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| Jai Maa Saraswati |
The Himalayan Mountains are regarded as sacred in South Asia. The Infinite reality cannot be visualised by a finite mind but aspects of him can be viewed symbolically in the sun, stars, majestic mountains, rivers or as personified in divine beings in the universe, and it is in this light that some mountain peaks and ranges are regarded as sacred throughout Asia from India to Japan. The earth itself and its components are regarded as akin to a divine mother since life is born in its bosom whereas heavenly objects such as the sun in a fatherly manner since it is his rays that give life. The male and female are two aspects of the one and only reality Who is neither. However, in recent centuries bold western explorers have scaled and surveyed lofty Himalayan peaks. Names have been given to some of the peaks by just numbering them or as
mere geological features missing the point that these are majestic
manifestations of the divine on earth.
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| Saraswati Mountain Range |
Recently this author was engaged in reviewing the research
on the source of the mightiest ancient river of South Asia – The Saraswati ( also spelt Sarasvati)
River which led to the development of the first organized human civilization
known erroneously as the Indus
Valley civilization (see here). This
river has disappeared several thousand years ago due to tectonic shifts and
climate change and only scattered remnants of it remain now. The research led
to the only possible primary Himalayan source of this river as a range in the
Himalayas that can only be called as the Saraswati Mountain
range. It is a massif with two peaks. The Higher of the two peaks may then be
called the Saraswati Devi Mountain (Parvat) of 6316 m height and the lower one as
Hanuman Parvat (6102m ) by interpreting the current local name of this range
in a sacred light i.e. the monkey tail range or in Hindi Bandarpoonch. I
In mythology the Lord Hanuman is often found sitting at the feet of an incarnation of the Mother Goddess (when not standing as a guard at her gate as in the Naini Devi temple at Nainital. hence it is wholly appropriate to have him represented in this mountain range. These higher mountain ranges including the twin peaks of Nanda and Sunanda goddesses are in the districts to the north of Nainital district and visible from vantage points of Nainital district.
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| Hanuman ji at the gate of Naini Mata temple in Nainital in 2010 |
In mythology the Lord Hanuman is often found sitting at the feet of an incarnation of the Mother Goddess (when not standing as a guard at her gate as in the Naini Devi temple at Nainital. hence it is wholly appropriate to have him represented in this mountain range. These higher mountain ranges including the twin peaks of Nanda and Sunanda goddesses are in the districts to the north of Nainital district and visible from vantage points of Nainital district.
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| The Saraswati River emerging from the Himalayas |
Glacial melt from these peaks leads to the river known as
Tons that has begun merging with another river the Yamuna since a few thousand
years ago instead of flowing independently southward as the Saraswati River
where it is joined by other seasonal tributaries. The goddess Saraswati personified as a mother goddess is a
wielder first and foremost of knowledge and wisdom and then of health, peace
and prosperity too. It is interesting to note that in the regions through which
the remnants of this river flow (known as Ghaggar) live some of the strongest
people not just in India
but also the world as promised in ancient texts:
In Rigveda, RV
7.95.1-2, the Sarasvati is described as:
This stream Sarasvati with fostering current comes forth,
Our sure defense, our fort of iron.
As on a chariot, the flood flows on,
Surpassing in majesty and might all other waters.
Pure in her course from mountains to the ocean,
Alone of streams
Sarasvati hath listened.
Thinking of wealth and the great world of creatures,
She poured for Nahusa her milk and robustness.
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| Sushil Kumar, amongst the strongest in the World |
The last line of this hymn reminds one that even
with the few remnants of Saraswati that flow through Harayana today, that
region has the strongest persons in the world, on a diet of milk and milk
products rather than meat and synthetic drugs, such as the Olympian medal
winner Sushil
Kumar the wrestler, who defeats and lifts up world champion wrestlers of
the world as if holding up like a light chair before dashing them into the
ground of defeat, as well as several others, including the Rajputs
further along the course of the river in Rajasthan. Wrestlers pay respects to Lord Hanuman the god of strength regularly, who too was a strict vegetarian. A non-flesh healthy vegetarian diet that includes milk and milk products becomes possible easily when their are pastures for cows and agriculture and when cows are kept in every home as pets rather than herded into a large diary, cruelty to animals is avoided. Nuts from trees such as almonds add the extra touch for wrestlers like Sushil Kumar rather than chemical drugs as used by some in west and which produce painful side effects later after temporary gains.
Jai Hanuman, Jai Bajrang Bali
.
You may read more about the search of the river Saraswati at
Bandarpunch range by
By Paul Hamilton. Some Rigths
reserved as indicated at the link
Tons River photo, Courtesy
Ajay Bhandari, Flickr
Some rights reserved as
indicated at link
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