Durga | ✓

35. Wives Of Bachelor God

"I have already thought what our first post will be- Wives of Bachelor God. What do you think?"

Rudra scratched his brow. "That's a good idea. Which God are you talking about? Lord Hanuman?"

Durga grinned broadly. "No Rudra. Think about that God who is considered to be bachelor in north India but is actually married."

Rudra narrowed his eyes and rolled them. "Do I know this God?"

Durga looked irritated. "For a very smart and intelligent man, you can sometimes be very slow. Tubelight."

She left him wondering about that God. Finally when he remembered the name he opened the door and called her out, "I remembered the name. Lord Karthik."

"I am not impressed," said Durga, turning her face away leaving rest of three colleagues to wonder.

***

"Finally, the website is ready," said Shekar.

Rudra ran to him, excited like a child. Durga looked at the website proudly. After all it was her brainchild.

The whole office, which consisted of total four employees and one boss, knew about Rudra and Durga now. Which means rest of the three knew. The news had travelled to Rosy and Shekar via Ramaiah. Not really hard to guess.

Rudra had just confirmed Ramaiah's suspicion. Of course Ramaiah had pulled Rudra's leg. Rudra had warned him to deduct his already less salary.

This threat worked instantly. After all he was getting married in next six months.

So the website was ready and Durga had lost the count of butterflies in her stomach. She asked Rudra nervously, "Rudra please proof read it again. I don't know why but I am feeling little nervous."

Rudra replied, "Durga, when you gave me this idea you were so confident. Why are you so nervous now?"

"I don't know Rudra but-"

"Okay, fine, we will read it again."

"Durga nodded.

Wives of Bachelor God

After the great war at Kurukshetra, the Pandavas were haunted by dreams of dying warriors. To help them heal and sleep well, they were advised to pour sesame oil on the image of Karthikeya that is now enshrined in the city of Pahowa in Kurukshetra district of Haryana.

Karthikeya or Kumara was once a popular god especially during Gupta period. He was the god of warriors, resplendent on his peacock, bearing a lance in his hand and a flag displaying the image of a rooster. He was associated with the planet Mars and qualities of aggressiveness. He was the patron of warrior communities. He was handsome, athletic and virile. So virile that to create him, Shiva's seed had to be incubated in several wombs: those of fire, water and wind, before being nurtured by stars of Krittika constellation, hence the name. He was six men rolled into one, hence often called the six-headed one, Shanmukha. According to some, his name Skanda linked him with Sikandar, Alexander, whose love for war and blood bought him to India.

But then his popularity waned, perhaps because of the rise of monastic orders and pacifist movements. They say he shunned the company of women, and women shunned him. He was the warlord and widow-maker. In fact, one legend says, he wanted to stay away from women completely and so renounced his flesh and blood, parts of the body that come from the mother, which is why the image in Pehowa is said to be Kankal, made of bones alone.