Adjacent to the Harmandir Saheb at the Golden Temple in Amritsar stands the Akal Takht. Guru Sri Hargobind constructed the Akal Takht in 1609. The place where the Takht stands was a playground where the Guru played in his childhood. As Guru, he himself sat there and held a court of justice, redressing grievances of the Sikhs. Thus, the Hukumnama (order of justice) issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takht is binding on all Sikhs. The picture of Akal Takht by Amanji 25 is from Wikimedia Commons.

Source : “Sikh Shrines in India”, GS Randhir.

Adi Granth (First Book) is the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. It has 6000 hymns. The first version of the book was compiled by the 5th Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev, at Amritsar in 1604 CE. Gurudwara Ramsar was the place where he went into seclusion for a year along with his scribe, the great savant Bhai Gurdas. He collected the hymns of the first three Gurus, added his own compositions and also those of many other great saints of the country. In 1704 CE the 10th and last Guru, Gobind Singh, added some more hymns and enjoined that after his own death the Granth would take the place of the Guru. Thus, it is called ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. The book starts with the Mul Mantra (“Basic Prayer”), which is a declaration of the nature of God as Truth, followed by the Japji (“Recital”), the most important Sikh scripture, written by Guru Nanak. The hymns are arranged according to the musical modes (ragas) in which they are to be sung. The Wikimedia image is of the Granth Sahib manuscript at Sri Patna Sahib with the signature of Guru Gobind Singh.

Source : “Sikh Shrines in India”, GS Randhir; Britannica.

The Vijayanagara emperor Achyutadevaraya granted twelve villages to Kempegowda, one of his feudatory governors to establish a fort and a city. The governor went on to develop these villages into a flourishing city by constructing 65 pete-s, 50 lakes, several forts, and numerous temples. Today, after nearly 400 years, we know it as the Silicon City of India — Bengaluru.
The Wikimedia image by user C1MM is the Statue of Progress, 108-foot tall statue of Kempegowda near Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

Tagore wrote a famous essay on Shakuntalam in 1902. He recognizes two distinct parts of Shakuntalam. He describes the first part as the material love of the impulsive Shakuntala and playful Dushyanta. In the last part, after Dushyanta rejects Shakuntala in open court, she retreats to a hermitage and lives with her son. Dushyanta is distraught with remorse. Both Dushyanta and Sakuntala tread the path of sorrow. Through this Tapasya, their initial physical union in the first part is purified and elevated into a moral union. Tagore likens the final part to an exposition of Dharma. Tagore says, as per Kalidasa, “Beauty that goes hand in hand with Moral Law is eternal.” He further says that Kalidasa refuses to recognise Love as its own highest glory; and that the love of man and woman is beautiful, lasting and fruitful only when it is selfless and begets Goodness.
The meditative painting is by Kalipada Ghosh from the Bengal School
Source: Jadunath Sarkar translation of Shakuntala, Its Inner Meaning.

After Naraka’s death, Bhumi-devi asked Krishna to protect his progeny. Krishna agreed and installed Naraka’s son Bhagadatta on the throne of Pragjyotisha. The Bhagavatam portrays him as a frightened boy, but in the Mahabharata he appears as a seasoned warrior, skilled in elephant warfare. His elephants wreak havoc among the Pandavas, and he nearly kills Bhima and Arjuna, before Arjuna slays him on the 12th day.
One of Bhagatta’s elephants was named Ashwattama whose death was used by Yudhishthira to confuse Drona.
Interestingly, sons of Krishna’s enemies like Shishupala and Jarasandha fought for the Pandavas, while Bhagadatta—once saved by Krishna—fought against them, perhaps out of resentment for his father’s death. The Wikimedia image (by Bhoomi) shows a Chennakesava temple sculpture of Bhagadatta on his elephant Supratika battling Bhima.

Samarth Ramdas (1608-81) was one of the most influential in the ‘sant parampara’ (tradition of saints) of Maharashtra. He is said to have inspired Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He wrote this most popular bhajan. The first two lines say,
Sukhkarta Dukhharta Varta Vighnachi ||
Nurvi Purvi Prem Krupa Jayachi ||
“Oh Lord who provides Joy, takes away Sadness and removes all “vighnas” (obstacles) in life.
Who spreads love everywhere as his blessing.”
Towards the end, the devotee implores, “Sankati Pavave Nirvani Rakshave Survarvandana ||
Please help us and protect us during bad times, my Salutations to lord.”
It has a familiar chant that repeats through the bhajan, “Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Mangal Murti ||
Hail the Bhagwan, Hail the Bhagwan, Hail the auspicious image”.
Picture is Portrait of Samarth Ramdas from 17th century, Wikimedia
Source: https://kedar.nitty-witty.com/blog/ganapati-aarti-sukhkarta-dukhharta-with-english-translation-free-download-mp3

In the Ayodhya kand, Nishadraja laments that Rama had been exiled and facing great suffering. Lakshmana calmly replies, “सपनें होइ भिखारि नृपु रंकु नाकपति होइ। जागें लाभु न हानि कछु तिमि प्रपंच जियँ जोइ॥ i.e.
Just as a King may become a beggar, and a pauper may rule the heavens in a dream, yet upon waking, neither loss nor gain remains, in the same way, one should regard this material world as unreal, a mere illusion held in the heart.”
The Upanishads also use the idea of the states of waking, dream & deep sleep to demonstrate that the material world is maya (ephemeral).

Ahilyabai was preparing herself to commit Sati alongwith the funeral of KhandeRao. However Malhar Rao convinced her not to commit Sati. He asked her to take responsibility for the kingdom as there was no other male heir and since Malhar Rao had always seen the future of the kingdom in the hands of Ahilyabai. Ahilyabai relented, and wore white saree and gave up jewelry and decorations for the rest of her life.

Ahilyabai was against the custom of Sati but was not able to abolish it due to the prevalent conservatism in the society. However she ensured that no woman had to commit Sati against her free will. She gave full protection to the right of widows. They had complete rights to the property of their dead husbands which ensured that their future is protected if they decided not to commit Sati. She also gave permission to widows to adopt a Son without needing State permission or having to pay a tax to the State. These steps greatly reduced the instances of Sati in the society. Nevertheless, her daughter, her daughter-in-law and the wives of his grandson all committed Sati during her own lifetime.

They represent the all seeing eyes of the Buddha. The nose is in the shape of number one in Newar language of Nepal. It signifies that the only way to attain enlightenment is through Buddha’s teachings. The “Eyes of Buddha” appears on all four sides of the Stupa. The eyes belong to Adibuddha, the Meditating One. He peers in all directions from inside the Stupa. The dot between the eyes is indicative of the third eye, which represents spiritual awakening. Source: Tatjana and Mirabai Blau. Buddhist Symbols. The picture is the Eyes of Buddha on the Swayambunath Stupa in Kathmandu. Wikimedia Commons.

Parasurama Jayanti is also celebrated as he is believed to have been born to Jamadagni and Renuka on Akshaya Tritiya. Strictly obeying his father’s command, Parasurama kills his mother. A grief stricken Parasurama is offered a boon by his father and he requests that his mother be revived. Later on, the son of a Kshatriya kills Jamadagni and Renuka commits Sati. Parasuram goes on to kill all the Kshatriyas in revenge twenty one times.

There is a lake in Himachal Pradesh called Renukaji which is believed to be the birthplace of Parasurama. Renuka is also believed to have jumped into the lake to kill herself after the death of Rishi Jamadagni. The lake is believed to be the physical form of Renuka and when look at from top, appears like a woman curled up. A nearby hillock overlooking the lake is believed to be the place where Rishi Jamadagni did tapas. There is also a smaller lake called Parasurama lake and there are temples to Renuka and Parasurama around the lake.

Chiplun in Maharasthra, Thiruvallam in Kerala and Nirmand in Himachal Pradesh also have important Parasurama temples. After killing the Kshatriyas, Parasurama threw his axe into the sea to create a land that he could rule. The sea retreated from the land south of Gokarna in Karnataka. Therefore, this region stretching from Gokarna in Karnataka and southwards in Kerala is believed to be Parasurama Kshetra. Source: P. V. Kane. History of Dharmashastras. Government of Himachal Pradesh.

Picture – Renukaji lake in Himachal Pradesh

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution was based on the Objectives Resolution introduced by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It was later amended during the Emergency in 1976 by the Indira Gandhi government to include the words “socialist” and “secular.”

Beohar Rammanohar Sinha, a graduate of Santiniketan from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, played a key role in illustrating the original handwritten Constitution. Under the guidance of Acharya Nandalal Bose, Sinha was tasked with traveling across the country to gather inspiration for illustrations that reflected India’s rich cultural heritage. He contributed significantly to many of the Constitution’s artistic elements. His crowning achievement was designing the distinctive Preamble page. This iconic page bears his short signature, “Ram” written in Devanagari script, discreetly placed in the lower-right corner in a very small font—so subtle that it is easy to miss without zooming in on the original page. This signature serves as a lasting mark of his contribution to one of India’s most celebrated documents.

The original Preamble page remains accessible online, showcasing Sinha’s exceptional artistry and the enduring legacy of his work.

Source:

The original copies of the Indian Constitution were meticulously handwritten in both English and Hindi. For legal purposes, the English version is considered the authoritative text. Calligrapher Prem Bihari Narain Raizada (Saxena) single-handedly wrote the entire Constitution in a flowing italic style, completing the monumental task over six months.

He worked in a dedicated room within the Constitution Hall (now the Constitution Club), using parchment sheets measuring 16 x 22 inches, designed to last a thousand years. The final manuscript comprised 251 pages, weighed 3.75 kilograms, and stands as a masterpiece of artistic craftsmanship.

Raizada declined any monetary compensation for his work but requested that his name, along with his grandfather’s (who was also his teacher), be inscribed in the document. This request was honored, and their names appear at the end of the original Constitution, forever linking his legacy to India’s founding document. The Hindi version of the Constitution was calligraphed by Vasant Krishan Vaidya. Both original copies are preserved in helium-filled cases in the Parliament Library, ensuring their protection and longevity.

Source: https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2021/Jan/engpdf/26-28.pdf