Sri Darbaranyeswarar
Temple, also spelled Darbaraneswarar Temple, is one of the most famous Lord
Shani Temples (Lord Saturn) in Tamil Nadu.
Agneeswarar Temple - Kanjanoor
Agneeswara Swami Temple at Kanjanur is one of the nine Navagraha
Temples in Tamil Nadu.This temple is also known as known as Sukran
Navagraha Sthalam.This shrine is also referred to as Palaasavanam, Bhrammapuri,
Agnistalam and Neelakudi.The temple
is revered by the verses of Appar and hence referred as Padal petra stalam.
ARULMIGU PARTHASARATHYSWAMY TEMPLE - TRIPLICANE
This Hindu Vaishnavite temple Parthasarathy is primarily dedicated to
Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is counted among the 108
divyadesams or sacred abodes of Lord Vishnu. The name of the temple
'Parthasarathy' is a Sanskrit word referring to the 'charioteer of Arjuna'. It
was originally built by the Pallavas in the
8th century.
Sri Neervanna Perumal Temple
Sri Neervanna
Perumal Temple is one among the 108 divyadesams found in chennai near
Tambaram(Thondai nadu).
Facilites to Devotees at Vemulawada Temple
- Providing Accommodation to the visiting pilgrims at
affordable rent in Devasthanam choultries & in Dormitory Type Halls.
- Providing Cloakroom facility.
- Providing Canteen facility (Full Meals @ Rs.25/- Lunch
& Dinner Timings).
- Uninterrupted drinking water facilities.
- Dress Changing facilities to the ladies at Dharmagundam
- Bathing rooms for ladies at Dharmagundam
- Sulabh Complex Toilets.
- Providing free medical facility to the visiting pilgrims
in Devasthanam Homeopathic Hospital.
- Free Darsanam facility.
- Free distribution of prasadam in the Temple.
- Running Devasthanam buses local trips from Vemulawada to
Sircilla and back covering Korutla and Thippapur Bus Stations [reaching
points to Vemulawada] and Agraharam Temple, for the convenience of the
visiting pilgrims on nominal charges.
Jagannath Temple - Puri
The Jagannath
Temple is located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Odisha.It is one of the most famous
temples in india.The name Jagannath literally means the Lord of the
Universe.
It is one of the four holy dhamas of India,
others are Dwaraka, Badarinath and Rameshwaram. One of the most popular and famous attractions of the
Jagannatha Temple of Puri comprises of Rath Yatra which is organized every
year. It is the most popular chariot festival, where idols of Lord Jagannath,
Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, who are the main deities of Srimandir,
are taken to the Gundicha temple in bejeweled chariots and are brought back to
the mandir in the same way.
History :
The Jagannath Puri temple was originally built by
the then Kalinga ruler Anantavarman Chodaganga (1078 - 1148 CE). Much of the
present structure was built by King Ananga Bhima Deva in the year 1174 CE which
was in 12the century. It took 14 years to complete the construction of the
temple and was consecrated in 1198 CE. It is believed that the image of Lord
Jagannathji was buried thrice in the Chilka Lake for protection from invaders.
Legends :
According to Skanda-Purana, Brahma
Purana and other Puranas and later oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was
originally worshipped as Neela madhab by a Savar king ( tribal chief ) named
Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity , king Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest,
Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by
Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not locate the place. But at last
he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita . At repeated request of
Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where
Neelamadhab was worshipped.
Vidyapati was very
intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds
germinated after a few days, which enabled him to find out the cave later on.
On hearing from him , king Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha (
Orissa ) on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had
disappeared .The king was disappointed .The Deity was hidden in sand. The king
was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed
fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see
him '. Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificent
temple for Vishnu. Narasingha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the
temple. During sleep, the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral
voice directed him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols
out of it. Accordingly the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan Made out of the wood of the said tree and
installed them in the temple.
Indradyumna's prayer to Lord Brahma
King Indardyumna put up for Jagannath the
tallest monument of the world. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Lord
Brahma, the cosmic creator, consecrate the temple and the images. Brahma came
all the way from Heaven for this purpose. Seeing the temple he was immensely
pleased with him. He asked him as to in what way can HE (Brahma ) fulfill his
(the king's ) desire, since HE was very much pleased with him for his having
put the most beautiful Temple for Lord Vishnu. With folded hands, Indradyumna
said , " My Lord if you are really pleased with me, kindly bless me with
one thing, and it is that I should be issueless and that I should be the last
member of my family. "In case anybody left alive after him, he would only
take pride as the owner of the temple and would not work for the society.
The episode of the Lord's grace during a war with
Kanchi.
At one time, a king of Kanchi in the down south remarked that the king of Orissa was a chandala ( a man of very low caste or status) because, he performs the duties of a sweeper during the Car Festival . When this news reached the ears of the king of Orissa, he led an expedition to Kanchi. Before that, he implored the mercy of Lord Jagannath. The soldiers of Orissa marched towards Kanchi from Cuttack ( then capital city of Orissa, located on the banks of Mahanadi, at a distance of 30 Kms. from Bhubaneswar ).It so happened that when the soldiers, headed by the king Purusottam Dev, reached a place near the Chilika lake, a lady ,who was selling curd ( a milk preparation, sour in taste ) met him ( the king ) and presented a golden ring studded with precious gems and submitted . " My Lord, kindly listen to me. A little earlier, two soldiers riding over two horses ( white and black in colour ), approached me and said ' 'we are thirsty give us curds to drink.' I gave them curds. Instead of giving me money , they gave me this ring and said ,'the king of Orissa will come here, after some time , on his way to Kanchi. You present it to him and he will pay you the money.' So my Lord, you take it and give me my dues.
At one time, a king of Kanchi in the down south remarked that the king of Orissa was a chandala ( a man of very low caste or status) because, he performs the duties of a sweeper during the Car Festival . When this news reached the ears of the king of Orissa, he led an expedition to Kanchi. Before that, he implored the mercy of Lord Jagannath. The soldiers of Orissa marched towards Kanchi from Cuttack ( then capital city of Orissa, located on the banks of Mahanadi, at a distance of 30 Kms. from Bhubaneswar ).It so happened that when the soldiers, headed by the king Purusottam Dev, reached a place near the Chilika lake, a lady ,who was selling curd ( a milk preparation, sour in taste ) met him ( the king ) and presented a golden ring studded with precious gems and submitted . " My Lord, kindly listen to me. A little earlier, two soldiers riding over two horses ( white and black in colour ), approached me and said ' 'we are thirsty give us curds to drink.' I gave them curds. Instead of giving me money , they gave me this ring and said ,'the king of Orissa will come here, after some time , on his way to Kanchi. You present it to him and he will pay you the money.' So my Lord, you take it and give me my dues.
It
took no time for the king to know that the ring belongs to Lord
Jagannath. He was convinced that Jagannath and Balabhadra were proceeding to
the battle field ahead of him to help him there. To perpetuate the memory of
this great incident, the king founded a village in the Chilika lake area. As
the name of the lady was Manika, the name given to the village was Manika
Patana .Even to this day, the curds of this village are famous.
Restrictions :
The premises of the temple are under tight
security. Only indians(hindus,jains,buddhists) are allowed into the temple.
Temple :
The huge temple complex covers an area of over
400,000 square feet This 20 feet high wall is known as
Meghanada Pacheri., and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. The temple
complex contains about 120 temples and shrines. The special shikhara of the
Jagannath temple towers to a height of 192 feet.
Structurally the temple consists of four
chambers. The outermost is called the Bhogmandir, the next is the Nata-mandir
pillared hall for music and dance, then the next is the Jagamohana - or the
mandapa where devotees gather for worship and the last is the sanctum or the
Deul enshrining the deities.
There are 36 traditional communities who render a
specific hereditary service to the Deities. The temple has more than 5000
priests. There is a wheel on the top of the Jagannath temple made of an alloy
of 8 metals. It is called Nila-Chakra (blue wheel). Everyday a different flag
is tied to a mast attached to the Nila-Chakra.On every Ekadashi day a lamp is
lit on the top of the temple near the wheel.
There are four gates:
·
The Eastern Simhadwara (Lion Gate).
·
The Southern Ashwadwara (House Gate).
·
The Western Vyaghradwara (The Tiger Gate).
·
The Northern Hastidwara (Elephant Gate).
This
temple has largest kitchen in the world.
Main
Deities :
The main Deities in the temple are Lord Jagannath, His
brother Lord Baladeva, and his sister Subhadra.
Other Deities :
The Bimala Shaktipeeth considered
one of the most important of the Shaktipeeths marks the spot where Sati's feet fell. It is located near Rohini
Kund in the temple complex. Until food
offered to Jagannath is offered to Goddess Bimala it is not considered
Mahaprasad. The temple of Mahalakshmi has
an important role in rituals of the main temple. It is said that preparation
of naivedya as offering for
Jagannath is supervised by Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Kanchi Ganesh Temple is dedicated to Uchhista
Ganapati. There are other shrines namely Muktimandap, Surya, Vimala, Saraswati, Bhuvaneshwari, Nrsimha, Ramachandra, Hanuman and Eshaneshwara.
Legends around the temple :
Legend has it that the original image of Jagannath was found
at the foot of a fig tree, in the form of an Indranila or the Blue Jewel. Due
to its blinking brightness it prompted Dharma to request it to be hidden in the
earth. King Indradyumna of the Malwa state who is intending to discover this
image, performed severe penances, and was instructed by Vishnu to go to the
Puri seashore, and look for a floating log, and fashion an image from its
trunk.
Rituals Of Temple :
- The different rituals carried in
the Jagannath Temple are the "DWARPHITA & MANGAL ALATI "
which is at 5 A.M. Soon after the opening of the door the sacred lamps is
offered to the deities which is called "Mangal Alati".
- Then later "MAILAM" is
done at 6 A.M. The word "Mailam" is used in Shri Jagannath
Temple, which means change or removal of dresses and flowers etc. during
time some specific sevaks change the clothes, flowers, Tulasi leaves of
the deities worn on the previous night.
- Then “ABAKASH" is done from 6
A.M. TO 6.30 A.M. Which are the Purificatory rites like brushing of teeth
and bath is known as "Abakash ".
- "SAHANAMELA " from 7A.M.
TO 8 A.M. Though this is not a part of the rituals, but about one hour is
been spent to facilitate pilgrims to go up to "Ratnavedi” or inner
sanctums to have a Darshan, without paying fees for it.
- " BESHALAGI " is done at
8 A.M. After Sahanamela the deities are again been dressed up which can be
witnessed from a little distance i.e." Bhitara Katha ".
- ROSHA HOMA, SURYA PUJA, AND
DWARAPAL PUJA are done from 8 A.M. to 8.30 A.M. While some sevayats would
be busy with vesha lagi of the Deities, Pujapandas at that time perform
“Rosha Homa "(Fire Sacrifice) are at the kitchen and “Surya puja “at
the surya temple near "Mukti Mandap ".
- GOPALA BALLAVA PUJA - 9 A.M.
(which is the Breakfast of the God) the prescribed time for this is 9 A.M.
This is the time for breakfast of the deities
- Then SAKALA DHUPA (MORNING FOOD
OFFERING) 10 A.M. At this time puja jrtr is performed by three main
Pujapandas with 16 Upachars or Sodasha Upachars.
- MAILAM & BHOGA MANDAP: 11 A.M.
After Morning Dhupa or Puja the Deities changed their Clothes “and again
Puja takes places in "Bhoga Mandap ", a place behind the Garuda
pillar of Jagamohan.
- MADHYANHA DHUPA (Afternoon food
offering) 11A.M. to 1 P.M. Like Sakal Dhupa, this puja is also performed
with Sodasa Upachar in the afternoon.
- MADHYANHA PAHUDHA 1 P.M. to 1.30
P.M. If rituals have been performed in time and if time permits, the
Deities retire for the afternoon.
- SANDHYA ALATI In the evening again
sacred lamps are offered to the deities after Madhyana Dhupa Mailam. 14.
SANDHYA DHUPA - 7 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Bhoga :
Every day there area about 5 bhogas which are been offered to
the Lords, these are "Gopala-Ballava"(Break fast), "Sakal
Dhupa" "Madhyana Dhupa" "Sandhya Dhupa" and
"Badasinghar Dhupa".
Timings :
The Jagannathji temple gets open at 5am and is open till
midnight. At 1 in noon the gates are closed for about a half an hour.
Best Time To Visit :
The best time to visit the temple is during the Rath-Yatra.
Otherwise devotees can visit Puri Jagannath during Oct.-April.
Accomodation :
The Jagannath Temple Administration, keeping in mind the
needs of the devotees, has come up with “Nilachal Bhakta Nivas” .
Other Places to visit :
Gundicha Mandir – The Gundicha
Ghar or Gundicha temple is an important part of the famous Rath Yatra festival
of Puri.
Sakshigopal – The shrine of Lord Sakshigopal is
only 20 kms away from Puri. The sacred feet of Shri Radha can however be only
seen on ‘Anala nawami’ day.
Brahmagiri – (25 kms from Puri) is known for the
living shrine of Alarnath. Pilgrims visit Alarnath during Anabasara of Lord
Jagannath.
Baliharachandi – 27 km to the
south-west of Puri is the temple of Baliharachandi. Situated on a sandy hill
near the sea and adjacent to the mouth of the river Bhargavi, Goddess Durga is
worshipped here as Baliharachandi.
How to Get Here :
By Air : Bhubaneshwar is the nearest airport i.e. 60kms
from Puri.
By Road : Puri is well connected by road with
important cities in and out of the state.
By Train : Puri is well connected to the major city of
Orrisa by regular and few express trains.
Sri Tadbund Hanuman temple - Secunderabad
Sri
Tadbund Veeranjaneya swamy temple is located in sikh village in Secunderabad.
Naimisaranyam or Devaraja Perumal Temple
Naimisaranyam is a hindu temple located in
the state of uttar pradesh. Naimisaranyam
is also known as Nimsar or Nimkhar and is located on the left bank of the river
Gomati.This temple is dedicated to lord vishnu. It is one of
the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars.
Naimisaranyam Temple is said to be one of the 8
swayam Vyaktha kshetrams. The other swayam Vyaktha kshetram are Sri Rangam,
Srimushnam, Salagramam, Thotadri (Vaanamamalai), Tirupathi, Pushkaram and
Badri. This Naimisaranya Temple is said to be regarded as 'Tapovanam'.
It is believed that the Goddesses is found in the form of forest. And this Naimisaranyam is regarded as a holy forest.The Lord is known as Devaraja perumal or Sri Hari and the Goddesses is called Sri Hari Lakshmi thayar.
Legend :
The Lord of Naimisaranyam sthalam is giving his seva as the entire form of the Vanam (forest). In the old age, all the Maha Rishis along with Sownakar went towards Brahma and asked him which is the best place suited for doing Yagam and tapas. As the answer, Brahma took a dharbai grass and made it as a wheel shape and rolled the dharbai grass. Brahma said after he rolls the grass, the place where it stops is said to be the ideal place for doing tapas and yagam. He rolled the wheel and it stops at a particular place in the Earth and that place is said to the place which is called as 'Naimisaranyam'. Nemi means a Wheel and Naimisam means the place where the wheel landed. Aaranyam means forest. Since Nemi, the Chakkaram which landed on Aaranya the forest, the sthalam is called as 'Naimisaranyam'.
Sage Narada is believed to have searched for the
best theertha (water body) in three worlds. He went to Kailasa,
the abode of Shiva, then to Parkadal, the abode of Vishnu and finally
landed in the water body in the Naimisha Forest. The central deity is also
believed to be worshipped by sudharma and devas (celestical deities).
Indra, the king of the devas, was once driven out
of devaloka by an asura named Vritra.
The asura was the recipient of a boon whereby he could not be killed
by any weapon that was known till the date of his receiving the boon and
additionally that no weapon made of wood or metal could harm him. Indra, who
lost all hope of recovering his kingdom went to seek the aid of Vishnu.
Vishnu revealed to Indra that only the weapon made from the bones of
the sage Dadhichi would defeat Vritra. Indra and the other devas
therefore approached the sage, whom Indra had once beheaded, and asked him for
his aid in defeating Vritra. Dadhichi acceded to the devas' request but
said that he wished that he had time to go on a pilgrimage to all the holy
rivers before he gave up his life for them. Indra then brought
together all the waters of the holy rivers to Naimisaranya, thereby allowing
the sage to have his wish fulfilled without a further loss of time. Dadhichi is
then said to have given up his life by the art of yoga after which
the devas fashioned the Vajrayudha from his spine.
This weapon was then used to defeat the asura,
allowing Indra to reclaim his place as the king of devaloka.
The Pushkarani of this sthalam are Gomukhi Nadhi and Chakkara
theertham. On the shore of Chakkara theertham, separate sannadhis for
Chakarathalwar, Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha Piratti is found. On the way to
Gomukhi Nadhi, a separate temple called as “Vyasa Ghat” is found. On the other
side of this sthalam, a temple for Suka maharishi is found, where Suka Bhagavan
is found as the bronze statue.
Near to this Suka Maharishi temple, a temple for Hanuman is found on the top of the mountains which is known as the “Hanuman Ghat”. He is found in standing position holding Sri Rama and Lakshmana in his two shoulders, in Vishwaroopa Kolam.
Near to this Suka Maharishi temple, a temple for Hanuman is found on the top of the mountains which is known as the “Hanuman Ghat”. He is found in standing position holding Sri Rama and Lakshmana in his two shoulders, in Vishwaroopa Kolam.
This place is also visited by sankaracharya.The central deity is
believed to have presided over the forest and hence
the puja (rituals) are done to the forest.
On every New moon day large number of devotees visit this temple.
Temple Timings : 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM
and 04:00 PM to 08:00 PM.
How To Get Here :
Naimisaranyam is located at the junction of the roads
from Sitapur and Khairabad, 32 km from Sitapur and 42 km
from the Sandila railway station, 45 miles north
of Lucknow in Uttarpradesh.
Saraswati Vandana Mantra
Yaa Kundendu tushaara haara-dhavalaa, Yaa shubhra-vastra'avritaa
Yaa veena-vara-danda-manditakara, Yaa shweta padma'asana
Yaa brahma'achyuta shankara prabhritibhir Devai-sadaa Vanditaa
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswati Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadya'apahaa.
Shuklaam Brahmavichaara Saara paramaam Aadhyaam Jagadvyapinim,
Veena Pustaka Dhaarineem Abhayadaam Jaadya'andhakaara'apahaam
Haste Sphaatika Maalikam Vidadhateem Padmasane Sansthitaam
Vande taam Parmeshwareem Bhagavateem Buddhipradaam Shardam.
Medical Tests - KMY
An applicant should not suffer from medical
conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, heart disease,
epilepsy, etc. The selected applicant is required to undergo and qualify
comprehensive medical examinations conducted by the Delhi Heart and Lung
Institute (DHLI) and the ITBP Base Hospital in New Delhi.
Medical Tests in Delhi: Selected Yatris are required to assemble in New Delhi 3-4 days in advance of the Yatra to undergo thorough medical tests at the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute and the ITBP Base Hospital. Parameters of medical tests are decided by the ITBP Base Hospital, keeping the requirements of the Yatra in mind. Only those applicants who pass these tests are allowed to proceed on the Yatra.
Additional Medical Test at Gunji: Reactions to altitude trekking – An additional medical test to ascertain reactions to altitude trekking will be conducted by ITBP at Gunji after about 5 days of the Yatra at a height of around 3500 metres. A Yatri who is found medically unfit here will not be permitted to continue the Yatra and will forfeit all charges levied earlier by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (KMVN) and others.
Competent Medical Authority: ITBP and DHLI – The findings and the recommendations of the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute and the ITBP medical personnel both in Delhi and Gunji will be final and binding. No other medical certificates or test reports are accepted to qualify for the Yatra proper.
Medical Tests Conducted by GHLI and ITBP
1.
Hb.
2. TLC
3. DLC
4. BLOOD SUGAR (F & PP)
5. BLOOD UREA
6. CREATININE
7. SERUM BILURUBIN, SGOT, SGPT
8. BLOOD GROUP WITH Rh typing
9. LIPID PROFILE
10.
URINE RE
11.
CHEST X-RAY
12.
TMT
13.
E.C.G.
14.
PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST ( PFT )
15.
HbA1c
16.
STRESS-ECHO-TEST (if recommended by doctor).
Body Mass Index: A
person’s fitness for the Yatra depends on many factors of his/her health. An
otherwise fit person should try to lower the BMI level to 27 or less to add to
his/her fitness.
Thaipusam
Thaipusam festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil
month of Thai (January/February).The
word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai,
and the name of a star, Pusam.The festival commemorates the occasion
when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel "spear"
so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Thaipusam is associated with the Kavadi. It involves
Lord Muruga testing the determination of Idumban, the student of Sage Agasthya.
Another myth revolves around Lord Muruga eavesdropping into
the conversation between Lord Shiva and Parvati. Lord Shiva was rendering an
important mantra to Parvati and Lord Muruga listened to it by hiding. Parvati
discovered that Lord Muruga was eavesdropping and cursed him.
Lord Muruga acknowledged his mistake and started a penance.
Parvati was pleased and appeared before him with Lord Shiva. Thaipusam is
believed to be the day in which Parvati appeared before Lord Muruga.
Kavadi :
Carrying
kavadi is a practice of penance or prayaschittam. The tradition of
carrying kavadi was started by a great devotee of Lord Muruga, Idumban, who
worshipped Lord Murugan at the Palani Hills temple in Tamilnadu. He created the
first kavadi. It was a simple structure that consisted of a straight horizontal
branch of a tree with two small pots of milk tied at either end and decorated
by a wooden arch, flowers and peacock’s tail feathers. Idumban also pierced a
small vel shaped skewer across his cheeks. Idumban carried the kavadi from the
foothills of Palani to Lord Murugan’s Palani Andavan temple at the summit of
the hills and offered the milk for Lord Palani’s abishekam.
Since
those ancient times, the forms of kavadi have become more elaborate. During
Thaipusam these days devotees can be seen carrying kavadis as simple as a pot
of milk balanced on their heads to elaborate structures rising up to two meters
above the head with multiple body piercings. Devotees carrying kavadi usually
wear yellow garments. Yellow colour symbolizes purification.
Body Piercing on Thaipusam :
Many fanatical devotees go to such extent as to torture their
bodies to appease the Lord. So, a major feature of Thaipusam celebrations is
body piercing with hooks, skewers and small lances called 'vel'.Many of these
devotees even pull chariots and heavy objects with hooks attached to their
bodies. Many others pierce their tongue and cheek to impede speech and thereby
attain full concentration on the Lord. Most devotees enter into a trance during
such piercing due to the incessant drumming and chanting of "vel vel
shakti vel."
Preparations :
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves
through prayer and fasting approximately 48 days before Thaipusam.
Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the
kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer
observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a
day, while continuously thinking of God.
On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and
undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of
devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi . At its simplest
this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by
piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.
Celebrations :
Thaipusam
is mainly celebrated in the Tamil speaking world. In India, it is celebrated in
the Southern State of Tamil Nadu and in parts of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Thaipusam celebration at the Batu Caves in Malaysia has become world famous. It
is also celebrated with much fervor in Singapore.
Devotees
carry Kavadi to Murugan temples on this day. Nowadays, Thaipusam celebrations
garner international attraction for the body piercing with vel by
devotees.
Shirdi SaiBaba Kakad(Morning) Aarti
Aarti is held four times a day at Baba’s
Samadhi For many who come to Shirdi, attendance at arati is one of the
highlights of their visit. It is perhaps during arati that we can most easily
experience the essence of Shirdi and the power of Baba’s presence. Some people
experienced a heightened state and speak of a dissolution of the sense of
separation, the erosion of the boundary between self and God. Others say that
this is the time when Baba comes “alive” for them and answers their questions
and prayers.