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Showing posts from July 17, 2018


Ralph Waldo Emerson and Hinduism

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882), transcendentalist, essayist, poet, preacher, philosopher and seer, was influenced by Hinduism. Emerson was among the earliest Americans to use Hindu ideas, symbols, epigrams, metaphors and fables in his writings. His knowledge of Hindu religion was obtained primarily from the translated works or commentaries on the Hindu scriptures by English and French writers of the 18 th century. Emerson was particularly fascinated by the Bhagavad Gita, Rig Veda Samhita, Upanishads, Vishnu Purana, Hitopadesha and laws of Manu. Books of these authors gave Ralph Waldo Emerson a peep into the Hindu world. Sir William Jones (1746 – 1794) H. H. Wilson (1786 – 1860) H. T. Colebrooke (1765 – 1834) Victor Cousin (1792 – 1833) How Hinduism Influenced Ralph Waldo Emerson? His religious views bear a clear imprint of the Hindu concepts of God, man, nature, soul, maya (illusion), karma, evil and transmigration. Emerson believed not in religious

Jejuri Khandoba Temple History – Architecture – Jejuri Mandir Jatras and Festivals

Jejuri Khandoba Temple is very important for the architectural evolution as a hill temple complex in Maharashtra. The temple is around 48 km south-east of Pune, towards the town Phaltan. Number of Steps in Jejuri Khandoba 200 stone steps lead a devotee to Khandoba Mandir located atop a hillock. Jejuri is the abode of the God of the oldest tribes in Maharashtra, the Dhangars. A community of shepherds, they are deeply devoted to Khandoba (Lord Shiva) as he had married Ganai, the daughter of a shepherd. Couples visit the shrine after marriage and a couple has to make the offering to the deity together, standing next to each other. Lord Shiva appeared as Khandoba to slay demons Mani and Malla. Divti is the martial symbol of Khandoba. It has the shape of a dagger, but doubles up as a lamp. When lit up the dagger is a symbol of light that slays darkness. Jejuri Khandoba Temple History and Architecture The temple was initially constructed in 1608 AD. The Sabhamandapa an

Aadi Pandigai in Aadi Masam – Festivals in Aadi Month in Tamil Nadu

There are numerous festivals (Pandigai) that are observed in Aadi Masam. Aadi month is dedicated to the worship of Mother Goddess – Amman . Aadi marks the beginning of the festival season in Tamil Nadu. The first day of Aadi is referred as Aadi Pirappu or Aadi Pandigai. The day begins with the making of huge kolams (Rangoli designs) in front of the home. The kolam is drawn on all days of the month. The kolams are bordered with red color – Kaavi. Doorways are decorated with mango leaves. The day begins with pujas and visit to temple. There will be a feast on the day with special delicacies include payasam, vadai, boli etc. On the first day of Aadi, married women change the yellow thread in their Mangalsutra or thali..  Dakshinayanam, Sun’s transits from the northern hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere, happens in Aadi month. The important festivals include Aadi Perukku, also known as Padinettam Perukku, is observed on 18 th day of the month. It is a water ritual obser

Sri Chinmoy Quotes - A Collection of Thoughts and Teachings of Chinmoy

Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, better known as Sri Chinmoy (27 August 1931 – 11 October 2007), was an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation. This is a collection of Sri Chinmoy Quotes on various topics including love, desire, gratitude… To reach your goal the fastest, every day make a new attempt; every day feel that you are a fresh flower. For a genuine seeker, the inner world is infinitely more real than the outer world. When we have a childlike state of mind, it becomes extremely easy to find God. Here, there and everywhere. The most beautiful thing on earth is our gratitude to divinity. Children always see more beauty than grown-ups do; because of their tremendous inner purity they see beauty in everything. Therefore we have to appreciate and admire them because they are still in the world of the soul. When the mind is "developed", it also goes through conditioning and so begins to find fault. We love to see ugliness and impurity even in things that