In conversation : ** Shri Vana Durga Havan **

[Guest guest]

** Shri Vana Durga Havan **

Durga of the forest.

As worshipped by foresters

(Durgasatanama Stotra)

 

S.Menon: Vanadurga. The temples of Vana durga are always open to air.

She is like fire seated on lion.

 

Nora : Is vanadurga one of the ancient or earlier form of Durga, in

the early Bengal. Interesting there are so many forms of durga.

 

S.Menon: Yes ancient from Kerala. A very interesting form of Durga.

 

Nora: The Temple : Chakkulathukavu (28km from Alappuzha) " Goddess

Vanadurga is the presiding diety. Pongala and naree pooja-in honor of

womanhood are the main festivals"

 

S.Menon: She burns like fire. You know what her mantra is?

om hrIM dumuthishta purushi, kim swapishi, bhayam me samupastitam

yadi shakyamashakyam tanme bhagawati shamaya swaahaa

 

Which means : wake up!! why are you sleeping? I am afraid please

remove the cause of fear

 

Nora: In the picture she is holding the ball of fire and her her aura

is firelike.

 

S.Menon :Yes that is what it symbolizes

 

Nora: Since she is supposedly in the forest so ideally the place of

worshipping her should be in the forest too.

 

S.Menon: You are supposed to do it in water up to neck with someone

to watch to see that you do not drown that way body does not get

heated up

 

Nora: It is the energy that is around you that becomes hotter its

like in the hot oven?

 

S.Menon: Yes it was

 

*********************************************************************

 

"I was reading your message about Vana Durga"

 

"She is indeed interesting. Some friends of mine went to India

recently, they told me that somebody brought them to a secluded

place, like a cave, and there's this old man sitting meditating,

whole body except the head submerged in water. As soon as these

friends (about 5 of them) step in the premises, the old man (whose

eyes is still close) remarked: I know why you are here. And he began

to relate their troubles one by one. They left the place in silence,

probably too dumbfounded to say anything. They didn't even got

the

chance to say a word."

 

"Have you been to the forest, why not share it with us?"

 

"Yes! Many years ago but the memory is still fresh in my mind. It

was

indeed an interesting experience."

 

"I have some military friends who used to go for their jungle

training in the Borneo forest. They told me that in there especially

at night, it is so dark that you cant even see your own hand. You

have to set the base camp before the sunset, and nobody venture out

at night unless it is necessary. Everybody stays in his or her tent;

keep a listening ear for the falling trees. They have several

instances of their members found dead, trump by the falling trees at

night. It is so difficult to set up a campfire or any fire, as the

air there is so damp. So they move only in the day time."

 

"Mt Ophir is just under 1500m high. It is located in the

Malaysian

state of Johore, within several hours by bus from Singapore. Well not

as high as some mountains, but for a beginner like me, it's a

good

start. I learnt a lot of things from that experience. Like how to

light a fire, to do your private business amongst the bushes hoping

nobody looking. But most important is that I love the rocks cliffs,

caves, the flora and fauna of different form. I am simply basked in

the nature's best. I grow up in a city; somehow this experience

is

indeed refreshing. With my heavy backpack, trekking up the hill

(which sometimes can be very slippery), perspiration trickling downs

my face and back; at times I started to pant wondering, "When am

I

going to reached the peak". I almost trip into a ravine, only

managed

to grab hold of a tree trunk in time. At night it was cold. I have to

cover my legs with Aluminum Fold to keep it warm. The place that I

camp, the forest was really thick that it is really dark. For that

moment I felt helpless, leaving my faith at the mercy of the darkness

around me. That is the first time I taste the water from the

waterfall too. Initially was doubtful. My companion told me:

Don't

think of what is up the river. Look at the water now in your hands,

is it clear, does it look clean, then drink!"

 

" I am trying to bring that experience back within me. The Forest

or

the jungle within us"

 

" I think the jungle you too told to realized the self. In L.S

...We

tell Devi as Kadamba vana vasini. She who resides in Kadamba Forest.

That is the jungle within us."

 

"Only when we have explored and not being afraid of going in and

out

of this "jungle", we have mastered ourselves. Shri Vana Durga Havan

is the fire that helps us to overcome this fear"

 

"We become somewhat realized."