Shivji's Chamatkar on the Maha Shivratri !

 

The day the entire Secunderabad and surrounding villages descended on 1 EME Centre! Don’t get me wrong! It was not a protest against closure of roads in the Army area or any other issue instigated by petty politicians!  9/11 and 26/11 attacks were decades away.  The year was 1988 and civil military relations and liaison were at their best. The deluge of people descending on 1 EME Centre was due to devotional frenzy!

Vasuki would periodically raise her head and open her hoodabove Mahadev and the gathered and milling  crowd would go on an ecstatic frenzy shouting “ Har Har Mahadev  Har Har Mahadev “. The conch would be blown, drums and duroo and cymbals would create a din! Vasuki would retract her head and wrap around the Shivji and the crowd would calm down!

  Let me explain!

 The Radha Krishna temple is one of the institutions of the Corps of EME and its functioning and organization are elaborately covered in one of the DGMEME’s Corps Instructions. ( I am not sure how many present generation officers are aware of the existence of DGEME’s Corps Instructions leave alone knowing the details in them! ) . This temple was constructed after the Centre moved from Bangalore to Secunderabad in the early sixties like EME War Memorial, Centre Quarter Guard etc. The Mandir consisted of the main sanctum housing the idols of Radha and Krishna facing East on a raised base with an imposing covered front mantapam for the devotees to assemble for pujas,bhajans and bhahshan. Soon It became quite popular as there were no other temples nearby for both the troops, their families  and civilians.

The floor of the mantapam used to get water logged by splashing of rainwater by heavy winds during the monsoon and making it highly slippery as well as unfit for people to assemble. When Col GB Sethi took over as CO of the 3 Trg Bn which was responsible for maintenance of  this Corps Institution, it came to his notice that the main idol in the sanctum had a minor damage though unnoticeable unless it was pointed out and observed very closely. The Punditji of the temple also brought this to the knowledge of the CO on his taking over. As per Aghama Sashtra, such idols need to be replaced and consecrated at the earliest.  He set about the task of getting a new set of marble idols and construct lean-to structures on the left and right side to protect the main mantapam floor from rain water. This also augmented the seating capacity.   While troops and families visited the mandir on all festive occasions there were no nearby temples for offering puja to individual deties like Shivji, Ganesh, Santoshi Maa or Durga etc. on days specific to them. So he made an elaborate plan to revamp the entire Mandir Complex by constructing these satellite temples also. These were of proportionately smaller dimensions built  at the rear of man sanctum in line with the rear fencing. He also decided to construct a fitting and imposing entrance like the “Kakatiya Thoranams” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakatiya_Kala_Thoranam) with appliqué  statues of Dwarapalakas! Granite pillars and statues were prohibitively expensive and the whole remodeling was to be completed in a most economical way without any compromise on quality. That the  Thoranam at the entrance in open with cement appliqué statues is  still standing without a blemish even after  four decades  is proof of the same!  

 The work progressed in a frenzy after the approval was accorded by the Senior Colonel Commandant on  the recommendations of the other Colonels of the Corps! The revamped mandir, the satellite temples and the main idols were consecrated on an auspicious day after havans and puja in time for the celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami!

No I am not talking about this day!

This is much later!  More than six months later to be precise!  MahaShivratri is also celebrated by troops with lot of devotion and fervour. It was MahaShivratri day!  The Koteswar Temple in the 4 Trg Bn area used to attract and still attracts a lot of devotees from surrounding areas throughout the year.  It is a very ancient temple and legends indicate that it is as old as Mahabharata times. There is another Koteswar Temple at Rudraprayag!   (https://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/koteshwar-mahadev-temple.php ). It is no coincidence that both these temples are strikingly similar. I have visited both of them! Both are situated in a narrow cave in a hillock surrounded by thick forest. The Shilling in both these temples are Swayambhu( Self manifest) of more or less same dimension being very small. In both these temple the Nandi Bhagwan of matching size is a later addition!. The river Alaknanada flows at the foot of the temple at Rudraprayag in a clockwise direction in the shape of a crest moon. Surprisingly  there used to be a small stream of water flowing around the Koteswar Mandir at EME Centre also . This stream used to be in full flow during monsoon and the water used to drain into the 14^th Fairway of EME Golf Course. The flow of water during monsoon used to be so much that the 14^th Fairway used to be flooded with knee or ankle deep water! Not for nothing the 14^th was originally named ‘Brahmaputra” as the fairway resembled flooded basin of that river! (Anyway the powers that be changed the names of various Tees as when they liked in later years without giving a thought as to why they were named what they were originally! )

  Now coming back to our main story!  Both Koteswar mandir in EME Centre and Keesar Gutta   ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keesaragutta_Temple)   used to attract a lot of villagers from far and near Secunderabad. They used to come in their bullock carts carrying their provisions and camp near these temples three days prior to Maha Sivarathri. It will be like a Mela like atmosphere around 4 Trg Bn and Hakimpet Air Force Stataion !

The evening  prior to MahaShivratri, the CO  accompanied by the Senior JCO visited the temple complex to inspect the arrangements as it would be the first time people would flock here to do puja to Shivji after its consecration.  . On noticing the area behind the Mandir not cleared of under growth, he gave his piece of mind to the Senior JCO. This started a chain reaction like in an atomic reactor. A working party of around a hundred descended   to clear the area immediately. The 2I/C, the Adjutant and the Company Commanders all reached the temple. The “Talwar” wielding soldiers soon gave a “recruit style haircut “to the bushes and grass behind the temple and  also around the  Gopala tank .

 I must digress to explain about Talwar. Don’t mistake it for the ceremonial sword or the ones used by swash buckling cinema heroes  a la Ranjan, Kantha Rao or MGR !  These Talwars are very potent and inescapable weapons in the hands of troops of all our Army units. May be even with the Army units of our friendly neighborhood countries! cFashioned by our metal smiths and welders, they are as long as a Pitching wedge or a 9 Iron with a robust metallic grip and a flat and thick blade set at a lie angle similar to a sand wedge. The blades are either forged or welded. The edges are ground to a fine degree of sharpness. Even in field areas, our Field workshops, Corps Troops and even Command Troops workshops would fabricate these stalwars on as required basis for own use and also for neighborhood user units when requested. Usually they would provide the raw materials like mosquito net rods and other metal scraps! These Talwars are more valuable than even “controlled stores” for a unit. There may be shortage of LMGs, Rifles in a unit, but non availability of these Talwars was not acceptable even to the BHM! Chunna, Geru and talwar are most essential commodities for running a unit!       

 The grass cutting working party will take  a good stance and swing the talwar like you would to take out your golf ball from a bunker.  A chunk of grass would neatly get dislodged! It is a sight to watch our boys swinging the Talwars to clear the grass and at the end their team work would beat even a most sophisticated lawn mower with Artificial Intelligence! (Now a days,  we find more civilian conservancy staff wearing working aprons with reflective paint doing this job at least on main roads.)

Now back to our story. Satisfied with the work behind and around the Mandir , the adjutant informed the CO that the area has been cleared. The next morning, the Punditji  reached earlier than usual and after doing the routine work of the main sanctum came to decorate the Shivji temple area. By now the main working party of about a hundred for temple upkeep for the Shivratri Puja also reached .  As the Punditji neared the  Shivji temple enclosure he noticed some movements and was alarmed to find that it was a fairly huge snake. His alarm created a minor commotion among the working party and the snake slithered and climbed up wrapping itself around  Shivji.

 Not one to be taken aback, the Punditji announced that this was “Vasuki” the celestial Nagahabharanam who has discended from Kailash to adorn Shivji on this auspicious day of Maha Shiv ratri!   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasuki) This is a great and good omen for all the people of the Centre , Secunderabad and particularly of 3 Trg.Bn. The word spread around and soon personnel of HQ and 3 Trg Bn started to witness the miracle. The auspicious  news was relayed to the CO.

3  Trg Bn was also looking after the nearby Rashtrapathi Nilayam . It was an annual routine to get snake charmers, snake catchers, monkey catchers prior the the  annual winter sojourn of the President to Southern States. The senior JCO proposed to get the snake catchers but was stoutly opposed by the pundit and troops who wanted the live “ Nagabharanam “ of Shivji to remain as it was! CO ordered that no one should throw f;lowers or milk or other offerings so as not to disturb the snake and organised a displined dharshan of the miracle as the crowd started swelling around .

Those days there used to be a bus route of AP SRTC through 3 Trg Bn to Kowkoor Dargha. Word spread to the passengers of the bus about the miracle that has happened and the stopped the bus and had darshan! They further spread the message enroute . In an hour more or less  the entire garrison came to know of it and people from near by areas like Yapral, Amma guda , RK Puram etc. started pouring in. The CO rang up the Police Commissioner and asked for a police contingent for traffic and crowd control and to keep an eye on petty thieves and chain snatchers.  Soon various vendors selling bananas, coconut, flowers and other puja materials discended with their carts and made a killing. Balloon and toy walas were not far behind. Soon the entire area around Radhakrishna Mandir sported a Maha khumbh Mela look.   Long queue  of devotees extended almost 500 yards  towards Sainkpuri on one side and  HQ Andhra Sub Area on the other!

By now the press reporters from Deccan Chronicle ,EeNaadu etc. also landed in the CO’s office to get first hand information on this miracle! They were taken around and briefed.  There were nay sayers also. Someone doubted whether the snake was real or made    of rubber. However “Vasuki” herself dispelled all such doubts by periodically raising her hood above Shivji’s head. The crowds around would go into frenzy and shout “Har HJar mahadev”.  Scared out of her wits by this commotion , she would further tighten herself around the ido! This drama went on  for almost the whole day and almost everyone who were going to Keesar Gutta for the puja also went through ! EME Centre. 

     All local news papers published the miracle in 1 EME Centre as headline news in the front page with photographs with a beaming CO 3 Trg Bn. Interviewed by the reporters.   Both Keesar Gutta and Koteswar were relegated  in importance in news covering celebration of Maha Shivratari of 1987!

Author’s Note:

The area behind the Mandir abutting the Gopala tank and the Centre parade ground  is now converted to a Sports Complex of Andhra ( now TASA) subarea. When the working party was clearing the area, this snake from one f the bushes might have entered the Mandir and the Shivji mandir is the closest . Fearing for its life it might have slithered into the enclosure where there were no movements.  Why it did not sir  from there in spite of commotion?  it must have recalled the famous advice of Garuda its bête noir!  There is an oft quoted repartee between Vasuki and Garuda , the vahan of Lord Vishnu! It goes like this. Coiling on the body of protective Lord Shiva, Vasuki mockingly enquired on seeing Garuda ,” Hey! Garudan! Are you safe and sound?”,   to which Garudan replied “ Everyone will be safe and sound so long they keep to themselves and remain where they are ! “

Anyway miracles are miracles!  

 As usual E& OE  (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/e-and-oe)  Expected!