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All my life, i worshipped her
Her golden voice, her beauty's beat
How she made us feel
How she made me real
And the ground beneath her feet
And the ground beneath her feet
And now i can't be sure of anything
Black is white, and cold is heat
For what i worshipped stole my love away
It was the ground beneath her feet
It was the ground beneath her feet
Go lightly down your darkened way
Go lightly underground
I'll be down there in another day
I won't rest until you're found
Let me love you true, let me rescue you
Let me lead you to where two roads meet
O come back above
Where there's only love
And the ground beneath her feet
And the ground beneath her feet
I was again wandering in the Indian Himalayas. This was one of the first shots, of 'Holy Basil' (Ocimum sanctum) which is a sacred plant in Hindu belief with a faint blur of the mighty peaks behind it :)
© RAMINDER PAL SINGH
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“That house, in which the soul-bride has married her Husband Lord - in that house, O my companions, sing the songs of rejoicing.”
Did you all know I have a free Newsletter? You'll love it... all kinds of great photos and free tips!
Here is a wonderful scene from India. I am sure that people here find these women to be rather commonplace and uninteresting, but I thought all their little movements were photo-worthy. I'm sure they thought I was a nut following them around, so I tried to remain fairly clandestine, so as to not to interrupt their natural behavior. I sort of felt like I was tracking wild animals in their native habitat. That sounds strange, I'm sure!
Yes, I used a texture on this one from one of the texture tutorial packages. Note that I won't do this for everyone, but I wanted to point you to my friend Scotty Graham's blog in Indonesia, who is re-selling these textures. If you buy from there, he is donating his profits to children that suffered from the earthquakes in Sumatra. Anyway, as you can tell, he's a nice guy, and his site is certainly worth a visit!
from the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a lovely set of short tales. Most are very much set in Boston and the area around it, but there are two or three placed in India.These stories are, without exception, absorbing and beautifully written. The authors insights are fascinating, and the stories never take the easy way out, the theme throughout is love and loss. Lahiri is quite good at describing the lives of her characters, and gives them a sort of small dignity appropriate to their modest lives. She writes with a settled rhythm, smoothly pacing her stories and never trying to astound the reader. Creations and portrayal of characters such as Mr. Pirzada, Mrs. Sen, Mr. Kapasi, Sanjeev, Miranda, Bibi etc, are so realistic that one is tempted to look for them among the acquaintances.
Lahiri's collection of nine short stories prick your heart with their subtle, almost gentle portrayal of disillusionment and everydayness. Very cleverly crafted charaters and Lahiri gives peeks both into their conscious and sub-conscious minds. The stories possess a captivating flow and are rich with meaning. The author has a simple style, very lyric, and her observations are smart and plain, no artifice.
It was heartening and satisfying to learn that Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" has been awarded the 2000 Pulitzer for Fiction. The author and the stories clearly deserve the prize.
I enjoyed reading and watching The Namesake . Now looking forward to her new book "Unaccustomed Earth" which is coming up this month :)
My fav. among all was "The Third and Final Continent", Which one was yours?
Explored # 247 :)
A happy face of yatri who has been able to collect a CHUNRI, being distributed by the PUJARI to the crowd at Hinglaj Temple.
The Pakistani Hindu community performed the Hinglaj Pilgrimage. At this occasion, they performed the sacred rituals and pujas at different places their way on to the Hinglaj Temple -the activities which are associated to and form part of this yatra.
The Hingalj Pilgrimage is performed every year in rocky valleys of Hingol National Park, Balochistan -some 280 kilometers away from the port city of Karachi.
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© All rights reserved
Please don't copy, edit or use this image on websites, blogs or other media. However if you are interested in using any of my images, please feel free to contact with me.
======================================================
Maa Vaishnodevi temple, at an altitude of 4300 feet, situated in the Trikuta mountains is about 12 kms from Katra, in the Jammu & Kashmir sate of India. Every year more than 8 million pilgrims visit the Maata Raani temple, & makes it the second most visited religious shrine after the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. The white enclosure is the opening to the temple inside the cave, which contains three idols of Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Kali, which are all images of Vaishno Devi. Devotees offer Red & yellow Chunris (Sari fabrics) to Maa for blessings. A piece of this Chunri, which landed up high atop the mountain behind the holy shrine furled brightly as the sky tried to match the Chunri's vivacity with the setting sun hues.
...penned by Ismat Chughtai...translated by Tahira Naqvi is a great novel (so far). It's sooo crooked that you love it ;) About a woman..what she wants, what she gets...I'm so eager to finish the whole book and share my review with you folks :)
There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip;
Nay, her foot speaks.
"William Shakespeare"
Well said Mr Shakespeare :) If I quote my brother he thinks I have the funniest feet in town :) and I always snap back at him yes in TOWN not in the WORLD like you do :) Anyways I asked my Khala(Aunty) to send me a golden and black chappal/slipper from Pakistan with sequins work...She called and said I sent you both colors and they look gorgeous...The result to that conversation was sublimely happy Colors :) BUT guess what? she sent me same style in 2 colors & when I asked her why did she send me same style in 2 colors? She said Ohh really? I didn't pay attention it was the same style!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seems like it is the favorite with Flickr users...It is one of the most viewed pic of my account...Thank Kaneez for those sad forlorn expressions!
This snap is shot at bhool-Bhulaiyya[Labyrinth/maze] in old Lucknow.
Duo of a family performing rituals by tying the wish knots and CHUNRI over the branches of a tree near the Hinglaj Temple.
"The Twentieth Wife" by Indu Sundaresan is a historical novel based on facts of the late 16th and early 17th century rule Mughal Empire in India an intriguing and pleasurable read...The Mughal Empire was so vast and so rich that it was inevitable that there would be lots of in-fighting for the throne...The Empire had a harem but only one of his sons could be Emperor....Competition was ugly...Wars were fought...Lives were lost...A sweeping saga that goes through generations...wars...betrayals...politics and most of all enduring love.
The main character, Mehrunnisa was definitely a woman of ahead of her time and one of the most popular women in the History of India...Mehrunnisa who is beautiful... smart...patient and cunning...was real a woman who married the Emperor when she was no longer young and who then ruled the Empire with him.
At age 8...Mehrunnisa finds herself mesmerized by Salim...the future heir to the throne....She immediately thinks he is beautiful and later develops feelings for him and through the years she dreams of becoming one of his wives...Salim was spellbounded by Mehrunnisa's beauty after seeing her few times but Emperor Akbar did not approve this marriage and she got married to a soldier named Ali Quli and had one child with him....Ali Quli did not appreciate her intellect..mind and intelligence....Stuck in a dead end marriage...she felt that this was her fate but things changed...Ali Quli died and Salim who was the Emperor Jahangir now approached her and she became Dowager Empress Nur Jahan...Jahangir and Nur Jahan madly in love....I'm not going to spoil the details for you all....The Twentieth Wife is a rich.. exotic view of the women...their desires and female's position in society in the Mughal Empire of 1600's India...An excellent novel with equally excellent themes about the power behind the veil....True love always prevails...I couldn't stop reading and finished in 4 days...This novel took me to another world...a world I have never been to...I visualized the sound of emerald bangles and anklets...The soft swish of their ghagara's and feet when they walked in red stone forts...Every page I turned with so much enthusiasm and eagerness that what is going to happen next....The story of Mehrunnisa is one of the great love stories of all time Great book...Savor it!
Btw Mehrunnisa was Jahangir's twentieth and last wife :)
I just finished reading its sequel "The Feast of Roses" and immensely enjoyed :)
Read & the saffron are the colors which have very symbolic meaning in Hindu religion, as may be seen into those of the images have been taken during the recent pilgrimage of Hinglaj Temple.
HINGLAJ YATRA is the most sacred visit that the Hindu community living in Pakistan and around the globe perform every year and which activity takes place in Baluchistan, some 280 kilometres away from Karachi.
===========================================================================
© All rights reserved
Please don't copy, edit or use this image on websites, blogs or other media. However if you are interested in using any of my images, please feel free to contact with me.
===========================================================================
The crowd of yatris are attempting to catch CHUNRI being distributed among them by the pujaris.
The Pakistani Hindu community performed the Hinglaj Pilgrimage. At this occasion, they performed the sacred rituals and pujas at different places their way on to the Hinglaj Temple -the activities which are associated to and form part of this yatra.
The Hingalj Pilgrimage is performed every year in rocky valleys of Hingol National Park, Balochistan -some 280 kilometers away from the port city of Karachi.
======================================================
© All rights reserved
Please don't copy, edit or use this image on websites, blogs or other media. However if you are interested in using any of my images, please feel free to contact with me.
======================================================
Pakora is a type of Indian cuisine created by taking ingredients such as onion, eggplant, lentils, potato, spinach, cauliflower, tomato, and chilli, dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them. They are usually served as snacks or appetizers with Chutney (Indian Sauce...sort of like ketchup). They can be eaten as starters in restaurants.
Apart from the thousands of Shopping Malls popping every second day, India still thrives on its original markets. From the ethnic Jewellery to Dresses like Lehnga Chunri and decorative pieces, these have something which you don't find in modern day Shopping Malls. ~famous-india.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga, Designer Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Contemporary lehenga and shipping to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, India and worldwide @ Shop online at jugniji.com/lehenga.html and visit us at www.facebook.com/jugniji.fashions
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga, Designer Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Contemporary lehenga and shipping to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, India and worldwide.
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga, Designer Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Contemporary lehenga and shipping to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, India and worldwide @ Shop online at jugniji.com/lehenga.html and visit us at www.facebook.com/jugniji.fashions
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga, Designer Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Contemporary lehenga and shipping to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, India and worldwide.
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
VAISHNAVI (MATRIKA GODDESS)
Vaishnavi, Vaishnodevi, Trikuta (sanskrit, feminine form of Vishnu) is a legendary figure in the Hindu tradition and the shakti of Lord Vishnu.
According to the legend, she was an incarnation of the Divine Mother Lakshmi. Vaishnavi is a name of Vaishno Devi.
Vaishnavi (Vaishnodevi) is also a Matrika goddess, considered as the shakti of Vishnu.
Vaishnavi (or Vyshnavi) is also a given name, in the Hindu tradition of naming children after spiritual personalities.
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VAISHNO DEVI, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess Mahalakshmi. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "mother", and thus are often used in connection with Vaishno Devi. Vaishno Devi Mandir (Hindi: वैष्णोदेवी मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess, located at the Trikuta Mountains within the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. More than 10 million pilgrims visit this shrine every year.
The Vaishno Mata shrine is in the Trikuta mountains is believed to be the abode of 33 crore deities.
It is believed that at some point of time each one of these 33 crore deities have worshipped Goddess Vaishno Mata, and left their symbolic marks inside. It is also believed that during the pooja and Aarti, these Gods and Goddesses arrive at the Holy cave to pay their obeisance to Mata. Hindus believe that one cannot possible have Darshan of Mata, unless she herself calls the devotees.
‘Chalo bulawa aya hai, Mata ne bulaya hai’. Meaning ‘Let us go to Vaishno Devi as Mata has beckoned us to come for darshan and blessings’.
REACHING KATRA
The town of Katra in Jammu and Kashmir is the base point of the 13 km trek to the Holy Cave, where an elaborate Bhawan exists taking care of every possible need of the devotee. Katra can be reached either by road from Jammu or by the recently started train service by Indian Railways. Katra is approx 50 km from Jammu and can be reached by road in less than two hours.
The Indian Railways have introduced Sree Shakti train that runs from Delhi. One can easily avail the two night package, ‘COMFORT’ offered by IRCTC.
The train journey from Jammu onwards to Katra is not just picturesque but a thrilling adventure that takes you through breathtaking bridges and tunnels. It is indeed an engineering marvel of Indian Railways.
The Katra railway station is a world class railway station having automatic escalators powered by Solar Energy. It also houses shops, Food courts, waiting halls, washrooms and bathrooms. In addition to this there is a hotel where one can stay overnight on prior booking.
TREK ROUTE AND MEANS OF TRANSPORT
The trek from the Banganga check post in Katra to Mata’s Bhawan is an arduous 13 km long one.
One can cover the trek by four different methods:
1. By Helicopter.
2. By foot
3. By horses
4. By Palki – human palanquin
Helicopter services are offered by Global Vectra and Himalayan.The booking for availing helicopter service needs to be booked online, 60 days in advance through the official website of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Helicopter tickets can also be bought on the spot from Jagjivan Ghat near Katra Bus Stand. But tickets can be bought subject to availability. Also the Helicopter service takes place only in fair weather and often the trips are cancelled.
The Katra helipad is approx 3.5 km from Katra main town. One needs to report at the helipad two hours in advance of the time mentioned on the ticket. The helicopter ride from the Katra helipad to Sanjichhat takes a mere five minutes. The immensely thrilling ride gives a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Trikuta valley. On reaching Sanjichhat, the Bhawan is at a distance of about 3 km. This distance can be covered by a downward trek or by horses. It takes approx 90 minutes to reach the Bhawan by foot. Those going for Mata’s darshan via helicopter are issued VIP passes and are allowed to entry through Gate No 5 of the Bhawan.
If one is going for darshan by the other three means, by foot, by horses or by Palanquin, he/she needs to register his traveling group members at the Katra Vaishno Mata Dev Shrine Board office and get a "travel slip". The office is located near the Katra bus stand. The travel slip is extremely important as it will be checked at several points of the journey, failing which you will not be allowed to trek further.
TREK PATH
The trek of 13 km can be completed in about 5 to 8 hours depending on the fitness and whether children are accompanying parents.
The Bhawan is open for darshan 365 days and the Shrine Board, the governing body of the Bhawan has made it possible to do the trek 24 by 7. The entire trekking path is lit up for devotees, some preferring to start the trek in the late evening to avoid the morning sun. The scintillating lit up path is visible from the Katra bus stand.
Throughout the trekking path, there are restaurants, tea stalls, drinking water, medical aid,benches, toilets and police check posts. A major length of the trek is covered providing protection from rain and snow.
At the start of the trek, at Banganga check post, there is massive scanning of luggage and security check.
The trek is divided into two parts. The first part of the trek up to Adkuwari is roughly half way at a distance of 7 km from Banganga starting check post. At Adkuwari the road to the Bhawan bifurcates into two. One road goes via Adkuwari while the second one goes via Himkoti.
The horses are allowed to continue on the Adkuwari trail, but are not allowed to go via the Himkoti road. At the Himkoti road, electric rickshaws are available for senior citizens, people with disability and those with medical conditions.
It must be noted that if traveling with children by foot, as is the case with many devotees, one needs to be very vigilant of the horses plying alongside as the road is narrow.
BHAWAN
On reaching the Bhawan one can take a bath at the bathing ghats. Having done so, one needs to deposit all luggage, mobile phones, cameras and leather items in lockers provided by the Shrine Board. Also it is here that a group is provided a number for darshan on showing the "travel slip".
Normal devotees enter through Gate No 3.
The Bhawan provides accommodation for the devotees to stay overnight at the Bhawan. The booking for this needs to be done online, well in advance.
The Bhawan is buzzing with activity at any given time of the day. Devotees irrespective of their class arrive at the Bhawan to receive blessings of Vaishno Mata.
On most days, the queue leading up to the Holy cave keeps moving. Moreover, the whole Bhawan reverberates with the devotees chanting, “Jai Mata Di” and one totally becomes unaware of the fatigue of the long trek.
It is believed that he darshan of Mata is complete only if one visits the Bhairon Mandir, as Mata had given Bhairon a boon that he would be worshipped alongside her. The Bhairon Mandir is approximately 3 km form the Bhawan. It is a steep upward trek and can be done either by foot or by ponies.
The Shrine board has taken immense care to provide all amenities for a comfortable darshan of the devotees. So you will find shops, restaurants like Sagar Ratna, PCOs, Cloak rooms, Prashad shops and police posts.
PRASAD
"BHAINT" The Prasad offered by the devotees to Mata is called BHAINT. There are several shops at Bhawan selling Bhaints. These can also be bought from the office of the Shrine board packed neatly in Eco friendly jute bags, with the logo of the Shrine Board, a souvenir in itself. A typical Bhaint comprises prasad, fuliyan, chunri, mouli, coconut, pooja samagri including itra, bangles and sindoor.
Outside the exit tunnel and just beyond the Amrit Kund lies the PRASAD counter. The blessings of the Mother Goddess in the form of Prasad pouches are handed over to the devotees by the temple priests. Each Prasad pouch comprises the Mishri Prasad plus a blessed coin, carrying the image of Holy Pindies. In addition, Khazana (coins) are given to the devotees. It is believed to be a good luck coins(s) and devotees would do well to keep it in their cash boxes, temples or other important places in their homes or establishments. it is not only a belief but a fact that the Khazana Prasad wherever kept, has brought in prosperity and luck.
There are other blessed items too, especially the Chunris and Cholas which are used for Shringar of the Holy Pindies. Since the Vastras of the Pindies are changed twice a day during Aarti, the Vastras which have been used once but are subsequently changed are offered as Ashirwad (blessings) to the devotees.
These are readily available at the souvenir shops run by the shrine Board at Katra, Adkuwari, Sanjichhat and Bhawan. Gold and Silver coins of the Holy goddess are also available.
The pull of Mata is such that devotees travel from all corners of the world to receive blessing of Mata. And Mata is said to embrace and bless one and all, from the poorest and the weakest to the richest and the mightiest. Vaishno Devi is the most widely visited shrine in North India and the second most visited shrine in the country after Tirupati Balaji.
It is a pilgrimage to be taken at least once in the life of a Hindu.
DARSHAN
The Trikuta Mountain where the Shrine is located and the Holy Cave are the gateway to the dimension of Super Consciousness. And just like the Trikuta Mountain, which is one at the base but has three peaks (hence the name Trikoot), the revelation of the Mother Goddess in the Holy Cave is in a natural rock form which is one at the base but has three heads at the top. These three heads in a natural rock form are known as the Holy Pindies and are worshipped as the revelation of the Mother Goddess. The entire rock body is immersed in water, and a marble platform has now been constructed all around. The main Darshans remain to be of the three heads called the Holy Pindies. The uniqueness of the Holy Pindies is that although they emanate from one single rock form, each one is distinctly different from the other two in colour and texture.
MAHA KALI
Towards the right of the devotee is the Holy Pindi of Mata Maha Kali (the Supreme Energy of Dissolution) in the colour associated with Her i.e. black. The Supreme Energy of dissolution is Mata Maha Kali. She represents the Tam Guna- the quality associated with the darker and unknown realms of life. Tam stands for darkness. Psychology and science state that only a very small per cent of the Universe is conscious. The remaining is still subconscious or unconscious. These unknown realms contain all the mysteries of life. Creation is a phenomenon, which exists within a specific time. However the Energy that transcends the barriers of time is the Eternal Time or Maha Kali. Since man’s knowledge about life is very limited and he remains in the dark about most of it, it is represented by the colour black which is associated with Mata Maha Kali. She is the basic source of all that is mystical and unknown to man. In her attribute of Maha Kali, the Mother Goddess constantly guides her devotees to conquer the forces of darkness.
MAHA LAKSHMI
In the centre is the Holy Pindi of Mata Maha Lakshmi (the Supreme Energy of Maintenance) with a yellowish-red tinge, the colour associated with Mata Maha Lakshmi. Mata Maha Lakshmi is the Supreme Energy of Maintenance. She represents Rajas Guna- the quality of inspiration and effort, and is considered to be the basic source of wealth, prosperity, material gains, quality of life etc. Wealth and prosperity are better represented by the colour of gold, which is yellow, and hence associated with Mata Maha Lakshmi.
MAHA SARASWATI
The Pindi to the extreme left of the viewer is worshipped as the Holy Pindi of Mata Maha Saraswati (the Supreme Energy of Creation). It has a whitish tinge when looked at attentively. White has also been considered the colour associated with Mata Maha Saraswati. Being the Supreme force of Creation, Mata Maha Saraswati is considered to be the basic source of all Creation, Knowledge, Wisdom, Righteousness, Art, Spiritualism, Piousness etc. Since white is a colour that denotes piousness and purity, hence it is associated with Mata Maha Saraswati. She represents the Satva Guna- the quality of purity.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji is considered to be an incarnation of the three Supreme Energies.
All Human beings contain attributes of the three above mentioned Guns (qualities) and their behavior is determined by the Guna which is predominant in their nature. But, in order to lead a meaningful life, a proper balance among these three is necessary. The Holy Cave is charged with such energy that it helps in creating this vital but rare balance in a person. This is what makes the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji unique in the entire world.
It is reiterated that Darshans inside the Holy Cave are in the form of natural rock formations called Pindies. There are no statues, pictures or idols inside. All along the track and at the Bhawan, there are many photographs explaining the nature of Darshans inside the Holy Cave. Yatries should observe these carefully since these are meant to guide them towards the final Darshans in the Holy Cave.
Currently Shri Narinder Nath Vohra in his capacity as Governor of Jammu & Kashmir is the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Members of the Board are Shri E. Sreedharan, Smt. Sudha Murty, Dr. Sudhir S.Bloeria, IAS (Retd.), Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr. Ashok Bhan, IPS (Retd.) and Shri H. L. Maini.
WIKIPEDIA
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga, Designer Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Contemporary lehenga and shipping to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, India and worldwide.
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com
Online shopping site for buy Lehenga Chunri, Party wear Lehenga, Stylish Lehenga, Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Lehenga online shop at www.jugniji.com