Krishna Janmashtami - birthday of Lord Krishna

!! जय श्री क़ृष्ण !!

Krishna Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month (in the waning part of the lunar cycle between the full moon and the new moon) of Bhadrapada (August-September). It is a festival celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm by Krishna devotees all across the world. But why did Lord Krishna incarnate into the physical realm anyway?

Incarnations of Lord Krishna

Complete Incarnation

Incarnations of God appear for special reasons under special circumstances. Whenever there is much unrighteousness, whenever confusion and disorder set in on account of unrighteousness and baffle the well-ordered progress of mankind, whenever the balance of human society is upset by selfish, ruthless and cruel beings, whenever irreligion and unrighteousness prevail, whenever the foundations of social organisations are undermined, the great Incarnation of God appears in order to re-establish righteousness and to restore peace.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्या, ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्या, तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ।।

yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya, glaanirbhavati bhaarata.

abhyutthaanam.h adharmasya, tadaatmaanM sRRijaamyaham.h..

Hey Bhaarata (Arjuna). It is Faith which teaches renunciation and is responsible for the elevation and well-being of human beings. Whenever in the passage of time, (yadaa yadaa) Faith (or dharma) is weakened or is under attack, (glaanirbhavati) – and whenever adharma spreads without control (abhyutthaanam.h) – it is then (tadaatmaanM) that I re-incarnate myself (sRRijaamyaham.h) with all my powers to restore Faith. Whenever there is a decline of righteousness, and the rise of unrighteousness, then I re-incarnate myself to teach dharma.

Krishnaaa

An incarnation is the descent of God for the ascent of man. The work done by the Incarnation of God and His teachings produce a benign influence on human beings and help them in their upward divine unfoldment and Self-realisation.

Physical Manifestation

His enchanting form with flute in hand is worshipped in myriads of homes in India. It is a form to which is poured out devotion and supreme love from the hearts of countless devotees not only in India but also in the West. Millions of spiritual seekers worship Him and repeat His Mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

His Roles in Life

Lord Krishna was great in knowledge, great in emotion, great in action, all at once. The scriptures have not recorded any life more full, more intense, more sublime and grander than the life of Sri Krishna.

Bansi Bajaiya Krishna

Krishna played various roles during His stay in the world. He was Arjuna’s charioteer. He was an excellent statesman. He was a master musician; he gave lessons even to Narada in the art of playing the veena. The music of His flute thrilled the hearts of the Gopis and everyone else. He was a cowherd in Brindavan and Gokul. He exhibited miraculous powers even as a child. He killed many demons.

He revealed His Comic Form to His mother, Yasoda. He performed the Rasa Lila, the secret of which can only be understood by devotees like Narada, Gauranga, Radha and the Gopis. He taught the supreme Truth of Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He had mastered every one of the sixty-four fine arts. For all these reasons He is regarded as a full and complete manifestation of God.

nishiithe tama udbhUte jAyamAne janArdane |

devakyAm devarUpiNyAm viShNuH sarvaguhAshayaH||

AvirAsiid yathA prAcyAm dishiinduriva puShkalaH ||

Then, at the hour of midnight, which ushered in the advent of the Lord janArdana, when the darkness was at its most intense, viShNu, who dwells in the cave of the hearts of all creatures, revealed Himself as He verily is, in divinely beautiful devakii, even as the full-orbed moon rises in the eastern sky.

The Lord, who is eternal, manifested Himself, just as the moon, which is ever present, becomes visible in the eastern sky when it rises. He is compared to the full moon to indicate His fullness (pUrNatvam).

!! जय श्री क़ृष्ण !!

Bhains : Really innovative international literacy day campaign

Received this image from one of my friend, so thought to put it up on my blog on this International Literacy Day 8 September.

"Kala Akshar Bhains Barabar" - It's an old saying in Hindi but seem's still true and accurate for those who are illiterate. This image is itself self-explanatory yet humorous with a Question mark (? )...Why is more than half the population in India illiterate?...Have we thought on why the number of illiterate people in India is the highest in the world.

Knowledge is power. Education is the key to our future and the evolution of society. Being Indian, we have to unite and "Help fight illiteracy in India" 

Place With Exceptional Scenic Beauty - Kanyakumari

India, known for its rich culture and tradition, also is rich in natural resources. While the Northern side of India is widely covered by Himalayas, the west is covered by Arabian Sea and the east by Bay of Bengal. The southern side is exclusive as both these seas join with the Indian Ocean. The land placed in the tip of India, where the three seas join together is Kanyakumari. 

Kanyakumari is named after the virgin goddess, Kanayakumari Amman. Kanyakumari Temple also known as Kumari Amman temple located at the sea shore is the main featuring spot for the tourists to visit. The temple is dedicated to the virgin goddess Parvati, who self-punished to marry Lord Shiva. 

The main attractions of this place are the enthusiastic sunsets that are visible only from October 15th to March 15th. Though sunrise can be viewed throughout the year, sunrise on full moon day is the serene beauty. But we can have a view of both sunrise and sunset throughout the year from top of a hill called Murugan Kundram which also recommends for a panoramic view of Kanyakumari. Yet another distinctive sight of this spot is, the sunset and moonrise can be viewed almost simultaneously on full moon days. 

Kanyakumari known for its tranquility has very beautiful beaches with sand in multicolor. There are two rocks called as ‘Twin Rocks’ in the middle of the sea, both adding the rich Indian heritage with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial built in 1970 (where Swamy Vivekananda sat in deep meditation) and monument of Saint Thiruvalluvar. This apart, A Gandhi Memorial was built on that spot where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were kept in the vase for public viewing before submersion. 

A few notable festivals celebrated in Kanyakumari are Chaitra Purnima festival celebrated in May 1st week, Navaratri festival celebrated during the month of October and the Holy Annual festival of Roman Catholic Church celebrated in the last week of December. 

The facility of road, rail and air transport is available for tourists to travel. While the nearest airport is located in Trivandrum, Kerala, 87 kms away from Kanyakumari, two railway junctions, one at Kanyakumari and the other at Nagarcoil and three bus terminuses, Central and Express Bus Stand, Christopher Bus Stand and Anna Bus Stand are situated. The tourists may visit the place according to their preference of choice in transport. 

Some Pictures of Kanyakumari

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Facts About India

• India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history
• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
• The name ‘India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name ‘Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus
• Chess was invented in India
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India
• The ‘Place Value System’ and the ‘Decimal System’ were developed in India in 100 B.C
• The World’s First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola
• India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations
• The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called ‘Mokshapat’. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births
• The world’s highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people
• The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake
• The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘NAVGATIH’. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days
• The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 1053 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 1012(10 to the power of 12)
• Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world. (Source: Gemological Institute of America)
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plasticsurgery and brain surgeries
• Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts
• India exports software to 90 countries
• The four religions born in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world’s population
• Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively
• Islam is India’s and the world’s second largest religion
• There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world
• The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively
• Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
• The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world’s largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday
• Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called “the Ancient City” when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution
• His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries
•  Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years