“Who is the sexiest Indian female? – this was the topic my wife, who is a free lance writer, got one day as an assignment through the net from an agency she works for, as I was leaving for office from home.
As I was driving to office, I was thinking about the subject and came to the conclusion that instead of asking who is the most endowed, had they only asked to name Indian women of the 19th and 20th centuries who can be considered as a real symbol of the true, spiritual India, then, I would have listed the following :-
Sri Sarada Devi (West Bengal)
Rani Rasmani (West Bengal)
Saint Alphonsa (Kerala)
Akka Mahadevi (Karnataka)
Lallayogeshwari (Kashmir)
Mirabai (Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh)
Muktabai and Janabai (Maharashtra)
Avvaiyar (Tamil Nadu)
Andal (Tamil Nadu) [Andal is considered as one of the 12 Alwars]
Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Tamil Nadu)
Ananda Moyi Maa (West Bengal)
Aghormani Devi, popularly known as Gopaler Ma (Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna - West Bengal)
Golap Sundari Devi, known as Golap-Ma (Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna - West Bengal)
Yogindra Mohini Mitra, or “Yogin-Ma” (Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna - West Bengal)
Giri Bala (West Bengal) and
Shankari Ma ji (Uttar Pradesh)
M.S.Subbulakshmi (Tamil Nadu)
This list is certainly not exhaustive, since there are a number of women saints in India, and most of them have expressly shunned any kind of publicity. Just like Sri Nivedita and Sri Daya Ma, many foreigners have followed Indian spiritual teachers and have attained success in spirituality. But unknown women saints abound in India, and since most of them prefer anonymity, they remain hidden. There was a very famous woman disciple of Sri Shirdi Sai, who lived in Bangalore upto a ripe old age – like this, there are hundreds of women saints and sages all over the country, but somehow, we know very few of them….
But I would like to mention more than their names when I mention the following three:-
Gauri-Ma
Gauri-Ma was born in 1857 and was named Mridani. She was also called Rudrani. Even as a child, Gauri-Ma exhibited traits of fearlessness and was uncompromising in her attitude to go towards God and renunciation. During a pilgrimage, she escaped into the crowds and carved out a yogini’s life for herself, carrying the stone shila of Lord Vishnu as her “husband” – after enduring many trials in her travels, often disguised as a man, and smearing ashes on herself to hide her beauty, and after extensive travel, often on foot, she finally came to Sri Ramakrishna, and accepted him as her Guru. She was very bold and courageous, and Sri Ramakrishna reportedly told her that her mission in life is to educate and liberate women. In 1894, Gauri-Ma founded the Sri Saradeshwari Ashrama for women on the banks of the Ganga at Barrackpore in Kolkata. During Sri Ramakrishna’s birth centenary in 1936, Gauri-Ma gave an address in Bengali, which was broadcast on All India Radio. She consciously passed away on 28 February 1938, after informing those nearby that her time had come. She lived and braved the male dominated spiritual world at a time when it was very, very difficult for a woman to roam India as a saint.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is perhaps the perfect symbol of the Indian Woman that I would like to look up to. From very humble beginnings, she showed that love moves the world. Born on 26th August 1910 as Agnese Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, the Abanian nun founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolata in 1950. For over 45 years she worked for the poor, sick the orphaned, the aged and the dying, believing that they all needed love and service. In her lifetime, she won the Nobel peace prize as well as India’s most famous title, The Bharat Ratna. After her death, she has been beatified by the Pope as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Shortly before she passed away, when she was hospitalized, an entire nation prayed for her. I still remember when she passed away and when her body was kept for public viewing at the Salt Lake Stadium, at Kolkotta, the then President, Dr.K.R.Narayanan, who came to attend the State funeral, bowed at her feet. It was then, that the entire nation stood still in silent homage along with the crowd at the Auditorium. It was not just a President saluting a lady, it was a nation saluting an institution.
AMMA.
I have seen Sri Mata Amritanandamayi on two or three occasions personally, and have been following her activities through the media for quite sometime now, and I am convinced that the Mother of a Billion hearts embracing all humanity stands out as the finest example of Divine love – She does not perform miracles or astound the audience. She sits, patiently, most of the time without even eating or drinking anything, for hours together giving darshan, saying comforting words, embracing visitor after visitor with only one thought – of proving to the world that love and kindness CAN be shared through a hug. I have often wondered, “What keeps her going?” – And I am sure it is not a desire to enter the Guinness Books of records as the person who has hugged half of humanity. It must be an intense love for the whole of humanity that must be moving her to embrace the people from all walks of life, irrespective of region, religion, caste or sex. Strictly speaking, I am not the religious type. In fact, when I first accompanied my wife to see Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, I was skeptical. But when I first stood before her, all skepticism simply vanished from my mind. Such compassion has to be seen to be believed. The simplicity of such a personality can certainly be called the real Indian Woman. From a small fishing village in Kerala, she has embraced her way into the hearts of billions…..from all over the world.
Enlightening blog,Om. I admire saints with a hands-on approach who work their way into people's hearts, like Mother Teresa.
Reply to this
Madam,
Yes. Mother Teresa truly proved that Service to humanity, is worship of God, and lived that ideal.
I had inadvertently left out some sufi saints in the write up. Sufism is almost like Zen – both are fascinating.Both had famous woman saints, but they lived a secretive life. For example, Not many know that the renowned Parsi Saint, Meher Baba was reportedly initiated by a WOMAN saint! Yes.Hazrat Babajan, the famous Muslim woman saint from Baluchistan, initiated Meher Baba at Pune sometime in 1913!
Reply to this
Hm....,rather heavy stuff. Highly exalted role models.
As for 'sexiest' who is to judge that ?!!
Reply to this
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. So, 'sexiest' women are decided, by.....men!
Reply to this
Dear OM,
Really interesting to read about the sacrifices of great women mentioned by you.
Popular media highlights only views of present day VVIPS. we are able to read such inspiring material only in blogs.
To day's children appear to be very selfish by nature. They are just not bothered about sufferings of others and often question the selfless service rendered by such great people.
It is necessary to highlight such stories for the benefit of present generation.
Good work OM. Keep writing frequently.
Reply to this
Dear Hari,
Thanks.
In my opinion, Successful NATIONS are made by WOMEN, especially Mothers - through their Motherly love, they instill good values in children, and they influence society to be good - today's children appear to be selfish because their mothers are NOT spending quality time with the children. I am not blaming the working mothers who have very little time for their children, since in today's world, no single parent salary can see any family thru, but it is the mothers, more than the fathers, who can instill good values in children.
Reply to this
I really wish that there more Mother Teresas and Mata Amritanandamayis in the world. This sorrow and strife-ridden world really needs them.
Reply to this
Yes, Padma - there is so little understanding in today's strife torn world. And I too, wish there were more like Mother Teresa and Amma.
I remember when a reporter in NY asked Amma about what she thought of man's advancement in science like sending man to the moon, she said something to the effect that Man is unable to tend to his own poor, hurt, and sick neighbour, but he wants to explore and conquer the moon!
Reply to this
A beautiful post Om. We need to be more aware of such women saints who quietly made/make a difference to the lives of thousands of people without any fanfare unlike our modern day gurus.
Please do write another piece on women saints, maybe as a continuation of this blog Om.
Reply to this
Thanks, Shail. I had left out some really great women saints like Sri Daya Mata, Sri Nivedita, St.Therese Neuman, because the title was Women saints and sages OF INDIA - There are a number of women saints and Siddhars - still in the forests and Mountains of India, hidden from the glare of publcity and safe from media's scorching searchlight! - These hidden saints are the real guardian's of India's Spiritual wealth.
Reply to this
A wonderful list Om... and who gives a fig about the 'sexiest'. All that's media hype.
Reply to this
Thanks, Irene. The media hypes and unhypes on what it likes and dislikes. if you remember, the funeral of Princess Diana happened to be the same time as that of Mother Teresa, and the media was divided upon whom to report on - the venerable Mother or the Tragic Princess - in the end, the media lost the Mother, sparking debates all over.
Reply to this
That was a wonderful read.
Very well written.
Thanks and we do expect more.
Please do read the article in the following link and 'THE COMMENTS AT THE END TOO !'.
Thanks again.
Dev
http://tinyurl.com/y9db4qj
Reply to this
Dev,
Thanks.
I read the link and read your comment too. As you rightly pointed out, distinguishing between diamond and charcoal is in the eyes of the beholder.
Also, many Godmen are created by today's compulsions of modern day living and THE MEDIA - In today's life, which is tension filled in every way - people immediately jump to any Godman offering an instant cure, not realising that there is no "instant" cure for anything. Most of the problems in our lives will vanish without going to Godmen if only we follow and understand Swami Vivekananda's saying: "True Freedom lies in the CHAINS of discipline"
But as you rightly pointed out, the media is focusing only on the rotten apples, forgetting that there so many good apples in the basket of India.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Dev.
Reply to this
thanks for reading through.
found your comment to be truly good.
Continue writing. There's a lot of mis-conceptions going on and these writings will at least be a speck of light for those who dwell in darkness crying for help.
Reply to this
What a vast difference to the list of 'commercial' God-men I wrote about last month.Could it be that women are a sight better than men in most fields Om
Reply to this
Madam, I believe that True spirituality does not differentiate between Men and Women. But God created Man and Woman with different end use, (Man the provider of material comforts and logical requirements to the family, and woman the sustainer of values and provider of emotional requirements to the family) and a soul is born as a Male or a female, depending on his/her karma in the previous life.
But are women a sight better than men in most fields? well, Yes and No. I have worked under three different women bosses so far, and I can say with certainty that there is very little difference in the way bosses think and act whether they are male or female - Boss is a boss - gender doesn't matter!
Reply to this
hahaha. Indeed true spirituality doesn't differentiate. It's the soul which dwells inside all of us plus OUR SINCERITY TO KNOW THE TRUTH that counts.
Whether it's man/woman, a sincere heart is what is needed. As one mahatma puts it, 'We always look only skin deep. Practice to get a clear vision, a deep clear vision.'
Reply to this