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, November 24, 2008
Thousands flock to see Nepal's mystery 17 year old ‘Buddha boy'
Thousands of people flocked to a remote jungle in southeast Nepal to see a boy, some believe is a reincarnation of Lord Buddha, who reappeared after missing for more than a year, police said on November 11.
Seventeen year old Ram Bahadur Bamjon spoke to devotees from nearby villages on Nov. 10 in the remote forest in Ratanpuri, 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, Prakash Sen, a police constable said.
Bamjon made international headlines in 2005 when tens of thousands of people turned up to see him sitting cross-legged under a tree in a dense forest for nearly ten months, reportedly without food and water.
Hundreds of devotees, including many from neighboring India are trekking the five km (3.1 miles) site to see him on Nov. 11, Sen said.
"He spoke to the devotees standing near a temple in the forest," Sen said after a visit to the site.
"He had shoulder-length hair and had his body wrapped in a white cloth.
"Since many people are walking to see him, I think he has some of the qualities Lord Buddha had," he said.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Seventeen year old Ram Bahadur Bamjon spoke to devotees from nearby villages on Nov. 10 in the remote forest in Ratanpuri, 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, Prakash Sen, a police constable said.
Bamjon made international headlines in 2005 when tens of thousands of people turned up to see him sitting cross-legged under a tree in a dense forest for nearly ten months, reportedly without food and water.
Hundreds of devotees, including many from neighboring India are trekking the five km (3.1 miles) site to see him on Nov. 11, Sen said.
"He spoke to the devotees standing near a temple in the forest," Sen said after a visit to the site.
"He had shoulder-length hair and had his body wrapped in a white cloth.
"Since many people are walking to see him, I think he has some of the qualities Lord Buddha had," he said.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Bamjon made international headlines, Buddha boy, devotees, Nepal, people flocked to a remote jungle, reincarnation of Lord Buddha, remote forest in Ratanpuri, Seventeen year old Ram Bahadur Bamjon
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
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Siddhi Vinayak Temple -Mumbai's richest temple Trust
Mumbai's Shree Siddhi Vinayak Temple at Prabhadevi is the reigning deity of Mum baikars. A 200-year-old structure, the temple was first consecrated on November 19, 1801 with a built-up area of 3.60 m x 3.60 m sq.
The old temple had an ancient architectural style, consisting of a hall, a sanctum sanctorum, some free open space, the temple's administrative office to the right and a water tank in the front.
The Siddhi Vinayak temple as it stands today is an architecturally transformed shrine.
The first floor of the temple is a mezzanine floor mainly used for pujas and darshan. The second floor houses the kitchen used to make the ‘Shree Maha Naivedya' (offering), and a restroom.
The Naivedya prepared in the kitchen is carried to the sanctum sanctorum by an elevator. This floor also has the administrative offices of the supervisor and an assistant supervisor.
The third floor houses the temple's central office. The fourth floor has the temple library with an exhaustive collection of over 8,000 books.
The fifth floor is mainly used for food preparations during festivals and fire offerings.
The temple's garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) is an octagonal enclosure, 10 feet wide, and comprises a silver-plated makhar. Makhar is a smaller structure within the garbhagriha housing the idol of the Lord. The dome inside the garbhagriha is gold-plated and has been designed to enhance the beauty of the idol. It is lighted with an exquisite chandelier.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The old temple had an ancient architectural style, consisting of a hall, a sanctum sanctorum, some free open space, the temple's administrative office to the right and a water tank in the front.
The Siddhi Vinayak temple as it stands today is an architecturally transformed shrine.
The first floor of the temple is a mezzanine floor mainly used for pujas and darshan. The second floor houses the kitchen used to make the ‘Shree Maha Naivedya' (offering), and a restroom.
The Naivedya prepared in the kitchen is carried to the sanctum sanctorum by an elevator. This floor also has the administrative offices of the supervisor and an assistant supervisor.
The third floor houses the temple's central office. The fourth floor has the temple library with an exhaustive collection of over 8,000 books.
The fifth floor is mainly used for food preparations during festivals and fire offerings.
The temple's garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) is an octagonal enclosure, 10 feet wide, and comprises a silver-plated makhar. Makhar is a smaller structure within the garbhagriha housing the idol of the Lord. The dome inside the garbhagriha is gold-plated and has been designed to enhance the beauty of the idol. It is lighted with an exquisite chandelier.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: ashtavatar, devotees, festivals, garbhagriha, Mumbai's richest temple Trust, old temple, Prabhadevi, Shree Maha Naivedya, Siddhi Vinayak Temple
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