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Showing posts from August 30, 2012


Amavasya Puja and Rituals and Dead Forefathers

Amavasya or No moon day in a Hindu lunar calendar is considered highly auspicious for performing pujas and rituals dedicated to dead parents, grand parents, brothers, sisters, wife, son, daughter and other relatives. The popular belief is that the light from the sun that instead of reaching the moon reaches the dead on the day. Another belief is that souls of the dead visit relatives on the earth on the day. On the day, living relatives can perform holy bath in river, lake or sea, perform tila tarpanam, feed the dead and perform annadanam – donation of food to hungry. As part of the puja and ritual people only take a single meal on Amavas. A simple vegetarian food is eaten on the day. The most important Amavasya in north western and eastern parts of India is the Mahalaya Amavasya (September – October). In Kerala, it is the Amavasya in the month of Karkidakam – Karikadaka Vavu Bali – that is important. In Tamil, the Amavasya in the month of Thai and Aadi are highl

Huge Shivling with Thousand Shivling Chiselled on It - Koteshwarnath Temple in Gaya in Bihar

Koteshwarnath Temple at Main Village near Belaganj in Gaya District in Bihar is a famous Shiva Temple with a unique Shivling – the huge Shivling has a thousand Shivling chiselled on it. The murti is known as Sahastra Lingi Baba Koteshwarnath. It is also believed that prayers offered in the temple are fulfilled immediately. It is said that the blessing of Koteshwarnath is  equal to one hundred thousand blessings Times of India reports Located on the bank of river Morhar river at Main village, the temple's sanctum sanctorum is carved in a single piece of red stone and within it is installed a large sized Shivalinga with around 1,008 miniature Shivlingas around 1200 years back. People call it Sahastra Shivalinga built in-one and believe Lord Shiva here showers blessings on the devotees.  An amazing thing near the Koteshwarnath temple is an old Pipal tree, whose large branches have turned towards the temple bending downwards as if offering prayers to Lord Shiva. The priests