Maha Kaalee And Her History

This is Mother Kali, one of the millions of deities in Hinduism. She is the Aathishakti (The Mother Divine in any fierce form as 'Kali,' it's a kind of short-hand that inclues Durga, Chandika, Mahishasoora Mardini and other fierce forms of Mother.

Other names for Kali include: Kali Ma, The Dark Goddess, Dark Mother, Kalika, The Black Goddess, Kali the Destroyer, Consort of Shiva, Dancing Lady of Death.it's also part of Shiva's nature, to give boons to rakshasas, even though those boons usually wind up threatening the whole creation. Shiva is 'bolo-shankara', purely innocent and open-hearted. generous to a fault.

Notice she holds weapons and a severed head and a bowl to catch the blood in. Her jewelry is dismembered bodies, her necklace severed heads, her skirt is made of severed arms from the devils. According to Hinduism, within the human body, Kali is the Kundalini, the "Serpent Power", the key to liberation-if properly controlled. If not, the Kundalini will do great mental and bodily harm.

Why the Divine Mother came this way? Read this friends...and please change ur perception about Her!  

Once upon a time, a demon (again, he has many names depending on what region in India the story is told, like Mahesasura, Raktabija, etc.) spent a great deal of time and effort worshipping Shiva, in deep meditation. the demons, or rakshasas, are actually great meditators, and are very good at doing austerities to win the attention and the love of Lord Shiva. it's a curious point that the rakshasas often have more powerful souls, at the pure level, than the avataras do. it's a mystery as to why this is, since at some point the rakshasas make some fatal (and usually highly selfish) blunder and lose all the fruits of their meditation in some stupid way. but that's nature.

Anyway, this rakshasa did his austerities, got the darshan of Lord Shiva (got to see Shiva, physically, in a super-natural form) and Shiva was so pleased with the hard meditations the rakshasa had done, he granted the demon whatever boon he wanted. the clever demon asked for the boon that every time his blood hit the ground from a wound, a THOUSAND more Mahesasuras would spring up from that blood. essentially, he was making himself invincible, immortal. Shiva granted the boon.

Immediately the demon came attacking the gods, killing and harming many of the divine beings in creation. they were powerless against him, even though they had fantastical weapons -- because Shiva's boon was in place and every time Mahesasura was wounded and his blood hit the ground, a thousand more of him would spring up, ready to fight.

The level of destruction that he threatened to carry out in creation was too much for any of the devatas (the gods) to fight. they couldn't do it. no one was powerful enough to stop the rakshasa, so they all came together, all the gods (like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the OTHER millions of divine forms in the pantheon), all the goddesses, (like Saraswati, Laxmi, Parvati and the others), all the rishis (the great creator-sages), all the angels, all the divine beings in this creation, every last one of them. they united and merged together and made ONE form.

That one form, the highest divinity form of Mother Divine, is known as Maha Kali. SHE came into creation and killed that rakshasa by a simple method -- every time She wounded him, and his blood was starting to drip, She would extend her humongous tongue and eat his blood before it ever had a chance to hit the ground!

This is why there are so many many misunderstandings about Maha Kali -- many people have the mistaken impression that because She is so fierce, so hideous-looking (wild-eyed, long bloody tongue hanging out of Her mouth, fangs dripping blood), She is some kind of demonic force in creation.
the truth is that She is the highest divine form of the Mother energy -- She is the convergence of ALL the divine beings in Her one form. it takes that fierce an expression of the high positivity to defeat the highest negativity.

It's also part of Shiva's nature, to give boons to rakshasas, even though those boons usually wind up threatening the whole creation. Shiva is 'bolo-shankara', purely innocent and open-hearted. generous to a fault.

Vaasthu Sastra dikenali sebagai 'Feng Shui'

It is imperative that two of the well-known Eastern design methods-Feng-Shui (China) and Vastu shastra (India) are understood in a proper perspective, as both these disciplines in their own ways define the relationship between man and the cosmos.

In Chinese language Feng means wind & Shui means water, implying thereby that the technique involves balancing of the cosmic element water & the cosmic quality “wind” in a system to achieve harmony with the cosmic forces.

Vastu shastra has clear-cut definitions- Vastu means abode or a house & shastra means science or technology, i.e. it is the scientific method of house construction. Vastu shastra considers a house to be a living soul, having prana. Fengshui scripts denote water, fire, wood, gold and earth as the basic five elements forming the entire universe with ‘wind’ as the special quality attainable by these elements. Vastu shastra scriptures stress that every living and non-living entity, for that matter the entire world, is created out of the Panch-Maha-Bhutas – earth, water, fire, wind & ether. 

“Ether” is considered the most important element in this system, as every possible transformation from one element to the other has to be routed through Akashtatva only. Vastu shastra has its own system of Vastu-Chakras, which is used in conjunction with Astrology; Astronomy & Yogashastra for site-selection & a magnetic compass decides the directional aspect. Interestingly, both the systems insist on N.S. orientation for a structure. Feng-Shui considers a land having reddish or yellowish soil as a good geomantic land.

Vastu shastra considers a land with white & yellow coloured soil for house construction. Red coloured soil is tolerated in Vastu shastra, but a site with black soil is prescribed for construction purposes, as such lands are prone to water-logging problems- a kind of environmental pollution. Feng-Shui insists that a body of water should flow in front of the main ent rance of the house. There is no preferred direction of water flow as Feng-shui allows positioning of the main entrance in any directions, depending on the birth year of the owner of the house. Vastu shastra on the other hand considers water flow in the direction N.E. to the Vastu as a beneficial factor with lunar-shaped (Chandrakar) N.E. directional flow as a pointer to frame & prosperity.

A major discrepancy in both these disciplines pertains to the direction of ventilator openings. Feng-shui considers N. as evil & prefers S. direction for window openings. In contrast Vastu shastra dictates the position of windows should be in the N.E.or N.E. directions only. Feng-Shui attempts to offer the households protection against yellow dust and sand which the chinese mainland receives from the deserts situated on the N. border of that country.

Vastu shastra follows scientific logic in selection of the window directions, in the sense that it considers the beneficial effects of early morning sunlight. Location & design of rooms in Feng-Shui are based on the traditional Le-Shu grid of nine squares which assigns different directions. In Vastu shastra the location of rooms are designated in the Vastu Purush Mandal, consisting of nine squares as influenced by the journey of the sun in its various phases.

Source (Click here)

Why is Hindu population very much lesser than Christians and Muslims?

Christians and Muslims are in worldwide. But Hindu population is very less compared to the other two. Why? Primarily, Hinduism doesn't bother to convert anybody. They are quite happy with their own little Club. So, I guess you will now understand why.

Seriously, the Hindu religion doesn't ask you to join, nor to stay and you are always free to leave it and they don't give a damn. Now, ever wonder why they are like that? It is very simply because, their Philosophy is that we all came from God and will return to God, whichever path we take. They really believe and live - All the roads lead to Rome. So, they really don't care which road you decide to take. If the Muslims had any brains, they should know that the Hindus don't rub cow’s urine on themselves and they don't think the Cow is holy, but then, what else can you expect from a lot like that?

I've got a couple of friends of mine who are ex-Muslims in India who are married to Hindu ladies and their children are free to go to all the places of worship. Now, the Muslims have ex-communicated the Muslims, because they dare not do anything else there in India, but the Hindus have not even batted an eyelid. And one of the ex-Muslims had left Islam before they met their wives, while the other left it for her. You should hear those guys talk about how stupid Islam is. Hindus are happy in their little club. They are free to stay or leave.

They do not irritate others to join in their religion. This is called decency. Hindus worship the cow, and they worship all living beings too, just because they aren’t supposed to eat beef, people think they worship only cows... now I ask you, what is wrong in worshipping all living beings?

One Indian singer, Lata Mangeshkar used to drink cow urine to sweeten her voice and you should know, that she is proclaimed as the singer with the sweetest voice in the world, just hear it and you'll know it’s not for Hinduism. As you can see Muhammad Ghori committed genocide against Hindus at Kol (modern Aligarh), Kalinjar and Varanasi, according to Hasan Nizami's Taj-ul-Maasir, 20,000 Hindu prisoners were slaughtered and their heads offered to crows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P… ).

Even during Indian Independence 600 Million Hindus killed by Muslim( http://www.topix.com/forum/rel… ).If you count the other religions that are also kind of branches of Hinduism as they now got separated, then it is pretty big- jainism, buddhism, sikhism and etc. Like we count all the different Christian religions together (more than 3000 Christian religions present).

Islam is spreaded by Mainly Force and Sword. Arab Islamic Attackers attacked on Africa and made Innocent Africans their Slaves and African Women were put under their Harems. Arabians raped them and made the Place Production Hub of Islamic childrens. Africans Slaves are Converted into Muslims forcefully, so much killings and cruelty n Barbaric Acts by Arab Attackers on Everywhere nn Indonesia They Killed Innocents Buddhists and Spread Islam there. While On the Other side Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism considered soft and peaceful religions.

Hindus never ever forced anyone to accept the Hinduism. Hinduism(Sanatana Dharma) is open to all on their own wish because Hindus let people do what they want whereas Christians and Muslims historically and not so historically kill people who do not convert and spread across the world doing this. Islam and Christianity were spread by the sword, but Hindus are non-violent because the majority of the Hindu population is only in India and I think its cause they don't go around shouting at people to convert to their religion. Hindu, like Judaism, is an ethnically based religion. Christianity and Islam are universalizing religions. Do a search on "Universalizing Religion" and you'll find more information because more people convert to Islam and Christianity than Hinduism because that is what they believe in.

Source(s):

News (TV and paper), from every day to day life

Various sites on internet such as
http://www.islam-watch.org/Shabana/PanIslamism.htm
http://www.yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=704&p=front&a=3
and other

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090812084432AAaFvQq

Most common questions being asked about Hinduism part 2

Famous Indian Epics
The 2 famous epics are Ramayana and Mahabharata written by Sage Valmiki and Sage Veda Vyasa respectively. The Bhagwad Gita is the form of conversation between warrior Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna at the outset of Mahabharata war.
Puranas
Puranas are called Vedas of common folk and are written in question & answer form. They consist of religious stories which make common people understand the higher truths of life. The major puranas are called Mahapurana.Thus all the above Hindu scriptures played a key role in the development of Hinduism and paved a way for a religion which is appreciated by the entire world.
What are the main ideas this religion professes?
Hinduism is more a way of life than a specific religion. In Hinduism one can find all religions of the world. Various religions like Buddhism, Sikhism emerged from it. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity. Hindus believe in eternal truths and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them, even if he or she is ignorant of Hindu scripture or ideas. This religion also professes Non-violence - "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" - Non violence is the highest duty. True Ahimsa implies curtsey, kindness, hospitality, humanity and love.

How do Hindus worship?
The place where Hindus worship is called a Kovil/Mandir/Aalayam (Temple). Most of the ancient Hindu’s Indian’s Temples were constructed by Hindu Kings. The Temples were constructed on auspicious sites and the whole process was very elaborate. Two rituals associated with temple construction were Pratishtai [installation of icons] and Kumbha – Abhishekam [temple dedication].Kumbha Abishegham is done 12 years once for this temple’s, thus which is the time for renovation and renewing the structure of it.

The idols of Gods are either made of special stone (Indian Granite) or wood and the artisan who makes them are called Shilpikar/Sirppi. The process by which worship of Gods & Goddess is done is called Pooja. It is the most common form of ritual. In the process of Pooja, Upacaras [offerings of many articles like food, perfumed water, tulasi leaves, sandal wood paste etc with honor to deity] play a vital role. The person who performs the Pooja is called Poojari/Poosari/Gurukkal/Aiyar.

Generally, all Hindu’s houses have a small corner reserved for God and are called Mandir/ Pooja Ghar/Altar /Saamy Medhai/Poojai Arai where the Hindu’s Family worships together. An individual family can have their own Poojari/Priest doing the Pooja or the head of the family does the Pooja. This tradition is considered a good practice in Hindu’s houses. It is a time when all the family members come together and pray together.

What are the important rituals, ceremonies and practiced by Hindus?
Rituals are basically an art of worshipping the God. Rituals may vary from home to home in some way or other but their basic concept remains the same. The rituals of Hinduism are-

Poojas
Yajnas

Vedic Rituals called Samskaras [means refinement] – these are carried out throughout the whole life cycle and are 16 in all –
1. Garbhadhana - Ritual to guarantee conception

2. Pumsavana - Ritual to protect fetus and to have a boy

3. Simantonnayana - Ritual at the last month of pregnancy

4. Jatakarana - Preparation of astrological chart of child

5. Namakarana – Naming the child

6. Nishkaramana – Taking the child out of the house for the first time

7. Annaprasana – First feeding of rice to the child

8. Chudakarana – First cutting of hair of the child

9. Karnavedha – Boring ear lobes of the child

10. Vidyarambha – Beginning of child learning alphabets

11. Upanayana – Wearing of holy threads by boys at 9 years old or 19 years old.

12. Vedarambha – Commencement of the Vedic studies

13. Keshante – First shaving of the child’s head

14. Samavartana – Home coming after completion of Vedic Studies

15. Vivaha – Marriage Rituals

16. Anthyesthi – Funeral rituals

Shraddha – Rituals at the time of death, these last for 12 days and is carried out to ensure that the departed soul is at ease and it goes to heaven where there are lesser difficulties.
Tirtha Yatra – Ritual of going to holy places for purification and redemption from sin. Important places for tirtha yatra are –
1. Badrinath [North]

2. Puri [East]

3. Rameshwara [south]

4. Dwarka [West]

These are also called as Four Dhams.

Important Festivals
There are many Hindu festivals and their importance differs from place to place –

Deepavali – It is called as the Festival of Light and comes in the month of Kartika [Oct./Nov.]. Many mythological stories prevail for Deepavali; the major two being the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after killing Ravana and the second being the Death of Titan of Hell, Narakasura by Lord Krishna. Both the events signify winning of good over evil, people light candles, diyas/ theepam in their houses, worship Laxmi [Goddess of Wealth] and visit near dear ones, distribute sweets and wear new clothes etc.

Holi – Also called as Festival of Colors; it is celebrated in the month of March. The mythological story behind Holi is of Prahlada, Holika and Hiranayakshyup which signifies Holika buring to ashes and Prahlada emerging as great worshipper of Lord Vishnu and defeater of demon Hiranayakshyup. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored water and bright powders on each other and enjoying themselves.

Onam – Celebrated in Kerala to mark the end of summer monsoons. It has a mythological story of welcoming demon King Mahabali to his lost kingdom.

Ponggal – Celebrated in Tamil Naidu during the months of Januray /Feburary. It is celebrated at the time of rice harvest.

Raksha Bandhan – Celebrated in the months of July/August; a sister ties a Rakhi [sacred thread] to the wrist of her brother/s who in turn give her some presents and become responsible for her safety.

Rama Navami – Celebrated as the Birthday of Lord Rama.

Ganesh Chathurthi - Celebrated as the Birthday of Lord Ganesha.

Navratri – Festival of Nights; lasts for 9 days with 3 days each devoted to worship of Goddess Durga [Goddess of Valor], Lakshmi [Goddess of Wealth] and Saraswati [Goddess of Knowledge].

Saraswati Puja – A Festival honoring Goddess of Knowledge.

Shivaratri - Celebrated as the Birthday of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Janamashtami - Celebrated as the Birthday of Lord Krishna.

How many Gods do Hindus worship? What are the main Gods & Goddess?
According to Hinduism all gods are the various representation of one true God. Hinduism states that there is only one God and the Vedas call him Brahman. The vibratory aspect of Brahman is called AUM or OM. From AUM came the 3 godheads –

a. Bramha [creator]

b. Vishnu [preservor]

c. Shiva [destroyer]

These gods when take a human form are called Avathaaram.

The three main Goddesses are-

Saraswati [Wife of Lord Brahma; Goddess of Knowledge]
Lakshmi [Wife of Lord Vishnu; Goddess of Wealth]
Parvati/Sakti [Wife of Lord Shiva; Goddess of Power]

Hindus also believe in Powers of Nature and have gods of nature like Varuna [water], Agni [fire], Vayu [air], Aakasa [sky], Nilam [Land/ Earth]

There are also Semi-gods like Hanuman and etc.

It is believed that there are 33 crores gods in Hinduism. A Hindu can worship as many Gods and Goddesses as he wants because Hindus believe that all forms of Gods and Goddesses are manifestations of one god or power. A Hindu temple can have a blend of various form of Gods.

How many times do Hindus pray every day?
It is considered a good practice to pray 2 times a day and its practical for those who is busy with work. The Hindu’s temples generally follow a practice of performing aarati [lighting lights] at dawn and dusk and it is believed that the gods rest during afternoon and night, so prayers should be offered at dawn and dusk.

Who is the most important God in this religion? Why?
It is believed that everything came from Brahman and Brahman is God. The Vedas state that "Prajapati Vai Idam Agre Aseet [In the beginning was Prajapati - The Brahman]. Later on came Mother God and Trinity of Gods; followed by Nature Gods, Minor Gods etc.

How do Hindus pray?
Hindus pray generally at a temple or at home or anywhere. The most important thing is they pray with pure heart and mind.

What is the final destination of all souls in Hinduism?
At the time of death, the body dies but the soul (Aathma) never dies. The soul passes from one body to another after the death, like a body changes clothes, the soul goes on taking endless number of bodies; until it pays off all the karmas attached to the soul. The path the soul takes is decided by the past actions which as popularly known as "Karmas". After death the soul seeks an ideal body to be born again. So if you are born rich or poor - it is because of your actions in your previous life. Thus they should continue the journey of life and death with karmas attached to it from one life to another by undergoing pain or pleasure. The different methods of god realization provide an easy way to put an end to the drama. Then the individual soul, which is called "Jeevatman", will merge with Absolute Soul or Infinite Power [God], popularly known as "Paramatman". This merging process is called Salvation or Enlightment.

In order to reach enlightment a human being should adopt different methods of God realization which are as follows-

Karma Yoga – It is a system of attaining freedom through selfless actions. The word “Karma” means “to do”, thus Karma means work. The Karmas which we do dictate our past, present and future. An individual should engage himself in good karmas.
Jnana Yoga – It is a system of reaching enlightment by adopting the path of knowledge or Hindu Philosophy.
Bhakti Yoga – Bhakti Yoga comes from the word “Bhaj” which means “to be attached to”. Through this the devotee goes for total surrender to God and in this process a total dissolution of “I” or “Ego” takes place.
Raja Yoga – It is a very scientific path of God Realization. In this the individual practices self control and thought control of his body and mind.

What methods do Hindus use to teach the morality and values of Hinduism?
The main methods are as follows-

1. Reading of Ancient Scriptures

2. Hearing preaching from some renowned saints

3. Visiting historical places

4. Having group discussions with fellow followers

How do you become a member of Hinduism?
Hinduism does not believe in religion conversion. You have to be born a Hindu. Or else you can just believe in Hinduism with your consciousness that lead you for believing and practising Hinduism.

Important Milestones of Hinduism

1200 BC Composition of the hymns of the Rig Veda

1200-900 BC Composition of Yajurveda, Samaveda & Atharvaveda

900-600 BC Upanishads

483 BC Death of Buddha - Buddhism

468 BC Death of Mahavir - Jainsim

400 BC Composition of Mahabharata

200 BC Composition of Ramayana

1469-1531 AD Guru Nanak – Sikhism

1772-1833 AD Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Brahma Samaj

1824-1883 AD Dayananda Saraswati, Arya Samaj

1896-1977 AD A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami, ISKON

Ten Avtaars of Lord Vishnu

The ten incarnations of Vishnu is a Hindu theological concept in Vedic history. Vishnu exists as the Creator and also within every being as our soul, our Supreme. He also enters or descend to our world in the form of Avatar whenever his presence is needed.

1. Matsya - The Fish

2. Kurma- The Tortoise

3. Varaha- The Boar

4. Narasimha- The Man-Lion

5. Vamana - The Dwarf

6. Parasurama - The Warrior

7. Sri Rama - The King

8. Sri Krishna - The Cowherd

9. Buddha - The Teacher

10. Kalki - The Slayer

Most common questions being asked about Hinduism...

"Its chief mark consists in concentration on the spiritual aspect, belief in the intimate relationship of philosophy and life, the inseparability of theory and practice and the insistence on intuition coexisting with the acceptance of authority."
Source: The Gazetteer of India, Volume 1: Country and people. Delhi, Publications Division, Government of India, 1965.

Where and when did Hinduism begin?

Hinduism basically started with Sruti “that which is heard”. The master of vedic age called Rishis, heard eternal truths in their heart and they taught their disciples telepathically, by transfer of thoughts. Later Vedas and Upanishads were taught in chanted lyrics and they laid the foundation of Hinduism.

An exact date of when Hinduism actually stared cannot be quoted, but there are many theories regarding the birth of Hinduism-

Mythological Stories – Hindu mythological stories says that it is trillions of years old. Some say Hinduism started soon after ice age ended and some even say its origin is 6000-7000 years before Christ [6000-7000 B.C.].
Theologians View – Theologist like Max Muller of Germany traces Hinduism to have begun in 3rd Millennium B.C. He says nomadic tribes called Aryans came from Europe and settled on banks of rivers like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra in India and started a “Thinking Process” later known as Hinduism. Other Hindu Theologians say that the early settlers of North India exchanged knowledge with dark colored people of South India called Dravidians and thus laid the foundation of Hinduism in India.
Archeological Evidence – Evidence found at Indus valley civilization at Mohanjodaro and Harappa dates Hinduism to have started 6000-7000 years before Christ and the discoveries raise the question that is Hinduism Pre Aryan or Non Aryan or Post Aryan?

Thus the origin of Hinduism is a mixture of contradictory ideas and thoughts. But we can say that whatever may be the origin of Hinduism it was a blend of Aryan, Dravidian, Mayan, Egyptian and Greek civilization.

Major events in the development of the history of Hinduism are –

The original name of Hinduism was Santana Dharma meaning “righteousness forever “of” that which has no beginning or end”. This name was given by Persians when they invaded India in 6th B.C.

For long periods of time there was no written Hindu scripture. It was just in the forms of Sruti [that which is heard] and was narrated by rishis to their disciples with careful sound of words. Later with coming of various civilizations in India, Hinduism became a blend of various ideas and thoughts and thus came to be known as “The thinking process”.

In the development process of Hinduism the Hindu scriptures play a very vital role. The scriptures are written in Sanskrit and are –

Vedas
Rig Veda [Vedas of Hymns] consists of 1028 hymns to gods like Indra & Agni.

Yajur Veda [Vedas of Liturgy] concerns the knowledge of how to perform all rites and rituals.

Sama Veda [Vedas of Music] concerns the knowledge of chants.

Atharva Veda – This Veda contains the knowledge given by Sage Atharvana. It contains many magical charms and incantations.

Upanishads
The word Upanishad is composed of Upa [Near], Ni [Down] and Shad[To sit]. Upanishad is a teaching given by Guru [teacher] to his disciples and it is a rule that no one except the disciple could hear his guru’s teachings.

Dharma Sutras
These are the backbones of Hinduism ethics and morality. They are basically the first lawgiver code books to Hinduism written by sages like Manus, Yatnavalka, Parasara and Gauthama. The earliest Dharma sutra is called “Code of Manu” and is popularly known as Manusmriti.

Panchatantra
It is a collection of stories told by Vishnusharman to princes to teach them worldly affairs. Each story has a moral and is like a fable book in which human characters are replaced by animal characters. It teaches what exactly should be the course of action of a wise man.

Arthashastra
It is the code of ethics for kings written by Kautilya of Maurya Dynasty. It consists of methods of spy system, how to deal with the enemy and various political and social subjects.

Brahma sutra
These describes the nature of Brahman in depth and is written by Sage Badarayana [Veda Vyasa].

Agamas
These are a group of literature which deals with worship of god in many forms and they have their own set of rules and regulations for their devotee. These Agamas gave rise to 5 branches of Hinduism –

Vaishnavism
Saivism
Saktism

Gowmaragham

Ganaapthim

AARU KALA POOJA/ 6 TIMES PRAYERS A DAY

‘More things are wrought by prayer than are dreamt of in our philosophy’, said Shakespeare. To enable the devotees to pray to and before the Lord, there are six pujas or services every day. At 5 a.m. the Lord gives the Visvaroopa darshan. The first puja is Vizhapuja or day’s festival at 7.15 followed by Kalasandhi (8 a.m.), Sirukala Sandhi (9 am.), Uchikkalam (or mid-day service), Sayaraksha (evening service) and Rakkalam.

Each service consists of (a) abhishekam (b) offering of food and (c) alankaram. In the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok (Thailand), the Buddha’s robes are changed thrice a year, in keeping with the hot, cold and wet seasons. Here at Palani, Lord Dandayudhapani’s robes are changed several times a day and it is difficult to keep a count. The deity is decorated and dressed as Prince, hunter, lad and ascetic.

At the request of devotees these alankarams are also done during specified intervals on payment of prescribed charges. After the Raja Alankaram at the evening service at 5.40 pm, no abishekams are allowed. The artistry with which the gurukkals do the alankarams and the swiftness with which they present the deity in one alankaram after another deserve praise.

The pilgrim is advised to visit the hill temple for Visvarupa Darshan and for three important services at 12 noon, 5.40 p.m. and 8. p.m. At the Uchikkalam, the rituals are elaborate and the deity is dressed in a conservative and orthodox way.

1. Vizhapuja Pooja............06:45 am

2. Kalasandhi Pooja......... 08:00 am

3. Sirukala Sandhi Pooja..09:00 am

4. Uchikkalam Pooja........12:00 Mid-day

5. Sayaraksha Pooja.........05:30 pm

6. Rakkalam. Pooja...........08:00 pm

http://www.palanitemples.com/english/sixkala_pooja.htm

Indian Uses...

To view Indian-Tamil Calender...Click here
To view Indian Panjangam...Click here
To calculate rahu kalam...Click here
To know sunrise and sunset...Click here
To calculate raasi and Nakshatra...Click here

Australia: Muslims spray Hindu temple with bullets

The attacks have been in retaliation for noise and parking problems, says the Sydney Morning Herald. In reality, they are more likely in retaliation for the Hindus' irritating refusal to worship Allah alone and acknowledge Muhammad as his prophet. Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Gunshots prompt prayers for peace," by Eamonn Duff and Natalie O'Brien in the Sydney Morning Herald, April 3 (thanks to Hindu Existence):

IT BEGAN with minor acts of vandalism, including egg throwing and smashed windows, but instead of remaining periodic footnotes in the night log at Auburn police station, the incidents have grown so violent - and the issue so culturally sensitive - that even authorities are reluctant to speak about them publicly.
Australia's oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Mandir in Auburn, is under siege and its devotees gripped by fear.

On March 19, two men in balaclavas stood at the intersection of a nearby road, spraying the front of the prayer hall with eight rounds of bullets. The building was unoccupied at the time.

The busy Hindu temple opened in 1977. It is surrounded by a predominantly Muslim population and it is no secret among locals that tensions have been simmering in recent years, caused by concerns about noise and parking problems at Sri Mandir.

''There is no excuse [for the gun attack],'' the editor of Sydney newspaper The Indian, Rohit Revo, said.

''This was not the work of teenagers; neither was it a petty prank. This is part of a sustained and increasingly violent campaign to scare the temple devotees and drive them out. By definition, this latest attack was an act of terrorism.''

The Sun-Herald is aware the ongoing feud has caused disquiet among some of the most senior police in western Sydney. In a rare move, details of the shooting were deliberately held back from the NSW police media unit through concern that publicity might inflame hostilities....

Chastened silence about jihad attacks is a feature of dhimmitude.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/04/australia-muslims-spray-hindu-temple-with-bullets.html

Tomato for safe diet/உடல் எடையைப் பராமரிக்க உதவும் தக்காளி

தக்காளியை தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால் உடல் எடை அதிகரிக்காமல் இருக்கும் என்று அண்மையில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது. தக்காளியில் அதிக அளவு வைட்டமின் சி உள்ளது. அதனை தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிடுவது இதயத்துக்கு நல்லது. உடலில் கொழுப்பு சேராமல் பாதுகாக்க உதவும் என்பதெல்லாம் ஏற்கெனவே அனைவருக்கும் தெரிந்த விஷயம். தற்போது தக்காளியை தினமும் உணவில் சேர்த்துக் கொள்வதால் உடல் எடை அதிகரிக்காமல் ஒரே அளவில் பராமரிக்க முடியும் என்று பிரிட்டன் ஆய்வாளர்கள் கண்டறிந்துள்ளனர்.

பசியைத் துண்டும் ஹார்மோன்களின் செயல்பாடுகளை தக்காளி கட்டுப்படுத்துகிறது. இதனால் அதிக அளவு சாப்பிடுவது தடுக்கப்பட்டு உடல் எடை அதிகரிக்காமல் கட்டுக்குள் இருக்கிறது.சராசரி எடை கொண்ட 18 வயது முதல் 35 வயதுக்குள்பட்ட பெண்கள் இதற்கான ஆய்வில் ஈடுபடுத்தப்பட்டனர். அவர்களில் ஒரு பிரிவினருக்கு சான்ட்விச்களுடன் தக்காளி வழங்கப்பட்டது. மற்றொரு பிரிவினருக்கு சான்டவிச்சுடன் கேரட் வழங்கப்பட்டது. இதில் தக்காளி சாப்பிட்டு வந்தவர்கள் குறைவாகவே உணவு சாப்பிட்டனர்.

இது குறித்து ஆய்வாளர் டாக்டர் ஜூலி லவ்குரோவ் கூறுகையில், “இது சிறிய அளவில் நடத்தப்பட்ட ஆய்வுதான் என்றாலும் முடிவு திருப்திகரமானதாக உள்ளது. தக்காளி சாப்பிடுவது பசி உணர்வைக் கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்குள் வைக்கிறது என்பது முதல்கட்டமாக தெரியவந்துள்ளது. இது தொடர்பாக தொடர்ந்து ஆய்வு நடத்தவுள்ளோம்’ என்றார்.

http://www.sivastar.net/2010/03/blog-post_1796.html

Treatment for Heart Disease

Eat a nourishing diet that removes all processed foods, poor quality dairy, poor quality oils, hydrogenated oils. Increase foods that are excellent for the heart. Use garlic, turmeric, ginger and saffron. Include whole grains, pulses and foods high in essential fatty acids such as hemp seed oil. for helping to keep arteries clean and the heart strong.

Avoid over-eating and eating frequently. Eat a light breakfast and dinner. Lunch should be the main meal. Milk products, fried foods, cold foods and acidic foods should be taken in small quantities. White flour products and foods that contain chemical preservatives and additives should be avoided. Animal products, especially red meat, are not good as they take a long time to be digested, and create a lot of toxins in the stomach.

Seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables (steamed or cooked), Brown bread or Chapatti, salad, sprouts, vegetable soup, buttermilk, cottage cheese (paneer), a little quantity of fresh milk and ghee (clarified butter) prepared from cow's milk, make up an ideal list of food items to choose from. Anything sweet should be taken in moderation. Honey and jaggery are healthier than purified sugar.

Fried things, pulses and their preparations, and groundnut oil are prohibited. Ayurvedic physicians allow butter or ghee, and not groundnut oil. Cow's ghee, cow's milk and cows' butter are useful for the patient. Buffalo ghee and buffalo milk are not recommended. Stimulants like tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks are very harmful for such patients.

In addition to maintaining a healthy eating pattern, specific foods are often recognized as particularly heart-healthy. One of the most popular of these healthful foods is fatty fish with its high omega-3 fatty acid content. A recent study determined that women who consumed more omega-3 fatty acid laden fish (two servings weekly) had a reduced rate of death due to heart disease. These researchers found that this was independent of cardiovascular risk factors or other dietary sources that may influence the development of heart disease. Good sources of omega-3's besides fish are: flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, olive oil, sesame oil, peanut butter and oil, sunflower seeds and oil, avocado, soybean oil, and safflower oil. Additionally, flavonoids found in tea and cocoa have been recognized for their antioxidant benefit. This underscores the recommendation for increased consumption of fiber-rich whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.research done by roslan sulaiman...through the net.:)

Simple herbs that can be used as medicine...Ayurvedham

1.Beans are a good choice if you are trying to lose weight because they keep blood sugar levels in safe level and suppress hunger.

2.Add some Fenugreek (venthayam) to your food as it has been shown to lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity.

3.For ladies having menstrual pain take ventayam (Fenugreek) in the morning with empty stomuch and night before sleeping will reduce the pain.

Thurgha Sooktham

The Durga sooktam in praise of Devi is one of the traditionally recited pancha sooktas of the Vedic tradition.
1.Om Jatavedase sunava masomamarati yato nidahati vedah
Sa nah parshhadati durgani vishva naveva sindhum duritatyagnih
2.Tamagnivarnam tapasa jvalantim vairochanim karmaphaleshhu jushhtamh
Durgam devii sharanamaham prapadye sutarasi tarase namah
3.Agne tvam paaraya navyo asmaansvastibhiriti durgani vishva
Pushcha prithvi bahula na urvi bhava tokaya tanayaya shamyoh
4.Vishvani no durgaha jatavedassindhunna nava duritatiparshhi
Agne atrivanmanasa grinanoasmakam bodhayitva tanunamh
5.Pritanajitam sahamanamugramagni huvema paramatsadhasthath
Sa nah parshhadati durgani vishvakshamaddevo atiduritatyagnih
6.Pratnoshhikamidyo adhvareshhu sannachcha hota navyashcha satsi
Svanchagne tanuvam piprayasvasmabhyam cha saubhagamayajasva
7.Gobhirjushhtamayujonishhiktan tavendra vishhnoranusamcharema
Nakasya prishhthamabhisamvasano vaishhnavim loka iha madayantamh
Om kaatyaayanaaya vidmahe Kanyakumaari dhiimahi Tanno durgih prachodayaath
Om shaantih shaantih shaantih

http://www.astrojyoti.com/durgasooktam.htm

The mystery behind the skull-garland of Bhadrakali

There is much difference of
opinion on the garland of human skulls worn around the neck of the Goddess
Bhadrakali, not only among the people of the West ,but also among the
Orientals. In fact these skulls represent the 52 letters of the Sanskrit
language. The proclamation “Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namah”, is nothing but the
vow to the effect that one is ready to study all the 52 letters of the
language. This mysterious code is deciphered using the ‘ KAPATAYATI ’ method.
In fact, the word ‘Kapalam’ does not mean the human skull at all. As per the ‘
Tantrakasa’, the letter ‘Ka’ means ‘Parashakthi’ and ‘Pala’ means to abide by
or adhere to. So the meaning of the word ‘ kapalam’ can be understood as the
merger or union of Shiva and Shakthi. No wonder that Kalidasan has said that
the relation between the word and its meaning is like that of ‘Parvathi
Parameshwara’ relationship. All the poets including even Kalidasa, knew well
that the skull worn by Bhadrakali strewn in the form of a garland depicted the
knowledge of the letters. Sir John Woodraff has authored a book ‘ The Garland
of Letters’, which deals at length with the knowledge and intellectual
understanding of alphabetic letters. He emphasizes that the skull-garland of
Bhadrakali is a euphemism. Nandikeshwaran, who is credited with the
interpretation of Panini’s ‘Vyakaranasutram’ makes it very clear that he is
also of the same opinion. But it is a dramatic irony that many could not
decipher this great and mysterious code. In fact , at a glance, the ‘Kapalam’
in the hands of Bhadrakali is a symbolic representation of the knowledge of the
letters.

When Sadhana is performed with deep and true intensity, nectar starts exuding
from the Brahmarantras situated in the brain. This flowing nectar is called
‘Somam’.There is a mention in the RigVeda about this.( Rig 10 – 5 – 3 ). It is
generally believed that ‘Somam’ is the crushed juice of the raw herbs. This is
drunk by the common man. But the somam known to Vedic exponents is beyond the
reach of the common man. This somam is the causative factor for the origin of
language. At another context in the Rig Veda ( Rig 10 -7 -14 ), which states as
follows – One cannot understand the meaning of the word in spite of looking at
the word, another cannot hear it , in spite of listening to it, but the one who
has understood the true meaning is the blessed one. For him, the Goddess of
learning throws open and offers Her Real Self. In other words, she offers her
genious( pratibha), just like an exhilarated, devoted wife, who is longing to
attain her beloved during the mating period. Those who worship Bhadrakali
achieve such pratibha( genious). There is an excellent description about this
Mahabharata ( Vanaparvam – 229 ). The word ‘pratibha’ means – light, that light
which is produced in the intellect of the listener , by the word which travels
from the producer of the word and enters the listener’s intellect.. This is the
flower which is blossomed out of this Sadhana. Again at another context in the
Rig Veda ( Rig -10 – 125 – 5 ), listen to the Goddess of words-“ It is me and
me alone, who says this fact which is dear to human beings, and the Devas ;
Listen; He whom I desire, I will make him brilliant and powerful, the knower of
all Vedas, a Rishi and a genious.”

It was for acquiring this genious , that all the people of India performed
Sadhana. When this practice deteriorated, our decline started.. The
transformation Bhadrakali to the family deity, the kapalam in the hands of the
Bhadrakali and the ‘somarasam’ contained in the kapalam-all these were nothing
but a euphemism (beautiful, figurative usage of the language). It is because of
the same reason that we have references in the Lalithasahasranaamam as follows-



Sarvajnayai Namah

Vaagwadinai Namah

Vidyayai Namah

Srividyayai Namah.

http://vedicliteraturepart2.blogspot.com/2008/05/mystery-behind-skull-garland-of.html

Shiva Poojai

In tamil...click here to download.

Thurgai Amman Asthagam

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

Karthyayaini, Mahamaye,

Gadga bana dhaurdhare,

Gadga dharinee chandi,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 1

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who is Karthyayaini,

Who is the greatest enchantress,

Who carries with her sword, arrow and bow,

And who is Chandi who carries the sword.

Vasudeva suthe, kali,

Vasu deva sahodhari,

Vasundhara sriye nandhe,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 2

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who is the daughter of king Vasudeva,

Who is the sister to Lord Vaasudeva,

And who is the lady who is earth as well as Lakshmi.

Yoga nidhre, maha nidhre,

Yoga maye, maaheswari,

Yoga sidhikari shudhe,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 3

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who is the sleep of yoga,

Who is the great sleep,

Who is enchantress of yoga,

Who is the greatest goddess,

Who is the one who gives powers through yoga,

And who is clean and truthful.

Sankha chakra gada pane,

Sarnga jyayatha bahave,

Peethmbara dhare, dhanye,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 4

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who holds conch, wheel and mace,

Who blows the conch called Sarnga of Vishnu,

And who is blessed and wears yellow silk.

Rik Yajur sama adarvana,

Schadu Samantha lokinee,

Brahma swaroopini, brahmi,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 5

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who lives in the four areas,

Of Rik, Yajur, sama and Atharvana Veda,

Who is the power of Brahma and is like Brahma.

Vrushneenaam kula sambhoothe,

Vishnu nadha sahodharee,

Vrushnee roopa dhare dhanya,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 6

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who belongs to the clan of Vrushnees,

Who is the sister of Lord Vishnu,

And who is blessed by taking the form of Vrushnee.

Sarvagna, sarvage sarve,

Sarveshwari, sarva sakshini,

Sarvamrutha jada bhare,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 7

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who knows all, is everywhere, and belongs to Shiva,

Who is the Goddess of all and is the witness of all,

And who carries the nectar as her tufted hair.

Ashta bahu maha sathwe,

Ashtami navami priye,

Attahasa priye bhadre,

Sri Durga Devi namosthuthe., 8

Salutations to goddess Durga,

Who is the great being with eight hand,

Who likes Ashtami^[1] and Navami^[2]

Who takes care but likes fierce play.

Durgashtakamidham punyam,

Bhakthidho ya paden nara,

Sarva kamavapnothi,

Durga lokam sa gachathi., 9

If this holy octet on Durga,

Is read by men with devotion,

They would get all desires fulfilled,

And attain the world of Durga.

http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Durga_Ashtakam

http://www.celextel.org/stotras/devi/durgashtakam.html