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Showing posts from March 12, 2014


Why do we Celebrate Holi?

Holi is celebrated after the full moon day in the month of phalgun (February – March). It is traditionally a harvest festival. Like all Hindu festivals, the reason for the celebration of Holi can be traced to Hindu scriptures and it commemorates the victory of good over evil. The significance of Holi is that victory of good over evil is achieved by a young devotee through his unshakable devotion for the Lord. The date of Holi celebration depends on the moon and lunar calendar. Holi Story based on Prahlada and Demon Holika Young Prahlada was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu but this was detested by his arrogant father, Hirnakashyipu, who was the king of the land. The father constantly sought for ways to eliminate his son and each time he failed miserably. But this only hardened his stance. Now, the king had a sister named Holika who was immune to fire. So, she took young Prahlada and entered into fire. Legend has it that Prahlada came out of the fire without any

All Women Akhada Formed For the First Time

Adi Shankaracharya had formed the first Akhada in Hinduism. An Akhada is a group of holy men who are defenders of Hindu faith – who are physically, intellectually and spiritually strong. The most famous Akhada that most people are aware of are that of the Naga Sadhus. Now an all-female Akhada has been formed in Allahabad . Global Post reports  Mahant Trikal Bhavanta, a leading woman sadhu, told AFP late Friday that the all-women akhada was believed to be the first in the history of Hinduism in India . An akhada is a group of sadhus -- reclusive ascetics or wandering monks who renounce normal life and are often widely respected for their holiness. India has more than a dozen such groups, all male-dominated.  Bhavanta said the all-women group was facing criticism from male sadhus, who claim the move goes against age-old customs.  "Nowhere in the Hindu scriptures is it mentioned that women cannot have an akhada of their own," she told AFP. "We are facing cri