RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY MUTT AT BICHALE INTRODUCTION There is a Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Bichale, which is located a few kilometres away from Mantralayam, and it is a sacred place for the devotees of Guru Raghavendra Swamy, since Guru Raghavendra lived in this holy place for a few years along with his main disciple Appanacharya, and he also wrote some holy texts at this place. In this place, Appanacharya also used to teach Vedic texts to his disciples. After Guru Raghavendra Swamy had attained Samadhi at Mantralaya, his disciple Appanacharya found it difficult to regularly visit Mantralayam from Bichale. Hence Guru…
Author: hinduscriptures
SINSINA INTRODUCTION Sinsina is considered to be the chief among all the saints of India, and his wonderful temple is situated in Bharatpur at Rajasthan. He is worshipped by certain sects of people in Rajasthan. He is believed to have been taken birth in this earth before few thousand years, and he is said to be the staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. Sinsina is believed to have been born in a village at Rajasthan to a pious family, and at his young age itself he was very studious and concentrated his attention on studies as well as on bhakti. Instead of playing…
SARANESHWAR TEMPLE INTRODUCTION Saraneshwar Mahadev Temple is an ancient famous Shiva temple, and it is located in Rajasthan. Lord Saraneshwara is the Kula deva for many ancient kings in Rajasthan, and still he is the Kula Deva for some community people in Rajasthan. Major renovation works were done to this temple during the16th century. A big Hanuman Idol welcomes us to the temple, and it is located in the outside of the temple. Along with the main Shiva Linga, hundreds of Shiva Lingas are found inside the temple. Few temple elephants also can be found nearby the entrance of the temple, and it warmly…
NANAKJI BURDAK INTRODUCTION Nanakji Burdak (13th century AD) was born in Nanihal village in Rajasthan, in Burdak community, and he is considered as a great spiritual saint, and he is the ancestor of the Burdak community people. At the time of his birth, there was a war between Burdak community and Dhaka community people. Due to the grace of the almighty, the young child, Nanakji was miraculously saved. His family members were ardent devotees of Ma Shakambari Devi, and they used to regularly visit the Temple during Fridays, and on other auspicious festival days. Nanakji got married and had three…
SACHYEE MATA TEMPLE INTRODUCTION The Sachyee Mata Temple is located in Osian, Rajasthan. This temple is believed to have been constructed by King Upendran during the 10th century AD. Ma Sachyee is also known as Shri Osiya Mataji, and she is classified as one of the seven forms of Ma Shakti Devi, and she is also considered to be an aspect of Ma Shakti Devi. In this temple, ancient idols, and paintings of various deities are available. As per ancient legend, Goddess Sachi is also known as Indrani, and she is the consort of Lord Indra. Annual festival during Navaratri would be celebrated in a…
JAYANTHI – A GREAT MUSIC LEGEND INTRODUCTION Mrs.R.Jayanthi is doing divine music concerts in the Devasthanam temples as well as in other temples of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu for the past 30 years. She also performed music concerts in marriage receptions, Tourism Development programme at Kanyakumari, conferences, clubs, college functions, Tamil Isai Sangam, and in Sadguru Sangeetha Samajam, Madurai. She is an expert in Carnatic Music, and used to sing Bhakti songs, Classical songs, Bharatiyar and Bharatidasan songs and also she used to sing Light Music songs from Tamil feature films. She is fluent in Tamil and she would…
TEMPLES IN THE FORESTS INTRODUCTION Still now lot of temples are there in thick dense forests. Some ancient Shiva and Kalabhairava temples are situated in forests and some of them are in a dilapidated state, and urgent action must be taken by the devotees and the philanthropists in order to repair and renovate such holy temples. The Mahadeva temple in Goa was built before 800 years, and it is located in forest, surrounded by full of natural greenery, and nearby the temple there are no houses or shops. During the previous Dwapara Yuga, the holy pandavas had constructed lot of…
SANKALPA SEVA INTRODUCTION Sankalpa Seva is a type of Seva observed by the devotees of Guru Raghavendra. There are various ways to please the Gurus and the gods. One such way to please our holy guru Raghavendra, and to remove the difficulties in our life, is by the way of doing Sankalpa Seva. The Sankalpa Seva can be done for even 1 day. But doing Sankalpa Seva for a minimum period of 3 days would make our prayers to get easily answered by our Guru. During the time of performance of Sankalpa Seva, we should observe proper fasting, and we…
PATTABHISHEKAM INTRODUCTION Pattabhishekam means the coronation ceremony of the kings. Ancient kings Pattabhishekam would be celebrated in a grand manner by performing puja to the deities, and also by getting the waters from the holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari, in order to sprinkle it in the body of kings. Great sages like Vasishta and Viswamitra had helped during the holy ceremony of Pattabhishekam, to the famous kings Like Dasaratha, Rama and Harichandra. During the Krita Yuga, Pattabhishekam was done to the great Prahalada by Lord Brahma itself. During the time of his Pattabhishekam, all the divine deities were…
KARTHIGAI PORI URUNDAI INTRODUCTION Pori Urundai is the famous sweet item, which would be prepared during the Karthigai Deepam festival. Pori Urundai is made out of puffed rice and soft Jaggery. Pori Urundai can also be bought from Peas merchants, but mostly it would be made in homes, during the time of Karthigai Deepam festival. After preparing the Pori Urundai, lamps would be lighted inside and outside of the homes, and puja would be performed to Lord Vinayaka, Shiva, Ma Parvati and Lord Muruga, and during that time, various varieties of offerings such as Appam and Pori urandai would be…
APPAM AND ARAVANA PAYASAM INTRODUCTION Appam and Aravana Payasam are the auspicious Prasad items available in the Sabarimala Temple. It would be offered to the devotees during their visit to this holy temple. These Prasad items would be prepared in large quantities, especially during the Mandala Puja and Makara Villakku periods. Both Appam and Aravana Payasam would be prepared using fresh ghee, jaggery and rice flour. It would be sold in containers in the Sabarimala temple premises to the devotees at an affordable cost. Aravana prasadam would be prepared a few months in advance, before the start of the Sabarimala…
KOZHUKATTAI -THE MOST FAVOURITE FOOD OF LORD VINAYAKA INTRODUCTION Kozhukkattai is a famous South Indian food, and it is made out of rice flour, coconut and jaggery. Kozhukattai, can also be made in different varieties, such as sweet and salt. Kozhukkattai is also called as Modakam in North India. In Tamil Nadu, this food item is related with lord Vinayaka, and it would be mostly prepared during monthly Chathurti days, and at the time of Vinayaka Chathurthi festival. It is also prepared as a snack item by the people in India, and would be taken along with evening coffee/tea. Kozhukattai is an all-time favourite food of Lord Vinayaka, and lot of stories…
NAVARATHRI SUNDAL INTRODUCTION Navarathri is an auspicious festival which would be celebrated for a continuous period of nine days. Among various Hindu festivals, Navarathri festival occupies a significant place in Hinduism, since this festival is celebrated by keeping golu dolls in our homes, and also by preparing various varieties of delicious sundal. Sundal is made out of various pulses, and it is rich in terms of nutritional values. Each day, a different variety of sundal would be prepared, and after performing puja and after offering it to the holy goddess Ma Duga, it would be distributed amongst the participants of…
HASTODAKA INTRODUCTION Hastodaka refers to offering the food as Neivedyam to Guru Raghavendra, and then it would be offered to the devotees. Whenever, if we have an opportunity to visit the holy Mantralayam Mutt, we must have to compulsorily consume the delicious food provided at the Mantralayam Temple. By taking the food, all of our health issues would be sorted out, and we would get great spiritual pleasure in that place. This system of offering Hastodaka to the devotees was in practice since several years, and even during the time of famine in the year 1915, free food was served…
Takaka (Tasman, New Zealand) headquartered firm Mariposa Clothing has apologized and removed pants carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh, after Hindus protested calling it “highly inappropriate”. Tracey Brignole of Mariposa Clothing, in an email today to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed who spearheaded the protest, wrote: Mariposa has removed the pants this morning. It was certainly never our intention to cause any offence and we apologise to anyone who did take offence. Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanked Mariposa Clothing and Brignole for understanding the concerns of Hindu…
Upset Hindus seek sensitivity trng for Oxford Univ execs as beef-laced candy served on Diwali Upset Hindus are urging for sensitivity training for senior executives of Oxford University and a formal apology as reports surfaced of offering beef-laced candies at a recent dinner celebrating Diwali at its Christ Church College. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Oxford University, which claimed to be “ranked first in the world” and whose history went back to 1096; needed to grow-up, educate itself and show more maturity and sensitivity to the feelings of its minority populations.…
THIRUKALYANAM URCHAVAM INTRODUCTION Thirukalyanam urchavam would be performed to the divine deities in the famous temples like Tirumala to Lord Venkateswara with Ma Padmavathi, Thiruthani to Lord Murugan with Ma Valli and Devasena. This Seva would be usually performed by the newly married couples in the temples, in order to peacefully live together throughout their life. According to legend, similar to the people in the earth, the divine deities are also got married, and they are still living together, and they act as an example for us. Similar to Tirumala and Thiruthani Temple Kalyanotsavam, the divine marriage ceremony would also…