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Showing posts from February 14, 2022


Return Only With Narayana – Story Of Sage Agastya And Sage Sutikshna

Sage Agastya angrily said: ‘Get away from my sight! Come here only when you can bring my Narayana!’ Hearing these words, the young boy Sutikshna, with a wrenching heart and eyes brimming with tears, bowed down and prostrated before his guru and left. His legs shook but his heart was resolute. He vowed: ‘Yes, I will follow my guru’s orders. Even if it takes many years, if I continue to breathe, I will return only with Narayana.’ Sutikshna was quite sharp just like his name. His guru loved him. But there was no end to his plays and mischiefs. Some days ago, his guru Sage Agastya set out on a pilgrimage. Before leaving, he called Sutikshna and giving him his puja box and the best salagrama stone, said: ‘Take these. Keep the puja box and the salagrama safely. Do the worship daily with care.’ However, Sutikshna did not take these words seriously. One day, Sutikshna brought the pure water of the nearby lake and bathed the salagrama. The next day, however, he felt lethargic. He got an ide

Sreekariyam Vattavilakam Sivashakthi Bhadrakali Temple – Agni Kavadi

Sreekariyam Vattavilakam Sivashakthi Bhadrakali temple is located at Sreekariyam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This is a temple dedicated to Shiva and Goddess Bhadrakali. The annual Agni Kavadi festival is held in Malayalam Meena Masam (March – April). This is a colorful small temple with numerous Shaiva deities. The pujas in the temple are as per Shaiva and Shakta sampradaya. The annual Agnikavadi ritual – walking on coal bed with kavadi – attracts hundreds of devotees.

Elakolloor Mahadevar Temple – Festival – No Sanctum

Elakolloor Mahadevar temple is located at Elakolloor near Konni in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Shiva – Mahadeva. The annual Shivratri festival in last week of February or first fortnight of March (Malayalam Kumbha Masam) is of great significance at Elakolloor temple. The temple has no sreekovil or sanctum sanctorum. Shiva is worshipped under a Banyan tree. The sankalpam of Shiva here is that of Ardhanarishwara. The annual Shivratri festival is famous for colorful, vibrant and huge ox and horse effigies (kala). It is pulled to the temple on the Shivratri day. Procession, caparisoned elephants, melam and tableau are part of the festival. The Shivratri festival is noted for abhishekam, dhara, Tantric pujas and rituals and homam. The temple is decorated with lamps and flowers on the occasion. The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple include Goddess Bhagavathy and Ganapathy. Mondays and Saturdays are important days in a week. Pradosham Vratam on the 13t

Vadavathoor Sree Krishna Temple – Festival

Vadavathoor Sree Krishna temple is located at Vadavathoor in Kottayam, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. The 8-day annual festival is held in Meena Masam (March – April) and it concludes on Thiruvonam nakshatra day in Meenam month. The shrine is located atop a hill. There is a Vamana murti in the temple. The deity is lovingly referred to as Vaduvamanapurathappan . This is a typical Kerala style temple with kodimaram (flag pole), nalambalam, namaskara mandapam and shrines of upa devatas.   The temple has a two tier sanctum sanctorum – chathura sreekovil. The annual festival is noted for ezhunnallathu, caparisoned elephants and various other Vaishnava pujas and rituals. The shrine also observes Vishu, Ramayana Masam and Sri Krishna Jayanti in Chinga Masam.

Unworthy Teacher Can Never Help You Attain Liberation

Some seekers may be tempted to take up the role of a guru even before reaching the goal, themselves. This is perhaps the most serious distraction in spiritual life which has an adverse effect both on the 'master' and 'disciple'. Sri Ramakrishna has cautioned seekers against such a tendency. The following is a dialogue on the question: Question: What do you think of a man who is a good orator and preacher, but whose spirituality is undeveloped? Answer: He is like a person who squanders another's property, kept in trust with him. He can easily advise others, for it costs him nothing, since the ideas he expresses are not his own but borrowed. Question: What is your opinion about the methods employed by present-day religious preachers? Answer: It is like inviting a hundred people to a dinner where the food is sufficient only for one. It is pretending to be a great religious teacher with a very small stock of spiritual experience. The following is another sa

21 February 2022 Tithi – Panchang – Hindu Calendar – Good Time – Nakshatra – Rashi

 Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Monday, 21 February 2022 – It is Krishna Paksha Panchami tithi or the fifth day during the waning or dark phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in most regions. It is Krishna Paksha Panchami tithi or the fifth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 7:20 PM on February 21. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Sashti tithi or the sixth day during the waning or dark phase of moon till 5:32 PM on February 22. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on February 21, 2022 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time on the entire day.  Nakshatra  – Chitra or Chithirai or Chithira nakshatra till 3:54 PM on February 21 . Then onward it is Swathi or Chothi nakshatra till 2:50 PM on February 22 . (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Rajasth