Saturday Story (updated on pg 38 ) - Page 23

Bhasmasur was a devotee of the god Shiva who performed great penance to obtain a boon from the deity. Shiva became pleased and asked him to ask for a boon. Bhasmasur asked for immortality but Shiva said that he did not have the power to grant him immortality. Bhasmasur then asked that he be granted the power that anyone whose head he touched with his hand should burn up and immediately turn into ashes (bhasma). Shiva granted this request, but Bhasmasura there upon attempted to touch the head of Siva with his hand. Shiva fled, and was chased by Bhasmasur. Wherever Shiva went, Bhasmasur chased him. Somehow, Shiva managed to reach Vishnu to seek a solution to this predicament. Vishnu on hearing Shiva's problem, agreed to help him out.

Vishnu, in the form of Mohini, appeared in front of Bhasmasur. Mohini was so exceedingly beautiful that Bhasmasur immediately fell in love with Mohini. Bhasmasur asked her (Mohini) to marry him. She told him that she was very fond of dancing, and would marry him only if he could match her moves identically. Bhasmasur agreed to the match and hence they started dancing. The feat went for days at an end. As Bhasmasur matched the disguised Vishnu's move for move, he began to let his guard down. While still dancing, Mohini, struck a pose where her hand was placed on top of her own head. As Bhasmasur imitated her, he was tricked into touching his own head, and hence Bhasmasur immediately burnt up and turned into ashes, due to the power he had recently gained.

In the Saho area of Chamba district in the State of Himachal Pradesh, the Sohal Nati dance is very popular. It is generally performed on all festive occasions, but the main importance of this dance is in Baisakh during the days of Saho fair. The dance is based on the story of Lord Vishnu killing Bhasmasur, and hence, it is also known as Mohini-Bhasmasur dance.

Based on the popular story, the dancers take different postures leading to them ultimately revolving both their hands on their heads. The dancer enacting Bhasmasur is placed at the end of row and he is the last dancer to revolve his hands over his head.

The Bhasmasur-type pose--with one hand atop the head and the other behind the back--is also common in women's dancing in the Bhojpuri region and, by extension, in Indo-Caribbean society, where it is a typical feature of chutney dancing. A few Indo-Caribbeans claim that this pose relates to the Bhasmasur myth.

There are many popular stories associated with Him among the devotees. The stories differ, but there are certain common elements:

• Ayyappa lived in the Pandalam Palace as the son / savior of the King.
• He had super-human or divine knowledge, wisdom, and courage and loved the King and his people.
• He protected the King and the kingdom from the attacks of enemies.
• At the end of His life in Pandalam, He vanished into the forests and is ever since worshiped at the Sabarimala temple.