By Aruna Mallya Gupta, Toronto, Canada Growing up in India, one often willingly or unwillingly got drawn into or witnessed, endless rounds of Yagnas, poojas and homas of which one seldom understood the significance. Scoop rice, throw rice, pour ghee, pluck the tulsi, … . Of course, one has to partially blame oneself for not [...]
Filed under: Festivals, Karnataka, Spiritual | Tagged: Karnataka, Nagadoshas, Nagas, Sanatana Dharma | Leave a Comment »
Part II of II This article is Part II of my earlier post titled, Brief Introduction to Hinduism. There are four intersecting areas that are present in all religions. They are: an Ultimate Reality which some call God or Truth or Enlightenment, the human condition, salvation, and the nature of evil. In all religions there [...]
Filed under: Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, Spiritual | Tagged: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Islam, Religion, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »
A Brief Introduction to Hinduism Part I of II This article was written with the purpose of educating my children on the essence of Hinduism and how it compares with other religions. My forthcoming article will contain a brief comparison of other religions. Religion has been a part of every society since the beginning of [...]
Filed under: Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, Spiritual | Tagged: Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism, Krishna, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality | 3 Comments »
It was a blazing hot summer afternoon in Hampi. As I walked out of the magnificent Vithala Temple, I was beyond thirsty. Even the sweat had dried in this arid Northern Karnataka summer. The sight of this woman under a bright red umbrella and tending a cooler with drinks was an oasis of bliss to [...]
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Spent the last few days at a family gathering celebrating my father's 80th birthday. During the relaxing holiday, I came across these lines extending a verse (sada sarvada yog tuzha ghadava) which I had frequently recited as a child: jhya jhya sthaLi hey mun jaaya mazhe, tyaa tyaa sthaLi hey nijarupa tuzhe mi thevito mastak [...]
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For me, God exists in Nature and I see him in a beautiful sunrise. I can add, I see her in the blue skies, towering mountains, the chirping birds, the butterfly and the serene lake. Wherever you see her, take off your shoes and gaze in awe at her munificence! The pic was taken many, [...]
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Here and on I posted pics from the Chicago Balaji Temple and the Durga Devi Shrine within the Atlanta Temple. These are both very elaborate temple structures. However, not all worship occurs in such embellished temple complexes. On a regular basis worship takes place at the simple home altar. Routinely folks worship at small road [...]
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