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A Samskara is a sacred ceremony performed for the welfare of the human being. The two root words in Samskara are Sam and Kr. Sam signifies welfare, happiness, prosperity and Kr translates to activity or doing. Samskara can also be roughly translated to impressions. Shodasha Samskara are 16 traditions or series of rituals to mark […]

What is Shubh Maha Shivaratri? Maha Shivaratri is a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction, a great Yogi, and one of the Trimurti. Every 14th day (waning moon) of the lunar month is celebrated as Shivaratri. The Shivaratri that falls in the Phalguna month is considered to be the most significant or […]

What is Sankranti? Makar Sankranti or Sankranthi is a festival dedicated to Surya, the Sun god. The significance of Surya can be traced back to Vedic texts as the dispeller of darkness and provider of knowledge. When Sankranthi is Celebrated: Sankranthi is one of the few festivals that is celebrated based on the solar calendar […]

Shakti means energy and power. Shakti comes from the Sanskrit roots: Shak: to be able” Shakti is the energy that is prevalent in the entire universe. This force represents creation and manifestation. Shakti embodies the feminine concept of existence and power that is present in everyone. TRIDEVI: Triad goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati are the […]

Shailaputri: Worshipped on the first night of the Navaratri festival, Goddess Shailaputri is the form of Goddess Durga that signifies her birth as the absolute essence of Mother Nature. Shailaputri literally means ‘Daughter of the Mountains’. She rides a bull (Nandi) and holds a trident & lotus flower, symbolizing her absolute power and serenity, respectively. […]

Sanskrit roots of Namaste are Namah + Te which translates to bow + to you. It is a non-contact form of Hindu greeting and emphasizes seeing divinity in everyone. The feminine form of Namaste is Namastasyai which can be used while greeting women. Here, the third syllable ‘te’ is replaced by its feminine form ‘tasyai’. […]

Manas = mind. Dhiraya = gets comfort, is encouraged. Mandir means a place where the mind gets comfort and imagination is encouraged. Temple Importance: The omnipresence of God is very subtle, therefore a mandir is a sacred space for devotees to come together and experience divinity. To know God in an accessible form, devotees can […]

4 Paths of Yoga: Hindu scriptures, recognizing that each of us has different personalities and preferences, offer us 4 Paths of Yoga, or sets of spiritual practices, to help us attain enlightenment. Bhakti Yoga – The of Devotion Karma Yoga – The Yoga of Action Jnana Yoga – The Yoga of Knowledge Raja Yoga – […]

A toran is the entrance decoration, often a wall hanging, that many Hindu homes have at their entrance. Used traditionally in many a culture, these are believed to attract positivity and sprain away negative vibes as well as emotions. Torans can be a beautiful makeover for doors. They can be made of fabrics or metals […]

About Ugadi or Yugadi or Samvatsarādi: Ugadi or Varsa Pratipadd is celebrated as New Year’s day in many states of India. The term ‘Ugadi’ is derived from the Sanskrit word Yuga (age) and ‘Adi’ (commencement), meaning the beginning of new age. Ugadi is called by various names in different regions of the Indian subcontinent including […]