WANDERLUST: Neelkanth Mahadev Temple - Rishikesh

New Year usually brings me to the most spiritual place – Rishikesh on the foothills of Himalayas.

My stay at Sivananda Ashram, specially at Guru Nivas on the banks of Holy River Ganges, has always been a pleasure and spiritually uplifting. But in this post, I am sharing my journey to one of the most powerful temples of Shiva around Rishikesh - Neelkanth Mahadev Temple. The 4 hour trek passes through picturesque dense forest alongside serene rivers Pankaja and Madhumati. But before I take you on to a journey through my images captured on the way, I would like to share…

A brief note on Neelkanth Mahadev Temple...

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is situated at a height of 1330 meters dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, the place where the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple currently stands is the sacred location where Lord Shiva consumed the poison Halahala that originated from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned the sea in order to obtain Amrita. The poison emanated during the Samudramanthan (churning of ocean) made his throat blue in color. Thus, Lord Shiva is also known as Neelkanth, literally meaning The Blue Throated One.

TEXT: Curtsy Wikipedia, click here to read more…

__________

Now come and walk with me… and hope that you will feel the energy, the serenity and the bliss I experience there.


The morning’s at the Guru Nivas are usually beautiful with the sunlight peaking around the surrounding hills and the soft flow of Ganges is very inviting for meditation sessions as well as few cups of hot tea brewed on the ghat, specially in the cold winter morning.

The Ghat near the Guru Nivas - Sivananda Ashram
The wall with blue color is the steps from Guru Nivas

On the day of my journey to Neelkanth Temple, I wanted to have a ritual bath in one of the most beautiful ghat in Rishikesh – Triveni Ghat.

The picturesque Triveni Ghat - Rishikesh

Well I was not the only one around with same idea.

A sadhu getting ready ... at Triveni Ghat Rishikesh

Some are all set to go...

And as you leave the banks of Ganges, you come across beautiful valleys of the river that takes you almost half the way to Neelkanth....

The beautiful valley and the river along side the trek... 

I was really surprised to see this small kid happily walking towards Neelkanth Mahadev Temple which was 12 KM's away... and in that winter chill without any shirt on.... Well that is how traditional Brahmins used to go to the temple... 

Some of the trekkers of all size...

A hidden cave... and a beautiful water fall - on the way to Neelkanth

This is one of my favorite places to take rest on the way... Actually there is a small cave behind the curtain of waterfall, where there is a small Shivalinga is placed and some one always comes and do traditional Puja... so you always find some flower on the stone Shivalinga there... This I have been seeing for almost a decade now...

Offerings to Lord Shiva - At Neelkanth Temple

It was around 2PM, when we reached the temple and it was a pleasure to be greeted with flowers, incense and sound of Om Namah Shivaya filling up the environment...

And the Neelkanth Mahadev, inside the sanctum

ॐ नमः शिवाय

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Its believed that one who prays here even for little time, gets manifold benefits. Many Tantriks, Sadhu's and Yogi's come in the forest around here and do their rituals and sadhanas ... to get siddhi's and other Tantrik powers. For me, I have always found it to be very serene and peaceful to spend some time, in Mantra Yoga and meditation... May you all feel the energy of the place, through these images...

The Sunset over the Holy River Ganges - At Sivananda Ashram

At the end of the journey, I reached to the Muni Ki Reti (Sand beach of Yogi's) and watched the sun go down on a very uplifting day. The soft murmur of river flowing along side brought many beautiful memories associated with this place and then to my favorite place Buddha's Cafe down the beach...
Hope you have enjoyed this journey with me and may you all have the blessings of supreme cosmic source of peace and happiness that you believe in... 

_______________

Shashi

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

PREV                                     HOME                                       NEXT

The long walk to Rishikesh - Kaanwarias

WHISPERS: Withered Dreams... Haiku on Love...

Sharing some Haiku on LOVE and a longer verse “Withered Dreams...”

Lotus Flower at Chandigarh

Haiku on Love

______

A sense of deep connection

Withered within the lotus stalk

Ancient pond holds on

__
Irresistible will of heaven

Cry as you must

To find the voice of your soul
__

Flower perish

One way or another

Love flowers too

__

This is the entrance to our village Temple of Goddess Durga...
In case you are wondering, the orange shadow is flames captured one
winter night...

Withered Dreams

______________

The bells of deep knowing

Sounds in depths of my heart

Love echoes forever in her smile

In the clinging droplets of dew

All the seeds of ‘being’

Wait for an eternity to fall

To die another dream

Hidden in the petals of lotus flower

Ancient lake, cold stone heart

Holds forever onto her thoughts

A sigh buried deep

With a bit of madness

Still left within

I dream withered dreams

____________

Shashi @ 24^th Jan 2012

This is submitted to dVerse Poets Open Link Night WK 28, if you would like to read really some great talented poets as well as add your own, please click here....

_________

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

PREV                                   HOME                               NEXT

A Door Firmly Shut

201st Post and 22nd Edition of Shadow Dancing With Mind

Welcome to my 201^st post and 22^nd Edition of Shadow Dancing With Mind”

Though I have been blogging for almost 8 years, (First blog started on 27^th Oct, 2004 – My Experiments with Spirituality but for personal reading) but this blog I started on 10^th May 2010 for specific reason of sharing my thoughts with friends and public at large. The desire to know what people who don’t know me personally, think about my thoughts and getting their feedback on what I love and am passionate about, was the trigger to start this one. I am extremely happy that in one and half year of this blog, I have made lots of friends and have got such a great response on my “Shadow Dancing With Mind”. I am grateful for 80,000 plus hits and more than thousands of comments.

My First STILL LIFE at my blog
A girl begging on the path of Sufi Haji Ali's Dargah in Mumbai India

So here is my own shadow boxing with thoughts, mind and living as well as this milestone of starting 3^rd Century of posts, with my 22^nd Edition of “Shadow Dancing With Mind”. 

This Edition has the following topics.

TALKING POINT

Dr Sara Lazar with his team

Meditation Found To Increase Brain Size – Dr. Sara Lazar(Psychologist at Harvard Medical School)

What Yogi’s always knew since Vedic time (Almost 4500 Years ago), scientists are acknowledging it now. In a landmark study, Dr. Sara Lazar with team of researchers at Harvard Medical School agrees that Meditation Practice can help our brains to better cognitive and emotional processing and increase our well-being.

Click here to read more...

THE READER

Thoughts on Women by Nietzsche

The Kiss by Klimt

“The man’s happiness is: I will. The woman’s happiness is: He will” says Nietzsche in his book ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’

Well I have liked almost everything the profound philosopher, writer and poet Nietzsche has said in his books about various things like ‘will to power’, higher man, individualism, personality development, religion, etc. But somehow his thoughts on WOMEN have left me wondering, is that really how he thought of women? 

Click here to read more...

Kahlil Gibran – The poet of Spiritual love

Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran – The Poet Of Spiritual Love, was born on this day i.e. 6^thJanuary in 1883. To celebrate his birthday, I am featuring in this section of my Blog – “The Reader” his most beautiful and lovely book “The Prophet”. Published in 1923, it became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture. Kahlil Gibran is the third best selling poet (after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu) in the world. But before I share his profound thoughts from the book “The Prophet” on many different aspects of life, love and living, let me give you a brief note about the poet.

Click here to read more...

WHISPERS

The Chinese Girl

A section where I post my poetry, Haiku and verse’s about love, life and living....

Haiku on How I write Poetry and A Door Firmly Shut

Sharing some Haiku on how I write poetry and a longer verse “A Door Firmly Shut On The Living...”

Click here to read more...

Haiku and The living is...

Life and living along with a verse "The Living Is..."

Click here to read more...

_________________________
Hope you will enjoy this edition... look forward to your comments and visit to the next Edition... please click on the “Join this Site” button on the right hand side top corner to follow my activities...

__________________
Shashi @ Jan 2012
ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

PREV                                     HOME                                       NEXT
21^st Edition

Remembering Hakuin Zenji - A great Japanese Zen Master

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL : Hakuin Zenji (1689-1769)

Remembering Hakuin Zenji - A great Japanese Zen master who was born on this day today, 19th January around 3 centuries back in 1689. The most famous of all koans, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" is attributed to Hakuin. His one of the most profound poetry, "Monkey is reaching" is given here, with a beautiful interpretation by Ivan M. Granger, to celebrate this day ...

Monkey Reaching for The Moon
- by Ohara Koson

THE MONKEY IS REACHING

______________________

The monkey is reaching
For the moon in the water.
Until death overtakes him
He'll never give up.
If he'd let go the branch and
Disappear in the deep pool,
The whole world would shine
With dazzling pureness.
___________________
Hakuin Zenji (1689-1769)

(The monkey mind must let go and "disappear into the deep pool" of reality. The monkey's fall represents the insight that the way is not attained through effort but through supreme yielding. When the mind stops grasping at reflections, when it fades into stillness, only then does the whole world shine "with dazzling pureness." In other words, the mind can never grasp enlightenment. When it finally gives up and gets out of the way, then enlightenment is discovered to have already come about)

Photo by Miss Acuarelas

Past, present, future: unattainable,

_________________________

Past, present, future: unattainable,

Yet clear as the moteless sky.

Late at night the stool's cold as iron,

But the moonlit window smells of plum

(The moon is often a codeword in Buddhist poetry for the individual mind attaining enlightened awareness. And plum, cherry, and other spring blossoms can represent the delicate, natural flowering or awakening of Buddha mind in early spring after the long winter of spiritual practice. So when Hakuin speaks of how "the moonlit window smells of plum," it can be understood as Hakuin poetically telling us how this glimpse of pure insight resulting from a deeply still mind holds the delightful promise of Nirvana)

You no sooner attain the great void

____________________________

You no sooner attain the great void

Than body and mind are lost together.

Heaven and Hell -- a straw.

The Buddha-realm, Pandemonium -- shambles.

Listen: a nightingale strains her voice, serenading the snow.

Look: a tortoise wearing a sword climbs the lampstand.

Should you desire the great tranquility,

Prepare to sweat white beads.

___________________
Hakuin Zenji (1689-1769)

To read more Click here ...

_________________

Hakuin Ekaku (January 19, 1686 - January 18, 1768) was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. He revived the Rinzai school from a moribund period of stagnation, refocusing it on its traditionally rigorous training methods integrating meditation and koan practice. Hakuin's influence was such that all Rinzai Zen masters today trace their lineage through him, and all modern practitioners of Rinzai Zen use practices directly derived from his teachings.

KOAN PRACTICE

BodhidharmaBy Hakuin

Hakuin's systematization of koan practice brought about a major revolution in Zen teaching. In the system developed by Hakuin and his followers, students are assigned koans by their teacher and then meditate on them. Once they have broken through, they must demonstrate their insight in private interview with the teacher. If the teacher feels the student has indeed attained a satisfactory insight into the koan, then another is assigned. Hakuin's main role in the development of this koan system was most likely the selection and creation of koans to be used. In this he didn't limit himself to the classic koan collections inherited from China; he himself originated one of the best-known koans, "You know the sound of two hands clapping; tell me, what is the sound of one hand?". Hakuin preferred this new koan to the most commonly assigned first koan from the Chinese tradition, the Mu koan. He believed his "Sound of One Hand" to be more effective in generating the great doubt, and remarked that "its superiority to the former methods is like the difference between cloud and mud".

TEXT CURTSEY – Wikipedia

To read more about Hakuin and his teachings, at Wikipedia, Click here...

_________

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

PREV                                   HOME                               NEXT

Wilbur Smith – 5 decades of writing...