EPILOGUE: “Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: (CONCLUDED): Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023

“Alinganam” This word “aalinganam” is one of the most beautiful sounding words in the Sanskrit language. One needs to read only two lines of poetry quoted below to understand what I mean…. They are found in an invocatory verse (in the stotra “narasimha prappathi”) sung in praise of the Deity of the great temples onContinue reading “EPILOGUE: “Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: (CONCLUDED): Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″

“Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-4 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023

“Shraadham” at Kashi The “pitru shraadham” rituals which I performed (along with my wife) at Kashi were over a period of 2 days. On the first day the ritual called “Maha Sankalpam” was conducted. It was followed by sailing the Ganga in a boat to the Manikarnika Ghat for “snaanam“. On the second day, theContinue reading ““Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-4 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″

“Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-3 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023

For me and my family, Deepavali in Kashi did not quite end there at the Hanuman Ghat with “Ganga-snaanam” alone. Deepavali for all Hindus is “Festival of Lights” symbolized by the lighting of oil-wick lamps, tiny earthen shapes placed in all quarters of the home and outside too. Village and cities across the country glowContinue reading ““Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-3 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″

“Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-2 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023

“snaanam” If your faith is Sanatana Dharma, then you probably already know about the 3 “Rrunam-s” — the three congenital Debts of Gratitude every man is born with: (a) deva Rrunam (b) rishi Rrunam and (c) pitru-Rrnam. Hindu belief is that Man’s first debt is to the many Vedic gods or devathas (such as Varuna,Continue reading ““Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-2 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″

“Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART 1 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023

What I am going to write about in the ensuing 10- Part series of blogs on the subject is not a travelogue of a religious tourist or pilgrim. There are plenty and more of such write-ups on Kashi, Gaya, Prayag and Ayodhya that one can easily browse through on the internet. I have no intentionContinue reading ““Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART 1 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″