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Who should be worshipped-Vamanan or Mahabali Chakravarthy
- Thread starter vgane
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prasad1
Active member
Onam is an ancient festival which still survives in modern times. It is one of the rarest festivals which is celebrated by a complete State, irrespective of religion, caste and creed. Kerala's rice harvest festival and the Festival of Rain Flowers, which fall on the month of Chingam, celebrates the Asura King Mahabali's annual visit from Patala (the underworld). Onam is unique since Mahabali (locally known as Maveli) has been revered by the people of Kerala. The King is so much attached to his kingdom that it is believed that he comes annually from the nether world to see his people living happily. It is in honour of King Mahabali that Onam is celebrated. The deity Vamana, also called Thrikkakarappan[SUP][5][/SUP][SUP][6][/SUP] is also revered during this time by installing a clay figure next to the floral carpet (Pookalam). The birthday of Sri Padmanabhan, the presiding Deity of Thiruvananthapuram, is on the Thiruvonam day in the month of Chingam. Thiruonam day is the most important day of Onam. In 2016, Thiruvonam fell on the 14th of September.
Mahabali's rule is considered the golden era of Kerala, ancient Bharata. The following song is often sung over Onam:
[TABLE="class: cquote"]
[TR]
[TD]“[/TD]
[TD]
Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam,
manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum.
adhikal vyadhikalonnumilla
balamaranangal kelppanilla
Dushtare kankondu kanmanilla
Nallavarallathe illa paaril..illa paaril
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallampparayum cherunazhiyum
kallatharangal mattonnumilla
Vellikolaadikal naazhikalum
Ellam kanakkinu thulyamaayi..thulyamaayi
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]”[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
... (Translation)
[TABLE="class: cquote"]
[TR]
[TD]“[/TD]
[TD]
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people were equal-
Times when people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
No wicked person was in sight anywhere
All the people on the land were good.
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no false words or promises.
Measures and weights were right;
There were no lies,
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless race
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]”[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Onam mythology may have been devised as a political allegory/tool where by the subjects could remind the rulers about an Ideal King and a welfare state. Onam songs mentions many of the modern social/economic indicators of a Welfare State including Crime rates, Child Mortality rates etc. Rulers may also have promoted it as it may have served as an indicator/barometer of the popularity/unpopularity of their Governance policies. The beauty of the festival lies in its secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organised on the day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam
Mahabali's rule is considered the golden era of Kerala, ancient Bharata. The following song is often sung over Onam:
[TABLE="class: cquote"]
[TR]
[TD]“[/TD]
[TD]
Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam,
manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum.
adhikal vyadhikalonnumilla
balamaranangal kelppanilla
Dushtare kankondu kanmanilla
Nallavarallathe illa paaril..illa paaril
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallampparayum cherunazhiyum
kallatharangal mattonnumilla
Vellikolaadikal naazhikalum
Ellam kanakkinu thulyamaayi..thulyamaayi
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]”[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
... (Translation)
[TABLE="class: cquote"]
[TR]
[TD]“[/TD]
[TD]
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people were equal-
Times when people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
No wicked person was in sight anywhere
All the people on the land were good.
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no false words or promises.
Measures and weights were right;
There were no lies,
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless race
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]”[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Onam mythology may have been devised as a political allegory/tool where by the subjects could remind the rulers about an Ideal King and a welfare state. Onam songs mentions many of the modern social/economic indicators of a Welfare State including Crime rates, Child Mortality rates etc. Rulers may also have promoted it as it may have served as an indicator/barometer of the popularity/unpopularity of their Governance policies. The beauty of the festival lies in its secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organised on the day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam
renuka
Well-known member
I find Vamana Avatar very hard to digest.
Technically Mahabali did no wrong..it was the Devas that were afraid that an Asura was so powerful and righteous and seeked intervention from Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu seemed a bit partial here to take sides with the Devas when Mahabali did no wrong.
Another version of the story goes that Vamana avatar was to remove traces of Ahamkara from an otherwise almost perfect Bali.
So by asking him 3 strides of land it was made known to Bali that sometimes we can not give everything asked.
I remember out here one of Msia's richest man's only son heir to his fortune became a Buddhist monk and left home without telling his dad.
The rich man finally found his son in a Thailand Buddhist monastery and asked his son to come with him at least for a meal.
The son refused saying he has to only beg for his meal...the rich man said a that time he felt that he was extremely rich yet his money could not even buy his son a meal.
Therefore everything has its limitations.
So if the Vamana avatar is painted in such a fashion as to show the money..power..ability to donate or even ability to be kind and great has its limitations then its acceptable that Lord Vishnu was not partial to Devas and His main reason for Vamana Avataram is to confer blessings to Mahabali.
Making it a Deva Vs Asura scenario give this Vamana Avataram and few shades of grey.
Technically Mahabali did no wrong..it was the Devas that were afraid that an Asura was so powerful and righteous and seeked intervention from Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu seemed a bit partial here to take sides with the Devas when Mahabali did no wrong.
Another version of the story goes that Vamana avatar was to remove traces of Ahamkara from an otherwise almost perfect Bali.
So by asking him 3 strides of land it was made known to Bali that sometimes we can not give everything asked.
I remember out here one of Msia's richest man's only son heir to his fortune became a Buddhist monk and left home without telling his dad.
The rich man finally found his son in a Thailand Buddhist monastery and asked his son to come with him at least for a meal.
The son refused saying he has to only beg for his meal...the rich man said a that time he felt that he was extremely rich yet his money could not even buy his son a meal.
Therefore everything has its limitations.
So if the Vamana avatar is painted in such a fashion as to show the money..power..ability to donate or even ability to be kind and great has its limitations then its acceptable that Lord Vishnu was not partial to Devas and His main reason for Vamana Avataram is to confer blessings to Mahabali.
Making it a Deva Vs Asura scenario give this Vamana Avataram and few shades of grey.
Last edited:
Sangh accused of twisting Onam myths to suit its Kerala agenda
Viju B | TNN | Sep 15, 2016
KOCHI: BJP president Amit Shah wishing people Vamana Jayanti reflects a vested political agenda and an attempt to homogenise Hinduism disregarding local heterogeneous myths of Kerala, said historian K N Panikkar.
Shah's post caused a controversy as it came soon after a piece published in the Onam special issue of RSS mouthpiece Kesari cited the Srimad Bhagavatam to claim Onam was originally celebrated as Vamana Jayanti.
Panikkar said Onam and King Mahabali are part of a secular and egalitarian myth encompassing people of all castes and religions.
"It's a known fact that the RSS is using divisive methods to gain a foothold in Kerala. By appropriating Onam as an upper-caste Hindu festival, they are trying to divide votes along caste lines," he said. Panikkar said Kerala has long stood for plurality of religions and diverse voices.
"We had our own local myths that may or may not be part of other national myths. The beauty of Onam is that it speaks about a king who reigned over a just society . Denigrating the myth by superimposing it with Hindutva agenda to make political inroads is dangerous for the secular fabric," he said.
Rajan Gurukkal, social scientist and historian, said there are ancient scriptures that mention Vamana Jayanti and that it was celebrated by the Brahmin community .
"Vamana's birthday falls on the Thiruvonam as per Malayalam calendar. Later, myths like that of Mahabali must have been added to assert the brahminical hierarchy ," he said.
Gurukkal questioned the existence of King Mahabali. "It's possible that at a later stage King Mahabali got this subaltern image as the Dravidian underdog and Vamana became the brahminical deity . Onam, in due course, became a secular festival, removed of its feudal vestiges," he said. K T Ravi Varma, who penned the book `Mahabali: Myth and history of Onam', says there is no mention of Mahabali in Rigveda and it was a later addition.
"It seems as though the Bali myth came from outside and it was mentioned in Mahabharata. Bali, over course of time, became Maveli, the magnanimous king. Anyway , when Onam became a celebration as the return of King Maveli at least for a day, the myth finally came out of the four walls of the temple and became a popular festival," he observed in his book.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...yanthi-ahead-of-Onam/articleshow/54311717.cms
Viju B | TNN | Sep 15, 2016
KOCHI: BJP president Amit Shah wishing people Vamana Jayanti reflects a vested political agenda and an attempt to homogenise Hinduism disregarding local heterogeneous myths of Kerala, said historian K N Panikkar.
Shah's post caused a controversy as it came soon after a piece published in the Onam special issue of RSS mouthpiece Kesari cited the Srimad Bhagavatam to claim Onam was originally celebrated as Vamana Jayanti.
Panikkar said Onam and King Mahabali are part of a secular and egalitarian myth encompassing people of all castes and religions.
"It's a known fact that the RSS is using divisive methods to gain a foothold in Kerala. By appropriating Onam as an upper-caste Hindu festival, they are trying to divide votes along caste lines," he said. Panikkar said Kerala has long stood for plurality of religions and diverse voices.
"We had our own local myths that may or may not be part of other national myths. The beauty of Onam is that it speaks about a king who reigned over a just society . Denigrating the myth by superimposing it with Hindutva agenda to make political inroads is dangerous for the secular fabric," he said.
Rajan Gurukkal, social scientist and historian, said there are ancient scriptures that mention Vamana Jayanti and that it was celebrated by the Brahmin community .
"Vamana's birthday falls on the Thiruvonam as per Malayalam calendar. Later, myths like that of Mahabali must have been added to assert the brahminical hierarchy ," he said.
Gurukkal questioned the existence of King Mahabali. "It's possible that at a later stage King Mahabali got this subaltern image as the Dravidian underdog and Vamana became the brahminical deity . Onam, in due course, became a secular festival, removed of its feudal vestiges," he said. K T Ravi Varma, who penned the book `Mahabali: Myth and history of Onam', says there is no mention of Mahabali in Rigveda and it was a later addition.
"It seems as though the Bali myth came from outside and it was mentioned in Mahabharata. Bali, over course of time, became Maveli, the magnanimous king. Anyway , when Onam became a celebration as the return of King Maveli at least for a day, the myth finally came out of the four walls of the temple and became a popular festival," he observed in his book.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...yanthi-ahead-of-Onam/articleshow/54311717.cms
C
CHANDRU1849
Guest
Sometime back one member of this forum mentioned how this festival, which relates to the King, is slowly twisted to make it a festival of Vishnu by a specific forward community (!) in Kerala.
Like Sabarimala, there is another controversy from Kerala in connection with Hinduism.
Like Sabarimala, there is another controversy from Kerala in connection with Hinduism.
The story of Lord Vamana is not concocted...Vamana jayanthi is mentioned in Bhagavatha purana..It is true..In Kochi there us Thrikakakara temple established by Lord Parashurama..The main deity is Lord Vamana..In Tamil Nadu too there are temples for Lord Vamana (Ulagalantha Perumal temple in Kanchipuram and Tirukoilur)
Brahmanyan
Active member
It is unbecoming of a leader of BJP try to change the united belief of the people of Kerala by trivialising the sacrifice of the benevolent King Mahabali. The famous Onam festival is celebrated by all communities living in Kerala to welcome their beloved King Mahabali, who got the boon sanctioned by the lord for his sacrifice.
Let the Politicians leave the subjects alone about which they have no knowledge.
Brahmnyan,
Bangalore.
Let the Politicians leave the subjects alone about which they have no knowledge.
Brahmnyan,
Bangalore.
tbs
0
hi
in singanallur in coimbatore...its my forefathers agraharam....main kovil is called ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL KOVIL
IN DOUBLE STREET....THE WHOLE VILLAGE USED TO BE KEETU NAAMAKAARA SMARTHAS IN VADAMA SECT IYERS....
tbs
0
C
CHANDRU1849
Guest
You are deviating from the main subject. Is Onam In Kerala being celebrated giving importance to Mahabali or Maha Vishnu? Which 'Maha' has got prominence?
MAVELI was a righteous king but he never used to think god is more than him.That is why god punished him.It is our own limitation to think ourselves as god and forgetting our godliness.Even righteous one can not abolish their ego.
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