The Legend
When the gods and the demons churned the milky ocean in days of yore, nectar came out of it. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini, a charming lady, deluded the demons and distributed the nectar only among the gods. But Rahu had disguised himself as a god. The sun and the moon pointed this out to Mohini who immediately slashed off the demon’s head. Since the nectar had by then already reached up to the neck, he did not die. Thus the head came to be known as Rahu and the body as Ketu. To avenge this betrayal, Rahu and Ketu periodically eclipse the sun and the moon.
Astronomically speaking, when the sun, the moon and the earth are all in line, with the moon or the earth at the centre, a solar or lunar eclipse takes place respectively.
Dharma Shasta
17 November marked the first day of "Kartigai" the month in Hindu calender and also marked the wearing of scared rosary or "Mala" by devotee for pilgrimage to "Sabari Mala" or Mount Sabari for annual pilgrimage to see Lord Ayyappa.During this period there will be million of devotee tracking the route to the hill top.I had this experience where I undertook the pilgrimage to the holly hill of Sabari.You had to be there yourself to experience them with 48days of strict fasting.Ayyappan story is well know to everyone but let re-visit the Ayyappan History which may confuse some people on his birth and origin.Lord had existed during the Puranic time itself and not during the Pandalam Maharaja region.This period is actually an incarnation of Lord Dharma Shasta.
