Mass Conceived Goddess (Vaishno Devi)

Mass Conceived Goddess (Vaishno Devi)
Debi Prasad Choudhary
Los Angeles
04/30/2025

On a leisurely winter afternoon water cooler conversation in Udaipur, my friend and boss Venkatakrishnan said, Gods appear spontaneously and uninvited in north India, where as they are invited and installed in south. That is why the behaviour towards them in these two part of the country is different. In north, you can almost touch the God (like in Kasi Viswanath) but in south, you must keep a distance. It made sense to me from observational point of view. The examples are two recent additions Vaishno Devi and Santoshi Mata in past 50 years. Ironically, when I was boarding helicopter for Vaishno Devi, I got the news of the demise of my friend, so would like to dedicate this blog to him.

Delhi railway station waiting for our train. Few of our people managed to use the frazile nearby cart to sit on the cart.

In order to avoid the risk of my wife travelling alone in north India, I decided to join her, and also perhaps that was the order of Mata Rani (Mata Rani Ke Hukum). It was enough to cite the HUKUM (dicket) of Mata Rani to get a permission of my boss to travel for two weeks in the most busy month of April. The added incentive was prolonged travel on Indian rails after a long time. It was fascinating to see New Delhi railway station platforms in almost same situation as it was when I took train to Ahmedabad to join PhD about 50 years ago. People are very accommodative that they look for even unstable frazile cart to sit for a while after a meal. The atmosphere was homely.

Katara railway station. Clear and crisp air was refreshing.

The late night in Katra railway station was fantastic with clear, crisp air and very nice local people to help getting into the hotel. After a long time, it was a great homely feeling in India. Clean air, cool temperature and plenty of sunshine, this area is like southern California.

Day and night time view of the vaishno Devi Shrine.

Next morning a helicopter ride to Vaishno Devi was a great experience. This was our first helicopter ride and scary in the beginning due to the terrible New York event just a couple of days before. From the helipad, it was a about a mile walking to the shrine area. Some people offered help to take bagage, I refused to give my backpack, but a man insisted walking with us. We talked and walked, he was muslim and said this was his livelihood. He guided to enter the shrine quickly using the the gate 5. We went to gate five to find that only with VIP pass, it is possible to enter through this gate, otherwise we have to use the general queue that would take several hours before reaching the shrine. In gate five, the guard asked me if I am in military or have other kind of VIP pass. Without such a pass, he asked us to go to general queue. 

I lost hope and almost decided to abandon the idea of going for the shrine. Suddenly a a man approached and asked me about my conversation with the guard. After hearing from me, he searched his pocket and gave me a small piece of yellow paper that would serve as VIP pass for six people. His wife was asking him to be hurry and don't waste time with us, since they were to go. This appeared us like a miracle, as if Mata Rani arranged a favour. I thought of this as random act of kindness, although it was a hot topic for our group. It took about 30 minutes to reach the shrine.

After getting VIP Darsan of the Shrine, people are happy.

In the evening, we had to rush to capture a room where we spent the night. You could visit the shrine round the clock. The Goddess never sleeps! I decided to go for the shrine second time through general line. The general line was impressive with wooden and glass structure. 

The Vaishno Devi Shrine is a most fascinating phenomena in the recent time when there was a prolific expansion of new religious centers in India consisting of Gods or God-human. Centers like this shrine, Siridi with Sai baba, centers led by SadGuru or Sri Sri Ravi Sankar are few examples. These centers made millions of dollars and attracted millions of people. Vaishno Devi shrine grew dramatically, starting with 5000 visitors per day in 1976, it is now it is 9.5 million pilgrims per day and have accumulated enormous wealth tuning 300 million dollar and 2000 kg of gold. 

I had a curious experience when approaching the shrine. There, a priest outside, aggressively offering tilak. One man offered few rupees, like we give to priests in holy places. The priest rudely refused to take citing his hefty salary from the organization. Later I saw him proudly talking to one his colleagues how he insulted one of the pilgrims who was offering money. Truely, the organization is impressive with a thriving community of commerce that help many people earn a livelihood. Even though there is nothing produced, a collective consumer society leaving happily on a imaginary central theme is fascinating for studying mass psychology.

Mata Vaishno Devi Pindi at the holi Shrine consists of three entities  icons of Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. Unlike the traditional Gods of the holy land of India, that generally has a robust backing of a scripture such as Ramayana or Bhagawat, the stories of the Goddess here appear to consist of mostly folk lores created by the locals. Many incoherent legends and stories that most times are not consistent chronologically are associated with this temple or shrine. The most fascinating for me was that, when the Mata was living and meditating in another cave, a tantrik Bharion Nath saw her in an agriculture fair and fell madly in lusty love with her. Vaishno Devi fled to this current place and the tantrik followed. She got angry and cut his head that fell at another nearby mountain. The Bharion Nath temple is located there that can be reached through a ropeway.

The people who come here neither know any of these stories nor they were interested. They pick up something on the way and keep talking. One of the pilgrims (a young man from Delhi working in a bank) told me that the mata was meditating at another cave half way from the plane. I asked him, which Mata, since there are three in Vaishno Devi shrine. He was not expecting such a question and started giving incoherent descriptions. It was not possible for him to relate the three entities at the current shrine to a single Goddess in its earlier form. Even if such a description is necessary, I thought, the young generation should have capacity to build consistent narrations. The current education system is inadequate, I thought to encourage them to develop stories through creative composition as questioning is discouraged. This is purely my observation. Many people describe Bharion Nath as Siva or Nrushingh, where as he was only a human Tantric harashing Mata.

Paliki ride back to helipad.

After sleepless night, we returned using a helicopter ride. It was uphill to helipad so decided to go on a paliki that is carried by four people. On the way, one of the carriers asked me about my weight. He told, I am overweight as his solder tells him. I gave them few more rupees. The return helicopter trip was nice and we slept after having a good breakfast.

Cruelty and Compassion

Cruelty and Compassion
Debi Prasad Choudhary
04/27/2025

Narrow street of Amritsar leading to Golden Temple and Jallianwala Wag

Around 100 years ago, on 13 April 1919, a cruel British General Dyer marched armed soldiers and tanks into Jallianwala Wag through these streets and killed about 1500 innocent man women and children, injured equal numbers. He wanted to teach a lesson, and actually he did that. The lesson is that  man can be that cruel and there is no limit to what low life a human can have. 

Bullet tinted wall, the visitors pose for memorial pictures

We went inside the garden and saw the bullet tinted walls and the well where hundreds jumped to escape bullet and died of suffocation. We read the eye witness accounts on the exhibit. When you are quiet and think of that day, it was chilling and tears can not be controlled. I sat besides the well and thought how a society that can produce luminaries like Isaac Newton and Michal Faraday and William Shakespeare can also produce something like a Dyer. Good and bad are no one's propriety, they can appear in any group of civilized people. That is why Gandhiji said, British must leave and we shall have self governance. If we must suffer, let it be due to our own mistake not for the anger of a foreign ruler. Self governance in any society is not only honor it has a possibility of greater safety.

Memorial

In the end, we sat near the memorial and took a deep breath. Let us not forget how cruel a man can be and watch the inner feelings of ourself constantly. Man can be bad when not watched by its consciousness.

About 500 years ago a wise man Guru Nanak Dav was born near the same town and wandered preaching harmony. He taught the nature of higher power that perhaps govern us. He asked fellow man to recognize the uniqueness of supreme being the creator rather than be divided and qural. His words are in Sri Guru Granth Sahib and installed in Golden Temple Harmandir Sahib. The magic of this place is undeniable. We visited the place in the evening to witness the Guru Sahib in a majestic line.

We lined up for the Darshan of Sri Guru Sahib in Harmandir Sahib.

After visiting the Harmandir Sahib, we visited a local shop to buy some souvenirs. I wanted t buy a Japji Sahib. Before showing me the shopkeeper asked to cover the head with a cloth. We did and I asked why? He said the that Japji sahib will manifest (Prakash) in front you for the first time and you should respect.

My copy of the Japji Sahib

Yet, after 500 years of this great man preaching communal love, a little (in comparison to Guru sahib) British individual Sir Cyril Radcliffe made an artificial line telling that here the hindus and muslim are divided and should never cross freely. We obeyed the British and abandoned Guru Sahib. We have been celebrating this hatred for each other for many years since then.

Wagah Boarder that marks the boundary of India and Pakistan. Hundreds enjoy the ceremony of flag retreat every evening. India side has a huge stadium style seating arrangement and the Pakistan side is under construction. The positive side of this event is that many small business depend on the crowed gather every evening.

Place of Gobinda - The Universal Self

Place of Gobinda - The Universal Self
Debi Prasad Choudhary
04/27/2025

(My two day "Travel Log "to Sri Krishna Birthplace on 18 April 2025)

                           ईश्वरः परमः कृष्णः सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः। अनादिरादिर्गोविन्दः सर्वकारणकारणम्॥

Kṛiṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

Brindavan, UP

Hundreds of years ago, this bustling town was a vast forest and grazing field for cattle herd. A young boy from Gokul, used bring His cow heard in the dawn along with a food packet prepared by mother Yosada and return in the dusk. Along with his friends He was wondering around this place with confidence, carefree and enjoying every moment with His magic flute. The dark colored young body was the center of attraction for all members of the community, especially women folk. His mischfies eyes, melodious sound of flute and walking style was things to treasure for all who could come across. He taught love. Love for all without boundary of any kind. No hate. He taught courage. No fear. He asked elders to abandon worshiping with fear to unknown mysterious forces  like "Indra". Rather worship the environment by taking care of Gobardhan Hill that was the grazing field of their cattle. He advocated to consume local dairy products instead of exporting to nearby city for profit. He killed evil forces who conspired to bring harm to his society. He cleaned Yamuna River by eradicating poisonous creatures and elements in the river.

He often stole food, stole clothes of women, teased them. Never went to a formal school. He dominated the consciousness and folklore of the subcontinent for centuries.

He was addressed by many names Gopal, Gobind and Kahna. He sang, he danced, He was the center of every one's life. Cows stoped grazing to listen his flute, women ran leveling all house hold duties, saints and elders longed to get a glimpse of him. Life was good. This was the place, he spend most of his growing up life. 

Today, it is like any other town. Piles of dirt from the open sewage, moulds of rubble from leftover construction material, smell of open drains and unorganized human and motor traffic. People come to see this place, perhaps experience the magic that it had one day in the past. 

Streets of Brindavan

He is the God. The Universal self. Saints and wise of all time interpret His actions, His words and His deeds in various ways. People feel blessed to come here and touch the soil that once He touched. They take home the memories with photographs with symbolic Tilak of His on their forehead.

One of my copilgremes posing for photo.

People constructed temples for him. Hundreds of thousands go to see his idol that He would have detasted. He was a realist no dogmatic. Yet, no one tries to understand Him like in his own life time. Pilgrims make Him God, which He might well be, but he was more than God. He taught mankind how to become godly.

A narrow street to one of the temples made in His honor.

Tired pilgrims eat food in air conditioned restaurants that are decorated with the picture of modern well groomed Gurus. The Gurus talk of Him, sometimes in the middle of night. They talk of His cow harding activity in wellit expansive pandals. They come in most expensive vehicles to tell about the one who wondered in bare foot. They accumulate huge wealth by telling His simple inexpensive story.

A modern saint decorated restaurant for pilgrims to eat.

Mathura, UP

He was born inside a jail, where his parents were kept for conspiring to kill his maternal uncle. A contemporary rich man Mr. Birla happened to identify the location and build a memorial. The neighbourhood is again ordinary. People sit leisurely to play cards. Kids play and cows wander. Visitors come to see this curious place that is disputed by rivalry of conflicting religious groups. The reconstructed jail cell in which Sri Krishna was born must be a symbolic one. In side the jail cell an individual can not even stand, so it is hard to imagine how a woman can give borth to a boy child!

Neighbourhood of Krishna Janam Bhumi in Mathura

Visitors proceed to see His birthplace through streets where unbothered folks play cards.

In His adulthood, he came with his brother to this town ruled by His uncle to participate in a festivity. It was the turning point in His life. He was such an attraction, people lined up to see Him. His style of walking, His eye rolling, His sweating masculine body and His kind touch was the talk of the town. He displayed valour and foiled the conspiracy to kill HIm. He became an instant celebrity.  His innocence was lost, He became adult and never returned to the village again. 

The railway station of the city is like any place else in India. A busy place where people with luggage struggle to get to train to go places. Ordinary people struggling to live like in any other city.

Mathura Railway Station, people wait for the train to their destination.

After two days of visit in hot salty environment of the place, where He was born and lived many eventful years, I was returning to Delhi airport in a air conditioned car. What a relief. I reflected, it it a special place, where he decided to incarnate, if He was all powerful, as He described Himself later in life?  It was not possible for me to find any significance of this place in comparison to my home town that looks exactly like this one. Same mounds of dirt from open sewage, leftover construction material and smell of open drain and urination. 

I thought, He is born in all cities, all localities, He is universal as He described later in life in Srimad Bhagawat Gita. We need to look for Him in all forms and beings. We shall find. The place, I visited is just a symbolic one, if he lived there was just coincidence. He can not be confined to a location, a space and time. He is timeless and all pervading. I realized the truth this time.

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थित: | अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च || 20||

O Arjun, I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.

Jai Sri Krishna