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Showing posts from November, 2009


Goddess Kaumari – Kowmari or Goddess Kumari

Goddess Kaumari, or Goddess Kowmari, is on of the seven mother goddesses in Hinduism. The seven mother goddesses are known as Sapta Matrikas or Sapta Matris. Goddess Kaumari is the female energy of Lord Kumar (Muruga or Kartik). She is also referred as Goddess Kumari. She symbolically represents valor and courage. Goddess Kaumari takes her name and attributes from Lord Skanda or Subrahmanya or Murga. She uses the same weapon and vehicle of Lord Kartik. Goddess Kaumari has four hands and she carries a small vel (lance) and flag in two hands. Two hands are in Abhaya and Varatha posture. Her vehicle or Vahana is a peacock and she is believed to reside under a fig tree. She is usually depicted as having Kumkum body color – red color. In some texts she is described as having six faces and twelve arms. Lord Kartik is also depicted as having six faces as he was born as six different babies and was later joined by Goddess Parvati.

Swami Pura or Kalari Pura Where Lord Ayyappa Took Marital Art Lessons

Lord Ayyappa is believed to have taken lessons in Kalaripayattu – a traditional martial art of Kerala – as young boy from Kalari Gurukkal of Cheerappanchira family at Swami Pura or Kalari Pura at Muhamma in Alappuzha District in Kerala. The Pura, or the small hut, where the Kalari lessons where taught is still being preserved in its original form by the present generation of the family. Devotees who arrive at the Swami Pura also visit the Mukkalvattam Swamy Ayyappa Temple nearby. Express Buzz writes about this unique place associated with Lord Ayyappa With another Sabarimala season under way, the Cherappanchira family, which owns the Pura, have decided to renovate it so as to provide better facilities for pilgrims who visit it on their way to Sabarimala. "The renovation plans include landscaping, boundary protection, an Ayurvedic garden, a prayer-cum-spiritual seminar hall-cum-auditorium, an 'annadaana centre', Navagraha Pooja facility, bath, cloakroom

Download Bhagavad Gita Audio in English in MP3 for Free

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Audio in English in Audio format for free is provided by Swami Shri Adgadanad Ji’s of Yatharth Geeta. This downloadable English Language Bhagawad Geeta is strictly for personal use. You can only download the eighteen chapters separately and not as a single MP3 file. Sometimes a single chapter has three or four mp3 files. You will have to download several files to get the complete Bhagavad Gita with commentary in English. The best option will be to download a single file and listen to it and if you like you can opt to download the rest of them. You can download the Bhagavad Gita Audio in English in MP3 format from this link – Download Bhagavad Gita in English in MP3 .

Goddess Kali in New York Neuberger Museum of Art Exhibition and the Unnecessary Controversy

Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase in New York is currently exhibiting paintings under the title “British Subjects: Identity and Self-Fashioning 1967 – 2009.” A painting by Sutapa Biswas titled ‘Housewives with Steak-Knives’ is being identified with Goddess Kali and a controversy has started over the painting. Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Bhavna Shinde, of Forum for Hindu Awakening, have started a campaign to remove it from the exhibition and states that the painting amounts to irreverence and trivialization of the sacred deity, Goddess Kali. I feel this is an unnecessary controversy. On the Goddess Kali Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said she was “highly revered in Hinduism and she was meant to be worshipped in temples and not to be used indecorously.” Kali is looked at as being the Goddess of time and change, as well as personifying divine energy. Zed’s claims are that disrespecting Hinduism by misinterpreting and deformi

Ekadasi Tithi Calculator – Software to Find the Exact Time of Ekadashi Fasting in Your Country

Ekadasi Tithi and Time in India will not be same as that of United States and that of Singapore . Each country has a different time for Ekadashi fasting. To calculate the Ekadasi time in your region you need to know the following facts – 1) time difference from India and your present residing country. 2) You need to know the sunrise time in your country. The Ekadasi calculator and the software is provided by Sri Ahobila Mutt. You can calculate the Ekadasi time in your region here at the official website of Sri Ahobila Mutt . You may also like to read Ekadasi Dates in 2010

Goddess Maheshwari

Goddess Maheshwari is one among the seven mother goddesses or Sapta Matrikas. Goddess Maheshwari takes Her name from Lord Shiva (Maheshwara) and She is believed to have born from the body of Lord Shiva. She is armed with similar weapons to Shiva and has numerous other symbols and characteristics of Shiva. Goddess Maheswari is usually depicted as having four arms two arms are in Varada Mudra (granting wishes) and one is in Abhaya Mudra (protection). Two arms are depicted as holding the Sula (lance) and Akshamala or Damaru. The vehicle or Vahana of Goddess Maheswari is a bull. In some very rare images, Goddess Maheshwari is depicted as having five faces. Sometimes she is shown as having three eyes and wears a crescent moon. She is also sometimes depicted as having six hands and carries Sutra, Damaru, Sula, Ghanta and two hands are in the Varada Mudra and the Abhaya Mudra.

Annapurna Vrat – Fasting Dedicated to Goddess Annapoorna

Annapurna Vrat is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna, the Hindu Goddess of food and nourishment. This vrat is observed during the waning phase of moon in Margashirsh month (November – December) as per traditional North Indian calendar. It begins on the fifth day of the Krishna paksha of Margashirsh month (November 20, 2024) and is observed for 17 days. Annapurna Vrat includes fasting, not eating non-vegetarian food and offering prayers and performing puja for Goddess Annapoorna. It is not a strict fasting and usually devotees eat a single meal while observing the fast. Those observing the Vrata read the Annapurna Vrat Katha. Some people observe the fast only the Annapurna Jayanti during the Margashirsha Purnima. Annapurna Vrat is also observed for several weeks and months by devotees. It is performed for peace and prosperity. Annapurna puja is also observed in eastern parts of India especially in Bengal in the Chaitra month (March – April).

Download Bhagavad Gita in Malayalam in PDF format for free

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita in Malayalam in PDF format for free is in verse form and there is no commentary or translation to pure Malayalam used today. Please note that this is not in the paragraph format with explanations and meanings. It is Bhagavad Geeta in verse format as found in the Mahabharata. You can download Bhagavad Gita in Malayalam in PDF format here .

Animal Sacrifice by Hindus at Gadhimai Fair in Nepal – Thoughts and Reactions

Gadhimai Fair in Nepal is dedicated to Goddess Gadhimai, a local deity, an incarnation of Goddess Shakti. The fair, notorious for the sacrifice of large number of animals, is held once in five years in the Bara District of Nepal and is mainly attended by people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in India. This year the Gadhimai festival has garnered lot of international media attention - the number of animal sacrificed is estimated to be more than 100,000. Animal sacrifice is cruel and it has no place in the teachings of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). But Hinduism is not based on strict written codes or rules. Therefore each individual is given the freedom to express his/her faith. Some individuals try to appease deities through animal sacrifice which is part of tantric worship. Quite often an individual performs animal sacrifice out of ignorance thinking that the deity will be pleased with the sacrifice. This is the result of the lack of proper understanding of the tea

Goddess Vaishnavi

Goddess Vaishnavi is one of the seven mother goddesses or Sapta Matrikas. Goddess Vaishnavi takes Her name from Lord Vishnu and she believed to have born from the body of Vishnu. She is armed with the same weapons like Lord Vishnu and wears the same ornaments and rides the same Vahana or vehicle and also carries the same banner. Please note that Goddess Vaishnavi is different from Goddess Vaishno Devi. Goddess Vaishnavi is mentioned in the Varaha Purana, Matsya Purana and Markandeya Purana. There is also a legend which suggests Vaishnavi came out from Goddess Kaumari’s hand, seated on Garuda and holding a conch, discus, club, sword, bow and arrow. Goddess Kaumari is believed to have had Her origin from Lord Skanda or Muruga or Kartik. Goddess Vaishnavi is usually depicted as having four hands. She carries in one of her right hands the Chakra (discus) and in the left hand the Sankha (Conch), her two other hands are held in the Abhaya and the Varada Mudra. She we

Hindu Holy Saraswati River to be revived in Haryana

Hindus once took holy bath in Saraswati River but later it disappeared from earth. Hindus always worshipped Saraswathi River along with Ganga and Yamuna River and the river is mentioned in various Hindu Holy scriptures and is part of rituals. But for many historians it was a myth. Now Holy Saraswati River is being revived in Haryana and the project is almost complete. Times of India reports Come 2010 and Haryana will join the league of states wowing pilgrims from across the country. The state is progressing towards completing the last leg of 3.5km stretch of river Saraswati between Jyotisar and Bibipur. The state has completed digging work in the 68km stretch under the first phase of revival plan for the Saraswati River . Speaking to TOI, the irrigation authorities ruled out the use of river water for purposes other than religious. “The basic idea is to retain its sanctity so that more and more devotees come to visit the holy places along its course. We wou

Goddess Brahmani

Goddess Brahmani is one of the Sapta Matrikas – the seven divine mothers or Saptamatris in Hinduism. Goddess Brahmani takes Her name from Lord Brahma. Vamana Purana indicates that Goddess Brahmani came out from the mouth of Goddess Kali before she engaged Demon Rakta Beeja in the final encounter. Seeing the large troop of Rakta Beeja, Goddess Kali made a loud sound and from her mouth appeared Goddess Brahmani seated on a swan and wearing rosary and holding water pot (Kamandalu) in one hand. Goddess Brahmani is generally depicted as having four faces and four hands. The body is bright as gold. In the back right hand she carries the Sula (lance) and back left hand she carries the Akshamala. The front right hand is in the Abhaya Mudra Pose and the front left hand in the Varada Pose. She is usually depicted as seated upon a red lotus. The vehicle or Vahana of Goddess Brahmani is Hamsa or Swan. The emblem in her banner is Hamsa and is adorned with a Karana Mukuta. She is al

The Path from Pampa to Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple

Pampa is the base camp for majority of devotees that visit the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple . Transport buses, cars and motorcycles reach up to Pampa . From Pampa pilgrims have to walk (trek) 7 km to reach the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple Sannidanam. The trek covers places like Neelimala, Appachimedu , Sabaripeedam , Sharamkuthi , Marakkoottam to reach the Ayyappa Temple . One of most tough trek in the seven kilometer route is in climbing the Neelimala. Government and other NGOs are providing medical facilities at different points from Pampa to Ayyappa Temple .

How to observe Ravivar Vrat? – Sunday Fasting in Hindu Religion

Fasting on Sunday, or Ravivar Vrat, in Hindu religion is dedicated to Lord Surya, or the Sun god. Hindus have been worshipping Surya Narain from time immemorial and is also occasionally referred as Pratiyaksha Brahman. There is a popular belief that observing fast on Sunday will help in skin and eye ailments. The fasting is from Sunday morning to next day morning. A single meal is taken on the day, generally after sunset. Some people only eat fruits on the day. Those who eat cooked food avoid salt and fried food items. Red is the color of the day. Devotees offer red colored flowers to Lord Surya. Red sandalwood paste tika or tilak is worn on the forehead.

Sri Sri Mangeshda Thoughts

Unconditional love and forgiveness is not as easy to practice as it appears. It is not a mere mechanical process. One needs to feel the love and forgiveness from the bottom of one’s heart and for that one needs to change one’s own attitude. One needs to learn to accept everything and everybody including himself, as they are, without keeping any expectations from them. When one starts interacting with others with this base of love, automatically the attitude of the people around him changes. All religions, without exception, preach humanity, forgiveness and love towards other living beings. To enjoy and experience real love, remove all the conditions because conditional love gives disappointment whereas unconditional love definitely gives real joy of love. It is something unique which has to be experienced to understand. Sri Sri Mangeshda is a Kriya Yogi

Khuddur Yatra – A 1940s Modern Interpretation of Ramayana by Abanindranath Tagore

Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) was the chief artist of the Bengal school of painting and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian Painting. Also a note writer, Abanindranath Tagore had created a 272-page scrap book titled Khuddur Yatra (Journey of Khuddu) which is a post-modern interpretation of the epic Ramayana. The work originally done between 1934 and 1942 was never published and it was discovered recently by Priyabrata Deb, publisher of Pratikshan, who is bringing out the book. Satarupa Basu writes in Hindustan Times about the book and its discovery It is one of the versions of the Ramayana that Tagore wrote. It draws on a mode of storytelling that is splintered into multiple voices, tonalities and modes, to form a collage of doodles, diagrams, fashion drawings, natural history drawings, ornamental and abstract designs, emblems, insignia, labels, wrappers, advertisements, fragments of texts and captions cut from newspapers and periodicals. “I ch

Sharamkuthi at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple – Importance of Sharam Kutti

Sharamkuthi is one the last holy spots on the way to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple . ‘Sharam’ means arrow. Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa and his followers after defeating the Marvapada (an army of thugs) discarded their weapons at Sharam Kutti. Today, first time visitors to the Sabarimala Shrine leave Sharakol, or arrows, they carry at Sharamkuthi. First time Ayyappa devotees to the temple who follow and participate in the Petta Thulal from Erumeli to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple also leave their Sharakol at Sharamkuthi. The Thrivabharanam Procession carrying the ornaments to be worn on Lord Ayyappa is given ceremonial welcome at Sharamkuthi.

Tripur Bhairav Jayanti

Tripur Bhairav Jayanti is observed on the Margashirsha Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi – the fourteenth lunar day during waxing phase of moon in the month of Margashirsha (November – December). Tripur Bhairav Jayanti 2024 date is December 14. Tripura or Tripur Bhairva is one of the incarnations of Lord Shiva and this is a highly powerful and ferocious form of Lord Shiva. As Tripur Bhairav, Lord Shiva is the consort of Tripura Bhairavi. Tripura Bhairavi is believed to a ferocious form of Goddess Shakti.

Shukravar Vrat Katha – The Story of Friday Fasting in Hinduism

Friday fasting in Hinduism is dedicated to Shukra, or Venus. Those people who believe in astrology and horoscope worship and pray to Shukra on the day for wealth and prosperity. Those observing Shukravar Vrat listen to a popular story associated with fasting. The story of Friday fast varies from region to region and this one of them. Once there was an old woman who used to observe Shukravar Vrat for the welfare of her family. She worshipped an idol of Shukra. On all Fridays, she used to wash the idol and perform a holy dip of it and used to offer the best food available in the house as ‘Prasad’ or Bhog. One day the old woman decided to go on a pilgrimage. She asked her daughter-in-law to continue the rituals and observe Friday fast. The daughter-in-law wanted to get rid of the mother-in-law and was not at all happy with her Friday rituals so she agreed to take care of the idol and perform the rituals. Soon the old lady left for pilgrimage. For few Fridays, the daughter-i

How to do a simple Hindu Puja at home?

Hinduism gives a devotee the freedom to perform prayers and pujas in the way the devotee wants – it can be simple or elaborate. Puja steps can be decided by the devotee. But there are several people who want to know about how to perform a simple puja at home as per Hindu religious traditions. Here is a guide to perform a small puja at home. This is only to give a general idea and you can always be flexible in Hindu pujas and prayers. First take a bath or perform self purification rituals. Choose a quiet and clean place to perform the puja. First pray to Lord Ganesha to help in the successful completion of the puja. Light a lamp and pray to the deity you are worshipping. Touch the feet of the idol or painting and take blessings. Offer flowers or light incense. Chant any shlokam or prayer you know. If you have a fruit offer it to the deity. Meditate for some time. Place some flowers or rice mixed with turmeric on the deity. If you have Bhasma

How to observe Guruvar or Vrihaspativar Vrat? - Rules and Procedure of Thursday Fasting in Hinduism

Vrihaspativar Vrat, or Thursday fasting, is dedicated to Brihaspati, the Guru of Devas. Therefore Thurdsay is also known as Gurubar or Guruvar. Those people who believe in astrology offer pujas and observe a fast dedicated to Birhaspati, or Jupiter, for horoscope related reasons. Lord Vishnu is also worshipped on the day in many regions. Below are the rules and procedure of Thursday fasting. Please note that Thursday, especially in Margashirsh month (November - December) , is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi in many regions and people observe Lakshmi Vrat and pujas on all Thursdays in the month. The fast begins on Thursday morning and ends on the next day morning. A single meal is eaten on the day – usually in the afternoon or after puja. People usually eat yellow colored food or food prepared using ghee. In some regions the food is made of Chana Dal. Yellow color clothes are worn on the day and yellow colored flowers are offered to Brihaspati. Yellow is the

Daily Puja Timing at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in November, December and January

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in Kerala remains open continuously for 41 days only during the Mandala Makaravilakku pilgrimage season from Mid-November to December end. The temple then remains open from December end to Mid-January for the Makaravilakku pilgrimage. The puja timings remain almost the same on all days except when there is a special puja. Here are the puja timings at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in November, December and January Temple opens at 0400 hrs (4:00 AM) Nirmalya Darshan is at 0405 hrs Mahaganapati homam is at 0415 hrs Neyabhishekam is from 04:20 hrs to 11:30 hrs Usha Puja (Morning puja) is at 07:30 hrs Uccha Puja (Afternoon Puja) is at 12:30 hrs The Temple closes afternoon at 13:00 hrs (01:00 PM) In the evening Temple opens at 16:00 hrs (4: 00 PM) Deeparadhana (Evening puja) is at 18:30 hrs Pushpabhishekam - 19:00 hrs (On some days it is Padi Puja – puja of the eighteen holy steps.) Athazha Puja is at 22:30 hrs Harivarasanam – at 22:50 hrs The Temp

Budhvar Vrat Katha – Story of Wednesday Fasting in Hindu Religion

Budhvar Vrat, or Wednesday fasting, in Hindu religion is dedicated to Budha or Mercury. In some regions, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesh and Lord Krishna are also worshipped on the day. Those observing the Budhvar Vrat read or listen to the story associated with Wednesday fasting. There are several versions of the Budhvar Vrat Katha and this is one of them. Once a newly married couple was on their first visit to the bride’s home after marriage. The couple was welcomed happily by the in-law’s. The brothers and sisters of the bride took care of the newlywed couple. Two days passed in joy and then the husband realized that it was time to return. But it was a Wednesday and the in-law’s were not ready to send the girl as Mercury, or Budha, is not in favour of sending married girls to their husband’s house on Wednesdays. The young husband said that he was not worried about Mercury and he did not believe in such things and want to return today itself. He was a businessman and he is of the view t

Ear Piercing in Hinduism – Karnvedh or Karna Vedha Sanskar

Ear lobe piercing, known as Karnvedh Sanskar, is considered an important ceremony in many Hindu traditions. There is no unanimity regarding the year to perform ear piercing on a Hindu girl child. It is usually performed during the sixth month or seventh month or third year or fifth year or 7th year after birth. An auspicious day and auspicious time is chosen for performing the ear piercing ceremony. Special pujas and prayer is done and the ceremony is done under sunlight. Earrings are then offered to the child. According Hindu scriptures like Dharma Sindhu, Karna Vedha Sanksar must be performed on the 10th, 12th or 16th day after birth of the child. But most people avoid this calculation. They perform it during the 6th or 7th month after birth. After this, the ritual is performed on odd years after the birth of the child – 3rd or 5th year. The ritual is not performed during even years after the birth of the child. The ear piecing ceremony is a ritual performed by al

Download Novel Bhimsen by Prem Panicker – English Translation of Malayalam Novel Randamoozham by M T Vasudevan Nair

Randamoozham is a classic novel in Malayalam by Jnanpith award winner and the popular Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair. Randamoozham means the ‘second turn’ and the story of the Mahabharat is seen through the eyes of Bhima – the second of the Pandavas. Prem Panicker, senior journalist, had serialized the novel in English in his blog for over a year. Now he has published the entire novel in pdf format for free. Randamoozham is basically the re-imagining of the epic from the point of view of Bhima. It is a work of fiction and not a religious one. In the novel there are no supernatural heroes, even Lord Krishna is stripped of his divine powers and is presented as a normal human being. Bhima, who always gets the second turn in all the main incidents in the Mahabharata, talks about the favoritism, betrayal, helplessness and silent sufferings of many characters in the Mahabharata including himself. The focus is on the relationships between the main characters. A classic, Randamo

Ayyappa Photos and Pictures – Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple Wallpapers

There are hundreds of Lord Ayyappa Photos and Pictures of Lord Ayyappa on the internet. We thought that it would be nice to provide our readers with Sabarimala Ayyappa wallpapers as the holy Mandala Makaravilakku period is starting at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple . The Sabarimala Ayyappa wallpapers for this post were selected from several websites and the images are copyrighted to respective owners we are only providing a link to respective websites. Some of the images were modified and created by us to give the look of a wallpaper. Latest - Online Virtual Tour of Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and other holy places Please click on the link for a larger view of the image. Right click and use the save image option.

Somvar Vrat Katha – Monday Fasting Story in Hinduism

Somvar Vrat, or fasting on Monday, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. On the day, devotees the fast listen to Somavar Vrat Katha. The story associated with Monday fasting narrates the experience of a devotee who observed the Somvar Vrat. There are a couple of stories associated with Fasting on Monday and this is one of them. Once there was a wealthy merchant. He was an ardent Lord Shiva devotee. But after several years of marriage he had no children. He observed Monday fast to get a child. Soon Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati appeared in his dream and blessed him with a son but Lord Shiva said that the child will only live for 12 years. After a year, the merchant’s wife gave birth to a child and everyone was happy. But the merchant was still sad as he knew that the child only had 12 years of life. Even after the birth of the child, the merchant continued to perform the Somvar Vrat. He distributed cloths and fed the poor and needy. When the son reached the age of e

Vishnu Deepam 2024 – Sokka Panai 2024 date

Vishnu Deepam is observed on the full moon day or a day earlier in Karthigai Masam as per traditional Tamil Calendar. Vishnu Deepam 2024 date is December 15. It is observed by lighting bonfire known as Sokka Panai and is based on the legend of Trivikrama (Vamana Avatar) of Lord Vishnu. The legend associated with Vishnu Deepam is an interpretation of Lord Vamana asking three steps of land from King Bali. Here instead of land it is based on the movement of sun and earth. It is said that the two steps of Lord Vamana are the Uttarayan and vernal equinox. And the third step which sends Bali to the underworld is the autumn equinox and the bonfire lit on Vishnu Deepam remembers this event. Karthigai Deepam is also observed on the day in most years and this is mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Muruga.

Dev Deepavali in Maharashtra

Dev Deepavali is observed on the first day of the Margashirsh month as per the traditional calendar followed in Maharashtra . Dev Deepavali 2024 date is December 2. It must be noted that Dev Deepavali is also observed on the Kartik Purnima day in many regions - this is on November 15. Please note that in many regions Dev Diwali is observed on Kartik Purnima. That is around 15 days earlier. Dev Deepavali as the name suggests is dedicated to the Devas or Demigods. It is observed to commemorate the victory over demons and their return to heaven or Devaloka. The most popular dev Deepavali is the one observed during the Kartik Purnima day which is the first Purnima after the Diwali celebrations.

Narmadeshwar Lingam – Shivalingam found in Narmada River

Narmadeshwar Lingam is the Shivalingam found in Narmada River in India . River Narmada is one of the sacred rivers associated with Hinduism. The Narmadeshwar lingams are naturally formed due to the flow of the river. The Linga is also known as Bana Lingams. Possessing this Shivalingam is considered highly auspicious and is believed to bring peace, progeny, luck, wealth, fame and prosperity. Importance of Narmadeshwar Lingam is mentioned in the Shiva Purana. It is said that Lord Shiva blesses the place where Narmadeshwar Lingam is kept and worshipped. People worship Narmadeshwar Lingam by offering water and bel leaves. Tilak using ash is also applied on the Linga. Narmadeshwar Lingam is a natural appearing lingam but there is no apt method to identify it. You can only be sure that you are having a Narmadeshwar Lingam, if you are able to personally pick it up from the Narmada River .

History of Talakad and Story of the Curse That Buried Talakkad below Sands

Talakad in Karnataka is famous for temples that are buried under sand – the Cauvery Riverbed. Situated on the banks of the Cauvery, the town of Talakkad is famous for the Panchalinga Darshan – a rare darshan of five Shiva temples during rare astrological calculations. The history of the town goes back to the 8th century AD but what is more popular than history is a myth – a curse that buried the town under sands. Meera Iyer writes about the History and the Myth of Talakkad in Deccan Herald Talakad has a long history, going back to at least the eighth century when it was the capital of the Ganga kings. In later years, it was also a prominent city under the Cholas, the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar kings and the Mysore Wodeyars, with each successive dynasty adding its own architectural stamp to the city.  Like any other ancient city in India , Talakad too has its share of colourful myths. But of the several stories about this ancient town, one that reverberates through th

The Story of Ekadasi Fasting – Ekadashi Vrat Katha

Ekadasi is a highly auspicious day dedicated to Lord Vishnu on the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight in traditional Hindu calendar. There are 24 Ekadasis in a year and 26 Ekadashis when there is an Adhika Masa in a Hindu lunar calendar. The yearly cycle of Ekadasi begins with the Utpanna Ekadasi in November/December. There is an interesting story regarding Ekadasi fasting and how the Ekadasi day gained such prominence is explained in the Ekadashi Vrat Katha. Once Devas (demigods) and their King Indra were driven out of Swarga (heaven) by Asuras or Demons. As usual the Devas took refuge at the feet of Lord Vishnu and pleaded to him to restore their lost kingdom. The current crisis for the Devas was created by Demon Mura – son of Demon Nadijangha and the ruler of Chandravati. Mura defeated all the demigods and started living in heaven. Lord Vishnu promised to help them and asked the Devas to assemble at Chandravati to fight Demon Mura. Soon Mura appeared befo

Modern Hinduism – New Course at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana

Modern Hinduism – a new course under which students would examine the rise of Hinduism from colonial period to the present day – has been approved by DePauw University in Greencastle , Indiana . Founded in 1837, DePauw University has a long and proud history of offering a strong liberal arts education to top young scholars from United States and the world. The Hindu reports “The main objective is to “encourage an understanding of the embedded nature of modern Hinduism within the historical matrices of culture, society, politics and economics in South Asia ,” the university said in a statement after the course was approved by its faculty last week by show of hands. Senior Melissa Zimmerman, a religious studies major, said the course is a natural component to the current religious studies class catalogue. “I think it definitely sounds like a useful class. There are modern courses in Islam and Christianity, so why not Hinduism?” she said, adding that the cou

About Aura – Yogi Ashwini of Dhyan Foundation

Aura is usually thought as an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint. All bodies emit heat radiation or vibrations. With non-living bodies, since there is no immediate change in their structure, this emission remains constant. In living bodies cells are constantly being destroyed and created; the rate of vibrations are continuously changing. This is the superficial or logical explanation of what auras are and why they are constant or changing. A lot of 'scientific' study of physical auras has been done in the West in recent years. Researchers have variously called it the human atmosphere, force field, and bio-energy. The fundamental substance of aura is best described by the Sanskrit term, prana. The colours of our mental states are manifested in the pranic substance of our auras. What does your aura tell you? Your aura indicates your state of health to come, specific diseases that are manifested or are going to manifest in your body, your m

Hindu Fasting Dates

There are many people who want to know which are the Hindu fasting dates. This is an easy to question to answer – you can fast 365 days. Yes in Hinduism all days are auspicious and you can fast on any day as you wish. All the seven days in a week are dedicated to a particular god – like Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva and there are thousands of Hindus who regularly observe a fast on Mondays. Apart from this weekly fasts there are fortnightly fast like on the eleventh day after full moon and no moon. This is the Ekadasi fasting and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Another fortnightly fast is the Pradosh fasting – it is observed on the 13th day after full moon (Purnima) and no moon (Amavas) and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Then there is monthly fasting like Sankashti Chaturthi dedicated to Lord Ganesha – this is observed on the fourth day after full moon. Another monthly fasting is dedicated to Lord Muruga – this is observed on the sixth day after no moon or

Ganga Was Declared as National River a Year Ago – the Holy River is More Polluted

When Holy Ganga was declared the National River of India on November 4, 2008, not many expected any radical change in the pollution level in Ganga . But many people did expect that pollution will be controlled and plastic wastes removed. But nothing major has happened after the National River Status and the holy river is becoming dirtier and more polluted every day. What has Holy Ganga gained after one year of National River Status – All official formalities are completed to save Ganga !!! Meetings, more meeting, committees, sub committees, official tours have been completed. Lot of Chai (tea), biscuit, cashew nuts and bottled water has been consumed in the name of Ganga . Perks, travel allowance and salaries for many. Lot of paper has been wasted... Binay Singh writes about River Ganga after its National River status "It is good that the Ganga has been given the status of the national river, but is it enough to put an end to the miseries of our national

Agrahan Month in 2024 in a Traditional Bengali Calendar

Agrahan is the eighth month in a traditional Bengali calendar. It follows the Kartik month. In Gregorian calendar, the Agrahan month begins in Mid November ends in Mid December. In 2024, Agrahan month in Bengal begins on November 17 and ends on December 16. The current year as per Bengali calendar is 1431. Important festivals in the month include: Itu Puja on all Sundays - November 17, November 24, December 1, December 8 and December 15 Aamabashya day in Agrahan Month in 2024 is on December 1 Purnima day in Agrahan Month in 2024 is on December 15 The Ekadashi in the month are on November 26 and December 11.

Annaprashan Ceremony or Annaprasana Sanskar

Annaprashan ceremony, also known as Annaprasana Sanskar, is a Hindu ceremony in which a new born child is given solid food. For boys, Annaprasan is formed when they are between and six and eight months and for girls it is performed when they are between five and seven months. Annaprashan literally means taking ‘sanskari food’ – solid food eaten by adults. For many Hindu families, Annaprashan is a very important ceremony and it is performed at an auspicious time of an auspicious day based on Hindu Vedic Astrology. Special pujas are offered to Lord Ganesha and other deities in the Hindu pantheon that is worshipped by the family. Some people also offer special pujas to goddess Annapoorna on the day. The food that is given to child on the day is pure vegetarian and is mostly semi solid food like kheer etc. A child can take solid food from this day on words.

Mahakumbha of Arya Samaj in November 2009

A three-day Mahakumbha of Arya Samaj at Mathura , Uttar Pradesh, organized to commemorate the first meeting of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj, with his teacher Acharya Virjanand 150 years ago will begin on November 6, 2009. The historic meeting between Swami Dayanand Saraswati and a blind Acharya Virjanand sowed the seeds for the formation of Arya Samaj - Hindu reform movement founded in 1875. When Swami Dayanand arrived at Mathura to study from Swami Virjanand - after introduction and asking about the study done by Swami Dayanand, Swami Virjanand told him to go and throw all his books in the river Ganaga and come and learn with an open mind - to improve your knowledge one has to start with an open mind rather than pre-conceived mind; one has to be like a dry sponge ready to absorb the waters of knowledge. Some of the important teachings of Arya Samaj are: God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge

Words of Wisdom from My Guru in Disguise by Priya Mookerjee

All creation arose from the desire of the cosmic mind to create. Desire, therefore, is the fuel behind the manifested universe. Everything we perceive from the simple to the very complex arose from desire. However, that is very different from ego-based desire, which is only motivated by selfish fulfillment. Ego-based desire is the root cause of all suffering. Therefore, constant feeding of desires is not the key to happiness, but renunciation and discrimination provide the answer. That simply means giving up the lesser for the greater, and, the uncertain for the certain. Meditate in solitude and try to perceive the fleeting nature of the world. Gradually discrimination will awaken to remind us to be effortless in our quest and to finally dwell in a state of unchanging oneness... My Guru in Disguise by Priya Mookerjee The book My Guru in Disguise is a daughter's compelling account of being a witness to the profound inner changes that her mother goes through.

Book – In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology

In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology is a collection of essays, poems, conversations and commentaries by people from various walks of life that explore different aspects of the life of Mata Sita in the Ramayana. The book revisits the incidents in the life of Sita and links to happenings in the contemporary world. The influence of Sita is not limited to a particular religion or country and this is proved by certain essays and conversations in this book. A major highlight of the book is Aman Nath's creative interpretation of Sita's life through the Victorian Indian prints from his private collection. One of the conversations in the book is with American animator Nina Paley who created her own animated feature on the Ramayana, title Sita Sings the Blues. Nina found herself relating to Sita's plight in the Ramayana as she watched her marriage end abruptly. Lord Meghnad Desai whose essay Sita and Some Other Women from the Epics states that Sita has always been