Thursday, October 13, 2005

happy vijayadasami to all

oct 12th

the slaughter of the buffalo demon by the goddess is one of the very oldest icons in indian civilization: it goes back to the indus-sarasvati valley. this is a reminder of the goddess worship that was widespread all over the world until patriarchal cults replaced them by force.

there are many mahishasuras today that need to be slaughtered.

may your new endeavors today be blessed with success! today is the day for new beginnings, including vidyarambham for children.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Vijayadasami to all. Apparently some of the terrorist training camps in POK seems to be destroyed. May be mother Durga is taking care of asuras.

Anonymous said...

Wishing Rajeev and other bloggers the same.

Thought you'd be interested, was emailed by a friend:

Navarathri and Navagrahas


Festivals are so much a part and parcel of Chennai life. It is as if festivals are interwoven into the life of every Chennaite. It is an exhilarating experience to be a part of every celebration that ensues through the year. Navarathri is a charming link that forms a central part of
this festival chain. Nava means nine, so navarathri is essentially a festival that stretches through nine nights. Mythology has it that this festival marks the slaying of Ravana by Lord Rama and has come to be observed as the victory of virtue and truth. Many others believe that Navarathri celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the vile demon Mahishasura. Whatever be the belief, the predominant thought is that
Navarathri is a festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

Navarathri is also the time to appease the Navagrahas. Make sure you continue reading to find out the nine new ways to placate the nine planetary deities. Navagrahas are the nine planet deities who are said to have a significant impact on the lives of human beings. It is a common
practice to appease these divine beings by offering grains and lentils.
So, during Navarathri sundal is offered each day in remembrance of these brazen deities, in the hope that all good things will reign. Why not follow the authentic-lentil line of attack and win over the hearts of the Navagrahas?

1. Sunday - Sooriyan - Sun: Godumai (Wheat) is what pleases this dazzling deity. It is not difficult to make wheat sundal, though the process is labourious. Soak whole wheat the previous evening itself. In the
morning tie it in a cloth and allow it to stand till the evening.
Pressure-cook the wheat with tumeric powder and salt. Proceed, as you would
make any other sundal. If you find this task time consuming, you can try
making broken wheat payasam or broken wheat puttu.

2. Monday - Chandran - Moon: It is Arisi (Rice) that delights this
gorgeous diety. You can use rice or rice with the husk (Nel). You can make
rice puttu or rice payasam. Since it is impossible to make sundal with
rice, you will have to pacify Chandran with some mixed rice or sweet
meat made of rice!

3. Tuesday - Angarakan - Sevaai - Mars: Thuvarai (Thoovar Dhal) is what
gratifies this deity who brings triumph and success in all our
endeavours. You can make sundal with broken thuvaram parrupu or the whole
variety that is commonly found in supermarkets. Soak the thuvarai the
previous day and allow it to sprout. Pressure cook till it is done and
proceed to make sundal. Add green chillies and raw mangoes to give tang and
flavour to the dish.

4. Wednesday - Budhan - Mercury: Payar (Moong Dhal) is what interests
Budhan, the diety who makes every wish come true. Thus Wednesday is
considered auspicious to begin all good things. Payar comes with and
without husk, both broken and whole. Whatever variety you may use, be careful
not to overcook this lentil since it cooks very fast. If you are using
the whole variety with husk, you can soak it over night and allow it to
sprout before making sundal. Just before you serve the sundal try
squeezing a dash of lime for a novel taste. You can attempt making payar
sweet sundal also using jaggery and coconut.

5. Thursday - Guru - Jupiter: Everyone needs the blessings of Guru to
achieve success, so what better way to appease this diety other than
offering sundal made of kadalai (channa dhal). Both the black and white
varieties of kadalai can be used. Soak kadalai the previous day as it
takes quite sometime for it to cook. Try adding green mango and ground
chilli powder to add to the taste of this popular sundal.

6. Friday - Sukran - Venus: Mochai parrupu (white beans) is what
pleases this Guru of the Asuras. White mochai parrupu comes both as dry beans
and fresh beans, though the fresh variety is seasonal. If fresh bean
seeds are available use them. If you are planning to use the dry lentil,
make sure you soak them well before cooking. Add a dash of green
chillies, curry leaves, grated carrots and coconut to add colour and flavour
to the dish.

7. Saturday - Sani - Saturn: The tiny black Ellu seeds (Sesame seeds)
will surely win the heart of Sani, the most portent of the nine grahas.
It is assumed that anyone who does not fall in the good books of Sani
can never thrive and prosper. So make sure you mollify this diety this
navarathri. Try making ellu urundai! You could alternatively make ellu
powder that can be mixed with rice. You can make sweet ellu powder if
you are short of time. Dry roast ellu and make a coarse powder of it. Mix
it with jaggery, to make sweet ellu podi.

8. Eight day of Navarathri - Rahu: The eighth and ninth days of
navarathri are reserved for the snake deities Rahu and Ketu. Without the
approval of this couple our desires can never materialize. Kollu is what
Rahu likes. Try making Kollu sundal. Add masala powder (made of dry
roasted dhania seeds, red chillies and coconut) and lots of red chillies to
add punch to this dish. You can also make Appam and offer it with a
splattering of honey to please Rahu.

9. Ninth day of Navarathri - Ketu: Ullunthu ( Urad dhal ) is a sure way
to please Ketu. Use whole ullunthu to make sundal. Add ginger, green
chillies and ground masala powder to make this sundal tastier. You could
also make ullunthu vadai! Instead of eating sundal every day we can
have vadai for a change.

Anonymous said...

Guys, I am a devout Hindu. But too much of Shakthi worship may or may not be a good thing. Look at our dear fellow citizens, the Bengalis and their marxist rulers. Every year Durga Puja is celebrated with such fanfare in Bengal, and the marxist thugs have been there for now almost 30 years. I just don't get it. Maybe the Bengalis should start worshiping some paternal Hindu deities.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

Thank you immensely for this link;heartening ,that they are asking the right questions with dollops of humour!Unlike our 'estranged- brothers'-bugbitten zombies.Woe betide our good for nothing filmworld and cricket!

San,you are fortunate,as there is nothing as suicidal as "sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity";"looking" for God is like the Sun searching for darkness!Without 'you 'the seer, can there be the 'seen'?And anything seen will disappear,not the seer who always IS.

The new age cultists and self anointed half baked 'teachers'do incalculable harm by prescribing 'asanas-breath control ,mind mastery,gems and beads,hugging(Lol)etc and charging money too!All the money of this world, NOTHING can buy HIM;HE is not for sale;HE is anything but a SELF EFFACING BEGGAR.Scholars cannot access HIM when Vedams declare HE is beyond words and thought.

I feel stultified! Why meander through such treacherous circuitous routes when Vedantham offers the MOST EFFECTIVE and POTENT AMBROSIA?

All that is required is 'Knowing',I stand in (eternally)sharp relief from my name,form and myriad acquired concepts.But the qualifications require internal infrastructure of values,virtues which ideally ought to be inherent in a person.

See how one idiot's insanity has become a "collective insanity" and it is harming all in the name of a religion.

How can one be nearer to God than what one already is?

I go undergound during Navarathri as among many it is but partying with dandiya,the most undevotional song playing(Kolkata--I grew up there)extortion of money by marxist goons from "curd rice eating madarasis" and secular Golu(display of dolls)with crescent and cross flanking our Murthis,soyabean and babycorn sundal.

By the way,let us not ape 'them'turning our pantheon of Gods into angry jealous beings asking for propitiation.

In Srimad Bhagavatham,Bhagavan unequivocally says:-

"Any prayaschittham (expiation)or propitiation is akin to transferring the load from one shoulder to the other"!

No God crucifies Himself for the sake of dumb bastards (Patton ....)He impales the dumb bastards to protect the oppressed and virtuous.

Come on,at least credit HIM with SOME intelligence!!

Anonymous said...

I missed out something imp----no dessicated coconut in sundal as decreed by the all knowing allopathic white man and ratified by the indian nodders spawned by him.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

Can't thank you enough for the j....watch link!Oh!what rapier thrusts and some are exceptionally logical and funny .....in Stephen Leacock's style.

Oh God!why did you bring in this cesspool called church with poops....aiyo aiyo aiyo!

But I am radiant with hope as Sri Aurobindo says:-

It is Vedhaantic Bharatha Desam that shall liberate the 'deserving to be liberated' of course.

Our definition of conquering is not plunder,loot,rape,convert,set fire,blow up temples and Murthis with artillery ,colonize,appoint lying sophists to write history and unceasingly plot with thaqqiyas and 'superpower'(LOL)starategies ..... all for what?

FOR WHAT?

A Nachiketas of Bharatha Desam alone, without any indoctrination could ask(Oh!with what fearless never-say-die tenacity!).

Sooooooooooooper power indeed... ROFL......

Was there a better Navaraathhiri for me?

Anonymous said...

Mootra,
do you really enjoy hopping all over this blog with your foot in your mouth. Seems like you have an extra foot to keep it there all the time.

Anonymous said...

Darkstorm,

wonderful job of mootra-bashing. Seems to have driven him over the edge. He was almost in tears the other day , when you brought him down to his street language. He has become a laughing stock all over this blog. The programmed bot post was amazing. ROFLMAO... :)) Me and my friends laughed our hearts out, till our stomachs ached.

Anonymous said...

For chants, stothrams, navagraha suprabhatham:
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/7/m/language.10/

Happy Vijayadhashami

shivaranjani said...

Happy Vijayadasami to all Music and Dance Lovers and Music and Dance Teachers Music Dance directors. Get success in Art carriers. This is a message from My Guruji Natyacharya Sri S Balachandra Raju. "I Bless one and all learning Music and Dance art to get accivement in your music dance carrier. Tell(Chant) this given mandra 21 times.
Om - hrim - Klim - shrim - Dum - Durge namaha
Nithyanande - Niradare..
Nishkalayai Namaha
Vidhyadare - Vishalakshi - Veenadare Nama".
My Guruji
Kanchi Kamakoti Peeta Asthana vidwan
Devi upasaka, Natyacharya
Sri S Balachandra Raju
Music and Dance Teacher / Directo
Author of 91 Music and Dance Books
skype id - Gurujinatyacharya
http://www.musicdanceonline.com