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Showing posts from January 11, 2016


Read the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Online

The web version of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda is provided by Belur Math and Advaita Ashrama. Divided into nine volumes, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda contains articles, lectures and conversations of Swamiji. Many of us might be not prepared to attempt to read the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda as it is huge running to thousands of pages. There is a solution, read page daily or read a page when you are free. The effort will transform you positively. You can also read the Complete Works here at the Advaita Ashrama website

Krishnamai Utsav at Panchwad in Maharashtra

Krishnamai Utsav is annually observed in Magh month. The annual utsav attracts hundreds of devotees to Panchwad near Wai in Maharashtra. Panchwad Krishnamai Utsav 2025 date is February 8. Panchwad is located around 15 km from Wai. Krishnamai Utsav was started by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is dedicated to Krishna River. Murti of Krishnamai is anointed during the occasion. The shrine is decorated with flowers, lamps and lights. Panchwad Krishnamai Festival is annually observed on Magh Shukla Paksha Ekadasi tithi or the eleventh day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Lakshminarayan Utsav at Khatav near Satara – Khatav Lakshmi Narayan Temple Festival

Lakshminarayan Utsav is observed in Magh month. It is the annual fair and festival at the Lakshminarayan Temple at Khatav near Satara in Maharashtra. Lakshmi Narayan Utsav and fair 2025 date is February 8. The fair and festival attracts hundreds of devotees. Special puja and abhisheks are performed on the day. The shrine is decorated traditionally with lamps, lights, flowers and leaves. Lakshminarayan Utsav is annually held on Magh Shukla Paksha Ekadasi Tithi or the eleventh day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Santubai Devi Yatra at Kagwad in Karnataka

Santubai Devi Yatra is observed in Magh month. It is the annual fair and festival at the Santubai Devi Temple at Kagwad in Karnataka. The shrine is located around 39 km north of Athani. Santubai Devi Yatra 2025 date is February 7. The fair and festival attracts hundreds of devotees. Special puja and abhishek are performed on the day. The shrine is decorated traditionally with lamps, lights, flowers and leaves. Santubai Devi Yatra is annually held on Magh Shukla Paksha Dasami Tithi or the tenth day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Karnataka.

Borpadle Chandratai Devi Yatra – Chandratai Temple Yatra at Borpadle in Maharashtra

Borpadle Chandratai Devi Yatra is observed in Magh month. It is the annual fair and festival at the Chandratai Temple at Borpadle in Maharashtra. The shrine is located around 25 km north of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Borpadle Chandratai Devi Yatra 2025 date is February 5. The fair and festival attracts hundreds of devotees. Special puja and abhisheks are performed on the day. The shrine is decorated traditionally with lamps, lights, flowers and leaves. Borpadle Chandratai Devi Yatra is annually held on Magh Shukla Paksha Ashtami Tithi or the eight day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Narsinhwadi Krishnaveni Temple Festival – Narsobawadi Krishnaveni Mandir Utsav

Narsinhwadi Krishnaveni Mandir Utsav is observed in Magh month. It is the annual fair and festival at the Narsinhwadi Krishnaveni Temple in Maharashtra. The shrine is located around 22 km from Sangli in   Maharashtra . Narsinhwadi Krishnaveni Temple Festival beginning date in 2025 is February 4. The fair and festival attracts hundreds of devotees. Special puja and abhisheks are performed on the day. The shrine is decorated traditionally with lamps, lights, flowers and leaves. Narsinhwadi Krishnaveni Temple festival is annually held on Magh Shukla Paksha Saptami Tithi or the seventh day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Ghosarwad Siddheshwar Yatra at Ghosarwad near Shirol in Maharashtra

Siddheshwar Yatra at Ghosarwad is annually observed in Magh month. It is dedicated to Siddheshwar. The temple dedicated to Siddheshwar is located at Ghosarwad near Shirol in Maharashtra. Ghosarwad Siddheshwar Yatra Yatra 2025 date is February 4. Ghosarwad is located around 27 km south of Shirol. The fair and festival attracts thousands of followers Siddheshwar. On the special puja and abhishek are performed. The shrine is decorated traditionally with lamps, lights, flowers and leaves. Ghosarwad Siddheshwar Yatra is annually held on Magh Shukla Paksha Saptami Tithi or the seventh day during the waxing phase of moon in Magh month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Kadakkal Thiruvathira Utsavam – Kadakkal Devi Temple Festival

Kadakkal Devi Temple Thiruvathira festival, in Kollam District, is observed on the Thiruvathira Nakshatra day in Kumbham month. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathi and is located around 12 km from Kilimanoor. Kuthira Ezhunnallathu is the major highlight of the festival. The 10-day annual festival is observed in such a manner that it ends on the Thiruvathira Nakshatra day in Kumbham month. Three traditionally crafted gigantic pageants known as Kuthira is carried by devotees on shoulders to the shrine. Apart from this various unique offerings are made at the shrine during the period. Kadakkal temples are actually three temples located at Kadakkal Althara junction in Kollam district. The temples are located around 12 km north of Kilimanoor. The three temples are Peedikayil Bhagavathi temple, Mahadeva Temple (Nadakkal Kshetram) and Thaliyil Temple.  All three temples are located at equal distance on the banks of a big pond here.  There is no murti in the Peedikayil Bhagava

Pattazhy Devi Temple Festival

Pattazhy Devi Temple Kumbha Thiruvathira festival is observed on the Thiruvathira Nakshatra day in Kumbham month. Pattazhy Devi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathi and the shrine is located around 18 km from Adoor in Kerala.  The 8-day annual festival is observed in such a manner that it ends with Arattu on the Thiruvathira Nakshatra day in Kumbham Month.  Various rituals and pujas are observed on the day. It is considered highly meritorious to take the blessings of Mother Goddess on the day. The main deity worshipped in the temple is Bhadrakali. It is believed to be one among the 108 Durga temples in Kerala. It was referred to as 'Kolambu' in ancient times. The main deity faces east and there is another powerful deity facing west which was the thevara murti of vadake arapurayil kambithan.  The upadevatas worshipped in the temple are Bhoothathan, Murugan, Shivan, Yakshi, Nagam and Rakshas. 

Malayalapuzha Temple Utsavam – Annual Temple Festival at Malayalapuzha Devi Temple

Malayalapuzha Devi Temple is located around 8 km from Pathanamthitta. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathi. The annual festival or utsavam is observed in Malayalam Kumbham month as per traditional Hindu calendar followed in Kerala.  Various unique offerings are made at the shrine during the period. The temple is traditionally decorated with plantain, coconut leaves, flowers, leaves, traditional lamps and lights for the occasion. Traditional performing arts, music and dance are staged during the period. Caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheevali are part of the festival. The festival ends with Arattu. The utsava murti of the deity is taken out of the shrine for ritual bathing on the final day. Caparisoned elephants and melam are part of the ritual. The festival begins on Thiruvathira Nakshatra in Kumbham month and ends on Chothi Nakshatram.

On Shiva – The Adiyogi or the first Yogi

In Yogic culture, Shiva is Adiyogi or the originator of Yoga. Sadhguru Shares his wisdom about Shiva, the originator of Yoga in this article in the Huffington Post . According to the yogic lore, over fifteen thousand years ago, Shiva attained to his full enlightenment and abandoned himself in an intense ecstatic dance upon the Himalayas . When his ecstasy allowed him some movement, he danced wildly. When it became beyond movement, he became utterly still. People saw that he was experiencing something that nobody had known before, something they were unable to fathom. Interest developed and people came wanting to know what this was. They came, they waited and they left because the man was oblivious to their presence. He was either in intense dance or absolute stillness, completely uncaring of what was happening around him. Soon, everyone left...Except for seven men.  These seven people were insistent that they must learn what this man had in him, but Shiva ignored them. They