ADITYA JYOT CELEBRATES GANAPATHI UTSAV WITH EYE DONATION AS A THEME FOR 2009

EYE DONATION IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY

OUR BACKDROP FOR THIS YEAR DEPICTS VERY GRAPHICALLY THE STORY OF KANNAPA NAYANAR WHO WAS A STAUNCH DEVOTEE OF LORD SHIVA .

THIS COLOURFUL DEPICTION HAS BEEN CREATED BY TWO YOUNG ARTISTS FROM JJ SCHOOL OF ART WHO SPENT LONG HOURS AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS CREATING THIS MASTER PIECE.

THINNAN , DHEERAN MORE FAMOUSLY KNOWN AS KANNAPA NAYANAR WAS ONE OF THE 63 SAINTS WHO WORSHIPPED LORD SHIVA.HE FOUND THE VAYU LINGA IN THE FOREST WHILST HE WAS HUNTING.SINCE HE WAS ILLETERATE AND FROM A LOW CASTE HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO WORSHIP LORD SHIVA.

THE STORY GOES THAT HE BROUGHT WATER IN HIS MOUTH FROM A NEARBY RIVER AND POURED IT OVER THE SHIVA LINGAM.HE ALSO OFFERED WHATEVER ANIMAL HE HUNTED. SHIVA ACCEPTED IT AS HE KNEW THINNAN WAS PURE AT HEARTS AND HIS DEVOTION WAS TRUE

ONE DAY LORD SHIVA WABTED TO TEST THE DEVOTION OF THINNAN.HE CAUSED AN EARTHQUAKE AND THE TREMORS CAUSED THE ROOF TOPS OF THE TEMPLE TO FALL.ALL THE SAGES RAN AWAY EXCEPT THINNAN WHO COVERED THE LINGA WITH HIS BODY TO PREVENT DAMAGE.HENCE HE WAS NAMED DHEERAN

ONE DAY THINNAN ALSO KNOWN AS DHEERAN NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE EYES OF THE SHIVA LINGA WAS OZZING BLOOD AND TEARS.SENSING THAT THE LORD’S EYE WAS INJURED DHEERAN PLUCKED OUT ONE OF HIS EYES WITH HIS ARROW AND PLACED IT ON THE BLEEDING EYE AND LO AND BEHOLD LORD SHIVA’S EYE STOPPED BLEEDING.BUT THE TRAUMA WAS NOT OVER YET AS DHEERAN SAW TO HIS HORROR THAT LORD SHIVA’S OTHER EYE ALSO STARTED BLEEDING.DHEERAN THOUGHT THAT IF HE WERE TO PLUCK HIS OTHER EYE TOO HE WOULD TURN BLIND AND NOT KNOW WHERE TO PLACE THE OTHER EYE.SO HE CLEVERLY PLACED HIS GREAT BIG TOE ON THE LINGA TO MARK THE SPOT OF THE BLEEDING SECOND EYE AND BEGAN TO PLUCK OUT HIS ONLY OTHER EYE.

SHIVA WAS GREATLY MOVED BY THIS DEVOTION AND CRIED OUT”NILLU KANAPPA’STOP KANNAPA AND RESTORED BOTH HIS EYES.

YOU WILL SEE THIS MOVING STORY SO VIVIDLY PAINTED IN TYPICAL TANJORE ART FORM AND COLOURS BY THE YOUNG ARTISTS

ADITYA JYOT’S MISSION IS TO RESTORE EYESIGHT,VISION AND PLAY ITS HUMBLE PART IN REDUCING BLINDNESS AND IMPROVING EYE CARE IN THIS COUNTRY.

IT ALSO PROMOTES EYE DONATION.OUR SLOGAN ‘DON’T BURY,DON’T BURN,DONATE YOUR EYES’HAS HAD SEVERAL THOUSANDS PLEDGE THEIR EYES FOR POSTERITY

LETS HOLD HANDS THEREFORE AND VENERATE LORD GANESHA THAT HE BLESSES US TO FULFILL OUR DREAMS OF PROVIDING SIGHT TO ALL THOSE WHO NEED IT.