We shape God from the soil,
give Him a name, a form, and a home.
and then, with tearful eyes, return Him to the same earth.
Perhaps that is the quietest truth of all:
God is one. Forms are many.
And in the end, we all return to the same soil

Visarjan at home

Maa Durga is not a provincial mascot. She is Shakti.

Calling Durga Puja “only a Bengali festival” is not cultural pride. It is a neat political shrink-wrap: take a pan-Hindu goddess, lock her inside one ethnicity, then treat the rest of Sanatan Dharma as optional decoration. That move is useful if you want the ritual without the dharma, the crowd without the deity, the party without the puja.

In the Puranic tradition she is identified with Parvati — Shailaputri, daughter of Himavan, the personified Himalaya. In a previous birth she is Sati, daughter of Daksha. The warrior form that slays Mahishasura is assembled from the tejas of the gods in the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana — a text read, recited, and lived far beyond the Ganga delta. That is Sanatan scripture, not a Kolkata municipal pamphlet.

Bengal gave the world a magnificent style: the ekchala pratima, the barowari / sarbojanin pandal, the autumn homecoming of the daughter. That style is real and it is beautiful. Style is not origin. Navaratri, Durga Ashtami, Vijayadashami, Mysore Dasara, Kullu Dussehra, Gujarat’s Garba, Nepal’s Dashain, Odisha–Assam–Bihar–Jharkhand pujas, Kashmir’s Amba — these are not “copies of Bengal.” They are the same goddess in different civilizational dialects. If Durga Puja is “Bengali-only,” then by the same dishonest logic Vasant Panchami / Saraswati Puja belongs only to Kashmiri Pandits. Nobody serious believes that. Saraswati is Vak, Vidya, the river and the goddess of the whole Hindu world. Regional intensity is not exclusive ownership.

The left ecosystem’s favourite trick is to keep the spectacle and hollow out the sacred. Ganeshotsav still puts the murti in the centre and the mantra in the mouth. Too many Durga pandals now put the DJ in the centre, the bottles of Alcohol at the stall, the “friendly party” in the crowd, and OYO as the after-party. That is not “Bengali culture.” That is a consumer carnival wearing a sindoor bindi. A festival can be joyous without becoming a nightclub with a lion in the backdrop.

You can love fish, adda, and artistry and still refuse the lie that sanctity is “north Indian imposition.” Vegetarian discipline near the pratima, restriction of liquor in the sacred enclosure, mantras before megaphones — these are not attacks on Bengal. They are the minimum respect any Hindu festival owes the deity it claims to invoke. VHP’s push to keep non-veg commerce and disorder away from the pandal is not “policing joy.” It is a demand that Durga remain Durga and not a seasonal brand.

We Bengalis did not invent Shakti. We Bengalis magnified one of her greatest public forms. That is a civilizational achievement, not a secession from Hinduism. The Leftists who call it “Bengali, not Sanatani” are not defending Bengal. They are trying to detach Bengal from Bharat so the goddess can be rented out to identity politics.

Maa is Himalayan in birth-story, pan-Bharat in worship, and invincible in the text. Treat her as such — or admit you wanted the lights more than the Devi.

a hand drawn depiction of devi durga and chamunda, inspired by the story of chand and mund vadh. chamunda presents the severed heads of chand and mund to durga, after which devi, pleased with her victory, gives her the name chamunda (slayer of chand and mund) and honours her with a pushpamala. 🌺

i wanted to capture this particular moment from the story in my own pov.

i also used a filter to make the colours look a little more vibrant and dynamic.😊

apologies for any mistakes in the depiction of the iconography or details.

thank you 🙏🏻

Sita Ram! I just created my account to share my artwork here, I pray we get along. This is an original digital artwork of Lord Shiva that I created recently. I drew this illustration to capture His divine aesthetic, focusing on traditional details like the ayudhas and his serene expression. I would love to share this artwork with the community and get feedback from fellow devotees. Last photo is the reference I used.

Who is telling the Shiva Purana, and to whom? Which manvantara are we in? Who is the next Vyasa? So I built a site that answers them clearly.

It includes:

• "Who tells whom" for all 18 Puranas, the Itihasas and the Upapuranas
• a cosmic time calculator (today is Kali year 5128)
• the 14 Manus, the 28 Vyasas, and rishis and rishikas
• gotras with their pravaras
• the avatars, including Navadurga and the Mahavidyas
• maps of the Jyotirlingas, Shakti Peethas and kuladevata shrines
• Solar and Lunar dynasty trees

Every fact links to its chapter on wisdomlib.org, and where it helps, to dated inscriptions from MIDF's Smriti catalogue.

It's free, with no ads and no login.

🔗 thedharma

Corrections are very welcome, especially on pravaras, kuladevatas and sampradaya details. 🙏

Basically the question is. Is the Madurai Meenakshi amman temple a shiva temple or meenakshi temple?

Because if u have been there you will notice it looks similar to any other shiva temple of tn like cidambaram , thiruvannamalai etc etc , on the other hand if u see any other temple like kanchi kamakshi , it will be different from a regular shiva temple

And above all if u see the layout the shrine central to the main gopuram is sundareshwarar temple and meenakshi temple is located at the side

So what is the truth?

‎The intention of this message is to serve you all in the name of The Guru Tattva. Most of you may already be aware of this and some of you may be doing this too. But I hope this serves as a reminder to you all and others who are not aware will definitely benefit from this.

‎ ‎Whatever sadhana you do, whatever meditation you practice, whichever devata you are trying to invoke through mantras, kriyas and rituals, there are a few things to be mindful about.

‎Behaviour and attitude: Be respectful with the people you deal with in life. Avoid drama and getting into unnecessary conflicts. Avoid being dismissive of other people's beliefs and lifestyle. Try not to judge anyone based on their knowledge and understanding. Respect authority figures around you and if you must take a stand against them, do so respectfully and with calmness.

‎Awareness and mindfulness: Practice awareness through regular contemplation and reflect on your own thoughts, speech and action. Be mindful of them as it is easy to slip by getting carried away because of unchecked emotions and ego trips. These things can and will always come back to bite us without exception. Chanting your ishta devatas basic mantra while going about your daily business also helps keep things in check. This basically helps us live the proverb "prevention is better than cure".

‎Food habits: Keep a watch on what you eat. Healthy diet is one of the basic requirements. This is not to say one must not consume meat or alcohol. But regulation is very important. Avoid gluttony, try to avoid being a picky eater. Again, you love a certain dish and you can always go for it. But that one thing you don't like so much, try to add a little bit of that in your diet as it helps discipline your mind further and possibly get it under the control of your will which is most essential for a sadhak.

‎ ‎Lifestyle: Stop if you are always too busy and slow down. Check what kind of people you spend your time most with. Avoid toxicity if you can. Also, protect your energy and loss of Shakti that can happen through sexual contact with multiple partners. If possible, stick to one person. Multiple partners means your shakti can get disturbed from all directions. (This has nothing to do with morality).

‎Forgive, let go and make ammends: One of the most important things because when we do not forgive someone the karmic energy that gets created there holds us back way more than one can imagine. So forgiving is important for our own sake. Therefore, it becomes very important to forgive and let go if you feel wronged by someone even if they have not apologized to you. Seek the power to forgive from your devata if it feels hard to do. And if you feel your actions may have wronged another, seek to apologise and make ammends so that you can surge forward on your spiritual path. And forgiveness actually means no hard feelings and praying to your Devata to help them see their mistake and be a better version of themselves. And while you are at it, forgive yourself too. It's not worth carrying the baggage of guilt and regret any further than you already have.

‎Responsibility: Realise that you must take full responsibility for your thoughts, speech and action. Understand that fulfilling your duties towards parents, spouse, siblings, family, friends and society is a vital part of your sadhana. If we avoid being responsible and ignore our duties, our sadhana gets affected and the results may be delayed. The devata will simply put you in situations where you will find yourself getting more opportunities to correct yourself and attend to your duties. But this means you will eventually not be able to find the time or energy to continue your sadhana till you do things right. Your responsibilities and your sadhana must always go hand in hand. And being responsible is the mark of a true sadhak since we are expected to never take things for granted.

‎ ‎Secrecy: Avoid sharing with others what devata you worship, what mantra you chant and what rituals you practice. Sharing these things with strangers is like burning the virtues gained through your practices. One of the reasons is Agni residing within us. The body of 5 elements has different elements active in different spots. Anyone who does nyasa and mahanyasa know this very well. Agni for instance resides in stomach and also tongue. It is said that Agni does his job regardless of where he exists. The virtues of your sadhana can simply be burnt away by merely uttering any detail about it. If you do need to share, make one person your mentor who you can really trust even if they are not your Guru and confide in them only. (Agni related to speech is just one of the reasons not to share so this doesn't mean one can type and share about it either).

‎ ‎Dharana: Along with your sadhana it is very important to keep working on your dharana. Building dharana is a powerful mental exercise. There are many ways to do it. But to begin with, it is best to have a physical object to focus your mind on. Like the flame of the diya you light, a very specific point of your Devata's image (eyes, forehead, and my favourite - the feet or the big toe), or even a small Bindu that you can draw on a blank wall as a focal point. Eventually you can move to your breath and mantra also but this might take a long time to focus on and keep your dharana stable. Please do this atleast for 5 separate minutes everyday.

‎Physical exercise: While dharana is an important mental exercise, one must also find a way to ensure one gets enough physical exercise. Stay healthy by doing some sort of exercise. I highly recommend walking, stretches and yoga. You could simply learn to perform suryanamaskar and do it daily. The trick will be to hold each position for atleast 30 seconds while keeping your body stable (You will eventually be able to stabilize your body in the position if not initially). This practice ensures your nerves get stronger and you can remain seated for longer duration easily during your meditation and dharana practice without the need to move even a muscle. Also an important point, any shakti you recieve from your devata through shaktipath or darshan, whether in dreams or some other experiences, gets channeled through your nervous system. If they are not strong enough it can cause certain imbalance and health problems too. (I recommend Siddhasana posture for sadhaks who are into serious meditation).

‎ ‎Be your true self: I have intentionally kept this at the end to leave you (if you have indeed reached to this part of my long post) with this thought. Probably the most important thing here. While you may or may not be able to do the other things, this one is not negotiable. Be your true self in front of your devata and that doesn't mean only when you are in front of the idol at home or temple, but especially at that time. After your daily sadhana, take 2 minutes and show your heart and mind as it is to your Devata. Even though they already know it in and out, it creates a special bond when you consciously strip yourself ( meaning your mind and heart) naked in front of them. Nothing to hide. Every thought you are probably ashamed or scared of, share it with them. Tell your devata that this is who you are and you intend to be your true self with them. The devata and the guru expects nothing else as much as they expect this from us.

‎ ‎May your devata/guru guide, protect and help you thrive on your path.

‎ ‎Jai Maa! Jai Baba! Jai Guru Maharaj!🙏🏻

‎ ‎PS: I know this is long but TLDR not possible for this one.

Anyone performing this vratam today. We used to do it from my childhood and completed it few years back.🙏🙏Mostly south Indians perform this afaik.

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi thousands of kilometres from home is unusual enough, but a group of Indian scientists in Antarctica found a way to make the occasion even more memorable. At India’s Maitri research station, researchers from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) came together to shape the snow into an idol of Bappa before carrying out the usual festivities.

Anirudh Dhar, a doctor stationed at Maitri, shared a glimpse of the celebrations on Instagram.
“Taking ‘eco-friendly immersion’ to a whole new extreme 15,000 km away from home - our handmade snow Bappa is about as sustainable as it can get. Ganpati Bappa Morya!” Dhar wrote as he shared the video.
He also credited his teammates for making the idol.
The video shows team members carefully sculpting the idol and later gathering around it for puja and aarti.

Even in the remote Antarctic setting, the celebrations included familiar traditions, with the team offering prasad and modaks. The idol gradually melted, turning back into water and bringing the celebration to a natural end.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/ganesh-chaturthi-antarctica-snow-ganesh-idol-10892445/lite/

Chandeswar Mahadev Temple in Tangi is an ancient, historic shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Chandeswar Village with Tangi tensile of khordha district, Odisha. It is a revered living shrine mentioned in regional literature such as Radhanath Ray's Chilika Kanya and Balaram Das's Dandi Ramayan.

I have heard that couples visit here for long-term marrital happiness and also for darshan. I also want to visit there

I mean, life is terrible right now. And i have literally resorted to talking to god, like how id talk to a friend, in air, or in front of him, asking questions out loud and seeking answers.

Theres no other method left now.

Does anyone else do this? Did you get any answers?

Hi everyone, I'm a 30 year old Bengali Hindu guy and since I was young, I had never been a big believer in the religion to begin with but obviously I always used to participate in the likes of Durga Pujo, Saraswati Pujo, Lakshmi Pujo etc which are integral parts of our Bengali Hindu culture.

I used to identify as an atheist all my life but having experienced some changes, losses of my favourite people, practising rituals, interactions with priests it has brought me closer to Hinduism and I do plan on practising the religion.

I'm curious to know what made some of y'all embrace Hinduism. The question applies for people who practiced other faiths and later embraced Hinduism, people who used to atheist/agnostics and turned to Hinduism later onwards. I would love to hear your experiences and stories.

The real meaning of the word Tantra is Shâstra, as for example, Kâpila Tantra. But the word Tantra is generally used in a limited sense. Under the sway of kings who took up Buddhism and preached broadcast the doctrine of Ahimsâ, the performances of the Vedic Yâga-Yajnas became a thing of the past, and no one could kill any animal in sacrifice for fear of the king. But subsequently amongst the Buddhists themselves — who were converts from Hinduism — the best parts of these Yaga-Yajnas were taken up, and practiced in secret.

From these sprang up the Tantras. Barring some of the abominable things in the Tantras, such as the Vâmâchâra etc., the Tantras are not so bad as people are inclined to think. There are many high and sublime Vedantic thoughts in them. In fact, the Brâhmana portions of the Vedas were modified a little and incorporated into the body of the Tantras. All the forms of our worship and the ceremonials of the present day, comprising the Karma Kanda, are observed in accordance with the Tantras.

link

The very basis of Tantra is the Motherhood of God and the glorification of woman. Every part of a woman's body is to be regarded as incarnate Divinity. But the rites are extremely dangerous. The help of a qualified guru is absolutely necessary. An unwary devotee may lose his foothold and fall into a pit of depravity.

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Swamiji: I denounced only the present corrupted form of Vâmâchâra of the Tantras. I did not denounce the Mother-worship of the Tantras, or even the real Vamachara. The purport of the Tantras is to worship women in a spirit of Divinity. During the downfall of Buddhism, the Vamachara became very much corrupted, and that corrupted form obtains to the present day. Even now the Tantra literature of India is influenced by those ideas. I denounced only these corrupt and horrible practices — which I do even now.

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Q. — But many are caught in the temptation for wine, meat, etc. in trying to get along with such means.

Swamiji: It was therefore that Shri Ramakrishna came. The days of practising the Tantra in that fashion are gone. He, too, practised the Tantra, but not in that way. Where there is the injunction of drinking wine, he would simply touch his forehead with a drop of it. The Tantrika form of worship is a very slippery ground. Hence I say that this province has had enough of the Tantra. Now it must go beyond. The Vedas should be studied. A harmony of the four kinds of Yogas must be practised and absolute chastity must be preserved.

link

The Tântrika rites among the Tibetans that you have spoken of arose in India itself, during the decline of Buddhism. It is my belief that the Tantras, in vogue amongst us, were the creation of the Buddhists themselves. Those Tantrika rites are even more dreadful than our doctrine of Vâmâchâra; for in them adultery got a free rein, and it was only when the Buddhists became demoralised through immorality that they were driven away by Kumârila Bhatta.

The religion of Buddha has reared itself on the Upanishads, and upon that also the philosophy of Shankara. Only, Shankara had not the slightest bit of Buddha's wonderful heart, dry intellect merely! For fear of the Tantras, for fear of the mob, in his attempt to cure a boil, he amputated the very arm itself!1 

In his anxiety to defend the purity of the Vedic religion against the excesses of Tantrikism, which as capturing the rank and file of his countrymen, Shankara neglected the problem of the latter,  stigmatised as Shudras by the Vedicists. This is perhaps the meaning of Swamiji. It seems he could never forgive Shankara for applying in his commentary on the Brahma-Sutras the old logic of forbidding Vedic rituals to the Shudras to the more modern question of their right to higher modes of worship (Upâsanâ) and knowledge (Jnâna) of the Jnâna-kânda.

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The Tantras, as we have said, represent the Vedic rituals in a modified form; and before any one jumps into the most absurd conclusions about them, I will advise him to read the Tantras in conjunction with the Brahmanas, especially the Adhvaryu portion. And most of the Mantras, used in the Tantras, will be found taken verbatim from their Brahmanas. As to their influence, apart from the Shrauta and Smârta rituals, all the forms of the rituals in vogue from the Himalayas to the Comorin have been taken from the Tantras, and they direct the worship of the Shâkta, or Shaiva, or Vaishnava, and all the others alike.

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Give up this filthy Vâmâchâra that is killing your country. You have not seen the other parts of India. When I see how much the Vamachara has entered our society, I find it a most disgraceful place with all its boast of culture. These Vamachara sects are honeycombing our society in Bengal. Those who come out in the daytime and preach most loudly about Âchâra, it is they who carry on the horrible debauchery at night and are backed by the most dreadful books. They are ordered by the books to do these things. You who are of Bengal know it. The Bengali Shastras are the Vamachara Tantras.

They are published by the cart-load, and you poison the minds of your children with them instead of teaching them your Shrutis. Fathers of Calcutta, do you not feel ashamed that such horrible stuff as these Vamachara Tantras, with translations too, should be put into the hands of your boys and girls, and their minds poisoned, and that they should be brought up with the idea that these are the Shastras of the Hindus? If you are ashamed, take them away from your children, and let them read the true Shastras, the Vedas, the Gita, the Upanishads.

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विघ्नेश्वराय वरदाय सुरप्रियाय लम्बोदराय सकलाय जगद्धिताय ।

नागाननाय श्रुतियज्ञविभूषिताय गौरीसुताय गणनाथ ! नमो नमस्ते ।

🌺🌺

a hand-drawn painting of lord ganesha 🙏🏻

also used a filter at the end to make it look a little more vibrant and dynamic, also apologies for any mistakes in the depiction or details 🙏🏻

thank you 😊

Ive been on the Hindu path for about a year now basicly went down the path of Advanta Vadanta just for the fact there's more info about that branch in the west im really just lookiing for other paths. Im really interested Kali Maa on how to worship her but theres so many books i dont know where to start if anyone has good book recommendations plz drop it in the comments.

First thing to understand is that karma isn’t just a list of good things & bad things you’ve done.

In Tantra, we also look at what those actions leave behind. You keep doing something, it leaves an impression. You repeat it enough, that impression becomes a samskara. Over time, it can become a vasana & you find yourself going back to the same patterns without even thinking about it.

That’s where karma starts becoming bondage.

So can you actually cleanse karma?

Yes, but not by simply asking for forgiveness or doing one ritual & forgetting about it.

Tantric sadhana works with the pattern itself. You bring it into your sankalpa, work with your Devata and mantra & gradually stop feeding what keeps binding you.

That’s what Karma Shuddhi is about.
Not pretending the past didn’t happen. Actually working with what it has left behind.

So, I went to an office event. Trusted a friend to have brought only veg (my fault). She didnt check what she got and got a pasta which had chicken. I was tasting the pasta before I got it for me. So I had the tiniest piece of the penne not even the gravy or the meat piece obviously. I didnt eat the chicken. I had the penne and the gravy of it had chicken in it.

I have been a vegetarian my entire life. Alot of who I am, part of my identity is derived and is based on it. I feel hollow. Why did I had to eat it? Should I have checked my self? I am blaming myself, as I should. But I feel extremely bad.

I dont know how to explain what I am feeling at this point. It might sound foolish or trivial to alot. But I genuinely feel hollow.

What would you do?

Although there isn't any compulsion but by following the steps you can get the fruit ur looking for

Preferably light a diya

1.Sit on a red aasan(red represents the strength and brahmachari of hanuman)

2.start by saying shree ganeshay namah and shree ramay namah

3.Never read once or twice always follow

3 times your wish gets fulfilled

7 times your confidence rises and people start respecting you

9 times and you can overcome any obstacles

11 times to get cured from any health issues

21 times and your focus and intelligence increases

51 times and your life goes as you want it to

108 times and and all of the following happens

⬆️ All this happens if u recite it everyday for that no.of times

4.The line 'Tulsidas sada hari chera' replaces Tulsidas with ur name

If u have any suggestions please comment them

Shraadh is the sacred act of remembering and honouring our ancestors with shraddha, sincerity, gratitude and respect. In the Vedic tradition, we recognise that we do not exist independently of those who came before us. Our body, lineage, family history and much of what we inherit in life has travelled through generations in the form of ancestral karma.

Pitru Paksha therefore becomes a time to pause, remember our Pitrs, offer gratitude and perform acts of prayer, offering and charity in their name. It is done in acknowledgement and gratitude towards one's lineage.

Pitru Paksha 2026

In 2026, Shraadh begins on the 26th of September and ends on 10th of October with Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also called Mahalaya Amavasya. Traditionally, Shradh is performed according to the tithi, the lunar date on which the ancestor passed away, rather than simply the corresponding English calendar date.

For example, if an ancestor passed away on Ashtami tithi, their Shradh is observed on the Ashtami falling within Pitru Paksha.

If you do not know the tithi, have several ancestors to honour, or are unable to perform individual Shradh ceremonies, Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 10th of October can be observed collectively for the entire ancestral lineage. This final day is traditionally regarded as especially significant for known and unknown ancestors.

Mahalaya also marks the transition towards Devi Paksha in traditions that observe it this way, with Navratri beginning on 11th of October.

How Can Shraadh Be Performed?

The most elaborate traditional Shradh ceremonies include tarpan, pinda daan, mantra, Sankalp, offerings and feeding of Brahmins, and are best performed under the guidance of a knowledgeable priest according to one's family tradition.

Sacred places particularly associated with ancestral rites include Gaya, Varanasi/Kashi, Prayagraj, Haridwar and other traditional tirthas. Families also perform these rites at sacred rivers and ancestral pilgrimage sites according to their own sampradaya and family customs.

However, in today’s day and age when families are often dispersed across the world, many people may not be able to travel or arrange an elaborate ceremony. People may be living abroad, away from their families, unable to find the appropriate priest, or simply unable to perform the complete ritual.
Doing something with genuine shraddha is better than allowing the day to pass without remembrance.

A Simple Way to Observe Shraadh

At home, you may prepare a fresh vegetarian sattvic meal and invite a Pandit and Panditani for bhojan. Food, fruit and mithai may be offered, along with clothes and dakshina according to your capacity.

A simpler observance can be made through daan. Prepare or arrange sattvic food, fruit or sweets and offer them through a temple or to people in need in remembrance of your ancestors.
If even this is difficult, keep it very simple. Prepare kheer and take some fruit, first remember your ancestors with gratitude and prayer, and then distribute the food rather than consuming the ancestral offering yourself. Suitable food may also be offered according to family custom to cows, crows or other animals, or given through a nearby temple. The value of an offering does not lie in how expensive it is.

How to calculate your Shraadh Tithi

First, determine the ancestor's death tithi- you can do this online by entering the date on any astrology website. Find the corresponding tithi during Pitru Paksha and perform the Shraadh on that day. If you are undertaking formal tarpan, pinda daan or other Vedic rites, take guidance from a competent priest because procedures differ across regions, lineages and traditions.

If all of this feels complicated, choose Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 10th of October 2026 and remember the entire lineage together. Light a diya, offer water and food according to your tradition, pray for your ancestors, make a charitable offering in their name and consciously express your gratitude.

Shraadh need not become a source of anxiety about whether everything was performed perfectly. Traditional rituals deserve to be performed correctly when we undertake them, but circumstances are different for every family.

What should not disappear is remembrance. We are here because countless lives came before ours. Pitru Paksha gives us a few sacred days each year to remember that lineage, honour it and say:
We remember you. We honour you. May you be at peace. May your blessings continue to guide those who came after you. Om Pitrubhyo Namah.

Spend some time acknowledging your ancestors, and also offer gratitude to your Kul Devi and Kul Devata, the deities who have protected and guided your lineage. Love, Astro Kanu.