Gangotri

One of the four sites amongst the holiest places, Char Dham in India, is Gangotri. This sacred city is located in the northern part of the state of Uttarakhand. It is known as the source of River Ganges and also the seat of Goddess Ganga. Ducked amidst the sprawling Garhwal hills, Gangotri is an ideal location for all those who wish to take a dip into the oceans of divinity, as well as those have a thirst for adventure. This makes Gangotri an ideal spot in terms of travel and tourism.

As a result, Gangotri is a significant place from religion point of view. Hundreds of devotees throng the place every year in order to unleash the secrets of spirituality. Some of the main attractions of Gangotri include Gangotri Temple, which was built by Gurkha monarch Amar Singh Thapa, around 3000 years back.

Another pilgrim site here is Jalamagna Shivalinga, which is a natural rock Shivalinga submerged in the river.

Gangotri Yatra is one of the Yatras of Char Dham is popular all over the world as the seat of the goddess Ganga as Gangotri is the source of the River Ganges. Gangotri Yatra is the picturesque pilgrimage in the magnificent Garhwal hills located in the hinterlands of Himalayas surrounded by Dehrdun, Rishikesh and Uttrakashi with the distance of 300 Kms., 250 Kms. and 105 Kms. respectively.




 Gangotri Yatra offers many other tourist attractions like Gangotri Yatra to River Bhagirathi, Gangotri Yatra to Alaknanda, Gangotri Yatra to Gaumukh, Gangotri Yatra to Bhavishya Badri Temple, Gangotri Yatra to Gangotri Temple, Gangotri Yatra to Nandanvan Tapovan, Gangotri Yatra to Kedar, Gangotri Yatra to Dayara Bugyal, Gangotri Yatra to Nachiketa Tal, Gangotri Yatra to Tehri and Gangotri Yatra to Narendranagar.

Kartik Purnima

Kartik Purnima 2012 is going to be commemorated on 28th of November, Wednesday. Every year, Kartik Poornima falls in the Shukla Paksha of Kartika month. At some places, Kartika purnima is also known as Tripuri Purnima as well as Ganga Snan. Logic behind the name ‘Tripuri Purnima’ is the belief that Lord Shiva assassinated the demon Tripuri on this day. In Hindu mythology, Kartika Poornima has immense value for fetching blessings from the Almighty.

In addition to Lord Shiva, this day is dedicated to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Angira and Lord Sun. It is believed that the person who does charity, donation and takes bath at river bank or any other water body with devotion becomes the part of God’s blessed people.

Significance of Kartika Purnima Snan

In India, there is a common tradition of taking bath at a holy river. However, on certain days, this bath offers better results. And, these certain days are the most auspicious days of the year. That is why on the day of Kartik Purnima, you can find a huge crowd on the banks of holy rivers, especially Ganga as well as Yamuna. Glory of taking bath on the day of Kartik Purnima .

Another belief states that taking bath in a sacred river by following proper religious procedures helps the devotee attain salvation at the end. Other than spiritual beliefs, month of Kartik has some scientific boons too.

Glory of Kartik Purnima Puja

For Kartik Snan, generally Ganga and Yamuna rivers are considered. However, there are many other pious rivers like Saraswati, Narmada, Godavari, Kurukshetra, Ayodhya, Kashi and many more. As per Hindu Shastras, Lord Vishnu goes to sleep on this day. Month of Kartik starts when Sun comes in Libra. It is said that fasting in Kartik is the more defined way for heading toward salvation. Overall, Kartik Purnima is indeed an auspicious time to multiply your pious deeds and cut down the sins. With this we wish you all a very happy Kartik Purnima! May Almighty shower blessings over you!

Durga Puja

Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs.

 While the rituals entails ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.

Durga Puja is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October) and commemorates Prince Rama's invocation of the goddess before going to war with the demon king Ravana. This autumnal ritual was different from the conventional Durga Puja, which is usually celebrated in the springtime.

So, this Puja is also known as 'akal-bodhan' or out-of-season ('akal') worship ('bodhan'). Thus goes the story of Lord Rama, who first worshipped the 'Mahishasura Mardini' or the slayer of the buffalo-demon, by offering 108 blue lotuses and lighting 108 lamps, at this time of the year.

Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated as birthday of Lord Hanuman allover world. As per Hindu almance It is celebration  on the Chaitra Purnima(March – April) . In 2011, the date of Hanuman Jayanthi is April 18th Lord Hanuman is also known as Bajrang Bali, Anjaneya, Maruti, Pavanputra and Mahavira. He is one of the most popular gods in Hinduism. He is a Chiranjeevi – one blessed with ineffaceable.

Lord Hanuman emblem  strength and  unbetterable  devotion and disinterested service. He is the greatest devotee of Lord Ram. He is a Brahmachari (celibate) and humility is his  metewand . He served Sri Rama with pure love and constancy, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate.

 

He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.

 

On the day of Hanuman Jayanti devotees apply sindoor to the idol of Hanuman. There is very popular legend behind this. Once Sita ji was Appling sindhoor on her forehead and Hanuman enquired about its significance. To this Sita ji replied, that this ensured long life for her husband. Hanuman on hearing this applied sindhoor all over his body praying for the immortality of his Lord. He came before Lord Rama. When asked Hanuman replied, “It is only to please you my Lord.” Lord Rama was very pleased and by seeing his devotion, he declared that whoever applies sindoor on the body of Hanuman will get my loving devotion and I will pleased with that devotee.

 

On the day of Hanuman jayanti Lord Hanuman is worshiped and offered sindoor and pan. People visit the Hanuman temple and apply the sindoor taken from the idol of Hanuman on their forehead. It is supposed to bring good luck to them. Prasad (religious food offering) is distributed among the people. Pooja is performed and abhisheka (religious offering consisting of coconut and flowers) is done. Devotees read the Hanuman Chalisa and recite the Holy name of Lord Rama. Most of the devotees keep fast, especially those who are wrestlers and body builders. 

Ramnavami Festival

Sri-Ramnavami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama. It occurs on the ninth day (navami). The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his preperous and righteous reign. Mahatma Gandhi also used this term to describe how, according to him, India should be after independence.

 Ramnavami occurs in the month of March. Celebrations begin with a prayer to the Sun early in the morning. At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed. In northern India especially, an event that draws popular participation is the Ramnavami procession. The main attraction in this procession is a gaily decorated chariot in which four persons are dressed up as Rama, his brother Laxman, his queen Sita and his disciple Hanuman.




The chariot is accompanied by several other persons dressed up in ancient costumes as work by Rama's solders. The procession is a gusty affair with the participants shouting praises echoing the happy days of Rama's reign.

 On the face of it Sri-Ramnavmi appears to be just a festival commemorating the reign of a king who was later deified. But even behind present-day traditions there are clues which unmistakably point to the origin of Ramnavmi as lying beyond the Ramayana story.In Sanskrit, Ravi and Ravindra mean Sun.

 There is some link between Lord Rama and Sun Worship. The Sun is considered to be the progenitor of Rama's dynasty which is called the Sun dynasty (Raghukula or Raghuvamsa, Raghu means Sun and Kula or Vamsa mean familial descendant). Rama is also known as Raghunatha, Raghupati, Raghavendra etc.

That all these names begin with the prefix Raghu is also suggestive of some link with Sun-worship. The hour chosen for the observance of the lord's birth is that when the sun is overhead and is at its maximum brilliance. Significantly, the ancient Egyptians termed the sun as Amon Ra or simply as "Ra". In Latin the syllable Ra is used to connote light. For example, we have Radiance which emission of light, or Radium which means any substance emitting light or brilliance.

The common element is the syllable Ra which in many languages is used to derive words for describing Sun or light.

Birthday of Lord Krishna

Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm in India in the month of July or August. According to the Hindu calendar this religious festival is celebrated on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksh the month of Bhadon.

Sri Krishna is considered as the one of the most powerful human incarnations of the Lord Vishnu. He was born around 5,200 years ago in Mathura. The sole  target of Sri Krishna's birth was to free the Earth from the evilness of demons. He played an important role in Mahabharata and extended the theory of bhakti and good karma which are narrated deeply in the Bhagwat Geeta.

Sri Krishna was born in a penitentiary  in the apprehension  of Kansa. Vasudev, His father immediately thought of his friend Nand and obdurate  to hand over his child to him to save Krishna from the claw of Kansa. Krishna  grew up in Gokul and finally killed his uncle, King Kansa.

The actual celebration of Janmashtami takes place during the midnight as Sri Krishna is believed to be born on a dark, stormy and windy night to end the rule and violence of his uncle, Kansa. All over India this day is celebrated with devotional songs and dances, pujas, arti, blowing of the Conch and rocking the cradle of baby Sri Krishna.

The Janmashtami celebration of Mathura and Vrindavan, the places where Sri Krishna had spent his life, are very special. On this day temples and homes are wonderfully decorated and illuminated. Night long prayers are offered and religious mantras are sung in the temples.

Radha Ashtami Festival

Birthday of Radha is celebrated as Radhaashtami throughout the country and especially in the north, with full constancy and joy. Radha Ashtami is celebrate after 15 days of Janmashtami, which is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna. Radharani's birthday is the sacred eighth day of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). Sri Radha was born in Barsana, suburb of Mathura and appeared as the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirti.

Celebration

On this day of Radhaashtami, adorer are allowed special sanctions which are not allowed generally. Like, Radharani's name is usually not chanted due to the possibility of committing faults towards her. Neither people are allowed to enter into Radha Kunda, or Radharani's Pond, which is considered holy. On the day of Radhastami, people wait until midnight in order to bathe there. People chant her names on the ''appearance day'' or birthday of Sri Radha. Radharani is believed to ''appear'', being an eternal companion of Krishna, she does not take birth or die.

Radhastami- A Reverence

Sri Radha was older to Lord Krishna and it is believed that the divine girl did not open her eyes until Sri Krishna was born. The relationship of Sri Krishna and Radha surpasses human concepts and is metaphysical in nature. It is supernumerary to affirm that one may get Krishna only through the sympathy of Radha.

Ganesha Chaturthi festival

Ganesha Chaturthi, the great Ganesha festival, also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) and the grandest and most elaborate of them, especially in the western India state of Maharashtra, lasts for 10 days, ending on the day of 'Ananta Chaturdashi

On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with Lord Ganesha early in the morning, during the Brahmamuhurta period. Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of Lord Ganesha. Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding. Pray with faith and devotion that He may remove all the obstacles that you experience on the spiritual path. Worship Him at home, too. You can get the assistance of a pundit. Have an image of Lord Ganesha in your house. Feel His Presence in it.

Don’t forget not to look at the moon on that day; remember that it behaved unbecomingly towards the Lord. This really means avoid the company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God, your Guru and religion, from this very day.

Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.

Dussehra Festival

Dussehra is the festival which represents the victory of the good over the evil. India is a land of festivals. The origin of the Dussehra festival and its celebration has been described. The relative importance of Dussehra has been brought out. The places which are prominent for Dussehra celebration is also wealth with in detail.   

how it is celebrated: The Dusshera happens to be celebrated about twenty days before Diwali. It also coincides with Ramlila where the characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshamana and Hanuman beautifully dressed in the legendry costumes are taken out in processions and plays involving the scenes from Ramayana are enacted for several days before the Dussehra festival which finally culminated in the burning of the effigy of the Ravana on the tenth day after the navaratris. Recitations and music highlighting the life and actions of the legendry hero Rama are played during the intervening period before the Dussehra. In the Indian capital, Delhi the processions finally lead to the Ramlila grounds, a sprawling open ground in the centre of the capital where the effigies of Ravana and his brother Meghadoota and others are burnt towards the evening. An arrow carrying fire is hit on the effigies by the characters dressed as Rama and Lakshmana to burn the effigies which are already stuffed with fireworks and crackers which explode with a deafening sound. Thousands of spectators stand around to cheer the occasion and finally leave for their homes happily.

Diwali celebration

Deepawali is the holy festival of Hindus  this festival we clean our houses and do white wash. this festival comes on November. this is winter day.

 so we wear woolen clothes.

 this is the festival of Goddess of wealth "Lax mi" we worship on special day. 

we decorated our houses Many colorful candle and light. 

The children fire crackers and eat sweet. the elder meet people and full enjoy.

 All people Enjoy this festival. 

But some people play Gambling on this holy Festival. this is bad think.

 Our unity for this festival is so bad thoughts are to stay away So Festival Enjoy must take their Enjoy. 

on this festival Some people drink wine. this is not good habit. this is a holy festival to keep this cleanness.

 Spring time in India, flowers and fields are in bloom and the country goes wild with people running on the streets and smearing each other with brightly hued powders and co loured water. This is the festival of Holi, celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year.

Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Religions. The story centers around an arrogant king who resents his son worshiping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlad emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.