NASIK PILGRIM POWER

Some typical Pilgrim Power. Pilgrims in Nasik in the midst of a religious song. The singer accompanies herself on a portable synthesizer instead of the traditional harmonium, while her vocals are powerfully amplified, like the synthesizer, just beyond the limits of distortion.

The video is shot in 2002. The city of Nasik (or Nashik) was being prepared for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, the biggest religious event in the world, and in some chaos. Mainly repairs were being made to the bathing steps and banks of the holy Godavari River (hear the power drills!).

Besides the the Kumbh Mela every twelve years Nasik is a popular pilgrim destination all year through as events of the Ramayana took place here:
Legend dictates that the name "Nasik" is derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana. During the exile of Rama, Shoorpanakha the sister of the demon king Ravana tried to seduce Rama. Angered, Rama ordered Lakshmana to cut off Shoorpanakha's nose (nasika/nak). (Wikipedia)

The side were the nose of Shoorpanakha is supposed to reside can be visited in the cave under a temple ... quiet an exercise, only for those with bendy limbs.

BLESSINGS

Let's kick off with a decent blessing as a true pilgrim should !

Ganesha is the elephant headed Hindu god subtitled "The Remover Of Obstacles" and therefore it is a good idea to have his blessings in this first post.

There is this thing about Ganesha and elephants I always wondered about.
The myth exists that elephants are terribly afraid of mice. I don't know if this is actually true. But if it is a myth the source might be found in images of our Hindu elephant god:

Hindu gods are often accompanied by animals as 'vehicles'. Ganesha is accompanied by a mouse or rat representing 'Desire to be controlled', for which reason Ganesha most of the time is sitting on or riding the rodent.
Also, Ganesha often appears dancing, Nritya-Ganapathi, creating the rhythm of the Universe.
These images combined might have suggested to an unknowing viewer from overseas in bygone times that we are looking at an elephant hysterically afraid of the small animal at his feet. And I am sure the archetype of the fat lady on the chair with a mouse in the kitchen is at least as old as that ... (see "Tom & Jerry" as recent reference).

Finally the BLESSINGS :

WELCOME

Welcome to the PILGRIM POWER STATION blog !

Will be sharing here some of my interests. These will be mostly in the fields of art I guess, but in a broad sense. Fine arts; new, old and very old. Music, probably a lot of music; new, old and very old. Literature; History; ... etc. etc. Let's see what happens.

Drop in now and then and do not hesitate to leave a comment.

See ya.