Review: The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

It was my father who had purchased this book, just as a pastime read on his flight to Kolkata. On his return, he had high praise for this book, and recommended it to me. 

Normally, I'm not a big fan of Indian authors(mostly because of Chetan Bhagat's ventures in the field of urban Indian literature) I did not keep high expectations for the book. However, when I started reading, Sanghi's introductory note, and his approach to the commencement of the book was fantastic. 

His research was thorough- he started the story with the story of the Blue God, the eighth avatar or incarnation of Vishnu, Krishna. The fact that he started Krishna's story from the very beginning- giving the reader an insight on Krishna's ancestry was commendable.

The main plot started with the gory murder of archaeologist and historian, Anil Varshney who was believed to be the possessor of four seals and a baseplate, which, together formed the Krishna Key. The murderer has stabbed him on the foot with a scalpel, had put a stamp of a chakra on his forehead and had painted a shloka in praise of Krishna above his head. Varshney however, was a visionary. Knowing the importance of these seals, he had left each of them with four friends of his. 

In a frantic rush after his murder, his close friend and possessor of one of the seals, Ravi Mohan Saini is accused of the murder. On the other side, the story of Sampath Sharma[alias Taarak Vakil] who is guilty of the actual murder is illuminated by the author. Professor Ravi Mohan Saini along with his dedicated doctorate student Priya Ratnani escapes from the clutches of aggressive policewoman Radhika Singh. 

Saini who is aware of the other intellectuals Varshney had left the seals in possession of intends to find them and warn them about the serial killer on the loose. 

In a mad quest for the seals and base plate, along with inspiring back stories of all the main protagonists- Sanghi has also included interesting pieces of information from the ancient Vedas and Upanishads; thrown light on many misconceptions; and enlightened the reader on Hindu mythology. 

Two- thirds through the book, the plot gets heated as a plot twist changes the face and place of action in the book. At the end of the book, the author does teach the readers the expected moral or lesson- 'the philosopher is more important than the stone.'

Before I disclose anymore information, I do recommend this book to readers of all ages. It is not only interesting, but also informative. 

Diwali: The Festival of Lights

It's that time of the year again. Diwali. For us Hindus, this festival is probably one of the most important of all celebrations. However, the ignorance of many Hindus(mostly the younger generations) as to the reason of celebrating this festival, still strikes me as astonishing. I thought that I should compile information to create a brief account which highlights the main reasons for the celebration of this festival, and the rituals and procedures associated with it.

Day 1 - Dhanteras- It is the day we worship goddess Lakshmi. The word Dhanteras is derived from Dhan- which means wealth and teras- meaning thirteen[it is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the Krishna Paksha- the dark fortnight- as per the Hindu lunar calendar.] On this day, we worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity to keep us happy and prosperous the rest of the year.  Lamps are lit in the evening and colourful alpanas or rangolis are made, symbolising the footprints of Lakshmi, welcoming her home.



New clothes and jewellery is worn to venerate the occasion. We also worship lord Kubera, the god of assets.
The legend attached to it: King Hima had a sixteen year old son, whose janampatri or horoscope predicted that he would die of a snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage. On the fourth day of his marriage, the son's newly-wed did not allow him to sleep. She placed  diyas or lamps, ornaments, gold coins and silver utensils at the threshold of the sleeping chamber. She then proceeded to keep her husband awake by singing devotional songs, and telling him stories. When Yama, the God of Death, arrived at the chamber in the guise of a snake, his eyes started gleaming at the sight of all the diyas, ornaments, silver and gold. He slithered on to a pile of gold and sat there the rest of the night, listening to the bride's stories and songs. The next morning,Yama got off the gold and left. Thus, the newly-wed bride's intelligence had paid off. 
According to another popular legend, when the Devas or the gods and the Asuras or the demons were churning the ocean of milk for Amritam or ambrosia, Dhanvantri(an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) appeared carrying a jar of elixir on Dhanteras.

Day 2 - छोटी दिवाली. It's also known as Naraka Chaturdashi. On this day, goddess kali defeated the asura Narakasura, who was a symbol of laziness and evil- the two things that create hell in our lives. As a result, we normally clean ourselves well by applying sandalwood paste and apply kajal to our eyes, to wash away any evil and to keep evil eyes away.

Day 3 - Our main day. It coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika. Although the main reason for our celebration is that this was the day Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, there are numerous reasons for the celebration. One of them is that Diwali marks the end of the harvest period in India. Another is that after the birth of goddess Lakshmi from the churning of the ocean of milk, she chose Vishnu as her husband on the night of Diwali- she is believed to visit different peoples' houses and grant them health, wealth and prosperity. This day also marks the return of the five Pandavas after twelve years of vanvas or exile, and one year of agyatvas. Another reason(because of which the Jains celebrate Diwali) is that this was the day Mahavira attained moksha or salvation. The Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. This day also marks the new year according to the Hindi calendar. 
On this day, we clean our houses; decorate them and ourselves- both externally and internally. This day is supposed to be a time when good triumphs over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, hard work over laziness and hope over despair. Thus, it is a day of light and colours. Fireworks of a variety of hues illuminate the skies of India on Diwali- bringing colour, light and happiness to the lives of the spectators. We go shopping for necessities on this day- and take oaths to turn over a new leaf in the year ahead.

Day 4 - Diwali Padwa. It is dedicated to the bond created by the husband and wife. On this day, they reaffirm their vows they took to each other, and pray for the longevity of their relationship. The husbands give thoughtful gifts to their spouses. 
On this day, devotees perform the Goverdhan Puja in honour of Lord Krishna.

Day 5 - Bhai Dooj. Brothers visit all their sisters on this day to pay them respect. The sister is supposed to prepare something special for the brother so that they protect their sisters. This is mostly done by feeding the brother with the sumptuous meal prepared by the sister and then putting a Tika or Tilak on the brother's forehead, as a mark of the oath taken by them to protect their sisters.

This majestic festival, with no particular reason for celebration, never fails to amaze me. Its intricate rituals and spiritual meaning is what makes it the most important festival of the versatile subcontinent that is, India.