Mysuru Dasara, Yeshtondu Sundara – The Royal Face of Navratri
In all parts of the country, Dasara is celebrated as a community based festival where groups or mandals, furiously compete with each other to give the festival a currency, meaning, as well as vibrancy, and grandiosity to beat all previous celebrations. Dasara starts approximately 15-20 days after Ananta Chaturdashi which marks the end of the first major More...
The Many Forms and Vahanas of Devi
The vehicles of the gods and goddesses in Hinduism are animal mounts that the gods/goddesses ride. All the Hindu gods and Hindu goddesses are represented as using vahanas to separate themselves; each vehicle is More...
Understanding the Fierce Cosmic Mother, Kali
Who is this terrible woman, Dark as the sky in midnight? Who is this woman, Dancing over the field of battle, like a blue lotus that floats, on a crimson sea of blood in frenzy and savage fury? Under the weight More...
Navaratri – The Many Hues and Forms of Dasara in India
Navratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. The celebrations are as varied as the diverse cultures in the East, West, North and South of this great subcontinent. The Chaitra Navratri culminates in Ram More...
Jai Santoshi Ma Worship in India
The Deification of Santoshi Ma Santoshi Ma is a Goddess of recent origin in the Hindu religion. She was formally apotheosized in the 1960s after the establishment of five temples in North India. Hailed to be the More...
The Birth of the Shakti Peethas in Hinduism
The birth of the Shakti Peethas is actually marked by the death of Shakti herself in the form of Sati. The story of Shiva and Sati has great significance in the Hindu festival Mahashivaratri. Let’s look into More...
A Tale of Two Navratri – Celebrating the Cosmic Mother
The Cosmic Mother is worshipped not once as is commonly believed, but as many as 5 times during the course of a year, in the Navratri celebrations dedicated to her. However, of these, two are well known – More...
Mahisasura Mardini-The Making of Durga
Durga is a form of Prakriti, the mother of entire existence. She represents the Supreme Consciousness and was manifested by combining the energies of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Within her, Durga has the combined More...
Durga Puja – A Hesternal Revisit
An Exordium on Durga Puja ‘Durga Puja’ meaning ‘worship of Durga,’ also called Durgotsav in Bengali, (meaning festival of Durga Puja) is an annual celebration of the Hindu Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva’s consort. More...
Origin and spiritual significance Ratha Jatra – Festival of Chariots
Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha, is celebrated every year in the temple town of Puri, in the east coast state of Odisha or Orissa in India. The Jagannatha Temple is one of the four most More...