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Showing posts from April 18, 2019


Vaishakh Snan – Holy Bathing Dates in Vaishakha Month

Vaishakh Snan, or Baishakh Snana, is observed in the month of Vaishakh (April – May) as per the traditional lunar calendar followed in North India . In 2024, Vaishakh Snan (date) begins on April 23 and ends on May 23. Vaishakh Snan is act of performing ritualistic bath (taking holy dip) in sacred rivers and Teerthas (sacred tanks) associated with Hinduism. Taking dip in the Narmada River in Vaishakh month is considered highly auspicious. This year the Snan takes place in Adhik Vaishakh Maas and also in Nija Vaishakh Maas. Vaishakh Snan begins on the Purnima day (full moon day) in Chaitra month and ends on the full moon day in Vaishakh month. The important bathing dates during Vaishakha Snana are Chaitra Shukla Purnima, Vaishakh Krishna Amavasya, Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, Vaishakha Shukla Panchami, and Vaishakha Shukla Purnima. All dates as per Purnimant calendar followed in North India

Chaitra Purnima Importance - Full Moon Day March - April

Chaitra Purnima is the full moon day in the month of Chaitra (March – April) in a traditional Hindu calendar. In 2024, the date of Chaitra Purnima is April 23. Chaitra Purnima is a highly auspicious day for many Hindu communities and it is observed differently in different parts of India . The most important festival on the day is the Hanuman Jayanti. The month-long Vaishakha Snana begins on Chaitra Poornima. In Odisha, month-long special pujas dedicated to Goddess Mangala begins on Chaitra Purnima. The day is also highly auspicious for the fishing community and they offer special pujas for a better catch and safe fishing in the seas.

Goddess Yogambigai – About Hindu Goddess Yogambigai

Goddess Yogambigai is a manifestation of Goddess Shakti. She is popularly worshipped in certain temples in Tamil Nadu and here she is the consort of Hindu God Shiva. In some temples she is also referred as Siva Yoga Nayaki. When Shiva is mainly worshipped as teacher or Guru, Goddess Parvati appears as Yogambigai. She is the consort who showers the wealth of knowledge on her devotees. This is a calm form of Goddess Shakti. She is more like the wife of a householder who leads Grihasthashram. She and Shiva form an ideal couple for devotees to emulate. During the Navratri festival in (September/October) at the Ramana Maharshi Ashram, Goddess Yogambigai is decorated in nine different forms of Goddess Shakti. In the Yogambigai form, Mother Goddess is the consort of Shiva at the famous Vaithya Lingam Swami Temple in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. 

Banpur Bhagabati Temple – Odisha – Cooked Fish Is Offered

Banpur Bhagabati Temple is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Shakti in Odisha and in this shrine cooked fish is offered as per tantric rites. The temple is located on the banks of the Salia River in Banpur. According to Hindu beliefs, the deity was worshipped in ancient times by demon king Banasura underneath a berry tree. This famous Shakti shrine is located near Balugaon on NH 5 in Khurda District. The present temple was built during the rule of Kinga of Banpur, Jagannath Harichandan of the Rathore clan in 17th century. Banpur Bhagabati is fierce looking and eight-armed. She is said to have been installed by a Jain tantric. She is adorned with a circular metal strap which partly conceals her face which is also profusely smeared with vermilion. As per Kapila Samhita, Bhagabati reappeared as a graceful deity at the request of Lord Shiva. Subsidiary deities which adorn the temple are Ganesha, Durga and Bhuvaneshwari. Bhagabati has two proxy or representative deit

Urukraman Avatar of Vishnu – About Urukraman Manifestation of Vishnu

Majority of us are aware of the 10 avatars of Vishnu. But Bhagvan Srihari Vishnu has taken innumerable other manifestations. On such avatar is Urukraman. Information about this manifestation is found in the Garuda Purana. As per Garuda Purana, he was born to Nabhi and Meru. The aim of this manifestation was to impart knowledge of self realization to all the women in the world. He imparted knowledge to all women. As per Garuda Purana this is the eighth minor avatar of Vishnu. Urukraman is mentioned in the first chapter of Garuda Maha Puranam. This avatar is associated with spiritual knowledge. Numerous unknown incarnations of Lord Vishnu are associated with knowledge especially the knowledge which will help living beings escape from the cycle of birth and death.

Chariot And Bow of Vishnu – Symbolism in the Bow and Arrow of Vishnu

Bow of Vishnu is known as Saranga and Vishwakarma, the divine architect of gods, created it. There is deep symbolism attached to bow and arrow of Vishnu and it is not a mere weapon to annihilate demons or enemies. Vishnu Purana states that the bow and arrow represents Indriya (senses) and Ahamkara (ego). Vishnu Purana further states that the numerous arrows of Vishnu are the senses, the field of activity of intellect and the quiver is the storehouse of actions. The bow is the destructive-notion-of-individual existence (tamasa Ahamkara), the aspect that is associated with the disintegrating tendency and origin of the senses (Vishnu Purana -1.22.70). The numerous arrows of Vishnu are the senses, the fields of activity of the intellect. (Vishnu Purana 1.22.73) Vishnu had a chariot drawn by four horses which according to Mahabharata ‘moves at will life swift mind’. Source – Danielou Polytheism Hindu.

Hindu Festivals 2020 - Hindu Festival Calendar in 2020

This is a list of important festival dates in Hinduism in 2020 based on various regional Hindu calendars. The same festival might be rarely celebrated a day earlier or later in different parts of India. Hindu Festivals 2020 based on Hindu traditional calendar - India Standard Time. January 2020 Hindu Festivals Lohri - January 14 Makar Sankranti – 15th January, 2020 Pongal – 15th January Sankranti – 15th January Magh Bihu - January 15 Vasant Panchami - January 29 February 2020 Ratha Saptami - February 1 Bhishma Ashtami - February 2 Thaipusam – February 8 Maha Shivratri – February 21 March 2020 Holika Dahan – March 9 Dhulandi Holi  - March 10, 2020 Basoda / Sheetla Ashtami - March 16 Ugadi (New Year in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) – March 25 Gudi Padva – March 25 Chaitra Navratri Begins - March 25 Hindi New Year - March 25 Cheti Chand – March 26 Gangaur - Gauri Teej – March 27  April 2020 Ram Navami – April 2, 2020 Hanuman Jayanti -

Hindu God Vishnu in The Vedas

In the Rig Veda, there are nearly five hymns that are dedicated to Hindu God Vishnu. He is also part of some other hymns. In all the Vedas put together his name only appears about 100 times. Macdonell in his Vedic Mythology states: He thrice traversed the earthly spaces for man in distress, he traversed the earth to bestow it on man for a dwelling, he traversed the earthly spaces for wide-stepping existence, with Indra he took wide strides and stretched out the worlds for our existence. In Rig Veda, Vishnu is subservient to Indra. However, there is a change in the status and by later Vedic period; Vishnu had become the greatest god. During later Vedic period, Vishnu is beneficent, innocuous, and bountiful, liberal and generous deliverer and alone sustains the threefold world – heaven, earth and all beings. In the Rig Veda, Vishnu is called Gopa, the herdsman. The specific term used is Vishnurgopa (Rig Veda 1.22.18). He is also referred as Govinda, the cow keeper and Dam

Bhagavata Dharma in Hinduism – The Path Of Devotion

Bhagavata Dharma is a code of conduct or lifestyle in Hinduism. This is prescribed for the devotees who choose only devotion as the means of moksha (liberation from here and now). Bhagavata Dharma acknowledges Krishna not merely as an incarnation of Vishnu but as the Supreme Godhead himself, of whom Vishnu is only a partial emanation. Bhakti (devotion) is exalted to the highest position in Bhagavata Dharma. One can reach perfection simply by devotional service by accepting Krishna as the Supreme Reality. Severe penance and austerity are irrelevant in this form of spirituality. It not only protests against ceremonialism and priesthood but also reconciles the worship of the deity with the transcendence of the Absolute. Supreme Reality imposes human limitations upon itself and exists with man as his own companion. As man becomes aware of Brahman dwelling inside him, his devotion and inner joy blossom. Krishna in his own words asserts that neither Yoga, nor Samkhy