Monthly Archives: August 2009

Nine days of Navratri festival

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Navratri is a prominent festival of India. This is a ten days longer festival, tenth day is the culmination and is also called as Vijayadashmi. Mythologically, this day is the day when Lord Rama defeated and killed Ravana to free Sita from his clutches. In nine days of Navratri, various forms of Maa Durga are worshipped.

Names of Devi Durga for Nine Days

Navratri is a nine day celebration, in which goddess Durga is worshipped in nine different forms. Every day she assumes a new character, a new look and a new deity. The 9 days of Navratri with 9 goddesses is in the following order – Day 1 is Shailputri, Day 2 is Brahmcharini, Day 3 is Chandraghanta, Day 4 is Kushmanda, Day 5 is Skandamata, Day 6 is Katyayani, Day 7 is Kaalratri, Day 8 is Mahagauri, and Day 9 is Siddhidatri.

Navratri Colors

Navratri is a nine-day long festival celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm in India. Each day of Navratri is dedicated to a different form of the Hindu goddess Durga. To honor and celebrate the different forms of the goddess, each day of Navratri is associated with a specific color. The colors of Navratri are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple, grey, and white, and they represent different qualities and virtues that the goddess embodies. For example, red represents courage, while green represents growth and prosperity. People often dress up in these colors and decorate their homes with them during the festival. The Navratri colors add to the vibrancy and beauty of this auspicious occasion.

Nine forms of Durga - Navratri
Nine forms of Durga – Navratri

First Day – Shailputri

On first day Goddess is worshipped as, Shailputri . She is considered the daughter of the Himalayas. She is a form of Shakti, the consort of Lord Shiva.

Shailputri Devi - worshipped on first day of Navratri.
Shailputri Devi – worshipped on first day of Navratri.

Second Day – Brahmacharini

Her name is derivative of the word ‘Brahma’, which means ‘Tapa’ or penance. In her right hand she holds a rosary, while Kamandal in her left hand. She is also a form of Uma or Parvati, a form of Mata Shakti.

Third Day – Chandraghanta

On the third day the Goddess is worshipped as, Chandraghanta. She is the symbolic representation of beauty and bravery. She has a half-circular moon in her forehead, hence the name ‘Chandraghanta’. With three eyes, she is golden in color. Ten types of weapons, including sword and arrows are held by her ten hands. Seated on a lion, she is always ready to go to war.

Maa Durga
Maa Durga

Fourth Day – Kushmanda

On fourth day Goddess is worshipped as, Kushmanda. It is believed that Kushmanda is the creator of the entire universe and she has created the entire universe by her laugh. She has eight hands in seven hands she hold weapons and in the eight one she bears a string of beads. With rosary in her right hand, she sits on Lion.

Fifth Day – Skand Mata

On the fifth day, Goddess is worshipped as, Skand Mata. She is actually called so because she is here represented as the mother of Skanda, the chief warrior of the Gods army. Skanda Mata – is white in color, has three eyes and four hand. She is seated on a lion, with her son (Skanda), on her lap.

Sixth Day – Katyanani

On the sixth day, the goddess is worshipped as, Katyayani. Seated on her vehicle lion, Katyayani has three eyes and four hands.

Seventh Day – Kalratri

On the seventh day, the Goddess is worshipped as, Kalratri. As the name suggests, Kalrati is as black as a dark night. She has four hands, she is meant to make the devotees fearless thus also known as shubhamkari. She has four hands, with a sharp sword in her left hand and a burning torch in her lower left hand, her lower and upper right hand that shows blessings.

Eighth Day – Maha Gauri

On the eight day, the Mata Rani is worshipped as, Maha Gauri. She is considered to extremely beautiful, white like snow and accessorized with white colored ornaments. She represents calmness and exhibits wisdom. With three eyes and four hands, she rides on a bull. Her left hand shows the fearless Mudra, while her lower left hand holds a Trishul. Calm and peaceful Maha Gauri observed penance

Ninth Day – Siddhidatri

On the ninth day,Goddess Durga is worshipped as, Siddhidatri. It is believed she consists of all the eight siddhis. She rides on lotus and is worshipped by all the Rishis-Munis, Siddhas, Sadhakas and Yogis. It is believed that worshipping her is best for attaining religious asset.

Kamakhya temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

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Kamakhya Devi – Sati Shakti Peeth

Kamakhya Temple, Assam is one among the 52 shakti peeths of India. Kamakhya Temple is situated at the top of Ninanchal Hill ( 800 feets above sea level) in the western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India.There is no image of Shakti here. Within a corner of a cave in the temple, there is a sculptored image of the Yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist. Other temples on the Neelachala hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna. This temple was destroyed in early 16th century, and then rebuilt in the 17th century by King Nara Narayana, of Cooch Bihar.

Kamakhya temple

Kamakhya temple

This current temple has a beehive-like shikhara with delightful sculptured panels and images of Ganesha and other Hindu gods and goddesses on the outside. The temple consists of three major chambers. The western chamber is large and rectangular and is not used by the general pilgrims for worship. The middle chamber is a square, with a small idol of the Goddess, a later addition. The walls of this chamber contain sculpted images of Naranarayana, related inscriptions and other gods. The middle chamber leads to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in the form of a cave, which consists of no image but a natural underground spring that flows through a yoni-shaped cleft in the bedrock.

Shakti peeth - Kamakhya

Shakti peeth – Kamakhya

Legend
Sati married Lord Shiva against the wish of her father, King Daksha. Once King Daksha was having a yagna and he didn’t invited Sati and Lord Shiva. Sati was very sad on not getting an invitation but she still went to her father’s palace. When she reached there her father insulted her and Lord Shiva. Sati was unable to bear this disrespect for her husband, so she jumped in the fire and killed herself. When Lord Shiva came to know this he was very sad, and enraged Shiva started wondering holding the dead body of Sati. He started the dance of distruction of universe. Lord Vishnu in order to save the universe and break this attachment of Lord Shiva, cut the body of Sati into pieces with his sudarshan chakra. Body parts of Sati fell at different places and these places are known as shakti peeths. In kamakhya Temple, Assam yoni of mother goddess fell.
Story about the stair case of the temple. There was a demon Naraka he fell in love with Goddess Kamakhya and wanted to marry her. Goddess put a condition that if he would be able to build a staircase from the bottom of the Nilachal hill to the temple within one night, then she would surely marry him. Naraka took it as a challenge and tried all with his might to do this marathon task. He was almost about to accomplish the job when the Devi, panic-stricken as she was to see this, played a trick on him. She strangled a cock and made it crow untimely to give the impression of dawn to Naraka. Duped by the trick even Naraka thought that it was a futile job and left it half way through. Later he chased the cock and killed it in a place which is now known as Kukurakata, situated in the district of Darrang. The incomplete staircase is known as Mekhelauja path.
Apart from the daily puja offered to the Devi, a number of special pujas are also held round the year in the Kamakhya Temple. These pujas are Durga Puja, Pohan Biya, Durgadeul, Vasanti Puja, Madandeul, Ambuvaci and Manasa Puja.
Durga Puja: This is celebrated annually during Navratri, in the month of sep. oct.
Ambuwasi Puja : this is a fertility festival, it is beleived that mother goes under menstural period and the temple remain closed for 3 days and then opened with great festivity on fourth day.
Pohan Bia : A symbolic marriage between Lord Kamesvara and Kamesvari during the month of Pausa.
Durgadeul : During the month of Phalguna, Durgadeul is observed in the kamakhya temple.
Vasanti Puja : This puja is held at the Kamakhya temple durinh the month of Chaitra.
Madandeul : This deul is observed during the month of Caitra when Lord Kamadeva or Kamesvara is offered special pujas.
Manasa Puja : Manasa puja is observed from the Sankranti of Sravana and continues upto the second day of Bhadra.

Jwalamukhi Temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

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Jwalamukhi Temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

Jwalamukhi temple - Sati Shakti Peeth

Jwalamukhi temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

Jwalamukhi is one among the 52 shakti peeth in India. This is 30 kms from kangra and 56 kms from Dharamshala. There is no idol, the eternal and shinning blue flame emanating from a rock sanctum is worshipped as manifestation of goddess, which is burning without any fuel or assistance. During March-April and September-October every year colourful fairs are held during the time of navratri.

Legend of Jwalamukhi Temple

Sati was daughter of king Daksha she married Lord Shiva against the wish of her father. Once King Dakha was having a yagna and he didn’t invite Lord Shiva and Sati. When Sati went to her father’s palace, he insulted Lord Shiva and Sati. Unable to bear this disrespect for her husband she killed herself, when Shiva came to know this he was enraged, he began to wonder holding the dead body of Sati in his arms and he started the dance of distruction of universe. Lord Vishnu in order to save the universe and to break this attachment of Lord Shiva cut off Sati’s body into pieces with his sudarshan chakra. Sati’s body fell at different places these places are called shakti peeth.
Jwalamukhi temple is the place where Sati’s tongue fell. These flames are burning without any fuel or assistance from ages. Inside the temple, there is a 3 feet square pit with pathway all around. In the centre of which is a hollowed rock over a primary fissure of flame. This one is regarded as the mouth of Mahakali. Nine flames in total emanate from different points in the pit and represent Saraswati, Annapurna, Chandi, Hing Laj, Vindhya Vasini, Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Ambika and Anjana-nine form of goddess.
This Indian Temple has some great historical significance, Mughal emperor Akbar was amazed at the continuity of flame so he tried to extinguish them. He ordered to construct water channel to douse the flame, but all in vain. Finally, he submitted to the power of the goddess, he went to the shrine bare footed and presented a golden umbrella to goddess. But when leaving , he looked back with immense pride at the valuable gift he made, but he was mortified to find that the gold turned into a colossal metal.

Dome of Jwalamukhi temple

Dome of Jwalamukhi temple

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Maharaja Ranjit Singh, gilded the roof of the temple as a thanks giving after his success in Afghan war. Later his son Khadak Singh presented a pair of silver plated folding doors to the temple.

 

Devi Maa at Jwalamukhi temple

Devi Maa at Jwalamukhi temple

There are 102 pujaris in the temple who perform rituals on daily rotation basis. The deity is- offered Bhog of Rabri or thickened milk, Misri or candy, seasonal fruits, milk and arti is done. There is a mystic Yantar or diagram of the goddess, which is covered with, shawls, ornaments and mantras are recited. The puja has different ‘phases’ and goes on practically the whole day. Arti is done five times in the day, Havan is performed once daily and portions of “Durga Saptashati” are recited.

French wedding

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French Wedding

A charming wedding custom of small French town, which is still in practice where the groom comes to her bride’s home early on the wedding day. Groom escorts her to the wedding chapel in a procession, headed by musician, followed behind by bride with her father, guests and groom with his mother at the end. In Brittany, children block the roads with ribbon that must be cut by the bride. The groom has to remove brains that have been placed across the road by those who demand and receive payment for these obstacles. All these obstacles are created for the wedding couple to overcome together and thus to signify their common path in new life.

A French wedding procession

The church is filled with incense and flowers, bride and groom are seated on two red velvet chair, underneath a silk canopy. At the end of ceremony a square of silk fabric is held over the head of the couple as priest blessing. The same silk is used to wrap their chill when they are baptized. Outside the church rice or wheat is showered over them as a symbol of prosperity.
At the reception the newlyweds toast each other from a engraved two handle cup, called la coupe de marriage. The traditional french wedding cake is called croquembouche which is a pyramid of creme-filled pastry puffs, drizzled with a caramel glaze.
French wedding cake : Croquembouche
Dancing is the popular past time in french time, the traditional dance is ‘rond‘ in which people join hand and dance in circle. After the reception, those invited for the wedding gather outside the newlyweds window and bangs pots and pans. They are then invited in the house for some more drink in the couple’s honour. This practice is called chiverie or charivari.
See other articles on  weddings.
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Seven architectural wonders of nature

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Nature is full of wonders but these architects of natural world are amazing. These creatures have not taken any training and still are masters. In true sense, their creations are the seven wonders of architecture of natural world.

1. SOCIABLE WEAVER BIRD
The sociable weaver build their nests on trees, which are largest in the world, A huge apartment is build when many pairs of birds work together. The dimension of largest sociable weaver nests is over 20 feet to over 10 feet with more than 100 individual nesting chambers. Some weigh several thousand kilograms and can get so heavy they knock down the supporting tree.
For building the nest, sociable weavers use different materials for different purposes. Large twigs form the roof of the nest, dry grasses create the separate chambers, and sharp straws protect the entry of tunnels from their enemies. Inner chambers are lined from top to bottom with soft fur, cotton, plant material and fluff.
2. TERMITES
Termites are amazing creatures, these .4 inch blind creatures can construct huge towers of several feet and weighing several tons. Termites uses soil, mud, chewed wood/cellulose, saliva, and feces to build homes for their colonies, and this can be of 6 meters.
3. SPIDER
Spider produces silken threads using their spinneret glands located at the tip of their abdomen. Each gland produces threads for special purpose like, a trailed safety line, sticky silk for catching prey and soft silk for packing it. Sometimes a group of spiders may build web together in the same area. It is common for a web to be 20 times the size of the spider building it. But world’s largest web was found in 2007, in park Lake Tawakoni in Texas, a huge web was found covering 180 meters of trees and bushes. Initially the web was white, but turned dark due to mosquitoes caught in it.
4. BEAVER
Beavers are nocturnal, semi aquatic rodents. Beavers are known for building dams, canals and lodges. They use their strong front teeth to cut trees and plants. In absence of a pond beaver construct a dam before building a lodge. First they place vertical poles and then fill between the vertical poles with a crisscross of horizontally placed branches. They fill in the gaps between the branches with a combination of weeds and mud until the dam holds back sufficient water to surround the lodge. In Canada the longest recorded beaver dam in the world spans 2800 feet, and has existed for over a decade.
5. ANTS
Ants are incredible builders that can carry many times their own weight. A species of Argentine ant introduced into Europe about 80 years ago has developed the largest super colony ever recorded. It stretches 6,000 kilometres – from northern Italy, through the south of France to the Atlantic coast of Spain – with billions of related ants occupying millions of nests. While ants from rival nests normally fight each other to the death, ants from the super colony have the ability to recognise each other and co-operate – even if they come from nests at opposite ends of the colony’s range. The Argentine species (Linepithema humile) probably came into Europe on imported plants. Another is in the US, known as the “Californian large”, extends over 900km (560 miles) along the coast of California and third, huge colony exists on the west coast of Japan.
6. CLADDISFLY
Claddisfly is a under water architect. It doesn’t construct something huge but, something very unique. The larval form of this fly construct a portable case or sac with silk threads and any other material available like sand, twigs, stones, shells to protect them and to provide natural camouflage. After the pupal stage they cut the sac with their mandibles and fly.
7. NAKED MOLE RAT
Naked mole rat are pinkish-gray, wrinkly skin, scant hair, and long buck teeth. This is the only known social mammal. Virtually they spend their entire life in the total darkness of underground burrows. They are truly social and live in large colonies, with 80 to 300 individuals. Working as a team they are extremely efficient excavators, a colony of 80 can dig an area of 20 football field in less than three months Their shape incisors are the best digging tools. Their teeth 2 upper one and two lower one are located outside the mouth, so that they don’t swallow unwanted dirt and the hairy lips are behind the teeth.
If you are an PMP aspirant, you may like to check P M P L O G

Last three veterans of world wars

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CLAUDE CHOULES
The last surviving British veteran is Claude Choules, 108, who lives in Australia. The former seaman is also the last veteran to have served in both world wars. In an interview with The Australian newspaper he shrugged off his achievement, saying: “Everything comes to those who wait and wait.”Born in Worcestershire, he tried to enlist in the Army to join his elder brothers who were fighting, but was told he was too young. But aged just 14, he became a Royal Navy rating, joining battleship HMS Revenge on which he saw action in the North Sea aged 17. He witnessed the surrender of the German fleet in the Firth of Forth in November 1918, then the scuttling of the fleet at Scapa Flow. He transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1926 and remained in service for 30 years. During WWII he was chief demolition officer for the western half of Australia. It would have been his responsibility to blow up the
key strategic harbour of Fremantle, near Perth, if Japan had invaded.
JACK BABCOCK

Jack Babcock, 109, is Canada’s only surviving veteran of WWI, but he never saw action. In an interview with the Canadian Army website he said: “I don’t consider myself to be a veteran, because I never got to fight.”In February 1916 at the age of 15, he signed up and the medical examiner recorded his “apparent age” as 18, which meant he was allowed to train. Despite being under the legal age to fight, which was 19, he persisted in his attempts to get to the front line. He lied about his age again, and sailed to Britain with the Royal Canadian Regiment. There, conscripts under the legal age of 19 formed the Young Soldiers’ Battalion to train until they were eligible to fight. But he never saw action as the Armistice was signed six months before he reached his 19th birthday.He moved to the United States in the 1920s, serving in the United States Army between 1921 and 1924, before becoming an electrician. He now lives in Spokane, Washington.
FRANK BUCKLES
Frank Buckles, 108, is the last remaining member of the American army who served in WWI. He was 16 when he lied about his age and signed up, serving as an ambulance driver in the UK and France. After the Armistice, he worked for a prisoner-of-war escort company, returning prisoners back to Germany. He was in Manila, the Philippines, working for a shipping company when Japan took over the islands during WWII. He became a prisoner of war himself and was held for
over three years. He now lives in Charlestown, West Virginia, and in 2008 met President George Bush at the White House as part of a ceremony to honour WWI veterans. The last French veteran of WWI, Lazare Ponticelli, died in 2008 and was buried with full military honours. The man believed to have been Germany’s last WWI veteran, Erich Kaestner, died the same year. Verification of the claim was difficult as the country keeps no record of its war veterans.
If you are an PMP aspirant, you may like to check P M P L O G