Indrabhishek

Indrabhisheka was a ceremony performed by Indian kings and mentioned in the Aitareya Brahmana. Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg

History

With the loss of political power to the Turushka Islamic hordes, and collapse of tradition, Indrabhishek ceremony was relegated to the background. The Yadavas and Chauhans were the last dynasties to perform a coronation ritual, but whether they performed Indrabhishek ceremony is not clear. Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire, revived the Indrabhishek tradition. Pandit Gaga Bhatt, who presided over his coronation ceremony, wrote a detailed book on the procedure. A thread ceremony, Upanayana, of Shivaji took place on May 29, 1674, and then a Vratya Stoma ceremony was performed.

Legacy

Modern interpretations vary, but this coronation ceremony created a legacy. After the death of Shivaji, Marathas fought the mughals and defeated them in the war of 27 years. This demonstrated that coronation was an instrument of sovereignty valid in other parts of the world.