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Showing posts from June 6, 2014


When to end Ekadasi Fasting? – What is the correct time to end Ekadasi Fasting?

The breaking of Ekadasi fasting is known as Parana . The correct time to end Ekadasi fasting is after the sunrise on 12 th day or Dwadasi. Some people end the fasting after the first quarter of the Dwadasi Tithi. Ekadasi fasting in Hindu religion is observe on the 11 th day of a fortnight and is dedicated to Bhagvan Sri Maha Vishnu. Ekadasi is the 11 th day during a fortnight in a Hindu calendar. Dwadasi is the 12 th day during a fortnight in a Hindu calendar. The simple rule to be followed is to break the fasting before Dwadasi Tithi ends. That is before the day after Ekadasi ends. Today majority of Hindus end the fast next day morning after sunrise. Such people do not look for Tithi time. Always remember what matters is devotion and following Dharma not how you fast and when you end fast. Follow the rules that you have been following. What is the use of fasting and if you do not have devotion and perform Adharmic activities. We should not complicate our

Coffee Table Book Lord Ganesha with Illustrations by Famous Cartoonist R K Laxman

Coffee table book titled Lord Ganesha is written by Dharmendra Bhandari and has illustrations by the author and the famous cartoonist R K Laxman. The book explores the unknown tales and symbols of Ganesha. What makes the book unique is the illustrations. The Hindu reports   Bhandari recounts tales from the Puranas on different aspects of Ganesha lore, connecting them to rituals associated with his worship. He also tells us about how the deity has travelled in various forms beyond India to countries like China, Japan and Indonesia and is incorporated in Buddhism as well.  Most of us grow up with some sort of rituals and customs and don’t always question why these norms are laid down. The author says he too was like that to a large extent. “We worship but we don’t always know why,” he says. Thus, he undertook a lot of research, he says, to write the text, delving into Puranas, visiting temples and asking priests. “Surprisingly, there is no book on Ganesha,” he notes. “There a