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Showing posts from April 17, 2019


Vaishakh Mahina 2024 in Hindi Calendar – Mantra - Importance - Religious Rituals - Vrat in Vaisakh Month in Hindu Calendars in 2024

Vaishakh Mahina, or Vaisakha Masa, is the second month in a traditional Hindu calendar followed in North India . In 2024, Vaishakh Mahina in Hindi Calendar is from April 24 to May 23, 2024. This calendar is followed in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab , and Chhattisgarh. The current year in North India Hindu Calendar is Vikram Samvat 2080. Importance - Religious Rituals - Vrat in Vaisakh Month The month is named after Vishakha nakshatra - one among the 27 birth stars in Hindu astrology. As per Skanda Purana, this is an ideal month for all kinds of auspicious and spiritual activities. The month is dedicated to Sri Krishna (Bhagavan Vishnu). Madhusudan form of Krishna is given importance in the month. The person waking up in the morning before sunrise, taking bath and performing puja of Krishna will achieve peace and prosperity. As per Skanda Purana, Raja Mahirath had attained peace, prosperity and moksha by mere

Annaprashan in Bengali Culture – Rice Eating Ceremony

Annaprashan is the first rice eating ceremony of a newly born baby in Bengali culture. The ceremony is performed during the sixth or the eighth month after the baby’s birth. The new born baby consumes its first solid food during the Annaprashan ceremony.  From that day onwards the baby can consume solid food. On the day of the ceremony, the baby is given a traditional bathe using Haldi or turmeric and sandalwood paste markings are made on the forehead. The baby wears traditional dress for the ceremony. A baby boy wears dhoti, white silk kurta and a headdress. A baby girl wears red sari, red blouse and headdress. The first solid food offered is Kheer (sweet). The food is first offered to the family deity. Cooked rice and water is then offered to dead ancestors. Finally, the baby is given Kheer by the parents or an elderly member in the family.

Hindu Solar Calendars – Differences – Various Calculations

Hindu solar calendars are mainly followed in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Punjab and Tripura. Those sects and regions that follow Sankranti as starting of month follow solar calendar. There are major differences in the solar calendars followed in various regions. The calendars followed in most regions in India is the lunar calendar based on the movement of moon. Even solar calendars follow the lunar calendar for setting majority of pan India festivals. A solar month in Hindu calendars begin on 14th or 15th or 16th of a traditional month. Hindu Solar Calendars The solar year is the time period of the earth‘s revolution around the sun. If instead of taking the sun as a fixed body, we assume the earth to be fixed, then the sun will seem to be moving around the earth. Therefore, the time taken for the sun to make a complete revolution of the earth and come back to the same reference point in the sky will be the measure of a year. The reference point to which the su

Amavasya Shraddha Tarpan - Importance of Offering Food To Ancestors On Amavasya

In Hinduism, it is of great significance to offer food and water to dead ancestors on Amavasya (no moon day). The importance of offering food on Amavasya is found in the Garuda Purana In the Garuda Purana (Preta khanda II 10.50-55) Lord Vishnu says to Garuda: "On the day of Amavasya (new moon day), the airy manes (the ancestors) stand at the door of their descendents in order to receive their food. They remain there till sunset. When they do not receive their food they fall in despair and out of suffering heave long sighs and go back cursing the descendents. Therefore, one should carefully perform shraddha (offer food) to your ancestors on the new moon day (Amavasya) every month. Some people are of the opinion that Pitra Puja should not be performed because the Atma or the deceased has already taken birth again. It might have been born as an animal, bird, insect, human form or whatever form that the soul would receive in accordance with the karmas (actions good or bad)

Ardhanarishvara Story – Goddess Parvati Jealous

The most popular version of Ardhanarishvara story of Shiva is associated with Sage Bhrigu but there is another version regarding the creation of half-man, half-woman form of Shiva. This story traces the origin of Ardhanarishvara to Goddess Parvati being jealous of Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Parvati grew jealous of Goddess Lakshmi because Vishnu, her husband, always carried the mark Srivastava, the symbol of Lakshmi, on his chest. Goddess Parvati one day complained about this to Shiva and says that He neglected her. To appease Goddess Parvati, Shiva gave half of his body to her and thus became Ardhanarishwara. The two universal parents, the father and the mother, or the heaven and the earth, are symbolized in the half-male and half-female aspects of Shiva. The male half if Agni and the female half is Soma. Heaven is father and earth is mother Dyava Prithvi. Heaven symbolizes the immortal world of the devas and the earth, the mortal world of matter. These are the two

Bala – Strength – Significance in Yoga

Bala – strength – is of great significance in Yoga. But the importance is given to mental strength. Physical strength is very much necessary but should be complemented by mental and spiritual strength. Mental power, when it manifests through the body, is strength; when it is exercised mentally it is called power. In addition to mental power certain superhuman powers (vibhuti siddhi) have also been mentioned in Yoga Sutra. They are all mental powers. When strength/power is channelized towards spiritual achievement it becomes power. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the term bala occurs thrice: Maitryadisu balani (Yogasutra III.23) – By employing samyama on maitri and the rest the practitioner gets strength in these qualities. Thus the qualities gain excellence by yogic practice. In this phrase, Bala means mental power only. Baleshu Hastyadini (Yogasutra III.24) – One acquires the strength of an elephant by samyama (self control). This is clear indication of the physica

Symbolism of Prasad in Hinduism – Naivedya – Bhog – Prasadam In Hindu Rituals

Prasad or prasadam is a Sanskrit word which refers to any material substance that is first offered to the deity, and then consumed (usually fruits, sweets, flowers). The process of offering is called naivedya or bhog. There is a deep symbolism and meaning associated with Prasad. Once accepted by the temple deity, the prasad is returned to the devotee, it has the deity's blessing residing within it. So every temple visit usually has a two-way transaction. You offer something to the deity in the temple, and you get it back enriched with blessings. What's more, when you go back home, you also get to share it with friends, neighbors and family. The most famous Prasadams are the Tirupati Balaji Laddu, Sabarimala Aravana Payasam, Palani Panchamritham etc. A fruit or any food item that is offered to the deity is a prasadam. Symbolism of Prasad In the early Rig Vedic texts, though, prasad was something else altogether. It was originally a sort of inner mental state expe

Kshaya Month In Hindu Lunar Calendar

Kshaya Month in Hindu Lunar Calendar may happen that a lunar month will completely overlap any of the short three nirayana solar months of Agrahayana (Margashirsha), Pausha and Magha. In this case, no new moon will occur in that overlapped solar month, and thus there will be no lunar month named after this solar month. There would be a missing or “Kshaya‘ month in the lunar year. Kshaya Month might occur at intervals as close as 19, 46, 65, 76, 122 and 141 years. When such a Kshaya month occurs in a lunar year, there will always be two Adhika lunar months in that period, one before and after the Kshaya lunar month. One of these two Adhika months is treated as an intercalary month and other one as a true month. Source - Chatterjee S.K., (1998) Indian Calendaric System, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. Dershowitz N. and Reingold E.M., (1997) Calendarical Calculations, Cambridge University Press Indian Calendars Aslakse

Swami Chinmayananda Spiritual Guidance Based On Hindu Religion Texts

Spiritual Guidance From Swami Chinmayananda based on Hindu religion texts. Swami Chinmayananda on the meaning of Namah It is an ancient tradition that stemmed forth from the Vedic period that gave us the word ‘Namah’. In the passage of time, it came to be interpreted as prostrations or salutations, Namaskar. In its virginal meaning, it was a term that came in vogue by the spoliation (lopa) of a term that is repeated very often in the Vedic rituals, as the pundits chant the mantras and offer the oblations to the sacred fire: ‘Agne Idam Na Mama’ “O Lord Fire! (This what I am offering is not mine’). This term ‘Na Mama’ (not mine) expresses the mental attitude of the devotees; everything belongs to Thee O Lord – I am only offering to Thee what is already owned by You. This spirit of total dedication, complete surrender, and supreme selflessness is that which is expressed by the term ‘Na Mama.’ This ‘Na Mama’ became ‘Nama.’ When this term came to be oft repeated b