Renuka Yatra at Saundatti in Belgaum in Karnataka is held to the famous Renuka Devi Temple or Yellamma Devi Temple. The Jatara or temple festival is held on Paush Purnima. Paush Purnima Renuka Yatra 2025 date is January 13. The annual jatara attracts thousands of devotees to the temple. The jatara is known as Neeramanavi Yellamma Jatara. The puja and rituals on the day are unique and are annually held only on this day. Saundatti is located around 83 km from Belgaum. Renuka Jatara is held on various occasions – especially on Purnima or full moon day in other months. 

Sateri Devi festival at Mazgaon is observed in Paush month. It is important fair and festival at the Sateri Devi Temple at Mazgaon Village near Sawantwadi. This annual utsav is an important religious event here. Sateri Devi festival at Mazgaon in 2025 is on January 14. Hundreds of people participate in this all important annual festival in the temple. Various important rituals are held during the period. A huge fair is also held here during the occasion. Mazgaon Sateridevi Festival is observed on Paush Krishna Paksha Pratipada Tithi or the first day during the waning phase of moon in Paush month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra. 

Gajanan Maharaj Yatra is annually organized in Paush month at Mundgaon village near Akot in Akola District of Maharashtra. The place is around 42 km from Shegaon, a popular pilgrim center associated with Gajanan Maharaj. Mundgaon Gajanan Maharaj yatra 2025 date is January 14. Shri Gajanan Maharaj Paduka Sansthan located here houses the original paduka or footwear of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. This beautiful temple attracts thousands of devotees. Special darshan and pujas are organized on the occasion. The temple is decorated during the period. Mundgaon Gajanan Maharaj Yatra is annually held on Paush Krishna Paksha Pratipada Tithi or the first day during the waning phase of moon in Paush month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar followed in Maharashtra.

Goddess Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of wisdom, knowledge, intelligence and learning. She is the deity invoked for attaining mastery in music and fine arts. Students, writers, artists and poets invoke her and take her blessings for success and achievements. Ignorance is impurity. Knowledge removes impurity. This knowledge is Saraswati. The light of knowledge is all-penetrating. It removes mind’s darkness. It removes the blindness of the ignorant and clears the vision. She is essentially a Vedic goddess and is mentioned in the Rig Veda. The popular belief is the Goddess Saraswati appeared from the mind of Brahma before he began the process of creation. Brahma needed a female to complete a yajna he was preparing to complete before creation. A girl appeared from his Sattva Guna and she was named Saraswati. Brahma asked her to sit on the tip of the tongue of human beings. Another form of her was asked to reside with him. At third form became river on earth. In traditio

Akshayapuriswarar Temple at Vilankulam is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva. The shrine is around 40 km south of Pattukottai in Thanjavur District in Tamil Nadu. The temple is more than 700 years old. The most important festivals observed in the temple are Shivratri, Akshaya Tritiya, Trikarthigai in Karthigai Month and Thiruvathirai in Margazhi month. Unique Shani Bhagavan Murti A specialty of the temple is the subsidiary shrine of Shani Bhagavan who faces south in wedding form with his consorts Mandha and Jyeshta. It is believed that Shiva gave darshan to Shani Bhagavan here on Akshaya Tritiya and Poosam Nakshatra day. Legend has it that once Shani was hit on the leg by Yama, the god of death. Shani became lame and performed pilgrimage of Shiva temples to get his leg fixed. Shani got darshan of Shiva at Vilankulam Temple and got his leg fixed. Subsidiary shrines in the temple are dedicated to Vinayaka, Muruga with Valli and Daivasena, Chandikeshwara, Surya, Bhairava, Nand

Tapas in Hinduism is penance. The first image that comes to the mind when we talk about Tapas is that of a Sannyasi or Yogi or a human being sitting in forest or on a mountain and meditating to achieve boons. This image is a false one. There is more significance and deeper meaning to Tapas. The real concept of Tapas in Hinduism is to remove the concept of duality or dvandva from mind. To firm up the belief that there is no second – there is only Supreme Truth. To firm up this belief, a yogi tries to overcome dualities like hunger and thirst, cold and heat, happiness and sadness… etc. Tapas can be performed by both men and women or by any living being. In true Hindu Teaching, Tapa is not performed to attain something – like siddhi or wealth or magical powers. It is performed for removing the ignorance that has accumulated in us in this birth and several other births. It is to purify and finally merge with the Supreme Truth. Tapa is not merely sitting in solitude and

Malikapuram Temples at Sabarimala is dedicated to Malikapurathamma. The small temple is located on the right side of the main temple at Sabarimala. There is an interesting story of Ayyappa and Malikapurathamma. The popular belief is that Malikapurathamma is the beautiful woman that emerged from the body of Demon Mahishi after the demon was annihilated by Lord Ayyappa. After appearing from the body of demon Mahishi , Malikapurathamma made a request to Lord Ayyappa to marry her. But Ayyappa said that he was a Brahmachari and so he could not marry her. But Malikapurathamma continued to plead to marry her and then Lord Ayyappa said that He will marry her when no Kanni Ayyappas or first time visitors comes to his shrine. The first time visitors, or Kanni Ayyappas, to the Ayyappa temple pierce sharakol, or arrow, at Sharamkutti on the way to the Sabarimala Temple . Every year Malikapurathamma is taken from Malikapuram Temple to Sharamkutti in a procession to know