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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Mahashivaratri
Mahashivaratri Festival:
Mahashivaratri fair or the ‘The Night of Shiva’ is famous with attachment and spiritual fervor in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of Hindu Trinity. Shivaratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the original moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which corresponds to the month of February - March in English Calendar. Celebrating the festival of Shivaratri devotees examine day and night quickly and achieve ceremony worship of Shiva Lingam to conciliate Lord Shiva.
Legends of Mahashivratri:
Present are different attractive legends connected to the event of Maha Shivaratri. According to one of the mainly well-liked myths, Shivaratri script the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Several suppose that it was on the positive night of Shivaratri that Lord Shiva performed the ‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal construction, protection and devastation. A further accepted Shivratri legend stated in Linga Purana states that it was on Shivaratri that Lord Shiva manifest himself in the form of a Linga. Therefore the day is measured to be enormously favorable by Shiva devotees and they rejoice it as Mahashivaratri - the grand night of Shiva.
Traditions and Customs of Shivaratri:
Different society and customs connected to Shivaratri Festival are dutifully followed by the worshippers of Lord Shiva. Devotees observe severe quick in honor of Shiva, although many go on a diet of fruits and milk a little do not eat still a drop of water. Devotees strongly consider that honest worship of Lord Shiva on the favorable day of Shivaratri, absolves a person of sins and liberates him from the cycle of birth and death. Shivaratri is measured mainly favorable for women. Even as married women request for the well individual of their husband’s unmarried women pray for a husband like Lord Shiva, who is regarded as the ideal husband.
To mark the Shivratri festival, devotees wake up untimely and take a custom bath, rather in river Ganga. After wearing bright new clothes devotees vacation the adjoining Shiva temple to give service bath to the Shiva Lingum with milk, honey, water etc.
On Shivaratri, devotion of Lord Shiva continue all during the day and night. Each three hours priests execute ceremony pooja of Shivalingam by bathing it with milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water amidst the chanting of “Om Namah Shivaya’ and ringing of temple bells. Nightlong vigil or jaagran is also practical in Shiva temples where large numeral of devotees spend the night singing hymns and devotional songs in admire of Lord Shiva. It is only on the following morning that devotee fracture their fast by contribution prasad existing to the goddess.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Holi Utsav
Holi
It is spiral time in India, flowers and field is in bud and the country goes natural with people management on the street and smears every extra with brightly hued powders and colored stream. This is the event of Holi, great on the daytime after the full moon in untimely March every year.
At first a festival to rejoice high-quality harvest and richness of the land, Holi is currently a representative commemoration of a myth from Hindu legends. The legend centers on a superior king who resent his son worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to execute his son but fails every time. Lastly, the king's sister Holika who is supposed to be resistant to burning sits with the boy in an enormous fire. Still, the prince Prahlad emerges unharmed, even as his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this occasion from legends, and huge bonfires are scorched on the eve of Holi as its symbolic symbol.
This excited festival is also linked with the eternal love of Krishna and Radha, and therefore, Holi is increase over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the two cities with which Lord Krishna communal a deep association. Separately from the usual fun with colored crush and water, Holi is striking by lively processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a universal intellect of deserted strength.
The Legend
There was once an evil spirit king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth. He was so selfish that he command everyone in his empire to respect only him. But to his huge displeasure, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.
Hiranyakashyap tried numerous behaviors to execute his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him each time. Lastly, he asked his sister, Holika to come in a burning fire with Prahlad in her stage. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a benefit, whereby, she might pierce the fire untouched.
Treacherously, Holika coaxed little Prahlad to assemble in her lap and she herself took her chair in a burning fire. The myth has it that Holika had to pay the cost of her evil wish by her life. Holika was not attentive that the boon work only when she enter the fire alone.
Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana all this even as, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his great affection.
Thus, Holi derive its name from Holika. and, is famous as a festival of conquest of good over evil.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti:
Makar Sankranti is individual of mainly positive day for the Hindus, as well is celebrated in approximately all parts of the state in numerous cultural forms, with huge attachment, passion & gaiety. Lakhs of citizens receive a dip in seats like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and plead to Lord Sun. It is famous with ceremony in southern parts of the state as Pongal, and in Punjab is great as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not simply look reverently up to the sun, although also present thousands of their bright oblations in the structure of beautiful kites all above the skyline. They might be difficult to achieve up to their wonderful God or convey about superior nearness with the one who represents the maximum. It is a daytime for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to disappear his worldly coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the wonderful Sun-God of Hindus begins its superiority and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the evident God, who represent, the single, non-dual, self-effulgent, wonderful religion approval one & all tirelessly. Sun is the one who transcends occasion and also the one who rotates the well-known Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted daily by each true Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for a personification of information & knowledge. Lord Krishna reveals in Gita that this manifest religion was his initial believer, and we all recognize it to be certainly a valuable one too. No Sundays for the Sun, might be because one who celebrations in its very 'being', the very spirit of his possess qualities, is always in the Sunday mood.
The co-relation of space proceedings with character life and principles is one of the most amazing behaviors of Hindu Masters. Previously this co-relation is bringing about after that these huge measures become active to repeat us the greatest that we treasure & value. Of all the enormous bodies Sun is the most wonderful & chief, thus each sun-centric enormous incident became extremely chief spiritual, spiritual & educational trial. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its power and journey into the Northern Hemisphere, and thus it signify an occasion wherein the Gods appear to repeat their kids that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'. May you go senior & superior - to more & more light and not at all to dark?
Astrological Significance:
Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is evolution. Present a sankranti each month while the sun pass from one symbol of the zodiac to the next. There are twelve symbols of the zodiac, and thus there are twelve sankranti's as healthy. Every of these sankranti's has its own qualified import but two of these are more significant - the Mesh (Aries) Sankranti and the most important, the Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti. evolution of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, throughout the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is known as Makar Sankranti. Starting this day begins the six-month extended Uttarayana, measured extremely favorable for attaining superior worlds here after. Even as the established Indian Calendar is essentially based on lunar position, but sankranti is an astral occasion, so even as dates of all festival keep shifting, the english calendar date of Makar Sankranti is always same, 14th January. Makar Sankranti is great in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. There is one more meaning of this day, after this day the days start appropriate longer & heater, and thus the cool of winter in on turn down.
Religious Significance:
1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visit the home of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not normally get down properly, but inspire of any variation between every other Lord Sun makes it a point to gather each other on this day. Father in truth himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day represent the weight of particular connection of father & son. It is the son who has the duty to take forward his fathers vision and the permanence of the family.
2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so mainly of the favorable things are complete through this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.
3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu broken the ever rising violence of the Asuras by final them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this time also represent the end of negativities and opening of an era of good living.
4. The huge savior of his associates, Maharaj Bhagirath, did huge Tapasya to transport Gangaji down on the earth for the release of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were well done to remains at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath lastly did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby modern them from the curse. Behind visiting the Patala for the release of the curse of Bhagirath’s relatives Gangaji lastly merged in the Sagar. Still now an extremely big Ganga Sagar Mela is prepared each year on this day at the meeting of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take immerse in the water and do tarpan for their relations.
We salute such a large fan & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can state such appreciation to his relatives, work with determined decide to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone enjoy a character, which the history reveal to be an accurate sponsor of the globe too. A individual who has severed his own roots gets rapidly rooted absent in the stream of time. Honest of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not merely intact but nourish well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is one more spiritually symbolic feature of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar symbolize our opinion, which becomes dull & dead-like because of uncultured & sightless ambition. Release of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, bring down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with huge tapasya. This represent devoted hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which unaided enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of everyone.
5. One more famous location of this day came when the huge grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, confirmed his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he reserved lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is supposed that the individual, who dies throughout the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your trip or activities to the senior realm outside.