Sri Lalitha Devi Jayanthi

Sri Lalithambika - Thirumeeyachur, TN.

When Masi month, Pournami and Maga nakshaktra fall on the same day, it is Sri Lalitha Devi Jayanthi. This day is when both Surya from his son Saneeswara's house Kumba rasi and Chandra from Surya's house Simha rasi, have a straight seventh vision.

In Srividya upasana, ambal is worshiped in ten forms namely, 

1. Tara
2. Matangi
3. Bagalamukhi
4. Chinnamasta
5. Dumavati
6. Bhuvaneswari
7. Kali
8. Tripura Bhairavi
9. Kamala
10. Lalitha

Of this, Sri Lalitha (Tripura Sundari) avatar happened on the evening of Maga masa Pournami Tithi which is celebrated as Sri Lalitha Jayanthi. 

Worship of Sri Lalitha Jayanthi

• Dress Devi's vigraha or picture with sandal paste, kumkum and flowers.
• Worship Devi by chanting Sri Lalitha Trishati, Sri Lalitha ashtothram.
• Offer Devi sweet pongal as neivedhyam/
• Offer Tamboolam (beetal leaf and nuts) to a minimum of nine suvasinis (sumangali family women).
• In the evening after sunset, drenched in pournami moon rays, do Sri Lalitha Sahasranama parayanam.
• Those who do not know Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam can do parayanam of Soundarya Lahari or Abhirami Andhadhi.

Worshiper is blessed with a long and healthy life with all sowbhagyams

This article is translated from 'Vaithika Sri' (Tamil magazine).

Ratha Saptami

Religious significance

Ratha Saptami or Magha Saptami marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement (Uttarayana) of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara). It is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses, with Aruna as the charioteer, towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The symbolic significance of the ratha and the seven horses reigned to it is that it represents the seven colours of the rainbow. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of a week starting with Sunday, the day of Sun god Surya. The chariot has 12 wheels, which represents the 12 signs (each of 30 degrees) of the Zodiac (360 degrees) and constituting a full year, named Samvatsara. The Sun’s own house is Leo (Simha) and he moves from one house to the next every month and the total cycle takes 365 days to complete. The Ratha Saptami festival seeks the benevolent cosmic spread of energy and light from the Sun God.

Karthigai Deepam Festival (கார்த்திகை தீபத்திருவிழா)

Karthigai Deepam (கார்த்திகை தீபம்) festival is celebrated mainly in Tamil Nadu, on Poornima (full moon day) of the tamizh month Karthigai (mid-November to mid-December) as per Tamil calendar. This tradition can be roughly described as Diwali of the South India, observed in every home and every temple. Celebrations of Karthigai festival is extremely famous in Tiruvannamalai hills. It is celebrated as a ten day festival and is refereed to as Karthigai Brahmotsavam.

Purattaasi Thiruvonam and Sravana Deepam

शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।

शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥

Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam-Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa |

Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Deepa-Jyotir-Namostute ||

Salutations to the Light of the Lamp Which Brings Auspiciousness, Health and Prosperity, Which Destroys Inimical Feelings; Salutations to the Light of the Lamp.

Puri Rath Yatra / Car Festival 2017

'Rath Yatra' or 'Car Festival', the most important festival of Lord Jagannath commences on 25th June 2017, Wednesday and Return Car Festival ur' Bahuda Jatra' on 3rd July 2017. This colorful festival which draws millions of devotees from various parts of the country as well as from abroad to Puri, is held in June-July every year. Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, comes out of His sanctum sanctorum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all sects and communities.lt is said that those who take part in the Car Festival earn their passage to the Heaven.
 

'Snana Pumima' marks the beginning of this festival. On this day the three deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra take prolonged bath on an open platform known as 'Snana Bedi', Then they retire for 15 days popularly called the period of 'Anabasara' and remain in isolation. During this period, no public worship is performed. After 15 days of isolation, the Gods come out of the temple in a colourful procession to board their respective Chariots and thereafter begins the journey known as "Ratha Jatra'.The much famous Temple Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannath, takes place in Puri. On the first day, the Jagannath temple images are carried through the street in three huge thundering chariots which have made this event internationally known. Nine days later, the journey is repeated in the opposite direction. To witness this festival is an experience of a life time, but ensure to book rooms and make all other arrangements well in advance.

Each year, in monsoon season, the proxy images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra--the deities enshrined in the Jagannath Temple at Puri--are carried in colorful processions every evening for 21 days to the Narendra Tank where they cruise in a bright decorated boat.

In gaiety and color, this festival stands next only to the Car Festival. On the full noon day of Jyestha (June), the Sananjatra or the bathing festival is observed when the images in worship are actually brought out for public viewing.

After the bathing festival, the deities spend 15 days in seclusion during which period they are repainted and prepared for the Car Festival. The Car Festival is celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha (June-July) and the deities are taken on a journey of around 3 kms in stupendous and decorated chariots for sojourn in the Gundicha Ghar till the return Car Festival which is held 9 days later.

The chariot of Lord Jagannath, known as 'Nandighose', is 23 cubits high and has 18 wheels. The chariot of Balabhadra, which is 22 cubits in height and has 16 wheels, is named 'Taladwaja'. 'Devadalan' the chariot of Subhadra, is 21 cubits in height and has 14 wheels.

The chariots are made anew every year in accordance with strict and ancient specifications and are pulled by several thousand devotees at a time. In terms of splendor and fervent devotion, the Car Festival is one of the world's most incredible spectacles.

Courtesy: http://www.rathyatra.net/

Akshaya Tritiya

विष्णुप्रिये नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं जगद्धिते । 

आर्तहन्त्रि नमस्तुभ्यं समृद्धिं कुरु मे सदा ॥

- श्रीलक्ष्मीस्तोत्रं अगस्त्यरचितम्

viṣṇupriye namastubhyaṃ namastubhyaṃ jagaddhite । 

ārtahantri namastubhyaṃ samṛddhiṃ kuru me sadā ॥

- śrīlakṣmīstotraṃ agastyaracitam

Meaning: O Dear to Vishnu, I bow to you, I bow to you, O benefitter of this World. Destroying my suffering, bestow prosperity on me always, I bow to you.

காரடையான் நோன்பு

மாசி மாதத்தின் சிறப்பு மஹா சிவராத்ரி என்றால் பங்குனி தொடக்கமே அன்னை அருளுடன் ஆரம்பிக்கச் செய்திருக்கின்றனர் பெரியவர்கள். ஆம்! காரடையான் நோன்பு என்பது அன்னை காமாக்ஷி தன் பதியாம் கைலாஸபதியுடன் சேர்வதற்காக இருந்த நோன்பு. மாசியும் பங்குனியும் கூடும் நேரத்தில் பெண்கள் தங்களது கணவரது நல்வாழ்விற்காக இருப்பது இந்த நோன்பு.

தைப்பூசச் சிறப்பு

தை மாசத்தில் பௌர்ணமியன்று பூச நட்சத்திரம் வரும் நாள்தான் தைப்பூசம். தைப்பூசம் பல சிறப்புக்களைக் கொண்டது. பாரதம் மட்டுமில்லாமல் தமிழர்கள் வாழும் இடங்களான இலங்கை, சிஙகப்பூர். மலேசியா, பர்மா, தாய்லாந்து போன்றநாடுகளிலும் சிறப்பபாக கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது.

கந்த சஷ்டி விரதம் - சட்டியில் இருந்தால் அகப்பையில் வரும்

திருசெந்தூர் ஷண்முகர்

கந்த சஷ்டி விரதம் ஐப்பசி மாத தீபாவளி அமாவாசையின் பின் அதாவது வளர்பிறை பிரதமை திதி முதல் ஆறாம் நாளான சஷ்டி திதி வரையான ஆறு தினங்களும் நோற்கப்பட்டு சூரசம்ஹார நிகழ்வுடன் நிறைவு பெறுகின்றது. அறியாமை என்னும் அஞ்ஞான இருளை அகற்றி, மெய்ஞானமாகி மிளிர்கின்ற பரம்பொருளின் முக்திப் பேரருளை அடைவதற்காகச் சைவப் பெருமக்களால் அனுஷ்டிக்கப்படும் விரதங்களுள் தலையாயது கந்த சஷ்டி விரதம்.

Sri Kasi Annapoorna and Deepavali

The Goddess of Food or the Goddess of Nourishment (Anna means food and Poorna means complete or full), Mata Parvati. always protects and bless Her devotees with food and prosperity.

Annacoot festival is celebrated in India every year after Deepavali. Annapoorna temple has a huge crowd of pilgrims on the occasion of Annacoot. Mountains of fruits, sweets and cereals are laid out before the Goddess and then distributed to the poor. Coins are distributed as Prasad to all the devotees; it is considered that whoever worship this coin will be blessed with successful and prosperous life.

Chitra Pournami

Chitra Pournami is observed on the Purnima day (full moon day) in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April–May). Chitra Pournami ritual commemorates Chitragupta, who according to the scriptures is the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death. The day is also dedicated to Indra, the head of Devas. It is on this day that the star Chitra and full moon come together.

Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram is the most colourful of all the temple festivals of Kerala. It is celebrated in Thrissur at Vadakkumnathan temple in the month of Medam (April). Situated on a hillock right in the center of the city, the spaciously laid out temple attracts thousands of devotees and tourists around the world during the festival.

Pooram is a magnificent spectacle with night long fireworks, colourful 'Kudamattom' (exchange of different types of parasols), the famous 'Elanjithara Melam' and a splendid elephant procession. The best elephants from the various temples in Kerala are sent to Thrissur to participate in the grand eight day Pooram Festival.

Mahāmaham

Adi Kumbeswarar Temple

अन्य क्षेत्रे कृतं पापं पुण्य क्षेत्रे विनश्यति

पुण्य क्षेत्रे कृतं पापं वारानास्यां विनश्यति

वारानास्यां कृतं पापं कुम्बकोने विनश्यति

कुम्बकोने कृतं पापं कुम्बकोने विनश्यति

Transliteration:

anya-kshetrE krtam pApam punya-kshetrE vinasyati 

punya-kshtetrE krtam pApam VaranAsyam vinasyati 

VAranAsyAm krtam pApam KumbakOnE vinasyati 

KumbakOne krtam pApam kumbakOnE vinasyati

Meaning:

You can sin anywhere and wash it away in a holy spot 

You can sin in a holy spot and wash it away in Varanasi 

You can sin in Varanasi and wash it away in Kumbakonam 

But if you sin in Kumbakonam, You can wash it away only in Kumbakonam

Orion constellation (Arudra)

 

There are some events that occur in the cosmic due to the positions of constellation and planets in our galaxy. One of the event is Arudra darshan. In Hindu astrology we have 27 nakshatras (constellation) from Aswini to Revathi, among this Thiruvadirai Orion is the biggest and brightest.

Deepavali Tattvam

There are a total of twenty-seven separate verses of upadesa (spiritual teaching) that Sri Ramana composed, which are not included in the Upadesa Nunmalai section of ஸ்ரீ ரமண நூற்றிரட்டு (Sri Ramana Nultirattu), the Tamil ‘Collected Works of Sri Ramana’, but which could appropriately be included there.

Sri Sadhu Om gathered these twenty-seven verses together and arranged them in a suitable order to form a work entitled உபதேசத் தனிப்பாக்கள், the ‘Solitary Verses of Spiritual Teaching’, and he included this work at the end of his Tamil commentary on Upadesa Nunmalai, which is a book called ஸ்ரீ ரமணோபதேச நூன்மாலை – விளக்கவுரை (Sri Ramanopadesa Nunmalai – Vilakkavurai).

துலா ஸ்நானம் - மாயூரம் "லாகடம்"

தெய்வத்தின் குரல் (இரண்டாம் பாகம்)

'காவேரி புராண'த்தில் இன்னொரு பாடத்தில் மாயவரத்தில் இருக்கப்பட்ட காவேரித் துறையான துலா கட்டத்துக்கு முக்யத்வம் கொடுத்திருக்கிறது. இப்போது அதை லாகடம் என்று ஜனங்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள். இது துலா கட்டம் என்பதன் திரிபுதான். துலா ஸ்நானத்துக்கு வரும் யாத்ரிகளுக்கு வசதியாகக் கட்டப்பட்ட படித்துறைதான் துலா கட்டம் (லாகடம்). மாயவரத்திலும் இன்னம் ஆறேழு காவேரிக் கரை க்ஷேத்ரங்களிலும் துலா கட்டங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. இவை அனைத்தையும் அச்சடித்ததைப் போல் ஒரே ப்ளானில் கட்டப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. துலாஸ்நான மகிமையைச் சொல்கிற இடத்தில், காவேரி புராணத்தில் ஒரு பாடத்தின்படி ஸ்ரீ ரங்கத்துக்கும் தர்மவர்மாவுக்கும் முக்யத்வம் தந்திருக்கிறதென்றால், இன்னொரு பாடத்தில் மாயவரத்துக்கும் அங்கே துலா ஸ்நானம் செய்து மோக்ஷம் அடைந்த ஒரு பிராம்மண தம்பதிக்கும் முக்யத்வம் தந்திருக்கிறது.

கங்கையிற் புனிதமான காவிரி - துலா ஸ்நானம்

1. தில்லை பரமானந்தக் கூபம் (காசிக் கிணறு)

2. மாயூரம் துலாக் கட்டம் (லாக்கடம்)

3. திருவிசநல்லூர்  கங்கைக் கிணறு

4. கும்பகோணம் மஹாமகக் குளம்

ஐப்பசி (துலா) மாதம் முழுவதும் சூரியோதயத்தில் செய்யும் புனித ஸ்நானம் துலா ஸ்நானமாகும். தஞ்சை மாவட்டத்தில் அதனை துலா காவிரி ஸ்நானம் என்று அழைப்பார்கள்.

Vijayadasami

Once Devi Parvati was curious to know about the importance of this festival. She asked Lord Shiva to give her the answer and settle down her curiosity. Lord Shiva told her that in the evening of Ashwin Shukla's tenth day a star rises in the sky during which a phase comes knows as " Vijya Kaal" and this phase is auspicious to get victory over enemies and all the wishes are fulfilled during this Kaal. If Shravan Nakshatra is formed on this day, then it becomes more auspicious. Lord Rama attacked Lanka during this phase and got victory over Ravana.

The Importance of Ritual

The Spiritual Significance of Navaratri

Ratri means “night” and Nava means “nine”. At Navaratri (“nine nights”), the Lord in the form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped in Her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Though the Goddess is one, She is represented and worshipped in three different aspects. On the first three nights of the festival, Durga is worshipped. On the following three, Lakshmi and then Saraswati Devi on the last three nights. The following tenth day is called Vijayadasami. Vijaya means “victory”, the victory over our own minds that can come only when we have worshipped these three: Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.

Nabakalebar Puri Rath Yatra

The Rath Yatra Festival has been renamed as the Puri Nabakalebara Rath Yatra Festival.

The Puri Rath Yatra festival is based around the worship of Lord Jagannath (a reincarnation of Lords Vishnu and Krishna). It commemorates his annual visit to his birthplace, Gundicha Temple, and aunt's home along with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.

This year, after 19 years, the Jagannath Temple idols will be replaced by new ones in a ritual known as Nabakalebar (meaning "new body").

The Rath Yatra begins on the second day of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon or bright fortnight) of the lunar month of Ashadha, as per the traditional Oriya Calendar. In 2015, it commences on July 18 and ends on July 30.

The Nabakalebar ritual takes place when the month of Ashadha is followed by another month of Ashadha (known as "double-Ashadha"). This only happens once every nine to 19 years, making it a rare event. In the last century, the Nabakalebara ritual was performed in 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977 and 1996.