KUMBABISHEKAM AND SAMPROKSHANAM 09 09 2015

KUMBABISHEKAM AND SAMPROKSHANAM 09 09 2015

Kumbabishekam -  1. Sree Subramanya temple, Swamimalai
                                  2. Sree Ramaswami temple, Kumbakonam
Samprokshanam -  1. Sree Renganathar, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli.

The kumbabishekam and Samprokashanam took place for the above temples on 09 09 2015 and I was at Kumbakonam on 21 09 2015 and at Srirangam on 22 09 2015.  While I took some photographs of the Vimanas of Swamimalai and Srirangam, the photos of Sree Ramaswami temple function is available at Wikipedia and a few have been copied here.
 The story of Ramayana in pictures on the walls of Sree Ramaswami temple has been redone and I have taken a photo of part of that. I have given the pictures. 
The work at Srirangam is still going on and hence there is no darshan of the Moolavar and the Urchavar is giving darshan from Yagasala.

1. Sree Subramanya temple, Swamimalai

2. Sree Ramaswami temple, Kumbakonam

3. Samprokshanam, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli

           Sand blasted pillairs, glittering and still works is going on

Since upto Mandala pooja one can visit the temples which have had Kumbabishekam, those desirious of having darshan at these places may please do and provide more photographs for the benefit of everyone.

SREE VEERANAJANEYA OF ARDHAGIRI

SREE VEERANAJANEYA OF ARDHAGIRI

My Facebook posting dt 12 09 2015

Hanumath stothram 6th verse:
Sanjeeva parvathoddhara, mama dukhaan nivaraya,
Ghoraan upadhravan nasaya, Aksha suranthaka II
Meaning:
He who carried sanjeevini mountain, please remove my sorrows,
Killer of the asura called Aksha, destroy awesome troubles.
(Thanks to Sri Puducode Rama Iyer Ramachander of Facebook for the Hanumath stotram with meaning)

The name Ardhagiri came from a myth related to Tretayuga, when Lord Hanuman was carrying Sanjeevani Parvatham, half of the mounatain fell down at this place and the place where it landed came is known as Aragonda - hence, the name Ardhagiri.
Ardhagiri Sri Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple is located one and a half km. up of the hill in Aragonda village, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, 15 km away from Kanipakam.

Location: Aragonda Village
Timings: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Distance: 76 kms from Tirupati RTC Bus stand
Address:
Sri Ardhagiri Veeranjaneya Swamy temple ,
Aragonda Village,
Paipalli Mandal, Chittoor (Dst.),
Andhra Pradesh
Seva timings and other details: http://tourism.intirupati.com/…/sri-ardhagiri-veeranjaneya…/

Updated on 18 07 2020:

A three-ft Anjaneya vigraha covered with copper plate, adorns the sanctum.  The temple’s tiled courtyard serves as the circumambulatory route. When parts of the hill fell in Aragonda, they formed the Ardhagiri Hills and the Pushkarini.  The Pushkarini is also known as Sanjeevaraya Pushkarini.   People believe that the water has medicinal properties because of the divine herbs has gained momentum through the ages.  To maintain sanctity and cleanliness a wall has been built around the tank and there’s a gate that remains locked. A pipe from the tank carries the water to an adjoining room for the sake of the devotees, many of whom carry this water back home. Full moon day is special here as it was on this day that Anjaneya flew to get the Sanjeevani herb. Cultural programmes are held and the temple remains open at night.  Upon reaching the foot of the hills, devotees can climb the hill on foot or hire a vehicle or auto-rickshaw.   The shrine, a modest structure is in the lush hills of 300 ft height.

Ardhagiri Veerajaneya Swamy Temple Timings: 5:00 am to 1:15 pm and 1:45 pm to 9:00 pm.

SUBRAMANYA BHARATHIAR - Repeat of my posting in Facebook in 2014.

SUBRAMANYA BHARATHIAR
Repeat of my posting in Facebook in 2014.
Chinnaswami Subramanya Bharathi
(Birth11-12-1882 Death 11-09-1921)
Was born in Ettayapuram to Chinnasami Subramanya Iyer and Lakhsmiammaal as "Subbayya" on December 11, 1882. Bharathi lost his mother at the age of 5 and his father at the age of 16. Bharathi was given to day-dreaming and could not concentrate on his studies. He was educated at a local high school called "The M.D.T. Hindu College" in Tirunelveli. In 1897, perhaps to instill a sense of responsibility in him, his father had the 14 year old Bharathi, married to his seven year younger cousin, Chellamal. Bharathi, due to prevailing family conditions, left for Benares in 1898 to further his interests in a relative’s house. During his stay in Benares, present day Varanasi, Bharathi was exposed to Hindu spirituality and nationalism.He learned Sanskrit, Hindi and English. In addition, he changed his outward appearance. He also grew a Moustache and wore a turban.

The turban became a hall mark of identification of Bharathi in later years.

In December 1905, he attended the All India Congress session held in Benaras. On his journey back home, he met Sister Nivedita, Swami Vivekananda’s spiritual daughter. From her arose another of Bharathi’s iconoclasm, his stand to recognise the privileges of women. He visualised the 'new woman' as an emanation of Shakti, a willing helpmate of man to build a new earth through co-operative endeavour.

During this period, Bharathi understood the need to be well-informed of the world outside and took interest in the world of journalism and the print media of the West. Bharathi joined as Assistant Editor of the Swadeshamitran, a Tamil daily in 1904. By April 1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly India and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham with M.P.T. Acharya. From hymns to nationalistic writings, from contemplations on the relationship between God and Man to songs on the Russian and French revolutions, Bharathi's subjects were diverse.
He was simultaneously up against society for its mistreatment of the downtrodden people and the British for occupying India.

Bharathi participated in the historic Surat Congress in 1907, which deepened the divisions within the Indian National Congress between the militant wing led by Tilak and Aurobindo and the moderate wing. Bharathi supported Tilak and Aurobindo together with V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Kanchi Varathaachariyar. Tilak openly supported armed resistance against the British. In 1908, the proprietor of the journal “India” was arrested in Madras

An arrest warrant was issued against Bharathi by the government of British India for his revolutionary activities forcing him to flee to Pondicherry where he lived until 1918. Bharathi entered British India near Cuddalore in November 1918 and was promptly arrested. He was imprisoned in the Central prison in Cuddalore in custody for three weeks from 20 November to 14 December. The following year Bharathi met M K Gandhi . He was struck by an elephant at Parthasarathy temple, Triplicane, Chennai, whom he used to feed regularly. Although he survived the incident, a few months later his health deteriorated and he died on September 11, 1921
Bharati used simple words and rhythms, unlike his previous century works in Tamil, which had complex vocabulary. He also employed novel ideas and techniques in his devotional poems. He used a metre called Nondi Chindu in most of his works, which was earlier used by Gopalakrishna Bharathiyar.

Henpecked men - Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories

Bhagavan Ramakrishn short stories -
Henpecked men

Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories.
HENPECKED MEN

Posted earlier in my earlier blog in 2011 - Reposted 11th Aug 2015
Bhagavan Ramakrishna is famous for making people to understand worldly life and invoking faith in God by his short stories.    We can know how far he had understood this world and the people from the following short story told by him to a devotee of him.
Once a wealthy man came to have a darshan of Sri Ramakrishna.   He was well educated. During the conversation with Sri Ramakrishna, he started discussing on detachment from worldly things and said that a family man can also be detached and without getting caught by the worldly things.  Sri Ramakrishna replied for that like this.
Do you know about the modern day man who never gets caught by the worldly things still being a family man?  All the matters of the house will be looked after by the wife in such a family.   Entire household will be looked after by her.    The man in that house will not have any independence in financial matters.   The reason is that he is not attached to any worldly things.    For everything, he has to depend on his wife.  Imagine, One day one poor person came to the house asking for help.   The man in that house would have told that he had to ask his wife for that.   Still when the poor man insisted for help from him, he will say come sometime later hoping he can ask his wife before telling the poor man.    He feels that poor man is really to be helped.   Later he would go inside to his wife and tell her it is better if we give Re.1/- for which she gets annoyed and tells we will give 2 annas.  He had no other go than to give only 2 annas.   Since he has no interest in worldly things, he does not insist with his wife for giving more than what she has decided.  Later, when the poor man comes he gets 2 annaas.
    Those who claim that they have no worldly interests and living in a family can only be henpecked husbands with no power to decide on any matters in life.    Still people like this think that they are good people and mahans.   Truth is they are neither.
    Sri Ramakrishna has not told this story to have a good laugh, but to seriously think on matters of life and the requirements to be totally detached from worldly inclinations.

Karpaga tree - Short story Bhagvan Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Karpaga tree

Earlier posted on 30th June 2011, Thursday in my earlier blog - reposted today - 11th aug 2015

Karpaga tree and God - Story told by Bhagwan Sri Ramakrishna

A gipsy who roams around place to place, on a day of scorching sun and in a forest, feeling exhausted, wanted to rest for some time. He found a tree nearby and sat under it. The cool air under the tree made him feel good and he thought how it will be, if only, he could get a mat or a bed. Even before the thought disappeared from his mind, he could find a good light bed. Quite surprised and not knowing how it came, he wanted to take rest and thus slept on the bed. He does not know that he is resting under a Karpaga tree which gives anything asked for. Now he started thinking how it would be, if two young girls were present to massage his tired legs. Thus immediately appeared two young girls and he saw that they were massaging his legs and he felt the pain in his legs were reducing and he started feeling better. In such a situation, where would he have time to think, how it was all happening? Now he felt hungry and started thinking when bed and the girls appeared when he thought, definitely the best food also would come. Yes, he was right and the best food appeared with items of all the kinds of tastes. Even now, he did not think about what made all these to appear before him? Having eaten well, he rested in the bed and he started to think, whatever he wanted have all come before him.Now he felt a fear in his mind that what would happen, if a tiger appeared before him being a forest? Even as he was thinking, a giant tiger came before him and killed him. Generally, all people behave like the gypsy only with full of desires in their minds and always wanting to have wealth and power. 

Karpaga tree as depicted in Vahana in Sree Rengnathar temple, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli

God like the Karpaga Tree is always there to give you what you want! Peoples mind always is worried about the arrival of the tiger, that is, ill health, poverty, death and what not. These fears are more dangerous than the giant tiger itself, as they will kill you on every day of your life, days without end and ultimately will wreck your peace of mind.

Hence, every individual will have to follow the code of conducts suggested in the Vedas, do Prayers and japa regularly to purify the mind. This will slowly bring one to a level of going away from desires, which is the basic requirement to lead a fearless life.

'India in grip of obesity epidemic' - Calories burnt during walking - Information from Health club site

Calories burnt during walking - 

Information from Health club site

Earlier posted in 2011 in my earlier blog - Repostednow - 11th Aug 2015

CALORIES BURNT DURING WALKING IS A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE TO EVERYONE AS DOCTORS ASK BRISK WALKING FOR MANY PATIENTS.

walking - walking, 2.0 mph, level, slow pace, firm surface
88 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking, 2.5 mph, downhill
98 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - race walking
228 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking the dog
105 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking, 2.5 mph, firm surface
105 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking to and from an outhouse
88 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking from house to car or bus, from car or bus to go places, from car or bus to
and from the worksite
88 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - walking to neighbor��s house or family��s house for social reasons
88 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - pushing a wheelchair, non-occupational setting
140 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - marching, rapidly, military
228 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - carrying 25 to 49 lb load, upstairs
280 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - backpacking (Taylor Code 050)
245 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - carrying 1 to 15 lb load, upstairs
175 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - climbing hills with 10 to 20 pound load
263 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - for pleasure (Taylor Code 010)
122 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - carrying 16 to 24 lb load, upstairs
210 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - climbing hills with 42+ pound load
315 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - downstairs
105 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - carrying 74+ lb load, upstairs
420 Calories per 30 Min more >>
walking - pushing or pulling stroller with child or with children
88 Calories per 30 Min more >>
LiveHealthClub

Why is that necessary now than never before?

'India in grip of obesity epidemic'

Kounteya Sinha, TNN Nov 12, 2010, 03.43am IST

Tags:

• OECD

NEW DELHI: India is now in the grip of an obesity epidemic and the trend needs to be immediately arrested by taxing junk food, restricting food ads and making food labelling clearer, according to a study.

The study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries -- Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa -- has found that between 1998 and 2005, India's overweight rates increased by 20%.

 

Worldly pleasures and Bhagavan Ramakrishna's small story - Wives of Fishermen

Worldly pleasures and Bhagavan Ramakrishna's small story

Wives of Fishermen

Ealier posted in 2011 in my earlier blog

One day, wives of fishermen came to an evening shandy for selling the fish. After finishing the work, the women were returning to their home.    Even as it was getting dark, suddenly heavy rain started.   The women without knowing what to do, ran towards a hut nearby.   They stood in the shelter in front of the hut.   It was the house of a flower vendor.  He is a very good man and he invited the women and asked them to stay there until the rain stops and if required to stay for the night.   It was an unexpected invitation and the women gladlly accepted the offer and stayed for the night.   The whole hut was spread by the smell of the flowers and the corner in which they had to sleep also had some flower baskets.  Due to the smell of the flowers, even after a long time after they went to bed, the women could not sleep.   Seeing this, the wife of the flower vendor asked the women whether there is any discomfort and why they are not able to sleep.  For that, one of the women answered that they do not know the reason but perhaps it may be due to the smell of the flowers.   She told she would bring the fish basket and keep it nearer to her.   All  of them brought their fish basket and sprinkled some water on it and kept it at their bedside and shortly they went to sound sleep.  They slept well until the next morning.     

Long time habits influence people to such an extent.   Those who are habituated for a particular life, to change that is difficult.  Worldly pleasures too control people like this only.   Once when people want to leave these attachments, it requires a lot of effort and mind has to accept such changes.