Wikipedia Trails: From Uttar Pradesh to Magh Mela

Start: Uttar Pradesh


- Uttar Pradesh is located in the northern part of Indian and also has extremely warm temperatures. It has animals like the Gharial that live there and also is a mostly Hindu population that speaks mainly Hindi. It has a rich history as well.


Next: Allahabad District

- The Allahabad District is the mostly populous district in Uttar Pradesh so I clicked on it to learn more about it. It has a population of 5 million which is close to the population of Denmark or Missouri, but only the area of 5000 square kilometers. The district also has a high literacy rate compared to the national average.


Next: Prayag Kumbh Mela

- This was described as a big Hindu event so I clicked on it to learn more about it. It takes place at the meeting point of the Ganga, Yumana, and mythical Sarasvati rivers in Allahabad. The full festival is held every 12 years and the half ceremony is held every 6. The 2013 celebration was the largest religious gathering ever.


Finish: Magh Mela

- This is an annual festival held in January/February that every 12 years coincides with Prayag Kumbh Mela. It's said to be a pilgrimage for past mistakes religiously. This festival is actually mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Kumbh Mela from Source

Week 9 Story: A Smart Women

A Smart Women

There was once an extremely wealthy family that consisted of a husband, a wife, a daughter and a son.

One day, the husband got extremely drunk and started to gamble with his brother. Before he knew it, he had gambled everything he owned away. His house, his cars, his money, and all his possessions. All that he had left was his wife and his children. When he returned to his wife to tell her, she just took a deep breath and was determined to fix the mistakes her husband has made.

Immediately, she knew began to work to fix the problem. She allowed her children to stay at her grandparents house so they wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of her husband's actions. The two of them moved into an extremely small studio apartment to try and live off the few dollars they managed to get.

Then, one morning, she woke up to find her husband completely gone. Instead of going to find him, the wife moved on. She packed up all her things and stopped paying rent on the studio apartment. She then moved back in with her parents and save money for  her family there.

Months later, she heard a rumor that her husband was a nearby Uber driver. First, to test the theory, she let her two children take an Uber to the nearby store. The man was disguised but after a few questions, then children were quickly able to tell that the man was in fact their father.

Hearing the news, the wife rolled her eyes and let her husband be an Uber driver for another week before making her move. She then simply ordered an Uber to the next the local store. The whole drive, she let her husband keep up his act and it wasn't until she reached the store she finally revealed she knew it was him the whole time. She asked if he would like to come back and live with her instead of pretending he was no longer around.

He acted all embarrassed and begged for her forgiveness, but she remained strong and ignored his words and once again invited him to live with the family again. He finally accepted and they worked together as a family to get all their fortune back.

Family from Source

Author's Note:

I read the story of Damayanti and really liked how she kept preserving through the hard times but I didn't like how weak she came across in the story. I liked how she was supportive of him and loved him regardless, but he did her wrong over and over again and never complaining. So in my rewrite I made the wife (Damayanti) a lot stronger. The original story was Damayanti from Nine Ideal Indian Women

Week 9 Reading: Nine Ideal Indian Women Part B

Uttara
Source: Nine Ideal Indian Women by: Sunity Devee

- Story from the beginning about the three sisters who all approach Vyasa
- The eldest daughter approaches with her eyes close so her son is blind
- The middle daughter approaches with a pale face and has a pale son
- Youngest is not ashamed because she isn't noble and gives birth to Bidoor
- Goes through the families whole story but in summary form
- The Panduvans go into exile because of the dice game
- They go to Birat Rajah and Princess Uttara is their pride and joy
- Arjun teaches her and after he's discovered Uttara marries his son
- She's really young? Like plays with dolls young?
- The battle for land begins
- Uttara's never been sad or serious
- Her husband jumps at the chance to fight
- Uttara is crying when he finds her and begs him not to fight
- She helps him get ready but sobs the whole time
- They have a very tearful goodbye
- He dies saying Uttara's name
- Uttara faints hearing he's dead
- Krishna offers to be Uttara's child to comfort her
- Uttara doesn't recognize herself
- Parikshit is born
- She wants to die but she's told to take care of Parikshit
- Uttara was a great mother and finally gets to die

Sati
Source: Nine Ideal Indian Women by: Sunity Devee

- Sati youngest of Maharajah Dasku's daughters
- She's her fathers favorite and wants to make the best match
- She devotes her life to Siva
- Her father is angry that's who she wants to marry
- She marries Siva against her father's wishes
- She lives somewhere very nice
- Sati and Siva are opposites but work well
- Daksha Raj is the last to attend an event and his son-in-law doesn't stand for him
- So he throws a party and doesn't invite Siva
- Her sisters arrive and Sati tells them she's not invited
- The sisters ask Siva to let Sati go with them
- Sati begs Siva to let her go and he agrees
- There home and Siva become sad when Sati leaves
- Kuber and his wife dress Sati
- Sati receives the warmest welcome from her mother and her sisters become jealous
-Her father is furious she's arrived
- She chastise her father and his head turns into a goat
- She begs for death and dies
- Siva furious when he finds out
- He nearly causes the end of the world
- Vishnu cuts Sati's body into pieces and wherever a piece falls become holy
- Without the body being a burden, Siva calms down

Uttara from Source

Week 9 Reading: Nine Ideal Indian Women Part A

Savitri
Source: Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee

- Savitri is a very famous Indian women
- her parents are upset they have no son
- Savitri named after the goddess that let her parents have her
- She was educated
- She likes ashrans
- She visits a topoban and on the way back she rests and sees a young man dressed like a hermit
- They meet eyes and fall in love
- She finds the hermit again and learns his name is Satyaban
- Her parents realize she's in love with Satyaban and try to figure out how to avoid Savitri getting heartbroken since she can't marry Satyaban
- Narad reveals Satyaban is a good suitor but destine to die in a years time
- Savitri told he will die in a year and she stills wants to marry him
- Her parents beg her to not, for the good of the people, but she refuses
- She wins
- Prince Satyaban thinks Savitri is going back to the topoban with him
- Savitri asks to go too and he agrees
- Savitri gives up everything
- Everyone loves Savitri at the hut
- Savitri goes with Satyaban to get wood
- She knows the time he should die arrives and calls for him to come down from the tree
- He just kind of starts dying and she attempts to nurse him
- He dies and Yom, the Lord of Death, comes for him
- Yom cannot touch her because she's too good
- She follows death because she doesn't want to live
- Yom offers her a wish and she asks for her father-in-laws sight back
- She gets another wish and asks for her father to have a son
- She asks for sons and is given them
- She finally defeats death with her love for her husband
- Her father-in-law gets his kingdom back and shes a princess once more
- Savitri-brata is a vow Indian women make to see they are never widowed

Damayanti
Source: Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee

- Bhimsen is sad because he had no child
- He's a good Maharajah who always listens to his people so he's promised a daughter
- The Queen gives birth to Damayanti
- Nal wants to marry Damayanti
- He writes to Damayanti because he loves her
- She gives her heart to him secretly
- She asks her friends for help
- The swan travels to bring their letters to each other
- One of her friends tells her mom who tells her dad
- He is summoned to the palace
- Four gods long to marry Damayanti as well (Indra, Agni, Yom, and Baruna)
- The gods disguise him to let him get in easily to tell the princess that they are interested
- She says she is honored but wants to marry Nal
- Nal tries to convince her otherwise
- The gods decide to test Damayanti's love for Nal with more disguises
- She picks the right Nal and the gods bless their marriage
- Sani befriends Pushkar, Nal's brother, because he's upset Damayanti denied the four gods
- He spoke poorly of Nal and he hates him
- They play dice and Nal loses everything
- Nal tells her he lost everything
- Damayanti isn't upset and suggests they go see her parents
- They go with Nal to the jungle
- Sani mad when he sees they are happy
- Nal gets tricked into leaving by Sani against his will
-Damayanti realizes Nal has left her and cries
- A hunter tries to get her to come to his house but she refuses
- She joins traders but elephants kill them all
- She goes to the Palace of Chedi and becomes a maidservant
- She becomes close to her aunt who bad talks Nal
- She gets discovered by a messenger for her father
- Nal gets lost for many days
- He gets disfigured by the fire and when he comes to his senses he feels like he can't return
- He becomes a driver
- Damayanti hears about his driving and creates a plan to find Nal by saying she'll marry again
- Damayanti sends the children to Nal when he arrives
- Damanyanti asks Nal to cook for her
- They are reunited
- Nal adopted by Damanyanti's family and gets his kingdom back after winning at dice to his brother
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Damayanti from Source