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Showing posts from November 6, 2020


Chathussatham Offering In Kerala Temples - Sweet Made Using 4 Items - 400 Numbering

Chathussatham is a sweet offering made by devotees in many temples in Kerala. Chathussatham means four hundred. The sweet or payasam is made using 4 items. The four items are to be offered in the count of hundred. The usual offering are 100 nazhi milk (1 nazhi is 200 gms). 100 palm jaggery (sharkara) – (1 palam is 300 gms) 100 coconuts. 100 kadalipazham (plantain or banana seen in Kerala). The offering gets the name Chathussatham as it is prepared using these four items. Jeera powder and ginger powder is added to the sweet preparation in some places. A special huge vessel is used for cooking the payasam (sweet) and it is known as Chatussathavattam. The offering is made during birthday, after having desire fulfilled, or after the 60 birthday etc in a temple.

Pancha Harathi On Krishna River Near Vijayawada

Pancha Harathi is offered at the Durga Ghat daily to Krishna River near Vijayawada. The ritual gains prominence annually during the Kartik Month (November – December). On Kartik Purnima, thousands of devotees arrive to witness the Pancha Harathi. Priests of the Kanakadurga temple offer Pancha Harathi to Krishna River in the evening for over an hour as part of the Karthika Pournami celebrations. The Durga Ghat on the Krishna is also venue for the daily music, dance and other cultural program called Kalaradhana on the lines of TTD’s popular Nada Neerajanam at Tirumala. Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam organizes the Akhanda Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Prayana on the auspicious Magh Purnima day (February) at the Durga Ghat. This program too attracts thousands of devotees.

Prithukeshwar Mahadev in Ujjain – Story of Prithukeshwar Form of Shiva – 49th Shiva Temple in Ujjain

Prithukeshwar Mahadev is worshiped in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 84 forms of Shiva worshiped in Ujjain. It is believed that worshipping Prithukeshwar Form of Shiva will help in redemption of sins resulting from the killing of cow. The temple dedicated to Prithukeshwar Mahadev is located on the banks of Shipra River near Kedareshwar Temple on the Chhota Pool. This form of Shiva is associated with Shani Bhagavan who is also known as Sthavar. Prithukeshwar Mahadev is counted among the 84 Shiva Temples in Ujjain and it is the 49th temple visited during the parikrama of Shivalayas here. Story of Prithukeshwar Form When Prithu ruled his kingdom, it became impossible to conduct yajnas and havan as Mother Earth did not allow it. There was no food in his kingdom and living beings were suffering.During this time, Sage Narada arrived in the kingdom and told the king that the only solution was to attack Mother Earth. The king then dispatched Agniastra on Earth.

Untamed Desire Leads To Ruin – Bhagavad Gita Chapter II

Bhagavad Gita is not against desire but it warns that untamed desire leads to ruin. Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2. Verse 62-3) vividly describes the systematic moral descent triggered by brooding over sense objects:  "When a man broods over sense objects he develops attachment toward them. Attachment gives rise to desire [to possess them]. Desire produces anger [toward obstacles to its fulfillment]. From anger is born delusion, which results in loss of memory [of the spiritual goal, of what one has learnt from the scriptures, from one's spiritual teacher, and from past experience]. With loss of memory one loses the power of discrimination. Loss of discrimination is followed by spiritual death." A person without discrimination is hardly different from an animal. He is dead to his spiritual Self. Worldly enjoyment always exacts a price. We enjoy sense pleasure, but the pleasure forges one more link in the chain that binds us to the recurring cycle of birth and