Akshara puja is a unique ritual dedicated to Goddess Saraswati during Navratri in Kerala. This is performed on the Vijayadashami day. The members of the family take bath and sit in padmasana posture in the puja area or in the courtyard or verandah. A Lamp or nilavilakku is lit. Sand is placed in front of each person. All the members of the family including men, women and children take part in this ritual. The elder member of the family chants a Saraswati mantra. This mantra is repeated by the other members of the family. After this all the people in the family write ‘Hari Shri Ganapataye Namaha’ in sand. After this they write all the letters in Malayalam alphabet. After finishing the sand is collected and thrown on the roof of the house. Some people write in paper and tear the paper and throw it on the rooftop. Some people write on unakkalari in a silver or copper plate. The rice too is thrown on roof top. Food and water is taken on the day only after this ritual.

Varalakshmi Nombu, or Varamahalakshmi Vrata, is performed on a Friday in August or July. The Rahu Kalam, or the inauspicious period, on Fridays is from 10:30 to 12:00 noon. So the Varalakshmi Puja can be observed in the morning before 1030 hrs or in the afternoon. Avoid performing the puja during the Rahu Kalam period. Usually the apt time for the Pooja is afternoon or evening. Elders say the puja should be performed when the cows return home after grazing. The fasting that begins on Friday morning (sunrise) ends when the puja is completed. In 2024, Varalakshmi Puja is on August 16. Related How to do Varalakshmi Puja? Important Things to Remember during Varamahalakshmi Puja Requirements for Varalaxmi Puja The story of Varalakshmi Puja

The syncretic outlook of Abhinavagupta (950 – 1020 CE) is also reflected in his description of the Advaita Shaiva philosophy. According to him, Samvid or the supreme Real conceived in a non-corporeal form as abstract metaphysical principle or Parama Shiva or Parameshvara conceived in a corporeal form resolves to manifest himself as the universe out of his free will. He does so by exercising his divine power, technically called the svatantrya shakti,the power of divine freedom. The power of Shiva then functions in three different forms, technically called Para Shakti or Mahamaya, Parapara Shakti or Maya Shakti, and Apara Shakti or Prakriti Shakti on the three stadia in world creation. As a result of this, the universe is manifested in three different forms, technically called shuddha adhva, shuddhashuddha adhva or mayadhva, and ashuddha adhva or Prakriti. In his work, Paramarthasara, Abhinavagupta conceptualized these adhvas as constituting spheres which he named as andas. These a

Kalachakrayana is a major school in Tantric Buddhism, different from the other major schools of Vajrayana and Sahajayana. According to Tattva Ratnavali, Mahayana School of Buddhism is sub divided into two schools: Paramitanaya and Mantranaya. The Mantranaya School is the introductory stage of Tantrism in Mahayana Buddhism, and from this other offshoots emerge. Paramita means transcendental, in which Kalachakrayana is said to be the extreme phase of development of tantric Buddhism. In this there is predominance of terrible gods and goddesses who are also named as “demonical Buddhas”. The word kalachakra means the wheel of time that denotes successive or repetitive progression of beginning and end. Kalachakrayana, vehicle of time, signifies the vehicle which brings the wheel (that causes endless birth and death) under control and offers a safe ride over it to the destination of nirvana. There is only one text available about this school and it is known as Sri Kalachakra Tantra. The

 Jainism schools like Nyaya Vaiseshika believe in reality of absolute time in contradistinction to Buddhists, followers of the Samkhya, and Vedantins who do not recognize the objective existence of real time. In tune with their religion-philosophy, Jains regard time as ajiva (non-conscious), eternal and without kaya (form or body). Ajiva is one of the two principal categories of the knowable world, the other being jiva. The former comprises dharma, adharma, akasha, pudgala and kala. The present, past and future are considered as phenomenal time causing changes, and are thus relative time. The followers of Nyaya Vaiseshika, on the other hand, hold the view that the notions of past and future are with reference only to the present and reckon time in terms of its actions also, thus distinguishing it from space which, according to hem, has no action. They believe that the present, past, and future are empirical divisions of time. The appearance of an effect, according to them, indicate

Kankol Shiva temple is located at Kankol in Alapadamba village in Kannur district, Kerala. This is an ancient Shiva temple. The aradhana murti in the temple is Dakshari Shiva. It is believed the original pratishta or consecration was performed by Parashurama avatar of Vishnu. Kankol Shiva Temple Story As per Brahmanda Purana, the place where the present Kankol Shiva temple is situated was chosen by Kapila Maharshi to perform a yagna. He cleaned and built an ashram here and started preparation for the Agnihotra yagna. But Asuras wanted to stop the Agnihotra yagna planned by Sage Kapila. They started attacking the ashram and the yagna bhumi.  Sage Kapila then requested Parashurama to help him. Parashurama defeated the Asuras and the yagna was completed successfully. It is said that all the gods and goddesses in Hindu pantheon arrived in the place to receive havis from the yagna, and thus making the area holy.  Shiva and Goddess Bhagavathi were pleased with the piety and yagna of Sage K

Kadavarayar were the Pallava rulers of South India. After the decline of the Pallava kingdom in the 9 th century CE, their descendants became petty chieftains under the Cholas. They began to challenge the Chola power in the 13 th century CE. Their inscriptions are found in places like Vriddhachalam, Thiruvennainallur, Kanchi and many other parts of Thondaimandalam. Koperuncingam, called Maharaja Simha in Sanskrit, the best known among them (13 th century CE), was a very religious ruler and a great devotee of Shiva, especially Nataraja of Chidambaram. He constructed the eastern gopuram of the Chidambaram temple and decorated the four sides of this structure with the booty received from his conquests. He made many benefactions, including presents of jewels, crows and throne to the Arunachaleshwara temple at Thiruvannamalai. Many of this inscriptions mention his endowments to temples in sacred cities like Kanchipuram, Thiruvanaikaval, Madurai, Kalahasti, Draksharama, Chidambaram, T

Jnapti is a term frequently used in Hindu texts. Etymologically the meaning the term is understanding or apprehension – denoting intelligence. The relation between a word and its meaning is given and not determined by human convention. Therefore, the meaning of a word is authoritative, according to Badarayana, as its authority independent and self sufficient. Veda is thus authoritative, free from error, infallible and self-sufficient. In this sense, the word jnapti as one of the names of the Supreme Self means one who enables us to know (Jaiminiya Mimamsa Sutra 1-1-5). According to Hindu logic, if a word or words come to mind, then it reminds us of other related words with associated sense. This is also jnaapti. For example, if one says that “Ashok is quite fat and is never seen eating in the morning”, we come to the logical conclusion that he eats at night. This is also called arthapatti, technically. Another example would be that whenever we refer to “smoke on the mountain”, our

He knows bliss in the Atman and wants nothing else. Carvings torment the heart: he renounces cravings. I call him illumined. (2.55) Not shaken by adversity, not hankering after happiness, free from fear, free from anger, free from the things of desire. I call him a seer and illumined. (2.56) The recollected mind is awake in the knowledge of the Atman which is dark night to the ignorant: the ignorant are awake in their sense life which they think is daylight to the seer it is darkness. (2.69) This is the state of enlightenment in Brahman: a man does not fall back from it into delusion. Even at the moment of death he is alive in that enlightenment: Brahman and He are one. (2:72) With heart serene and fearless, firm in the vow of renunciation, holding the mind from its restless roaming, now let him struggle to reach my oneness, ever absorbed, his eyes on me always, his prize, his purpose. (6.14) When a man has achieved non-attachment, self-mastery and freedom from des

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Monday, 23 August 2021 – It is Krishna Paksha Pratipada tithi or the first day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Pratipada tithi or the first day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 4:18 PM on August 23. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Dwitiya tithi or the second day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 4:05 PM on August 24. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on August 23, 2021 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Satabhisha or Sadayam or Chathayam nakshatra till 8:30 PM on August 23 . Then onward it is Purva Bhadrapada or Pooruruttathi nakshatra till 9:05 PM on August 24 . (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and