Holy Pilgrimage – Haryana State –( Jyotisar, Sannihit Sarovar, Agroha Dham and Sheela mata Mandir) -2 at 3:22 AM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Haryana State

 Jyotisar

 

Jyotisar is a town on the Kurukshetra-Pehowa road, 5 km west of Thanesar in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana. 'Jyoti' means light and 'Sar' means the core meaning. Hence the name of place is a reference to the 'core meaning of light' or ultimately of God. It is one of the most revered holy sites of the holy city of Kurukshetra. A Vat (Banyan tree) stands on a raised plinth. Local traditions say that this tree is an offshoot of the holy Banyan tree under which Lord Krishna delivered the sermon of Bhagavad Gita, the doctrine of Karma and Dharma to his wavering friend Arjuna. It is here that He showed his Virat rupa (Universal form).
A marble chariot depicting Lord Krishna delivering the sermon to Arjuna marks the site of the Srimad Bhagwad Gita. In one secluded section of this center, an old Shiva temple can also be seen. Hundreds of years ago, a holy water tank was present here and it can still be seen in the rainy season. The Kurukshetra Development Board has renovated the site in recent times. A mango shaped lake has been constructed here with covered bathing ghats for ladies. Cement parapets and enclosures have been built for protection. A light and music show is organized by the tourism department at the site, on a regular basis, which recreates episodes from Mahabharta. A restaurant and accommodation wing for Yatrees have been built and the entire area has been landscaped with flowering bushes and eucalyptus trees.

 

 

Sannihit Sarovar, Kurukshetra

 

Sannihit Sarovar is believed to be the meeting point of seven sacred Saraswatis. The sarovar, according to popular belief, contains sacred water. Bathing in the waters of the tank on the day of Amavasya (night of complete darkness) or on the day of an eclipse bestows blessings equivalent to performing the ashvamedh yajna.
Bathing in this sarovar is believed to offer peace to wandering and unhappy souls. Prayers and pind daan, a memorial service for the dead, is performed here. Alongside the sarovar are small shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Dhruv Narayan, Laxmi Narayan, Dhruv Bhagat, Sri Hanuman and Goddess Durga. The Sannihit Sarovar is believed to be the abode of Lord Vishnu

 

Amavasya

 

Amavasya is the Indian name for a New moon in the Hindu calendar.
The word Amavasya is common to many Indian languages especially Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu, Tamil and Gujarati.

Meaning of Amavasya

The new moon day is called Amavasya and is observed as a day of fasting in many Hindu households. Since the Hindu calendar is organized according to the lunar month, Amavasya is the beginning of the new lunar month which last 29/30 days. Many festivals, the most famous being Diwali (the festival of lights) are observed on this day.
In Sanskrit, "Ama" means "together" and "vasya' means "to dwell" or "cohabit". In old Indian Culture and Beliefs, irrespective of religions, it is considered a time of great power. In Tamil, though amavasya is commonly used in religious spheres, the pure Tamil scholars prefer the term "PuthuppiRai"^[1]Fast is observed to propitiate both the Sun and The Moon Gods.^[2]Except for the Karttika Amavasya (Amavasya of Diwali or Deepawali), the Amavasya is considered inauspicious^[3]

Tradition and Belief

Amavasya Somavati

An Amavasya falling on a Monday has a special significance in Hindu Religion. It is believed that a fast on this particular Amavasys would ward off widow-hood in women and and to ensure Progeny. It is also believed that all desires could be fulfilled if one fasts on such an Amavasya.^[4]

Worship of Forefathers

Every month, the new-moon day is considered auspicious for the worship of forefathers and poojas are made. However, no travel ought to be scheduled the first day of the new moon. Religious people are supposed to not work and concentrate on the rites function on Amavasyas. Even today traditional workers like masons do not work on Amavasyas in India. However they will work on Saturdays and Sundays. Amavasya was traditionally monthly off day. The Amavasya function is usually done in the afternoon at home (hence travel and daily work are postponed). Even High Court judges of 18th century in India used to observe Amavasya as off day. It was the British Rule that brought Sunday off principle to Indian industry.
On Amavasyas Shraadh is done to forefathers by Brahmins whose father has died earlier. Nowadays a short 20 minute version of the ceremony is done—offering black sesame and water as oblation to departed souls. This oblation is offered to father, grand father and great grand father - 3 levels. Then to mother, grandmother and great grandmother—3 levels. Similarly this is done to mother's side of the family also. If one of these persons are still alive, their name is skipped and the corresponding earlier generation person is offered oblation. Then a final oblation is offered to those anonymous souls which died and have nobody in their lineage offering oblation. These oblations are believed to give birth to good children without mental or physical challenges (so say the prayers in this function).
The dark fortnight of Aswayuja (September–October) is known as the Pitru Paksha (Mahalaya) or the fortnight specially sacred for offering oblations to the departed ancestors. The last day of this period, the new moon day, called mahalaya amavasya, is considered as the most important day in the year for performing obsequies and rites. The manes return to their abode on the evening of Deepavali. Due to the grace of the Yama, it has been ordained that offerings made during this period benefit all the departed souls, whether they are connected to you or not.

Shraadh time

In India a full day is from one sunrise to next sunrise. A dinmaan (daytime) is from sunrise to sunset. A raatmaan (nighttime) is from sunset to next sunrise.
Daytime is divided into 5 equal parts as follows (assuming sunrise at 6 a.m. and sunset at 6 p.m.):

1.   Praatha – 06:00 to 08:24

2.   Sanghava – 08:25 to 10:48

3.   Maadhyaanha – 10:49 to 13:12

4.   Aparaanha – 13:13 to 15:36

5.   Saayankaal – 15:37 to 18:00

Shraadh is to be done in Aparaanha kaal. But the 30 food items preparation might start as early as 5:00 a.m. By the time the function finishes it would be 3:00 p.m. It is a tiring 10 hours continuous work for both husband and wife. But nowadays only a short cut 20 minute offering of oblation is done on Amavasya. Due to pressure of time in fast paced lives of cities, this function is done in (wrong time) Praatha kaal.

 

Ashvamedha

 

The Ashvamedha (Sanskrit: अश्वमेध aśvamedhá; "horse sacrifice") was one of the most important royal rituals of Vedic religion, described in detail in the Yajurveda (TS 7.1-5, VSM 22–25^[1] and the pertaining commentary in the Shatapatha Brahmana ŚBM 13.1–5). The Rigveda does have descriptions of horse sacrifice, notably in hymns RV 1.162-163 (which are themselves known as aśvamedha), but does not allude to the full ritual according to the Yajurveda

The Vedic sacrifice

The Ashvamedha could only be conducted by a king (rājā). Its object was the acquisition of power and glory, the sovereignty over neighbouring provinces, and general prosperity of the kingdom.
The horse to be sacrificed must be a stallion, more than 24, but less than 100 years old. The horse is sprinkled with water, and the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer whisper mantras into its ear. Anyone who should stop the horse is ritually cursed, and a dog is killed symbolic of the punishment for the sinners. The horse is then set loose towards the North-East, to roam around wherever it chooses, for the period of one year (or half a year, according to some commentators). The horse is associated with the Sun, and its yearly course. If the horse wanders into neighbouring provinces hostile to the sacrificer, they must be subjugated. The wandering horse is attended by a hundred young men, sons of princes or high court officials, charged with guarding the horse from all dangers and inconvenience. During the absence of the horse, an uninterrupted series of ceremonies is performed in the sacrificer's home.
After the return of the horse, more ceremonies are performed. The horse is yoked to a gilded chariot, together with three other horses, and RV 1.6.1,2 (YV VSM 23.5,6) is recited. The horse is then driven into water and bathed. After this, it is anointed with ghee by the chief queen and two other royal consorts. The chief queen anoints the fore-quarters, and the others the barrel and the hind-quarters. They also embellish the horse's head, neck, and tail with golden ornaments. The sacrificer offers the horse the remains of the night's oblation of grain.
After this, the horse, a hornless he-goat, a wild ox (go-mrga, Bos gavaeus) are bound to sacrificial stakes near the fire, and seventeen other animals are attached to the horse. A great number of animals, both tame and wild, are tied to other stakes, according to a commentator 609 in total (YV VSM 24 consists of an exact enumeration).
Then the horse is slaughtered (YV VSM 23.15, tr. Griffith)

Steed, from thy body, of thyself, sacrifice and accept thyself.

Thy greatness can be gained by none but thee.

The chief queen ritually calls on the king's fellow wives for pity. The queens walk around the dead horse reciting mantras. The chief queen then has to mimic copulation with the dead horse, while the other queens ritually utter obscenities.^[2]
On the next morning, the priests raise the queen from the place where she has spent the night with the horse. With the Dadhikra verse (RV 4.39.6, YV VSM 23.32), a verse used as a purifier after obscene language.
The three queens with a hundred golden, silver and copper needles indicate the lines on the horse's body along which it will be dissected. The horse is dissected, and its flesh roasted. Various parts are offered to a host of deities and personified concepts with utterances of svaha "all-hail". The Ashvastuti or Eulogy of the Horse follows (RV 1.162, YV VSM 24.24–45), concluding with:

May this Steed bring us all-sustaining riches, wealth in good kine, good horses, manly offspring

Freedom from sin may Aditi vouchsafe us: the Steed with our oblations gain us lordship!

The priests performing the sacrifice were recompensed with a part of the booty won during the wandering of the horse. According to a commentator, the spoils from the east were given to the Hotar, while the Adhvaryu a maiden (a daughter of the sacrificer) and the sacrificer's fourth wife.
The Shatapatha Brahmana emphasizes the royal nature of the Ashvamedha:

Verily, the Asvamedha means royal sway: it is after royal sway that these strive who guard the horse. (ŚBM 13.1.6.3 trans. Eggeling 1900)

It repeatedly states that "the Asvamedha is everything" (ŚBM 13.4.2.22 trans. Eggeling 1900)
The Ashvamedha, the highest expression of royal authority, is a soma sacrifice and incorporates other important sacrifices. The Ashvamedha is intended to secure prosperity for the kingdom and its subjects. It is a bloody sacrifice in which the domestic animals are killed and non-domestic animals are set free. It ends with a further sacrifice of twenty one cows. Gifts are then given to the officers, culminating in the gift to the priests of the four wives of the king or their attendants. . The human sacrifice, the Purushamedha, followed a similar format, but included a man with the animals to be sacrificed. The price of the man was set at one thousand cows and a hundred horses. Like the horse, the man chosen for sacrifice was allowed to wander for a year. Once he had been killed, the queen lay with his corpse.^[3]
The Ashvamedha celebrated the king as king of the whole world, not as king of a part of the world that constituted his kingdom. The stature of a king was not related to a particular part of the world that might have been his kingdom. As in ancient Rome, the horse was considered a noble animal and was associated with the military class. When the Asvamedha has been performed in historical times, it has been more to demonstrate Vedic orthodoxy than for genuinely religious reasons.^[4]
The Laws of Manu refer to the Ashvamedha (V.53): 'The man who offers a horse-sacridice every day for a hundred years, and the man who does not eat meat, the two of them reap the same fruit of good deeds.'^[5]

Known historical performances

Pusyamitra Sunga is said to have performed the Ashvamedha rite after he toppled Mauryan rule in 185 BC

 

A historically documented performance of the Ashvamedha is during the reign of Samudragupta I (died 380), the father of Chandragupta II. Special coins were minted to commemorate the Ashvamedha and the king took on the title of Maharajadhiraja after successful completion of the sacrifice.
There were a few later performances, one by Raja of Kannauj in the 12th century, unsuccessfully, as Prithviraj Chauhan thwarted his attempt and later married his daughter. The last known instance seems to be in 1716 CE, by Jai Singh II of Amber, of Jaipur^[7]

Performances in Hindu epics

Performances of the Ashvamedha feature in the epics Ramayana (1.10–15) and Mahabharata.
In the Mahabharata, the sacrifice is performed by Yudhishtira (Book 14), his brothers guarding the horse as it roamed into neighbouring kingdoms. Arjuna defeats all challengers. The Mahabharata says that the Ashvamedha as performed by Yudhishtira adhered to the letter of the Vedic prescriptions. After the horse was cut into parts, Draupadi had to sit beside the parts of the horse.^[8]
In the Ramayana, Rama's father Dasharatha performs the Ashvamedha, which is described in the bala kanda (book 1) of the poem. The Ramayana provides far more detail than the Mahabharata. The ritual take place for three days preceded by sage Rishyasringa and Vasista(1.14.41,42). Again it is stated that the ritual was performed in strict compliance with Vedic prescriptions (1.14.10). Dasaratha's chief wife Kausalya circumambulates the horse and ritually pierces its flesh (1.14.33). Then "Queen Kausalya desiring the results of ritual disconcertedly resided one night with that horse that flew away like a bird." [1-14-34].^[9] The fat of the sacrificed horse is then burnt in ritual fire and after that the remaining parts of the body with spoons made out of Plaksha tree branches(1.14.36,38-39). At the conclusion of the ritual Dasharatha symbolically offers his other wives to the presiding priests, who return them in exchange for expensive gifts (1.14.35). The four sides of the Yagna altar is also donated to priests who had done the ritual and it is exchanged by them for gold, silver, cows and other gifts(1.15.43-44)
The ritual is performed again towards the end of the poem, but in very different circumstances. It figures centrally in the uttara kanda (book 7) where it leads to the final major story in the poem. In this narrative, Rama was married to a single wife, Sita, who at the time was not with him, having been excluded from Rama's capital of Ayodhya. She was therefore represented by a statue for the queen's ceremony.^{[citation needed]} Sita was living in Valmiki's forest ashram with her twin children by Rama, Lava and Kusha, whose birth was unknown to Rama. In its wanderings, the horse, accompanied by an army and Hanuman, enters the forest and encounters Lava, who ignores the warning written on the horse's headplate not to hinder its progress. He tethers the horse, and with Kusha challenges the army, which is unable to defeat the brothers. Recognising Rama's sons, Hanuman sends them to Ayodhya where they are reconciled with their father, who also accepts Sita back at court. Sita, however, no longer wishes to live, and is absorbed by the earth. It is never stated whether the sacrifice was completed, but after Sita's death Rama is said to have repeatedly performed the Ashvamedha using the golden statue as a substitute for his wife.^{[citation needed]}
In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, the sacrifice is performed by King Vasu Uparichara. By the king's decree, no animals were slain during the yagna, and the only offerings that were made were "products of the wilderness."^[11]
Some historians believe that the bala kanda and uttara kanda were latter interpolations to the authentic form of the Ramayana, due to references to Greek, Parthians and Sakas, dating to no earlier than the 2nd century BCE

Vedanta and Puranas

The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (a mystical appendix to the Shatapatha Brahmana and likely the oldest of the Upanishads) has a creation myth where Mṛtyu "Death" takes the shape of a horse, and includes an identification of the Ashvamedha with the Sun:^[13]

Then he became a horse (ashva), because it swelled (ashvat), and was fit for sacrifice (medhya); and this is why the horse-sacrifice is called Ashva-medha [...] Therefore the sacrificers offered up the purified horse belonging to Prajapati, (as dedicated) to all the deities. Verily the shining sun [ye tapati] is the Asvamedha, and his body is the year; Agni is the sacrificial fire (arka), and these worlds are his bodies. These two are the sacrificial fire and the Asvamedha-sacrifice, and they are again one deity, viz. Death. (BrUp 1.2.7. trans. Müller)

The Upanishads describe ascetic austerities as an "inner Ashvamedha", as opposed to the "outer" royal ritual performed in the physical world, in keeping with the general tendency of Vedanta to move away from priestly ritual towards spiritual introspection; verse 6 of the Avadhuta Upanishad has:

"Through extreme devotion [sam-grahaneṣṭi] he [the ascetic] performs ashvamedha within [anta]. That is the greatest sacrifice [mahā-makha] and the greatest meditation [mahā-yoga]."

According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana (185.180),^[14] the Ashvamedha is one of five rites forbidden in the Kali Yuga.

In Hindu revivalism

In the Arya Samaj reform movement of Dayananda Sarasvati, the Ashvamedha is considered an allegory or a ritual to get connected to the "inner Sun" (Prana)^[15] Dayananda in his Introduction to the commentary on the Vedas^[16] rejected the classical commentaries of the Vedas by Sayana, Mahidhara and Uvata as medieval corruptions "opposed to the real meaning of the Vedas" (p. 443) in order to arrive at an entirely symbolic interpretation of the ritual: "An empire is like a horse and the subjects like other inferior animals" (p. 448). Thus, VSM 23.22, literally "he beats on the vulva (gabha), the penis (pasas) oozes repeatedly (ni-galgaliti) in the receptacle" is interpreted not in terms of the horse and the queen, but in terms of the king and his subjects, "The subjects are called gabha (to be seized), kingly power called pasa (to be penetrated)" (p. 454). This interpretation is apparently based on a verse from Shatapatha Brahmana.^[17]
Following Dayananda, Arya Samaj disputes the very existence of the pre-Vedantic ritual; thus Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati claims that

"the word in the sense of the Horse Sacrifice does not occur in the Samhitas [...] In the terms of cosmic analogy, ashva is the Sun. In respect to the adhyatma paksha, the Prajapati-Agni, or the Purusha, the Creator, is the Ashva; He is the same as the Varuna, the Most Supreme. The word medha stands for homage; it later on became synonymous with oblations in rituology, since oblations are offered, dedicated to the one whom we pay homage. The word deteriorated further when it came to mean 'slaughter' or 'sacrifice'."^[18]

arguing that the animals listed as sacrificial victims are just as symbolic as the list of human victims listed in the Purushamedha.^[18] (which is generally accepted as a purely symbolic sacrifice already in Rigvedic times).
Other commentators accept the existence of the sacrifice but reject the notion that the queen lay down with the dead horse. Thus Subhash Kak in a blog posting suggests that the queen lay down with a toy horse rather than with the slaughtered stallion, due to presence of the word Ashvaka, similar to Shivaka meaning "idol or image of Shiva"^{[citation needed]}
All World Gayatri Pariwar since 1991 has organized performances of a "modern version" of the Ashvamedha where a statue is used in place of a real horse, according to Hinduism Today with a million participants in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh on April 16 to 20, 1994.^[19] Such modern performances are sattvika Yajnas where the animal is worshipped without killing it,^[20] the religious motivation being prayer for overcoming enemies, the facilitation of child welfare and development, and clearance of debt,^[21] entirely within the allegorical interpretation of the ritual, and with no actual sacrifice of any animal, nor any sexual connotations.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati rejected the classical commentaries of the Vedas by Sayana, Mahidhara and Uvata as medieval corruptions "opposed to the real meaning of the Vedas" (p. 443) in order to arrive at an entirely symbolic interpretation of the ritual: "An empire is like a horse and the subjects like other inferior animals" (p. 448). Thus, VSM 23.22, literally "he beats on the vulva (gabha), the penis (pasas) oozes repeatedly (ni-galgaliti) in the receptacle" is interpreted not in terms of the horse and the queen, but in terms of the king and his subjects, "The subjects are called gabha (to be seized), kingly power called pasa (to be penetrated)" (p. 454). This interpretation is apparently based on a verse from Shatapatha Brahmana. According to him, no horse was actually to be slaughtered in the ritual as per the Yajurveda.^[

Agroha Dham

 

Agroha  is a Hindu temple complex in Agroha, India. Construction started in 1976 and was completed in 1984.^[1] The temple is dedicated to Hindu goddess Mahalakshmi. Agroha (29.20 N 75.38 E) is an ancient town in Haryana in what is now Northern India, believed to be the birthplace of the Agrawal and Agrahari communities. Ancient structures, pot-shards, coins and seals have been found in archaeological excavations. Agroha was the capital of legendary Emperor Agrasen with ideology of "One brick one rupee".
It is situated in Hisar district in between Hisar city and Fatehabad on NH 10.

 

Main temple

The main temple is divided into three wings. The central wing is dedicated to Hindu goddess Mahalakshmi, western wing to goddess Saraswati and eastern wing to Maharaja Agrasena.^[2]

Additional features

Shakti Sarovar

Shakti Sarovar is a big pond built on the backside of temple complex. The Sarovar was filled with water from 41 rivers of India in 1988. A platform at the North-West end depicts the scene of Samudra Manthan.^[3]

Naturopathy center

A naturopathy center is located near Shakti Sarovar where treatment is done through yoga.^[4]

Recreation

An amusement park and a boating site has been built near the complex.

Agroha Vikas Trust

Agroha Vikas Trust is the temple board responsible for the building and maintenance of temple complex. It came into existence in 1976.^[6]

Festivals

A festival known as Agroha Maha Kumbh is held every year on Sharad Purnima.

History and development

Planning

The construction of the temple was decided at the convention of All India Aggarwal Representatives in 1976. The trust was established for this purpose under Shri Krishna Modi and Rameshwar Das Gupta.^[

Development

The land was donated to the trust by Laxmi Narain Gupta and construction was started under the supervision of Tilak Raj Aggarwal. The construction of main temple was completed in 1984 while construction of other features started in 1985 under Subhash Goel

LOCATION: 
 AGROHA is located some 20km North-West of the Hissar city in Haryana. This is some 190 km from Delhi (India), when approached via Rohtak-Hissar.

Temple Complex

Just opposite the main gate of Trust compound stands the temple complex  at Agroha Dham.The temple complex consists of three wings,the centre section is graced with the presence of Kuldevi Mahalaxmi.

Mahalaxmi Shakti peeth was resurrected on 30th Oct'84.The dome of the temple is very big and is at a height of 180 ft from ground.The main 'Kalash' of the temple is gold plated.The idol of goddess beseated on a lotus flower has both aesthetic and spiritual appeal. It is believed that since the time Maharaj Agrasen was bestowed boon from Devi Mahalaxmi, the wish of every person is fulfilled at this place.

On the North - West end of the temple complex is the Saraswati Temple.Saraswatiji is the goddess of knowledge and patience. Knowledge and adequate patience are the keys to wealth generation and business acumen to which Aggarwal's are synonymous with. The eastern wing of the temple complex  host the memorial temple of Maharaj Agrasen. In the main hall beautiful scenes have been sculpted out representing the main ideals of Maharaj Agrasen and main events of his life. One of the scenes sculpted shows how a newcomer to the state of Agroha was given a One Rupee Coin and a Brick for a new start to his life. Besides, there are some scenes depicting the myths from our vedas and puranas.
In front of the main temple is a big 'Satsang' Hall of 120 x 160 Sq ft . Which can accommodate approximately 5000 people at a time. This hall in concrete is the biggest hall in India without the support of any pillars which is an architectural speciality. At the main gate of the temple complex are built two beautifully sculpted elephants.  
A big chariot depicting the scene from the great epic 'Mahabharat ;where Sri Krishna is giving sermons to Arjun at the battle field of Kurukshetra, has been built on the canopy over the main gate of temple complex. This is the reflection of the belief of Aggarwals in the "Karmyog". The ramps adjacent to the stairs leading out of the main hall (Satsang Bhawan)  have white statues of Ganga -Yamuna stationed on them with coloured fountains.

 

Shakti Sarovar

Located at the back of the temple complex is a big Sarovar(pond) called Shakti Sarovar 

The sarovar is spread over an area of 4 acres surrounded with a 2  storeyed Rest House comprising of 136 rooms. 
On 23rd Jan 1988 the sarovar was filled with water brought from 41 prominent rivers across India, under the able supervision of  Swami Satya Mitrandand of the Bharat temple of Haridwar. People can have a dip in the pond, which is cleaned regularly for hygenic matters. 
A platform has been built from the North-West end of the Sarovar extending upto the middle of the sarovar, on which Samudra Manthan scene has been sculpted with arrangement of coloured fountains around it. 

 

Bhojanalaya

 

On the eastern end of the trust compound in between the Administrative block and Amusement park is located the Bhojanalya (Restaurent). The Bhojanalaya serves free food (Bhandara) everyday to all visitors. Any person can make 'Anndaan' (Donation towards food being served free)

Naturopathy

Agroha has a Naturopathy centre which runs in the building surrounding the Shakti Sarovar.  Naturopathy is the treatment with the help of five basic elements of nature i.e. sky, air, fire, water and earth. Through these elements and abiding by the rules of nature viz. the diet, environment, control on our five senses and rest, an individual attains healthy body based upon his physical and mental facilities.
Yoga is one of the ways for treatment of ailments in naturopathy just as through the five elements of nature the treatment of diseases is carried out,of yoga is a panacea for all diseases.

 

Sheela Mata Mandir

 

Located near the excavated Agroha site is the ancient temple of Sheela Mata. The ancient temple has the Madhi of Sheela Mata  

Brief Story of Sheel Mata.   
Seth Harbhajan Shah of Agroha married his only daughter Sheela to the minister of Syalkot state Mehta Shah . Sheela was very beautiful and became the talk of the town. Even king Risalu of Syalkot heared about her beauty. He sent his minister Mehtashah to another state for official work. Back hom;e he himself went to meet Sheela and made an attempt to spoil her chastity .However, Sheela fought the king bravely and protected herself. The unsuccessful king asked her maid to keep his ring under the bed sheet of Sheela's bed.On  returning from another state Mehtashah discovered the ring on their bed and thought Sheela to be immoral. He abandoned Sheela who returned with her father to Agroha. After many years, the same maid made a confession to Mehtashah of her foul and vouched for the morality of Sheela. Mehtashah was grief struch on the injustice done to his wife. He rushed to Agroha to seek pardon from his wife but died near Agroha before he could meet Sheela.When Sheela came to know about the demise of her husband, she too died. A memorial temple with a madhi of sheela mata was built   at the site of her death.  
The temple was renovated by the efforts of Late Sh. Tilakraj Aggarwal, who established 'Agroha Vikas Sansthan' for this purpose.
The temple was reconstructed with red stone. It has been designed on the Rajasthani Architectural pattern. The main dome of the temple is 85ft above the ground. Under the main dome is the Madhi of Sheela Mata. The temple has sections devoted to all main Hindu Gods viz Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram, Durgaji, Shankar Parvati, Hanumanji, Ganeshji etc. This temple holds great importance among the north Indian temples, due to its architectural design.  
In front of the temple is the statue of Sh. Tilakraj, with whose dedicated efforts the reconstruction work was started. However, he did not live to see the completed structure. Since his death the work at the temple has been managed and taken care of by Sh. Sheetal Kumar, son of Late Shri. Tilak Raj. Sheetal Kumar has converted the Sheela Mata Mandir into a major tourist attraction by beautifying the temple complex with beautiful lawns and fountains. These well maintained landscapes are a feast to the eyes. 
Ever year during the Bhadra Pad Amavasya a big carnival/mela is held in the temple area, wherein thousands of pilgrims come, many for the Mundan (Head Shaving) of thier kids

Sharad Purnima

The Sharad Purnima or Kojaagari Purnima or Kumar Purnima is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September–October). It marks the end of monsoon. There is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the 'Kaumudi celebration', Kaumudi meaning moonlight.
On this auspicious day Kshir or Khir (milk thickened with rice and mixed with sugar, candy, etc.) is especially prepared in the temples and homes, and offered to Hari amidst ringing of the balls and chanting of the hymns, then it is given in the morning as prasad to the devotees. The recipe is kept in the moonshine all the night so that it may absorb the amrit falling from the moon. Such khir is considered to possess many qualities.
At night, goddess Lakshmi is worshiped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil, and worshiped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity.
It is also believed that on this day as moon and the earth are very close to each other, the moon rays have certain healing properties of nourishing the body and the soul
It is believed that on this night Goddess Lakshmi visits from place to place asking Kojagari (meaning “Who is awake”) and bless those who are found awake. Therefore, people don’t sleep this night and spend whole night singing, dancing and remembering god

According to another belief sharad poornima  is closely associated with Lord Krishna and Radha and Gopis. Lord Krishna began his Raas Leela with Radha and the gopis on the night of Sharad Poornima.

Medical Significance:
It is considered that the Moon and the Earth are at a closer distance on Sharad Poornima night. Due to this, the rays of the moon have several curative properties. Keeping food under the moonlight nourishes both the body and the soul.  That is why, Kheer is prepared at kept under moonlight for the whole night and eaten in morning,on the next day

 

Origin
1. The Sanatkumar Samhita cites the story of 'Kojaagari Punam.' In the Samhita Vaalkhil rishi narrates that in ancient times, a poor Brahmin named Valit lived in Magadhdesh - Bengal. While he was a learned and virtuous man, his wife revelled in quarelling, behaving totally opposite to his wishes. Once on his father's `Shraddh' - day of paying homage to the deceased- she flung the 'pind' - ball of wheatflour - in a sewage pit, rather than the sacred Ganga, as custom required. This infuriated Valit. Therefore he renounced home to search for wealth. In the forests, he met 'Naagkanyas' - girls of Kaliya Naag's ancestry. These Naagkanyas had performed the 'Kojaagari Vrat' - staying awake on Aso sud Punam. They then sat gambling with Valit. The night happened to be Aso sud Punam. Valit lost everything. At that moment, Lord Vishnu and consort Lakshmi, happened to pass by. Since Valit had incidentally observed the 'Kojaagari vrat', Lakshmi graced him handsomeness similar to that of 'Kamdeva' - the deity of love. Now attracted to him, the Naagkanyas married Valit and gifted him their riches. He then returned home with the riches, whence his wife received him warmly. After this episode, the Samhita declared that those who remain awake on this Punam will be graced with wealth.

2. On this night, Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with him. They had earned his grace by overlooking society's disdain on them (`loklaaj'), to offer him unalloyed devotion.
When they left their homes in Vraj and arrived in Vrundavan, Shri Krishna welcomed them. Yet to further test their love for him, he averred: 'Women of character such as you, should not leave home to meet another man in the middle of the night!'
These words seared the Gopis' hearts. In extreme grief, they uttered:
'Our feet will not budge the slightest from your lotus-feet. So how can we return to Vraj?'
Pleased with such immutable love for him, Shri Krishna initiated the Maha Raas, by assuming as many forms as there were Gopis. At this point, they beamed with pride that, 'Nobody's devotion can excel ours, by which the Lord favored us.' Instead of accepting the Maha Raas as the Lord's grace, ego marred their devotion. Therefore he instantly vanished from the Raas mandal!
Now filled with remorse, the Gopis repented. Recalling Shri Krishna's divine episodes - 'lila', they lamented their pangs of separation, and sang kirtans known as 'viraha geet':
'Jayati te-dhikam janmanaa vrajaha ….. (Shrimad Bhagvat 10/31/1)
Describing the 'lila' in the Bhagvat (10/30/25), Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit:
'O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Punam became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in his lila!'

3 Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, the choicest devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born on Sharad Punam, Samvat 1841. He granted 'wealth' by blessing spiritually 'awake' devotees with God-realization.

Sentiments
The spiritual import of 'Jaagrati' (awake) is to remain vigilant. In Vachanamrut Gadhada III-9, Bhagwan Swaminarayan elaborates on this vigilance. He says that the vigilance in one's heart is the gateway to the Lord's divine abode. Devotees should not let mundane desires, of wealth, lust and so forth, enter their hearts. When faced with obstacles such as: success and failure, happiness and misery, honor and insult, the devotees should remain unflinching in their devotion to God. In this manner, they should remain vigilant at the gateway to God, not letting any mundane objects through.
Therefore, every moment in our lives requires vigilance and this in itself becomes a subtle form of 'tapas' - austerity. Those who performed severe austerities without vigilance, succumbed to Maya. Vishwamitra performed austerities for 60,000 years, but lost 'Jaagruti' - vigilance - in Menka's company. Similarly, lack of vigilance toppled Saubhari rishi, Ekalshrungi, Parashar and others.


Symbolic Import
Just as the night sky of Sharad Punam is clear and suffused with lunar resplendence, the aspirant should similarly endeavor to purify his 'antahkaran.'
For this he has to eradicate body-consciousness and mundane desires and imbibe Brahma-consciousness, in order to incessantly experience Parabrahma. (Gita 18/54, Shikshapatri 116). For this the aspirant needs to seek the Gunatit Sadhu, who is the gateway to moksha (the Lord), as proclaimed in the Bhagvat (3/29/20):
Prasangamajaram paashamaatmanaha kavayo viduhu,
Sa eva sadhushu kruto mokshadwaaram apaavrutam.
i.e. the sages decree that if a jiva who is deeply attached to his body and bodily relatives, similarly attaches himself to the Gunatit Sadhu, the doors of moksha will be opened for him.
Ritual
'Dudha-Pauva' - parched rice soaked in milk - is offered to God. This prasad is then availed by devotees. The health attribute of this prasad is similar to that of Dashera's; it corrects any disturbance in 'pitta'.

 

 

Agrasena 

Maharaja Agrasen was a legendary Indian king of Agroha in India, a city of traders, from whom the Agrawal (not to be confused with Grewal) and Agrahari community claims descent.^[1] He is credited with the establishment of a kingdom of traders in North India named Agroha, and is known for his compassion in refusing to slaughter animals in yajnas. The Government of India issued a postage stamp in honour of Maharaja Agresen in 1976 on occasion of his 5100th jayant.

Legends and beliefs

grasen was a vysya king of the Solar Dynasty who adopted Vanika dharma for the benefit of his people.^[6][7] Literally, Agrawal means the "children of Agrasena" or the "people of Agroha", a city in ancient Kuru Panchala, near Hisar in Haryana region said to be founded by Agrasena.^[8] Noted Hindi author Bharatendu Harishchandra (himself an Agrawal)^[9] wrote Agarwalon ki Utpatti (The origin of Agrawals) in 1871,^[10] based on an account in the Mahalaksmi Vrat Katha manuscript.^[11] According to this account, Maharaja Agrasena was a Suryavanshi Kshatriya king, born during the last stages of Dwapar Yuga in the Mahabharat epic era, he was contemporaneous to Lord Krishna. He was the eldest son of the King Ballabh of Pratapnagar. Agrasena fathered 18 children, from whom the Agrawal gotras came into being.
Agrasena attended the swayamvara of Madhavi, the daughter of the King Nagaraj Kumud.However, Indra, the God of Heaven and also the Lord of storms and rainfall, wanted to marry Madhavi, but she choose Agrasena as her husband. A furious Indra decided to take revenge by making sure that Pratapnagar did not receive any rain. As a result, a famine struck Agrasen's kingdom, who then decided to wage a war against Indra. Sage Narada was approached by Indra, who mediated peace between Agrasena and Indra.
According to Vachanakosha of Bulakhichand (1680 AD), Agar Rishi married a naga-kanya and had 18 children.^[12] A similar account is given in 1885 Bombay Presidency Gazetteer, Rishi Agrasena married 17 naga-kanyas.^[13]
[[File:Maharja Agrasena.jpeg|250px|thumb|left|Agrasen Maharaj
Another belief states King Agrasen to be the elder bother of Shoorsen Vrishni and elder grand father of Balarama and Krishna Vrishni of Mahabharata, descendant of King Yayati of Khandavprastha. It was built after several attacks faced from Jarasandh of Magadh in Mahabharata period. Agrohawas called as Agreya in its original period. King Agrasen made it capital of his state, a city in ancient Kuru Panchala, while his younger bother Shoorsen including Balarama and Shri Krishna decided to stay at Dwaraka.

Penance

Agraseana started a severe tapasya (penance) to propitiate Lord Shiva in the city of Kashi. Shiva was pleased with the penance and advised him to propitiate Goddess Mahalakshmi. Agrasena again started meditating on Mahalakshmi, who appeared before him and blessed him. She urged Agrasena (who was a Kshatriya) to take up the Vaishya tradition of business for the sake of the prosperity of his people. She asked him to establish a new kingdom, and promised that she would bless his descendants with prosperity

Agroha

Agrasena then traveled all over India with his queen to select a place for a new kingdom. At one point during his travels, he found a few tiger cubs and wolfs cubs playing together. To King Agrasena and Queen Madhavi, this was an auspicious indication that the area was veerabhoomi (land of the brave) and they decided to found their new kingdom at that location. The place was named Agroha. Agroha is situated near present day Hisar in Haryana. Presently Agroha is developing as agrawal's holy station,having a Big Temple of Agrasen & Vaishnav Devi.
Under the leadership of Agrasena, Agroha became very prosperous. Legend has it that a hundred thousand traders lived in the city at its heyday. An immigrant wishing to settle in the city would be given a rupee and a brick by each of the inhabitants of the city. Thus, he would have a hundred thousand bricks to build a house for himself, and a hundred thousand rupees to start a new business.

Agrawal gotras

Agrasena divided his kingdom among his 18 children, resulting in eighteen Agrawal gotras. Often, the number of gotras is stated to be seventeen. Some sources attributed the half gotra to the illegitimate offspring.^[6] Another version suggests that Agrasena proceeded to conduct 18 mahayajnas ("Great yajnas"). During one such yajna, Agrasena noticed that a horse that had been brought to be sacrificed was trying hard to get away from the sacrificial altar. Seeing this Maharaj Agrasena was filled with compassion for the animal. The idea of ahimsa (non-violence) grabbed his mind. Therefore, he put a brake to his eighteenth yajna, announcing that no sacrifices will be made in his kingdom in name of yajnas. Thus, the eighteenth yajna wasn't completed and Agrasena had performed seventeen and a half yajnas. The gods appeared before him and blessed him with seventeen and a half gotras.^[14]
In the later part of his life, Agrasena nominated his eldest son Vibhu to the throne and took up the Vanaprastha ashram. Gradually, the city of Agroha declined and was finally destroyed in a huge fire. The residents of Agroha i.e. the Agrawals moved out of Agroha and spread in other parts of India.
It is believed that King Agrasen married Madhavi, daughter of King Kumud of Nagaloka (Snake Kingdom). Thus Agrawals are the progeny of Madhavi and that is why they worship Nagas (snakes) and consider them to be their maternal uncles.
Following are the seventeen and a half gotras of Agrawals: Airan, Bansal, Bindal, Bhandal, Dharan, Garg, Goyal, Goyan (considered as half gotra), Jindal, Kansal, Kuchhal, Madhukul, Mangal, Mittal, Nangal, Singhal, Tayal, Tingle.
The kingdom of Agrasen flourished and extended from the Himalayas, Punjab, the valley of Yamuna, and the Mewar region. Agra continued to be a prominent place being the capital of the southern part of the kingdom. The other important regions were Gurgaon (ancient Gaudagrama), the goddess mother of this place is revered by Agrawals; Meerut, Rohtak, Hansi, Panipat, Karnal, and Kotkangra. The famous temple of Mahamaya, the Kuladevi of Agrawals is located at Kotknagra. Mandi, Vilaspur, Garhwal, Narnaul were all the parts of the kingdom. Agroha was the capital of the kingdom.
Agrawals are basically a commercial community or Vaishyas. They are one of the most respectable and enterprising of mercantile tribes. Two of Emperor Akbar’s famous ministers are said to have been Agrawals, viz, Todarmal, who introduced an assessment of land, and Madhushah, who introduced ‘Madhushahi’ pice

Agroha Mound

Agroha, locally known as Ther, is an archaeological site, located in Agroha in Hisar distinct of India. It was once the capital of Agrasena.

Location

The mounds are located about 1.5 km from the town of Agroha, 20 km from Hisar city and 190 km from New Delhi in Hisar district of Haryana, India.^[1] It lies on National Highway 10.

Rediscovery and excavation

The excavations first started in the year 1888-89 under C.T. Rogers.  It restarted in the year 1978-79 by Archaeological Department of Haryana under the supervision of J.S. Khatri and Acharya.

Mythology

It is believed that Agroha was once the capital of Agrasena 5000 years back. "Bhavishya Purana" "Vanishanukirtnam" and "Uru Charitam" mentions the establishment of Agroha around 51 years before the war of Mahabarat.

Historical significance

According to the official website of Hisar, the excavations at Agroha belong to the period from 3rd-4th century B.C. to 13th-14th century A.D. Defense wall, shrine cells and residential houses can be observed in the mound.
Notable artifacts
Around seven thousand artifacts have been recovered during the excavations.

Coins

Silver and bronze coins belonging to different periods have been found at the site. They belong to Roman , Kushana , Yaudheya and Gupta empire. Language used is Prakrit.

Seals

A large number of seals have also been found. They are inscribed with words like Pitradutt, " Sadhu Vridhasya", "Shamkar Malasya", "Madrsya", etc.

Others

Besides a large number of stone sculptures, iron and copper implements and beads of semi-precious stones have also been found.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )