Mystic India
Encyclopedia
Mystic India is a 2004 large format film (commonly known as the IMAX
format) about India's culture, people, and traditions. It is told through the 12,000 km barefoot journey throughout 18th century India undertaken by the Hindu
adolescent ascetic Nilkanth, later known in life as Swaminarayan by his followers. The film was directed by Keith Melton and financed and produced by BAPS
. The film is available in Hindi, English, French and Spanish.
on a royal chariot.
, including his birthplace at Sriperumbudur
and the famous pilgrimage temple at Srirangam
. Nilkanth’s journey through Kanehipuram, Kumbakonam, Madurai, and Rameshwaram took him to the southern tip of India."
, a senior leader of a group of ascetics who followed the Vaishnava teachings of their guru Ramanand Swami.
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
format) about India's culture, people, and traditions. It is told through the 12,000 km barefoot journey throughout 18th century India undertaken by the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
adolescent ascetic Nilkanth, later known in life as Swaminarayan by his followers. The film was directed by Keith Melton and financed and produced by BAPS
BAPS
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha , often abbreviated as BAPS , is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism...
. The film is available in Hindi, English, French and Spanish.
Cast
- Latesh Patel as Nilkanth: At His youngest, this is when He sets out on His journey, and during his early experiences during the journey.
- Rupak Mehta as Nilkanth: Portrayed to represent Him as he gets older during his 7-year journey, as it comes to an end.
- Peter O'ToolePeter O'ToolePeter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
- The narrator for the English version of the film, describing and elaborating with each scene that passes. - Total Cast: Mystic India incorporated 45,000 cast members. The scene of artiArtiArti is an urban locality and the administrative center of Artinsky District of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Artya River at its confluence with the Ufa River, southwest of Yekaterinburg and southeast of Krasnoufimsk. Population: 13,800 .-History:It was founded in 1783 when...
being performed at the Akshardham alone had 9,000 cast members in it, while the scene of the Rath Yatra had 8,000 cast members.
Nilkanth’s Journey
Nilkanth walked 12,000 kilometers around the Indian subcontinent over a span of 7 years. His journey took him through the "dense jungles, fertile plains, majestic mountains, mighty rivers, and peaceful coastlines" of India. This journey included the exploration of “India’s silent spirituality” and its appropriation as a "mystic land of meditation, contemplation and enlightenment."Leaving Home
On 29 June 29, 1792 at the age of 11, Nilkanth left home "to begin his life work of establishing ekantik dharma." Nilkanth took very few possessions with him on his journey. Known articles include a loin cloth, "a rosary, a kerchief, a piece of cloth for filtering water and a small manuscript."In the Himalayas
Nilkanth first travelled to the Himalayan Mountains and reached Badrinath during October of 1792. Soon thereafter, he reached Nepal and performed austerities by standing on one leg in meditation for four months.At Jagannath Puri
"Leaving the Himalayas, Nilkanth went through Bengal to Jagannathpuri in the east." It is here that Nilkanth took part in the Rath Yatra, a festival dedicated to the pulling of Lord Jagannath’s murtiMurti
In Hinduism, a murti , or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit . Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped...
on a royal chariot.
In South India
From Jagannath Puri, Nilkanth traveled to South India. "He visited the sacred places associated with the life of RamanujaRamanuja
Ramanuja ; traditionally 1017–1137, also known as Ramanujacharya, Ethirajar , Emperumannar, Lakshmana Muni, was a theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete...
, including his birthplace at Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is an industrial city in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in proximity to Chennai. It is famous for being the birth place of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints as well as the town where former Indian Prime Minister...
and the famous pilgrimage temple at Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
. Nilkanth’s journey through Kanehipuram, Kumbakonam, Madurai, and Rameshwaram took him to the southern tip of India."
In Gujarat
On August 21, 1799, Nilkanth’s journey finally ended in the town of Loj, Gujarat. In Loj at the age of 19, Nilkanth met Muktanand SwamiMuktanand Swami
Muktanand Swami was a sadhu and paramahansa of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.-Biography:He was born Mukund Das to Anandram and Radhabai in Amreli, Gujarat in 1758....
, a senior leader of a group of ascetics who followed the Vaishnava teachings of their guru Ramanand Swami.