicing witchcraft with the intention to mobilise Bhairavi.
Guru Nanak’s presence attracted the people of the locality, the numbers increased and they turned into Sikhs. Watching the situation, his heart full of jealousy and hatred, Chetan applied his witchcraft to divert the attention of the people from Guru Nanak but his efforts were of no use.
Once when Guru Nanak Sahib Ji was saying his prayers, Chetan Bharati arrived and broke one of the branches of a Sahada tree nearby. When Guru Nanak opened his eyes, the branch fell on the ground. Weeping piteously Chetan Bharati touched the feet of Guru Nanak with agony. BWith Guru Nanak’s influence and kind words, Chetan turned into a Sikh.
Early morning one day, Chetan offered a small branche of the Sahada tree for Guru Nanak to use to brush his teeth. Guru Nanak used one part of the branch and planted the rest in the ground which grew into a huge tree. The same tree perished in 1930. Prof. Pranakrishna Parija and Prof. Baba Kartar Singh, the two eminent scientists, examined the tree and declared that the tree was of the Guru’s time.
Another tree took birth from the root of the first tree which is now remembered by Sikhs to recall the memory of Guru Nanak. In order to construct a Gurdwara, Prof. Parija and Prof. Singh collected donations from the Sangat and completed a new Gurdwara building in 1935. A Gurdwara was rebuilt and modernized in 1988. The Guru Granth Sahib is now on the first floor of the double storeyed building.
A piece of Sahada tree (Datan Sahib) has been preserved inside a glass show case in front of Palki and a beautiful model of the Golden temple on the other side.
Large number of Sikhs gather here on Sundays. Langar is arranged for all, inside the large hall of the ground floor. All the Sikhs present in the campus of the Gurdwara have langar on Sunday. Guru Nanak’s birthday is the main Gurpurb celebrated here in the month of November. All the Sikhs gladly take part in the recitation of Guru Granth Sahib and observe the Gurpurb.
Religious activities and different competitions are organized by the committee. Sangat celebrates the commemoration of Guru Arjan Sahib Ji, the fifth Guru; Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru every year. Prakash Purb of Guru Gobind Singh is celebrated during the month of December/ January. Another important festival of this Gurdwara is Vaisakhi. Kirtan Jathas from different parts of the country take part in this Gurpurb.
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib is privileged to have the Head Office of Orissa Sikh Pratinidhi Board in its campus. It also runs Guru Nanak Public School, which imparts education to all, without any discrimination of caste, creed and colour.
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The Anthem of the Universe
The Anthem of the Universe
Coming to the 20th century remembering Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, its said that once the veteran actor Balraj Sahni, who taught in Santiniketan in the late 1930’s, asked Rabindra Nath Tagore that,
“You have written many important anthems for India. Why not write an international anthem for the whole world?”
“It has already been written, not only for the world but for the entire universe. It was written in the 16th century by Guru Nanak,” replied Tagore referring to the Aarti (the ceremony of light).
In fact such was his love and respect for the verses that Gurudev Tagore personally translated it too in order to make it reach many more, not knowing the language (Gurmukhi). And shared below is the first stanza of the same which I have tried to translate in English for all interested fellow seekers on the path as beautifully expressed by Guru Nanak.
“Gagan Mai Thaal Rav Chand Deepak Baney,
Tarika Mandal Janak Moti,
Dhoop Malyanlo Pavan Chavro Kare
Sagal Banraye Phulant Jyoti,
Kaisi Aarti Hoye Bhav Khandna Teri Aarti.
Anhata Shabad Vaajant Bheri”
The Aarti sung by Shivpreet Singh
Listen to “The Aarti” sung by Shivpreet Singh on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3LMgab3qIQ