Tuesday, November 26, 2013

ELEPHANT FESTIVALS OF IYENGARS OF KARNATAKA

ELEPHANT FESTIVAL OF IYENGARS OF KARNATAKA (YAANAI PANDIGAI)
(DISCOURSE BY N.R.SRINIVASAN, NASHVILLE, TN, NOVEMBER 2013)

Hindus worship chosen animals which are also the mounts of Gods or Goddesses. These are serpent,  horse, elephant, goat, bull, peacock, rat, buffalo, lion, swan, crocodile etc.  Lakshmi is always associated with elephant which is also the mount of Vishnu in her company or alone sometimes. Animals are reverentially treated in Bhootayagna, a religious sacrificial act.  There are many rituals and festivals symbolic of Hindus’ concern for wild life care, preservation of forests and religious sentiments   to maintain the pristine beauty of flora and fauna.  Today celebration of such festivals has acquired immediate significance because the world seems to be decaying, degenerating, drifting towards destruction…..the earth is being plundered, heritage is being ignored, culture is being eroded, all in the name of progress. It is strange coincidence that such festivals are associated with Vishnu, the Universal Preserver, like Tulasi Vivaah, Paalika Visarjan, Govardhan Puja, Elephant Festival etc.

Saivaites, celebrate it as Sivadeepam and offer worship to the lamps, whereas, some Vaishnavites, in Karnataka celebrate it also by offering pooja (worship) to clay models of elephants as Gajalakshmi pooja. This is celebrated by the women folk as a Vrata (ritual) - a fasting ritual for the well-being of their husbands. As we all know elephant is the longest living and strong animal. On this auspicious occasion, the entire house is lit with beautifully decorated lamps like Deepavali. The worship is conducted in the evenings and the daylight fast ends in feasting during night. This worship goes on for three days.
Legend has it that during the exile of the Kunti, mother of Pandavas , saw some  Brahmins walking with plates full of fruits,  gifts, and coins  (dakshina), indicating they were just returning after conducting a special religious worship. On enquiry, she came to know that the queen, Gaandhaari, had performed Gajalakshmi pooja in secrecy without informing Kunti, in her palace and had offered them dakshina (religious money offering for conducting the ceremony). Kunti hadn’t been invited. So, she was sad, lamenting her inability to perform the pooja. On learning the cause of her despair, Arjuna consoled her, saying that he would bring Airavatha, the celestial white elephant from Indra, his father  so that she could also perform the pooja. Arjuna requested Indra to lend Airavatha to him. Indra agreed and Arjuna built a ladder with arrows to Indra’s abode to bring Airavatha to the earth. Kunti performed the pooja, blessed her sons and thanked Indra for his kind gesture.

In some Iyengar families in Karnataka, it is a custom to give a bronze or silver elephant and a silver jug with a spout called guindy, to the daughter of the house during her wedding, to continue this tradition of worship every year. The festival is celebrated with fervor by newly married girls. Two elephant models, made of clay, along with metal elephant figurines are worshiped. They are decorated with ‘namams’ and adorned with rich silk cloth. A mirror is kept in front of them. Normally idol of crawling baby Krishna is kept over the elephants to make it seem as if Krishna is riding over them (a reminder of his boy-hood day visit to Hastinapura to kill Kamsa). The lady of the house usually wears her wedding sari (preferably nine yards) for the pooja. She fills a silver jug with raw milk and makes five pradakshinas (circumambulations) of the elephant, slowly dripping the milk from the jug as she goes around. Another family member accompanies her and holds a punctured coconut (tender cocoanut) with its water dripping slowly. Sweet stuffed Dosas and appams (special mouth-watering snacks of the South) are offered, along with sugarcane pieces, raw rice, bananas and Bengal gram Lentil). The second day is celebrated as Mari (little) Karthikai, the festival of the elephant calf. On the third day, four types of South Indian rice preparations (ksheeranna or sweet pongal, curd rice, puliogare and kadambam/ bisibelebhath) are prepared. In the evening, before sunset, the elephants are given a warm send off after worship. A little curd rice (without salt) is applied under their tummies and they are immersed in a pond, or river as prayers are offered urging them to come back the following year and bless the house with prosperity (a practice similar to  Ganesh Visarjan Ceremony in Maharashtra). It is also customary to enjoy the outdoor dinner with family members in the garden and leave the elephant under a banana tree or bamboo grove.

Elephant festival is also celebrated as mini-Deepaavali with full lighting with mud oil wick lamps for three days. The worship of elephant and celebration of the festival for three days as above is observed to honor and celebrate the Avatar of Gajalakshmi who is believed born on this day of Vishnudeepam. Two elephants performed abhishekam (religious bathing ceremony) on Goddess Gajalakshmi when she was born. Hindus often worship portrait of Gajalakshmi, which shows the gorgeous Lakshmi sitting on lotus and two elephants by her side pouring milk form their raised trunks. Of the eight forms of Lakshmi (Ashta Lakshmis) Gajalakshmi is the most popular. She is usually figured on the lintels of door frames. She is seated on an eight-petal lotus, has four hands and is carrying a lotus, a pot of nectar, a bilva fruit and a conch. Behind her two elephants are shown pouring milk in the act of Abhishekam ritual (sacred bath) from pots held in their trunks. The protecting power of Vishnu has eight aspects which are pictured as eight goddesses (Ashtalakshmis).  Gajalakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity.  Two white elephants symbolize strength and wisdom.

It is worth mentioning here that Wild-life division of Karnataka, inspired by this Elephant festival of Iyengar community in Karnataka conducted Elephant Festival, parading trained elephants and   entertaining children on 54th Wild Life Week in Dubare Elephant camp near Kushalnagar. This was to create awareness among the public, the need for conservation of wild life and forests. This is in contrast to the vast killing and pouching  that is going on to hunt for much valued elephant tusks in Africa to quench the thirst of affluent Chinese and getting rich by this smuggling export trade illegally even though this is banned in many countries including Africa. Ivory jewels or art pieces are prohibited from being manufactured and sold. Karnataka is known for its ivory carving exhibits.

Hindu concluding prayers usually end with Shanti Mantra pleading for all, round tranquility calling for calmness in the animal and plant kingdoms showing their deep concern for indiscriminate disturbances  of flora fauna: Om dyauh santih  antariksham santih  prithvee santih aapah santih oshadhayah santih vanaspatayah santih viswedevah santih brahma santih sarvam santih santireva santih daa maa santiredhi || [May there be peace in the heavenly region; may there be peace in the atmosphere (caring for birds); may there be peace on earth (flora and fauna); may there be calmness in the herbs ; may there be peace in the plant kingdom (Forest life);may  there be harmony in the celestial objects and perfection in eternal knowledge; may there be universal peace; may peace pervade everywhere; may that peace come to me also; may there be peace from terrestrial disturbance; external disturbance and from internal disturbance from within me!]
 
DEDICATION
My mother was a dedicated religious woman and very orthodox. She implicitly followed her equally religious and orthodox parents however wrong they may be? I always questioned blind beliefs and orthodoxy extended to the point of ridicule! She failed miserably to convert me to her line of thinking. She passed away peacefully in 1977  immediately after  the ritual of Elephant Visarjan on the third day after Karthigai without any suffering chanting the name of God when the festival lights dimmed. Her formidable faith guided her all through her struggle in life.  I left her at the age of eight in 1938and was not there also when she gave up her ghost. I thought of making her last days comfortable but He willed otherwise! This discourse is dedicated to her and to her firm belief in  Hindu Festivals and Rituals whose deeper meaning I started realizing late in my life.
 APPENDIX

 KARTIGAI FESTIVAL & THE ELEPHANT AND BLIND MEN ANALOGY
 (N.R. SRINIVASAN, December 3, 2017)

Today is Vishnu Kartigai. I do not know why there should be two Kartigais? Our local temple being Ganesha temple, celebrated it yesterday and I celebrate it at home quietly to-day. I do not know who is right? So are many festivals which goes to prove even as Hindu Americans we strictly follow the sectarian traditions. Besides I have a family tradition too. Coming from Karnataka as an Iyengar, my family also worships a pair of elephants on this day and give them a warm send-off on the third day like Ganesha Visarjan that I had explained in a separate discourse which is popular among my readers. Leaving my sectarian outlook I began to think of the strange combination of Light and Elephant worship together. Ganesha is also worshiped as Lord of Wisdom because of his elephant Head. Wisdom is Light and therefore seem to be logic in this holy combination of light and elephant worship. Elephant festival is celebrated in various traditions in India at different times the most famous being one in Rajasthan celebrated on the day of Holy in March.
The Elephant Festival of Jaipur in Rajasthan is an annual event. It is a symbol of royalty and majesty in the traditional Indian culture as well. There are mythical legends about the importance of elephants in India. This Indian festival, celebrated with much pomp, gives a glimpse into the royalty of Rajasthan. Indra is worshiped with his elephant as well as Lakshmi. The participating elephants are adorned with chunky jewelry including anklets, bracelets, rings, ear danglers and head plates. The jewelry is made of silver and gold. Their backs are embellished with intricately embroidered velvet rugs, and their ears are embellished with brightly colored scarfs. Various motifs from Indian Culture and tradition are painted on their bodies. Even the mahouts look their best in splendidly embroidered jackets and colorful turbans. The most beautifully decorated elephant is given a prize, in the festival. Folk dance performance during the parade makes the Elephant Festival of Jaipur a cultural extravaganza.
Wisdom is represented by the elephant in the form of the deity Ganesha, one of the most popular gods in the Hindu religion's pantheon. The elephant is associated with Buddha and the Indian deity Ganesha and can be used to symbolize power, wisdom, strength, protection of the home, fertility, and general good luck. Many Feng Shui practitioners believe that elephants should have their trunks facing upwards to represent prosperity, good luck, and success. So are the two elephants that are seen on the two sides of Lakshmi deity with pots of Nectar held by the raised trunks.
Rigveda, states "Reality is one, though wise men speak of it variously--(eko viprah bahudaa vadanti ". According to Paul J. Griffiths, this premise is the foundation of universal perspective behind the parable of the blind men and an elephant. The hymn asserts that the same Reality is subject to interpretations and described in various ways by the wise. Many scholars refer to it as a Hindu parable though quoted by many religions as their own. The parable or reference appear in Sankara’s commentary on Chandogya Upanishad 5.18.1 as follows: etaddhasti darshana iva jatyandhah--That is like people blind by birth in/when viewing an elephant.
What does this philosophical argument of the blind men and an elephant tell us about God?
Four blind men discover an elephant. Since these men have never encountered an elephant, they grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new phenomenon. One grasps the trunk and concludes it is a snake. Another explores one of the elephant's legs and describes it as a tree. A third finds the elephant's tail and announces that it is a rope. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the elephant's side, concludes that it is, after all, a wall.
This popular analogy is used to show that all religions are valid ways to describe God. It equalizes all religions, making all religions equally "true" in their description of God. Each in his blindness is describing the same thing: an elephant. Yet each describes the same thing in a radically different way.
Many spiritual writers say, this is analogous to the different religions of the world -- they are describing the same thing in radically different ways. Thus one should conclude that no individual religion has a corner on truth, but that all should be viewed as essentially equally valid.
Some other spiritual writers say, all four blind men are, in fact, mistaken. It is an elephant and not a wall or a rope or a tree or a snake. Their opinions are not equally true -- they are equally, and actually false. At best, such an analogy of religious pluralism would show that all religions are false, not true.
If God is infinite and we are finite, it is reasonable to believe that none of us can fully capture His nature. But does this philosophic analogy demonstrate the truth that all religions lead to God? Evidently not. That is why Bhagavan said in Gita: “Only those who worship Me (Deva) come to Me. Others will go to devatas, pitrus or spirits whom they worship”. To conclude that this story does  ignore several points. Nevertheless it is a powerful and provocative image, and it certainly seems to capture something of the truth.

To me the large elephant we worship on this day represents Paramaatman and the small elephant Jivaataman like the two birds perching on the same tree. Jivaatman follows closely Paramaatman on the day of send-off. Though the parable pities the blind men for their handicap, I would think good Lord is more considerate to them than to others who have been blessed with eye-sight. These blind men were deprived of their eye-sight because of their past karma and thus were given an opportunity to turn inwards and realize the inner light and reach the Supreme faster as they had no attraction for material world in their physical condition if well focused. We have here examples of saints like Surdas who made best use of their blindness. But these blind men who studied elephant depended solely on their extra powerful hearing power given by him and got attracted to the material world, thought differently about the Supreme and got exposed to partial truth. Those who are blessed with physical vision are in no way better disposed. Our worldly vision is focused only on the illusory and materialistic world that distracts us from turning inwards and realize the most powerful inner-light. The worship of light (deepam Jyoti Parabrahman) and elephant together reminds us to turn inwards, see the light within and get at the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but Truth.


5 comments:

  1. Interesting
    Thanks for sharing info

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  2. Srinivasanji - thank you for dedicatedly documenting your knowledge about the vast culture of ancient hinduism/scriptures in your blog. This particular post on Aane Habba is the best that I've come across so far and would like to reach out to you for permission to use it at an event celebrating elephants - creating awareness about Aane Habba and our deep connection with these gentle giants. Is there some way I can reach you to discuss?

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    Replies
    1. I represent an organization called AANE, and can be reached at aane.bangalore@gmail.com. Looking forward to connecting with you. thank you.

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  3. nice explantion sir i reside in nj ..work on Gajalakshmi pls share your email zavalkeshshr@gmail.com

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