Omkareshwar which is situated on an island in the holy river Narmada. The place derives its name from the island which is shaped naturally like the sacred symbol ‘Om’ that adds to the divinity of the place. The island is also called Mandhata. It is named after the king Mandhata, an ancestor of Ram who ruled here in satyug. It was due to his devotion that Shiva decided to reside here.
Ganga is the lifeline of North India. It is the longest river, originating from the Himalayas and passing through five states, it covers a distance of about 2525kms before merging into the sea. It is a symbol of faith, hope , culture and sanity, as well as a source of livelihood for millions since time immemorial. Many important cities and pilgrim centers are located on its banks.
Ganga Dussehra is an important day for all Hindus, especially for those living near the river. They visit the river to take a dip in the holy water. It is an auspicious day for giving donations to the poor . In places like Haridwar and Varanasi, Ganga-aarti is performed daily in the evenings, but on this day the Ghats are beautifully decorated and a special aarti is performed. This is the hottest month, it is considered a good act to distribute cold water or Sharbat to poor people and travelers. People would distribute, earthen pots that were filled with sharbat, a hand fan and some fruits along with each pot, to brahmins and poor people. This sweet tradition is now almost forgotten.
As children in school, we learnt about the evolution of humans. Early humans were hunters and gatherers. They roamed in forests and lived in caves. But where and how were these caves? The answer lies here in Bhimbetka.
At a distance of about 45 Km from Bhopal, within the premise of Ratapani wildlife sanctuary lies the most wonderful site Bhimbetka, famous for the rock shelters that were home to the earliest man. The shelters discovered in 1957 are of great archaeological importance and have been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2003. The shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent and stand as a witness to their transformation from nomadic life of hunters and gatherers to settled cultivators and much more. Their life and wisdom is recorded with paint and brush on the walls of these shelters. The story of Indian civilization begins here. There are hundreds of rock shelters here, most of them are located in deep forest and not easily approachable by road. Only a small colony with about fifteen caves is open for the visitors.
On my recent visit to my parental house in Kasganj, I had a chance to go to a nearby village Soron-ji which is located on the banks of River Ganga. This village is known as the birthplace of Goswami Tulsidas, who composed the famous Ram Charit Manas. We were here to attend the “Ganga Arti” that has started as a daily ritual in the evenings at the Haripadi Ganga ghat. This Ghat is the central point of the village and has been beautifully renovated in past few years with the efforts of some local residents.
Chaitra Navaratri is the most important and popular festival of Hindus. Navaratri literally translates to festival that spans over nine nights and ten days. The festival is celebrated to honour victory of good over evil. It is dedicated to the worship of the Goddess of Shakti, Ma Durga. During these nine days, Devi Durga is worshipped in nine different forms and each day is dedicated to one form. These nine forms are
Mahashivratri is celebrated by Hindus all over the world with great enthusiasm. It is celebrated on the Falgun Krishna Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the month of Falgun( The last month in Hindu lunar calendar). Mahashivratri as the name indicates, is the great night of Shiva. It is believed to be the day of the union of Shiva and Shakti. The planetary position on this night is such that there is a powerful natural upsurge of energy in the human system. While there is a shivratri in every month of hindu calander, only the one occouring on 13th night - 14th day of waning moon in the month of falgun is celebrated as maha-shivratri. Astronomically, it is the darkest night of the year.
Kartik, the eighth month of the Hindu calendar is the holiest and most significant month for the Hindus. Many important festivals such as Karwa Chauth, Ahoi Ashtami, Deepawali, Gowardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, Chhat Puja fall in this month. The Ekadash(eleventh day) after Deepavali is called Devuthana. It marks the end of Chaturmas. Lord Vishnu wakes up and is the time to begin auspicious celebrations like marriages. The month ends on the Full moon day or the Kartik Purnima which is an important and most auspicious day. It is celebrated by the Sikhs and Jains as well.
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वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय, सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव, सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥
One of the most popular festivals in India, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated annually to mark the birth of Lord Ganesh, the younger son of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. The festival falls on the Shukla Chaturthi of Bhadra month according to the Hindu calendar and in the month of August/September according to the Gregorian calendar. Lord Ganesh is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
Today, is the birthday of Lord Krishna. All over India, Janmashtami is celebrated with high enthusiasm, dancing and chanting of what might be the most recognizable mantra globally
हरे राम हरे राम । राम राम हरे हरे ॥
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण । कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे ॥
This mantra is commonly associated with Hare Krishna movement pioneered by International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Founded in 1966, in New York city, the ISKCON spiritual society was established by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, on the principles laid by a 15th century scholar Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् | अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम् ‖ 3 ‖
– Meaning:
I salute that Maha Kala, Who is the lord of all devas, Who has incarnated in the city of Avanthi, For giving salvation to good people, And to save people from untimely death.
The third temple in the series of Jyotirlingas is the Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Located on the banks of river Shipra, Ujjain is among the most ancient cities of India.