Names, Places, Events, Things: Ruminations and Essays on Hindu Mythology

When it comes to Hindi movies aka Bollywood, there are two terms that puzzle me the most. Actually there is a lot that puzzles me, but these two are almost like enigma, because I can't understand what in Dadasaheb Phalke's name do they mean. The first one is 'Item Number'. I mean, what exactly is the definition of this term -- an "item number"? When does a song cease to exist being just another song, and suddenly become an Item Number? Earlier it was easy. There would be one jhatka-matka song in the film - especially filmed on some good-looking woman with great body and almost negligible clothing. The song's mood would be different from the overall movie, and most importantly, this femme fatale from the item number had very little (actually absolutely nothing) to do with the rest of the film. So that was easy. But now I am not so sure --- you know, with Shahrukh Khan - not a gorgeous babe but a 45-year old skinny dude - dancing in his own movie whe...

If you are driving down from Mumbai to Goa, or to Pune on the old highway, you need to cross Panvel. While you negotiate your way through the traffic mainly caused by the state transport (S.T.) buses, you pass a small shrine under a banyan tree. It declares the lord of the property to by "Panchmukhi" (five-faced) Hanuman . पंचमुखी हनुमान । Although shrines of Hanuman are in abundance across the Indian subcontinent, especially in hilly terrains like Maharashtra, shrines of "Panchmukhi" Hanuman are a rarity. Of course, there is more likelihood to find one in the Southern parts of the country. The images of the Great Vanara (not Monkey) God in Northern India usually depict him as pulling his chest apart to show Lord Rama and Sita, or flying through the air carrying an entire mountain in one hand. But none of these have Hanuman depicted as having more than one heads. The form of Hanuman as "Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami" (Anjaneya = "son of Anjani...

4. Vibhishana – Also known as Bibhishana, he is the younger brother of Ravana. His lineage is thus: Out of the seven great sages (Saptarshi), who are supposed to be sons of Brahma, one of the rishis was Pulatsya .  His son was Rishi Vishrava . Vishrava married Idavida, daughter of Rishi Bharadwaja.  ldavida bore Vishrava a son, Kubera , the Lord of Wealth and the original ruler of Lanka.  However, by this time, the accounts of Vishrava's far-reaching Yogic powers reached the ears of the Asura, Sumali , and his wife, Thataka. They got their daughter Kaikesi married to Vishrava. Vishrava fathered four children with her – Ravana , Kumbakarna , Vibhishana , and a daughter, Soorpanaka . Ravana would eventually oust his half-brother, Kubera, as King of Lanka and usurp his throne. Vibhishana was the third and youngest brother of Ravana. He had differences with Ravana for a long time. When Rama came searching for his wife Sita, Vibhishana’s mother Kaikesi advised Vi...

2. Hanuman – The son of Vayu (by this relationship, he is a brother of Bhima) and Anjani (thus also called Anjaneya). Supposedly born near Trimbakeshwara, near Nashik, Maharashtra. He is one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic, the Ramayana. He is devotion personified – he aids Lord Rama in rescuing Sita from Ravana of Lanka. In some cases, Hanuman is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva – and is called the “11th Rudra”. After the war with Ravana and return to Ayodhya, and after reigning for several years, the time arrived for Rama to depart to his heavenly abode. Many of Rama's entourage, including vanaras like Sugriva decided to depart with him. Shunning the heavens, Hanuman however, requested to remain on earth as long as Rama's name was venerated by people. Sita accorded Hanuman that desire, and granted a boon that his image would be installed at various public places, so he could listen to people chanting Rama's name. From then on, he h...