Shlok, Bhajan, Festivals, Rituals

Why Brahma is not worshiped in India?

2010-11-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Why Indians don’t give back to society

Some characteristics unite Indians. The most visible is our opportunism

Why don’t we worship Brahma?
We know he’s part of the Hindu trinity as the creator, but we worship Vishnu, manager of the cosmos, and Shiva, its eventual destroyer. The answer lies not in religion, but in culture. But in what way does our religion shape our culture?

Max Weber explained the success of capitalism in the US, Germany and Britain as coming from their populations’ Protestant faith. This ethic, or culture, was missing from the Catholic populations of South America, Italy and Spain. Protestants, Weber said, extended Christianity’s message of doing good deeds, to doing work well. Industry and enterprise had an ultimate motive: public good. That explains the philanthropists of the US, from John D. Rockefeller to Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates. What explains the behaviour of Indians? What explains the anarchy of our cities? To find out, we must ask how our behaviour is different..

Some characteristics unite Indians. The most visible is our opportunism. One good way to judge a society is to see it in motion. On the road, we observe the opportunism in the behaviour of the Indian driver. Where traffic halts on one side of the road in India, motorists will encroach the oncoming side because there is space available there.. If that leads to both sides being blocked, that is fine, as long as we maintain our advantage over people behind us or next to us. This is because the other man cannot be trusted to stay in his place.

The Indian’s instinct is to jump the traffic light if he is convinced that the signal is not policed. If he gets flagged down by the police, his instinct is to bolt. In an accident, his instinct is to flee.. Fatal motoring cases in India are a grim record of how the driver ran over people and drove away. We show the pattern of what is called a Hobbesian society: one in which there is low trust between people. This instinct of me-versus-the- world leads to irrational behaviour, demonstrated when Indians board flights. We form a mob at the entrance, and as the flight is announced, scramble for the plane even though all tickets are numbered.. Airlines modify their boarding announcements for Indians taking international flights.

Our opportunism necessarily means that we do not understand collective good. Indians will litter if they are not policed. Someone else will always pick up the rubbish we throw. Thailand’s toilets are used by as many people as India’s toilets are, but they are likely to be not just clean but spotless. This is because that’s how the users leave them, not the cleaners.

The Indian’s reluctance to embrace collective good hurts his state. A study of income-tax compliance between 1965 and 1993 in India (Elsevier Science/Das- Gupta, Lahiri and Mookherjee) concluded that “declining assessment intensity had a significant negative effect” on compliance, while “traditional enforcement tools (searches, penalties and prosecution activity) had only a limited effect” on Indians. The authors puzzled over the fact that “India’s income tax performance (was) below the average of countries with similar GDP per capita”.

We do not think stealing from the state is a bad thing, and our ambiguity extends to corruption, which also we do not view in absolute terms. Political parties in India understand this and corruption is not an issue in Indian politics. Politicians who are demonstrably corrupt, recorded on camera taking a bribe or saying appalling things, or convicted by a court, can hold legitimate hope of a comeback—unthinkable in the West. The opportunist is necessarily good at adapting, and that explains the success of Indians abroad. We can follow someone else’s rules well, even if we can’t enforce them at home ourselves. The Indian in the US is peerless at the Spelling Bee because the formula of committing things to memory, which in India passes for knowledge, comes naturally to him. But this talent for adapting and memorizing is not the same as a talent for creation.

The question is: Why are we opportunists?
In his great work Crowds and Power, Elias Canetti observed that the rewards religions promised their faithful were all far off, in the afterlife. This is because a short goal would demand demonstration from god and create sceptics instead of believers. There is an exception to this in Hinduism. Hinduism is not about the other world. There is no afterlife in Hinduism and rebirth is always on earth. The goal is to be released entirely and our death rites and beliefs—funeral in Kashi—seek freedom from rebirth. Christianity and Islam are about how to enter heaven; Hinduism is about how not to return to earth, because it’s a rotten place. Naipaul opens his finest novel with the words “The world is what it is”, and Wittgenstein ( “The world is all that is the case”) opens his Tractatus similarly.

Hinduism recognizes that the world is irredeemable: It is what it is. Perhaps this is where the Hindu gets his world view—which is zero-sum—from. We might say that he takes the pessimistic view of society and of his fellow man. But why? The Hindu devotee’s relationship with god is transactional: I give you this, you give me that. God must be petitioned and placated to swing the universe’s blessings towards you. God gives you something not through the miracle, and this is what makes Hinduism different, but by swinging that something away from someone else. This is the primary lesson of the Vedic fire sacrifice. There is no benefit to one without loss to another. Religion is about bending god’s influence towards you through pleas, and appeasement, through offerings.

Society has no role in your advancement and there is no reason to give back to it (in any way, including leaving the toilets clean behind you) because it hasn’t given you anything in the first place. That is why Indian industrialists are not philanthropists. Rockefeller always gave a tenth of his earnings to the Church, and then donated hundreds of millions, fighting hookworm and educating black women. Bill Gates gave $25 billion (around Rs1.2 trillion), and his cause is fighting malaria, which does not even affect Americans. Warren Buffett gave away $30 billion, almost his entire fortune. Andrew Carnegie built 2,500 libraries. Dhirubhai Ambani International School has annual fees starting at Rs47,500 (with a Rs24,000 admission fee) and Mukesh Ambani’s daughter was made head girl.

An interesting thing to know is this:
Has our culture shaped our faith or has our faith shaped our culture? I cannot say.

To return to the question we started with: Why is Brahma not worshipped? The answer is obvious: He has nothing to offer us. What he could do for us, create the universe, he already has. There is no gain in petitioning him now.

Ram Sethu ke bare me, ek charcha

2010-09-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Lord surveyed the Ram Setu and said "Hanuman, how diligently and strenuously you and your vanara sena had built this bridge several centuries back. It is remarkable that it has withstood the ravages of the climatic and geographical changes over centuries. It is indeed an amazing feat especially considering the fact that a bridge at Hyderabad built by Gammon using latest technology collapsed the other day even before they could stick the posters on its pillars."

Hanuman with all humility spoke "Jai Sri Ram, it is all because of your grace. We just scribbled your name on the bricks and threw them in the sea and they held. No steel from TISCO or cement from Ambuja or ACC was ever used. But Lord, why rake up the old issue now." Ram spoke "Well, Hanuman some people down there want to demolish the bridge and construct a canal. The contract involves lot of money and lot of money will be made. They will make money on demolition and make more money on construction. "

Hanuman humbly bowed down and said "Why not we go down and present our case"

Ram said "Times have changed since we were down there. They will ask us to submit age proof and we don't have either a birth certificate or school leaving certificate. We traveled mainly on foot and some times in bullock carts and so we don't have a driving license either. As far as the address proof is concerned the fact that I was born at Ayodhya is itself under litigation for over half a century, If I go in a traditional attire with bow and arrow, the ordinary folks may recognize me but Arjun Singh may take me to be some tribal and, at the most, offer a seat at IIT under the reserved category. Also, a God cannot walk in dressed in a three-piece suit and announce his arrival. It would make even the devotees suspicious. So it is dilemma so to say."

"I can vouch for you by saying that I personally built the bridge."

"My dear, Anjani putra, it will not work. First of all One Menka Gandhi would take me to court for ill treating animals .They will ask you to produce the lay-out plan, the project details, including financial outlay and how the project cost was met and the completion certificate. Nothing is accepted without documentary evidence in India. You may cough but unless a doctor certifies it, you have no cough. A pensioner may present himself personally but the authorities do not take it as proof. He has to produce a life-certificate to prove that he is alive. It is that complicated."

"Lord can't understand these historians. Over the years you have given darshanonce every hundred years to saints like Surdas, Tulsidas, Saint Thyagaraja, Jayadeva, Bhadrachala Ramdas and even Sant Tukaram and still they disbelieve your existence and say Ramayana is a myth. The only option, I see, is to re-enact Ramayana on earth and set the government records straight once for all."

Lord smiled "It is that easy today. Ravan is apprehensive that he may look like a saint in front of Karunanidhi. I also spoke to his mama Mareechan, who appeared as a golden deer to tempt Sita maiyya when I was in the forest and he said that he won't take a chance of stepping on earth as long as SalmanKhan is around."

GAYATRI MANTRA & Its Scientific Meaning

2010-08-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Ultimate Science of Gayatri Mantra… Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.
Om bhur bhuvah swah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
The literal meaning of the mantra is:

O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty, You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific importance too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 mile s per second.

And now the alternative scientific meaning of the mantra step by step:
(A). OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH:
Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om , which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy
(prana). (B). TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM:
Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

(C). BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI:
Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:

(D). DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT:
Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om , (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo.

So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:-
1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x squre of velocity.)

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM , the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., Amen and Ameen.

Karwa Chauth story in english

2009-10-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

"A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Veeravati. When she was of the marriageable age, Veeravati was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents’ house."

"After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen was too delicate and couldn’t stand the rigours of fasting. By evening, Veeravati was too weak, and fainted. Now, the queen had seven brothers who loved her dearly. They couldn’t stand the plight of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. They made a fire at the nearby hill and asked their sister to see the glow. They assured her that it was the moonlight and since the moon had risen, she could break her fast."

"However, the moment the gullible queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was dead. The queen was heartbroken and rushed to her husband’s palace. On the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived but would be ill."

"When the queen reached the palace, she found the king lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day, the queen managed to remove one needle from the king’s body. Next year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious king."

"The queen observed a strict fast that day and when she went to the market to buy the karva for the puja , her maid removed the remaining needle from the king’s body. The king regained consciousness, and mistook the maid for his queen. When the real queen returned to the palace, she was made to serve as a maid."

"However, Veeravati was true to her faith and religiously observed the Karva Chauth vrat . Once when the king was going to some other kingdom, he asked the real queen (now turned maid) if she wanted anything. The queen asked for a pair of identical dolls. The king obliged and the queen kept singing a song " Roli ki Goli ho gayi... Goli ki Roli ho gayi " (the queen has turned into a maid and the maid has turned into a queen)."

"On being asked by the king as to why did she keep repeating that song, Veeravati narrated the entire story. The king repented and restored the queen to her royal status. It was only the queen’s devotion and her faith that won her husband’s affection and the blessings of Goddess Parvati."

For more on Karwa Chauth Click Here

Karva Chauth Vrat Katha / Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha

2009-10-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge the vrat katha.

Festivals In Shirdi - Vijayadashami (Mahasamadhi Day)

2009-09-23T08:37:00.001-07:00

Ganga Dussehra, Ganges River, Varanasi India

2009-09-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Shiva Bhajan- Har har har mahadev

2009-09-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

Ragupati Raghav Raja Ram Patit Pavan Sita Ram Bhajan

2009-09-23T08:34:00.001-07:00

Om namah shivay dhun by Jagjit Singh

2009-09-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Shiva Mahamrityunjaya Mantra / Jap

2009-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Om Namah Shivaya -Shiva Sahasranama Mantra

2009-09-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Krishna Bhajan -O Palan Hare

2009-09-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Shri Ramchandra Kripalu Bhajan Video,Lyrics and translation

2009-09-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Twamewa mata cha Pita twamewa-Bhajan by Singer Mukesh

2009-09-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva,

Twameva Bandhu Sakha Twameva,
Twameva Vidya Sarvinam Twameva,
Twameva Sarvam Mum Dev Deva.
MEANING:
"O Lord, You Are My Mother, Father, Kinsman And Friend.
You Are My Wealth Of Knowledge, Strength, Velour And Power.
You Are My All God Of Gods".

Om jai jagdish hare video

2009-09-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Gayatri Mantra- Om Bhur Bhuvas swah

2009-09-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

Shree Vakratunda mahakaya with meaning...Ganesh Sloka/Ganesh Chaturthi Shlok

2009-08-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

Shree Vakratunda mahakaya koti soorya samaprabha,
nirvighnam kurumedeva shubha karyeshu sarvada.

" O lord with the twisted trunk, with the effulgence of a billion suns, always remove the obstacles when I am on an auspicious undertaking."

"Shuklaambara Dharam Vishnum, Shashi Varnam Chatur Bhujam
Prasanna Vadanam Dhyaayet, Sarva Vighna Upashaanthaye"?

Meaning: Lord Ganesha always dressed in white represents purity. He is omnipresent with gray complexion like that of ash glowing with spiritual splendor. The Lord with bright countenance has four arms. I meditate on the God who can destroy all obstacles whether material or spiritual.

"Ekadantam Mahaakaayan, Taptakaajnchanasannibhamh
Lambodaram Vishaalaaxam, Vandeaham Gananaayakamh"

Meaning: Obeisance to Lord Ganesha, the one tusked, huge-bodied, big-bellied, and large-eyed God, whose complexion is like that of molten gold. I surrender myself to such great lord.
"Srikantho Mathulo Yasya, Jananee Sarva Mangalaa
Janakaha Sankaro Devaha, Tam Vande' Kunjaraananam"

Meaning: The lord, for whom Lord Vishnu is the Uncle, whose mother is the divine auspicious one, Parvati and whose father is Lord Shiva. I offer salutations to Sri Ganesha, the Omkara.
"Prasanna Vinaayakam Devam, Perivana Pura Samsthitham
Sarva Vigna Haram Nithyam, Vandhe Sri Kunjaraananam"

Meaning: The Lord Sri Prasanna Vinaayaka, who lives in his Temple of Pearland; one who removes all obstacles of all his devotees at all times; one who has the Omkara face of the elephant. I pray to the divine Ganesha.
"Agajaanana Padmaarkam, Gajaananam Aharnisham
Anekadantham Bhaktaanaam, Ekadantam Upaasmahey"

Meaning: Lord Ganesha, the elephant faced is like sun to the lotus face of Mother Parvati. The single tusked Ganesha is the giver of boons. I salute the great lord to grant us a boon.
"Ganaanaam Twam Ganapathi Gam Havaamahe
Kavim Kaveenaam Upamasra Vastamam
Jyeshta Raajam Brahmanaam Brahmanaspatha
Aanashrunvanna Oothibhi Seedha Saadanam"

Meaning: The Lord of spiritual faith, son of Lord Shiva, is the wisest among the wise. Ganesha has no comparison. He is the senior Lord of the Vedic mantras, who listens to the devotee's prayers. I invite Lord Ganesha to visit my home with prosperous things and be seated here.

Ganesh Chaturthi- Jai Dev Jai Dev

2009-08-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Jai Dev Jai Mangalmurti- Ganesh Aarti

2009-08-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

"Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Mangalmurti" is a Devotional song of the Hindus sung in the praise of "Lord Ganesha - Son of Lord Shiva". Let's all Pray to Lord Ganesha. It is sung by Lata Mangeskar.

Ganesh Ji Aarti

2009-08-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

Ganesh Chaturthi-Sunday-23-08-2009

2009-08-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

Popular Dishes made during Janmashtami Fast

2009-08-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Pedhas :
Mix khoya( 500 gms) with sugar(300 gms) in a pan and heat on low flame, stirring continuously. Cook till mixture thickens and cool for 10 minutes, then add cardamom powder(1/2 tsp) & food colour( 2-3 drops) and mix well. Take a small handful of mixture and press into the cookie mould and turn out carefully.

Kheer :
Pour milk in a pan and add rice to it and then boil rice and milk in the pan on medium flame until completely cooked (appx. 25-30 minutes). Add condensed milk, sugar and stir till sugar gets completely dissolved and the mixture thickens. Add nuts and raisin and sprinkle it with powdered cardamom for extra flavor.

Narkel Naru : ( Preparation of grated coconut : Bengali dish )
Add milk to Kadai and then add elaichi and sugar and let it boil. As the mixture concentrates add grated coconut to this mixture and let it boil while stirring continously until and unless the mixture tightens. Then make rounded balls with your hand and store them in jars.

Krishna Janmashtami Pooja Items List

2009-08-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

There are certain special items required for the pooja. Important pooja items are listed below:

Lord Krishna's idol with cradle and conch

New clothes, flute and ornaments for Lord Krishna

Pooja thali containing a bell, diya, rice, elaichi(cardamom), supari, paan leaves, roli, small container filled with water, sindoor, incense sticks, flowers and ghee.

For Panchamrit -milk, curd, gangajal, honey and ghee.

A book containing Shri Krishna's arti.

The list of items may vary according to pooja process performed by different people.

Important and common customs observed in different states include performance of rasleela's by professional artistes and Dahi-Handi. In Bengal the grandparents narrate to the children the interesting stories of Krishna, in Gujarat women play cards, in Varanasi “ Nag-Nathiya Leela is staged. Janmashtami is also celebtated in Maharashtra and South India as well as in different parts of the world by Indians.

Rituals and Customs of Janmashtami

2009-08-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Janmashtami festival witnesses many interesting customs and rituals in various states and cities of India. While some rituals are common to all, others are unique and restricted to a particular region or city.

Fasting: The most common ritual observed all over during Janmashtami is fasting by devotees on the day of the festival. Devotees fast for the entire day and break it after the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight. Some devotees of Lord Krishna go to the

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extent of keeping 'Nirjal' fast- It involves fasting without having a single drop of water. There are other ardent followers , who keep the fast for two days in the honour of Lord Krishna. Devotees fasting on janmashtami break the fast with Prasad of the Lord. Sendha namak (salt of a special kind used during fasting) is now allowed during the fast.

Chanting: Devotees indulge in continuous chanting of mantras and shlokas all day long. Chanting of 108 names of Lord Krishna is another ritual that takes place in various temples. Chanting of names is accompanied by showering of flowers on the idol of Lord Krishna.

Arti: Arti is a ceremony, held to welcome Lord or a saintly person. Auspicious articles like incense and diyas are offered to the lord. Janmashtami arti is performed every year to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. Krishna arti is performed in every house as well as temple during the festival.

Devotional Songs and dances : The festivity of Janmashtami will be incomplete without singing bhajans or hymns in praise of lord Krishna. There are various bhajans describing the feats and accomplishments of Lord. Bhajans are an important custom of the midnight celebration during the festival. Dances are also performed by devotees depicting the various events of Lord Krishna.

Staging of Plays or Dramas of Lord Krishna : Plays depicting various events and accomplishments of Lord Krishna during his lifetime is another important custom during the festival. Both professional artists as well as amateurs stage plays at various places that are widely attended by devotees.

Preparation of Sweets : According to legend, Lord Krishna was very fond of milk and milk products like butter and buttermilk. He was also fond of Sweets like Kheer, Pedhas etc. Therefore devotees all over make sweets during the festival to please the Lord.

Decoration of House : A number of popular traditional decorative items are used by devotees to beautify their homes during Janmashtami . People decorate their homes with flowers, Krishna idol and sculptures, wall hangings, door hangings or torans.

Janmashtami Rituals -Krishna Janmashtami on 14 Aug 09

2009-07-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Janmashtami is one of the most popular festivals that Hindus celebrate for birth of their beloved God, Sri Krishna. The festival of Janmashtami is considered a very pious day by Hindus. Lot of bhajan singing, hymn chanting and poojas are performed this day. Devotees queue all the major Krishna temples to seek his blessings. People perform elaborate poojas during the festival.

The general pooja process begins early in the morning with devotees giving a bath or abhishek to Bal Gopal's idol with gangajal, ghee, water, honey and curd. The idol is then adorned with new clothes (preferably in yellow colour), stone or other precious jewellery.

Next, the idol of lord is offered bhog, the contents of which may vary. Fruits, kheer, pedha, milk, and milk products are made. There are devotees who offer chappan bhog(56 dishes) to Bal Gopal.

Thereafter, special Krishna pooja is performed. The cradle containing the divine infant's idol is rocked, conch is blown. Devotees sing bhajans, some people read out 108 names of lord and perform arti.

After the entire pooja is over, devotees break their fast by having panchamrit. The time of breaking the fast may vary, this is so, because the time of performing pooja also differs from place to place. While some devotees choose to perform pooja at midnight and break fast, others perform pooja in the evening and have food.

Solah Somvar Vrat Katha 5

2009-07-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Solah Somvar Vidhi

Solah Somvar Vrat Katha 4

2009-07-13T12:48:00.001-07:00

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Solah Somvar Vrat katha 3

2009-07-13T12:41:00.001-07:00

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Solha Somvar Vrat Katha Page 2

2009-07-13T12:37:00.001-07:00

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Solah Somvar Vrat Katha 1

2009-07-13T12:35:00.001-07:00

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Solah Somvar Vrat Katha

2009-07-13T12:26:00.001-07:00

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Krishna Janmashtami -Friday - 14-08-2009

2009-07-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Krishna Janmashtami (Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी) , also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham" ,"Gokulashtami", "Ashtami Rohini", "Srikrishna Jayanti", "Sree Jayanthi" or sometimes merely as "Janmashtami", is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of god Vishnu

Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke (Happy) (Balraj Sahani)

2009-07-07T08:25:00.001-07:00

Kaajal - Mere bhaiya mere chanda

2009-07-07T08:24:00.002-07:00

Cadburys Celebrations - Raksha Bandhan 2009

2009-07-07T08:24:00.001-07:00

Raksha Bandhan -Rakhi - Wednesday 05-08-2009

2009-07-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

When is Rakhi? Rakhi 2009 is going to be celebrated on Wednesday August 5.

Raksha Bandhan is an occasion to celebrate the sacred bond of love and affection between siblings with lots of verve. Also known as Raksha Bandhan across the world, this festival is primarily a north Indian festival that is celebrated all brothers and sisters to express their deep emotions, love and affection.

Click for Raksha Bandhan Songs

Achyutam Keshavam - Krishna Bhajan - Video and Lyrics

2009-07-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Achyutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram,
Rama naraynam Janakivallabham,

(praising the Lord Krishna, with different names of Vishnu)

Kaun kehta hai Bhagvan aate nahi
Bhakta Meera ke jaise bulate nahi,

(Who says God does not come? You don’t call Him with the devotion of Meera)

Kaun kehta hai Bhagvan khaate nahi,
Ber Shabri ke jaise khilate nahi, … Achyutam …

(Who says God does not eat? You don’t feed him like how Shabari fed him)

Kaun kehta hai Bhagvan Sote nahi,
Maa Yashoda ke jaise sulate nahin,

(Who says God does not sleep? You don’t make him sleep like how Mother Yashoda did)

Kaun kehta hai Bhagvan naachte nahi,
Tum Gopi ke jaise nachaate nahin, Achyutam…

(Who says God does not dance? You don’t make him dance like how Gopis did)

Naam Japate chalo kaam karte chalo
Har samay Krishna ka dhyaan karte chalo
Yaad aayegi unko kabhi na kabhi
Krishan darshan to denge kabhi na kabhi …..Achyutam …

(Keep praising the Lord, continue working ... Remember Him all the time. Krishna will appear one day or the other)

Indian Festival 2009

2009-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Vikram Year (2065) Hindu Festivals 2009

Makar Sakranti	Wednesday	14-01-2009
Vasant Panchami	Saturday	31-01-2009
Maha Shivaratri	Monday	23-02-2009
Holi	Wednesday	11-03-2009
Hindi New Year	Friday	27-03-2009
Ramayana Week	Friday	27-03-2009 To Friday 03-04-2009
Ramanavami	Friday	03-04-2009
Hanuman Jayanti	Thursday	09-04-2009
Raksha Bandhan	Wednesday	05-08-2009
Krishna Janmashthami	Friday	14-08-2009
Ganesh Chaturthi	Sunday	23-08-2009
Pitr-paksha	Saturday	05-09-2009 To Friday 18-09-2009
Navaratri	Saturday	19-09-2009 To Sunday 27-09-2009
Saraswati Puja (Forms part of Navaratri)	Friday	Saturday 25-09-2009 26-09-2009
Vijay Dashami (Dasera)	Monday	28-09-2009
Deepavali (Diwali)	Saturday	17-10-2009
Vikram New Year 2066	Sunday	18-10-2009

Buddha Purnima	Friday	08-05-2009
Guru Purnima	Tuesday	07-07-2009
Easter	Sunday	12-04-2009
Sun Eclipse	Wednesday	22-07-2009
Moon Eclipse	Thursday	31-12-2009