This section contain some selected papers, published & unpublished
SRUTHI BOX
One of the Old Indian Basic Music Instrument used today in ALL Karnatic and Hindustani Music is a SRUTHI Music BOX. What is the Significance of this Sruthi BOX? Shruthi box is a BRAIN WAVE GENERATOR. Amazed?
All we know Sruthi Box is a small air based
harmonic wave producing device,
Also it produces music notes similar to AUM - the Pranava
mantra, the Universal Sound, The Sound without Begining and
End. Now we have more intresting uses of it.
Our own brain waves usually contain alpha, beta,
delta and theta frequencies
which are for the most part below 30Hz frequency. Each of
these represents a different level of consciousness and receptiveness,
ie:
- Alpha (8Hz - 14Hz: relaxed / alert
- Beta (14Hz - 30Hz: very alert / tuned in)
- Delta (0.5Hz - 4Hz: fast asleep)
- Theta (4Hz - 8Hz: drowsy / suggestible)
While doing any of the following activity the brain produces a frequency internally.
So by music we can induce our brain with that state.
- Meditation/Relaxation
- Sleep/Dreams
- Treatment/Healing
- Hypnosis/Subliminal
- Focus/Alertness
- Stimulation/Chakras
- Out-of-body experiences
- Special effects
- Experimental/Weird
Now we have a software for producing these waves. Also we can do
the same with the Srithi Box... Try your self... Please do the following...
Click here
and download the BRAIN WAVE GENERATOR SOFTWARE. After downloading
Install by double clicking. Just follow the instructions given there
in that software.
After downloading check the following.
There are brain waves tones (binaural beats) for meditation, for
studing, for having a creative mind, for inducing sleep etc etc
etc.......
So NOW we can Shrithi box is a BRAIN WAVE GENERATOR, Generating alpha, beta, delta, theta waves to activate our different parts of brain.
You can learn more about Brain's Binaural beats at http://www.bwgen.com/theory.htm
You can Entrain your Brain...
when there is Peace one finds the music of body mind and soul.
Mahashivratri -- Lord Shiva
Shiva - the word meaning auspicious - is one of the Hindu Trinity, comprising of Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the Preserver and Shiva or Mahesh, the Destroyer and reproducer of life. Time is invisible and formless. Therefore Mahakal Shiva, as per the Vedas, manifested himself as "LINGUM" to make mankind aware of the presence of Eternal Time. That day when Shiva manifested himself in the form of "Lingum" was the fourth day of the dark night in the month of Magh i.e. February-March. This is confirmed by Rishi Markendeya in the sloka :-
"That night, when the many-splendoured Shiv-Lingum dazzled the world with its appearance, was the night of the Mahashivratri- the night of the great Shiva". This Mahashivratri festival continues to be celebrated for ever and ever. Maharshi Narad advised mankind to fast on this day and pray to the All-Powerful Shiva so that in all His kindness He pardons all the sins that are committed in the past three lives.
Lord Shiva is portrayed as an ascetic, sitting on a tiger skin, a bunch of poisonous snakes coiled round his blue neck, his hair and his body. He received the waters of the sacred river Ganga that rushed down from heaven with an unimaginable force and ferocity in the coil of his hair on his head to save the world from total annihilation and released the water slowly on the plains to flow. Lord Shiva has a third eye in the centre of his forehead along with a crescent moon. His most powerful weapon is the Trishul, the trident. His favourite mount is the sacred bull, Nandi who is also worshipped. His abode is on the high majestic Kailash mountain where he resides with his celestial consort goddess Parvati.
Lord Shiv is worshipped in the form of `Shiv-Lingum' which symbolises the power behind the creation. As Nataraj, the master of the art of dancing, he is depicted in sculptures in bronze and images in metal. In fact, the entire world of art revolves round Lord Shiv and goddess Parvati.
About Indian Silk
Associated with ceremonial rites of ancient India, silk has been a highly revered fabric. It continues to be a popular and widely used material because of it soft smoothness, its lustre and shine and its graceful and sensuous folds which lend themselves exquisitely to designing.
Silk - the very word conjures up visions of
a fabric so soft, so smooth, so splendorous, it is fit for
a king. The highly revered fabric is associated with ceremonial
rites among the Hindus and the religious books are full
of references to it. India was probably the first country
to attain perfection in the art of weaving fabric, silk
as well as cotton.
From times immemorial silk has been a much sought after
fabric by not only the common man but by kings and queens.
This soft material left the shores of India and captured
the hearts of the whole world centuries ago.
Fine, tightly woven silk was valued not only for its beauty
and luxury, but also for its purity. Hindu's treat silk
as a pure substance - so much so that they feel that there
is no need to wash silk fabrics before ceremonial use. One
of the reasons why Hindu's treat silk as a pure substance
is that it is produced from the cocoons of moths which have
completed their cycle and have broken out of the cocoons.
Hence no killing is involved for the production of silk,
and thus it becomes sacred and unpolluted.
One Saree. Many Incarnations !
The Indian Saree (a.k.a. Sari, Seere, Sadi) boasts of oldest existence in the sartorial world. It is more than 5000 years old! It is mentioned in Vedas, the oldest existing (surviving) literature (3000 B.C.) Patterns of dress change throughout the world now and then but, the Sari has survived because it is the main wear of rural India. 75% of the population (now a billion as per official estimate) wear versatile sari. We can certainly call this cloth versatile because it could be worn as shorts, trousers, flowing gown-like or convenient skirt-wise--all without a single stitch!
Saree (original--Chira in Sanskrit, cloth) is of varied length. From 5 yards to 9.5 yards tied loosely, folded and pleated, it could be turned into working dress or party-wear with manual skill. For day today dress of middle class women, 5-6 yard sari is comfortable to manage household chores. Working class tucks the same length above the ankles and if they have to work in water or fields, they would tuck the front pleats between the legs to the back, and tie the upper portion round the waist. This left them free movement of hands and legs.
A nine yard Saree used to be a connoisseurs pleasure with Saree embellishments, embroidery and gold designing. At the same time it was as safe a dress as trousers. It was worn in the similar way as working Saree. But, some pleats covered the ankles as well. A gold silver or cloth belt was fastened which kept pallu, (upper cover) pleats and folds in tact. Jhansi's Queen Laxmibai, Belawadi Mallamma and Kittur Chennamma fought enemy troops on horseback, wearing Saree this way. Tight tucking of the front pleats in the back was called Veeragacche or soldier's tuck.
Generally the climate of Indian subcontinent is warm and humid. Saree and its male counterpart dhoti was most suited for this land. Earlier there was hardly any difference between Saree and dhoti because men also liked to flaunt colorful Sarees with brocaded borders. They could perhaps be interchanged in needy times. Only the upper portion of the Saree-length which covers the chest, left shoulder and at times head, is missing in Saree for men.
Styles in wearing Saree vary from region to region. Gujarat style and Bengali style are different. So are Mangalorean, Kannadiga, Kodava, Tamilian, Malayali, etc. The Saree is worn in at least 10 to 15 styles throughout the India, though the ways of wearing above used to be common. In Maharashtra and North Karnataka region, wearing a nine yard Saree (without a petticoat -- long underskirt --which was superfluous) was in vogue till 20th century. My mother who was a good swimmer, used to wear a nine yard Saree tightly and swam in river Kali or Arabian sea along with my father. Wearing swimming costume could just not be dreamt of. But the versatile Saree was good enough to move through the waves.
Some people think that Indian Saree is influenced by Greek or Roman toga which we see on ancient statues. This is not correct. Saree is essentially Indian and designed to suit local conditions. Cotton was cultivated in India centuries before Alexander the Great landed on the borders of India and Indian cloth (chira or Saree) was a wonder to Greek eyes. In fact, Herodotus and other ancient western historians thought there were cloth-growing trees in India!
Raja Raviverma, the distinguished painter of 19th century, toured the entire sub-continent in search of the ideal female-wear. He wanted the best dress for the various goddesses he was asked and commissioned to paint. He selected the a yard Saree which drapes the body beautifully at the same time exhibiting contours of female anatomy--bust, waist, hips. Most of the female deities he painted are in this style. An old or worn-out Saree is equally utlitarian. Grandmothers used to stitch quilts folding soft and worn-out Sarees and putting bright new cloth on cover, for children which kept them warm. Worn-out thicker Sarees were used as bed covers or blankets in the cradle (as the babies wetted it frequently). For village women, folds of Sarees serve as pouches, bags and haversack to carry grocery and at times babies as well. Some used to make a stand-by cradle out of Saree length for the baby. Tying the ends to a nearby tree. White Sarees could be turned into towels, napkins, diapers etc., even after they are worn out. Dhoti is an abridged version of the Saree sans pallu (the throw of the Saree). Many Hero-stones (memorials for dead heroes) show the dhoti worn like breeches or shorts with Veeragachche; dagger and other weapons were tucked in dhoti folds. With globalization, the dress of Indians is also getting westernized. But being most utilitarian, and multi-purpose Saree is still reigning in rural India and for all rituals and ceremonials it shines supreme to this day. Colorful Sarees are worn as pugrees, turbans and tribals haunt invariably women's Sarees dances.
