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Showing posts from June 27, 2015


The story of Kusha Grass and The Birth of Kush – the son of Sri Ram and Sita

Kusha or Darbha is the name of the grass that is widely used in prayers and rituals in Hindu tradition. An interesting folktale connects Kusha grass to the birth of Kush, the son of Sri Ram and Sita. As per the folktale, after her banishment from Ayodhya, Sita gave birth to Luv at the ashram of Sage Valmiki. One day Sita left Luv in the custody of Sage Valmiki and went into the forest to collect firewood. But when the sage left for his daily prayers, Luv wandered into the forest and followed his mother. Upon returning, Sage Valmiki on not finding the child became tense. Valmiki searched for Luv everywhere but was unable to find him. The sage thought that some wild animals might have carried the child away. He could not even think about saying this to Sita. Therefore, he took a Kusha grass, used his divine powers, and created another Luv, who had all the qualities and characteristics of the original Luv. Sita soon returned with Luv and was surprised to see the twin. Valmiki

Goddess Jwalamukhi – The Story of Origin of Hindu Goddess Jwalamukhi

Goddess Jwalamukhi is an incarnation of Mother Goddess Shakti. The Goddess appeared in the form of a fierce flame on earth. Legend has it that once two demons named Chand and Mund looted all the wealth of Devas. Symbolically, it suggests that the Devas lost their peace and prosperity to the two demons. The Devas then propitiated Shiva to get back the lost treasures. Shiva was pleased by the long and intense penance performed by Devas and appeared before them. Shiva assured them that Mother Goddess would appear in the form of flame and help them. Chand and Mund had hid all the wealth that they had stolen from Devas in a cave in a hill where the present day Jwalamukhi Temple is located in Kashmir. Goddess Jwalamukhi then appeared on the hill, consumed the two demons, and returned the wealth to the Devas. The Goddess then decided to reside on the hill in this form. Goddess Jwalamukhi is popularly worshipped in the form of a yantra. The most popular temple dedicated

Story - Importance Of Immersion Of Mortal Remains In Ganga River

Mortal remains in Hindu tradition is the bones that that are collected from the funeral pyre. There is a popular belief that immersion of the mortal remains in the Ganga River will help in attaining Moksha. The story narrating the importance of immersing mortal remains in Ganga is mentioned in the Kashi Kanda (Chapter on Kashi) in the Skanda Purana. There lived a man who did not lead a good life. He did not respect elders and women and committed numerous sins. Once he was travelling through a forest and there a tiger killed him. The lieutenants of Yama, the Hindu God of Death, arrived on the scene and carried his soul to Yama. Meanwhile, the tiger ate the body of the man and vultures ate what was left. A vulture carried a piece of his bone and flew up into the sky. Another vulture tried to snatch the piece of bone. While this was happening, Chitragupta, the keeper of records of all actions of human beings on Earth, was reading the deeds of the man to Yama. For the sin

Flying Hanuman Idol (Murti) at Trinidad Temple

Flying Hanuman Murti is located at Todd’s Road Hindu Temple at Caparo in Trinidad and Tobago . The murti is based on the incident in the Ramayan of Hanuman carrying the mountain with the Sanjeevani Herb to save the life of Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Ram, who was struck and rendered unconscious by the arrow of Indrajit, son of Ravana. The Flying Hanuman, which is air brushed and stands at about 12 feet tall, with a width of five feet, is portrayed holding a mountain in its left hand on an I-beam pole, which towers 20 feet above ground. The flying Hanuman Murti was designed and executed by Sculptor Marlon Emmons for the private Hindu temple belonging to Harrinarine Persad of Harripersad & Sons Ltd. Guardian Trinidad writes about the Flying Hanuman Murti   The Flying Hanuman statue took approximately seven months to design and construct, at minimal cost, a feat Emmons believed was noteworthy, because a project of this nature would normally have t