Hinduism- The Way of Life

Etymology of Pradosha - Pradosha is the son of Kalpa and Dosha. He had two brothers namely Nishita and Vyustha. The three names mean beginning, middle and end of night. The day from new moon day to full moon day is called "Sukla Paksha" and days from every full moon day to new moon day are called "Krishna Paksha". During every month and during every Paksha, the point of time when Triyodashi (13th day of the fortnight) meets the end of Dwadasi (12th day of fortnight) is called Pradosha. During Pradosha, Nandi (the sacred bull of Shiva) in all the Shiva temples in South India is worshipped. The festival idol of Shiva with Parvathi in a seated pose on Nandi is taken as a procession in the temple complex. The Story of Pradosham Once upon a time the angels ( Indra and his subordinates) were cursed that their colour would change and they would become demons. therefore they ran to seek refuge from Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu asked them to churn the milk ocean...

The Meaning of Namaste: Namaste is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words, "Namaḥ" and "te. " Namaḥ"   means 'bow,' 'obeisance,' 'reverential salutation' or 'adoration ' and  te  means 'to you' (dative case of 'you') .   Therefore the words  namah + te = namaste  literally means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another. The meaning of Vnakkam The real meeting between 2 people is the meeting of their mind. When we greet another, we do so with Vanankkam, which means "may our minds meet", indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship, love and humility.  Why Namaste: Namaste could be ...

Why aren't we allowed to sweep and mop the house or even shower immediately after someone steps out of the house? the reason being is that people normally sweep and mop the house and immediately take a shower when there's a funeral in the house and when the deceased is take to the graveyard to be cremated or buried. so when u sweep/mop the house or even take a shower right after someone steps out it signifies a funeral. that is why it is best to avoid sweeping and mopping the house or taking a shower right after someone steps out of the house.

I am sure all of us would have got a good scolding from our parents or elders' at home if we ever sat on pillows.. when asked Why, they'll often say "You'll get a boil on your butt!" The actual reason behind it is, sitting on pillows especially those we put under our head wen we sleep it is believed that your debts will increase. If you look at it scientifically and logically the rear part of our body is considered unhygienic so imagine the amount of germs that will be on your pillow wen you sit on it.

Leaving the hair loose It is believed that when you leave your hair loose when going to temples and while attending poojas it is said to resemble bad omens.. we often see people with lose hair only in funeral houses.. Moreover, it is advisable to avoid leaving the hair untied after sunset as it is said to attract negative vibrations (ghosts or in Tamil kaathu chettai) and drive away Goddess Lakshmi. Women in the Hindu households are depicted as Goddess Lakshmi therefore they are always expected to dress neatly especially in the mornings and evenings. If u don't wish to braid your hair then a lose ponytail also works as long as you do not leave it loose.. Copyright © 2014  Hinduism- The Way of Life  - All rights are reserved

Bindi (Pottu) Bindi (in Hindi from the Sanskrit word "bindu", meaning "a drop, small particle, dot"), or a pottu/bottu (in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam) is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia. Traditionally it is a bright dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows. It comes in many sizes and shapes (round dot, graceful frozen flame & other exotic forms). The very positioning of the pottu is significant; the area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the 6th chakra, Ajna, the seat of "concealed wisdom" . According to followers of Hinduism, this chakra is the exit point for Kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck. It is also believed that when someone jealous of you casts an  evil  eye on you, the bindi/pottu works as a repellent. The bindi also represents the third eye. Traditionall...

Blowing Out Lamps With Our Breath Have you ever wondered why aren't we supposed to blow candles with our breath? I know our grandparents would have given us some preposterous reasons like it’ll shorten your life and all kinds of ridiculous reasons. Well the real reason behind why we should not blow candles or lamps with our breath is because it will be impolite. The flame is Agni , the fire God, and to blow in his face is impolite!  To the Western mind this may seem difficult to understand, but there is great power in personification. Personification gives one the ability to communicate with the God and therefore perhaps control or at least get favors from the Deity. Personification is the basis of pooja. This is the simple reason why we should not blow candles and lamps with our breath. We can’t really blame our elders as no one took the time to explain to them and most of them were brought up with fear instilled in them.  Hope my explanation gives you all sati...

 The Shiva Lingga

Touching elders’ feet is the first lesson in manners and etiquette that all Indian children are taught. So, generally, one is supposed to touch the feet of a person if he/she happens to be an elder member of the family or a respected spiritual person. In Indian culture, there are specific occasions when a person is expected to touch his / her elders’ feet. These occasions include before one is departing for or arriving back from a journey, weddings, religious and festive occasions, etc. In earlier times, it was a like a custom in India for youngsters to touch their parents’ feet first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Though there are many who still follow this rule, the truth is that the tradition is now slowly waning away with time. When an elder person’s feet are being touched, he /she, in turn, is supposed to touch the head of the person doing the act and bless him /her for long life, fortune and prosperity. Interestingly, the act of touching feet gets somewhat ...

Aum is the  PRANAVA  (root) mantra. In the beginning was with the sacred sound Aum. Aum was with God and Aum was God. Through the sacred sound of Aum all things were made; without the sacred sound nothing has been made that was made. Aum is the primordial sound and it always exists in the entire cosmos. It is said that when this 'brahmand' or universe was first conceived and created, a sound was heard --- AUM. The sound of Aum generated and created the entire universe and everything in it.  

Akshaya Tritiya Monday was  akshaya tritiya  and many of us went jewellery shopping but how many of us really know the meaning and significance of akshaya tritiya???? after some research here’s what I've gathered…. The meaning of Akshaya is (A + Kshaya), which means never ending or infinite. If a Akshaya Tiritya comes along with Rohini Nakshatra and Wednesday it is considered to be highly auspicious. It is believed that whatever Jap, Tap, Daan etc done on this day would return infinte or Akshaya Punya. It is believed that if Gold is bought on this day would never end and will keep growing keeping the house with wealth and prosperity. Hence lot of people throng jeweler shops to purchase Gold.It is believed that Treta Yuga started on Akshaya Tritiya day. It is believed that any work started on this day would be successful. Shloka extolling the greatness of Akshaya tritIya Yah Pashyati TRutIyAyAm KrishNam ChandanbhUshitam | VaishAkhasya Site Paksh...

1st mantra to start the day   Before setting foot on the ground while taking shower Before Eating Before eating (veg food) Evade Nightmares

Greetings fellow readers... I've always wanted to start blogging about Hinduism our tradition and culture. i love mantras a lot.. and i believe when you say a mantra , you should know the meaning behind it... and i hope i can be a help to u guys out there.