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Showing posts from March 30, 2017


Muslims Offering Prayers to Lord Venkateswara Especially on Ugadi – Story of Bibi Nancharamma

Lord Venkateswara, famous as Tirupati Balaji, is worshipped and offered prayers by Muslims in certain regions in Kadapa and Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh. Muslims offer prayers in Venkateswara Temples in Kadapa and Rayalaseema during Ugadi, the Hindu lunar year in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Why Muslims Offer Prayers to Lord Venkateswara Muslims in the region believe that Bibi Nancharamma, a consort of Lord Sri Venkateswara, is a Muslim. This belief is based on a folk story prevalent in Rayalaseema region. It is explained by some scholars that the story about Bibi Nancharamma was a folk imagination during the times of conflicts between Hindus and Muslims during the medieval times (Deekshitulu 2010: page 66). The story is believed to have helped in unifying Muslims and Hindus of the region. Story of Bibi Nancharamma The story of Bibi Nancharamma is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity and consort of Lord Vishnu. In the regi

Story Of Avvaiyar

Avvaiyar was a great devotional poetess of Tamil Nadu. Her life story is very interesting as she asked for old age to escape from marriage so that she can lead a hassle free spiritual life. The most popular legend is that Avvai was the daughter of Athy, a low caste woman, and a Brahmin named Pagavan. Unreconciled to his marriage with a low-caste woman, Pagavan unwillingly made Athy promise to abandon her children. Avvai, the first of seven children, was adopted by a family of traditional singers known as Panars. The adopted child surprised her parents by completing an unfinished song. When her marriage was being considered, she appealed to Lord Ganesha to extricate her from this travail, and she was transformed into an old woman. She then led a life of wandering minstrel and her songs and sayings are popular even today. She is believed to have had darshan of Lord Muruga. Muruga Gives Darshan to Avvaiyar Legend has it that once Avvaiyar stopped to rest in a forest dur