Monthly Archives: June 2012

Wedding of frogs

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Wedding of frogs

Sounds strange, but this is true. Frogs are married in some part of india, according to a mythological ritual. There is a purpose behind this. In extreme summer, when there is no sign of rain, a yagna is performed to please Lord Indra. In Hindu Mythology, Indra is the person responsible for rains.

This yagya is nothing, but wedding of frogs are per the hindu rituals. Vermilion is applied on the forehead of female frog to mark her as the life partner of the male frog. This is an age-old tradition that if frogs are wedded, then Indra Dev will be pleased and monsoon will come. People attend the wedding in large numbers.

Wedding of frogs - for rain

Wedding of frogs – for rain

This wedding is performed with artifical frogs as well as with real frogs. The rationale behind this tradition is that during rainy season, frogs came out and croak to please Lord Indra. The wedding is performed for the same reason and this is thought that frogs will be pleased and welcome rain gods.

Read this article for a frog wedding in Varanasi.

This is not limited to India. The same ritual, wedding of frogs has also taken place in Bangladesh. The objective is the same, to bring rain on earth.The “bride” and “groom” came from two neighbouring villages 110 kilometres (68 miles) north of the capital Dhaka, according to the Bengali paper Jugantor. Villagers organised the wedding ceremony because the region was suffering a water shortage as it waited for monsoon rains to arrive, according to school teacher Noor Mohammad Kalon, who was a guest on behalf of the “groom.” More than 250 men, women and children came to the wedding. We all danced and sang,” the teacher, 42, told AFP by telephone, adding that the guests were served a traditional wedding feast of rice, lentils, fish, beef and sweets.
“The bride and groom were in special wedding dress. We blessed them in the ceremony and released them in a nearby pond afterwards.

Read the full bangladesh wedding story of frogs.

The most recent wedding of frogs has taken place inTakhatpur, India.  This is also celebrated in remote part of Assam.

 

Mahabharata: How Well Do You Know the Characters and Story?

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Dear readers, Can you answer these questions on Mahabharata?

Following are the few facts presented to you in form of questionnaire. You may reply using the comment section or comment form available at the end of the article.

Hint: This blog contains the answers in various posts.

1. Three people saw Shri Krishna in his Vishwaroopa form. Arjuna and Sanjay were two of them.  Name the third person?

2. Kurukshetra or Mahabharat war lasted for how many days?

3. How many brothers of Kaurava’s did Arjuna kill in Mahabharat war?

4. Who killed Ashwaththama in Mahabharat war?

Abhimanyu - Mahabharat war
Abhimanyu fought valiantly

5. Abhimanyu was son of Arjuna and ___________.

6. Drona was the son of sage _____________.

7. Arjuna became eunuch for one year due to a curse from ____________.

8. What was the Yudhishthir name when he was in hiding for one year?

9. Kavach and Kundal made this warrior invincible until he was tricked by a god. Who was he?

10. Who was Ghatotkacha’s mother?

11. Pandava hid their weapons on a tree of _________ during their Agyatvaas.

12. What was Arjuna’s name during agyaatvaas?

13. Who was Draupadi’s brother?

14. He was the brother in law of Kauravas who became the cause of death of Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu. Name him.

15. Karn’a son who survived the war of Mahabharata. Name him.

16. Parikshit, who succeeded Yudhishthira, was the son of Abhimanyu and ___________.

Dashavatar pictures – indian mythology (2)

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Dashavatar of Vishnu – pics of 6-10 avatars

See pics of 1-5 avatars

Krishna said to Arjuna in Mahabharat war : Whenever Dharma, or the situation of law and order, is endangered on this world, I incarnate onto this world to re establish Dharma, law and order, and to protect the Sadhus or saints and to destroy the evil elements of the society. – Bhagavat Gita

This article is in continuation to earlier article where we published the pictures of 1-5 avatars of Vishnu. Details of next 6 avatars are found as following.

Parshurama Avatar

Parshuram avatar of Lord Vishnu

Parshuram avatar of Lord Vishnu

Parshurama was the son of sage Jamdagni and Renuka.  He has killed evil doers kings of the earth. A great archer, was the teacher (guru) of Bhishma, Drona and Karna.  He is one of the seven immortal ones (saptachiranjiva).


Rama avatar

Shri Rama avatar of Lord Vishnu

Shri Rama avatar of Lord Vishnu

Rama was born as a son of Dashrath and Kaushalya. He slayed the demon king Ravana of Lanka.  Assisted by Hanuman and Lakshman ( Sheshnaag’s avatar).

Rama avatar

Shri Krishna

This incarnation was the central character of Mahabharat. Mahabharat was the conflict of kuru brothers, Kauravas and Pandavas. He did not fight the war himself. He was the charioteer of great archer, Arjuna in the Mahabharat war.  In his early life, he killed Kansa.  His brother was Balrama and he is also believed to be a avatar of Lord Vishnu by some texts.

 

Krishna avatar of Lord Vishnu

Krishna avatar of Lord Vishnu

Balarama avatar

Balarama avatar

balarama-krishna-subhadra

balarama-krishna-subhadra

Buddha Avatar

Buddha avatar of Lord Vishnu (image)

Buddha avatar of Lord Vishnu (image)

In the Puranic texts, he is mentioned as one of the ten avatars of Vishnu, usually as the ninth one. Siddhartha was born in a royal Hindu Kshatriya family. Gautama was famously seated under a pipal tree—now known as the Bodhi tree—in Bodh Gaya, India, when he vowed never to arise until he had found the truth. His companions believed that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined, left. After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to have attained enlightenment.

 Kalki Avatar

Kalki avatar of Lord Vishnu

Kalki avatar of Lord Vishnu

The tenth and last avatar, Kalki avatar, is supposed to happen in future, in Kaliyug. This will be the tenth and final Maha Avatar (great incarnation) of Vishnu who will bring to an end the present age of darkness and destruction known as Kali Yuga. He will establish a new era based on truth, righteousness, humanism and goodness, called Satya Yuga.

Kalki avatar of Lord Vishnu (image)

See pics of 1-5 avatars

Dashavatar pictures – Indian mythology (1)

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Pictures of Lord Vishnu in various avatars (Dashavatar)

Lord Vishnu

 

Matasya avatar of Lord Vishnu

Matasya avatar of Lord Vishnu\

Matasya avatar

Matasya avatar

Vishnu took the form of a big fish. There is a story about this in Hindu scriptures. The Asuras or the demons snatched the Vedas, the holy books of the Hindus, and went deep inside the sea. At this point, Vishnu changed his form. He became a matsya, that is, a fish. He entered the sea and brought back the Vedas. There is another story of recreation of human kind after the pralaya, where the sage Manu put all the vedas and other important things in a boat and Vishnu took that to safety.

Read the whole story of Matasya Avatar here.

Kurma avatar – Lord Vishnu

Here Vishnu took the form of a Turtle (kurma) and then goes the story of the samudra manthan or the churning of the ocean. He provided the base which helped in churning of the ocean. There is another story that when Demons got hold of Amrit, Vishnu helped the gods again in form of Mohini. One Demon had drank some Amrit, Whom Vishnu has cut into two. Thus Rahu and Ketu have been born.

Read the complete story of Kurma avatar.

Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu

Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu takes the form of a Boar(varaha). Here the Lord kills the demon Hiranyaksha and saves earth.

Read the full story of Varaha Avatar.

Narsingh avatar of Lord Vishnu

Narsingh avatar of Lord Vishnu

Here the lord takes the form of half man and half beast. He assumes the form of lion headed man and proves how the little boy Prahlad was a true devotee.

Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu

Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu

Here the lord incarnates himself as a dwarf priest to restore Indra’s authority over the heavens, which was taken away by force by the demon king Bali and liberates the Asura king Bali.
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