Radhastami- the appearance of Lord Krishna

Posted on February 3, 2012 by admin
Radhastami the appearance of Lord KrishnaThere would be hardly any temple in India of Lord Krishna, Where Goddess Radha is not standing beside Him. Radha and Krishna are considered to be eternal consorts and it is believed that Lord Krishna’s pastimes can never be complete without Srimati Radha. Radhastami is considered to be the most auspicious day of birth of Radha to Vrisbhanu Maharaj and Kirtida Devi in the town of Rawal. Some people in India holds the notion that Radha was elder to Krishna; however, revealed Scriptures say that She was born 15 days after Krishna’s birth. Her birthday falls on the eight day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Bhadra.

The day is very special for all devotees of Lord Krishna, but devotees following Gaudiya-4fe44348 59f3 4dd2 b9e6 1964b08076df Radhastami the appearance of Lord KrishnaVaisnavism consider this day to be even more important than Janamashtami, the appearance day of Lord Krishna.
     

The scriptures say that Goddess Radha is even more merciful than Lord Krishna Himself, and she makes it so easy that devotees don’t have to observe any fast on this day (though some devotees prefer to observe fasting till mid-day). Abhishek or ritualistic bathing ceremony of the deity of Goddess Radha is done and then the bathing water, called caranamrita in Sanskrit, is then distributed amongst the devotees. Several kinds of food preparations are made and offered to the deities of Radha and Krishna and the remnants or prasadam is then distributed.

Devotees read from various scriptures about the pastimes of Lord Krishna and Radha and pray to Goddess Radha to help them see Lord Krishna face to face. Radha is said to be the internal energy of Lord Krishna and it is widely believed that it is not possible to attain Lord Krishna’s mercy without having obtained the mercy of Goddess Radha first. Radha is considered to be the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna and by Her devotion to Him, She has completely controlled Lord Krishna.

Image credit: http://www.antiquetemple.com/paintings/raas-lila-of-radha-krishna-details-689.html  
Posted in Hindu rituals | Tagged | Leave a comment

Rath Yatra – The annual Chariot Festival of Lord Jagganath

Posted on February 3, 2012 by admin
After Kumbh Mela, it is probably the Rath Yatra or chariot festival of Lord Jagganath that sees millions of people gathering trying to pull the Lord’s chariot. This Hindu festival is held at the city of Puri in the state of Orissa. The festival is held in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July) and lasts for eight days.

300px Rath Yatra Puri 07 11027 Rath Yatra – The annual Chariot Festival of Lord JagganathLord Jagganath is none other than Lord Krishna Himself and stays in the temple of Puri along with His elder brother Balram and sister Subhadra. Every year the three Deities along with the divine wheel Sudarsana are taken out from their temple in a detailed procession and are placed on their respective rath or chariots. The chariot is then pulled by millions of devotees and taken to Gundica temple, a distance of around 3 Kilometres. After 7 days, the three divine personalities return back to their original places in Puri temple.


Every year sees the three wooden chariots constructed anew in accordance with the religious specifications. Each Chariot is build according to the unique scheme prescribed and the same methodology has been followed for centuries. Lord Jagganath’s chariot, also called Nandighosa, is 45 feet high and has 16 wheels, each of a diameter of 7 feet. The canopy of this chariot is made out of red and yellow colour. Lord Balram’s chariot, also called Taladhwaja, is 44 feet high and has 14 wheels, also of 7 feet diameter. The canopy of this chariot is red and blue colour. Goddess Subhadra’s chariot, also called Darpadalana, is 43 feet high and has 14 wheels and has a canopy of red and black colour.

The Jagganath temple represents Dwarka and Gundica temple represents Vrindavan. When Lord Jagganath, who is non-different from Lord Krishna, starts missing Vrindavan (where He spent His childhood and adolescence) and inhabitants of Vrindavan very much and the separation becomes intolerable, He asks permission from His wife, Goddess Lakshmi, to go out on pretext of going out for some fresh air. And then the devotees take him to Gundica that represents Vrindavan. He stays there for around a week along with His elder brother and sister and all three of Them are then pulled back in the chariots to their respective places in the Puri temple.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Posted in Hindu rituals, Indian Festivals | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Kumbh Mela

Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin
All festivals of Hindus are primarily religious in significance and character, and Kumbh Mela is one of the main festivals for Hindus. It has been sometimes recorded to be one of the largest gatherings to be held anywhere on the planet.

Unlike all other festivals, Kumbh Mela is not an annual festival. This festival is held four times in every twelve years. Kumbh means a pot and mela means fair. The legend says that ages ago, demigods and demons, who are usually always at odds, signed a temporary deal to work together for churning the milk ocean and extracting the nectar of immortality from the lap of the ocean. Demigods and demons worked together to churn the ocean and finally the nectar of immortality appeared. However, the demons ran away with this kumbha or pot without giving demigods their rightful share on the nectar. Then ensued a fight for nectar that lasted for twelve days, and during this battle some drops of the nectar from the kumbha fell at four different places on this earth and they were Nasik, Haridwar, Prayag and Ujjain. The Kumbha Mela is organized at these four places during the twelve year period.

The ardh or half Kumbh Mela is observed every six years at Prayag and Haridwar. The purna or complete Kumbh Mela is held every twelve years at four places: Haridwar, Ujjain, Prayag or Nasik. And the maha or the greatest Kumbh Mela is held once every 144 years (after 12 purna Kumbh Melas) at Prayag. The last Maha Kumbh Mela to be held was in year 2001 and saw over 60 million people gathering to take a dip in holy waters.

Taking ritual bath in the holy waters is the major event of the festival. This is the only time when one can get to see holy men, who usually hide themselves in cave of Himalayas, coming down to take a dip in the holy waters. A lot of westerns who happened to attend one of the Kumbh Melas have talked about it as a life changing experience. There is definitely something divine to this fare.

Interesting link: http://goindia.about.com/od/festivalpictures/ig/Kumbh-Mela-Pictures/

Posted in India, Indian Festivals | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dussehra – Vijaydashami

Posted on January 11, 2012 by admin
Dussehra or Vijaydashami is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated all across India and Nepal and also some parts of Bangladesh. Vijay in Hindi means victory and dashami means the tenth day; the festival observes victory of Lord Ram over the ten-headed demon king Ravana, and this particular day happened to fall on tenth day of the bright fortnight of Hindu month of Ashvin (September-October) and hence the name Vijaydashami. The celebrations are actually ten days long, Dussehra being the tenth and the last day. The first nine days are also called Navratre during which Goddess Durga is worshipped in her many forms.

It is believed that the powerful demon king Ravana was tormenting the saintly people during that time and Lord Ram, believed to be seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, took advent specifically to kill this evil demon and protect the saintly people. To cut the long story small, Lord Ram was exiled to forest for 14 years by His step mother, and during the 13th year of their exile, Ravana abducted Mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ram. Thus ensued a fierce battle, which ended with the killing of the demon king and the day he was killed, is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaydashami.

Effigies of Ravana are burnt during this day during the evening time. A lot of outdoor fairs are organised and large parades are also taken out depicting different events of Lord Ram’s life. Throughout Northern India, Ram-lilas’ (dramatic version of epic Ramayana) are organised which go on for all ten days of the festival and are a big attraction both for children and adults. Ardent Hindus also offer special worship to Deities and it is not unusual to see people with a red vermillion mark on their forhead.  
Posted in Dussehra – Vijaydashami | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

India-Republic Day

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin
28464be7 aee0 4619 9af7 8dd5c01cd120 India Republic Day

Indian Republic Day

In India, every year, we celebrate 26th January as the Republic Day. It was on 26th January 1950, the day when our constitution officially came into force and our country became a sovereign, socialist, secular, republic and democratic country. The Republic Day has been declared as a National holiday. Every Indian citizen celebrates the republic day with great patriotism, enthusiasm and pride as one of the most important national festivals of India. In New Delhi, which is the national Capital of the country, special Republic day parade is organized every year. The grand parade, which starts from the Rajghat and ends at the Red fort, is the main attraction of the celebration held in the Capital. The celebration begins when the President of India along with other distinguished chief guests arrives and the President hoists the national tri-color flag of the country. Next after the flag hoisting, the President gives away the most prestigious and important National bravery awards including the Ashok Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Param Veer Chakra, the Veer Chakra and the Maha Veer Chakra to the brave soldiers or their family members who sacrificed their lives to protect the sovereignty of the country. The event is then continued by a national parade by all the different wings of the Indian army, the Air Force as well as the Navy with their official decorations. The President of India, as being the Supreme Commander in chief of the armed forces of the country, takes their salute. The cultural heritage and diversity of different states of the country is also exhibited in the form of vibrant displays and tableaux in the grand parade. Artists from all over the country perform cultural programs on traditional and patriotic songs. Even some selected children are given the Children’s Bravery Awards for their exceptional bravery acts. The republic day parade is broadcast by the National Television and is also watched by millions of people all over the country. The Republic day is also celebrated in various states with hoisting of National flag by the630fb616 424c 4ee7 bfc0 c8439e67cc11 India Republic Day Governor/Chief Minister of the State in the public function at their respective state capitals. This day is also observed in all the schools, colleges and educational institutions of the country where the head of the institution hoists the national flag and takes the salute of their students. Every Indian citizen is proud to be a part of such a rich, cultural and democratic country. People all over the country come together and celebrates this day with tremendous zeal and enthusiasm.    
Posted in India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Baladeva Purnima – The birthday of Lord Balram

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin
Balram is the elder brother of Lord Krishna and Balram Purnima is considered to be His birthday. Balram Purnima falls on the full moon day of Hindu month of Bhadra and is followed by Sri Krishna’ birth on the eighth day of the same month.

Balram was son of Vasudeva and Devaki and Kamsa had imprisoned them both as one prediction said that the eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki would be the reason of Kamsa’s death. Evil Kamsa, out of scariness, imprisoned his own sister and brother-in-law so that he could kill all the children born of the couple. Balram was the seventh child of Devaki and Vasudev; however, by divine arrangement, He was transferred from womb of Devaki to womb of Rohini, who was the other wife of Vasudeva and was residing in Vrindavan at that time. Because of this reason, one other name of Balram is Sankarshan, which means that he was transferred from one womb to another.

The Hindu scripture Srimad Bhagavatam says that Krishna is the fountain head of all incarnations and there is no other truth superior to Him. The same scripture says that Balram is the first expansion of Lord Krishna and it is from Balram that all other Vishnu incarnations appear. Thus, Balram Prabhu is also Supreme Lord and is second to none but Krishna.

Devotees observe fasting on this day and read about various pastimes of Lord Balram, who is famously called Haldhar, or the one who carries plough. He is also considered to be original Spiritual Master, and He is the one who can guide devotees on the right path so that they can meet Krishna and end their repeated cycle of birth and death. Thus devotees on this day pray for Lord Balram’s mercy.
Posted in Hindu rituals, Indian Festivals, Mythology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Durga Puja

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Durga Puja Durga PujaMost of the Hindu festivals are connected to worshipping of divine or some of the pastimes of divine. Durga Puja is no exception. Durga Puja is one of the very important festivals for Hindus and is the biggest festival in Bengal. Durga Devi or Goddess Durga is presiding deity of material energy. The festival of Durga Puja lasts for nine days in total, and thus the festival is also called navratre in many parts of the country; the last day of the festival sees the ritual of immersing the deity of Goddess Durga in a water body like river, lake or ocean. Three different forms of Goddess are worshipped during the nine days. The initial three days of the navratre, it is Goddess Durga that is worshipped - the Goddess sitting on a giant lion and holding different weapons in her ten arms. Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Narayan or Vishnu, is worshipped during the following three days and the last three days of the festival sees the worship of Goddess Saraswati – the Goddess of learning and knowledge. This culminates the nine days festival; however the next day or tenth day is the festival of Vijaydashami – the festival to celebrate the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king Ravana; and thus the festival becomes ten days long instead of nine. Many different rituals are observed during the nine days dedicated to the worship ofDurga Puja1 Durga Puja Goddess Durga. Many people abstain from eating grains and beans during the whole nine days and even those people who normally eat meat products become vegetarian during this period. Recitations of Durga Shaptshati take place during the whole nine days. Durga Shaptshati is composition of different verses glorifying Durga Devi and has in total 700 verses, and thus the term Shaptshati, which is 700 in Sanskrit.  
Posted in Durga Puja, Hindu rituals, Indian Festivals | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Baladeva Purnima – The birthday of Lord Balram

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Balram is the elder brother of Lord Krishna and Balram Purnima is considered to be His birthday. Balram Purnima falls on the full moon day of Hindu month of Bhadra and is followed by Sri Krishna’ birth on the eighth day of the same month. Balram was son of Vasudeva and Devaki and Kamsa had imprisoned them both as one prediction said that the eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki would be the reason of Kamsa’s death. Evil Kamsa, out of scariness, imprisoned his own sister and brother-in-law so that he could kill all the children born of the couple. Balram was the seventh child of Devaki and Vasudev; however, by divine arrangement, He was transferred from womb of Devaki to womb of Rohini, who was the other wife of Vasudeva and was residing in Vrindavan at that time. Because of this reason, one other name of Balram is Sankarshan, which means that he was transferred from one womb to another. The Hindu scripture Srimad Bhagavatam says that Krishna is the fountain head of all incarnations and there is no other truth superior to Him. The same scripture says that Balram is the first expansion of Lord Krishna and it is from Balram that all other Vishnu incarnations appear. Thus, Balram Prabhu is also Supreme Lord and is second to none but Krishna. Devotees observe fasting on this day and read about various pastimes of Lord Balram, who is famously called Haldhar, or the one who carries plough. He is also considered to be original Spiritual Master, and He is the one who can guide devotees on the right path so that they can meet Krishna and end their repeated cycle of birth and death. Thus devotees on this day pray for Lord Balram’s mercy.
Posted in Indian Festivals | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Navaratri festival - Jai Ambe Ma

Posted on May 21, 2011 by admin
Navratri is celebrated by Hindus all over the world. It is a festival of nine nights of
0e35868e ef96 4797 a81a 03796e0f39b2 Navaratri festival Jai Ambe Ma

Navratri

celebration dedicated to goddess Durga or Parvati, the mother of Lord Ganesh. The beauty of this festival is that it is celebrated in a different way in different parts of India. Even today Hindus spread across the world maintain their own traditional way of celebrating Navratri. Since Hinduism does not prescribe a rigid way of worship, different parts of India have developed their own very strong traditions of Navratri celebrations. All are equally beautiful and very colorful. In the western parts of India this festival is clebrated with Garba and Dandiya Raas. This is traditional folk dance of Gujrat. When performing the garba a lamp is placed inside a decorated earthen pot. Women folk form a circle around it and dance while singing bhajans in praise of goddess Durga or Parvati. In gujrat durga ma is also known as "Ambe ma". The light inside the pot represents life within a womb and the mother goddess "Amba Mata" is worshiped. The Dandiya raas is performed using colorful sticks that are sometimes festooned and traditionally is performed in a circle around the central diety. In Bengal and the eastern part of India the Navratri festival is the most important Hindu festival. It is celebrated with great fervor and preparations for it start well in advance. Exquisite durga idols are crafted months in advance for the Durga pooja. Many skilled artisans take orders at least a year in advance to create the idols. The durga idols depcit different avatars of parvati.
Posted in Indian Festivals | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Uggadi festival - warm wishes from Andra pradesh

Posted on May 16, 2011 by admin
fa1d91c2 3d75 4173 8c63 d32816dedcb3 Uggadi festival warm wishes from Andra pradesh

Udagi festival invitation

Uggadi is the most colourful and vibrant festivals of India celebrated by the telugu’s through out the nation but the spirit remaining the same all over. This festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy in the month of march. The festival is highlighted by the people celebrating, singing and dancing to the tunes of traditional songs and setting aside differences and enjoying as a group.

During the day of Uggadi the people worship shri satya narayan and the puja can be performed during any part of the day. The full moon night of uggadi can be considered as one of the most auspicious times for doing the pooja though prayers in the morning are also usually done. On the day of the puja the devotee is to maintain a fast after the morning bath starting with the prayers. The uggadi festival is usually attended by relatives and neighbours of the person observing the fast or the group who organize the puja. The main significance of these meetings and exchanges is that only sweet relationships should prevail among the people. The platform where the puja happens is decorated with lord idol which is accessorized and well kept with all the required items.

On the platform of the idol, kum kum and turmeric powder, sweet smelling incense sticks, burning camphor, beetle leaves and nuts, coconuts, almonds, flowers etc are placed to please the gods so that they bless the people and devotees with prosperity and peace. Mouth watering delicious sweets and desserts like malpua, gujiya and poli add up to the specialty of the festival. The evenings are spent by visiting relatives and exchanging wishes and dancing through the night to the local beats. Uggadi is also seen as a festival which instils secularism and national pride where religion is forgotten and all are one in the eyes of the celebrators. It helps remind us that the best virtues in life are a pure heart, truthfulness and honest characteristics in a person and this festival promotes the same by the use of colour.

A puja is done by the ladies of the family and the food is made and served to the people sitting around the bonfire. The prayer is done for appeasing the god Agni, who is the spark of life, and for the prosperity of crops as well as the people.

e1a0aedf 217c 4f6b 84a9 f212d1bd2b05 Uggadi festival warm wishes from Andra pradesh

Gudi Padwa Festival

The festival has great social significance as this time is considered as a very good time for marriages and taking up new ventures like businesses or starting new courses etc. People who usually perform the puja are those who seek improvement in life like higher education, new employment, new cars or vehicles, newly married couple, people moving into new houses, buying new property, getting into new ventures etc. It can be done when a person in a family is ill with sickness and he or she needs recovery and is also performed for general happiness and well being of the family and surroundings. For the newly married couples uggadi is a time of celebration of their newly wed status with the great social and cultural integration bringing about unity, togetherness without taking into account the caste or creed.
Posted in Indian Festivals | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment