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Showing posts from October 24, 2018


Balendu Pooja – Worship of Moon After Amavasya

Balendu Pooja is the worship of the moon after the no moon day or Amavasya. It is observed on the first day during the waxing phase of moon or Shukla Paksha Pratipada. Balendu Puja is held every month in some regions. It involves praying and making offerings to Chandra, the moon god. ‘Balendu’ means the ascending moon. Devotees offer prayers to Chandra or moon god on the day at moonrise time. They offer curd, white sweet and white flowers. The food items are later shared with family members, friends and neighbors. Making food donation on the day to orphans and poor elderly people is considered highly meritorious. 

Goddess Amirthavalli – About Amrutha Valli Thayar Manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi

Goddess Amirthavalli Thayar is manifestation of Mother Goddess Lakshmi and in this manifestation she is the consort of Narasimha Murti at Sholinghur Temple in Vellore District in Tamil Nadu. Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi appeared from one of the ponds near Sholinghur Temple . Amrutha Valli Thayar emerged from the pond sitting on a thousand petal lotus flower. She was given the name Amirthavalli as she was holding the a creeper of the Amrita plant. She married Narasimha on a Friday and hence the day is associated with the Goddess. It is widely believed that Goddess Amirthavalli blesses her devotees with prosperity, good, long life and happiness.

Story of Creation Associated with Hindu God Shiva

The Kathasaritasagara narrates the story of creation associated with Shiva. Story of creation in Shaivism is different from that associated with Vaishnavism. Kathasaritasagara states once Shiva was asked in Ujjain as to why He loves skulls and cremation grounds. Shiva then states the story of Him plucking the head of Brahma and late due to remorse deciding to roam with the skull. But before narrating the incident, Shiva narrates the story of creation. At the end of a cycle of creation or Kalpa, the earth is covered with water. Then to start the new cycle of creation, Shiva cuts open his thigh and drops a blood in the water which turns into an egg. A man appears break opening the egg – He is referred as Pitamaha, the supreme father (Brahma). Shiva then creates Prakriti, the female principle. They together then created Prajapatis, progenitors. They then gave rise to praja, living beings. The mind of the first born is filled with pride on the act of creation. H

Pancha Dwaraka – Five Holy Places Associated with Sri Krishna in Gujarat and Rajasthan

Though known as Pancha Dwaraka there are a total of nine holy places associated with Sri Krishna in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Five of them are very important and therefore known as Pancha Dwaraka. There is no one opinion about Pancha Dwaraka but most devotees believe that the Pancha Dwaraka are Dwarkadhish Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Sudama Dwarka, Dakor Dwarka and Nathdwara. The first of these five is the main Dwarakadheesh Temple . It is one of the seven sacred places in Hinduism that confers salvation or moksha. It is also one of 108 sacred places of Vaishnavites. The place is mentioned in almost all Hindu scriptures. The temple was built during the reign of Vajranabha, grandson of Sri Krishna, by the divine architect Vishwakarma. The temple enshrines a 3-foot tall black stone image of Sri Krishna as Ranchod Raya. Gomati Dwaraka is on the Gomati River and has a small temple of Goddess Gomati. Rukmini Dwarka is located around 3 km from Dwarkadhish temple. It is believed that

Story – Five Husbands of Draupadi and The Boon of Shiva

Draupadi had five husbands in the Mahabharata. There are numerous stories that indicate why Draupadi had five husbands. One story links it with a boon given by Lord Shiva. Legend has it that Draupadi performed intense austerities to please Shiva to get an honest, strong, skilled, handsome and intelligent husband. Shiva who is not used to the ways of the world blessed her with five husbands with a quality she asked for. Thus Draupadi got Yudhisthira who was honest; Bhim who was strong; Arjun who was skilled; Nakul who was handsome and Sahadeva who was intelligent as her husbands. This story is narrated to prove that Shiva is Bholenath who is ignorant of worldly ways. He is bliss, pure, ignorant of the ways of the society. Related Why did Draupadi marry the Pandavas?

Saranathan – About the Saranathan manifestation of Lord Vishnu

Saranathan form of Srihari Vishnu is worshipped in one of the Divya Desam Temples. The murti of Saranathan is in standing posture and faces East. The important temple associated with this manifestation of Vishnu is at Tirucherai near Kodavasal in Tiruvarur District. The temple is known as Tirucherai Saranathan Temple. Story of Saranathan Form of Vishnu Legend has it that when it was time for one Yuga to end, Brahma asked to Vishnu to suggest a place to hide the Vedas. Bhagvan Vishnu asked Brahma to make a strong pot and put the Vedas inside it. Brahma tried to make a strong pot using clay taken from various locations but the pot was not strong. Finally, the pot made using clay taken from Tirucherai was very strong. The Vedas were placed in the pot. As the place provided the clay to make the pot to overcome the Mahapralaya the place was known as Sara Kshetram. Saranatha is also one of the forms of Vishnu who is present will all his consorts - Sridevi, Bhudevi, Neela Devi,

Rig Veda Quotes - A Collection of Quotes from Rig Veda

This is a collection of quotes from Rig Veda. The source is mostly translation in English by western scholars. Man conquers his fear of death only through his intuitive perception of the Supreme Entity. Wisdom comes to a man, who meditates, acts and lives according to the true eternal laws of Nature. Men enjoy riches not only due to their personal efforts and through the grace of god but also mainly through their own patience and perseverance. Let noble thoughts come to us from every side. – Rg Veda I-89-i One should act with one mind and one thought. – Rg Veda Samhita X-64-7 Deeds shall be pure. — Rg Veda Samhita X-18-2 One who does not work is a social evil. — Rg Veda Samhita X-22-8 Do not abandon all the great, pure, calm oceans of the mind and cling to one bubble of confusion and accept it as the whole ocean. Be like the Ocean, which receives all streams and rivers. The Ocean’s mighty calm remains unmoved; it feels them not. Each object in the