Showing posts with label Gujarat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gujarat. Show all posts

Hinduism - What Is Rukmini Yatra?


Mythology about Krishna and Rukmini connects Gujarat with Arunachal

Through a variety of cultural events, including a Rukmini Yatra, an ancient mythical link between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh, the two boundaries of India, will soon be revived. 



According to legend, Rukimini, a member of the Idu Mishmi tribe from Bhismaknagar, an old city in Arunachal Pradesh, was Lord Krishna's spouse. 


The authority wants to encourage people, especially the youth from both states, to visit sites associated with Rukmini and Krishna as part of its efforts to promote national unity and "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat," an initiative to promote interaction and understanding between people of different states envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi



The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) program was unveiled by the Honorable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi on October 31, 2015, during the Rashtriya Ekta Divas to encourage engagement among the people of states and union territories in order to strengthen bonds and mutual understanding between people of different cultures and to ensure greater India's unity and integrity. 



According to the rules of the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, the initiative aims to demonstrate the harmony between the cultural variety of the paired states and union territories. 

The Indian Institute of Technology in Bhubaneswar is prepared to react completely to the government's all-encompassing effort to make it a reality. 

A schedule of activities has been created by a number of faculty members in collaboration with the enormous number of students and staff members to make the cause so active. 

Each of the many cultures in our nation has a rich cultural legacy. 


The cultural exchange activities will enable us to mutually respect and enjoy one another's cultures, strengthening our feeling of community. 


No matter what areas we are from, national integration is crucial because it is our unity in the midst of our variety that holds the key to our growth. 

The series of activities that IIT Bhubaneswar has planned as part of the EBSB program are intended to promote unity among us and aid in the development of a more powerful and better India. 

Activities, including as concerts, plays, and storytelling sessions, will be held at the legendary places as part of this ambitious "cultural exchange strategy." 

Depending on the weather, the Rukmini Yatra may occur in November or December. 


"The people of Arunachal Pradesh continue to name their girls after Rukmini because they feel that she is theirs. 

They believe themselves to be Yadavs and that Krishna traveled from Gujarat to wed Rukmini. 

There are webpages which are associated to Rukmini-Krishna legends. 

The PM came up with the concept for this cross-cultural interaction. 

The NMA's Tarun Vijay said, "We want for this to become a thread of cultural togetherness. 

Recently, a delegation of NMA lead by Vijay travelled to Arunachal Pradesh and conducted a meeting with deputy chief minister of the state BJP politician Chowna Mein in which they had decided to deepen the age-old cultural relationship between Gujarat and Arunachal via the legends of Rukmini and Krishna.


~Kiran Atma



References And Further Reading


  • Patnaik, J.N., 2008. The Four Dhams. Government of Orissa, Bhubaneswar, India.
  • Bhattacharya, A., 1969. Yatra of Bengal.
  • Smith, W.J. ed., 1994. Translation. Columbia University, Translation Center.
  • Smith, W.L., 2007. Assam: Shankaradeva’s Parijata Harana Nata. Krishna: A Sourcebook163.




Hinduism - What Is The Swaminarayan Sect?

 


The practice of Sahajananda Swami (1781–1830), who was born near the holy city of Ayodhya in eastern India but lived most of his life in the western Indian state of Gujarat, is based on the life and teachings of the deity Vishnu.

Sahajananda became a mahant, or ascetic leader, after undergoing ascetic initiation.

His devotees saw him as a religious instructor (guru) at first, and then as a partial manifestation of the divinity Krishna himself afterwards.

They thought that in times of great distress, avatars of the deity Vishnu, such as Krishna, are born on Earth.

He was given the name Swaminarayan ("Lord Narayan") in this later avatar, and his disciples thought he was the ultimate manifestation of God in human form.

There are many million lay followers (bhakta) in the Swaminarayan sect, the most of whom are rich Gujarati merchants.

However, in line with the community's austere beginnings, the ascetics who govern the organization and act as instructors and counselors to them are the most significant people.

Raymond Brady Williams, A New Face of Hinduism, 1984, is a good source of knowledge.

~Kiran Atma


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Hinduism - Where Is The Ancient City Of Lothal In India?

 


Lothal is an ancient city and archeological site in the current state of Gujarat, near the Gulf of Cambay.

Between the fourth and third millennia B.C.E., Lothal was one of the towns of the Indus Valley civilization, a highly developed urban culture that thrived in the Indus Valley area.

Lothal was a harbor city, albeit the current location is considerably inland due to silting.

The harbor's size indicates that it was a significant port.

Archaeological evidence reveals that Lothal flourished for about 500 years after Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the Indus Valley civilization's two major towns, fell into decline.

~Kiran Atma


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Hinduism - Where Is Gujarat In India?


Modern Indian state on the Arabian Sea, near the Pakistani border.

Gujarat is one of the so-called linguistic republics that arose after India's independence to bring together government officials via a shared language and culture (in this case, Gujarati).

It was created in 1960 when Bombay was divided into the current states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Gujarat's proximity to the sea has given the region a long history as a commercial hub, dating back to the Indus Valley civilization's port of Lothal, one of the oldest and most complex urban societies.

Gujaratis account for the majority of Indians who have moved to Kenya, Uganda, and other regions of East Africa; Gujaratis have also traveled in large numbers to the United Kingdom and the United States, particularly New York City.

The state of Gujarat is also known for being the birthplace of Mohandas Gandhi.

During most of the war for independence, he lived at the Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Gujarat is also known for several prominent holy places, including Dwaraka, the mythical capital of Krishna and the site of the Dashanami Sanyasis religious community's Sharada math; Somnath, one of the twelve sites where Shiva, in his first manifestation as the jyotirlinga, came to earth; and Girnar, a popular ascetic retreat.

Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998, is an accessible resource for general information on Gujarat and all of India's provinces.

 


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