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Showing posts from March 22, 2022


Madavoor Vilyakkadu Temple – Festival

Madavoor Vilyakkadu temple is located at Madavoor in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. This is a traditional small Kerala temple. The annual festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). The temple has a square sanctum sanctorum and shrines of upa devatas. The annual festival in the temple is noted for various temple rituals and pujas that are followed in the region including homa, abhishekam and various pushpanjali. The temple also performs ezhunnallathu and local folk art forms and rituals. The shrine also observes Vishu, Ramayana Masam and Navratri.

Mekkavu Devi Temple – Festival

Kaipuzha Mekkavu Devi temple is located on the Kaipuzha - Mekkavu – Athirampuzha Road at Mekkavu in Kottayam district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy or Devi. The 7-day annual festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). The murti worshipped in the temple is that of Goddess Lakshmi. She is also referred to as Mahamaya. The upa devatas include Ganapathy and Sastha. This is a beautiful traditional Kerala style temple with a chathura sreekovil, namaskara mandapam, shrines of upa devatas, nalambalam and kodimaram.   The annual festival is famous for melam, ezhunellippu, abhishekam, homam, various Devi temple rituals and performing art forms of Kerala temples. The temple also observes Ramayana Masam, Navratri and Mandala Kalam.

Govindapuram Parthasarathy Temple – Festival

Govindapuram Parthasarathy Temple is located at Govindapuram in Kozhikode, Kerala. The annual 10-day festival in the temple is held from Rohini nakshatra in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). The shrine is dedicated to Parthasarathy form of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This a traditional Kerala style temple. The shrine has a chathura sreekovil – square sanctum sanctorum. The temple has a kodimaram, chuttambalam, namaskara mandapam and shrines of upa devatas. The festival begins with kodiyettam and concludes with arattu procession. The annual festival is famous for various traditional Kerala temple performing art forms, procession, ezhunnallathu, melam and caparisoned elephants. The pallivetta ritual takes place on the 9th day of the festival. The shrine also observes various rituals and festivities including Vishu, Ramayana Masam, Sri Krishna Jayanti, Gita Jayanti and Saptaham. The annual pratishta festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Edava Masam (May - June). Kazhakula samarpan

Manalikkara Sri Krishna Swamy Temple – Festival

Manalikkara Sri Krishna Swamy temple, also known as Manalikarai Azhvar Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, is located at Manalikkara in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The annual 10-day festival in the temple is held from Rohini nakshatra in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). This traditional temple is built using granite. The shrine has a vatta sreekovil – round sanctum sanctorum. The temple has a kodimaram, namaskara mandapam and shrines of upa devatas. The festival begins with kodiyettam and concludes with arattu procession. The annual festival is famous for various traditional Kerala temple performing art forms, procession, ezhunnallathu, melam and caparisoned elephants. The pallivetta ritual takes place on the 9th day of the festival. The colorful arattu procession takes place with the utsava murti of Bhagavan Krishna atop a caparisoned elephants. Panchari melam, chenda melam, singarimelam and other folk artistic performances like theyyam, puli kali etc are part of the procession.

Story – Something More Valuable Than The Philosopher’s Stone

According to legend, the philosopher's stone was a substance that could turn ordinary metals and substances to gold. But there is something that is more valuable than the philosopher’s stone. This story reveals that is more precious than the stone. Long ago, there lived in a village, a poor Brahmin and his wife. He was devoted to God and led a disciplined life. Though he was poor, he did not desire wealth. He was content with what he had. He led a simple life with his meagre income. He helped the poor, the underprivileged, and the distressed, according to his mite. He served sadhus. Thus, he had expenses according to his income. However, the Brahmin’s wife was quite opposite to him in her disposition. She was miles away from the idea of contentment. She dreamt of amassing more and more wealth and reveling in the comforts of the world. Since she did not have money enough to live the lavish life of her dreams, she constantly bickered about the need for her husband to earn more mo

Mangalam Kuthirakurussi Sri Krishna Temple – Festival

Mangalam Kuthirakurussi Sri Krishna temple is located at Mangalam near Palappuram in Palakkad district, Kerala. The annual pratishta festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). The shrine is dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This is a small temple with a chathura sreekovil and shrines of upa devatas. The annual Nira Puthari and Illam nira are held in the temple with various pujas and rituals. The shrine observes Vishu, Ramayana Masam, Sri Krishna Jayanti and Thiruvonam festival.

Paruthipully Thrithamara Dharma Sastha Temple – Festival

Thrithamara Dharma Sastha temple is located at Paruthipully in Palakkad district, Kerala. The annual Pratishta festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May). The shrine is dedicated to Dharma Sastha or Ayyappa. The 6-day annual kodiyettam festival is held in Malayalam Edava Masam (May - June). This is a small Kerala style temple with a chathura sreekovil. The shrine is located in close proximity to a huge temple pond. The annual festival in the temple is famous for melam, caparisoned elephants and unique temple art forms of Palakkad region. The festival begins with kodiyettam and ends with arattu festival. The shrine observes the annual Mandala Makaravilakku festival with various pujas and spiritual programs.

Neendoor Subrahmanya Swami Temple – Festival

Neendoor Subrahmanya Swami temple is located at Neendoor in Kottayam district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Murugan or Subrahmanya. The 6-day annual festival in the temple concludes on the Shukla Paksha Sashti day in Meda Masam (April – May). The annual festival begins with kodiyettam and concludes with arattu procession. The popular belief is that Sage Vyasa and Pandavas had performed pujas in the temple. An important offering in the temple is otta naranga mala. The sankalpa of Subrahmanya here is that of Tharakasura Nigraha Bhavam. His Vel is held downwards and is an angry form. He has just annihilated the demon Tharakasura. The temple has an east facing chathura sreekovil, namaskara mandapam, nalambalam and shrines of upa devatas. The main upa devatas worshipped here are Ganapathy, Goddess Durga, Dakshinamurti, Thooninmel Bhagavati (Goddess Bhadrakali), Sastha, Nagaraja and Brahmarakshas. The annual festival is famous for ezhunnallathu, caparisoned elephants, color

What is Bhramari Mudra? - Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama

Bhramari Mudra is a kind of breath control or pranayama in Yoga. Bhramara refers to a bee. It is a variety of breath control in which the humming sound of a bee is produced during inhaling and exhaling. The description of this pranayama given in Hatha Yoga Pradipika (II. 68) is different from the one which is given in Gheranda Samhita (V.77-80). Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama Hearing and humming sound has a very soothing effect and calms the mind. It makes the mind peaceful and alert. When the mind merges with the sound vibrations, it conquers unwanted thoughts. It helps in achieving bliss. Bhramari in Gheranda Samhita In the Gheranda Samhita text it is recommended that one should press the ears with the hands and puraka (inhale) and recka (exhale) at the same time and hear the sound inside the ears. Various sounds are heard in this way and hearing them helps the mind silent and steady. Bhramari in Hatha Yoga Pradipika A more prevalent procedure is described in the Ha

Veluthoor Namborkavu Bhagavathy Temple – Vela Festival

Veluthoor Namborkavu Bhagavathy temple is located at Veluthur near Arimbur in Thrissur district, Kerala. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy. The annual Meda Bharani Vela festival is held on Bharani nakshatra day in Meda Masam (April – May). This is a traditional Kerala style temple renovated as per modern needs. The temple has a chathura sreekovil, namaskara mandapam, shrines of upa devatas and chuttambalam. The annual festival in the temple is famous for melam, kala vela, traditional temple performing art forms of Kerala, panchavadyam etc. Shakti temple rituals and pujas are part of the annual festival. The shrine was earlier famous for its fireworks on the concluding day of the festival. The temple observes annual prathishta dinam, Vishu, Ramayana Masam, Thrikarthika and Mandala Kalam. Veluthoor Namborkavu Bhagavathy Temple Timing Morning darshan and puja timings are from 4:00 AM to 10:00 AM Evening darshan and puja timings are from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Benefits Of Breath Control – As Told By Swami Vivekananda

‘Benefits of breath control’ is from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2016), 1.490-92. We see with our common sense that it is the breath that is setting everything in motion. If I stop breathing, I stop. If the breath begins, the body begins to move. What we want to get at is not the breath itself. By the help of things on the material plane, we have come to finer and finer perceptions. The universe is one, whatever point you touch. All the points are but variations of that one point. Throughout the universe is a unity at bottom. Even through such a gross thing as breath I can get hold of the Spirit itself. By the exercise of breathing we begin to feel all the movements of the body that we now do not feel. As soon as we begin to feel them, we begin to master them. Thoughts in the germ will open to us, and we will be able to get hold of them. Of course, not all of us have the opportunity nor the will nor the patience nor the faith to pursue such a thi

Panakkattodil Bhagavathy Temple – Festival

Panakkattodil Bhagavathy temple is located at Chavara South in Kollam district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy or Devi. The annual Thalappoli festival in the temple is held in Malayalam Meda Masam (April – May) and it coincides with the Bharani and Karthika nakshatras. The sankalpam of Bhagavathy in the temple is that of Goddess Durga. This is a typical Kerala style temple with a The annual festival in the temple is famous for caparisoned elephants, melam, traditional performing art forms of temples of Kerala and tantric pujas and rituals performed in Shakti temples. Various homam, kalasham and abhishekam are part of the festival. Thiruvabharanam procession is an important event which kick starts the annual festival. The festival begins with kodiyettam and concludes with the arattu procession.

29 March 2022 Tithi – Panchang – Hindu Calendar – Good Time – Nakshatra – Rashi

Tithi in Panchang – Hindu Calendar on Tuesday, 29 March 2022 – It is Krishna Paksha Dwadashi tithi or the twelfth day during 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 waning or dark phase of moon till 2:14 PM on March 29. Then onward it is Krishna Paksha Trayodashi tithi or the thirteenth day during waning or dark phase of moon till 12:52 PM on March 30. (Time applicable in all north, south and eastern parts of India. All time based on India Standard Time.  Good – Auspicious time on March 29, 2022 as per Hindu Calendar – Good and auspicious time till 2:38 PM.  Nakshatra  – Dhanishta or Sravishta or Avittam nakshatra till 11:14 AM on March 29 . Then onward it is Shatabhisha or Sadayam or Chathayam nakshatra till 10:30 AM on March 30. (Time applicable in north, south and eastern parts of India).  In western parts of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, north Karnataka and south Raja