29 October, 539 BCE
Cyrus the Great just casually walked into Babylon the most locked-down city on earth and took it without turning it into a bloodbath.
No siege drama. No burning the place down. He pulled up, claimed the W, and the local Mesopotamian god Marduk basically said “this guy’s the one” (according to the Cyrus Cylinder). Then he told the exiles (including the Jews) they could go home.
Inspired by the 1967 classic Marathi devotional film 'Sant Gora Kumbhar', the 1978 Gujarati film 'Bhagat Gora Kumbhar' was produced. Its narrative is based on the life of the 13th-century saint Goroba Kaka, who was associated with the Varkari tradition.
Certain events depicted in the film such as the saint inadvertently crushing his own child while completely absorbed in devotion, the saint severing his own hands in remorse, and the subsequent miraculous resurrection of the child are not historically verified.
These accounts are part of traditional 'hagiographies' a genre of devotional narratives prevalent within the Varkari tradition.
This beautiful song features poignant lyrics, sung by a mother grieving the loss of her child.
Our ancestors drove the Maratha Gaekwads out of the Okha Mandal region. To keep them under control, the Gaekwads had to rely on heavy cannon fire from the British.
It seems this Ben still stuck in the era of old Gujarati films, which often portrayed ‘Darbars’ as villains.
With all due respect, the individual from the Padar of Bhavnagar whom refer to as 'Bapu' was the first person who handed over his entire princely state to Sardar Patel to help establish democracy.
It was, in fact, his example that inspired all the states of Saurashtra to join the Indian Union, a move that also exerted the necessary pressure on Nawab of Junagadh.
Furthermore, history bears witness to the immense effort Sardar Patel had to put in to ensure the integration of the various other princely states!
Ben, you are not fair with your statements about #Bhavnagar and it's then ruler #KrishnakumarSinhji.
1. Bhavnagar was the first princely State of India which voluntarily decided to be a part of the Republic. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the British and Mahatma Gandhi all acknowledged it. Rest in India followed.
2. Bhavnagar was the third in India to build and finance their own railway in 1880. And it was v small in size and revenue compared to other two.
3. Bhavnagar had an anti dowry law . Dont remember the exact year but between 1885 to 1895.
4. Bhavnagar kings were progressive. They banned showing off any wealth at marriage or any function after the great famine.
This lady's comments about Bhavnagar are not true.
Im from #Bhavnagar. #proud
Please tag people who are or like Bhavnagar!
@Yuvi_1212 @NiravAkshay @YSJRSG @shaktisinhgohil @jitu_vaghani @rajuranamp
India has long been a land of debate and discourse; it has accommodated both the Brahmanical concept of a Creator and the rational arguments of thinkers like the Buddha and Mahavira, who rejected that notion.
Had India’s vast and diverse heritage always been as narrow-minded as it is being portrayed today, individuals like the Muslim man Ismail Valera or the tribal woman Diwali Ben Bhil would never have become part of the tradition of singing devotional songs.
The same song in three melodious voices.
• 1971 — Ismail Valera
Album: Sava Man Sonu
• 1976 — Diwali Ben Bhil
Film: Rā’ Navghan
• 1981 — Lata Mangeshkar
Film: Naseebdar
Kśhātrāp retweeted
He was teaching them not to gamble their wife or do casteism against great warriors like Karna. He was teaching them the art of real Kshatriyahood instead of just engaging in maar-katai like dogs
Its call diversity.
Lyricist & male singer: Keshav Rathod, born in Gujarat.
Female singer: Usha Mangeshkar, Marathi, from Maharashtra.
Music: C. Arjun, Sindhi, born in Karachi.
Actor: Sachin, Goan origin, Konkani roots.
Actress: Sarika, Marathi from father and Rajput from mother descent.
Happy Sharad Poonam.🌕
Some caution is required here. The story of the Jain merchant Ranku first appeared in the 11th century in a book by Al-Biruni, who recorded it as an account based on popular hearsay.
A detailed version of the story involving a merchant named Ranku Kaku or Raika can be found in Merutunga’s Prabandha-chintamani (1304 CE) and other Jain Prabandhas.
These texts introduce the detail about a jeweled comb or bowl: the king forcibly seized valuable items belonging to the merchant’s daughter, prompting the merchant to seek revenge. These texts date from the 12th to the 14th century and contain a blend of various legends; there is no contemporary evidence to support them.
Regardless of the actual story, the end of Vallabhi, often referred to as the 'Nalanda of the West' was tragic. It had been a major center of Buddhist learning, with a significant Jain presence as well.
Hindus, please, do not render your own religion so cowardly. Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and Mahavira, they all came, established their respective faiths, and moved on. But what kind of religion is yours that still requires saving, sometimes by Rama or Krishna, and at other times by Adi Shankara?
I was surprise when I discovered that a bhajan I used to listen to sung by Lataji had, in fact, already been sung by Diwali Ben Bhil. To my mind, this rendered in an authentic Kathiawari style, is even better than Lataji’s version.
“Mara vala ne vadhi ne kejo re”
Gujarat is not monolithic.
In Saurashtra, there are many communities particularly those engaged in agriculture and those belonging to the Kshatriya fold excluding the Maldhari (Ahir, Rabari, Charan) communities, that consume fish and meat.
Given its distinct geographical and social landscape Saurashtra is a vast coastal region where fish is readily available the consumption of such food has become a part of the local dietary norm.
In Mumbai, the Gujarati-influenced communities consist largely of Jains, Marwaris, and the Sindhi-Bhanushali community, all of whom are traditionally vegetarian.
Even within Saurashtra, some Kshatriya communities have shifted away from the Shakta tradition toward Vaishnava-Radhe Cult, consequently, the consumption of meat and fish has declined among them as well. However, my own community remains predominantly non-vegetarian.
While the issue of discrimination is a separate matter, it is inaccurate to label the entirety of Gujarat or an entire community as hypocritical. It is essential to recognize the distinctions between different communities and regions.
So Gujarath has its own fishing communities and eating fish is totally fine over there...
Yet the moment these hypocritical gujjews crawl into Mumbai, they have the audacity to lock Marathi people out of housing societies just because we eat fish and non-veg. The sheer, sickening hypocrisy of these bigots is staggering.
‘Dakla’ is not originally a part of Garba. It is a tradition of the Pardhi tribal community and is linked to the invocation of the fierce goddess Chamunda. This 'Dakla' music was incorporated into Garba as part of the commercialization of Navratri.
My mother had a deep love for art and old songs. This was before the era of mobile phones, the age of audio cassettes.
I still remember how, every month or two, she would hand me a list and ask me to get those songs recorded onto a cassette. Her taste in music was quite unique; back then, such songs weren’t as easily accessible as they are today. I would search everywhere to find the songs she liked, it was a laborious task, but I did it for her.
This particular song “Ekala j avya manva, ekala java na” was very close to her heart; whenever she listened to it, I would sit beside her and listen too. When I turned twenty-one, she suddenly passed away.
Just imagine at the very moment your real life is about to begin, losing your closest companion turns life into a question for which an answer becomes incredibly difficult to find. Even today, whenever I think of her, I listen to this song.
Miss you माँ 🥹