MOST BELOVED FESTIVAL OF MALAYALIS

 Onam

     Onam is a celebration in connection with the legend of Vamana and Mahabali. Mahabali, also known as Maveli, was a king in ancient Kerala. He was believed to be a wise and benevolent king who ruled over his kingdom leading to great prosperity and harmony. Mahabali became so powerful that he even challenged and defeated the gods, known as the devas. The devas sought the help of Lord Vishnu. 

     There are many versions about the legend of Mahabali. According to one version, in response to the devas’ request, Lord Vishnu decided to teach Mahabali a lesson. He took the form of a dwarf Brahmin named Vamana and approached Mahabali. Vamana asked Mahabali to grant him a piece of land that will be covered by his three steps. Mahabali, known for his generosity, agreed without hesitation. 

     To Mahabali’s surprise, Vamana suddenly grew in size and covered the entire earth and heaven with his first two steps. Mahabali understood that he was none other than Lord Vishnu Himself. In an act of devotion and penance, Mahabali bowed his head for Lord Vishnu to place his foot. Lord Vishnu blessed him with immortality and sent him to rule as the King of ‘Patala’ or the netherworld. 

     Pleased with Mahabali’s devotion, Lord Vishnu also granted him a special boon. He allowed Mahabali to visit his kingdom once a year to ensure the well-being and prosperity of his people. Mahabali’s story serves as a reminder that even the most powerful and prosperous individuals should remain humble and respectful towards others. 

     The annual visit of Mahabali is celebrated as Onam by the people of Kerala. Onam is the most beloved festival of Malayalis, and it is marked by various customs and traditions. The festivities include preparing a grand feast known as ‘sadya’, creating beautiful floral carpets called ‘pookkalam’, performing traditional games and dances like ‘Onathallu’ and ‘Onavillu’, and participating in the famous boat race called ‘vallamkali’. 

     During Onam, Malayalis from all around the world visit their homes in Kerala to reunite with their families and loved ones: the festival holds great cultural and social significance. Additionally, Onam is also considered as a harvest festival as it coincides with the beginning of the harvesting season in the Malayalam month, Chingam. 

    Onam represents happiness, enjoyment, and excitement. It is a time for people to come together, celebrate their traditions, and cherish the spirit of togetherness. 

UNFORGETTABLE REVOLUTIONARY

 Rajguru

Shivaram Hari Rajguru was an Indian revolutionary who was born at Khed in Maharashtra, to Harinarayan Rajguru and Parvati Devi in a Deshastha Brahmin family, on August 24 in 1908. He was an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), which wanted India free from British rule.

When he was six years old, his father passed away, and the family's responsibility came to him and his elder brother, Dinkar. He completed his primary schooling at Khed and went to English High School in Pune to complete secondary education.

Rajguru joined the Seva Dal early and attended meetings and training camps conducted by Dr N. S. Hardikar at Ghatprabha. Later, he became a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), which wanted free India from British rule.

After becoming an active member of the HSRA, he associated himself with the ideology of Sukhdev Thapar and Bhagat Singh. He took part in the assassination of a British assistant superintendent of police, John Saunders, on December 17, 1928, at Lahore.

The trio took action to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai, who died a fortnight later due to being beaten by the police while on a rally protesting the Simon Commission.

Along with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, the revolutionary freedom fighter, Rajguru was also hanged to death by the British government on March 23, 1931. The whole nation remembers their sacrifice for the country as March 23 is observed every year Martyr's Day.

In his honour, Khed was renamed Rajgurunagar now a census town in the Khed tehsil of Pune.

DO YOU KNOW

 What is Retro walking?

     Retro walking is backward walking, usually done as a form of exercise. It is claimed that 100 steps of backward walking is equivalent to 1000 steps of conventional forward walking.

     Fitness experts say retro walking burns more calories, improves the mechanism of balance and co-ordination in the body and gives the heart and lungs a better workout than forward walking.

     As retro walking puts less stress on knees, those with knee or ankle problems benefit from retro walking exercises.

TALLEST ANIMAL ON EARTH

 Giraffe 

     When a baby giraffe, called a calf, is born, it literally has a long way to go — about 1.2 m(four feet) to be precise. The female or cow gives birth to the young one standing up and her legs alone are 1.8 m (six feet) long. The baby lands safely and in about half an hour, is able to heave itself up. After ten hours, it can run. A newborn giraffe is as tall as Mamma’s legs!

     As the calf grows older, the mother leaves it in a crèche with other youngsters. One or two giraffe mothers baby sit while the others take a break to eat and socialise. With their long, spindly legs and over arching necks, giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals. They can easily peek into a second-floor window! 

     A male giraffe is about 5.5 metres (18 feet) tall while a female is about 1.2 m (four feet) shorter. The long legs allow giraffes to sprint short distances at 56 km an hour. About one-third the height of the giraffe is the neck. It contains the same number of bones — seven — as human beings but each vertebra is more than 25 cm long. The neck makes the giraffe a natural look out in the vast open savannah it inhabits in Africa. Other herbivores such as zebra and antelope, gather around giraffes while feeding, because they feel safe in their company. 

     One would expect that its height and size would deter any predator, but giraffes are attacked by lions and crocodiles. Babies are especially vulnerable. Adult giraffes are most at risk when they are drinking water because they have to assume an awkward posture, with their legs spread out wide and their necks stretched out low. This is why giraffes try to get as much water as they can from their food. 

     They typically eat the tender leaves and buds of the acacia tree. The acacia has nasty thorns specifically evolved to tackle giraffes, but the animals have a trick up their sleeves —their tongues! The purple-black tongue is around 46 cm long and the lips are prehensile (capable of grasping). A giraffe bypasses the thorns and curls its tongue and lips around the leaves beyond and pulls them off with consummate ease. 

     Long, outrageously thick eyelashes protect its eyes. In case it swallows a thorn, a giraffe’s thick, sticky saliva coats it to prevent any harm. 

     Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats and each giraffe has a distinctive pattern like a human fingerprint. They have a smallish hump on their backs. This and their spotted coat gave their species the scientific name camelopardalis which means camel-leopard!

Fact File:

◆ A giraffe has a peculiar gait, in which both the front and back legs on one side move forward at the same time.

◆ Its closest relative is the okapi, a short zebra-like African mammal.

◆ Both male and female giraffes have a pair of hair-covered horns called ossicones. Babies are born with soft horns that lie flat against their heads.

◆ If they have to, giraffes can send predators flying with a deadly karate-style kick.

◆ Giraffes only need 5–30 minutes of sleep.

◆ They can moo, roar, snort, hiss, and grunt but do so rarely.

WORSHIP OF SNAKE GOD

 Nag Panchami

     The festival of Nag Panchami, celebrated all over India in August, centres around the worship of cobras or snake gods and goddesses. In some places devotees bow before live cobras; in others, serpent images made of clay, dough, or silver are venerated. Worship generally includes pouring milk over the head of the snake or its idol also offered to snakes for drinking. It is considered auspicious if the reptile drinks the milk.

     Nag Panchami is a time for snake charmers to make some money. They take the reptiles to towns and cities in round bamboo baskets. When they play the ‘been’, a musical instrument, the cobra coiled in the basket, stirs to life. It raises its head, spreads its hood and moves its head from side to side. One gets the impression that the snake is swaying to the music.

The Cobras of Shirala Battis: Shirala in Maharashtra's Sangli district is renowned for its celebration of the Nag Panchami festival. Shirala literally crawls with cobras during this time. Tourists pour in either to participate or gawk at the snakes or to witness the strange interaction between man and venomous reptiles.

     Days before Nag Panchami, the countless nag mandals or youth clubs whose members specialise in trapping snakes go on a snake-catching spree in the surrounding countryside. Even the children of the village are quite fearless and handle the snakes as if they were toys.The cobras are put in clay pots and carried by bullock cart in a colourful procession to the Amba temple where they're worshipped throughout the day. They're released back into the wild once the festival is over.The people of Shirala believe that they're protected against snakebite because of an ancient boon granted to their ancestors by Shiva. They also realise that snakes are very useful in keeping the rat population under control, and they never harm the snakes. However, animal rights activists say the snakes undergo tremendous stress during the festival.

Snake Myths: 

* When the snake charmer plays the 'been' the snake sways to the music.

False. Snakes don't have external ears. They cannot hear airborne sounds. They pick up vibrations of sound from the ground. They move their head from side to side when the snake charmer plays the 'been' because they're suspicious of the instrument and regard it as a possible threat. As the snake charmer keeps shifting the position of the 'been' the snake keeps moving its head from side to side so as to keep the instrument in sight all the time. Lizards have external ears but snakes don't.

* Snakes Loves Milk.                

False. Snakes can't digest milk and normally don't drink it. However, if they were deprived of water for several days they would drink milk, or for that matter even Pepsi or Coke, to quench their thirst. Often, during Nag Panchami, snakes are forced to drink milk by their owners and many die as a result. Some people believe that snakes enter cowsheds and drink milk from cows. This, of course, is utter nonsense. Snakes sometimes enter cowsheds while chasing rats. The cows are tethered and cannot get out of the way. They cower in fright and some of them may get so scared that their milk dries up. This may make the farmer think that the snake has drunk their milk. 

* Snakes can't lap up liquid with their forked tongue. When they're drinking water or any liquid they suck the liquid into their mouth and then force it into the oesophagus by contracting the mouth cavity.

INDIA'S OLDEST WIND INSTRUMENT

 Flute

     The flute is India’s most ancient wind instrument, depicted in the frescoes at Ajanta and in centuries-old temple sculptures. Remnants of flutes made of bone that are thousands of years old have been found in Europe and elsewhere, but the Indian flute developed independently of its western counterpart. 

     The flute is a simple instrument generally made of hollow bamboo though other materials may also be used. It has five or more holes along its length and a mouthpiece. The musical notes are produced by blowing into the mouthpiece and opening and closing the other holes with the fingers, in correct order. In India we have two main types—the bansuri, used in the Hindustani classical music of north India and the venu, used in Carnatic music. 

     The venu has eight holes and is smaller in size than the bansuri, which is typically around 35 cm (14 inches) in length but can be as long as 82 cm (32 inches) and has six or seven holes. 

     Lord Krishna is often shown playing the bansuri, an instrument with which he produced music that enthralled not only the gopis and others but also wild beasts. Two of his several names are Murlidhar or ‘one who holds the flute’, and Venugopal. 

     One of the greatest exponents of the flute is Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

     Pannalal Ghosh (1911-1960), maestro of the flute, made many innovations in the instrument to extend its tonal range and to integrate it into Hindustani classical music. 

STORY TIME

 Precious Onions

     Once upon a time there lived a man called Saul who was always in search of adventure. One day, a traveller came to Saul’s village and told of a far-away country where onions were unknown.    

     “What!” cried Saul in astonishment. “No onions? How can people eat food without the taste of delicious onions?” 

     He decided that he would introduce onions to those ignorant folks. He bought a wagon-load of onions and set off. As soon as he was admitted to the king’s presence, Saul announced, “I have brought a unique vegetable which will improve the taste of your food greatly.”

     The king agreed to ask his cooks to use the onions. “But if we fall ill, then it’s off with your head,” he warned Saul. 

     The next day, a number of dishes were prepared with the onions. A great banquet was held where everyone was invited.

     As they ate, Saul could see that the onions captivated all, from the king to the commoner. And everyone agreed that from then on, they would not eat food without onions in it!

     The king was very pleased with Saul and offered him gold equal in weight to the onions he had brought. When he reached home, he related his adventure to the admiring villagers. One of them, Peter, thought over what Saul had said.

     “If onions were welcomed so warmly, then what might be the reaction to garlic?” he pondered. “It adds even more flavour to food. Why, the king might even reward me with diamonds!”

     So Peter carted five sacks of garlic to the same kingdom. The king agreed to introduce garlic to his people. When everyone sampled the food cooked with garlic, they praised it to the skies and remarked that it was even better than onions. As Peter had predicted, the king and his minister wished to gift him something even more valuable than gold. 

     After a long discussion, the king summoned Peter and said,“We would like to present you with the most precious commodity in our kingdom to express our gratitude for your gift of garlic.”

     And the king handed over to Peter five sacks full of onions!