Source THANJAVUR, INDIA, November 26, 2012 (The Hindu): The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning to prepare site management plans for world heritage monuments in Tamil Nadu on the lines of the one adopted in Hampi, Karnataka, according to G. Maheshwari, ASI Superintending Archaeologist. She told The Hindu on Sunday that a site management […]

Source NAGAPATTINAM, TAMIL NADU, INDIA, November 22, 2012 (ANI): The head of the ancient Saivite Mutt at Thiruvavaduthurai in Nagapattinam District, Sivaprakasa Desiga Paramacharya Swami, passed away on Thursday. Mutt sources said that Sivaprakasa Desiga Paramacharya Swami was the 23rd head, aadheenakartar, of the Thiruvavaduthurai Aadheenam and was 72 at the time of his death. […]

Source INDIA, November 15, 2012 (Daily Pioneer): The Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala, Kerala’s famous mountainous Hindu pilgrim centre, opened on Thursday evening for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage amidst tight security measures. The pilgrimage season starting on the morning of Friday, the first day of Vrischikam month of the Malayalam calendar, will conclude on January […]

Source INDIA, November 12, 2012 (Times of India, by Anil Dharker): Was V. S. Naipaul right or was Girish Karnad right? The sound and fury generated by the controversy at Literature Live!, Mumbai’s literary festival, has obscured one important aspect of our national life: we are afraid of our own history. Let’s recap for a […]

1. Definitions of Bliss A. Bliss is the favourable experience experienced by the embodied soul undertaking spiritual practice (jivatma), the God realised soul (Shivatma) or the soul in the state of union with The Supreme God (Shivadasha), when the functions of the five senses, mind and intellect have ceased. B. यास्‍मिन्‌ स्‍थितो न दु:खेन गुरुणापि अविचाल्‍यते । Meaning: When the mind […]

1. Types of happiness and unhappiness 1.1 When alive A. According to the scriptures: Physical (adhibhautik), divine (adhidaivik) and spiritual (adhyatmik) are the types according to the scriptures. These types are classified according to the cause of happiness or unhappiness. We will understand this better with an example. Let us take the example of the […]

Tulsi or tulasi is a sacred plant for “Hindus” and is worshipped by Hindus as the avatar of goddess Lakshmi. Water mixed with the petals is given to the dying to raise their departing souls to heaven. Tulsi, which is Sanskrit for “the incomparable one”, is most often regarded as a consort of Krishna in […]

As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep their crops healthy and sustain the way of life of the townspeople. As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask […]

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