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Sacred Plants and Trees It is mentioned of the Kalpavriksha and Chaityavriksha in the ancient scriptures indicating that the worship of the tree is indeed an ancient Indian practice. The Ancient Aryans worshiped nature. Plants, Trees and the other elements were always revered and several rituals were connected to them. Tree worship continues to be an element of modern Indian traditions. There are many trees which are considered Sacred. Some of the Sacred Trees are as follows :  Rudraksha Tree Rudraksh is a large evergreen broad leaved tree in Elaeocarpaceae family. The Seed of the plant is known as rudraksha which...

In very ancient days, eight great Female Goddesses Shaktis emerged from the cosmic soul of the Principle Dieties and formed Kali Durga, the Universal Shakti Power, These were the grand Mothers (Ashta Matrikas) of all subsequent Yoginis. According to Kaula Tantra, these eight manifested each in turn into eight Divine Shaktis, thus resulting in the 64 Tantric Yoginis. These 64 powerful Goddesses have unique personas and powers to fulfill your desires, drive away negativity and fear, prevent misfortunes, and give you knowledge, peace, all-around prosperity, good progeny, and auspiciousness of all kinds. An examination of the ancient Tantric tradition reveals a...

Forms of Shri Narasimha Bhagwan :- Shri Narasimha, the fourth avatara is special among the Dasa Avatars of Lord Vishnu. Unlike,  all the other avatars of Lord Vishnu which were taken to save the mankind, sages and the devas from the evil forces of the Asura Dynasty, Narasimha avatar was taken to substantiate the words uttered by His ardent devotee, Bhaktha prahlada. Prahlada believed and proved to the world that the Lord Mighty is ‘Omnipresent (AntharyAmi)’.  Most people have reservations in worshiping Lord Narasimha because of his fearsome form. But remember, the same lap that proved to be the necropolis for the...

Meaning of ' Adesh ' in Natha tradition Hindi article. नाथ पंथ मे "आदेश" का अर्थ :-नाथ योगी अलख (अलक्ष) शब्द से अपने इष्ट देव का ध्यान करते है। परस्पर आदेश शब्द से अभिवादन करते हैं।अलख और आदेश शब्द का अर्थ प्रणव या परम पुरुष होता है जिसका वर्णन वेद और उपनिषद आदि में किया गया है। आत्मेति परमात्मेति जीवात्मेति विचारणे।त्रयाणामैकयसंभूतिरादेश इति किर्तितः।।आदेश इति सद्‌वाणिं सर्वद्वंद्व्‌क्षयापहाम्‌।यो योगिनं प्रतिवदेत्‌ सयात्यात्मानमैश्वरम्‌।।- सिद्ध सिद्धांतपद्धति"आ" आत्मा"दे" देवात्मा/परमात्मा"श" शरीरात्मा/जीवात्माआत्मा, परमात्मा और जीवात्मा की अभेदता ही सत्य है, इस सत्य का अनुभव या दर्शन ही “आदेश कहलाता है. व्यावहारिक चेतना की आध्यात्मिकता प्रबुद्धता जीवात्मा और आत्मा...

The word "Yantra" means an "instrument" or "machine" or "talisman" depending upon the context. Yantra is a mystical diagram used in the Indian religions and philosophy for worship. The Yantra is the graphic, mathematics and magic representation of the divine one. Yantra actually implies instrument, Yantra benefits include attraction of good luck, fortune, prosperity, success , protection and good health to the user. Likewise the images of gods in the temples, yantras are revered and worshiped as symbols of divine powers. The Devi Bhagavat(3.26.21) states - Archabhave Tatha Yantram; meaning - a yantra symbolizes a divine power. Similar meanings are indicated in Naradiya Purana, Gautamiya Tantra, Yogini Tantra, and several other Vedic...

Sloka Yatha Dhenu Sahashtreshu Vatso is a famous sloka taken from Bhagwat Gita. This Sloka puts light on importance of good karmas in ones life. Hinduism and Buddhism speaks highly on Importance and laws of Karmas. Everything that happens in the world has its cause, it never happens by chance; Therefore, what we do now will have an effect on our present lives or our future lives. For this reason, people need to understand the law of Karma in order to know how to keep their words and to check their actions everyday so that everyone can find a way to create...

Raksha sutra is an auspicious hindu thread also known as moli or Kalawa. The sacred thread that is tied on our hands prior to the start of puja is called a Raksha Sutra. Raksha means protection, and Sutra means sacred thread. During a Pooja the Pandit will tie the Raksha Sutra on your hand while he chants the sacred mantra. The purpose of the Sutra is to protect us from harm, evil spirits, bad habits, and to keep our minds focus. With the tying of the Raksha Sutra on our hands we are asking Bhagwan to bless us so that only...

Hinduism and many other faiths across the world recommend the use of lamps and light in prayers. The light symbolizes the absence of darkness, grief and sorrows. The Oil Lamp, Diya, Deepa or Deepam is lit to bow down to knowledge and remove darkness from our homes. It is customary to light a lamp before starting any auspicious event or ceremony and is a constant fixture in the "Pooja" or holy room in every home in India. By lighting lamps, the glow of the almighty is said to spread all over one's home and is an invitation to the gods...

Shri Ganesha is one of the most famous and greatly worshiped deities in Hinduism. Shri Ganesha Purana describes 32 forms or manifestations of Lord Ganesha .Lord Ganesha is invoked as Vighneshwara in the launch of an event or business by the Hindus as he is believed to be the obstacle remover. Lord Ganesha is also considered as the God of auspicious beginnings and bestower of fortune in abundance. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Devotion to Sri Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India. Lord Ganesh is also known by the name Pillayar...

Light is considered as a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity and abundance in the Hindu religion. Light brings brightness with it and removes the darkness. Light makes it possible to see things clearly. Lamp (Deep) is a part of various traditions and cultures around the world in general and India in particular. In almost every Indian home across the rural-urban divide, a lamp is lit daily in relation to sacred or secular domains of culture. Following Sloka / Shloka can be recited while lighting the lamp. This prayer is also known "Deepa shlokam" , "Deep Vandana" or "Deepa Jyoti Mantra". The light...

Sindoor or vermilion holds lot of importance in Indian society. The tradition of application of sindoor in the parting of hair by married Hindu women is considered extremely auspicious and is being carried on since centuries.In traditional Hindu society, wearing sindoor is considered must for married Hindu women. It is a visible expression of their desire for their husbands' longevity.  According to a popular belief, once when mother Sita was applying sindoor to her forehead, Hanuman witnessed it and asked her the reason for doing so. She replied that by applying sindoor, she ensured a long life for her husband...

Chappan Bhog means 56 varieties of food offered to Lord Jagannath in Puri. According to ” Skanda Purana” Lord Jagannath redeems the devotees by permitting them to partake his Mahaprasad, to have His darshan and to worship him by observing rituals and by offering of gifts .Mahaprasad is treated here as ‘Anna Brahma’. The temple kitchen has got the capacity to cook for a lakh of devotees on a day. Mahaprasad is cooked only in earthen pots and medium of food is fire wood only. The steam-cooked food is offered to Lord Jagannath first and then to Goddess Vimala after which it becomes...

The unexplained mystery of the Sri Yantra in Oregon , USA. In 1990 Air National Guard pilot Bill Miller noticed a strange formation on an Oregon dry lake bed that the Air National Guard frequently flew over on training missions. The massive formation is a quarter mile wide and is located 70 miles southeast of Burns, Oregon, in an area known as Mickey Basin.This Is Sriyantra found in one of the dried lake at Oregon in USA. It is 13 miles in length and width.  In his earlier round about 30 minutes before Miller first noticed the glyph, there had been no trace of this formation....

The word Chakra in Sanskrit translates to wheel or disc. Chakras are Entry Gates of the Aura.They are centres of activity that receives, assimilates and expresses life force energy. They are responsible for the person's physical, mental, and spiritual functions. They absorb and transmit energies to and from the universe, nature, celestial entities, from people even from things. There are seven chakras within the body, running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The seven chakras are the centers in our bodies in which energy flows through. Blocked energy in our seven chakras can often lead...

Importance of proper sleep (निद्रा) in one's life. From Charak Samhita (चरक संहिता) . The Charak Samhita or Charaka Saṃhitā or Compendium of Caraka (चरक संहिता) is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). Along with the Suśruta-saṃhitā, it is one of the two foundational Hindu texts of this field that have survived from ancient India

The center of the forehead between the eyebrows is the most important psychic location in the human body and its importance is stressed by putting a coloured mark at this spot. This central spot is where the sixth chakra (Ajna) is located. It is also called the third eye or the eye of wisdom. It is the aim of yogis and devout Hindus to ‘open’ this third eye by constant meditation. The ‘opening of the third eye means the unification of the conscious arid subconscious minds, the point where all elements of duality merge into one universal entity. This spot therefore...

  It was the utmost desire of Sage Viswamitra to defeat his rival Sage Vashishtha. Though he never succeeded ,but he never become dejected. He keep on adding divine powers acquired by him after tapasya. At one time he become so powerful that he started creating many species. This was a threat to Lord Brahma. While Sage Vishwamitra was involved in creation of human species, Lord Brahma rushed towards him to stop. But he already created the head of human. So, the question arises what to do with the created portion. Lord Brahma named that head as “Sriphal” or coconut...

  During the war between demons and gods for the divine nectar, one of the demon manage to steal the pot of nectar (amrit). At this crunch time when gods were on the verge of defeat, Lord Vishnu appeared and killed that demon with his divine weapon "Sudrashan Chakra" which cuts his head . But that demon had drank nector and by the time he was killed the nectar had reached till his throat. As the blood drops from his body fell on his ground , at the same place a strange plant grew up, which was a garlic plant....

  In the Hindu religion, Peepal tree has a lot of reverence and significance for people. People worship the tree and perform a puja. But, nobody really knows anything about its history & origin. Well, there are also some interesting legends associated with the Peepal tree. The tree is known for its heart shaped leaves that have long narrowing tips. The origin of peepal tree can be traced back to the times of Indus Valley Civilization (3000 BC - 1700 BC) in the Mohenjodaro city. Excavations are suggestive of the fact that even in those times; the Peepal tree was...

  Sleep is to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness; cease being awake. Physiologically, sleep is a complex process of restoration and renewal for the body. Generally when we sleep we don’t know which direction we need to place our head.The direction we sleep has a strong impact on our body.   Cultural Importance   When Parvathi created a boy from turmeric to guard her while she was taking bath.When Lord Shiva returned he find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in...