Ode to
immortality Celebrating 1000 years of celestial
ecstasy By Ashwini Bhatnagar
IT
is a classical case of one beautiful thing
leading to another. One summer night, Hemvati
decided to take a dip in a pond near her house.
As she bathed under the canopy of stars, her
exquisite beauty caught the eye of the Moon God,
who was on his daily journey across the heavens.
The Moon God could not resist the charm of this
young Brahmin widow and descended to earth.
Hemvati submitted to the proposal of the Moon
God. When the night ended, the Moon God rose to
leave. He "blessed" his consort with a
child who, he said, would start a dynasty of
rulers who would be known not only for their
valour and enlightened rule but also for their
contribution to the culture and arts of Madhya
Bharat. Chandratreya, the first Chandela, was
born.
IT
is a classical case of one beautiful thing
leading to another. One summer night, Hemvati
decided to take a dip in a pond near her house.
As she bathed under the canopy of stars, her
exquisite beauty caught the eye of the Moon God,
who was on his daily journey across the heavens.
The Moon God could not resist the charm of this
young Brahmin widow and descended to earth.
Hemvati submitted to the proposal of the Moon
God. When the night ended, the Moon God rose to
leave. He "blessed" his consort with a
child who, he said, would start a dynasty of
rulers who would be known not only for their
valour and enlightened rule but also for their
contribution to the culture and arts of Madhya
Bharat. Chandratreya, the first Chandela, was
born.