It goes without saying that the Dasara is what annually highlights the serene, calm and peaceful city of Mysore on the map of the world, apart from its nine products which boast of GI tags! A unique and near universal activity that heralds Dasara for families who have made Mysore their home over the decades is the arrangement of dolls or Gombe Koorisodu. Colorful, cheerful dolls of clay, wood, plastic - you name it- add to the gaiety. However, the cynosure of the delicately assembled ensemble are the dolls, or more correctly idols, of the reigning King and his consort, accorded supreme status nearing, if not on par with, that of the Divine couple of Lakshmi-Narayana, or Shiva-Shakthi as dictated by one's faith.
The fact that I know whatever little about the practice should suggest that it is something adhered to in our household, too. When I was first introduced to this act, and the belief spurring it, I must confess, I found it rather bizarre. I, conditioned to pray and to unequivocally accept the supremacy of God Almighty, found it odd that people would want to worship the King- one who no longer reigned, given the chronology of events. Come to think of it, it was rather hilarious bowing down before the King's gombe, or chanting that sloka around him/it.
Having made umpteen attempts at rationalizing the whole thing, I think I might have finally stumbled upon a thought that would allow me to make peace with, if not embrace the "tyranny"! Ideally, the whole need in life, at least from my perspective, is to have a sense of secure freedom - one which would allow us sufficient leeway to go about life without having to continuously fear veering off into a point of no return. This need is automatically fulfilled with the cultivation of faith - be it towards your parents, guru, higher power or mate - and realizing, asserting, “I'm safe in your hands...” I think I digressed...simply put, it is the luxury of living at Vegas without ever having to go bankrupt! And it is but natural to breed a feeling of gratitude towards this epitome of faith, and to follow it up with actions to express the same."Mathru Devo Bhava", "Pithru Devo Bhava" and "Acharya Devo Bhava" are notable illustrations.
During the days of Royalty, all the wants, if not needs, of the subjects were catered to by the King/Emperor, and thus, perhaps, his elevation to divinity shouldn't be much of a surprise. Remember the Pharaohs? Even the Divine Right of Kings does creep in, all thanks to the rote learning of high school Social Science.
Dasara traversed to Mysore from the historically proclaimed prosperous kingdom of Vijayanagara, and to avoid having the history books thrown at me, let me clearly state that this post isn't supposed to be about the actual history or religion, but remains confined to my speculation. From my little acquaintance with history, rulers like Krishandevaraya were acclaimed to be rather benevolent- his Royal donations to the Tirumala temple stand testimony - and thus would automatically qualify for the elevation I wrote about earlier.
The rulers of Mysore were no less benevolent in their administration and this fact is well supported by projects like the KRS and the hydel power project at Shivanasamudra undertaken during their reign; and the wonderful planning of the city of Mysore sure merits a mention. This tradition of 'worshipping' the King could have been a mode chosen by the people to express their heartfelt adoration. But like most festivals and customs, time adds its own flavors and legends to practices and this attempt of perceiving the King as your beloved(feared) deity seems, most likely, to be a similar transgression.
The fact that I know whatever little about the practice should suggest that it is something adhered to in our household, too. When I was first introduced to this act, and the belief spurring it, I must confess, I found it rather bizarre. I, conditioned to pray and to unequivocally accept the supremacy of God Almighty, found it odd that people would want to worship the King- one who no longer reigned, given the chronology of events. Come to think of it, it was rather hilarious bowing down before the King's gombe, or chanting that sloka around him/it.
Having made umpteen attempts at rationalizing the whole thing, I think I might have finally stumbled upon a thought that would allow me to make peace with, if not embrace the "tyranny"! Ideally, the whole need in life, at least from my perspective, is to have a sense of secure freedom - one which would allow us sufficient leeway to go about life without having to continuously fear veering off into a point of no return. This need is automatically fulfilled with the cultivation of faith - be it towards your parents, guru, higher power or mate - and realizing, asserting, “I'm safe in your hands...” I think I digressed...simply put, it is the luxury of living at Vegas without ever having to go bankrupt! And it is but natural to breed a feeling of gratitude towards this epitome of faith, and to follow it up with actions to express the same."Mathru Devo Bhava", "Pithru Devo Bhava" and "Acharya Devo Bhava" are notable illustrations.
During the days of Royalty, all the wants, if not needs, of the subjects were catered to by the King/Emperor, and thus, perhaps, his elevation to divinity shouldn't be much of a surprise. Remember the Pharaohs? Even the Divine Right of Kings does creep in, all thanks to the rote learning of high school Social Science.
Dasara traversed to Mysore from the historically proclaimed prosperous kingdom of Vijayanagara, and to avoid having the history books thrown at me, let me clearly state that this post isn't supposed to be about the actual history or religion, but remains confined to my speculation. From my little acquaintance with history, rulers like Krishandevaraya were acclaimed to be rather benevolent- his Royal donations to the Tirumala temple stand testimony - and thus would automatically qualify for the elevation I wrote about earlier.
The rulers of Mysore were no less benevolent in their administration and this fact is well supported by projects like the KRS and the hydel power project at Shivanasamudra undertaken during their reign; and the wonderful planning of the city of Mysore sure merits a mention. This tradition of 'worshipping' the King could have been a mode chosen by the people to express their heartfelt adoration. But like most festivals and customs, time adds its own flavors and legends to practices and this attempt of perceiving the King as your beloved(feared) deity seems, most likely, to be a similar transgression.
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