Monday, January 14, 2013

Had Marathas not fought the 3rd Battle of Panipat...


Last week, 3M wrote about the Maratha Conquest of Punjab (1758) during which the Maratha army drove out the Afghans from India. Sadly, leaders of the army (Raghunathrao and Malharrao Holkar) were keen to come back to their respective hometowns instead of stabilising their hold over the newly acquired territory of Punjab – the land of five rivers. (This trait can be seen in Maharashtrians even today!). At the request of Shah Waliullah (to defend Islam against infidels), Ahmad Shah Abadli came back to conquer not just Punjab but also overran the Gangetic plains. To defend India, the Maratha Empire put together an army of more than 1 Lakh combatants and started a long journey to the north. To avoid an all-out war, Ahmad Shah Abali offered the Marathas Chambal River as the border between the two warring empires. This compromise was not acceptable to the Marathas who were determined to get rid of "Mlechchas" from the Indian soil!


252 years ago on Makar Sankranti, the Marathas finally met the Afghans at Panipat. This 3rd Battle of Panipat was one of the bloodiest wars fought in the 18th Century in the entire world. For those who want to read a detailed unbiased account of this war, 3M highly recommends ‘Solstice at Panipat - 14thJanuary 1761’ by Dr. Uday Kulkarni.


Sadly this battle is neglected by most Indian historians and public at large. But what they fail to understand is that the map of India would have been totally different had it not been for the stiff resistance by the Marathas. After the war, Afghans abandoned the idea of invading India again. In fact, no one invaded India from the Northwest from 1761 right up to 1947! Thanks to Mahadaji Shinde, the defeated Marathas were able to re-establish their writ over most of North India within a decade. As can be seen in the map above, the limits of the Maratha Empire are today the Hindu majority area and hence part of Republic of India. Had Marathas not fought the war and accepted the terms of Ahmad Shah Abdali to “stay south of the Chambal”, we would have had a very different map of India. Pakistan-Bangladesh-Gangetic Plains would have been one contiguous Islamic Nation. The peninsular India would have been ‘Hindustan’ with a big Pakistani enclave in the centre thanks to the Nizam of Hyderabad!


Wishing all readers a very happy Makar Sankranti!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Time for a 'Conquest of Punjab' again?


In 1758, the Maratha Army under the leadership of Raghunathrao decided to drive out the Afghans from Punjab... This is referred to as the 'Maratha Conquest of Northwest India'... So from Delhi they moved northward to attack Lahore (the capital of Punjab)... After that they expanded their control to the South (up to Dera Ghazi Khan near Multan) and north (up to Peshawar). The Afghans had to retreat beyond Khyber Pass which is about 200 kms from their capital - Kabul... The orange dotted line is the current day Indo-Pak border while the blue dotted line is Af-Pak border! Given the repeated 'ungali' by Pakistan , 3M wonders if it is time to do a 'Conquest of Punjab' again?

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

महाराष्ट्रातील हिंदू सण २०१३ Maharashtrian Hindu Festivals 2013

ऋतु
SEASON
मास
MONTH
पक्ष
FORTNIGHT
तिथी
DAY
सण
FESTIVAL
तारीख
DATE
वसंत
Vasant
(Spring)
चैत्र
Chaitra
शुक्ल Shukla
प्रतिपदा Pratipada (1)
गुढी पाडवा  Gudhi Padva
11 Apr
तृतीया  Trutiya (3)
चैत्रगौर स्थापना Chaitragaur Sthapana
13 Apr
नवमी Navami (9)
राम नवमी  Ram Navami
19 Apr
पौर्णिमा  Paurnima (15)
हनुमान जयंती  Hanuman Jayanti
25 Apr
कृष्ण  Krushna
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वैशाख
Vaishakh
शुक्ल Shukla
तृतीया  Trutiya (3)
अक्षय्य तृतीया  Akshay Trutiya
13 May
कृष्ण Krushna
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ग्रीष्म
Grishma
(Summer)
ज्येष्ठ
Jyeshtha
शुक्ल Shukla
पौर्णिमा  Paurnima (15)
वटपौर्णिमा Vatpaurnima
23 Jun
कृष्ण Krushna
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आषाढ
Ashadh
शुक्ल Shukla
नवमी  Navami (9)
कांदे नवमी Kande Navami
17 Jul
एकादशी  Ekadashi (11)
आषाढी एकादशी Ashadhi Ekadashi
19 Jul
पौर्णिमा  Paurnima (15)
गुरुपौर्णिमा  Gurupaurnima
22 Jul
कृष्ण Krushna
अमावस्या  Amavasya (15)
दिव्याची अवस Diwyachi Awas
6 Aug
वर्षा
Varsha
(Rains)
श्रावण
Shravan
शुक्ल Shukla
पंचमी Panchami (5)
नागपंचमी Nagpanchami
11 Aug
दर मंगळवार Any Tuesday
मंगळागौर Mangalagaur
13/20/27 Aug
3 Sep
पौर्णिमा Paurnima (15)
नारळी पौर्णिमा / रक्षाबंधन Narali Paurnima/ Rakshabandhan
20 Aug
कृष्ण Krushna
अष्टमी Ashtami (8)
गोकुळाष्टमी Gokulashtami
28 Aug
नवमी  Navami (9)
गोपाळकाला  Gopalkala
29 Aug
अमावस्या Amavasya (15)
पोळा Pola
5 Sep
भाद्रपद
Bhadrapad
शुक्ल Shukla
तृतीया  Trutiya (3)
हरितालिका (गणेशोत्सव) Haritalika (Ganeshotsav)
8 Sep
चतुर्थी  Chaturthi (4)
गणेश चतुर्थी (गणेशोत्सव) Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganeshotsav)
9 Sep
पंचमी Panchami (5)
ऋषीपंचमी (गणेशोत्सव) Rishipanchami (Ganeshotsav)
10 Sep
षष्ठी Shashthi (6)
गौरी आवाहन (गणेशोत्सव) Gauri Awahan (Ganeshotsav)
11 Sep
सप्तमी  Saptami (7)
गौरीपूजन (गणेशोत्सव) Gauri Pujan (Ganeshotsav)
12 Sep
अष्टमी Ashtami (8)
गौरी विसर्जन (गणेशोत्सव) Gauri Visarjan (Ganeshotsav)
13 Sep
चतुर्दशी  Chaturdashi (14)
अनंत चतुर्दशी (गणेशोत्सव) Anant Chaturdashi (Ganeshotsav)
18 Sep
कृष्ण  Krushna
पूर्ण पक्ष Entire Fortnight
पितृपक्ष   Pitrupaksha
19 Sep – 4 Oct
शरद
Sharad
(Autmn)
अश्विन्
Ashwin
शुक्ल Shukla
प्रतिपदा Pratipada (1)
घटस्थापना (नवरात्री) Ghatasthapana (Navratri)
5 Oct
पंचमी Panchami (5)
ललिता पंचमी (नवरात्री) Lalita Panchami (Navratri)
9 Oct
षष्ठी Shashthi (6)
सरस्वती आवाहन (नवरात्री) Saraswati Avahan (Navratri)
10 Oct
सप्तमी Saptami (7)
महालक्ष्मी पूजन (नवरात्री) Mahalaxmi Pujan (Navratri)
11 Oct
अष्टमी Ashtami (8)
दुर्गाष्टमी (नवरात्री) Durgashtami (Navratri)
12 Oct
नवमी Navami (9)
महानवमी (नवरात्री) Mahanavami (Navratri)
13 Oct
दशमी Dashami (10)
दसरा / विजयादशमी Dasara/ Vijayadashami (Navratri)
13 Oct
पौर्णिमा Paurnima (15)
कोजागिरी पौर्णिमा Kojagiri Paurnima
18 Oct
कृष्ण Krushna
द्वादशी Dwadashi (12)
वसुबारस (दिवाळी) Vasubaras (Diwali)
31 Oct
त्रयोदशी Trayodashi (13)
धनत्रयोदशी (दिवाळी) Dhanatrayodashi (Diwali)
1 Nov
चतुर्दशी Chaturdashi (14)
नरकचतुर्दशी (दिवाळी) Narkachaturdashi (Diwali)
2 Nov
अमावस्या Amavasya (15)
लक्ष्मीपूजन (दिवाळी) Laxmipoojan (Diwali)
3 Nov
कार्तिक
Kartik
शुक्ल Shukla
प्रतिपदा Pratipada (1)
बलिप्रतिपदा / पाडवा (दिवाळी) Balipratipada/ Padva (Diwali)
4 Nov
द्वितीया Dwitiya (2)
भाऊबीज (दिवाळी) Bhaubeej (Diwali)
5 Nov
एकादशी Ekadashi (11)
कार्तिकी एकादशी / तुळशी विवाह Kartiki Ekadashi / Tulashi Vivah
13 Nov
पौर्णिमा Paurnima (15)
देव दिवाळी  / त्रिपुरी  पौर्णिमा Dev Diwali/ Tripuri Paurnima
17 Nov
कृष्ण Krushna
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हेमंत
Hemant
(Winter)
मार्गशीर्ष
Margashirsha
शुक्ल Shukla
षष्ठी Shashthi (6)
चंपाषष्ठी Champashashthi
8 Dec
पौर्णिमा Paurnima (15)
दत्तजयंती Dattajayanti
16 Dec
कृष्ण Krushna
---
---
---
पौष
Pausha
शुक्ल Shukla
---
भोगी Bhogi
13 Jan
---
मकर संक्रांत Makar Sankrant
14 Jan
कृष्ण Krushna
---
---
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शिशिर
Shishir
(Fall)
माघ
Magha
शुक्ल Shukla
चतुर्थी Chaturthi (4)
गणेश जयंती Ganesh Jayanti
13 Feb
पंचमी Panchami (5)
वसंत पंचमी Vasant Panchami
14 Feb
सप्तमी Saptami (7)
रथसप्तमी  Rathsaptami
17 Feb
कृष्ण Krushna
त्रयोदशी Trayodashi (13)
महाशिवरात्र Mahashivratra
10 Mar
फाल्गुन
Phalgun
शुक्ल Shukla
पौर्णिमा Paurnima (15)
होळी Holi
26 Mar
कृष्ण Krushna
प्रतिपदा Pratipada (1)
धूळवड Dhulwad
27 Mar
पंचमी Panchami (5)
रंगपंचमी Rangpanchami
31 Mar

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