I: Spirituality and Freedom August here in India is the rainiest month. In spite of that we have celebrations galore. Most of our religious festivals follow the lunar calendar. There are two types of lunar months in India. Some states, especially those in South India follow a system where in the month ends on the … Continue reading August Contemplations
Category: Events
Sitting Near The Guru
In our Indian tradition, great importance has been attached to being in the presence of the Guru as much as possible and getting knowledge directly from him. While this is applicable to all forms of knowledge, this has crucial significance in the case of spiritual knowledge. The crux of vedic wisdom are compiled in books … Continue reading Sitting Near The Guru
With Deepavali a few Days Away
Diwali is a time for revamp. People usually do the annual facelift of their house just before Diwali. In India we follow the Gregorian calendars for weekly holidays, where as for festival holidays we follow numerous Indian calendars. Similarly businessmen in India follow the official financial year (Apr to Mar) for tax and audit purpose, … Continue reading With Deepavali a few Days Away
Back after a long gap
waiting for sunrise: serenity beach Puducherry I know I have written so few blog posts in the last three years. My last post was way back in August 2023. It is not that I have not been writing. But the things I have written, mostly official things, though in volumes, are destined to gather dust. … Continue reading Back after a long gap
Deva Snana Poornima – the ritual and its significance
Deva Snana Poornima is an important ritual in the build up to the Annual Car festival of Lord Jagannath. For the un-initiate, on this day the idols of Sudarshana, Ma Subhadra, Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannatha are taken out to the 'Altar of Bathing' inside the temple premises. An elaborate bath is given which can … Continue reading Deva Snana Poornima – the ritual and its significance
The Essence of Ancient India
some loss, some gain, lots of nostalgia
First of all I wish my reader a very happy, safe and prosperous 2021 albeit the fact that a similar wish from your near and dear ones last year somehow did not have the intended consequences. When I think of summarising the tumultuous year gone by I am reminded of the section titles of Panchatantra … Continue reading some loss, some gain, lots of nostalgia
Mein nikla satya ke sandhan mein
Re-sharing an old poem for Indispire prompt #335.
(Why is it so difficult to establish the truth? Why is it called naked truth? Does truth really win? #NakedTruth)
मैं निकला सत्य के
संधान में |
दिन दहाड़े , डायोजिनिज के लालटेन ले के
राजधानी के राजपथ पर,
सत्ता के गलियों में,
कलाकारों के रंग मंच में,
मंदिर , मस्जिद और गिरिजाघरों में |
ढ़ूँढ़ता रहा
वो सच्च जो कबका खो गया है,
या सुलाया गया है,
राजनेताओं के सफाई , आरोप
और प्रत्यारोप में,
पत्रकारों के हल्ला में,
क्रांतिकारियों के हल्लाबोल में,
धर्म गुरूओं केशास्त्रार्थ में,
बाबूओं के फाइलों के नोटिंगस् में
विचारपत्तियों के लम्बी – लम्बी
आदेशों में |
सभी ने एक साथ बोला
सच्च का पता लगा तो
गजब हो जाएगा,
देश बरबाद हो जाएगा,
आखिर लोग भी तो अभी कच्चे हैं
सच्च को छूपाने में
है हमारी समझदारी
और हमारी जिम्म्दारी भी
फिर कोई एक मुझे चुपके से कहा
” आखिर दूकान भी तो चलाना है ” !!!
Mein nikla satya ke sandhan mein
Din dahade, Diogenes ke laltan leke
Rajdhani ke rajpath par
Satta…
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Yogic Texts of Hindustan
The common understanding about yoga is that is a set of physical postures. It is also propogated as such these days. But in reality the physical posture of yoga, which is called as hathayoga to distinguish it from other forms of yoga, was a later development. It is believed that many of the independent ancient … Continue reading Yogic Texts of Hindustan
How we learnt our puranas
Hari anant hari katha ananta, kahahi sunahi bahu bidhi sadhu santa - thus goes a stanza in Ramacharita Manasa of Tulsidas. Hari is endless, so are his stories. The saint listens and speaks of it in so many ways. Mahabharata, the biggest epic of the world runs into hundred thousand slokas. Then there is Ramayana … Continue reading How we learnt our puranas
PEBBLES AND WAVES 