Thanks to the Encyclopaedia, I discovered that there is a goddess named “Bombay Kamayan“.

Here is a direct link to the Hindu Mythology Section.

The book is 144 pages long, and you can see sample pages and the sketches at the artist’s site. While you are at Sanjay’s site, check out the free desktop wallpapers and the cute T-shirts with Hindu Gods and Goddesses for sale.

You get Virgin Comics. Their “Shakti” line of comics seeks to tap into the pantheon of Indian Gods and Myths and blend them with modern storytelling. Inspirations include the Ramayana, Nag Kanyaka (Serpent Lady) and all the other myths that we Indians are so familiar with.

The new comic hopes to capitalize on the eastward-looking western generation which popularized Manga, Anime, Yoga and Tantric sex. Their comics seem to be off a good start too. Nicholas Cage is all set to star in “The Sadhu” – with a storyline penned by Deepak Chopra. Chopra’s son is behind the comic line, and the famous, such as Shekhar Kapur have contributed storylines to the comic series.

The new comics, which cost $2.99 each, are being rolled out in the U.S. and will be introduced in India this month. They will also be launched in some countries in Europe and Latin America in the first quarter

I will be very interested to see how all this turns out. Maybe, God willing, my kids will grow up yearning for Shakti, Devi and Ram as much as I did for Phantom, Batman and Superman. The WSJ profiled Virgin Comics recently, and something tells me I will hear more about them.

The girls hail from the Newar community of Kathmandu Valley. These Buddhist girls are chosen after their first milk tooth falls to represent the Hindu Goddess Taleju till they begin to menstruate. Legend has it that this practice started during the 17th-century reign of Kathmandu’s King Pratap Malla. Legend has it that the king used to play dice in secret with the goddess Taleju. One night, when lustful thoughts entered the king’s mind, Taleju vanished. Later, she appeared to the king in a dream and told him to select a young Buddhist girl who would bless the king with the strength to rule. Ever since, every year, during the Indra Jatra festival, the reigning monarch receives the auspicious tika on his forehead from the principal Kumari and takes her sword in a ritual that is believed to give the king the power to rule for another year.

So why would somebody not want to be a goddess? Well, the salary is low, the education received is meagre, and the worst part is that the girls have a tough time adjusting to normal life once their Goddess days are over. The practice that has been a symbolic bond between the Hindus and Buddhists of Nepal is now facing a legal challenge. With the end of the Hindu Monarchy and the advent of democracy in Nepal, the very question of Nepal continuing to be an official Hindu nation is in question, and it won’t be surprising if this practice gets banned.

What intrigued me most was that I have never heard of a Goddess named “Taleju” – have you? A quick google search revealed a temple, but the page was in German.

I now get to to relive the experience, thanks to Rediff. The archive of Gangadhar’s Slice of Life provides for very interesting reader. He mostly writes about one-off topics related to his life in Ahmedabad, about the India of the past etc.

Here’s an excerpt from his article suggesting we celebrate Manmadan, the Hindu God of Love instead of Valentine’s Day:

Manmadhan was in the habit of shooting arrows made of fragrant flowers at his victims, making them fall in love. Somewhat like Cupid of Greek legend. Unfortunately, Manmadhan once fooled around with Shiva, the Angry Young God, who was not known to be particularly romantic. On being struck by the romantic arrow, Shiva reacted strongly. He opened his third eye, discharged the requisite fire reducing poor Manmadhan to ashes. I do not know when this exactly happened but it would be nice to celebrate the martyrdom of Manmadhan as our version of Valentine’s Day.

I guess that is enough linkage for you to waste a couple of hours. Have fun!

In modern Hindu tantric practices in the southern state of Kerala, however, Soma is a different quantity. The botanical name of Soma is `Sarcostemma Brevistigma`. It is a creeper(vine) that is commonly found in the Western Ghats of South India. The stem is used to make the Somarasa for many yagas in Kerala. The King of Kollengode, an erstwhile principality in Kerala, is obliged to supply the soma stems for yagas. It is described in the book Agni by Frits Stall.

The search for the Soma plant continues — if someone were to find it, as described in the Veda and the Avesta, it would bestow immortality, the light of knowledge/awareness, and heal many ills(according to Susrutha and the Atharva Veda). In later Hinduism the Soma was replaced by the Rhubarb plant due to Soma being unavailable. Susrutha also mentions that the best Soma can be found in Kashmir and the Upper Indus region.

There is also a mythological god Soma, who was depicted as a bull or bird, and sometimes as an embryo. What is interesting is that he is never shown as a mature adult. In Hinduism, the god Soma evolved into a lunar deity, and became associated with the underworld. The moon is the cup from which the gods drink Soma, and so Soma became identified with the moon god Chandra. This explains why in Hindi, “Somvar” means “Monday”. A waxing moon meant Soma was recreating himself, ready to be consumed. Soma had twenty-seven wives all of whom were daughters of the great King Daksha (the Daksha who conducts the Daksha yaga, father of Dakshayani or Parvati), who felt he paid too much attention to just one of his wives, Rohini (the star). He cursed him to wither and die. His wives would have none of that and so they intervened and the death became periodic and temporary. Soma is perpetually condemed to die and be reborn once every 28 days.

To add to the confusion, there is a drug called Soma, and some contend that Soma is nothing but the common Marijuana plant. I find the concept of Soma very alluring – does it suggest that the ancients had knowledge of hallucinogenics, and the “awakening” they speak of is the same as Huxley’s Doors of Perception being opened wide?