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  KANHERI City of Caves “There were palace like buildings, images, houses, pillars, and water-cisterns. It was a city carved in rock that could hold seven thousand people” – Don Joao de Castro Kanheri – Location and origin   Kanheri (19°13’ N; 72°55’ E), the Kanhasela, Krishnagiri, Kanhagiri of ancient inscriptions, is located north of Mumbai. Kanheri is located in the island of Salsette and 6 miles from Thana. The caves are excavated in volcanic breccia, the hills rising at places to 1550’ above mean sea level. Kanheri is credited with the largest number of cave excavations in a single hill. To the west is the Borivili railway station and across the creek is the Arabian Sea.  Kanheri, large group of caves (109 not counting the new discoveries) located north of Mumbai excavated out of volcanic rock formation breccia, at a height of 1550’ above sea level. One of the oldest and largest numbers of cave excavations in a single hill. Located on the old trade route, start...

  From silence to the sound of recitation After a period of “silence”, the anadhyayana period starting from Kartigai Kartigai, Thirumangai Alvar’s birthday temples would reverberate with the recitation of Nalayira Divya Prabandham the scared text of Sri Vaishnavas, the compilation of 4000 songs of the Alvars from Margazhi when the Adhyayana Utsavam starts. Today (14-12-2020), a day ahead of the beginning of Adhyayana Utsavam across Vishnu temples, sounds of Thirunedunthandakam would fill the Santanu mantapam, when Araiyars start the festival in front of Periya Perumal. The 21-day Adhyayana Utsvam is unique in that it is a complete celebration of a text and its recitation. For hundreds of years it has continued, keeping the text and the tradition alive. The days prior to and ten days following Vaikunta Ekadasi is celebrated as Adhyayana Utsavam, when the first ten days the first two thousand of the 4000 is recited during the day time literally called “pagal pathu” utsavam, and after...

  It is heartening to see so many posts today on Subramania Bharati.  It reminds me of my elementary school days. There was not an Independence Day or Republic Day that passed without singing Bharati’s songs. In that small school, the flagstaff was just outside the compound and we would stand there and sing “thaayin manikkodi paareer”. There would be singing and dancing to his “aaduvome pallu paaduvome”, “vetri ettu thikkum etta kottu murase” etc., Our headmaster at that time would teach all of us to sing Bharati’s songs. I got introduced to almost all the Deshbhakti songs of Bharati at that time. “paarukkulle nalla naadu”, “bharatha samudayam vaazhgave” and many others. We used to have a collection of his poems at home, printed in some poor, dull paper. I didn’t know music, I didn’t know the ragas that are printed alongside some of the poems. But I used to sit near the window, and keep humming something. I used to even try the “eesan vandhu siluvayil mandan” trying to imitate...