Facts & Significance

In past days a large portion of the Indians were farmers. After a week of hard work, Monday was their resting day. Characteristically majority of them cleaned their homes and cut their hair on that day. So the Barber wouldn't have much deal with Tuesdays and would close his shop. This practice is continued till date but the reason behind it is completely forgotten and lot misconceptions revolve around this.

In Hindu culture, people greet each other by joining their palms – termed as “Namaskar.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together; which are denoted to the pressure points of eyes, ears, and mind. Pressing them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us remember that person for a long time.

Your finger tips with their nerve ends are directly connected to the digestive system. Eating with your hands signals to the digestive system to start preparing the body to receive food. ALso, when you eat with your hands, each finger and thumb eventually makes contact with the other, forming various mudras. Each mudra prepares the body to receive energy from the food and make efficient use of it. Finally, Ayurveda says that food you consume should neither be too hot nor too cold.

It is believed that piercing ears makes one intellectual, improves the thinking process and also improves the decision making senses. Talkativeness fritters away life energy. Ear piercing helps in speech-restraints. It also helps one to concentrate and keeps a patient streak in the behavior of a person. Unlike the west, where ear piercing is a mark of fashion, Indians take it more seriously and it has an important part of the Indian ethos.

Nimbu mirchi is hung outside of shops and houses to ward off Alakshmi, or Jyestha, who is considered inauspicious. Alakshmi, is the sister of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of fortune and prosperity, and is believed to bring misery and poverty. Alakshmi likes sour and spicy things. So people hang nimbu mirchi outside their houses and shops so that Alakshmi vannot enter their shops or houses.

Technically, you do not need to fast. Your heart beats 24/7 and does not demand a break so there is no reason why your stomach should. However, we still fast. And fasting has everything to do with spiritual energies in this context. Fasting frees up the energy otherwise used in digesting food to travel up your spinal cord and enable you to tap into your intuitive powers. This is one reason why fasting is usually associated with auspicious days - when the stars are already favourably aligned.

There is a scientific and symbolic answer to this one. When you bow down to somebody in respect and deference, you reduce your sense of ego and become more humble. Humility is the first step to learning. The other reason is, fingertips of both your hands and legs contain nerve endings. When an elderly or respected, accomplished person blesses you when you touch their feet, a physical energy circuit is formed between your finger tips and theirs, allowing their positive energy to flow into.

Photosynthesis is a process where plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. This process helps in circulation of oxygen and in turn keeps the room temperature at an optimum level. On festivals and special occasions, all our relatives and friends gather together which causes an atmosphere of germs and suffocation. Mango and neem leaves are very effective in the photosynthesis process comparative to other plants. Hence, we tie mango and neem leaves to all the doors.

Diwali usually falls in October or November which is the start of winter in India and end of rainy season. In the older times, rainy season wasn’t a pleasant time for the mud houses; many homes needed repair and renovation after a heavy fall. That is why time before Diwali was considered the period during which everyone indulged in cleaning and maintenance of their home.

Water is of special importance in Hinduism. Apart from its life-sustaining properties, holy rivers are immensely used for devoutness. Bathing also has religious significance, a holy bath in the waters of the sacred rivers are believed to absolve all from sins and fear of death.

Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on the Shivagange hills is unique & one of its kind. In this temple if one offers ghee, the priests apply the ghee on the Shiva lingam & rub on it and the ghee turns to butter miraculously. No technology can convert ghee back to butter, but here it’s possible. In fact, many devotees bring ghee from their homes watch it turn into butter, the whole thing happens in front of one’s eyes.

Vishnu gives a unique pose by lifting one leg up in the sky & the other on earth, like a Gymnastic pose in three temples. This is basically a pose of the Vamana Avatar where Lord Vishnu measured the three worlds in three steps. He gives darshan in this pose in three temples, Ulagalantha Perumal Kovil, Kanchipuram, Nr Chennai, Trivikrama Perumal Kovil, Sirkazhi, Nr Chidambaram & Trivikrama Perumal Kovil, Tirukovilur, Nr Tiruvanamalai, three temples for three steps.

Triplicane Parthasarathy temple is the only temple where three generations are present in the Sanctum sanctorum. Here Lord Krishna gives darshan along with Balaram (elder brother), Rukmini(consort), Pradhyumna (son), and Aniruddha (grandson). Nowhere can you see such a spectacle. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples of Vishnu.

Om is the universal name of the Lord. The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as "A". With the coming together of the lips, "U" is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in "M". These three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah).

Saffron is like the colour of fire. This fire can burn away all worldly desires. Hence, for Sadhus this symbolizes that they have renounced all worldly attachments.

Pradosha vrata is a Hindu vrata for the worship of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Of all the pradosha’s Shani Pradosh and Soma Pradosh are considered to be important. Shani Pradosham is the Pradosha Vrata falling on Saturday. And Soma Pradosh is observed when Pradosha falls on a Monday. Today is Sani Pradosham and offering a puja to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati will bring prosperity and happiness.

In this temple, Salt is not allowed inside the temple & neither is it used in any food preparations, as the Lord had promised that he would partake food without salt in this sthalam. But surprisingly, the temple prasad like Puliyogara (tamarind rice), Pongal (rice & pulses khichdi), Dhadhyonnam (curd rice) etc taste just as it would if salt were to be added when you eat it you realize that there is no salt, but you won't miss the taste.

The ‘Sanctum' of the Vadakumnathan Shiva temple, Trissur, Kerala has a huge ‘Linga' of Lord Shiva. This however, cannot be seen as it is covered by the traditional ‘Abhishekams' with ghee by devotees over the centuries. Over the Linga, generations of devotees have poured ghee by way of offering, which is never removed, has solidified into a pyramid. With continuous ‘Abhishekam' with ghee over the years, it has the appearance of a mound of ghee almost three metres around the core of the.

There is a Mango tree inside the famous Ekambareshwarar Shiva temple in Kanchipuram which is supposed to be more than 3500 years old & till today yields 4 varieties of mangoes from a single mango tree, signifying the four Vedas. A legend says that once while Lord Shiva was meditating Goddess Parvati mischievously covered his eyes with her fingers which resulted in complete darkness on earth for many years.

Usually one finds a small Shiva shrine in a major Vishnu temple or a small Vishnu shrine in a major Shiva temple. But only in one place can we find two gods equal in one major temple. In Chidambaram, Shiva manifests as Nataraja & is one of the Pancha bhoota shtalams. In the same temple almost facing him is Lord Vishnu giving darshan in his sleeping form as Govindaraja Perumal (One of the108 Divya Desam temples of Vishnu). Both the Gods almost face each other.

In Tirunageshwaram temple, Milk abhishekam is perfomed for Lord Raahu during Raahu kaalam & when the milk is poured over Rahu idol, it miraculously changes to blue colour & becomes white again as it flows down from the idol. People having Rahu dosha come here during Rahu kalam and perform Abishekas. This temple is one of the 9 Navagraha Temples of Tamil Nadu.

There are four life goals in Hinduism. They are collectively known as Purusartha. The first one is known as Dharma. It’s equated with principles such as duty, honor, justice, good works, character, and virtue. Then comes, Artha which means goal, purpose, or “means of life”. Without artha, many people are aimless and feel incomplete. Karma is a principle where one must understand desires and how they interrelate to their interests and goals. Finally comes, Moksa which means self-realization or enlightenment and is the ultimate goal of life.

Kundalini Yoga is a school of yoga that is influenced by Shaktism and Tantra. It derives its name through a focus on awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra and yoga asana. Technically, Kundalini energy is explained as being sparked during yogic breathing when prana and apana blends at the 3rd chakra (navel) at which point it initially drops down to the 1st and 2nd chakras before traveling up to the spine to the higher centers of the brain to activate the golden cord - the connection between the pituitary and pineal glands - and penetrate the 7 chakras. The Sanskrit adjective kundalin means "circular, annular".

Often we tend to look for house which are Vastu compliant. We tend to sleep in a specific direction, or keep furniture in a certain direction. Its literal translation is science of architecture. It is a traditional Hindu system of architecture. Mostly, found and followed on the Indian subcontinent that defines principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement and spatial geometry. The idea behind these plans are to integrate architecture with nature, the relative functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns, symmetry and directional alignments.

A brass, mud or copper pot is filled with water. Mango leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed over it. A red or white thread is tied around its neck or sometimes all around it. The water in the kalasha symbolizes the holy water from which the entire creation emerged.The leaves and coconut represent creation. The thread represents the love that binds all the creation.. When the asuras and devas churned the milky ocean, the Lord appeared bearing the pot of nectar, which blessed one with everlasting life. Thus the kalasha also symbolizes immortality.

Navagraha is the nine planets that play a predominant role in living a wealthy and happy life. It is believed that a transition of a planet may cause various problems which cannot be solved easily. The nine planets cover both positive and negative influences in the life of a person to a larger extent. It is really difficult for one to get relief from the evil and ill effects of the planets. Navagraha Shanthi Homam/Havan is meant for this purpose that helps for reducing the consequences in life by meeting exact requirements.

This legend about Holi says that as a child, Krishna was jealous of Radha's fair complexion since he himself was very dark. Krishna used to complain to his mother Yashoda about the injustice of nature, which made Radha so fair and he so dark. To pacify the crying young Krishna, the doting mother asked him to go and colour Radha's face in whichever colour he wanted. In a mischievous mood, naughty Krishna heeded the advice of mother Yashoda and applied colour on Radha's face; Making her one like himself. The beautiful scene of Krishna's prank in which he played colour with Radha and other gopis has been made alive in myriad forms in a number of paintings and murals.

Tiruvahindrapuram Temple is the only temple which has Mahavishnu with a third eye. The presiding deity is Devanatha Perumal. Devanathaswamy embodies the amalgam of the supreme trinity representation i.e. Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destructor. This temple is counted among the 108 Divya Desam of Mahavishnu. It is also famous for both Garuda and Adi-Seshan.

Gudi Padwa is also considered as the harvest festival, which shows that the Rabi crop has ended for the season. This is the time when mangoes and fruits are reaped. Gudi Padwa is the time when you find the delicious ripe mangoes in the market. It is believed by all Hindus that this is the day Lord Brahma created the world. It is thus dedicated to the innumerable Gods we have in the country. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu took the Matsya incarnation or the form of fish on this day. This was an incarnation to save the entire earth from destruction or pralaya.

Charanamrit is a special form of prasad which is the water or milk used to wash the feet of the idol, or of a holy saint. Charanamrit means the water that is used to give a bath to deities that propel down through their lotus feet and later collected in the brass or bronze pot. As described in the Padma Purana, even a person who has never done any pious activities will become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God if he simply drinks the Charnamrit. The Charanamrit has tremendous powers. It can change the outlook of a devotee entirely. It has the power to cure diseases.

Bindi is a colorful dot that is placed on the forehead of both men and women in Hinduism. Bindis have a special significance in the Indian tradition. Different colors are worn for different occasions and stages in life. A married woman always wears a red colored bindi as this shows true love and prosperity. The bindi is worn between the eyebrows where the pineal gland lies. This is an important nerve center and applying sandalwood or ash keeps the nerves cool. Men also wear a tilak during pujas or ceremonies in India.

Normally, the wrist is in constant activation on any human. Also, the pulse beat in this portion is mostly checked for all sorts of health issues. The constant friction of the bangles worn by women increases the blood circulation level. Furthermore, the electricity passing out through outer skin is again reverted to one’s own body because of the ring shaped bangles, which has no ends to pass the energy outside but to send it back to the body.

It is common in India to give money for weddings and auspicious occasions. It is considered auspicious to add a rupee to the sum total. There are various reasons, for some, it is a blessing, a token of love and luck. For some it is the beginning of a new cycle. If the rupee is not added the sum total will be separable or it will end in zero which indicates the end, so adding the rupee will make the number odd hence assuring continuity.

Om is the universal name of the Lord. The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as "A". With the coming together of the lips, "U" is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in "M". These three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah).

A Sudarshana Homam is performed to create a positive energy around one. Sudarshana Chakra is one of Vishnu' weapons. This homam is generally performed to get rid of the effect of black magic successfully and also for prosperity. Other benefits include removal of negative energies, healing of the body and mind. This is a very powerful ritual and is considered extremely sacred.

A banana tree holds a lot of significance in Hinduism. During the Durga Puja, a stalk of a banana tree is bathed, draped in a white saree with a red border and vermillion powder is applied on its leaves. The tree is then placed to the right side of the Ganesh idol. It is considered to be Ganesh’s wife. More popularly, she is know as the Kola-Bou, amongst Bengalis. The legend says that, once Ganesh, who had set out for his marriage, had to turn back as he had forgotten something. When he came back he found that his mother Durga gulping down bowlfuls of rice. Ganesh found it odd and asked his mother for an explanation. To this Durga replied saying that, “ Jodi tor bou aamaake khete na dai?”(What if your wife did not give me enough food to eat?). Ganesha being the ideal son, felt bad and decided to abandon his marriage. He stepped out of his home; cut a stalk of a banana tree and handed it to Durga saying, “Etai tomar bou” (this is your daughter-in-law). And that is how he came to acquire the banana tree as his bride. Thus neither of her sons married; Kartik is the perennial bachelor while Ganesh felt that the only woman who would get along with his mother was the banana tree.

Wearing toe rings is not just the significance of married women but there is a science behind it. Normally, toe rings are worn on the second toe. A particular nerve from the second toe connects the uterus and passes to heart. Wearing toe ring on this finger strengthens the uterus. It will keep it healthy by regulating the blood flow to it and menstrual cycle will be regularized. As Silver is a good conductor, it also absorbs polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body.

Wearing the sacred thread or the 'Janeu' is one of the most important rituals for Hindus. This ceremony of wearing the sacred thread or the 'Yagnopavitra' is also known as Upanayanam. The Upanayanam ceremony is generally associated with the higher caste Hindus. It is mandatory for the Brahmin and the Kshatriya boys to wear the sacred thread. The strands of the thread also stand for purity of thoughts, words and deeds of the wearer. Through the ceremony of Upanayanam, the boy is introduced to the concept of Brahman and thus becomes qualified to lead the life of a Brahmachari according to the guidelines of the Manusmriti. Hence, wearing the sacred thread is extremely significant in Hinduism as it marks the beginning of education for the child.

Aarti is one of the most important aspects of prayers in Hinduism which symbolizes the removal of darkness by true spiritual enlightenment. On many occasions, Hindus light a camphor known as kapoor as an offering to God at the end of the aarti. Many of us are not aware of this gesture, although we all have seen this act. When camphor is lit, it burns itself out, fully evaporating until there is no residue left in the prayer utensil, leaving behind a sweet fragrance in the air instead. In the same manner, it symbolizes a union with God and the promise of the devotees to burn their ego completely without leaving any residue, while spreading the light of knowledge to other lives that touches theirs, no matter how brief in time. Just like the scent emanating from the camphor, the devotees, devoid of his ego and arrogance, spreads goodness around themselves.

Sushrut Rishi, the foremost surgeon of Ayurveda, describes the master sensitive spot on the head as Adhipati Marma, where there is a nexus of all nerves. The shikha protects this spot. Below, in the brain, occurs the Brahmarandhra, where the sushumnã (nerve) arrives from the lower part of the body. In Yog, Brahmarandhra is the highest, seventh chakra, with the thousand-petalled lotus. It is the centre of wisdom. The knotted shikhã helps boost this centre and conserve its subtle energy known as ojas.

The Vedas, Ayurvedic Samhitas and Yoga texts contain frequent references to ghee in many guises for maintaining health, promoting healing and ceremonial uses. One who had ample stocks of ghee was said to possess liquid gold, and Krishna was said to be very found of ghee as a young child, to fuel his intellectual powers and spiritual development. The Sage Bhavaprakasha describes two specific process, in that ghee can be prepared from milk ‘stale by one day’ as well as ‘butter from milk’.

In Hinduism, there is the idea of a central, supreme, unified Godhead that is referred to as Brahman. It has no gender, no form, no age, no beginning, no end. Brahman is the core component of all that is manifest and un manifest. But worshipping a formless idea is not easy. Hinduism acknowledges that if you are evolved enough, you may be able to bring your attention to the formless. But until then, we lend varied forms and names to divinity. Everything is sacred - animals, plants, objects, places, people, gods, goddesses. A tangible personication of all that we hold sacred therefore turns into multitudes of gods and goddesses, minor deities and demi gods!

This tradition is not about sitting on the floor and eating, it is about sitting in the “Sukhasan” position and then eating. Sukhasan is the position we normally use during Yoga asanas. When you sit on the floor, you usually sit cross legged – sukhasana or a half padmasana (half lotus), are poses which instantly bring a sense of calm and help in digestion. It is believed to automatically trigger the signals to your brain to prepare the stomach for digestion.

Vedanta is one of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy. The term veda means knowledge and anta means end. The vedas are the earliest sacred literature in India and the word means conclusion of the vedas. There are three fundamental Vedanta texts. The first one is called Upanishads, then comes the Brahma-sutras (also called Vedanta-sutras), are very brief interpretations of the Upanishads; and finally, comes the Bhagavadgita. The influence of Vedanta on Indian thought has been deep. It is also called Uttara Mīmāṃsā, which means higher inquiry.

The simple answer to this question is, shoes go everywhere irrespective of the surroundings. Since, a temple is a clean place with pure energies, we leave unclean things outside. However, generally temples encourage minimum amount of covering, subject to what would be considered decent in the respective social setting. So keeping the shoes outside is justified by that. However, it is also believed to be related to the ability of interchanging energy – the temple being a highly energized place. In this context, the soles of the feet are considered points of significant interchange of energy, amongst the various parts of the body. This way when one walks in the temple bare foot, the interchange of energy gives them a feeling of ultimate bliss and high of being in the temple.

What is so special about 108? The number is considered lucky and auspicious. The reason behind this is not superstition. The addition of digits of number 108 is 9, and number 9 is related with Brahma, that's why 108 is very important. Indian Vedas, treats the Sun as God, and Sun has 12 signs (Zodiac signs). In Yajurveda, the Sun is related with Lord Brahma (the number 9), remember - 12 * 9 = 108; therefore for recitation of the mantra or prayer, the number 108 is very sacred.

Devotional singing (Bhajan) is the process of singing that originates in the heart,not from the lips or the tongue.It is the expression of the joyous thrill that wells up from the heart when the Glory of God is remembered.It is the spontaneous manifestation of inner ecstasy.When you sing Bhajans with a full throated Voice and with Devotion everything and everybody around you gets purified and the Lord's name gets spread everywhere.

The Hindu calendar follows the lunar year that consists of 12 lunar months. The earliest Hindu calendars derived from Gupta era and were developed by Āryabhaṭa and Varāhamihira in the 5th to 6th century. The Hindu calendars have undergone many changes in the process of regionalization. Some of the more prominent regional Hindu calendars include the Nepali calendar, Punjabi calendar, Bengali calendar.

Aarti is one of the most important aspects of prayers in Hinduism which symbolizes the removal of darkness by true spiritual enlightenment. On many occasions, Hindus light a camphor known as kapoor as an offering to God at the end of the aarti. Many of us are not aware of this gesture, although we all have seen this act. When camphor is lit, it burns itself out, fully evaporating until there is no residue left in the prayer utensil, leaving behind a sweet fragrance in the air instead. In the same manner, it symbolizes a union with God and the promise of the devotees to burn their ego completely without leaving any residue, while spreading the light of knowledge to other lives that touches theirs, no matter how brief in time. Just like the scent emanating from the camphor, the devotees, devoid of his ego and arrogance, spreads goodness around themselves.

It is believed that Bilva tree was created by Lord Brahma.However,the tree originated from right hand of Lakshmi during her long penance.The Triangular leaves or the 3 leaflets of the Bilva tree are offered to Shiva as they are very dear to him. Bilva tree is considered as the form of Shiva. It is also said that worship of Lord Shiva without offering Bilva leaves is fruitless.

According to Hindu mythology, there are 51 Peethas (holy places). These locations came into existence when the dissected body parts of Sati fell all over different places. Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s dead body with his Sudarshan Chakra, and scattered all over the Indian sub-continent. Sati was one of the incarnations of Adya-Shakti Kali and also the first wife of Lord Shiva. Once, Daksha performed a yajna named Brihaspati Sarva, at Kankhal in Haridwar. He invited each and everyone from all the world except Shiva as he is related to destruction. When Sati found out about the yajna, she requested Shiva to accompany him to the ritual. Shiva advised against it, but on his wife’s repeated pleading he accompanied her to the yajna. Daksha started insulting Shiva when the latter reached the location. Unable to bear the insult of her husband, she prayed to fire of the yajna to burn her to ashes. According to her wish, she was burnt to ashes. When Shiva got to know about this incident, he grew terribly angry and converted himself into a destroyer. He summoned Maha-Kali (name of the first incarnation of Adya-Shakti) and revealed his Birbhadra (Incarnation of Shiva) form, complete with his Jata (dreadlocks). Shiva placed the dead body of Sati over his shoulder and started his dance macabre. It caused huge destruction of the world. So, in order to save the world and the entire living being, Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut down Sati's body into pieces. Wherever the parts of Sati fell, that place was considered as a Shakti Peetha.