About: Byculla Railway Station – The Oldest in India

१८५३
यह बम्बई से ठाणे के बीच भारत की पहली रेलवे लाइन पर बने कुछ स्टेशनो में से एक है भायखला। इसका उद्घाटन अप्रैल १८५३ में हुआ था। २०० मजदूरों द्वारा खींच कर लाया गया बम्बई का पहला भाप से चलने वाला इंजन भायखला के निवासियों के लिए कौतुहल का विषय था। माना जाता है की भायखला नाम अमलतास के पेड़ो पर रखा गया है जिन्हे स्थानीय भाषा में बावा कहते थे।

1853
Byculla was one of the original stations when the BombayThane railway was inaugurated in April 1853. When the first steam locomotive arrived in Bombay it was pulled down the streets of Byculla by more than 200 labourers to the awe of the locals.

Byculla, is said to be derived from bhaya khala (i.e., Indian laburnum) level-bhaya being a local form of bawa.

१८५७
में यह स्टेशन अपने वर्त्तमान रूप में आया और इस लिहाज से यह भारत का सबसे पुराना स्टेशन है। तब इस स्टेशन को लकड़ियों से बनाया गया था।

1857
It had been built as a wooden structure the year before but took on its current form now. This makes the current building the oldest station in India.

२०१६
बढ़ते हुए रियल एस्टेट मार्किट के साथ ही भायखला यहाँ के प्रसिद्ध चिड़ियाघर के लिए भी जाना जाता है। मुंबई का सबसे पुराना संग्रहालय भाउ दाजी लाड म्यूजियम भी यही है।

2016
Along with a growing real estate market, the area also houses the city’s famous zoo. The oldest museum of Mumbai, Bhau Daji Lad Museum is also nearby.

(Source: Display Board at Byculla railway station)

Description of 51 Shakti Peeth

Description of 51 Shakti Peeth (Shri Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India)

Description of 51 Shakti Peeth (in English)

  1. Kirit Shaktipeeth is located in Lalbagh Kot on the banks of the Hooghly River in West Bengal.
  2. Uma Katyayyani Shaktipeeth, Bhuteshwar of Mathura.
  3. Karveer Shaktipeeth is located in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
  4. Sri Parvat Shaktipeeth is in Ladakh.
  5. Vishalakshi Shaktipeeth is situated at Mir Ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
  6. Godavari Beach Shaktipeeth is situated on the Godavari bank in Kabbur, Andhra Pradesh.
  7. Suchindram Shaktipeeth is located in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.
  8. Panch Sagar Shaktipeeth is in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
  9. Jwalamukhi Shaktipeeth is located in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.
  10. Bhairav ​​Parvat Shaktipeeth is in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
  11. Attahas Shaktipeeth is located in Labpur, West Bengal.
  12. Janasthan Shaktipeeth is located in Panchavati, Nashik, Maharashtra.
  13. Kashmir Shaktipeeth or Amarnath Shakpeeth is located in Amarnath, Jammu, and Kashmir.
  14. Nandipur Shaktipeeth is located in Saindhya, West Bengal.
  15. Sri Shail Shaktipeeth is near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
  16. Nalhati Shaktipeeth is in Bolpur, West Bengal.
  17. Mithila Shaktipeeth is in Nepal.
  18. Ratnavali Shaktipeeth is situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
  19. Ambaji Shaktipeeth is in Junagadh, Gujarat.
  20. Jalandhar Shaktipeeth is located in Jalandhar, Punjab.
  21. Ramgiri Shaktipeeth is in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.
  22. Vaidyanath Shaktipeeth is located in Giridih Deoghar of Jharkhand.
  23. Vakreshwar Shaktipeeth is located in Birbhum, West Bengal.
  24. Kanyakashram Kanyakumari Shaktipeeth is in Tamil Nadu.
  25. Bahula Shaktipeeth is located in Ketugram near Katwa Junction in West Bengal.
  26. Ujjvaini Shaktipeeth is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
  27. Manivedika Shaktipeeth is located in Pushkar, Rajasthan.
  28. Prayag Shaktipeeth is located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
  29. Virjashetra, Utkal Shaktipeeth is situated in the Puri of Orrisa.
  30. Kanchi Shaktipeeth is located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
  31. Kalmadya Shaktipeeth is in Assam.
  32. Shoan Shaktipeeth is in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh.
  33. Kamakhya Shaktipeeth is located in Guwahati, Assam.
  34. Jayanti Shaktipeeth is situated on the Jayantiya hill in Meghalaya.
  35. Magadh Shaktipeeth is located in Patna.
  36. Tristota Shaktipeeth is located in Jalpaiguri.
  37. Tripuri Sundari Shaktitripuri Peeth is located in Ragh Kishore village of Tripura.
  38. Vibhash Shaktipeeth is located in Midnapore, West Bengal.
  39. Devikoop Peeth Kurukshetra Shaktipeeth is located near Kurukshetra, Haryana.
  40. Yugadhya Shaktipeeth Sheergram Shaktipeeth is located in Shirgram of Bardhaman district of West Bengal.
  41. Virat Ambika Shaktipeeth is located in Vairatgram, Jaipur.
  42. Kalighat Shaktipeeth is located in Kalighat, Kolkata.
  43. Manas Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of Mansarovar in Tibet.
  44. Lanka Shaktipeeth is located in Sri Lanka.
  45. Gandaki Shaktipeeth is situated at the origin of the Gandaki river in Nepal.
  46. Guhoeshvari Shaktipeeth is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.
  47. Hinglaj Shaktipeeth is located in Balochistan province of Pakistan.
  48. Sugandha Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of river Sugandha in Khulna, Bangladesh.
  49. Kartoyaghat Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of Karatoya river in Begda, Bhawanipur, Bangladesh.
  50. Chattal Shaktipeeth is located in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
  51. Yashor Shaktipeeth is located in Jessore Khulna, Bangladesh.

(The above photo was taken at Bhuteshwar Mahadev temple in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) during Braj Chaurasi (84) Kos Yatra)

What is the Significance of Number 56 in Chappan Bhog?

According to legends, the people of Braj had a custom of offering sumptuous food to Lord Indra – the rain god. In return, Lord Indra promised good rains to nourish their crops.

Lord Krishna believed that this was a harsh price that poor farmers had to pay. Furthermore, he wanted the people of Braj to accept the importance of Govardhan Parvat (mountain).

Lord Krishna explained to the villagers that Govardhan Parvat protects the villagers from harsh climatic conditions, so the villagers started worshiping the mountain instead of Indra.

Enraged by this gesture of the villagers, Indra brought heavy rain, and soon the village was drowned.

People prayed to Lord Krishna to save their lives.

Lord Krishna came to their rescue and lifted the huge Govardhan Parvat and placed it on the tip of his little finger to save his villagers from Indra’s wrath. Everyone, including cattle, took shelter under the mountain.

The rain continued for 7 days and thus Lord Krishna continued to stand holding the mountain until Lord Indra realized his mistake and the rain stopped. Since then Lord Krishna came to be known as Govardhandhari, the one who bears the Govardhan Parvat.

Yashoda Maiya (Krishna’s mother) usually fed Lord Krishna 8 meals a day, but he did not eat any food during these 7 days. Therefore, at the end of the seventh day, once the rain had stopped, the villagers gratefully offered a total of 56 dishes (8 meals multiplied by 7 days) to Lord Krishna. Thus the concept of 56 (Chappan) Bhog (Prasada) emerged and it became a ritual of offering 56 dishes to Lord Krishna/Govardhan Parvat during auspicious occasions & festivals.

Can You identify this Vegetable?

Sherni (in Marathi language) Vegetable

This vegetable is known as शरणी (Sherni in the Marathi language).

My maid enhances my knowledge by saying that it is acetic in taste. Maharashtrians cut it into small pieces, add salt, and dry it for one whole day under the Sun. The next day they fry it in hot oil and have it with Khichdi (A dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice & lentils). Very tasty.

She also said that it is broken via fist at the entrance of the house on Diwali (festival of lights) day and is considered auspicious.

Knowledge enhanced. Thanks to the maid.