88. Ujjain
Ujjain 
pronunciation (help·info)
(also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti, Avantikapuri),
is an ancient
city of Malwa
region in central India,
on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River (Hindi: क्षिप्रा), today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District
and Ujjain Division.
pronunciation (help·info)
(also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti, Avantikapuri),
is an ancient
city of Malwa
region in central India,
on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River (Hindi: क्षिप्रा), today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District
and Ujjain Division.
In ancient
times the city was called Ujjayini. As mentioned in the Mahabharata
epic, Ujjayini was the capital of the Avanti Kingdom,
and has been the Prime Meridian for Hindu geographers
since the 4th century BCE. Ujjain
is regarded as one of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri)
of the Hindus.
It is one of the four sites that host the Kumbh Mela
(also called the Simhastha Mela), a mass pilgrimage that attracts millions of
Hindu pilgrims from around the country. It is also home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the
twelve Jyotirlinga
shrines to the god Shiva.
An ancient seat of learning, Ujjain
is the place where Lord Krishna, along with Balarama and Sudama, received his
education from Maharshi Sandipani.
There is an
interesting tale behind the sanctity of the city. Its origin is ascribed to the
mythological legend of Sagar Manthan (churning of the primordial ocean to
discover the pot of nectar). The story goes that after the nectar was
discovered, there was a chase between the gods and the demons to have the nectar
first so as to attain immortality. During this chase a drop of nectar spilled
and fell on Ujjain,
thus making the city sacred. According to legend, the river Kshipra that flows
across Ujjain
is regarded to have originated due to the churning of the gods and goddesses.[1]
Apart from
the mythological legends, the city has a long and distinguished history: it has
witnessed legendary rulers including the renowned king Chandragupta II,
great scholars such as Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya,
and literary gems like Kalidasa.
Today,
however, Ujjain represents an interesting blend of an age-old legacy and the
modern-day lifestyle: even as the city and its people move forward on the path
of rapid change and development, they are faced with the intriguing challenge
of not losing touch with the cultural heritage of this ancient city and its
unique place in the history of Indian civilization.
History of Ujjain
The early
history of Ujjain
is lost in the midst of hoary antiquity. By the 6th century B.C. Avanti with
its capital at Ujjaini, is mentioned in Buddhist literature as one of the four
great powers along with Vatsa, Kosala and Magadha. Ujjain
lay on the main trade route between North India and Deccan going from Mathura via Ujjain to
Mahismati (Maheshwar) on the Narmada, and on to Paithan on the Godavari,
western Asia and the West. The Northern black
polished ware—the NBP as it is often called which is technically the finest
pottery of the time, with a brilliantly burnished dressing almost of the
quality of a glaze in colour from jet black to a deep grey or metallic blue and
iron—found their way to the northern Deccan from the Gangetic plains through Ujjain.
The articles of export to western Asia such as precious stones and pearls,
scents and spices, perfumes, silks and muslin, reached the port of Brighukachcha
from the remote north through Ujjain.[2]
The earliest
references to the city, as Avantika, are from the time of Gautama Buddha,
when it was the capital of the Avanti Kingdom.
Since the 4th century B.C. the city has marked the first meridian of longitude
in Hindu geography. It is also reputed to have been the residence of Ashoka (who
subsequently became the emperor), when he was the viceroy of the western
provinces of the Mauryan empire.
In the
Post-Mauryan period, the city was ruled by the Sungas and the Satavahanas
consecutively. It was contested for a period between the Satavahanas and the Ror Sakas (devotees of Shakumbari),
known as Western Satraps; however, following the end of
the Satavahana dynasty, the city was retained by the Rors from the 2nd to the
4th century CE. Ujjain is mentioned as the city
of Ozene in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, an antique
Greek description of sea ports and trade
centers in the western Indian Ocean. Following the enthroning of the Gupta dynasty,
the city soon became an important seat in the annals of that empire. Ujjain is considered to
be the traditional capital of King Chandragupta II,
also known as Vikramaditya, at whose court the nine poets known as the navaratna
(nine jewels) of Sanskrit literature are said to have flourished.
In the 10th
and 11th centuries, Ujjain
was a major centre of mathematical and astronomical research. The famous
mathematicians who worked there included: Brahmagupta,
whose book Brahmasphutasiddhanta was responsible for
spreading the use of zero,
negative numbers and the positional number system to Arabia and Cambodia;
Varahamihira,
who was the first to discover many trigonometric identities; and Bhaskaracharya,
or Bhaskara II,
whose book Lilavati
broke new ground in many areas of mathematics.
Ujjain was invaded by the
forces of the Delhi Sultanate led by Iltutmish
in 1235. Under the Mughal emperor Akbar
it became the capital of Malwa.
During the last half of the 18th century Ujjain
was the headquarters of the Maratha leader Scindia. The Scindias later established themselves at Gwalior,
and Ujjain remained part of Gwalior state until Indian Independence in
1947. Gwalior
state became a princely state of the British Raj
after the Maratha defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and Gwalior, Ujjain,
and the neighboring princely states were made a part of the Central India Agency. After Indian
independence, the Scindia ruler of Gwalior
acceded to the Indian Union, and Ujjain
became part of the Madhya Bharat state. In 1956 Madhya Bharat was merged into the
Madhya Pradesh
state.
Mahakal
One of the
twelve jyotirlingas in India,
the lingam at Mahakaleshwar is believed to be swayambhu
(born of itself) deriving currents of power (shakti) from within itself as
against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and
invested with mantra-shakti. The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be
dakshinamurti, facing the south. This is a unique feature upheld by tantric
traditions to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the twelve Jyotirlingas. The
idol of Omkareshwar
Shiva is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati
and Karttikeya
are installed in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the
south is the image of Nandi. The idol of Nagchandreshwar on the third storey is open
for darshan only on the day of Nag Panchami.
On the day of Maha Shivaratri, a huge fair is held near the temple
and worship goes on through the night.
Kumbh Mela
Maha Kumbh is
the largest religious congregation on earth. History of this festival is given
in holy scripture Bhagavata Purana.It is said that when demons
become powerful and demigods(in charge of material administration)become too
weak than Lord Brahmä and Lord Shiva advice them to pray to the supreme
personalty of Godhead Lord Visnu[3] Ujjain is one of
the holy city where this event is organised and next kumbh mela will be held in
year 2016.
Ancient monuments and places of interest in Ujjain
- The Mahakal Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is a famous and venerated Shiva temple. It derives its name from "kaal" meaning end of life - death; the word Mahakaal means Lord of Death. Lord Mahakaleshwar is the presiding deity of the city. The Shivling in this temple is supposed to be the only Jyotirlinga which faces south and hence it is known as Dakshinmukhi or the south-facing lingam. Every year on the day of Maha Shivratri, huge crowds of devotees throng the temple for "darshan". The temple attracts a large congregation of Shiva devotees on the day of Naagpanchami in the month of Saavan. On every Monday of "Saavan", the Lord Shiva idol is taken out in a grand procession through the city which is attended by large numbers of devotees from around the country.
- The Harsidhhi temple is one of the Shaktipeeths, situated at 52 places in India. It is dedicated to the goddess Annapurna and houses the Shri Yantra, a symbol of "shakti" or power.
- Kal Bhairav is a temple on the banks of the Kshipra that is dedicated to the worship of Kal Bhairav, the chief of the eight Bhairavas described in Saivite tradition.
- The Chintaman Ganesh temple is an ancient temple of Lord Ganesha.
- The Mangalnath temple is situated away from the bustle of the city and looks down upon a vast expanse of the Kshipra River. It is regarded as the birthplace of Mars (mangala in Hindi), according to the Matsya Purana.
- The Sandipani Ashram is where Puranic traditions say Shri Krishna received his education, along with Balarama and Sudama, in the ashram of Maharshi Sandipani.
- Gadkalika, situated about two miles from the present town, the deity in this temple is believed to have been worshiped by Kalidasa.
- Siddhavat is an enormous banyan tree on the banks of the Kshipra, considered sacred since the medieval ages.
- The throne of Maharaja Vikramaditya, known as the "seat of judgment (salabanjika throne)" is located in the Rudra Sagar lake.
- The Kaliyadeh Palace, located on the north of the city, is an ancient site that was restored by the erstwhile royal Scindia family of Gwalior. It is believed that there was once a majestic Sun temple at this site.
- The Bharthari caves is an ancient site which has some interesting legends associated with it. It is said that it holds tunnels which lead directly to the four ancient dhams (char dham). These ways were later shut down by Britishers.
- The Observatory (Vedha Shala) built by a Rajput king, Raja Jai Singh II, in the 1720s, is one of the five such observatories in India and features ancient astronomical devices.
- The Siddha Ashram, located between Ramghat and Narshinghat, is known for research in Ayurvedic medicine and Kundalini Shaktipat.
- Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, of the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) or Hare Krishna Movement, also has a guest house and restaurant, and is a major attraction for tourists, though it is very new on the map of Ujjain.
- The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan museum, located near Chamunda tower, houses many antique objects.
- Canopy (Chhatri or Dewali) of Veer Durgadas Rathore "the Great Warrior and protector of Marwar" at Chakratirth.
- Jain temples: Jai Singh Pura Atishay Kshetra, Tapobhoomi, Avanti Parshwanath, Hanumant Baag, Manibhadradham Bhairavgarh.
- The Kothi Palace presents a sight worth watching in the evening.
- Other important temples are Gopal Mandir, Triveni (Nav Graha Shani Mandir), Maa Waageshwari, Siddhhanath, Prashanti Dham and Shiv Shakti,Gebi Hanuman.
Among seven holy cities of India
Moreover, Ujjain is one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India where Varanasi
is considered as the holiest of the seven holy cities.
Ayodhyā Mathurā Māyā
Kāsi Kāñchī Avantikā I
Purī
Dvārāvatī chaiva saptaitā moksadāyikāh II — Garuḍa Purāṇa I XVI
.14
A Kṣetra is
a sacred ground, a field of active power, a place where moksha, final
release can be obtained. The Garuda Purana
enumerates seven cities as giver of Moksha. They are Ayodhya,
Mathura,
Māyā
(Haridwar), Kāsi
(Varanasi), Kāñchī,
Avantikā (Ujjain) and Dvārāvatī (Dvārakā)
Various names of Ujjain
- Avantika
- Padmavati
- Kushasthali
- Bhagavati
- Haranyavati
- Kandakatringa
- Kumudvati
- Pratikalpa
- Ujjayani
- Udeni
- Vishala
It is said
that to the Western astronomers it was known as "Arin".
Story Behind Kumbh Mela
History: It is described that
while Durvasa Muni was passing on the road, he saw Indra on the back of his
elephant and was pleased to offer Indra a garland from his own neck. Indra,
however, being too puffed up, took the garland, and without respect for Durvasa
Muni, he placed it on the trunk of his carrier elephant. The elephant, being an
animal, could not understand the value of the garland, and thus the elephant
threw the garland between its legs and smashed it. Seeing this insulting
behavior, Durvasa Muni immediately cursed Indra to be poverty-stricken, bereft
of all material opulence. Thus the demigods, afflicted on one side by the
fighting demons and on the other by the curse of Durvasa Muni, lost all the
material opulence’s in the three worlds
Lord Indra,
Varuna and the other demigods, seeing their lives in such a state, consulted
among themselves, but they could not find any solution. Then all the demigods
assembled and went together to the peak
of Sumeru Mountain.
There, in the assembly of Lord Brahma, they fell down to offer Lord Brahma
their obeisances, and then they informed him of all the incidents that had
taken place.
Upon seeing
that the demigods were bereft of all influence and strength and that the three
worlds were consequently devoid of auspiciousness, and upon seeing that the
demigods were in an awkward position whereas all the demons were flourishing,
Lord Brahma, who is above all the demigods and who is most powerful,
concentrated his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus being encouraged,
he became bright-faced and spoke to the demigods as follows.
Lord
Brahma said: I, Lord Siva, all of you demigods, the demons, the living
entities born of perspiration, the living beings born of eggs, the trees and
plants sprouting from the earth, and the living entities born from embryos—all
come from the Supreme Lord, from His incarnation of rajo-guna [Lord Brahma, the
guna-avatara] and from the great sages [rsis] who are part of me. Let us
therefore go to the Supreme Lord and take shelter of His lotus feet.
For the
Supreme Personality of Godhead there is no one to be killed, no one to be
protected, no one to be neglected and no one to be worshiped. Nonetheless, for
the sake of creation, maintenance and annihilation according to time, He
accepts different forms as incarnations either in the mode of goodness, the
mode of passion or the mode of ignorance.
after Lord
Brahma finished speaking to the demigods, he took them with him to the abode of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is beyond this material world. The
Lord’s abode is on an island called Svetadvipa, which is situated in the ocean
of milk.
The Supreme
Personality of Godhead directly and indirectly knows how everything, including
the living force, mind and intelligence, is working under His control. He is
the illuminator of everything and has no ignorance. He does not have a material
body subject to the reactions of previous activities, and He is free from the
ignorance of partiality and materialistic education. I therefore take shelter
of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal, all-pervading and as
great as the sky and who appears with six opulence’s in three yugas [Satya,
Tretä and Dväpara].
When offered
prayers by Lord Siva and Lord Brahms, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord
Visu was pleased. Thus He gave appropriate instructions to all the demigods.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Ajita, unconquerable,
advised the demigods to make a peace proposal to the demons, so that after
formulating a truce, the demigods and demons could churn the ocean of milk. The
rope would be the biggest serpent, known as Vasuki, and the churning rod would
be Mandara Mountain. Poison would also be produced
from the churning, but it would be taken by Lord Siva, and so there would be no
need to fear it. Many other attractive things would be generated by the
churning, but the Lord warned the demigods not to be captivated by such things.
Nor should the demigods be angry if there were some disturbances. After
advising the demigods in this way, the Lord disappeared from the scene.
One of the
item come from the churning of ocean of milk
was nectar which will give strength to demigods. For
twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the gods and
demons fought in the sky for possession of this pot of Amrita. From this
nectar some drops spills at Allahabad, Haridwar,
Ujjain and
Nashik while they were fighting for nectar . So on earth we celebrate this
festival to get the pious credits and meet the purpose of life that is going
to back to godhead our eternal home where our father is
waiting for us. This is opportunity we get after associating with saints or
holy man who follow scriptures.
Kumbh mela
provides
us this great opportunity to purify our soul by bathing in holy river and
serving saints
Education
Ujjain is home to Vikram University,
which is the second oldest university in Madhya Pradesh, established in 1957. Ujjain Engineering College (UEC) is a
government-aided institute that ranks amongst the best engineering colleges in
Madhya Pradesh. There are 7 private engineering colleges in the city. The city
also has Maharshi Panini Sanskrit aivam Vaidik University.
There are two medical colleges in the city: the government-aided Govt. Autonomous
Dhanvantri Ayurveda
College and R.D. Gardi Medical College,
which is a private institute.
Sandipani
Sandipani, which means
"Sage of Gods", was a guru of Lord Krishna.
Sandipani was a rishi/muni/saint
of Ujjain.
The Sandipani
Muni ashram is located 2 km outside Ujjain,
in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The area near the ashram, known as
Ankapata, is popularly believed to have been the place used by Lord Krishna for
washing his writing tablets. The numerals 1 to 100 found inscribed on a stone
are believed to have been engraved by Guru Sandipani. Near the ashram is the
Gomti Kund, a staircased water tank where Krishna
supposedly summoned all the holy waters from various centres so that his old
Guru, Sandipani Muni would not have to travel other holy places.
The two
brothers- Sri Krishna, Balarama and Sudama,
while staying as students at Guru Sandipani’s residence, learnt every thing in
a single lesson. Upon completion of their studies, they persuaded the teacher
to ask for the preceptor’s dakshina (fees) of his liking. Sandipani asked for,
as his dakshina, the restoration of his child lost in the ocean at Prabhaas.
The two brothers went to Prabhaasa and found that the son was taken by the
demon "Shankhasur", who had a HOLY conch named "Paanchajanya",
lived under the waters in the shape of a conch. Not finding the son within the
conch, Sri Krishna and Balarama took the conch and went to Yama, and blew the conch.
Yama worshipped both of them saying, ‘O Vishnu (the
all-pervading Lord), disguised as a human being by way of leela (sport), what can we
do for you both?’ The glorious Lord said: ‘Impelled by My command, O great
ruler, fetch My preceptor’s son, who was brought here as a result of his own Karma.’ Being brought back
to life, they handed over to their preceptor his son. Shri Krishna obtained the
HOLY conch "Panchajanya" from "Shankhasur". Shri Krishna
blew conch Panchajanya along with Arjun's conch devdatta signalling the start
of the Mahabharata
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Chandragupta II
Chandragupta
II The Great (Sanskrit:
चन्द्रगुप्त विक्रमादित्य; candragupta
vikramāditya) was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire
in northern India.
His rule spanned c. 380–413/415 CE, during which the Gupta Empire achieved its
zenith, art, architecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural
development of ancient India reached its climax.[1]
The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the Golden
Age of India.
Chandragupta II was the son of the previous ruler, Samudragupta the
Great. He attained success by pursuing both a favorable marital
alliance and an aggressive expansionist policy in this which his father and
grandfather (Chandragupta I) set the precedent. Samudragupta
set the stage for the emergence of classical art, which occurred under the rule
of Chandragupta II. Chandragupta II gave great support to the arts. Artists
were so highly valued under his rule that they were paid for their work — a
rare phenomenon in ancient civilizations.[2]
From 388 to
409 he subjugated Gujarat, the region north of Mumbai, Saurashtra, in western India, and Malwa, with its capital at Ujjain.[3]
Culturally, the reign of Chandragupta II marked a Golden Age. This is
evidenced by later reports of the presence of a circle of poets known as the Nine Gems
in his court. The greatest among them was Kalidasa,
who authored numerous immortal pieces of literature including Abhijñānaśākuntalam. The others included Sanskrit
grammarian Amara Sinha and the astronomer-mathematician
Mentions in literature
Not much is
known about the personal details of Chandragupta II. The most widely accepted
details have been built upon the plot of the play Devi-chandraguptam by Vishakadatta.
The play is now lost, but fragments have been preserved in other works (such as
Abhinava-bharati, Sringara-prakasha, Natya-darpana, Nataka-lakshana
Ratna-kosha). There even exists an Arabic
work, written in Persia
near the Indian subcontinent, Mojmal al-tawarikh (12th century CE) which
tells a similar tale of a king whose name appears to be a corruption of
'Vikramaditya'. The name 'Vikramaditya' holds a semi-mythical status in India. India has many
interesting stories about King Vikramaditya, his guru Manva-Patwa and his
queens. It is widely believed that the great poet in Sanskrit,
Kalidasa
was one of the jewels of Vikramaditya's royal court.
Biography
Early life and coronation
Chandragupta
II's mother, Datta Devi, was the chief queen of Samudragupta the
Great. After Samudragupta's death his elder son, Ramagupta,
took over the throne and married Chandragupta II's fiance Dhruvaswamini by
force. The fragment from Vishakadatta's "Natya-darpana" mentions the
king Ramagupta,
the elder brother of Chandragupta II, deciding to surrender his queen
Dhruvaswamini to the Saka
ruler of the Western Kshatrapas Rudrasimha III
(r. 388 - 395 CE), after a defeat at the Saka ruler's hands. To avoid the
ignominy the Guptas decide to send Madhavasena, a courtesan and a beloved of
Chandragupta II, disguised as the queen Dhruvaswamini. Chandragupta II changes
the plan and himself goes to Rudrasimha III
disguised as the queen. He then assassinates Rudrasimha III and later his
brother Ramagupta.
Dhruvaswamini is then married to Chandragupta II.
Historians
still don't know what liberties the author Vishakadatta took with the
incidents, but Dhruvadevi was indeed Chandragupta II's Chief Queen as seen in
the Vaisali
Terracotta Seal that calls her "Mahadevi" (Chief Queen)
Dhruvasvamini. The Bilsad Pillar Inscription of their son Kumaragupta I
(r. 414–455 CE) also refers to her as "Mahadevi Dhruvadevi". Certain
"Ramagupta" too is mentioned in inscriptions on Jain figures in the District Archaeological Museum,
Vidisha
and some copper coins found at Vidisha.
The fact that
Chandragupta II and Dhruvadevi are the protagonists of Vishakadatta's play
indicates that marrying his widowed sister-in-law was not given any
significance by the playwright. Later Hindus did not view such a
marriage with favour and some censure of the act is found in the Sanjan Copper
Plate Inscription of Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha I
(r. 814-878 CE) and in the Sangali and Cambay Plates of the Govinda IV
(r. 930-936 CE).
Vakataka-Gupta Age
The Allahabad
Pillar Inscription mentions the marriage of Chandragupta II with a Naga
princess Kuberanaga. A pillar from Mathura referring to Chandragupta II has
recently been dated to 388 CE.[4]
Chandragupta
II's daughter, Prabhavatigupta, by his Naga queen Kuberanaga was married to
the powerful Vakataka dynasty ruler Rudrasena II (r.380-385
CE)
His greatest
victory was his victory over the Shaka-Kshatrapa
dynasty and annexation of their kingdom in Gujarat,
by defeating their last ruler Rudrasimha III.
Chandragupta
II's son-in-law, the Vakataka ruler Rudrasena II, died fortuitously after a
very short reign in 385 CE, following which Queen Prabhavati Gupta (r. 385-405)
ruled the Vakataka kingdom as a regent on behalf of her
two sons. During this twenty-year period the Vakataka realm was practically a
part of the Gupta empire. The geographical location of the Vakataka
kingdom allowed Chandragupta II to take the opportunity to defeat the Western Kshatrapas once for all. Many
historians refer to this period as the Vakataka-Gupta Age.
Chandragupta
II controlled a vast empire, from the mouth of the Ganges to the mouth
of the Indus River
and from what is now North Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada.
Pataliputra
continued to be the capital of his huge empire but Ujjain too became a
sort of second capital. The large number of beautiful gold coins issued by the Gupta dynasty
are a testament to the imperial grandeur of that age. Chandragupta II also
started producing silver coins in the Saka tradition.
Visit of Faxian
Faxian (337 – c. 422
CE) was the first of three great Chinese pilgrims who visited India from the
fifth to the seventh centuries CE, in search of knowledge, manuscripts and
relics. Faxian arrived during the reign of Chandragupta II and gave a general
description of North India at that time. Among
the other things, he reported about the absence of capital punishment, the lack of a poll-tax and
land tax. Most citizens did not consume onions, garlic, meat, and wine.
End of Chandragupta II
Chandragupta
II was succeeded by his second son Kumaragupta I,
born of Mahadevi Dhruvasvamini.[9]
Religion
From
Chandragupta II kings of Gupta dynasty are known as Parama Bhagavatas or
Bhagavata Vaishnavas.
The Bhagavata Purana
entails the fully developed tenets and philosophy of the Bhagavata tradition
wherein Krishna gets fused with Vasudeva and transcends Vedic Vishnu and cosmic Hari to be
turned into the ultimate object of bhakti.
Vikram-Samvat Calendar
Main article: Vikram Samvat
The next day
after the Hindu festival Diwali
is called Padwa or Varshapratipada, which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya.
He was a Hindu king who ruled in first century BCE. The title 'Vikramaditya'
was later used by Gupta king Chandragupta II and 16th century Hindu king Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya
as well. Vikram-Samvat calendar starts from 57 BCE. The Hindu Vikram-Samvat calendar is celebrated as New
Year's Day in Nepal
where Vikram Sambat is the official calendar.
Months
INDIAN HINDU & NEPALI
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North Indian
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History
This calendar
derives its name from the original king Vikramaditya
of Ujjain.
After the rise of the Rana oligarchs in Nepal, Vikram Sambat came into
unofficial use along with the official Shaka Sambat for quite some time. They
discontinued Shaka Sambat in its 1823rd year, and replaced it with Vikram
Samwat for official use since then to date. Vikram Sambat came into official
use in its 1958th year. The calendar is widely in use in western India, where it
is known as the Vikram Samvat.
The date is
supposed to mark the victory of king Vikramaditya
over the Sakas,
who had invaded Ujjain.
Alternatively, it has been thought by some scholars to correspond to the Azes
era, of the Indo-Scythian king Azes I,
but this seems to be now thoroughly discredited by Falk and Bennett who place
the inception of the Azes era in 47/6 BC.
The story is
described in "Kalakacharya Kathanaka", a much later work by a Jain sage called Mahesara
Suri (probably circa 12th century CE). The Kathanaka (meaning, "an
account") tells the story of a famed Jain monk Kalakacharya. It
mentions that Gardabhilla, the then-powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati
who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought the help of the Saka ruler, a Sahi,
in Sakasthana.
Despite heavy odds (but aided by miracles) the Saka king defeated Gardabhilla
and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated, although Gardabhilla himself
was forgiven. The defeated king retired to the forest, where he was killed by a
tiger. His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from Pratishthana
(in modern Maharashtra). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away the Sakas. To
commemorate this event, he started a new era called the Vikrama era. This story
seems to be somewhat jumbled, as the original Vikramaditya began his rule from Ujjain, and not from
Pratishthana. The Ujjain
calendar started around 56 BCE to 58 BCE, and the subsequent Shalivahan Saka
calendar was started in 78 AD at Pratishthan.
Culture
The
traditional New Year of Bikram Samwat is one of the many festivals of Nepal, marked
by parties, family gatherings, the exchange of good wishes, and participation
in rituals to ensure good fortune in the coming year. It occurs in mid-April
each year, and coincides with the traditional new year in Assam, Bengal, Maharashtra,Burma, Cambodia,
Kerala, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Thailand.
In addition
to Nepal, the Bikram Sambat
calendar is also recognized in northern India, eastern India, and in Gujarat
among Hindus. In Buddhist communities, the month of Baishakh is associated with
Vesak, known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in Nepal,
India and Bangladesh, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia
and Wesak in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It
commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha on the
first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in
June. Although this festival is not held on the same day as Pahela Baishakh,
the holidays typically fall in the same month (Baishakh) of the Bengali, Hindu,
and Theravada Buddhist calendars, and are related historically through the
spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in South Asia.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection
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