525th birth anniversary of Mirabai, Great Vaishnavite Saint and Poetess

This year the 525th birth anniversary of Sant Mirabai is being celebrated. Mirabai (also spelt as Meerabai) was a Rajput princess who was one of the greatest saints of the Krishna cult of Vaishnavism in 16th century India. 

Mirabai was the only child of Ratna Singh Rathor of Merta in Rajasthan.  She was born at the village of Kudki (now in the Pali district) in AD 1498. In 1516, she was married to Bhoraj, eldest son of Rana Sanga, the ruler of Mewar with its capital at Chittor. Bhoraj was heir-apparent to Mewar but he died in 1526.  

Mirabai was highly religious from her childhood. Like her grandfather Dudaji and father she was a devotee of Krishna. After her husband’s death she completely addressed herself to the devotion of Krishna. She patronized learned men. Devotees who were drawn from both sexes making a beeline to Mirabai. Consequently, her fame spread far and wide.

However, Mirabai’s religious activities were resented by her in-laws who took exception to the fact that a royal princess would sing and dance before the image of Krishna in full glare of the public. Her choice of Raidas, a leather worker as her spiritual guru, did not go down well with them. Tradition has it that in-laws tried to poison her. As her relation with the Mewar rulers took a turn for the worse, she went to Merta to live with her uncle Biram Deva.

However, when Mal Deva (Maldeo) of Jodhpur seized Merta, Mira undertook a pilgrimage to the sacred city of Dwarka in Gujarat and spent rest of her life as a devotee of Krishna. She died in 1546. 

Mira’s greatness and popularity rest on her many devotional poems and lyrics. She wrote her works in Brajbhasha and partly in Rajasthani. She also wrote some of her verses in Gujarati.

Birsa Munda Birth Anniversary

Birsa Munda was born in Jharkhand on 15th November 1875 into a Munda family. His parents were Sugana Munda and Karmi Hatu. His place of birth is Ulihatu, a village in the Khunti district in Jharkhand.

Birsa converted into a Christian to receive education from the German Mission School .

In 1894, Birsa declared his opposition to the British and the Dikus (outsiders) and thus began the Munda Ulgulan. 

Birsa also started his own religion and proclaimed he was god’s messenger. Many tribal people Mundas, Kharias and Oraons accepted him as their leader. 

Birsa asked the tribal people to keep distance from the Christian missionaries and revert to their traditional ways. He also advocated for the non-payment of taxes.

Birsa was arrested in 1895. Afterv coming from the jail after two years he he resumed his armed struggle by razing police stations, churches, government property and houses of Zamindars.

He was arrested in  1900 from Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur. He died on June 9th 1900 while lodged at the Ranchi jail. He was only 25. Authorities claimed he died of cholera although this claim is doubted.

After his death, his movement petered out. 

Kozhikode And Gwalior Earn Prestigious Unesco Cities of Literature And Music Status

Kozhikode in Kerala and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh have been awarded the status of UNESCO City of Literature and City of Music respectivley, joining a club of 350 such cities around the world. These cities in more than a 100 countries represent seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. 

On World Cities Day which falls on October 31, this year 55 cities have joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). 

Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network is a network of creative cities working together towards a mission for cultural diversity and sustainable urban development. 

Kozhikode is the first UNESCO City of Literature in India. Gwalior is the birthplace of great musician Tansen.

The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme "Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade,

Savitri, The Indian Alcestis

 

Savitri / Image Credit

Savitri was a legendry princess in Hinduism, renowned for the love she had for her husband. She was the daughter of the king of Madra, Ashvapati, and his wife Malati. As Savitri was very beautiful and radiant, this deterred prospective suitors from approaching her father and asking for her hands in marriage. 

As a result Ashvapati asked his daughter to choose a person of her liking so that he could fulfill his obligation to marry her off.  Hence, Savitri set out to tour the country in her golden chariot in search of a suitable mate. She went though forests and cities, until she found Satyavant, son of Dyumatsena, the blind King of Shalwa, then in exile, living in poverty. 

As luck would have it, Satyavant was destined to die after one year from the marriage date. Savitri followed him when he was being carried away by the death-god Yama, and so impressed the god with her loyalty that he released her husband. 

Moth ki Masjid (Mosque)

Moth ki Masjid / Image Credit

Located in the South Extension Part II area in Delhi, Moth ki Mosque is a Lodi era mosque commissioned by Miya Bhoiya, a minister during the reign of second Lodi Sultan Sikandar Lodi (ruled 1489–1517). 

The nomenclature of the mosque derives from an interesting story describing how this temple came into being. The mosque is named after moth (beans), the good harvest of which stood the builder in good stead in getting the requisite finances for the construction of the mosque. 

Sage Vaishampayana: Traditional Narrator of the Mahabharata

Traditionally Vaishampayana is the narrator of the Mahabharata, one of the two great Sanskrit epics of India (other being the Ramayana). Vaishampayana was the pupil of sage Vyasa who is said to have authored the Mahabharata. 

It was at a great sacrifice (sarpa satra or snake sacrifice ) held by the Kuru King Janamejaya that sage Vaishampayana recited the Mahabharata in public for the first time.  

Janamejaya was the great grandson of Arjuna of the Mahabharata fame. 

 

Raja Todar Mal, Finance Minister of Emperor Akbar

 

Raja Todar Mal, the finance Minister of Emperor Akbar / Image Credit

Todar Mal was a brilliant finance officer who was first in the service of Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri and afterwards in that of Mughal emperor Akbar. Known for introducing standard weights and measures, he was the main architect behind a brilliant land revenue system Zabti system which is also called as Todar Mal bandobast. Dahshala, a system of taxation, was also established by him. 

According to tradition he was one of Akbar’s ‘Navratnas (“Nine Jewels”). The Navratnas were nine individuals of extraordinary ability gracing the court of Akbar.

Todar Mal joined Akbar’s revenue department in 1560 by replacing Khawaja Malik Itimad Khan.

Another field in which Todar Mal excelled was architecture. In 1585 Todar Mal rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath Temple which was later demolished by Aurangzeb, who had the Gyanvapi Mosque built on its ruins.

Qila Rohtas, near the city of Jhelum in Pakistan, was built by Raja Todar Mal for Sher Shah with a view to suppressing the tribes of the region and also to checking Humayun’s entry into India.  Humayun, father of Akbar, was defeated by Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Kannauj in 1540 and spent the next years of his life in exile in Persia.