Thursday, February 25, 2010
Balaji temple hosts 3-day Shivaratri celebrations
Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Aurora, Ill., celebrated Maha Shivaratri from Feb. 12-14. "Maha Sivarathri is a very important event for the devotees of Lord Shiva," temple Chairman Yalaverthi Ramaraju said. "Hindus pray to Parameswara with utmost devotion during this special period with fasting and staying awake all night chanting prayers on Shivaratri Day."
The celebrations began at the temple, popularly known as the Balaji temple, on Feb. 12 with the Rudra Homam. This was followed by the Ekadasa Rudra Japam and special Ksheera abhishekam offered by devotes.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The celebrations began at the temple, popularly known as the Balaji temple, on Feb. 12 with the Rudra Homam. This was followed by the Ekadasa Rudra Japam and special Ksheera abhishekam offered by devotes.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: balaji temple, devotees, fasting, Lord Shiva, maha shivaratri, prayers, temple
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thousands of Hindus begin trek to Amarnath
Thousands of Hindu pilgrims chanted hymns as they set off to Amarnath shrine deep in Kashmir on June 17, despite fears of a possible militant attack on them.
Hundreds of policemen and soldiers were deployed along the 350-km ( 217.48 miles) route which runs through forests and mountains before reaching the shrine.
"We have made foolproof security and other arrangements for the pilgrims this year," Gulchain Singh Charak, a minister in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir state said on June 17.
Pilgrims have been targeted by Muslim militants several times since a violent rebellion against Indian rule broke out in Kashmir in 1989.
Last year, a shopkeeper was killed and dozens of people were wounded in two separate attacks on pilgrims.
During the two-month-long annual pilgrimage, devoutee Hindus walk and ride ponies or palanquins to the cave - situated at an altitude of 3,800 meters, to pray to Lord Shiva.
Kashmiri political separatist groups have said they will protest against a decision by the government to transfer nearly 100 acres of forest land to the Hindu shrine trust, Amarnath Shrine Board, for erecting shelters for the pilgrims.
"I want to make it clear to New Delhi that we won't allow anybody to occupy our land and we will fight it tooth and nail," Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir's chief cleric and chairman of All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference said.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Hundreds of policemen and soldiers were deployed along the 350-km ( 217.48 miles) route which runs through forests and mountains before reaching the shrine.
"We have made foolproof security and other arrangements for the pilgrims this year," Gulchain Singh Charak, a minister in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir state said on June 17.
Pilgrims have been targeted by Muslim militants several times since a violent rebellion against Indian rule broke out in Kashmir in 1989.
Last year, a shopkeeper was killed and dozens of people were wounded in two separate attacks on pilgrims.
During the two-month-long annual pilgrimage, devoutee Hindus walk and ride ponies or palanquins to the cave - situated at an altitude of 3,800 meters, to pray to Lord Shiva.
Kashmiri political separatist groups have said they will protest against a decision by the government to transfer nearly 100 acres of forest land to the Hindu shrine trust, Amarnath Shrine Board, for erecting shelters for the pilgrims.
"I want to make it clear to New Delhi that we won't allow anybody to occupy our land and we will fight it tooth and nail," Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir's chief cleric and chairman of All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference said.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Amarnath, begin, devotees, forest, Hindu pilgrims, kashmir, Lord Shiva, militant attack, security, trek
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
