History Of Asana And Exercise In India
Asana has an important place in exercise traditions as well as in spiritual traditions like classical Yoga, and there is a good deal of overlap between the two. Yet we should discriminate between these two levels of its usage. Hatha Yoga crosses over both these practices, having a connection to martial arts as well, but primarily uses asana mainly to prepare the body for meditation.
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Ramayana Parampara among the Garos and the Jaintias of Meghalaya
Dadhi Mathan, the childhood story of Keli Gopal (Sri Krisnā) is the only play based on one of the episodes from the Mahabharata. Bhari Gan is mainly performed as a part of the different traditional modes of worship and rituals and ceremonies of the Rabhas and the Garos. In a full-fledged occasion of such traditional worship such as Bhar Puja, both the Dadhi Mathan and a Ramayana-based play are performed.
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Ramayana Parampara among the Khasis of Meghalaya & the Seng Khasi Movement
The overall storyline of the Ramayana that used to be popular among the people of Meghalaya before the advent of a foreign religion into their land is very much the same as that of Valmiki Ramayana, the only difference being the names of the different characters and as well as the names of the places which have a local, regional touch.
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Vipadaḥ Santu Tāḥ (Let there be all calamities): The urge of an old lady from Mahabharata
The grand crowning ceremony has just ended. It was time for Keshava, to return home to Dwarka and board the chariot. However, at the last minute, Pundareekaksha’s lotus eyes were looking for someone from the crowd. There stood the mother of today’s champions and rulers, Kunti, among her kith and kins.
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The Story of Narayan Swamy Ji Maharaj: An Ardent Devotee of Lord Hanuman
Hanuman Jayanti is observed on full moon day during Chaitra month to commemorate the birth of the Vanara God, Hanuman. The day is an occasion for Hindus to evoke the uncontrolled infinite devotion and daring deeds shown by the god.
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Śri Rāma: Beyond Indology, History and Social Justice
Rāma surrounds, teaches, protects and pervades the entire life of a Hindu and at the end of his life its RāmaNāma that liberates him. So for a Hindu, Rāma is a very much a living reality, his God.
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Sakti Worship in North-East India: A Historical & Cultural Perspective Part-II
In the face of these and numerous other challenges, it has now become all the more important to work towards the preservation of the traditional systems of religious beliefs and practices of different groups and communities of people in the North-East. It is also important to understand the fact that although influenced by various local elements, these practices and beliefs are not different from Sanatan Vedic practices.
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Different Colours of Holi Celebrations from North-East India
Holi, for Hindus, is the time when we meet one another, play with colours, have fun, laugh, and most importantly, welcome the summer heat after the chilly winters. Holi in North-East India would perhaps remain incomplete without talking about the famous Doul Utsav festival of the culturally-rich Barpeta district in Assam.
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Sakti Worship in North-East India: A Historical & Cultural Perspective (Part 1)
The Sakta cult of Ma Durga is also widely prevalent in Manipur among different sections of the Meitei Hindus. The travelogues of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Huien Tsang in the 7th century A.D. have several references of Manipur in the context of the Kámárupá and Kámákhya.
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The Varna Value System
In the varna Value system there is no low and high ‘caste’. Even Valmiki in his Ramayana declares that even a Shoodra is ‘Arya’. This not only demolishes the Aryan invasion/migration theory, but also demolishes a vertical hierarchy of varna as opposed to a horizontal classification.
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