Floor and wall decorations are considered auspicious, bringing good fortune and blessings of the deities in Hinduism. Traditional Hindu households regularly have auspicious floral and geometrical designs on floors. Here is a short essay on floral decorations in Hindu religion. Hindu women throughout the Indian subcontinent herald important occasions either by re-painting their houses or by decorating doorways and main entrances. Usually drawn at the doorway of a home, these patterns can be geometric or floral and are done afresh every morning. This ornamentation is known by different names in various regions of the country. In the western Himalayan region, it is called apna or likhnu; in Uttar Pradesh it is called cauk purna or sona rakhna; in the Gangetic Plains to the east, it is known as aripana or alpona; as rangoli in Maharashtra, Gujarat and most regions; and in Odisha it is called cita or osa. In Gujarat, it is known as sathiya and mandana, while in central and South India i...

Gadhashastra is the art and science of making cosmetics in ancient Hindu world. Preparation of perfumes then as now is an intricate process. In the classical age of India, only specially trained persons were employed for this purpose and they were not allowed to take up any other work. The perfume-makers were patronized by royal families and temples. Atharva Veda, Sankhayana as well as Asvalayana Grihya Sutra and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata refer to the use of scents. Arthashastra of Kautilya presents a vivid account of the elaborate perfumery used especially in the royal court. Perfumery in ancient Hindu world was both an art and a science – art in the sense of blending several aromatic substances for the production of enchanting perfumes; and science as the preparation of perfumes demanded a thorough knowledge of a wide variety of aromatic plants and animals, of their parts which would yield the desired scents and the method of extracting them. The naturally occurring ar...

Shri Paramhans Dayal Ji, also known as Shri Paramhans Swami Advaitanand Ji Maharaj, was born in 1846 in Chhapra (Bihar). As he was born on Ram Navami, he was named as Ram Yad. His parents died when he was only five years old, and he was brought up by a kayastha family. Because of his sharp mind, Ram Yad attained proficiency in Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Arabic and Persian with in a very short time. He did not take interest in worldly affairs and was rather inclined towards a life of asceticism. When he was 17 years old, he got diksha (initiation) from Paramhans Ji Kedar Ghat (Banaras Wale mentor), and became Paramhans Dayalji. Inspired by his spiritual master, he wandered through the vast area of Ara, Deenapur, Bankipur, Patna, Motihari, Sonpur, Balia, Gazipur, and Saran. In this journey, he interacted with many saints and shared their spiritual experiences. Having visited Nandgaon, Gokul, and Vrindavan, he reached Mathura. Once while sleeping near ‘Kali Daha’ of Mathura, he had a vision...

Gana Bhaskaramu is an important work in Telugu language, of 1918, on the theory of music and dance. It is the magnum opus of K.V. Srinivasa Iyengar, an outstanding musicologist of the 20 th century and a prolific write in Tamil and Telugu. Srinivasa Iyengar was born in a village called Kolattur near Chennai. He had a passion for music and dance from his boyhood and made an intensive study of the theory and practice of two arts. He ran a dance school in Chennai and trained several excellent dancers. He wrote a number of authentic and useful books on music and dance, including Gana Bhaskaramu. Gana Bhaskaramu deals exhaustively with the various aspects of musical theory, like shrutis (microtones), swaras (notes), gramas (three ancient scales of Indian music), murchnas (scales delivered by the application of the process of modal shift of tonic), jatis (the term corresponding to raga in ancient music0 and desya ragas (ragas prevalent in different provinces of India). These have pr...

Ram Ganesh Gadkari was a Marathi dramatist, poet and humorist. He was born on May 16, 1885, in Navsari in Gujarat. He was educated at Jamnagar, Karjat   and Pune, and received his education up to the end of the first year in college. He wrote numerous articles under the pen-name ‘Balarama’ and his poems under the name ‘Govindagraj.’ He worked as assistant editor of the Marathi daily Gnanaprakash, and was also an assistant teacher in the New English School in Pune for some time. Then he joined the Kirloskar Natak Mandali (an established dramatic company) for writing songs for plays. At the age of 17, Ram Ganesh Gadkari wrote a drama called Mitra-Preeti. He wrote an incomplete drama in 1906, which was completed by his friend and well-known actor, Chintamanrao Kolhatkar. His first poem, ‘Allad Premas” (To Immature Love), was published in Manoranjan, the popular Marathi magazine of his time. His humorous articles were published in the same magazine. His first drama, Prema-Sanyasa...

Jean Filliozat (1906 – 1982) was a renowned French Indologist and scholar. He was an eye specialist, and his first introduction to Hindu culture was through the works of 19 th century French poet, Loconte de Lisle, who had written a few Vedic and Hindu legends in verse. Filliozat studied Sanskrit, Tamil and Tibetan. His mentor in the area of Indological studies was Sylvain Levi, a great Indological scholar, under whose supervision Filliozat studied the Indo-European languages of Central Asia, as well as Chinese and Tibetan. Jean Filliozat studied in detail the principal texts on Indian medicine and traced the beginning of the system to early Vedic literature. His book, The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine, in 1949, brought out the originality of the ancient Indian medical system. Jean Filliozat taught Sanskrit grammar and Indian philosophy in Paris. He was professor of Indology in the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, where research in specific fields of science was ...

A look at the Nalambalams In Malappuram District, Kerala. Nalambalam darshanam, or visit of four temples in a day, dedicated to the four brothers of Ramayana – Sri Rama Swami, Sri Bharata Swami, Sri Lakshmana Swami and Sri Shatrughan Swami – is an important pilgrimage in Kerala. There are five different sets of Nalambalam Darshanam in Kerala. The four temples that are part of the Malappuram Nalambalam are: Ramapuram Sree Rama Swamy Temple (around 9 km from Malappuram) Karinchapadi -  Chirammal Sree Bharatha Swami Temple  Vattallur Chovvana Pangagara Lakshmana Swamy Temple Naranathu Shatrughna Swamy Temple (located on the banks of Naranathu River) The four temples are located in a radius of 2 km on the Perinthalmanna – Malappuram road. The Nalamabalam darshan begins with Ramapuram temple and also ends after visiting the Ramapuram Sree Rama Swamy temple. Nalambalam Darshanam in Malappuram District Kerala കേരളത്തിലെ മറ്റു നാലമ്പലങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും മലപ്പുറം ജില്ലയിലെ രാമ...

A collection of simply fun stories in Hinduism explaining maya, atman and buddhi by Swami Chetanananda. In the 1950s I went to see P C Sarkar’s magic show in the New Empire theatre in Calcutta. The magician used a chainsaw to cut a piece of wood. Then he placed a young girl in a wooden box and closed the lid. He used the chainsaw to cut the box in half in front of a thousand spectators. After a few minutes, the girl came through the back door and walked down the aisle, saying, ‘Hi, I am here.’ Now, these one thousand people each bought a ticket paying twenty-five rupees. They knew for certain that the girl would not be cut in half, yet they still spent money to watch this illusion. That is maya and we love to watch it. My Vedanta teacher told me this story: Aham, the ego, fell in love with Buddhi, the intellect, and they got married. They were having a nice married life, full of fun and excitement. One day Buddhi says to Aham: ‘We are having such a nice time; we should share our jo...

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Wednesday, 7 July 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Trayodashi Tithi or the thirteenth day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Dwadashi Tithi or the twelfth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 12:42 AM on July 7. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Trayodashi Tithi or the thirteenth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 2:39 AM on July 8. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on July 7, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – There is no good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Rohini Nakshatra till 6:45 PM on July 7. Then onward it is Mrigasira or Makayiram or Mrigashirsha Nakshatra till 9:09 PM on July 8. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karna...

Kalabhabhishekam is a unique ritual performed in Hindu temples in Kerala. In the ritual various auspicious puja items are poured on the murti or vigraham worshipped in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Kalabhabhishekam is performed in Bhagavathi temples, Vishnu temples and Shiva temples. All most all temple including Murugan, Ganapathi, Sastha and Ayyappa temples perform Kalabhabhishekam today. In the ritual, Chandan is mixed like loose dough in Panineer (fragrant liquid). To this raw karpur (pacha karpooram), Kumkumapoovu, Akil, Guggulu, Manchi, Kottam, Ramacham and Eruveli are added. This paste is transformed into a pot or kalasham. Pujas are performed to the paste in the kalasham and this is then poured on the main murti in the temple. It is believed that having darshan of a murti after Kalabhabhishekam is highly meritorious. At Sabarimala Temple, Kalabhabhishekam is annually performed to reduce the heat on the deity in the sanctum due to ghee offering or neyyabhishekam. ...

Dveshabhakti is a unique concept in Hinduism in which God gives salvation even to wrong doers or sinners and even to those who hate God. Dvesha means envy or dislike and bhakti means devotion. There are episodes illustrating how such contradictory terms or oxymoron can be reconciled and God’s mercy obtained. Srimad Bhagavad Purana maintains that those who had hatred toward Bhagavan had also been blessed by him. The person who hates constantly, remembers Bhagavan, though in aversion. Kamsa is a classic example of this kind of devotion. Kamsa was warned that Krishna, his nephew, would bring about his death. He was totally obsessed by that prediction. In other words, he was constantly thinking of Sri Krishna. It is said that when Kamsa was finally killed by Sri Krishna he was absorbed into the divine. Shishupala, another king in the Mahabharata, right from his childhood was antagonistic towards Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Once, in the assembly of kings in Indraprastha during the Rajasuya Ya...

A collection of thoughts of Jagadguru Sri Abhinava  Vidyatirtha  Mahaswamigal  –  (The Jagadguru of Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, from 1954-1989) Tendencies develop, regardless of the characteristics of the action performed. Hence, he who wishes to lead a proper life will do well to avoid evil deeds and repeatedly perform virtuous deeds. The light of a lamp falls on its surroundings. One may study Sastras in that light, while another may, paying no attention to it, spend time sleeping. Similarly, great souls are always showering their grace. Each one can derive benefit depending on one’s mentality. The need for mind control is quite obvious. Only he who has control over his mind can be successful in worldly pursuits and be happy. Such being the case, what need be said about the need for mind control in the case of spiritual aspirants? To study, to work, and even to play well, the mind must be concentrated on the task in hand and this is possible on...

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Tuesday, 6 July 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Dwadashi Tithi or the twelfth day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Dwadashi Tithi or the twelfth day during the waning or dark phase of moon on the entire day on July 6 and till 12:42 AM on July 7. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Trayodashi Tithi or the thirteenth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 2:39 AM on July 8. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on July 6, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time from 3:19 PM.  Nakshatra  – Karthigai or Kartika or Krittika Nakshatra till 4:10 PM on July 6. Then onward it is Rohini Nakshatra till 6:45 PM on July 7. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Ka...

The story of Jayadeva, the author of Geeta Govinda, and his wife, Padmavati, demonstrates the power of true love. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda depicts the unparalleled love between Radha and Sri Krishna. Padmavati was a great dancer and she danced when her husband sang the Gita Govinda. They performed in the court of the King of Orissa. It is said that once when Padmavati was with the queen and the ladies of the court talked in great detail about a woman who had performed sati – who jumped into the funeral pyre of her husband. The ladies of the court said she was a great Pativrata (true and devoted wife). Padmavati was not much impressed by the woman. When the queen wanted to know the reason, she said that a real Pativrata (true wife) would drop down dead the moment her husband dies. The queen and the ladies of the court did not agree to Padmavati. When she had left they criticized her and decided to teach her a lesson. They planned to send false news to her that her husban...

Thanam is an important place of worship in North Kerala. This type of worship place is mainly associated with lower caste people. It is believed that Sthanam became Thanam. There is no daily puja or daily offering in these types of worship places. Aivar, Puli, Sri Kurumba, Padar, Kulangara Bhagavathi etc are worshipped in the Thanams. The worship place is developed usually around sacred trees like Chembakam, pala, noolu, plavu (jackfruit tree), Kanjiram etc. There is no permanent murti (vigraham or bhimbam) in the Thanam worship place. There will only be a platform or sacred stone in the place of worship. Today some Thanams have a small sanctum sanctorum. Thanams are usually known after a particular caste thus there are Theeyar Thanam, Kollar Thanam, Thattar Thanam, Mooshari Thanam, Moyar Thanam, Ashari Thanam, Koshavar Thanam etc. It is believed that Theeyars have 18 Thanams in Tulu Nadu. Kaliyattam ritual is observed annually in important Thanams. Important pujas are...

When we talk of a spiritual journey, it is presumed that we have a fixed ideal. For, without an ideal to follow, there is no question of going forward; we simply remain at the mercy of our senses, our lower nature. Keeping the ideal in mind, amidst the multifarious duties of life, becomes possible only if we have a fixed routine. Inability to maintain this routine is an indication that we are sliding away from the spiritual ideal. Emphasizing that steadfast adherence to a routine is most essential for a spiritual life, Swami Brahmananda advises, ‘Make a routine of everything. “I shall meditate so long, repeat mantram so many times, study for so much time, and sleep so many hours.” With an irregular life you cannot be successful in any work.’ Many sadhakas slip away from the path by neglecting their spiritual routine. Among the main things in the daily routine that a sadhaka should strictly adhere to are the timing and duration of his japa/meditation/scriptural study, the tim...

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Monday, 5 July 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Ekadashi Tithi or the eleventh day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Ekadashi Tithi or the eleventh day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 10:41 PM on July 5. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Dwadashi Tithi or the twelfth day during the waning or dark phase of moon on the entire day on July 6 and till 12:42 AM on July 7. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on July 5, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – There is no good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Bharani Nakshatra till 1:33 PM on July 5. Then onward it is Karthigai or Kartika or Krittika Nakshatra till 4:10 PM on July 6. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat,...

Chengaloor Shiva temple is located at Pudukad Village in Thrissur district, Kerala. The temple has huge Shivling as prathishta. The shrine is noted for its huge circular sanctum sanctorum – vatta sreekovil. The temple was a mahakshetram during ancient times. The main darshan of the temple is towards west. Goddess Parvati shrine is located on east part of the sreekovil and the Goddess faces east. Mother Goddess is worshiped in the Shailaputri form. The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Srikrishna, Sastha and Ganapathi. The temple is located inside a 6.5 acre plot. The temple belongs to paliyam trust. Among the 108 Durga temple is Kerala, there is a reference to Maravanchery. But there are no Durga temples in Maravanchery. Devotees and scholars are of the view that Goddess Parvati of Chengaloor Shiva temple is the goddess referred to as worshipped in Maravanchery.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi has said, 'When thoughts arise, stop them from developing by enquiring "To whom is this thought coming?" as soon as the thought appears. What does it matter if many thoughts keep coming up? Enquire into their origin or find out who has the thoughts and sooner or later the flow of thoughts will stop.' This is how self-enquiry should be practised.  When Bhagavan spoke like this he sometimes used the analogy of a besieged fort. If one systematically closes off all entrances to such a fort and then picks off the occupants one by one as they try to come out, sooner or later the fort will be empty. Bhagavan said that we should apply these same tactics to the mind. How to go about doing this?  Seal off the entrances and exits to the mind by not reacting to rising thoughts or sense impressions. Don't let new ideas, judgements, likes, dislikes, etc. enter the mind, and don't let rising thoughts flourish and distract your attention. When you...

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Sunday, 4 July 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Dashami Tithi or the tenth day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Dashami Tithi or the tenth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 8:45 PM on July 4. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Ekadashi Tithi or the eleventh day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 10:41 PM on July 5. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on July 4, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time till 6:41 AM.  Nakshatra  – Ashwini or Aswathy Nakshatra till 11:06 AM on July 4. Then onward it is Bharani Nakshatra till 1:33 PM on July 5. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Rajasthan), Ashwini or Aswathy Nakshatr...

Hindu auspicious days are looked for buying selling and various other purposes. Good dates in July 2021 in Hindu calendar given below are based on India Standard Time. The auspicious dates and time in July 2021 are good for house warming, joining job, starting work, buying car or house, moving into new rented home, registration of property, villa, house flat, birth, visiting, first visit, buy bike, buying flat, house, property, villa, etc. Hindu Auspicious Days and Time in July 2021 July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 good till 6:41 AM July 11 July 16 July 18 July 20 good time till 8:40 AM July 25 July 26 good time till 3:24 PM July 27 July 29 July 30 good time after 4:42 PM Dates to be completely avoid are: July 7, 8, 9, 10, 17 and July 23. Certain dates that might not be mentioned above are neither good nor bad. They are average dates. You won't get the desired results if auspicious events are performed on the day.

Chettikulangara Devi temple is a very popular Mother Goddess temple (Bhagavathy shrine) in South Kerala. Here is a look at the Chettikulangara temple story. The story of Chettikulangara Amma is directly connected to Kodungallur Bhagavathy temple. There are also many miracles and sightings of Chettikulangara Amma by people of the region.  Origin Of Chettikulangara Devi Temple Many centuries ago, some local leaders of Chettikulangara village along with the villagers went to witness the annual festivities at the Koypallikarazhma Bhagavathi temple situated a few kilometers from Chettikulangara. But the leaders were humiliated and ridiculed by the Koipallikaranma temple authorities and the village chief there for not having a Bhagavathi temple in their village. Perturbed by the humiliation, and out of retribution, they decided to construct a Bhagavathi temple at Chettikulangara. People of Chettikulangara united for this cause, and headed by the Karanavars (Family Heads) – Chembolil ...

A patient did not want to walk and so approached Kanchi Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal (Maha Periyava) for a solution. Maha Periyava suggested to her to do Pradakshinam instead of walking. He then connected it to people fighting over Advaita and Dvaita. Once, an overweight lady came for Maha Periyava’s Darshan. As she was very fat, she was not able to do Panchanga Namaskaram’ to Periyava. The panchanga namaskaram is done when a devotee kneels down with palms joined together or touching the feet of the revered one in front. With mixed feelings of bhakti and embarrassment, she just stood in front of Him with folded hands. She then complained to Periyava - “I am a diabetic. Doctor has advised me to reduce my weight and for that I should walk for one hour daily. But, I am not able to walk even for ten minutes.”   “Periyava should tell me an easier method to reduce weight”. “All these doctors are same. They will only repeat what is written in medical ...

Dates of important upcoming festivals and fasting associated with Hinduism in July 2021 – based on major Hindu calendars and Panchang used in India. The festivals, Vrats and ritual days are based on Indian Standard Time (IST). July 1 – Kalashtami July 2 – Indrani Puja – Trilochan Puja July 5 – Yogini Ekadashi Vrat July 7 – Pradosh Vrat June 8 – Monthly Shivratri fasting – Shiva Chaturdashi Vrat July 9 – Snan Daan Shradh Amavasya July 10 – Snan Daan Amavasya July 11 – Ashada month begins in calendars followed in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. July 11 – Gupt Navratri July 12 – Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra July 14 – Hera Panchami July 15 – Muruga Sashti Fasting – Kumar Sashti Vrat July 16 – Vivasvat Saptami – Kark Sankranti – Mansa Puja begins in Bengal  July 17 – Karkidaka Masam begins in Kerala (Ramayana Masam) July 17 – Aadi Masam begins in Tamil Calendars July 17 – Monthly Durga Ashtami July 17 – Kharchi Puja in Tripura ...

The first thought to appear is the I thought. It rises in the Heart and, in a split second, travels to the brain, identifies with the body and the senses, and then sees the world around it as a real world. So, how to kill the I thought. Follow the quest 'Who am I?' Follow the I back to its source. When the I goes back to its source and identifies with the Self instead of with the senses, there is eternal peace and bliss. To do this you have to get rid of all thoughts. The first of all thoughts is the I -thought. Give up all other thoughts and catch hold of the I thought. The Self will then embrace that I and devour it. Effort and grace are both necessary in order to follow the quest successfully, but without vichara there is no grace, and without grace there is no vichara. You can hold on to the I-thought by your own effort; more than that you cannot do. If the candle comes near the sun, what will happen? It will melt away. The same thing will happen to the mind if you ho...