AD BHAVANI - \'You are called Ad Bhavani, Where do you hide yourself when you have to grant salvation?\' (Gond Namdev, p. 874) The word Ad means \'from the beginning\' and Bhavani is another name of Durga, the wife of Shiva. Thus Ad Bhavani may connote the Shakti of

HARDWAR (HARI-DWARA) I am eager to die and also die at Hari-dwara, so that the Lord may ask who is lying here at my door-step ? (Shalok Kabir, p. 1367) Hardwar (Hari-dwara) is a pilgrim station at the place where Ganga (the Ganges) finally breaks through the mountains into

PISHACHAS There are millions of Jakhyas (Yakshas), Kinnaras and Pisachas (Pishachas). (Gauri Sukhmani M. 5, p. 276) Pishachas are friends and evil spirits. Vedas consider them lower than Rakshasas. They hare ill-natured spiteful and mischievous beings. It is said that they were created by Brahma alongwith other demons. They

ANN DEVATA (Personification of corn or food grain as god) Corn-god, water-god, fire-god, salt and ghee was put the fifth. (Var Asa M. l, p. 473) See : Pani Devata

ISA, ISARA, ISHARA (ISHWARA) Isara (Ishara) Brahma and goddess sing Thy Praises, O Lord !... (Japu, p. 6) I am a sacrince to my Lord Isa (Ishara). (Maru Solhe M. 5, p. 1072) Isa Mahesur (Shiva) serves the Lord, but does not know His Limits. (Var Malar M. l,

RUKMAGADA Remembrance of the Name of the Lord was a constant function of Rukamagad..... (Swayye Mahle Teeje Ke, p. 1394) Rukmagada was a king, who always meditated on the Name of the Lord. (See Narada Purana, chapters 9 to 38).

BADDHIKA The Chandala Valmiki and the poor hunter (Baddhika) attained salvation. (Maru M. 5, p. 999) The actual name of the hunter (Baddhika) is mentioned as Jara (which means allegorically old age). He mistook the foot of Krishna as part of a deer, who was lying down in the

JADAVA (YADAVA) By cutting joke with Durbasa, Jadavas obtained the fruit (punishment). (Dhanasari Namdev, p. 693) Yadavas are the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of Yayati and Devayani. They were mainly cowherds. When Krishna was bom, they seem to have settled in the neighbourhood of Mathura on the

RAKTAVIJA The Lord destroyed Jarasandha and Kalayavana. The Lord also killed Raktavija (Raktabija) and Kalanemi. (Gauri M. l, p. 224) Raktavija was a demon killed by Durga or Chandi. It is said about this Asura that each drop of his blood, as it fell on the ground produced a

BARANA (VARUNA) There are many Baranas..... (Sarag M. 5, p. 1236) He is the god of ocean and sovereign of waters. He carries a noose called Naga-Pasa for binding offénders. His favourite resort is Pushpa-girl (flower-mountain) and his city is Vasudha-nagara. He is one of the oldest of the

JAHARNAVI (JAHNAVI) Jaharnavi (Jahnavi) was brought by the ascetic Bhagiratha..... (Malar M. 4, p. 1263) Jaharnavi or Jahnavi is another name for the river Ganga (Ganges). When, after the propitiation of Brahma and Shiva, Ganga was being brought from heaven, the sage Jahnu was disturbed in his devotions by

SADH BELA, near Sakkhar in the Sindh province of Pakistan, was a prominent preaching center of Udasi Sikhs. It was established in 1823 by Bankhandi (d. 1863), a leading figure in the Mihanshahi order of the Udasis. Sadh Bela still attracts Sahijdhari Sikh devotees in large numbers living in