God Photos: March 2014

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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Importance Of Gudhi Padwa





Gudi Padwa Festival History
The major reason behind this day being regarded as the first day of the year is that, during the first day of Chaitra month, the sun states itself at a position above Vasant intersection, which is the point of intersection of the equator and the meridians. This position of the sun denotes the commencement of the season of spring. The religious scripture of Bhagvad Gita states Lord Krishna saying, "Among the seasons, the exhilarating Vasant season is my manifestation." In this season nature rejuvenates itself. The day is also termed special because this was the day when Lord Ram Chandra killed the ape king Vali to crown his brother Sugriv the king of Kishkindha. This is also the day when after one year from slaying Vali, he came back to Ayodhya after killing Ravana and a number of his demon allies. Another incident which makes this day auspicious is that, on this very day, the Sakas registered victory over the Huns. This day also marks the commencement of the Shalivahan calendar and this happened soon after Shalivahan vanquished his Hun enemies. If Brahma Puran is to be believed, then this is the day when Brahma created the universe out of chaos. These are the major historical and mythological instances because of which this pious day is celebrated.

Importance of Gudi

Though a Hindu festival, only those Hindus who are related to a particular belief follow all the rituals related to this festival. The Hindus who are the followers of goddess Kundalini hoist the Gudi in front of their houses to invite her in. A Gudi is a bamboo stick on the top of which an inverted pitcher is placed; the pitcher is of a particular shape which denotes the form of the goddess. Yellow colored silk adornments are put on the Gudi along with garlands of red flowers and twigs of mango tree. The Gudi is hoisted at an angle towards the right hand side of the main entrance of the house; this is because the right side is considered to be the active part of the soul. The ground where the Gudi is hoisted is prepared with great care and a swastika is drawn where the Gudi is supposed to be hoisted. The Gudi is also considered sacred because there are other significant symbols which are associated with it. Shiva Shakti, which is a major force present in the universe, is associated with the Gudi and is invoked while worshipping it. These are the forces which help the Gudi accept the divine energies emitting from the rising sun. The Gudi also symbolizes the Sushumna nadi of the body, which has a major role in reaching the divine consciousness. There are other symbols too which make the Gudi an important part of this festival.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Sri Satyanarayana Ashtotaram




Sri Satynarayana Swamy Ashtotharam

Om Satyadevaya Namaha
Om Satyatmane Namaha
Om Satyabhuutaya Namaha
Om Satyapurushhaya Namaha
Om Satyanathaya Namaha
Om Satyasaxine Namaha
Om Satyayogaya Namaha
Om Satyagyanaya Namaha
Om Satyagyanapriyaya Namaha
Om Satyanidhaye Namaha
Om Satyasambhavaya Namaha
Om Satyaprabhuve Namaha
Om Satyeshvaraya Namaha
Om Satyakarmane Namaha
Om Satyapavitraya Namaha
Om Satyama.Ngalaya Namaha
Om Satyagarbhaya Namaha
Om Satyaprajapataye Namaha
Om Satyavikramaya Namaha
Om Satyasiddhaya Namaha
Om Satyachyutaya Namaha
Om Satyaviiraya Namaha
Om Satyabodhaya Namaha
Om Satyadharmaya Namaha
Om Satyagrajaya Namaha
Om Satyasa.Ntushhtaya Namaha
Om Satyavarahaya Namaha
Om Satyaparayanaya Namaha
Om Satyapuurnaya Namaha
Om Satyaushhadhaya Namaha
Om Satyashashvataya Namaha
Om Satyapravardhanaya Namaha
Om Satyavibhave Namaha
Om Satyajyeshhthaya Namaha
Om Satyashreshhthaya Namaha
Om Satyavikramine Namaha
Om Satyadhanvine Namaha
Om Satyamedhaya Namaha
Om Satyadhiishaya Namaha
Om Satyakratave Namaha
Om Satyakalaya Namaha
Om Satyavatsalaya Namaha
Om Satyavasave Namaha
Om Satyameghaya Namaha
Om Satyarudraya Namaha
Om Satyabrahmane Namaha
Om SatyamrItaya Namaha
Om SatyavedanGaya Namaha
Om Satyachaturatmane Namaha
Om Satyabhoktre Namaha
Om Satyashuchaye Namaha
Om Satyarjitaya Namaha
Om Satye.Ndraya Namaha
Om Satyasa.Ngaraya Namaha
Om Satyasvargaya Namaha
Om Satyaniyamaya Namaha
Om Satyamedhaya Namaha
Om Satyavedyaya Namaha
Om Satyapiiyuushhaya Namaha
Om Satyamayaya Namaha
Om Satyamohaya Namaha
Om Satyasurana.Ndaya Namaha
Om Satyasagaraya Namaha
Om Satyatapase Namaha
Om Satyasi.Nhaya Namaha
Om SatyamrIgaya Namaha
Om Satyalokapalakaya Namaha
Om Satyasthitaya Namaha
Om Satyadikpalakaya Namaha
Om Satyadhanurdharaya Namaha
Om Satyambujaya Namaha
Om Satyavakyaya Namaha
Om Satyagurave Namaha
Om Satyanyayaya Namaha
Om Satyasaxine Namaha
Om Satyasa.NvrItaya Namaha
Om Satyasampradaya Namaha
Om Satyavahnaye Namaha
Om Satyavayuve Namaha
Om Satyashikharaya Namaha
Om Satyana.Ndaya Namaha
Om Satyadhirajaya Namaha
Om Satyashriipadaya Namaha
Om Satyaguhyaya Namaha
Om Satyodaraya Namaha
Om SatyahrIdayaya Namaha
Om Satyakamalaya Namaha
Om Satyanalaya Namaha
Om Satyahastaya Namaha
Om Satyabahave Namaha
Om Satyamukhaya Namaha
Om Satyajihvaya Namaha
Om Satyadau.Nshhtraya Namaha
Om Satyanashikaya Namaha
Om Satyashrotraya Namaha
Om Satyachakase Namaha
Om Satyashirase Namaha
Om Satyamukutaya Namaha
Om Satyambaraya Namaha
Om Satyabharanaya Namaha
Om Satyayudhaya Namaha
Om Satyashrivallabhaya Namaha
Om Satyaguptaya Namaha
Om Satyapushkaraya Namaha
Om Satyadhridaya Namaha
Om Satyabhamavatarakaya Namaha
Om SatyagrIharupine Namaha
Om Satyapraharanayudhaya Namaha
ta

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Lord Swayambhunath Stupa, Nepal Wallpapers Gallery


A golden spire crowning a conical wooded hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley. Its lofty white dome and glittering golden spire are visible for many miles and from all sides of the valley. Historical records found on a stone inscription give evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination by the 5th century AD. Its origins however, date to a much earlier time, long before the arrival of Buddhism into the valley. A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus, planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created or Self-Existent'. Saints, sages and divinities traveled to the lake to venerate this miraculous light for its power in granting enlightenment. During this time, the Bodhisatva Manjushri was meditating at the sacred mountain of Wu Tai Shan and had a vision of the dazzling Swayambhu light. Manjushri flew across the mountains of China and Tibet upon his blue lion to worship the lotus. Deeply impressed by the power of the radiant light, Manjushri felt that if the water were drained out of the lake Swayambhu would become more easily accessible to human pilgrims. With a great sword Manjushri cut a gorge in the mountains surrounding the lake. The water, draining away, left the valley of present day Kathmandu. The lotus was then transformed into a hill and the light became the Swayabhunath Stupa.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Goddess Sheetla Mata Wallpapers


Goddess Sheetla Mata Shitala Devi also called Sitala, is a Hindu goddess widely worshipped in North India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan as the pox-goddess. Shitala Devi literally means the cool Goddess. In Hinduism, Goddess Sheetala Mata is considered an aspect of Shakti. Sheetala Mata is also considered as an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and Durga, which are two forms of Shakti. Goddess Shitala is popular as Mariamman in Tamil Nadu. She is undoubtedly one of the most popular rural deities and her origin can be traced to the days of Nature Worship. Legend has it that Goddess Shitala wears a red-colored dress and rides around the villages in North India on a donkey (ass) and inflicting people with the dreaded pox –small pox, chicken pox etc. Symbolically, she represents Nature’s power of generating viruses causing disease and Nature’s healing power and is of tribal origin. She is depicted having four hands. In her four hands she carries a silver broom, winnow fan, small bowl and a pitcher with Gangajal, holy water from River Ganga. Occasionally, she is depicted with two hands carrying a broom and pitcher. Symbolically, Goddess Sheetala idol also emphasizes the need for cleanliness. According to Puranas, Shitala, the cooling one, was created by Lord Brahma. She was promised by Brahma that she will be worshipped as a Goddess on earth but she should carry the seeds of lentils. In folktales in North India, the lentil is ‘Urad dal.’ She then asked for a companion and she was directed to Lord Shiva, who blessed her and created Jvara Asura (the fever demon). It is said that he was created from the sweat of Lord Shiva. Shitala and Jvara Asura remained in Devaloka along with other gods and goddess. They used a donkey to transport the lentils to wherever they went. But the lentil seeds one day turned into smallpox germs and start to spread the disease among gods and goddesses. Finally, fed up with Goddess Shitala, gods asked her to go and settle in heaven where she will be worshipped. Shitala and Jvara Asura came down to earth and started hunting for a place to stay. They went to the court of King Birat, an ardent devotee of Shiva. He agreed to worship her and give a place in his kingdom but she will not get the respect given to Shiva. An angry Shitala demanded supremacy over all other gods and when King Birat did not budge. She spread different kinds of pox on the land and finally, the King had to agree to her wishes. Soon the disease and all its after effects were miraculously cured. The most important festival dedicated to her takes place in Chaitra month, the Ashtami day after Purnima (full moon) in the month is observed as Sheetala Ashtami. There are famous temples dedicated to Shitala Devi in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Beautiful Temple Gallery Of Lord Muktinatha Nepal


Muktinath Temple in Nepal ... beckoning the believer. SALIGRAMAM, POPULARLY known as Muktinath, a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists, is situated at an altitude of 3,710 metres in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal — the summit of Dhaulagiri in Himalayan Mountain Ranges in Mustang District. Hindus call it Mukthi Kshetra (The Salvation Valley) while Buddhists call it Valley Chumming Gyatsa (in Tibetan language it means the place of 108 waterspouts) and believe that Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) the founder of Tibetan Buddhism meditated here on his way to Tibet. The holy shrine, which is said to have risen on its own, is one of eight such shrines (the others include Srirangam, Sri Mushnam, Tirupati, Naimisaranyam, Thottadri, Pushkaram and Badrinath). It is also one of 108 Vaishnava shrines. Only those who are willing to undergo physical discomfort and rigour can go to Muktinath. Above all, one should have the Grace of the Lord to visit Muktinath. The convenient routes to Muktinath from India are: via Gorakhpur, Sonauli, Bhairawa and Pokhara, the last big town on the way to Muktinath; via Raxaul, Birgunj and Pokhara or via Darjeeling, Siliguri, Kakar Bhitta and Pokhara. Indian citizens do not need a visa, but must possess some sort of identity, such as ration card, election identity card or PAN Number. There are convenient, buses from Bhairawa, Birgunj and Kakarbhitta, which are the border towns of Nepal, to Pokhara. There is no service road to Muktinath and hence one cannot go to Muktinath either by bus or any other vehicle. After reaching Pokhara one has to go trekking the entire route or travel partly by bus up to Beni or Birethanti (Nayapul) and then either by foot or pony or by flight from Pokhara to Jomson and then again either by foot or pony or by helicopter from Pokhara to Muktinath. The helicopter is ideal for women and the aged as it lands near the temple. One can return to Pokhara on the same day after taking a holy bath in the 108 waterspouts and worshipping the Lord. There are flights between Pokhara and Jomsom during the day. Royal Nepal Airlines, Gorka Airlines, Buddha Airlines and Everest Airlines fly to Jomsom and back from Pokhara, starting from about 6 a.m. There is no other flight after morning hours due to the strong winds that set in around 10 a.m. Jomsom, a large village on the way to Muktinath where the trek begins, has hotels that provide boarding and lodging facilities. Generally pilgrims hire well-trained ponies at Jomsom to take them to Muktinath. The pony rider acts as a guide too. It is advisable to take the pony ride, as it is less strenuous when compared to trekking. Because trekking 21 km from about 250 m to 3700 m is no ordinary task. It takes about six to seven hours. As the path goes upward it becomes increasingly difficult to walk for more than 10 minutes without resting. Strong winds blow at a speed of 40 to 50 km from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For half the distance to Muktinath, one has to travel on the Gantaki riverbed after which the route branches off. From there the path slowly winds up dusty mountain ridges with hardly a blade of grass. At the end of the 21 km route there are three villages. As Ranipauwa village is close to the temple and as it has boarding and lodging facilities, pilgrims can stay there. There are different opinions about the actual Muktinath. While some say there is no other place except this one, there are some who aver that Damodarkund by the side of Gantaki river, 104 km from Kathmandu, is the real Muktishetra and others who claim that Muktinath is another six days travel by foot, where pilgrims can collect saligramams right from the river. Another six days of trekking! That too in difficult terrain where oxygen is scarce! For those of us who cannot even think of undertaking such a journey, it is better to return after worshipping the Lord here — the place Saint Ramanujar visited. There is a minaret recording the visit of Sri Ramanuja giving authenticity to the belief of scores of devotees visiting Muktinath. Periazhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar have sung 12 Pasurams and glorified the deity. At the temple Presiding deity: Mukti Narayana in a standing posture; Goddess: Sridevi and Bhoodevi; Sacred Water: Chakra Theertham; Tower: Kanakavimanam. Behind the temple there are 108 faucets in the shape of a head of a bull, closely arranged in a semi-circle with a gap of hardly a foot between the faucets, at a height of seven feet. Water from River Gantaki must have been diverted to flow through the mouth of the bull. Pilgrims who visit the temple take a holy bath in each of these spouts. But as the water is ice cold it requires burning desire and courage to take a holy bath here. In addition to Lord Narayana, Lakshmi and Bhoodevi the temple depicts brass images of Goddess Saraswati and Janaki and Garuda, Lava-Kusa and the Sapta Rishis. After completing prayer and puja at the temple a visit to Mharme Lha Khang Gomba, the monastery dedicated to Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) with his huge image situated to the North of Muktinath and Mebar Lha Gomba, the monastery of `miraculous fire', with the main deity Chineresig, under which natural gas is continuously burning, situated South of Muktinath temple where Hindus worship the fire as Jwala Mai (Goddess of fire), and also Gomba Samba, a newly built monastery with main deities Sakyamuni, Chingresig and Guru Rimpoche situated at left from entrance gate of Muktinath temple complex, would be worth it. While undertaking a pilgrimage to Muktinath, it is advisable to cover Lumbuni, Valmika Ashramam, Dev Ghat, Monakamna, Kathmandu, Janakpur, Danush and Varaha Kshetra so as to complete Nepal trip.

Lord Jagnnatha Wallpapers Gallery


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Budhanikantha Temple Kathmandu Beautiful Wallpapers Gallery


Budhanilkantha Temple is located at the base of Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu valley on the northern side. It is also known as mystical Budhanilkantha temple or Narayanthan temple .Budhanilkantha literally means “Old Blue Throat”. It is only nine kilometer away from the main city. It is a deity of Lord Vishnu; Lord Vishnu is also known as Narayan.It is called Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayan lying on Ananta Sesa, in the cosmic ocean. The deity is about thousand years old. Lord Vishnu is about five meter (Seventeen fits) long and lying in a thirteen meter (forty three fits) long tank, as if floating with his legs crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta and his 11 hooded head.His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu, the Shankha as conch shell, Chakra as disc,Gadha as club and Padma as lotus flower. It is believe that the deity was carved in the seventh or eighth century during the Licchavi period. Hindus can walk down the steps and touch his feet, but foreigners cannot walk and touch. It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep seated belief was created by King Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Budhanilkantha temple, death would be threatening immediately to fall upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destinationa, the Balaju Garden were public viewing can take place and the beautiful Royal Palace in Kathmandu.It is here at Budhanilkantha temple, however that public is not permitted. The basic festival of the year is when Lord Vishnu who sleeps on the cosmic ocean during Chaturmasya periods wakes up on the Haribodhini Ekadashi day in late October or early November period. Many thousand of Hindu people come their day to celebrate their festival.