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Thousands take holy dip in Arunachal's Parasuram Kund

        Teju (Manipur): Among the various places where the people took a holy dip on Makar Sankranti day this year, one was the popular Parasuram Kund on River Lohit in Tezu in remote Arunachal Pradesh. It is located 13 miles north-east of Tezu, District Headquarters of Lohit District, a growing town famous for its scenic beauty. Large number of people visit this lake, located near Tezu, for a holy dip during the annual fair held here. As per Kalika Purana, the great sage Parasuram washed away the sin of killing his mother by bathing in the waters of Brahma kund. Thousands of pilgrims arrived here on Wednesday, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, from all over the country to take a holy dip in the Kund and many visited the temple at Malinithan nearby. Malinithan, located near Likhabali on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra has remains of an ancient temple. Over a hundred carved images of great beauty have been excavated there in recent times. These include stone images of Surya the sun god, of Parvati the consort of Lord Shiva, and a huge Nandi bull, ever present guarding Shiva's abode. According to local tradition, there is reference to the existence here of a temple dedicated to Rukmani. It is generally said that Rukmani, an Idu-Mishmi girl and Lord Krishna rested here, when they eloped from Bhishmaknagar, her father's kingdom situated a hundred kilometers to the east, along the Brahmaputra river. The ruins of a palace where King Bhishma lived are to be seen even today. As per the tradition, the place was once ruled by one Ramachandra, whose kingdom extended from Bhalukpung on Majuli in the Assam plains. His capital was at Ratanpur. When the Ahoms invaded the area in AD 1229, Ramchandra fled to Mayapur in the hills. All these ruins and legends surrounding them speak of the association between Hinduism and tribal culture of the eastern region. The links of Arunachal Pradesh with the rest of the country have been detailed in the recent book on Arunachal written by its first Governor, Mr R. D. Pradhan.
- Jan 15, 2009