Friday, April 29, 2011

List of Ekadashi Vrata Days - Apr 2011 - Mar 2012


April - 
04.2011 :  Thursday   : Ekadashi
 29.04.2011 Friday  : Ekadashi
May
14.05.2011 Saturday : Ekadashi
28.05.2011 Saturday : Ekadashi
June
12.06.2011 Sunday   :Ekadashi
27.06.2011 Monday :Ekadashi
July
11.07.2011 Monday : Ekadashi

August
09.08.2011 Tuesday : Ekadashi
25.08.2011 Thursday  : Ekadashi
September
08.09.2011 Thursday : Ekadashi
23.09.2011 Friday Ekadashi
October
07.10.2011 Friday : Ekadashi
23.10.2011 Sunday : Ekadashi
November
06.11.2011 Sunday : Ekadashi

21.11.2011 Monday : Ekadashi
December
06.12.2011 Tuesday : Ekadashi
Geeta Jayanti. One can initiate Vishnu Panchaka Vrata on this day.
21.12.2011 Wednesday Ekadashi
January
04.01.2012 Wednesday : DASHAMI ANUSHTANA
05.01.2012 Thursday : Ekadashi (Vaikuntha Ekadashi.)
19.01.2012 Thursday : SEkadashi
February
03.02.2012 Friday : Ekadashi
18.02.2012 Saturday : Ekadashi
March
04.03.2012 Sunday : Ekadashi
18.03.2012 Sunday : Ekadashi

[ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணார்ப்பணம் ]

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Mantralayam - Trip pictures

I had been blessed by  Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy to visit Mantralayam for the first time in Feb 2011. I became a devote of Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy 3 years back and when I visited India , I made sure to go to Mantralayam. It has been a very good experience and I had a great Darshan of Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy.
This is a sure place to visit at least once in a life time to feel the experience of the vibration in this area.

If you have plan to visit in near future, please spend sometime there in the Mutt with meditation as there are very good vibes. In this blog, I am posting few pictures of my Mantralayam visit.

This is the Tungabadra river and parisal to cross the river to visit Bichali and Panchamuki Anjeneyar. Earlier we had a bridge to cross the river, but due to severe floods in 2009, the bridge was complete gone and this is the only mode of commutation. They charge 40 Rs per person for a round trip.



Main entrance of Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy mutt... All are newly painted after the flood situation


Other side of the Tungabadra river. We need to cross the river to visit Panchamukhi Anjeneyar temple and Bichali. There is not much water in the river and it is not much deep. Only risk of walking across the river is the rocks. It takes 20 Min's to cross the river with Parisal. Once you crossed it, you can get an auto to visit these 2 places. However after the flood situation, the roads are very very bad. Govt should do something to reconstruct the roads. It will be very difficult for old people to travel in auto. Generally you can rent auto separately or share the auto. They charge Rs 50 per person for round trip. If you rent it separately for your family it will be expense but a better journey



Main entrance of Panchamukhi Anjeneyar temple.




Below description informs the devotees that Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy spent 12 years in Penance in this cave. Below picture also shows the foot print of Anjeneyar swamy. You can also see lots of monkeys in this area but they as always they are not harmful.


Naturally formed rock close to Panchamukhi Anjeneyar temple.




Main entrance of Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy Mutt.


Newly renovated Machali Amman temple. Please make sure to visit this temple before entering Bagavan Raghavendra Swamy Mutt



Mantralyam Mutt Administrative office to pay and buy tickets for sevas, donations etc



[ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணார்ப்பணம் ]

Monday, April 18, 2011

Shri Moola Ramar


Below note is from www.gururaghavendra1.org. Wanted to post for the benefit of Guru's devotees


Brahma delights in constantly worshipping the Lord in various forms and manners. He once got the divine sculptor Vishvakarma to prepare an authentic icon of Lord Rama in accordance with scriptures. He worshipped this for a long time and then handed it over to another celestial for worshipping. This continued for a long time and eventually, in the course of time, the icon landed in the Sun dynasty (Surya Vamsha). Dasharatha, one of the emperors in this dynasty, performed Putra Kameshti Yaga (a sacrifice performed to obtain offspring) and had 4 sons. The eldest amongst these was the Lord Himself. Dashratha named his first son as Ramachandra, in honor of the icon that his family had traditionally worshipped. From then on, the word ‘Rama’ was used to identify Dasharatha’s son , and the icon got a new name ‘Moola Rama’.



The Moola Rama icon was reverently worshipped by Sita, Sri Hanumanta, and others. During the Dwapara Yuga the icon ended up in the Moon Dynasty (Chandra Vamsha) and was worshipped by Bhimasena. With the course of time, it kept changing hands until it reached the Orissa kingdom. From there,  it finally reached the hands of Sri Madhvacharya. He worshipped it with great reverence and devotion. Thus all the three incarnations of Vayu, and Brahma, have worshipped this icon. After Sri Madhvacharya, the icon was in turn worshipped by Sri Padmanabha teertha, Sri Narahari teertha, Sri Madhava teertha and Sri Akshobhya teertha, and by Sri Jaya teertha (Teeka Rayaru) and other saints who adorned this glorious lineage. This is the history of the Moola Rama icon that is today resplendent in the Rayara Matha, acting as the cynosure of all eyes.



This glorious history has been beautifully captured in a moving Suladi (form of poetry) by the great savant Sri Vijaya dasaru. Sri Raghavendra Vijaya (a stirring poem that documents the life history of Sri Raghavendra Swamiji) stipulates that only celestials, born as humans, can worship this icon. It also says worship of the icon blesses the surrounding regions with good fortune, wealth and well-being. Another great savant, Helavanakatte Giriyamma, personally witnessed the glory of Lord Rama, when Sri Sumateendra teertha was worshipping the icon.



[ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணார்ப்பணம் ]

14 different Lokas


Follow-up from the previous hinduism series, below are additional information on the 14 lokas

Higher Seven Lokas

Gods and mortals live in these worlds

1 Satyaloka: This is also called as Brahma's loka. Satya-loka planetary system is not eternal. Abode of Truth or of Brahma, where souls will be sent back for the necessity of rebirth.


2 Tapaloka: Abode of tapas or of other deities. All the sages who have attained with the bless of their tapas live in this world. Ayohnija devadas live here.

3 Janaloka: Abode of the sons of God Brahma.

4 Maharloka: The abode of great sages and enlightened beings like Markendeya and other rishies are living in this loka.

5 Svarloka: Region between the sun and polar star, the heaven of the god Indra. Indra, devatas, Rishies, Gandharvas and Apsaras live here: a heavenly paradise of pleasure, where all the 330 million Hindu devas  reside along with the king of devas, Indra.

6 Bhuvarloka (aka Pitri Loka): Sun, planets, stars. Space between earth and the sun, inhabited by semi-divine beings. This is a real region, the atmosphere, the life-force.

7 Bhurloka: Man and animals live here. The Vishnu Purana says that the earth is merely one
of thousands of billions of inhabited worlds like itself to be found in the universe.

Different realms of Patala are ruled by different demons and Nagas; usually with the Nagas headed by Vasuki assigned to the lowest realm.Vayu Purana records each realm of Patala has cities in it.

Seven lower level lokas

8 Atalaloka: Atala is ruled by Bala - a son of Maya - who possesses mystical powers. By one yawn, Bala created three types of women - svairi ("self-willed"), who like to marry men from their own group; kāmi ("lustful"), who marry men from any group, and the third ("whorish"), who keep changing their partners. When a man enters Atala, these women enchant him and serve him an intoxicating cannabis drink that induces sexual energy in the man. Then, these women enjoy sexual play with the traveller, who feels to be stronger than ten thousand elephants and forgets impending death.

9 Vitalaloka: Vitala is ruled by the god Hara-Bhava - a form of Shiva, who dwells with attendant ganas including ghosts and goblins as the master of gold mines. The residents of this realm are adorned with gold from this region.

10 Sutalaloka: Sutala is the kingdom of the pious demon king Bali.


11 Talatalaloka: Talatala is the realm of the demon-architect Maya, who is well-versed in sorcery. Shiva, as destroyed the three cities of Maya but was later pleased with Maya and gave him this realm and promised to protect him.


12 Mahatalaloka: Mahatala is the abode of many-hooded Nagas (serpents) - the sons of Kadru, headed by the Krodhavasha band of Kuhaka, Taksshaka, Kaliya and Sushena. They live here with their families in peace but always fear Garuda.

13 Rasatalaloka: Rasatala is the home of the demons - Danavas and Daityas, who are mighty but cruel. They are the eternal foes of Devas (the gods). They live in holes like serpents.

14 Patalaloka: The lowest realm is called Patala or Nagaloka, the region of the Nagas, ruled by Vasuki. Here live several Nagas with many hoods. Each of their hood is decorated by a jewel, whose light illuminates this realm.

[ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணார்ப்பணம் ]