Sacred Bharatvarsha (Our Sacred Rivers, Festivals and Herbs)

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Mahabharata describes that India was called Bharatvarsha after the legendary emperor Bharata who had conquered all of greater India and united it into a single political entity.

This book is a kaleidoscopic presentation of three key aspects of Bharatvarsha and our rich heritage: Our sacred rivers, our seasons and festivals, and the enduring values of our indigenous herbs and remedies.

It is a select overview of the mysteries and mysticism behind our belief systems, traditional traditions and ethical values.

You will read about the spiritual glory of our major rivers, their puranic significance as manifestations of the divine principle, the hoary temples on their banks, and how the waters have sustained flourishing civilisations over the years. Along with stunning pictures.

Our seasons and festivals highlight the significance of every month in the Vedic calendar, and the meaning behind observing important festivals across the country.

Herbs and spices are integral part of our culinary system, and they serve as the backbone of our celebrated Ayurvedic system of medicine. The section includes a brief description of important home remedies based on such herbs, which countless households have relied on over centuries for healthy body and mind.

This section begins with a narration of water as one of the pantha phutas, the five elements.

Two-thirds of the human body is water based, and jal is the vital bhutha represented by the tongue that controls both taste and speech.

We read in the following pages the narration of the majesty and grandeur of Indus that emanates from the glaciers of Himalayas, and its tributaries, which mostly flow through the present day Pakistan, with holy Hindu sites such as the Katasraj temple and Hinglaj Mata temple on its banks.

In the description of the 900 km long Mahanadi river and the ancient spots and temples that dot its route, there is a reference to the 8th century brick temple of Rajiv Lochan, dedicated to Vishnu, which attracts many devotees especially during Sivaratri, and this makes an interesting reading.

How Krishna river was regarded as the southern boundary of emperor Ashoka's vast Mauryan empire more than two thousand years ago, may be an interesting fact for many readers. The Vijayanagar empire flourished on her banks in the 13th century, with Emepror Sivaji building grand monuments and temples on her banks.

There is an extensive description of the glory of Ganges river and its entire route of 2500-kms dotted with centres of worship, learning and culture. Steeped in mysticism, the Indo-Gangetic plain has seen many ancient capitals such as Kannauj, Prayag, Pataliputra (modern Patna), and of course Varanasi. The author provides a glimpse of the fascinating legends of Ganges as well as Yamuna rivers.