An opportunity to learn Sanskrit language online for free is provided by Acharya website by Systems Development Laboratory in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras . The basic lessons on Sanskrit provided by Acharya help to learn the language through self study. The online lessons have been catering to thousands of students more than a decade. The online course consists of a series of twelve lessons and is aimed at giving the student a reasonably good introduction to the Sanskrit language. The website also contains a Sanskrit dictionary. You can find more about Learn Sanskrit through self study here - Acharya.

The unique white designs in the houses in Bengal and those drawn during festivals, pujas, marriages and vrats attract even a casual onlooker. The white designs known as Alpana are found on the patio, floors and walls and on large pots and vessels. Rice, the staple food of Bengal , is the medium used in Alpana and the motifs are created mainly by women. The technique of painting using the white flour is referred as gunrichitra or dhuli chitra. The designs are quite similar to the kolams or rangoli in South India . Symbolism - Meaning - Reason For Drawing Alpana The white paste created from rice symbolically represents wealth, prosperity and grace or Goddess Lakshmi. The motifs primarily consists of flowers, fruits, leaves, branches, vegetables and other ideas handed down through generations and those inspired by Mother Nature. How to make the powder for Alpana? ‘Atap’ rice, non-parboiled form of rice, is used to make the powder. The short-grained variety of ‘Atap’ is t

Why meditation is important and necessary today? - Swami Anand Arun answers. In the past, meditation was only for the seekers. People used to follow their family lineage profession and their limited knowledge was passed from generation to generation.  Nowadays people are exposed to so much information and knowledge that it is said that a single edition of The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal newspaper contains more information than a person living in the 19th century could acquire in his lifetime. Now people have to know and update themselves with so many things that their mind is constantly overloaded. And there is no place for intelligence and intuition to play the role in their life. Those who are successful don't have time to enjoy their success; they are full of stress and are restless. Those who are not successful are depressed and frustrated. Both have miserable life. Meditation is an art of balancing our emotions and giving some rest to overtaxed mind

Loknath Baba is a saint from Bengal who performed numerous miracles during his lifetime in the 18th century and he continues to show his divine presence by helping devotees even today. He lived for 180 years but never spread his teachings. But he had predicted that his teachings will be spread 100 years after his death. Loknath Baba was born in the village of Chaurasi Chakla near Kolkata around 1730 AD. He was sent to the adjacent Kochua village to be the disciple of Pandit Bhagwan Ganguly; from there he went to Kalighat with his guru at the age of eleven. From the age of 11 he lived in the forests, practicing the Yoga of Patanjali and the most difficult Hatha yoga. The seven foot tall Loknath Baba with little flesh on his denied himself all physical needs, never slept, never closed his eyes of blinked. He went about naked and braved the cold of the Himalayas. He meditated for 50 years and at the age of 90 attained self realization. After realization, he is said to have d

Nammalvar is one twelve Alwars in Vaishnavism and is renowned for his beautiful hymns dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The life story of Nammalvar is full of miracles and is a classic example of what unwavering devotion can give a devotee. Nammalwar’s parents were Udayanangai and Kaari. They named him Maran which means ‘Manmadha’, the God of Love. He has many titles such as Maran, Sathari, Satarupa, Sathakopi, Paramkusa Muni and Yatheendra. Young Nammalwar Left To Die in Adinatha Swamy Temple While hearing the name of Srihari Vishnu, the boy Nammalwar went into a state of Samadhi immediately after his birth. Neither did he cry nor did he drink his mother’s milk. He remained calm without any physical movement. His parents took the child to the temple of Lord Adinath Swami. They prayed to him and finally they left him to his fate. They put him in a cradle tied to a branch of a tamarind tree and left him without food and water. Srihari Vishnu Became The Mother Of Nammalwar Mar

Here are a few thoughts on Hindu Religion which are independent and unbiased views of scholars and writers. The thoughts clearly point out the greatness of Hinduism. Hinduism is like a tree that has grown gradually, than like a building that has been erected by some great architect at some definite point in time. K M Sen Hinduism believes in the oneness not of merely all human life but in the oneness of all that lives. Gandhiji Hinduism is a people’s religion and that it has been growing and flowering during the ages. It has been throwing up gods and scriptures all the time. The Vedic gods were replaced long ago by puranic gods. The Vedas were themselves supplemented and elaborated by the Puranas. Hinduism thus emerges as an organic religion, which keeps growing with the growth of religious experience, and conscious of its adherents…… and thus it can cater for all tastes and to all level of spirituality.  A B Vajpayee The faith which the Hindus had in their religion never