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Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the deity Shiva. The festival commemorates the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, and is also regarded to be the occasion that the deity performs his divine dance, called the Tandava.
There are said to be many beliefs about why Maha Shivratri is celebrated. It is famously believed that on the day of Maha Shivratri, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married. And so, every year, this festival is celebrated to mark their holy union. Some other people believe that Maha Shivratri is observed to remember the day when Lord Shiva drank the poison that got churned out from the ocean. By doing this, he protected the world from evil spirits, negativity, darkness and dismay.
During Mahashivratri, devotees keep a fast. They refrain from the consumption of food and water for a particular time as it is also considered healthy for the body and the mind. As per popular belief, praying to Lord Shiva after keeping fast makes the lord happy.
The offerings given to Lord Shiva during the pooja include milk, honey, fruits and bel leaves.. Devotees start the day with a bath in the river Ganges and then visit the temple. Then they keep fast for the day and offer their prayers to the lord. It is believed that chanting Om Namah Shivaya brings blessings and fulfillment of wishes and desires by the lord.
Today on 27Th August on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi - Let us pray to Lord Ganesha for the peace and prosperity of the entire world , Entire human world and animal kingdom.
OM Shree Ganeshaya Namah!!
Oṃ Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ,
Oṃ Gan Gaṇapatayē Namaḥ
" Ganesha ... is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India. [He} is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as the Lord of Beginnings, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom ... ." Wikipedia. For more about Sri Ganesha: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
at Maha Shivaratri in Varanasi
Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in reverence of the god Shiva. It is the day Shiva was married to the goddess Parvati. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also popularly known as 'Shivaratri' or 'Great Night of Shiva', marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti.
The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael leaves to Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-vigil (jagaran). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", the sacred mantra of Shiva. Penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly.
The great gate (darwaza-i rauza) that leads from the north of the jilaukhana to the garden, and ultimately to the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal, is a large structure with triadic openings. Looking at the south elevation, the base of the gate measures nearly 38 meters and its peripheral walls, including the cupolas, are 30 meters in height. The central pishtaq, also including the cupolas, is 33 meters in height and 19 meters wide. The gate is composed of red sandstone with decorative panels and accents in white marble. The surface treatment of the pishtaqs is elaborate: it is framed in white marble and inlaid with precious stones. Its central arch is delineated by a triple rope moulding and surrounded by a frame containing the Daybreak Sura (Sura al-Fajr) in thuluth script. The entry iwan contains muqarnas in red sandstone, which contrast with the white plaster paint outlining each segment. (The northern elevation of the gate is identical to the southern one; the lower left corner of its framed inscription also contains the signature of the calligrapher, Amanat Khan). Topping the central pishtaq is a series of eleven arches in red sandstone, capped by a chajja; eleven white marble chhatris crown the chajja. A single column rises from the pishtaq to complete each end of the arcade; this column terminates in a finial above the chhatris. This same column runs in engaged form along the height of the pishtaq itself.
Taj Mahal, the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), grandson of Akbar the great, in the memory of his queen Arjumand Bano Begum, entitled ‘Mumtaz Mahal’. Mumtaz Mahal was a niece of empress Nur Jahan and granddaughter of Mirza Ghias Beg I’timad-ud-Daula, wazir of emperor Jehangir. She was born in 1593 and died in 1631, during the birth of her fourteenth child at Burhanpur. Her mortal remains were temporarily buried in the Zainabad garden. Six months later, her body was transferred to Agra to be finally enshrined in the crypt of the main tomb of the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of both Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.
The mausoleum is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna at a point where it takes a sharp turn and flows eastwards. Originally, the land where the Taj Mahal presently stands belonged to the Kachhwahas of Ajmer (Rajasthan). The land was acquired from them in lieu of four havelis as is testified by a court historian, Abdul Hamid Lahauri, in his work titled the Badshah-Namah and the firmans (royal decrees). For construction, a network of wells was laid along the river line to support the huge mausoleum buildings. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran. While bricks for internal constructions were locally prepared, white marble for external use in veneering work was obtained from Makrana in Rajasthan. Semi-precious stones for inlay ornamentation were brought from distant regions of India, Ceylon and Afghanistan. Red sandstone of different tints was requisitioned from the neighbouring quarries of Sikri, Dholpur, etc. It took 17 years for the monument complex to be completed in 1648.
In all, the Taj Mahal covers an area of 60 bighas, as the terrain gradually sloped from south to north, towards the river, in the form of descending terraces. At the southern point is the forecourt with the main gate in front and tombs of Akbarabadi Begum and Fatehpuri Begum, two other queens of Shah Jahan, on its south-east and south-west corners respectively called Saheli Burj 1 and 2.
On the second terrace is a spacious square garden, with side pavilions. It is divided into four quarters by broad shallow canals of water, with wide walkways and cypress avenues on the sides. The water channels and fountains are fed by overhead water tanks. These four quarters are further divided into the smaller quarters by broad causeways, so that the whole scheme is in a perfect char-bagh.
The main tomb of the Taj is basically square with chamfered corners. The minarets here are detached, facing the chamfered angles (corners) of the main tomb on the main plinth. Red sandstone mosque on the western, and Mehman-Khana on the eastern side of the tomb provides aesthetically a clear colour contrast.
The Taj has some wonderful specimens of polychrome inlay art both in the interior and exterior on the dados, on cenotaphs and on the marble jhajjhari (jali-screen) around them.
Lord Shiva's head carved on the rocks on the Little Vagator Beach in Goa, India. Definitely a must-see in Goa! It was carved by an old hippie many years ago, when the Little Vagator was a quiet and secluded beach. Compared to fully invaded beaches like Calangute and Baga, the Little Vagator is still a very peaceful place. And it's absolutely beautiful!!!
On the left, you can see the head of Shiva's cobra.
“The hardest of all is learning to be a well of affection, and not a fountain, to show them that we love them, not when we feel like it, but when they do”
Nan Fairbrother
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Namaste.
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The placing of the hands together (prayer) in greeting is known as Namaste. Here my hands are behind my back as done in Yoga, reverse prayer.
Namaste, Namaskara or Namaskaram (Sanskrit: नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː] from external sandhi between namaḥ and te) is a common spoken greeting or salutation in the South Asia.
"The light within me honors the light within you." (in yoga)
Pose: reverse prayer ( Viparita Namaska )
Aum Tattoo - Aum (also Om, written in Devanagari as ॐ) is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one
Texture: Skeletal Mess - www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/3860116644/ - thank you!!
Explore # highest position 186
PIC OF THE WEEK: www.flickr.com/groups/1010052@N20/ - ghostworks
31/8/2009
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ruEZM3Llh4
Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.
Ganesh is the Lord of Success
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose dedication is glorified as the panchayatana puja.
Only when you enter Shiva's abode do you realise that the energy that surrounds you is not exclusive to the energy within you; for Shiva is both the consciousness and the conscience.
Smaller in scale, the 950-year-old Brihadisvara Temple, dedicated to Shiva, in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu, shares similarities in design and name to the mighty Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur.
As the Sun is about to burst through, Mt. Kinner Kailash along with brilliantly illuminated Holy Shivling, takes on celestial hues.This sight for which we all flock to Kalpa is considered the incarnation of the Lord himself. Om Namah Shivay!!!
In the land of the Buddha Eyes ...
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Nepali people and Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all, people younger than us, of our own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers.
There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.
Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means : I bow to you.. my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaha can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another.
The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, "may our minds meet," indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility.
The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognising this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord, as if to look within.
When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.
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Namaste
Namaste komt van het sanskriet - Namaskaar - wat betekent:
Ik eer, of buig voor, het Goddelijke in jou.
Ik eer de plaats in jou waarin het hele universum is.
Ik eer de plaats in jou die liefde is,
waarheid, licht en vrede.
Als jij daar bent, in jou, waar liefde is,
waarheid, licht en vrede
en ik ben daar, in mij, waar liefde is,
waarheid, licht en vrede,
dan zijn we Een
Shiva portrayed as the Mahayogi meditating, A statue in Rishikesh, the gateway to the "DEVBHUMI : The Land of the Gods" where amidst the soaring mountains of Garhwal & Kumoani Himal he is supposed to reside..
Frank Smythe in his now famous book : THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS quotes and old Indian sage who wrote:
Not in a hundred ages of the gods I could not tell thee of all the glories of the Himalaya where Shiva lived and where the Ganga falls from the foot of Vishnu like the slender thread of the lotus flower.
© michael fellner 2013 all rights reserved
Namaste is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words, "Namaḥ" and "te." Namaḥ means 'bow,' 'obeisance,' 'reverential salutation' or 'adoration' and te means 'to you' (dative case of 'you'). Therefore, Namaste literally means "salutations to you."
It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A non-contact form of salutation is traditionally preferred in India and Nepal; Namaste is the most common form of such a salutation. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste
Oṃ Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ,
Oṃ Gan Gaṇapatayē Namaḥ
" Ganesha ... is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India. [He} is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as the Lord of Beginnings, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom ... ." Wikipedia. For more about Sri Ganesha: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva. The Mahashivratri festival, also much popular as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Night of Lord Shiva', is observed on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha every year on the month of Maagh according to the Hindu calendar.
The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or golden apple or Bilva / Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil (jagarana). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", a sacred Panchakshara mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva...
Source: Wikipedia..
Mahashivratri, “The Great Night of Shiva” is a night of special spiritual significance.The fourteenth day of every lunar month or the day before the new moon is known as Shivratri. Among all the twelve Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Mahashivratri, the one that occurs in February-March is of the most spiritual significance. On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is a natural upsurge of energy in a human being.
“Brahma Muraari Surarchita Lingam
Nirmala Bhaashita Sobhitha Lingam
Janmaja Dhukha Vinaasaha Lingam
Tatpranamaami Sadaashiva Lingam”
(Lingashtakam Mantra is one of the main mantras of Lord Shiva which means:
I bow before that Sada Shiva Lingam, which is worshiped by Brahma, Vishnu and other Gods.
It is pure and resplendent, and destroys sorrows arising out of birth and death)
Lord Shiva is known as the Lord of Lords and even other Hindu Gods try to plead Lord Shiva with mantras.
Lord Shiva is worshiped in two forms – The Shiva Lingam and the statue form.
The Mool (Main) Mantra of Lord Shiva is a five syllable mantra, known as panchakshri mantra.
It is believed that the chanters are bowing to themselves, as the Lord Shiva is considered as the ultimate reality.
“OM Namah Shivaya” (I bow to Shiva).
This picture was shot at sunrise along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) where several Shiva ligams lay at the feet of the big statue of Nandi standing at Gay ghat.
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