1006 posts since 2008

Hinduism Archives

Welcome! Sharing my reflections on the spiritual path.
Join me on a profound journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Jun 26, 2012

Is God Siva male or female?

8 year old Rohan from the Caribbean asked his mother if God Siva is male or female? She replied that she thought Siva was genderless. Rohan then asked his mother if Siva is genderless then why is he married? Mom at this point said to Rohan "let's email Dandapani and ask him". I replied to Rohan's mother and said "... Tell Rohan he asked a very wise question that most adults don't even ask. That ...

Apr 21, 2012 Photography & Travel

Extraordinary display of will at the Kumbha Mela

This is a photo of Naga Baba Amar Bharti Ji taken at the last Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, North India in 2010. According to those present at the location I was told he has been holding his arm in the air for 28 years. Many Hindus perform tapas or austerities of varying degrees and
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Feb 24, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Thanjavur's great temple

This morning on the way to the heart of the Chetinad region we stopped in Thanjavur to visit the temple built by the great south Indian king Raja Raja Chola. The temple's name is Brihadeeswarar and is an architectural marvel. The 216 feet (66m) tower with its monolithic 80 ton do
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Feb 20, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Chidambaram's Temple of Love

This afternoon we made our way further south leaving behind the French colonial town of Pondicherry and arriving a couple of hours later in the temple town of Chidambaram. Chidambaram is most well know for its Siva Nataraja temple. Truly it is a temple of love as all are welcome
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Feb 20, 2012 Hinduism

More on Chidambaram's Siva Nataraja Temple

Sacred to Saivite Hindus the world over, this majestic temple complex sprawls over 40 acres and is dedicated to the Hindu god Siva. Here Siva manifests as Lord Nataraja, the Lord of Dance. Although there are many temples in South India dedicated to Siva, five among them are par
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Feb 19, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Exploring the Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

We had an hour long class this afternoon sitting in the lovely courtyard of our hotel facing the Bay of Bengal across from the Promenade in Pondicherry. Today's topic was to explore the basic beliefs and get some understanding of the world's oldest religion, Hinduism. Here's a c
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Jan 2, 2012 Spiritual Adventures

Arunachala - hill of fire

Arunachala hill, in the pilgrimage town of Tiruvannamalai in South India, has long been a sacred place for Saivite Hindus. The 800m tall hill is located about 100 miles away from Tamil Nadu's bustling capital of Chennai. Each year during the Tamil month of Kartigai (October-No
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