Religion

Geetanjali Blog started…

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Today is Deepawali – the festival of light.

The light – around and the light within. Many a times even in the broad daylight- in plenty of light, we miss our path. The reason most of the time is, we do miss our inner light. At those times we seek for some unknown source of light, navigated in the language, which the lone heart can understand. And those times at the temple of heart, we do offer our lights to our great beloved and want an unison.

The Geetanjali had been a offering of songs to the Beloved of Ravindranath Tagore. Geetanjali received the Nobel Prize in the year 1913 for literature – the first Indian honoured with the Nobel. Diya

As I had planned earlier about Unicode publishing of Geetanjali, I have started with the novice literal essence in Hindi and English. You may read them here at www.geetanjali.wordpress.com.

Hope you will love them to read.

May this Deepawali brings luck, enlightenment and prosperity in your life. Wishing you a happy Deepawali.

For your eyes only – 5

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The month of the October and excellent climate in our home town, with the festivity around. The air was full of zeal and new energy.

Puja means shopping. Our small town has only few shops of branded dresses. At those town shops, even not finding so many ranges of colors and fabrics, I prefer to buy one from those shops on Puja occasion. In those shops, with my Ma, there is nostalgic shopping experiences since last 30 years. Another fact is, I am not very good at choosing dresses for myself, whereas I can find good ones for others. Still today, from the exclusive showrooms in Bangalore, I myself, have not bought an exclusive shirt or pant. Or better say I am a bit careless towards my updated dressing sense. ( p.s. Myself kanjoos in fashion consciousness ! No. Have you bought the inaugural launch issue of Vogue in India- its really good one, worth buying ЁЯЩВ )

Anyway, next day of reaching home was Ashtami and the main puja started. Here are the snaps of Durga Puja, from my hometown Kishanganj located at the border of Bihar- Bengal. In the first snap is Pushpanjali at Durga bari, where you may find the purely traditional way of Puja. While uploading the photo – I was searching for the possible hand of my Ma, as she did Pushpanjali before me ! Wow I found her ЁЯЩВ The gold ring !


Puspanjali @ Durga Bari, Dey Market


Navami Sandhya Puja is going on @ Durga Bari, Dey Market


Durga Puja Pandal @ Manoranjan Club


A Closer Look @ Deity


рдпрд╛ рджреЗрд╡реА рд╕рд░реНрд╡ рднреБрддреЗрд╖реВ рд╢рдХреНрддрд┐ рд░реБрдкреЗрдг рд╕рдВрд╕реНрдерд┐рддрд╛…

Song For The Star

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The song, dance and emotions,
Is a part of the universal motion.

The song of the soothing rain,Star
Pours after thundering clouds’ pain.

The song born after, the sleep –
The luckiest one – but really deep.

The bird’s perching and flying,
Away from nest, leaving feathers lying.

She lives within stars and blinks for a while,.
She says us – Even in dark, stars forever smile.

Exploring Kerala (1) – A traditional marriage

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It was the occasion of our colleague Js’s marriage in her Kerala village on 13 January,2007. Month back, she wished to fix the marriage date specially on Saturday for our convenience of reaching there. On Friday night, after hectic office work, we 9 friends started off on a luxury bus for Kerala to attend her marriage on Saturday noon.

In morning, as expected, I really reached the land of coconuts.And our friend’s home was located on a small hill highland surrounded by acres of coconut trees, banana bushes, and fully grown pepper twigs. On the occasion of marriage, a typical Kerala house of her’s , looked magnificent with blue tents, close circuit TVs and a small make-shift mandap in aangan. All ladies hairs were full of white flowers. Gold jewellery, they wear abundantly with feminine elegance. Its was really bright when it comes about decorating bride ! I think (unlike north indian marriages, when the priorities distributes equally among other expects too) its the largest part of expense here, I am sure. Gents wore the traditional dresses.

Apart from in-home rituals of females, outside she got the blessings of grandfather. Barat( again a little late ЁЯЩБ , reached as a no frills mass of approx hundred ( no band-party, dances or decorated cars). There was a simple walking entry of groom on the gate. ‘Only he’ was welcomed after washing feet, traditional tilak and with a mala. Rest followed. There was spreading of flower petals and sprinkling of rose water by younger girls.

Then he was taken staight to mandap. And a short documentary was to be made.

The hardly 3o minutes marriage of Hindu Kerala tradition was really nice one ( for couple’s and arranger’s point of view ЁЯЩВ ) and only to the points of importance, unlike north Indian marriages,Kerala Hindu Marriage - Mandap which is nothing less than endurance test ( of something !! ) .

A small puja was finished off by pandit ji alone at the mandap before the marriage. The quality of puja performed was really good and he followed the processes well. At the time of marriage, the pair was blessed by pandit ji, parents, and everything including kanyadan was done in standing posture only. Probably the mother plays the vital role in Kerala vivaha. She hold the both hands of bride standing from behind and did some rituals of marriage. Worth to note that in that small mandap, at this moment, someone moved away the big diyas away from the hanging silk aanchals.

Of course pandit ji’s universal fees was there, but he was a good pandit ji, settled for really less compared to our sidepandit ji’s ! Then just after varmala was performed. Without following long mantras within short time came the moment of capturing the souls with permanent colors. First the bride applied yellow small tilak on groom’s forehead and groom put with small vermilion (sindoor) on the maang. The whole world got captured within two souls and their four eyes were evident of the moment.

And at last three pheras around mandap . And finally a traditional Kerala Hindu marriage was complete.

The photo session started with the relatives and us. The lunch followed in the other pandal.

ISKCON Bangalore – 4 New Year Celebrations

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Got something excellent to wind-up the year. As FOLK ( Friends Of Lord Krishna) member got the invitation along with two more for Tasty “taste of india” festival and Vaikuntha Ekadashi from ISKCON. Time to dance,sing , skit,┬а eat and merry.

I must dedicate this year which really proved to be wonderful as I expected, to Him again and enjoy the evening celebrations to welcome the new year in midnight. Hurrah! My Krishna !

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ISKCON Bangalore – 3 : Vatsalya Festival

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ISKCON Vatsalya - Culture Contest for Women - 22nd to 25th Dec 2006

As considerable number of ‘ISKCON Bangalore’ search results comes to this blog, so it may turn useful to say about our festivals celebrated there.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness supports the preservation and promotion of the Vedic culture. ISKCON Bangalore celebrates Vatsalya, a talent search cultural contest for women, to encourage their understanding of the rich Indian culture. ItтАЩs a wonderful platform for them to come together and exhibit their talents. A fest of this kind will indeed be a memorable experience for all.

Please find the details here :
www.iskconbangalore.org/vatsalya

Hare Krishna.

ISKCON Bangalore – 1

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ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The society is the outcome of hard work of 12 years of his divine grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Photo left side), established on 11 July 1966, and spread Krishna to the west. I am a regular visitor of the temple for the reason of my own solace out of my consciousness.

ISKCON is just again a vision of globalization of Krishna consciousness, arising from a small place of West Bengal. This has turned out to be a multinational organization/ society. In west Bengal, the Gauriya Math (The Gaurango-Nitai – devotees photo -right) is the center of Krishna devotees. And ISKCON is the outgrowth of its sibling which has succeeded with its approach.

Now the good thing, I noticed there while registering for the Yoga retreat course (I shall write more once I attend it), that those great MNC guys coming for solace like me. Most people I see in the MNCs are seeking for some sort of satisfaction in their daily monotonous (strenous) life. The course may be one of such way to find the solution.

ISKCON Bangalore is just not a temple of Hindus, but a society building to spread the basic Indian cultural values all over the world for the consciousness about the Krishna avatar which is the most popular in Indians. The thing which made this organization successful is its youth power. The priests/managers are young; many joined after leaving the lucrative jobs and hone the technical/managerial/literary expertise. Their fund raising efforts are well crafted, and I do support this with active participation.

Not as a devotee of particular religion, but as a unique persona, I do feel that Religion is just not the specific way of remembering the supreme and finding or not finding the shape out of it, it’s the way we try to understand the relations between “I and around”.

Samudra Manthan and 14 Ratnas

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According to Hindu mythology Devtas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) once decided to churn out the ocean of milk to solve the issue of supremacy among them. The churning stick was Mandra mountain on the back of Kurma ( an epical tortoise).The rope needed to churn was the Vashuki ( multiple headed king of snakes of Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu sat on the the pivot such that it will not skid in the ocean. All the Gods were on one side and all the Asuras were on the other side. As the churning of the ocean reached the peak, from the froth a deadly scum started forming. All gods and Devils got frightened after seeing it. It was Vish (Poison). Either someone had to swallow it or everyone was going to be in trouble. Seeing the unwillingness of everyone, Lord Shiva came to rescue and he took the Vish in mouth but did not swallowed it and kept it in the throat static. Hence his throat turned out blue due to effect of poison. Since then he is also known as NeelKanth ( Having blue throat) .
After this event the churning started again to result the chaturdash ratnas (fourteen precious ratnas /precious things). These ratnas produced from the Samudra Manthan are as follows:

1. ‘Chandra’ ( Moon)
2. ‘Parijat’ , a tree in the Paradise of Lord Indra
3. ‘Airavat’ , a multi-tusked elephant for again Lord indra
4. ‘Kamadhenu’ , a cow which provides desired objects
5. ‘Uchchaihsravas’ the white horse for Lord Indra
6. ‘Sankha’ the conch of Lord Vishnu used for victory
7. ‘Gada’
8. ‘Laxmi’ , goddess of wealth
9. ‘Rambha’ , the apsara (celestial beauty) for heaven
10. ‘Ratnas’, ( gems and jewel )
11. ‘Kalpavriksha , a tree fulfilling one’s wishes
12. ‘Dhanwantari’, the physician for all Gods.
13. ‘Mada , a goddess
14. ‘Amrit’ (the nectar drinking which one becomes immortal) in a golden chalice ( Kumbha).

Here each of the ratnas has a mythology attached to it, each one quiet interesting. I don’t know if this cyber world likes to hear more about these.

In praise of Unique

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Your existence is unique .
Your empire is unique.

Your creations are unique.
Your stage is unique.

Your rules are unique.
Your judgement is unique.

Your stability is unique.
Your change is unique.

Your melody is unique.
Your love is unique.

Your nearness is unique.
Your distance is unique.

O my Unique ,
Am I unique?

15 Laws of Life – Vivekananda

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What You Need to Keep in Mind
1. Love Is The Law Of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.
2. It's Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.

3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world – that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!

4. It's The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.

5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

6. Don't Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.

7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.

8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!

11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin – to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

12. You Have The Power: All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

13. Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge… now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.

15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.