The Hidden Hindu 2

by Akshat Gupta

‘We have come here for the first word.’ It was another lake they were now standing close to, its shore covered with beautiful but poisonous Euphorbia flowers that grew amid the sand and gravel. Nagendra explained further, ‘This is Rakshastal, also called the Ravana Lake or the lake of demons. Rakshastal was created by Ravana for the express purpose of garnering superpowers through acts of devotion and meditation towards Lord Shiva, who resided on Mount Kailash. He would make a daily offering with one of his ten heads as a sacrifice to please Shiva. Finally, on the tenth night, when Ravana intended to offer his last head, Shiva was moved enough to grant Ravana his wish to harness superpowers. It was on a crescent moon night that his wish was fulfilled and so the lake acquired the shape of the crescent moon. Tonight, all the planets and the moon are aligned in their exact same positions as that night. Thousands of years ago, it was the same night, the same month with the same moon in the crescent shape when Ravana met Shiva here. Rakshastal is said to have a close resemblance to the moon. The desolation of the lake is often compared to the emptiness of the moon. Mansarovar remains tranquil and undisturbed forever, whereas the much smaller, crescent-shaped Rakshastal is always turbulent, irrespective of the weather. While Mansarovar exudes an inviting aura and bounteously gives away its water for bathing and drinking, no one even dares to come near the adjoining Rakshastal. T...