During the Second World War (1939–1945), India was controlled by the United Kingdom, with the British holding territories in India including over six hundred autonomous Princely States. British India officially declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939.
The British Raj, as part of the Allied Nations, sent over two and a half million soldiers to fight under British command against the Axis powers. India also provided the base for American operations in support of China in the China Burma India Theater.
VEDIK GYAN
STORY OF ATMA LINGA
According to Shiva Purana : Ravana desired immortality and invincibility. For this purpose, he worshipped Lord Shiva with his whole heart to obtain atma linga (soul of Shiva) which is supposed to give its possessor immortality and invincibility.
Pleased by Ravana’s devotion, Shiva appeared before him and asked him his wish. Knowing the consequences of this act, Vishnu changed the mind of Ravana and instead of asking for atma linga, he asked for Goddess Parvati and lord Shiva offered him that.
On his way back to Lanka, Narada muni appeared before him and told him that lord has not given the real Parvati and the real Parvati is in Pathala. So, Ravana goes there and marries the girl according to the description of narada muni, assuming the girl to be real Parvati.
On reaching Lanka, when asked by his mother about atma linga, he understood the game played by Vishnu. Determined to obtain atma linga, he once again starts pleasing Lord Shiva. When the lord appeared before him, he asked for atma linga. Shiva gives him the atma linga on a condition that he should not keep the atma linga on ground before the destination as it will get rooted at the same spot and will never move. Once again, to fail the motives of Ravana, Vishnu created the illusion of dusk. As Ravana used to perform an evening ritual he got worried as how he will do it as he was having atma-linga in his hands.
Lord Ganesh, disguised as a brahmin boy, comes in front of him and Ravana requests him to hold the atma linga so that he can perform his rituals.
Ganesh accepts the request but on a condition that he would call Ravana thrice and if he will not come back then he will place atma linga on ground.
When, Ravana was gone to perform the rituals, Ganesh called out his name thrice rapidly at the specific moment when he could not leave the ceremony in between.
So, according to the deal, Ganesh then place the atma linga on the ground and vanished from there with his cows.
Ravana tried to chase them, but got hold of only one of the cow’s ear. The rest of the cow’s body disappeared and he was left only with ear in a petrified form. The name of that place hence came to be known as Gokarna (gow means cow in Sanskrit and karna means ear).
As specified by lord Shiva, the atma linga was now rooted in Gokarna and was immovable even though Ravana tried hard to lift it. He then gave the name Mahabaleshawar to the atma linga meaning “all powerful”.
The Mahabaleshwar temple is situated along in the west cost of India in north kannada district of north Karnataka, between Gangavalli and Aganashini rivers.
LEARN Sanskrit-भेका , Bheka “frog”
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Ch Narmada Naveen Kumar |
