Madhya Pradesh and Chandamama

I was in Madhya Pradesh (M.P., a state in the center of India) recently and was pleasantly surprised by how much it has to offer. Although I traveled to other places within the state, I am devoting this post to ‘Chandamama’ because it took me back to my childhood days of reading the magazine and admiring the beautiful, colorful drawings that accompanied the stories.

Ujjain, to most people, is where one of the 12 jyothirlingas resides. There is a Mahakaleshwara temple which has lost its ancient charm due to the modern construction around it. Nevertheless, the new addition (photo 1) is a review of our mythology – specifically, the saptarishis (photo 2). Disappointingly, none of the ancient architecture is visible and, as in other famous temples, I was left wondering what I was actually looking at in the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha), although I was impressed by how nicely and cleanly maintained the whole premises was, with well-regulated rituals. You can even sit in a waiting area and watch the rituals on a large screen. See, Mahakaleshwara embodies time. And so, he embraces technology.

Now, to Chandamama. Anyone in my age group will remember the Vikramaditya and Betala stories in the magazine. Ring a bell? Ujjayini (Ujjain) was the capital of Vikramaditya ’s empire! Is there any evidence that there really was an emperor by this name? Looks like Vikramaditya was a title accoladed to many heroic and just kings. Chandragupta II, who reigned from 375/380 to 415 CE, ?of the Gupta dynasty was one of them. He was also a patron of the arts and sciences, with such luminaries as Kalidasa, Varahamihira and Vetala Bhatta among the Navaratnas in his court. The same Vetala Bhatta is supposedly the author of the Betala stories. So, it is possible that Chandragupta II is our Vikramaditya. All I know is that he wore colorful clothes and looked very regal and intrepid even with a limp body hanging down his shoulder and a ghost hovering behind! Yikes! How many of us can pull that off?! Kudos to the Chandamama illustrator(s).

Tropic of Cancer (ToC) passes through Ujjain and ancient India’s “madhya rekha” intersected it in Ujjain. In other words, this madhya rekha was the prime meridian used to calculate time well before Greenwich, making Ujjain a major astronomical center. Hence, the Mahakaleshwara temple? Or, was it the other way around? ?There is a functioning observatory in Ujjain but it was built by Maharaja Sawai Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur in early 1700s. But Ujjain is not the geographical center of India. That honor goes to Karaundi village in Katni district of M.P. The ToC passes through Ujjain and Karaundi and several other places in India. In fact, there is a ToC marker (photos 3 and 4) on the highway from Bhopal to Sanchi. Though not directly related to my story, I came across this information while researching for this article - ?the ToC intersects the Indian Standard Meridian in Surajpur district in Chattisgarh state. And, the British erected the zero mile marker in Nagpur in Maharashtra state and used that spot to calculate distance, not time.

Going back to Chandamama, I remember the story where a young boy delivered best judgement when he sat atop a mound. Raja Bhoj (or Bhoja Raja) hears about it and unearths a throne, purportedly belonging to Vikramaditya. Bhopal, the current capital of M.P., is the old city of Bhojpal founded by Raja Bhoj, deriving its name from him (Bhoj) and from the dam (pal) commissioned by him. He also started the construction of the Bhojeshwar temple (photo 5) in the 11th century in a place called Bhojpur, some 18 miles (about 28 km) south of Bhopal. I was sort of impressed by the structure, only to find out later that it is incomplete. It has simple, straight lines and few intricate carvings, with steps leading down to the sanctum. I did not see any other relic nor did I experience any transformative powers. Still, it is nice to think that ‘the’ mound may have been somewhere around there, if it really existed.

I found out all this after returning from the trip; there was no mention of any of this there. But then, I don’t know if I would have had the time to reflect on my childhood and savor those stories on the spot, even if there was any mention. Of course, there is more to Ujjain and to M.P. than what I have written here, but that is beyond this article. So, I end it with a big thanks to the creators of Chandamama for entertaining and educating generations of children in India.

Here's the link to the wiki page on Chandamama if you are interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandamama