Gorgeous, glowing rays of light…This was what true beauty and goodness looked like– a spectral, luminescent gathering of beings so pure it hurt to look directly at them, like the most glorious eclipse, or maybe Heaven itself. ~Lauren Kate
Tag: Karnataka
Light the Lamp
There is a tradition of lighting a lamp twice a day in our temple at home. Light is considered to dispel ignorance and bring knowledge. God, who is all knowing, opens our eyes, and gives us the solutions we need. Hope and faith are essential for us to believe. In this lovely temple in Avani,…
Navagraha Puja
The Navagrahas are the “nine celestial bodies”, which include the nine astronomical bodies and the mythical Hindu deities. These are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, and the ascending (Rahu) and descending (Ketu) lunar nodes (which appear as Shadow Planets during the solar and lunar esclipse respectively).
800 Posts: Counting Blessings
Rudraashtakam (Shiva Stuti)Namaa miisha mishaana-nirvaana rupamvibhum vyaapakam brahma-veda-svaroopamnijam nirgunam nirvikalpam nirihamchidaakaasha maakaasha-vaasam bhaje hamniraakaara monkaara-moolam turiiyamgiraa gnaana gotiita miisham giriishamkaraalam mahaa-kaala-kaalam krpaalamgunaagaara samsara paaram nato ham(REF:)Shambho Sadaa Shiva!Shambho Sadaa Shiva!Shambho Sadaa Shiva!Shambho Sadaa Shiva!tushaa raadri-sankaasha-gauram gabhirammanobhuta-koti prabha sri sariramsphuran mauli-kallolini-charu-gangalasad-bhaala-balendu kanthe bhujangaachalatkundalam bhru sunetram visalamprasannaa-nanam nila-kantham dayaalammrgadhisa charmaambaram mundamaalampriyam sankaram sarvanaatham bhajaami(REF)(INTERLUDE)pracandam prakrstam pragalbham pareshamakhandam…
Karma Chameleon
The problem with chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to the point where nothing is real. ~John Green, An Abundance of Katherines
Guardians of the Sky
This lovely ceiling adorns both the Shatrugneshwara and Lakshmaneshwara temples in Avani, Karnataka. In the center is a sculpture of Uma-Mahesvara (Shiva-Parvati) flanked by ashtadikpalakas (guardians of the eight directions).
In Peace
The Ramalingeshwara temple in Avani, Kolar (Karnataka) is a dravida style set of shrines of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Built in the 10th-century by the Nolamba dynasty, the temple was partially renovated and restored in the Chola dynasty. It is also known as the “Gaya of the south”. Legend has it that Avani was…
Mysuru Dasara
As the cultural center of Karnataka, the Mysuru Dasara procession is a major tourist attraction. In fact, the city becomes a cultural focal point, as the 10-day festival brings the best of the state’s performers in one city. It reminds me of the Kala Ghoda Festival from back home in Bombay. Apart from the Golu…
In Divine Peace
A very common yoga mudra is the gyaana mudra. The tips of the thumb and index finger form an O and the other three are fingers together, lightly stretched. It signifies the unity of universal and individual consciousness; it symbolizes knowledge. The open hand is the dhyaana mudra, which is usually the mudra for meditation….
Snapshots of my World 