When vigrahaaraadhana started?
In Mahabharata, a great king Uparichara Vasu, is befriended by Indra to defeat the Daityas. After the war, Indra presents Uparichara Vasu, an aerial vehicle, which can move through the three lokas. But, when asked by Uparichara Vasu – how to express his own gratitude to Indra and celebrate this special grant, Indra presents, a very tall and strong Bamboo Yoopa, and worship it, by decorating it with flowers and colourful cloth banners ( = Chitra ketus ). This was the beginning of the only practical procedure, through which, vaidika Devaas( whose presence was experienced in every beneficial or otherwise, physical element in the environment )were given symbolic images for worship or celebration. These were known by the names of “Indra Maha, Giri maha, Nadi maha ( Pushkara months for twelve rivers ), Samudra sangamas, Parvas of Astami,Amaavaasya, and pournami and days of Equinox, Solistices were earmarked for special occasions, big gatherings were prescribed and collective celebrations of Yaatraas
( = Jaatraas ) were marked by festivities of eating, drinking and enjoying. There were no temples, but only Dhwaja Sthambhas for different Devas. They were offering, the kind of food, they were consuming, to the devas of their choice and liking, who were deemed to be fulfilling their requests or demands- some sort of Barter between Devaas and Maanavas. Therefore, the single archaeological evidence, is that of Dhwaja Sthambha erected by a Greek devotee mentioning the Divine names of Samkarshana and Vasudeva about 100 BCE. We don’t have any other evidence of stone temples or Vigrahas earlier than that. Recently, a Buddhist wooden Chaitya, carbon dated to 8th century BCE, has been unearthed in Nepal, uprooting the dates of 5th century BCE, assigned to Buddha and other historical figures associated with him by the Western biased Historians. We had, in India, celebrations in magnificent natural spots and associated with special Astronomical events for festivals as collective celebrations, with no holds barred
” enjoyment “, not sadistic philosophical prayers or religious pravachanas.