There is a cute little advertisement from Coca-Cola that is airing locally which celebrates the essence of Diwali. I don’t know how many of you can understand the words, the underlying meaning of the ad is count your blessings, do something for others and this festive season be thankful for the memories. So I would like to…
Tag: Indian Festivals
Pleasing Goddess Lakshmi
The first night of Diwali falls on amavasya, or the new moon night. The night begins with a simple pooja to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. We pray that her blessing stay with us all year-long, and she stays to help us achieve what we righteously deserve. This is a lamp I received as a gift from my…
Lights Galore
Finally the Festival of lights is here! Diwali holds a lot of importance across various religious communities in India for a number of reasons. While the festivities run into 4-days for some communities, for us it’s just for a day. The night before Lakshmi Pooja is the nigh before the new moon. That is the day…
Deception Point?
Look at the picture closely. What do you see? Can you tell me what the lamps are made of and how they have been illuminated?
Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility
Tonight, women mainly from North Indian communities observe Karva Chauth, on the fourth night of the full moon of the Hindu calendar month Kartik that falls after the Autumnal Equinox. As a part of the ritual, married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for the safety and long life of their husbands. It they also pray that they should be blessed…
May Her Blessings Be With You Always!
The Goddess makes her presences in our locality, where she blesses us with all her might, during the nine day Navratri festivities. As we gear up to rejoice the praises of Goddess Saraswati, its time for new lessons to be learnt in life, and share the knowledge you have acquired all this while. May her…
Pleasing the Goddess
As I mentioned in my posts a few weeks back, the festival season is on in full swing in India. Yesterday marked the first day of the nine-day feast called Navratri. Each of these nine night we sing praises of one form of the Goddess Durga. This is a very important festival for us, as we follow the…
And The King Goes Back Home…
After 10 days of festivities on Anantha Chaturdashi the King, or Lord Ganesha undertakes his journey back home, through the sea, as devotees take part in the immersion festivities with a lot of pomp and fanfare. While we thank god for his kindness, generosity and his blessing, and urge him to come back soon the following year….
Bringing the Sanctity Home
While we don’t bring home an Idol of Lord Ganesha, being Brahmans, we do have Ganapati pooja at home. While we don’t use the idols of the temple at home, we make a statue out of turmeric and chant mantras to the make shift idol. A day after the pooja, we dissolve the heap of…
Home-made Savories
For Ganesh Charurthi, we Tamilians make the Lords favorite delicacy called modak at home, as a part of the Prasad or blessings from the God. These are sweet dumplings made from rice flour, filled with coconut shreds, and jaggery seasoned with elaichi (cardamom powder). Needless to say, mom’s a fantastic cook, and despite not having a sweet-tooth, I…
Snapshots of my World 