Invoking Mother Goddess this Navaratri (Part 2)
The appeal of the Mother Goddess had gained an additional dimension in the days of the national struggle for freedom when patriot-poets like Bankim and Bharati saw in Mother India the same Goddess of Sakti and sang the new mantras of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Om Sakti om'. May this triple Goddess bless this country that she might grow into Power, Plenty and Wisdom!
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Ramayana Parampara in Tripura
This is the third part in the series of articles on the Ramayana tradition in North-East India. The immensely rich cultural history and heritage of Tripura certainly brings forth the point that both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata had always been an integral and inseparable part of this heritage.
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अद्वैत वेदांत द्वारा विश्व की समस्याओ का परिहार
चूंकि दर्शनशास्त्र विषय की प्रकृति बहुआयामी होती है अतः इस बात को कहने में कोई आपत्ति नहीं होनी चाहिए कि दर्शनशास्त्र के अन्तर्गत जो अवधारणाएं हमें परिलक्षित होती है, उनकी भी प्रकृति बहुआयामी ही होगी। यह सभ्यता बोध मनुष्य का मनुष्य से, मनुष्य का प्रकृति से मनुष्य का ईश्वर से द्वैतभाव नहीं रखता है। हमारी सभ्यता अद्वैतबोध के आधार पर निर्मित है।
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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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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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The Occasion of Sheetala Ashtami
The Sheetala Ashtami is observed in India exactly eight days after the colorful festival of Holi. The name of the Goddess, bringing steadiness, freshness with happiness in life during deadly situations, derives its name from the Sanskrit root- “Sheetal” meaning cold and calm.
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Do All Religions Have the Same Goal?
For us Dharma is universal. It is not mandated by anybody. It is not history. It was not given out by somebody, a special person telling us, “Do not do this, do this. This should be done, and this should not be done.” Any given person did not give these kinds of mandates, in history, at a given time. Before the advent of that person also there were human beings; one cannot say that they did not have any matrix of value, dharma.
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What makes ‘Gods’ appear ‘devilish’?
Why do some gods appear to have devilish qualities? And why should a being who has such qualities be called a god? And why should he have so much hold? Read on to find out.
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