 |
| Blessings from Rishikesh Sivananda Ashram on Diwali 2011 |
Wish you all have a prosperous and happy Diwali. May Goddess Laxmi smile on you and give you health, wealth and wisdom.
I am sharing in this post some powerful spiritual energy sources in India associated with Goddess Durga and Laxmi, that has made a strong impression on me. Sharing also some of my impressions of Diwali from past year... But before that, let me introduce my friends from abroad to this important festival of light...
I am sharing in this post some powerful spiritual energy sources in India associated with Goddess Durga and Laxmi, that has made a strong impression on me. Sharing also some of my impressions of Diwali from past year... But before that, let me introduce my friends from abroad to this important festival of light...
What is this Festival of Light?
Deepavali or Diwali, popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-November for different reasons. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.
Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.
 |
| Welcoming Goddess Laxmi with colorful Rangoli |
Text from Wikipedia click here to read more...
_____________________________________________
Now come and walk with me to some great places, that has left a deep
spiritual impression on me and shaped my thoughts and beliefs over the years...
 |
| Durga Temple in Village |
From my childhood the ancestral Durga Temple, in my country house, has been part of my growing up. (If you notice, part of this image graces the
top of my blog too)
 |
| kalka Ji Temple |
Growing up with four brothers, when my father moved to Delhi, Kalka Ji Temple has
been our daily 'morning walk' destination. As our school was near the temple, Kalka Ji has been our destination for various ups and downs in our life, either to pray or to ask for something and Kalka Mai has always provided us with a path if not the answer. Kalka Ji has been source of inspiration for all of us for decades....
 |
| Vaishno Devi |
During my professional life, I came across many other powerful temples Laxmi and Durga... some of them are here...
 |
| Chottanikara Bhagwati Temple in Kerala |
 |
| Meenakshi Temple - Madurai |
 |
| Dakhshineshwar Temple - Kolkata |
The Dakshineshwar Temple in Kolkata has been an important source of change in thinking within me spiritually as well as mentally. This temple is the place from where Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the priest of Dakshineshwar Temple at that time, spread indian spirituality and religious belief throughout the world by his very learned and knowledgeable disciples ... like Swami Vivekanada, Paramahansa Yogananda (Writer of 'Autobiography of Yogi' which I recommend to every one as the first step to knowing Indian Spiritual and Religious philosophy) ... If you like you can read more about this temple and actually have a virtual tour to this beautiful source of spiritual energy... check my post here...
Now below are some of the holy places in India that has attracted me in my life and I keep visiting them almost every year...
 |
| Diwali and Aarti at Varanasi on the banks of Ganges |
 |
| Durga Ji on the banks of River Ganges at Haridwar |
 |
| Kali Ji on the bank of river Ganges - Rishikesh |
As this journey comes to an end, I leave you with some impression of Diwali celebrations from last year...
 |
| Gang of Four - Ready to have a blast on Diwali... Diwali @ 2010 |
 |
| And the blast... Diwali @ 2010 |
Finally I leave you with lamp of lights from the temple in Rishikesh at the foothills of Himalaya... which is known as Dev Bhoomi (Land of Gods) and some, including me consider it as spiritual capital of the world..
