Book on Demonetisation

***************************************

                                                                                                       

                                                                           

Demonetisation and Black Money by Dr.Rammanohar  Reddy ; Published by Orient Blackswan ; Pages 244; Price Rs.295/-

                         *************************

If America had its 9 / 11  India had its 8 /11.The  September 11attacks  were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda which  killed 2,996 people. India’s 8 /11 witnessed  Narendra Modi shaking  up the economy by announcing that currency denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 would no longer be deemed valid since that night. The announcement invalidated Rs 14.18 lakh crore of currency at one stroke. As much as 86 per cent pf the Rs 16.41 lakh crore of currency in circulation was deprived of its status as legal tender. The aim was to attack black money and defeat counterfeiting of currency. According to  R B I  as of 19 December 2016 as much as Rs.12.44 lakh crore had already been deposited in the banking system.

The announcement sent the nation into a frenzy, with many queuing up outside banks and ATMs in a bid to get their hands on valid currency. There were reports of deaths of people waiting in the queue for withdrawals.

As pointed out by Dr.Y.V.Reddy, ex RBI Governor demonetisation was undoubtedly a historic and unprecedented event, There has perhaps been no other policy that has affected the lives of a billion people directly and all at once. It is difficult to find a parallel in terms of the range of economic activities that have been hit by an economic policy decision.

 The author Dr.C.Rammanohar Reddy is an economist who was Editor of the highly respected 'Economic and Political Weekly' for over a decade and presently of 'Scroll-n' . In a discussion when the book was released he declared that his aim in writing the book is to provide  a comprehensive understanding of  the reasons that led to demonetisation, its impact on economy and people and allowing the  readers to arrive at their own conclusions -- whether the measure is good or bad.He has written the book for the layman and not the economists  and specialists in banking. Reddy has enlightened us of its aspects as it related to people and left the  judgment to us as part of our  decision making .

The  volume focuses on aspects like, whether demonetisation was effective in curbing black money, whether Government could have adopted a less disruptive measure  to curb black money as also if the objectives of demonetisation have been fulfilled and an attempt to analyse what  the future portends.

Reddy believes that  to curb black money, a larger change is imperative in government policies, people’s habits and societal norms.

He holds the view that the  argument that demonetisation was implemented to promote digital transactions and make economy go cashless does not hold water for the simple reason that  the trend of digital transactions has increased over the past few years and in the last year digital payments were more than cheque payments.

All are aware 1991 is still considered the watershed moment in India’s economic policy regime. That time  the issue was much more pertinent. Views were polarized, and material and commentary was in abundance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation exercise of 8 November, which made 86% of the currency under circulation redundant in one shot, is certainly an economic event of as much significance as the 1991 reforms.

 Rammanohar Reddy has  written  ' Demonetisation And Black Money ' even before the Reserve Bank of India has finished counting the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that have been returned to banks. The book will clearly serve as an intelligent person’s guide to demonetisation. All connected issues related respect to demonetisation have been covered clearly and cogently. Reddy does raise pertinent questions, backed as he is by long standing  experience in journalism and academics.

He doubts whether  a shift from cash to digital payments would deal a body blow to corruption, as white-collar activities might be involved in tax evasion too. Likewise , he gives the common habit of women exchanging their inherited jewellery for new pieces (without proof of exchange) to illustrate how a hawkish tax collection policy post-demonetisation might lead to the harassment of innocent taxpayers.

The book is divided into four sections that deal with a general discussion on black money and demonetisation, the assessment of the design and implementation of demonetisation policy, its impact on the common people and polity, and its impact on India’s banking sector.

The economist strongly believes that demonetisation has inflicted significant costs on the economy, with the poor suffering the most. Its benefits could have been realised through  less hurtful policies.

The book implies that demonetisation decision would have been taken on  political calculations, not policy wisdom. The international experience of demonetisation, India’s own experiences of previous demonetisation exercises, and more recent documents on the issue of black money—which have been cited in the book—clearly suggest that it would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make a policy case for demonetisation. The discussion on the banking sector also shows that problems in implementation were inevitable, given the scale of the exercise.

There is limited discussion on the politics around demonetisation, given the overwhelmingly peaceful and protest-less three months post-demonetisation—despite the immense hardship people were put to. It is pertinent to quote Dr.Y.V.Reddy, ex Governor on this. “Demonetisation led to a virtual denial of freedom of movement, drying up of sources of livelihood and deprivation for no fault of theirs. Yet, people at large did not revolt. They went through not just inconvenience, but pain. While the agony was palpable, the patience of the masses was beyond belief. There was silent but eloquent demonstrations of some deep, shared intense feeling.That feeling, I believe is one of disgust with the state of affairs in recent years, and a belief that this maybe the only way in which they could express it.”

  The discussion stresses  complicity of all political parties in trying to preserve opacity in political funding at the policy level, and the nexus of black money and politics at the grass-root level Modi was selling to people to justify his decision.

The author  concludes : “If in the end Demonetisation 2016 turns out to have been a failure and if there is no follow-up action on black money, there is likely to be long-term damage. The colossal distress that Demonetisation 2016 caused will make it impossible for any future government to embark on a more serious war on black money. The government will be wary if there is even a small risk of pain being inflicted once again on the entire population. No society will be able to go through this suffering once again. The black economy will then remain in place.”

A very valuable contribution to the debate on India’s 8/11.

P.P.Ramachandran

21 / 05 / 2017

TENTH--BHIMASHANKAR  JYOTIRLINGA

                                                     

Bhīmāshankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga located 50 km northwest of Khed near Pune . Bhīmāshankar is also the source of the river Bhima  which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur.

                                                           

 Many decades ago, in the dense forests of Dakini, on the lofty ranges of the Sahaydris lived the evil Asura by the name Bhima with his mother Karkati. Gods and human beings were mortally afraid of this demon. However, he was bothered  by a number of  questions about himself which troubled him no end. When Bhima could no longer sustain his agony and curiosity, he asked his mother to unveil the mysteries of his life. He urged his mother to tell him who his father was and why had he abandoned them in the wilderness of the forest. After much hesitation and with a lingering fear Karkati, his mother revealed to him that he was the son of the mighty Kumbhakarna, the younger brother of the  mighty King Ravana. Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Rama annihilated Kumbhakarna. Karkati told Bhima, that her husband and his father was killed by Rama in the great war. This infuriated Bhima and he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. To achieve this he embarked on a severe penance to please Lord Brahma. The compassionate creator was pleased by the dedicated devotee and granted him immense powers. This was a horrible  mistake of  Brahma . The dreaded  tyrant created incalculable  havoc in all the three worlds. He defeated King Indra and conquered the heavens. He also defeated a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva - Kamarupeshwar and put him in jail. He regularly began  torturing all saints.  Gods requested  Lord Shiva to come to their rescue; he agreed . At the same time Bhima insisted  and orderered Kamarupeshwara to worship him instead of Lord Shiva. When Kamarupeshwara declined to do pooja to him,  Bhima raised his sword to strike the Shiva Linga which Kamarupeshwar was worshipping. Shiva appeared before him in all his magnificence and a war began. Narada  requested Lord Shiva to put an end to this war.  Lord Shiva reduced the evil demon to ashes .All the Gods and the  sages requested Lord Shiva to make this place his abode. Lord Shiva thus manifested himself in the form of the Bhīmāshankar Jyotirlingam.

It is believed that the sweat that poured forth from Lord Shiva's body after the battle formed the Bhīmārathi River. This temple is also closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying the demon Tripurasura .

 The Bhīmāshankar temple is a composite of old and the new structures in the Nagara  style of architecture. It shows the excellent skills achieved by ancient sculptors. It is a modest yet graceful temple and it dates back to the 13th century . The sabha mandap was developed in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis. The shikara was built by him. As with other Shiva temples in this area, the sanctum is at a lower level.

Although the structure here is fairly new, the shrine Bhīmāshankaram (and the Bhīmārathi river) have been referred to in literature dating back to the 13th century CE. Jnaneshwar  had visited Triamabakeshwar and Bhīmāshankar. A unique bell  in Roman style can be seen in front of the temple. This bell has an idol of Mother Mary with Jesus. This large bell was presented by Chimaji Appa who was brother of Bajirao Peshwa I and uncle of Nanasaheb Peshwa. On 16 May 1739,  Chimaji Appa collected five large bells after he won in war against the Portugese from Vasai Fort.

                                                         

Bhīmāshankar is a reserved forest area of 130.78 km2  was declared as wildlife sanctuary in 1985.This sanctuary is a part of Western Ghat, so it is rich in floral and faunal diversity. A variety of birds, animals, insects, plants can be seen. A rare animal Malabar Giant squirrel locally called as " Shekaru" can be found in deep woods. Bhīmāshankar is a trekker's delight and a traveller's sojourn.

Note—

1.There is another Bhimashankar in Guwahati. Legend says that there was a King named Kamarupa, a devotee of Shiva. A demon called Bhima was constantly troubling the devotees. One day he came to attack the King with his open sword, but the same fell on the Shivalinga. At this the Lord  came out of the linga at once and destroyed the demon.Since then legend has it that the Lord has been there in the form of Jyotirlinga.

2. The small village known as Ujjanaka near Kashipur in Nainital claims to have the temple of Bhimashankar. Local people say that this place was known as Dakkini country in the olden days, Bhima, the second Pandava was married to Hidimba and it is stated that Dakkini Hidimba belonged to this place. This temple contains a very big image of the Lord. On the east side of the temple is a tank known as Shivalinga.

PPR

15 / 05 / 2017

                GUJARAT   AGRICULTURE              

                                                    

Estimated Marketing Surplus in Gujarat Agriculture by Munish Alagh ; Published by Academic Foundation ; Pages 120 ; Price Rs. 795/-

                                                    **************************

Munish Alagh is the  author of two books on agricultural economics. He won the Chimanlal Patel Award for the best research paper among teachers of the Gujarat University. He has to his credit a number of valuable papers in reputed economic journals.

The book under review is a unique and thorough study of  the  profound parameter of  agricultural marketable surplus of food grains. He has selected Gujarat and brought out  clearly the impact of the expansion of irrigation and investment in modern technologies especially by large farmers and the crucial role played by stronger market agencies.

The author attempts to answer the question—Does agriculture in a market dominated business environment as in Gujarat base itself on government sponsored efforts?. Is there any scope for individual networking and has the networking and enterprise of individual farmers any role?

The study was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Agriculture in Gujarat is market-dominated but the efficiency of the market and especially institutions and inputs is still debated. Alagh focuses on select variables and how effective agricultural institutions have been in transforming agricultural markets in the State. He examines the role of institutional infrastructure and socio-economic factors in influencing household marketable surplus decisions. The study encompassed 359 farmers and covered five districts—Vadodara, Panchmahals, Kheda , Junagadh and Banskantha. The food grains selected for study are wheat, bajra and tur.

The study revealed that  marketed surplus—output ratio was on the lower side as the farmer insured minimum amount of thirty per cent of the overall output for his own consumption. How does one go about to reduce this percentage?. There is a crying need to increase “ storage, seeds and pest removal”. This calls for more efficacious government machinery and active staff participation.

A lot of publicity is given for the impact of Sardar Sarovar but the author found that though large farmers having electric tube wells in catchment areas have become more prosperous, the actual impact of Narmada Project is limited to a few areas.

The farmer will not get a good return unless the Government marketing and storing facilities perform efficiently and the stocks are being purchased and sold and then used efficiently for domestic consumption as well as for exports. What is absolutely essential is a good marketing mechanism, a stocking mechanism and a storing mechanism that offer succour to the farmers. We ought to have institutions and institutional factors working in a manner that makes agriculture more efficiently networked and institutionally established.

The book has four chapters. Chapter One is an introduction which describes the methodology, concepts and also reviews the relevant literature. The study covers districts with maximum production of wheat, bajra and tur. The author explains concepts behind production choices, cost of production, trade possibilities and the factors determining them. Marketable surplus is a normative concept which represents the surplus which the farmer has available with himself once the genuine requirements of the farmer’s family consumption, payment of wages in kind, feed, seed and wastage have been met. Marketed surplus is that part of marketable surplus marketed by the producer.

The second chapter is a macro overview of agriculture in Gujarat—which comprises 33 districts. The growth performance for major crops reveals that the post-liberalisation phase—post 1991—was marked by  improvement in yield levels for all the major food crops, groundnut and cotton. Commercialisation process and crop diversification towards non-food crops—cotton, spices, horticulture are positive developments.

Chapter Three is an empirical analysis which describes some characteristic features of the sample households and facilitates greater understanding of the socio-economic backdrop of the population. To give two samples. Use of farm machines is constrained by considerations of profitability ; a large amount of expenditure on tractors, tube wells and threshing machines was seen by farmers indicating prosperity. A greater proportion ( 60 per cent ) of households sell in local market across farm sizes. However, about 40 per cent of households sell in distant markets. The farmers generally prefer local markets. Half of the medium farms and three quarters of large farms have access to credit. The advantage of co-operative credit is largely taken by medium and large farmers.

The fourth and final chapter offers the summary and conclusions. The message is loud and clear that if storage, seeds and pest-removal are stepped up and the farmer is given ever greater support by more enthusiastic government machinery and officers the food security of the farmers can increase.

The book is replete with information on all parameters. There is also a valuable bibliography.

This volume is a useful addition to the literature on the subject.

P.P.Ramachandran

14 / 05 / 2017

CORRUPTION& ECONOMIC GROWTH

                                                                   

Corruption  and Economic Growth by B.K.Chaturvedi and Shekhar Chandra ; Published by Academic Foundation ; Pages 196 ; Price Rs 995/-

                                                ****************************

B.K.Chaturvedi was a distinguished member of the Planning Commission for eight years as also a member of the Thirteenth Finance Commission. He had worked as Cabinet Secretary. His forty years of service with Government has invested him with immense experience. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan. The co-author Shekhar Chandra is an engineer who has tackled domestic energy challenges with an analysis of international negotiations.

 

The volume is a sober assessment of the harm generated by corruption and its impact on our economy and  polity. This is a significant contribution to the debate on corruption in public life. The authors explore the reasons for large scale corruption as pointed out in the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General.( CAG).

 

The writers have identified various factors impacting corruption and economic growth. Their study was done on a cross-country basis. Data has been collected for 160 countries. They have studied how much economic growth would be impacted if  corruption levels were to be reduced to zero or to world average levels.

 

A distinguished event was the Anna Hazare movement which focused on creation of an independent institution for investigation of cases of corruption against the political executive and civil servants. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission also studied corruption and made several recommendations. There was no political will to pass the "Lokpal Bill.' No strategy to fight corruption could be prepared without including economic growth as a key driver for reducing corruption .The authors have adopted the measurement technology of Transparency  International and the World Bank.

 

Corruption signifies dishonest or fraudulent conduct by persons in positions of power. Corruption can be of various kinds--political, economic, social or moral. The most widely used and dominant sense of the word "Corruption" remains " misuse of public office for personal gain". Corrupt actions are morally undesirable. In all countries, laws make no distinction between a bribe giver and a person accepting bribe.

 

Measurement of corruption is a difficult task. The authors list 13 agencies which compile Indices of Corruption. Grand corruption occurs at the highest level of government and involves major government projects and programmes.

More than 70 per cent of the countries of the world have low values of CPI (Corruptions Perception Index).Corruption leads to slowdown of economic growth. It acts as a disincentive for investment in the economy. Bribes create uncertainty in viability of projects. It also leads to poor quality of project execution. The recent defence contacts of Agusta Westland Helicopters bought by India shows that there were no agents initially. Later on it was found that there was an agent and bribes were allegedly paid. The Government cancelled the contract and encashed the Bank Guarantee. The company landed in trouble due to payment of bribe. The U N Convention on Corruption has advised against such corrupt practices.

 

According to studies the G D P growth goes down by 0/9 % per annum and per capita incomes are lost to a considerable extent .Growth will emerge from increased efficiency of investments and possibly new investments.

 

What are the factors impacting corruption? These are analysed thoroughly in one chapter. The authors have chosen four variables—Income, Poverty and Income Inequality; Primary and Secondary Education; Investment and Government Expenditure and Governance. As incomes rise, corruption levels go down. The increase in per capita incomes leads to less incentive for cutting orders or undertaking petty corruption to meet the basic requirements of life. There is an analysis of relationship between corruption and poverty ratios.

 

Investment as a share of GDP is a factor impacting corruption. Rajiv Gandhi declared that leakages result in 85 per cent of Government assistance being siphoned off by government officials and politicians. Political instability breeds corruption. Political institutional building and an independent strong Press is a major bulwark against corruption. Education provides human values and leads to reduction in corruption. The social and economic conditions of the people, nature of society and education provide an eco-system in which forces arise to combat corruption.

Many countries have evolved anti-corruption laws. The  U N Convention against Corruption has been signed by almost 150 countries. The authors analyse the international experience in one chapter. Several countries have institutions and laws to address the problem. There is an in-depth analysis of Finland, USA,Singapore, Hongkong. Corruption fighting strategy must include strategy for rapid economic growth leading to improved standards of living, quick and fair investigation with fast track prosecution of accused. This will call for political  and administrative will and sustained peoples' support.

 

We are provided a full-fledged discussion of the Indian situation. Beginning with the times of Arthasastra, there is an analysis of developments such as the reports of the Santhanam Committee, the anti-corruption measures such as the setting up of the C V C, legislative enactments, the Lokpal Act have been discussed at length. Also covered are the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission.

 

Anti-corruption strategy must be so framed as to ensure that by 2030 the level of corruption will go down drastically. We should accelerate economic growth, have a high quality of life and become a transparent and honest society in the next two decades. A distinguished economist wrote recently,  " Corruption is a long-standing sticky issue which needs sustained effort and well-thought out road map with timelines to control. It  is  impossible to have an island of honest financial society in an otherwise corrupt and compromising social framework". 

 

The book is packed with statistical tables providing a wealth of data. There is also an excellent bibliography.

​ ​

A very valuable contribution to a very important subject.

 

P.P.Ramachandran.

07--05--2017

 LIBERALISM

 

 

 

                                              

What does it mean to be a Liberal in India—Edited by Ronald Meinardus ; Published by Academic Foundation ; Pages 140 ; Price Rs 795 /-

                                    *****************************

Ronald Meinardus is the Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. He has written extensively on politics and edited a book on Liberalism in the Arab World.

There are 19 contributors to the volume under review—only one whom is twenty nine years old. The others are all below twenty five years. All the articles bagged  Prizes in an Essay competition. The competition was held by a Group “Students for Liberty” and “The Centre for Civil Society”.

“Liberalism is not a closed set of ideological principles and values. It means openness to debate, dissent and diversity.” Freedom is the foundation stone on which it is erected--- Liberal thinking, liberal advocacy, liberal policy design and governance. There is no liberal party or major liberal political force in India. Then where are the liberals in India ?. 

Pursuant to this Quiz is the competition which was adjudged by the Editor and a Jury. The essays in this book reflect the richness and diversity of liberal thought in our country. The essays argue that freedom, tolerance, secularism are the sine qua non of liberalism. The essays are at once fresh and invigorating and makes the reader believe in the bright future of our young generation and their aspirations.

Kalyani Swarup—all of 19—begins her essay on  “ Sexual Liberalism” with the “Kiss of Love” protest held by the IIT students in Chennai. Indian women find themselves straddled with the strict restrictions on their behaviour imposed by the caste hypogamy. The situation has progressed with women constantly negotiating and redefining their boundaries aided and abetted by the gradual westernization of the upper class youth. The indisputable rationality of liberalism is attracting and enveloping larger segments of Indian society.

Cherrvvy Chauhan—also 19 years—reconstructs liberalism for us. It is misconstrued and associated with defining terrorism on the basis of religion, avenging a social mishap by damaging public property which was itself paid by our taxes, marching with a candle in hand demanding for a caste-based reservation and then blaming the fallen countrymen for differentiating them on the basis of caste. Hypocrisy is shining in the name of liberalism. Change has to come from within. It has to begin from the ground level. Use of reservation as a tool for gaining political mileage has to be abolished. No limitations to liberties ought to be permitted.

Reijul Sachdev appropriately titles his essay “ The Great Indian Circus Frea-k Show “. According to him being a Liberal in India is a balancing art. One has to balance tradition with freedom, one group with another and wit with retort. It is being about being open-minded enough to see the other man’s perspective. India is a melting pot. We witness Mao-ist tribal insurgencies in Chattisgarh, separatist movements in Kashmir, States embroiled in fights for river waters. Divisions run deep and fragment society. The danger lies in groups of like-minded individuals trying to preserve their freedom and identities to the exclusion of all others. Sachdev points out that bridges are kept open and groups can fragment as well as unite. Free movement between groups guarantees maintaining of individual freedom.

Prabhakar Misra in his essay ,”Liberalism in India “ analyses the substance of the philosophy of liberalism. It has a lot to do with its past proponents. Ram Mohan Roy, Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale were not exactly    “ People’s Men”. They were elitist, looked up to but in no way would the common middle-class people fill in their steps voluntarily.The primacy for the individual in all walks of life is what a liberal would argue for but governments have become paternalistic. From food habits to voicing opinions one gets directives or directions—what food to eat—what films to view—what books to read---all these which ought to be exclusively individual decisions are becoming subjects to be decided by others. Authors like Salman Rushdue, Taslima Nasreen, Arundhati Roy are ridiculed and boycotted. Rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, M.M.Kalburgi and Govind Pansare  are ruthlessly killed.

“Liberty, Democracy and Rights” is the subject tackled by Diwakar Sharma. According to him the ideal of liberty has influenced Indians since long and was known to them in its modern sense as soon as it became a powerful force in the West. Leaders like Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar laid the foundation of the modern Indian society. It was Mahatma Gandhi who expanded the meaning of liberty and gave it a spiritual dimension. He argues that there is a lot India and Indians need to do in order to become a true ‘ Liberal’ country. He expatiates on problems like women empowerment, atrocities against women, condition of backward classes and tribals, religious fundamentalism, etc. Liberty has come a long way in India but it still has to go far.

The fight for liberalism is far from over. The book has rendered a yeoman service to the cause of Liberalism and each essay by young writers is like a whiff of fresh air that blows away the clouds that try to overpower and overthrow Liberalism.

P.P.Ramachandran.

30 / 04 / 2017

EIGHTH---KEDARNATH JYOTIRLINGESHWAR

                                            

 Kedarnath Mandir  dedicated to Lord Shiva is on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. The temple is open only between the end of April (Akshaya Tritriya) to Kartik Purnima . During the winters, the vigrahas (deities) from Kedarnath temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped there for six months.

The  temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) uphill trek from  Gaurikund. The temple was built by Pandavas and revived by Adi Sankara . Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas.

 Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India. The temple complex, surrounding  areas and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage, but the temple structure did not suffer any "major" damage, apart from a few cracks on one side of the four walls which was caused by the flowing debris from the higher mountains. A large rock among the debris acted as a barrier, protecting the temple from the flood. The surrounding premises and other buildings in market area were heavily damaged.

The temple, at an height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), 223 km from Rishikesh, on the shores of Mandakini river,, is an impressive stone edifice of unknown date. The structure is believed to have been constructed in the 8th century CE. The present structure is on a site adjacent to where Pandavas are believed to have built the temple. It has one Garbhagriha and a Mandapa, and stands on a plateau surrounded by snow clad mountain and glaciers. In front of the temple, directly opposite to the inner shrine, is a Nandi carved out of rock.

The Pandavas to atone for the sins of killing  their relatives undertook a pilgrimage. But Lord Vishweshwara was away in Kailasa in the Himalayas. On learning this, the Pandavas left Kashi. They reached the Himalayas via Haridwar. They saw Lord Shankara from a distance. But Lord Shankara hid from them. Then Dharmaraj said: "Oh, Lord, You have hidden yourself from our sight because we have sinned. But, we will seek You out somehow. Only after we take your Darshan would our sins be washed away. This place, where You have hidden Yourself will be known as Guptakashi and become a famous shrine."

From Guptakashi (Rudraprayag), the Pandavas went to  Gaurikund in the Himalayas valleys. They wandered there in search of Shankara. While doing so Nakula and Sahadeva  found an unusual buffalo. Bheema chased the buffalo with his mace but failed to  catch him. He hit the buffalo with his mace. The buffalo had its face hidden in a crevice-in the earth. Bheema started to pull it by its tail. In this tug-of war, the face of the buffalo went straight to Nepal, leaving its hind part in Kedar. The face is Doleshwar Mahadev in Sipadol, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

On this hind part of Mahesha, a Jyotirlinga appeared and Shankara appeared from this light. By getting such a Darshan  the Pandavas were cleansed of their sins. The Lord told them, "From now on, I will remain here as a triangular shaped Jyotirlinga. ". A triangular shaped rock is worshipped in Garbhagriha of the temple. Surrounding Kedarnath, there are many symbols of the Pandavas. Raja Pandu died at Pandukeshwar. The mountain top where the Pandavas went to Swarga, is known as "Swargarohini", which is located off Badrinath . When Dharmaraja was leaving for Swarga, one of his fingers fell on the earth. At that place, Dharmaraj installed a Shiva Linga, which is the size of the thumb. To gain Mashisharupa, Shankara and Bheema fought with maces. Bheema was struck with remorse. He started to massage Lord Shankara’s body with ghee. In memory of this event, even today, this triangular JyotirLinga is massaged with ghee. Water and Bel leaves are used for worship.

                                                                                  

The presiding image of Kedaranth in the form of lingam is or irregular shape with an pedestal 3.6 m (12 ft) in circumference and 3.6 m (12 ft) in height. There is a small pillared hall in front of the temple, that has images of Parvathi and of the five  Pandava princes. The first hall inside Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Lord Krishna, Nandi and Virabhadra, one of the guards of Shiva. Statue of Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall.   Behind the temple is the Samadhi od Adi Sankara.

The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka. However, unlike in Badrinath temple, the Raval of Kedarnath temple does not perform the pujas. The pujas are carried out by Raval's assistants on his instructions. The Raval moves with the deity to Ukhimath during the winter season. There are five main priests for the temple, and they become head priests for one year by rotation. During Pooja of Lord Shiva at Kedaranath the mantras will be pronounced in the Kannada language. This has been a custom from hundreds of years.

The Pandavas are believed to have visited this area several times. Arjuna is believed to have come here to pray to Shiva to obtain the coveted Pasupataastra. The other Pandavas are believed to have come here in search of him, where Draupadi came across the heavenly lotus Kalyana Saugandikam, and requested Bheema to bring here some more of the same. It was during his venturing out to seek these flowers that Bheema met Hanuman.

                                                           

PPR

01/05/2017

RAMESWARAM JYOTIRLINGAM 

PPR

                                                                       

                                                   NINE--RAMESWARAM JYOTIRLINGA

Ramanathaswamy Temple  dedicated to  Shiva is located on the Rameswaram  island. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered  Nayanars  (Saivite  saints),  Appar,  Sundara  and Tirugnana Sambandar glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandyan Dynasty. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram considered a holy pilgrimage site for  Shaivites,  Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), is believed to have been established and worshiped by Rama, an avatar of  Vishnu, to absolve the sins created during the Ramayana war .

Rameshwaram Temple is situated in the island of Rameshwaram, off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu and is reached via the Pamban Bridge across the sea.  The huge temples are known for its long ornate corridors, towers and  theerthams.  Rameshwaram Jyothirlinga represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India and has been a time honored pilgrimage center held on par with Benaras. Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga is associated closely with the Ramayana and Rama’s victorious return from Sri Lanka.

Structure of Rameshwaram Temple is spread over an area of 15 acres and has lofty gopurams, massive walls and a colossal Nandi.   Rameswaram Jyotirlinga also boasts of a 4000 feet long pillared corridor with over 4000 pillars, supposedly the longest in the world,

                  

                                            

                                         The carved granite pillars are mounted on a raised platform.  Yet another fact about this corridor is that the rock is not indigenous to the island and is said to have been brought in from  Tamil Nadu across the sea.

The eastern Rajagopuram towers to a height of 126 feet and has nine levels.  The Western Rajagopuram is also quite impressive though not as tall as the Eastern one.  The temple also has several mandapams with mini shrines to other deities.  There is a huge Nandi measuring 12 feet in length and 9 feet in height with the idols of Viswanatha Naicker and Krishnama Naicker. High walls enclose the temple, forming a rectangle with huge pyramidal gopura entrances of each side.

According to the Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the  Vishnu, prayed to  Shiva to absolve him of the sin of killing a brahmin, committed during his war against the demon king Ravana. Rama wanted to have a large lingam to worship Shiva. He directed Hanuman to bring a lingam from the Himalayas. When Hanuman was delayed in bringing the lingam, Sita built a small lingam out of the sand available in the sea shore, which is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.

The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of lingam. There are two lingams inside the sanctum - one built by Sita, from sand, residing as the main deity, Ramalingam and the one brought by Hanuman from Kailash called Vishwalingam. Rama instructed that the Vishwalingam should be worshipped first since it was brought by Hanuman - the tradition continues even today.

The second corridor is formed by sandstone pillars, beams and ceiling. The junction of the third corridor on the west and the paved way leading from the western gopuram to the Setumadhava shrine forms a unique structure in the form of a chess board where the Utsava deities are adorned and kept.

The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world, measuring about 6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east and west and about 640 feet in the north and the south. The inner corridors are about 224 feet each in the east and the west and about 352 feet each in the north and the south. Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet. The total length of these corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof. The main tower or Rajagopuram is 53 m tall. Most pillars are carved with individual compositions. At the beginning, Ramanathaswamy Temple was a thatched shed. The present structure was the work of many individuals spread over a number of centuries. The pride of place in the establishment for the Temple goes to the Setupatis of Ramanathapuram. In the seventeenth century, Dalavai Setupati built a portion of the main eastern Gopuram. In late eighteenth century, the world famous third corridor was constructed by Muthuramalinga Setupati who lived for forty nine years and ruled between 1763 and 1795. The corridor was called “Chokkatan Mandapam”. The Mukhya Pradhani (Chief Minister) was Muthuirullappa Pillai and the Chinna Pradhani (Deputy Chief Minister) was Krishna Iyengar. The Setupati’s statue and those of his two Pradhanis (ministers) can be seen at the western entrance to the third corridor.

There  are  shrines for Ramanathaswamy and his consort goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a corridor. There are separate shrines for the goddess Vishalakshi, the utsava images, sayanagriha, Vishnu and Ganesha.

There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram. According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four of them are important.Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple. The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver. The first and major one is called Agni Theertham, the sea Bay of Bengal.

     

         A Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram is among the important injunctions laid on the Hindu from time immemorial.  The great temple of Sri Ramanatha is connected by tradition with Kasi.  A pilgrimage to Kasi is not considered complete without a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram.  In olden days groups of pilgrims, many of them quite old, walked huge distances to the two temples, taking months and years, and some failing to survive the dangers of such incredibly long journeys.  The Rameshwaram pilgrimage has long been a tradition in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and has passed into folklore. 

PPR

08/05/2017