View allAll Photos Tagged ayodhya
Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated across the country with a lot of fervour. According to the beliefs in Hinduism, it marks the day that Lord Rama — an incarnation of Lord Vishnu — had returned to his kingdom Ayodhya as the rightful heir to the throne, after spending 14 years in exile.
To mark his homecoming, the residents of Ayodhya had lighted diyas on a new moon night, and the light emanating from them had illuminated the streets and the entire kingdom.
The goddess is often seen with rage in her eyes and her tongue sticking out. She is darker in complexion and is depicted wearing a garland made of skulls or severed heads. It is said that Goddess Kali is a symbol of vengeance and annihilation of evil. In a fit of rage, Durga had assumed this avatar, slaying demons and other beings whom she deemed ‘evil’, wearing their severed heads to drive fear in the hearts of others.
In our tradition all walks of people enjoy visiting different pandals to worship and pay tribute to the goddess Kali.
"A sphere of fine globules (moti=pearls) of fried besan held together with thickened sugar syrup. A ladoo would have coarser granules. It is mentioned in Kannada literature of a few centuries ago (Supa sastra of Mangarsa, written in 1516 AD), and as a food item of Bihar about a century ago. The sculpted or painted figure of Ganesha frequently holds in one hand what appears to be balls of motichur, as in the great Lingaraja temple of Bhubaneshwar (as recorded by Ayodhya Prasad Shah in the 'Life in Medieval Orissa')." KT Achaya
photo rights reserved by B℮n
The Royal Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam and later Thailand since 1782. It consists of not only royal and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It covers an area of 218,000 square metres and is surrounded by four walls, 1900 metres in length. After King Rama I ascended to the throne in 1782, the palace was built. Prior to this, the royal palace and centre of administration had been located in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. For various reasons, the new King considered the former capital to be unsuitable and decided to establish a new capital on the other side of the river. Admission fee is free of charge for Thais and 500 baht for foreigners. You'll need to wear culturally appropriate attire when visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This means being well covered. Visitors should wear long skirts/trousers and sleeved shirts—basically anything that covers more than the lower arms and head. Fortunately, after the covid period, it is not yet busy with tourists. Thailand has just ended their quarantine policy. Face masks are no longer mandatory. Great to visit the Grand Palace one more time now.
Impressive 200 years of royal history and architecture at the Grand Palace in Bangkok with more than 100 buildings. The gallery walls of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha enclose the entire temple and are completely covered with murals. The gallery is a covered corridor that surrounds the entire temple like a monastery. Murals on the gallery walls depict the entire arc of the Ramakien epic, which is based on the Indian Ramayana. This version was translated and recomposed in Thai poetic form around 1797 under the supervision of Rama I himself. The murals were commissioned by Rama I to tell his version of the epic. The concept of righteous kingship within the epic has long been recognized in Southeast Asia and has been appropriated by many kings to equate their land with the legendary city of Ayodhya - holy place for Hindus- and the hero Rama. The murals have been restored over time. The murals along the walls are divided into 178 scenes. Photo of scene 144 where Painasuriwong leaves Lanka.
De Royal Grand Palace is een gebouwencomplex in het hart van Bangkok, Thailand. Het paleis is sinds 1782 de officiële residentie van de koningen van Siam en later Thailand. Het bestaat niet alleen uit koninklijke en troonzalen, maar ook uit een aantal regeringsgebouwen en de beroemde Tempel van de groene Smaragd Boeddha. Het heeft een oppervlakte van 218.000 vierkante meter en is omgeven door vier muren van 1900 meter lang. Nadat koning Rama I in 1782 de troon besteeg, werd het paleis gebouwd. Daarvoor was het koninklijk paleis en het bestuurscentrum gevestigd in Thonburi, op de westelijke oever van de Chao Phraya-rivier. Om verschillende redenen vond de nieuwe koning de voormalige hoofdstad ongeschikt en besloot hij een nieuwe hoofdstad te stichten aan de andere kant van de rivier. De toegangsprijs is gratis voor Thais en 500 baht voor buitenlanders. In april 1981 gebruikte de plaatsvervangend commandant van het Thaise leger, generaal San Chitpatima, het paleis als zijn hoofdkwartier voor een poging tot staatsgreep tegen premier Prem. De staatsgreep mislukte mede door ingrijpen koning Bhumibol. Een paar uur later ontmoette generaal Prem echter koning Bhumibol in zijn paleis in Bangkok en de koninklijke familie en de premier vloog naar een legerbasis in Noordoost-Thailand. Premier Prem kondigde op de radio aan dat hij niet was afgetreden. Het Thaise leger trok zich weer terug uit het paleis. Gelukkig is het na de covid periode nog niet druk met toeristen. Thailand heeft zojuist hun quarantainebeleid beëindigd. Mondkapjes zijn niet meer verplicht. Geweldig om het Grand Palace nu nog een keer te bezoeken. De galerijmuren van de tempel van de Smaragdgroene Boeddha omsluiten de hele tempel en zijn volledig bedekt met muurschilderingen. De galerij of Phra Rabiang is een overdekte gang die de hele tempel als een klooster omringt. Muurschilderingen op de galerijmuren verbeelden de hele boog van het Ramakien-epos, dat is gebaseerd op de Indiase Ramayana. Deze versie werd rond 1797 vertaald en opnieuw samengesteld in Thaise poëtische vorm onder toezicht van Rama I zelf. De muurschilderingen werden in opdracht van Rama I gemaakt om zijn versie van het epos te vertellen. Het concept van rechtvaardig koningschap binnen het epos is al lang erkend in Zuidoost-Azië en is door veel koningen toegeëigend om hun land gelijk te stellen aan de legendarische stad Ayodhya - heilige plaats voor hindoes- en de held Rama. De muurschilderingen zijn in de loop der tijd gerestaureerd. De muurschilderingen langs de muren zijn verdeeld in 178 scènes. De eerste afgebeelde scène is: de eerste stadia van de oorlog die Rama van Ayodthaya voerde om zijn vrouw te redden die was ontvoerd door de koning van Longka.
Mathura is believed to be the birthplace of Krishna and is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven cities considered holy by Hindus: Ayodhya (Rama), Mathura (Krishna), Haridwar (Vishnu), Varanasi (Shiva), Kanchipuram (Parvati), Ujjain (Shiva) and Dwarka (Krishna).
Apparently it was a necessity. We had to travel down to Delhi (an expensive and 13-hour long car trip) from where we live to experience the festival of festivals in India - Diwali. Not only that, but we had to gamble - for if we failed to, we would be doomed to be reborn as a dormouse in our next life. I'm not sure about that, but we had great fun anyway - a small party of 12, everyone dressed in their finest saris and kurtas, gambling the night away by the light of candles. After this, came the fireworks!
Matt
From Wikipedia:
Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.
The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dīpas) in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.
Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshman, from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst firecrackers.
In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees".
The festival starts with Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the third day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the Bali, and banished him to Patala. It is on the fourth day of Deepawali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali went to patala and took the reins of his new kingdom in there. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
White House Apartments Mandir Parikrama (Temple Circumambulation) during Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya.
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY n PROSPEROUS DIWALI..!!! :o))
May this festive season bring you peace, love n happiness!
These shots were taken at a Diwali party I attended last night. Btw Diwali is my fav festival :o))
Deepavali, or Diwali is a major Indian holiday, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being. Diwali is celebrated on the first day of the lunar Kartika month, which comes in the month of October or November.
In many parts of India, it is the homecoming of King Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest, after he defeated the evil Ravana. The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deepa), thus its name: Deepavali. This word, in due course, became Diwali in Hindi.
Spiritual Significance
While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", a more appropriate significance is "the new year of luck and wealth".
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).
Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
. . Wat Thammikarat.
Ayuthaya (full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayuthaya, Thai: พระนครศรีอยุธยา; also spelled "Ayudhya", "Ayutthya") city is the capital of Ayuthaya province in Thailand.
Founded in 1350 by King U-Thong, who came to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayuthaya Kingdom or Siam. Ayuthaya was named after the city of Ayodhya in India, the birthplace of Rama in the Ramayana (Thai, Ramakien). In 1767 the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, and the ruins of the old city now form the Ayuthaya historical park. The site is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
My first post in several days, sorry for my absence, and an oldie from the 2007 "vault".
"India will celebrate a muted Diwali, the festival of lights, today amid the raging coronavirus pandemic. The festival marks the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance. Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated in honour of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya, ending his fourteen-year-long exile. Many worship and pray to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, on Diwali. Diwali is traditionally celebrated by lighting diyas (earthen lamps) and candles, praying to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh and meeting friends and family to exchange Diwali greetings and gifts."