KAILASH MANSAROVAR (Part-2)

Kailash Mansarovar- The abode of God Shiva- Mount Kailash

The Word Kailash manasarovar is derived from Two words Kailash + Manasarovar where Kailash refers  to Mountain (Parvat) -  home of God Shiva, where as Manasarovar refers to Lake near Kailash Parvat .It is described in Skanda Puran,that Kailash manasarovar is supreme mountains where God Shiva dwells. Manasarovar or Lake manasarovar is described as Supreme Holy Lake where God Shiva and Indra swimmed as Swan.
According to Hindu religion, the Mansarovar lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma. Hence, in Sanskrit it is called "Manasarovar", which is a combination of the words Manas and Sarovar. It is  believed the Devas descend to bathe in the lake between 3 and 5 am the time of the day known as Brahma Muhurta,
Mount Kailash is the abode of lord  Shiva  and his divine consort Parvati-SHIVA and SHAKTI.The radiant SILVERY summit is the throne of TRUTH, WISDOM and BLISS-SACHIDANANDAM.
 The silvery mount is the apex where the sound and the lights merges and the true Yogi transcends both these and merges into OM. 
Mansarovar lake lies below Holy Kailash in Western Tibet 4560 Meters above sea level with an approximate area of 320 Sq. Kms. It is  one of the holiest & most revered lake in the Universe for Hindus. The circumference of Lake is 90 Kms. A ritual Bath at Mansarovar is considered to attain Moksha and a drink of its water relinquishes the sins of lifetime.
( To be continued...)

KAILASH MANSAROVAR

The secrets of Mount Kailash

 Mount Kailash is acclaimed to be the holiest place on earth. It happens to be supremely sacred site of four religions and billions of people. However only few thousand pilgrims are able to go there each year, because of extremely difficult terrain and remote location in far western Tibet.
Mt. Kailash is regarded as the Hindus’ mythological Mount Meru, or Sumeru, the spiritual center of the universe, the axis mundi in Buddhism, Jainism as well as Hindu cosmology. The Axis mundi is literally the axis of the world. The axis provides a connection between the physical world and spiritual worlds.
This holy mountain rises to an altitude of 6714 meters in the Himalayan range, and its grandeur lies not in height but in its distinct shape – four sheer faces marking the cardinal points of the compass – and its solitary location, free of neighboring mountains.
The area around this great mountain is the source of four life-giving rivers; the Indus, Brahmaputra, Surlej and Karnali, which is a major tributary of India’s sacred Ganges. To further enhance the symbolic mysticism, two lakes are situated at the base of the mountain – Manasarovar lake and Rakhshas Tal.
According to the writings in the Puranas, Mount Kailash's four faces are made of crystal, ruby, gold, and lapis lazuli; it is the pillar of the world; rises 84,000 leagues high; is the center of the world mandala; and is located at the heart of six mountain ranges symbolizing a lotus. From it flow four rivers, which stretch to the four quarters of the world and divide the world into four regions

ISKCON temple Udhampur (J&K)

ISKCON temple Udhampur, also known as  “Udhampur Dham”. is located In the middle of  Udhampur city in state of Jammu & Kahmir.
 ISKCON Udhampur was a vision of Srila Bhaktividhanta Prabhupada which was fulfilled by Srila Nava Yogendra Swami Ji Maharaj with blessings of his spiritual master Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON Udhampur happens to be the biggest Radha Krishna Temple of J&K.This is one of the best architectural temples in ISKCON history.
On Feb 21 1987 Srila Nava Yogendra Swami Ji Maharaj laid the foundation stone for small temple on land gifted by his father. A small temple was constructed with time. In the year 1998 foundation stone was laid for main temple which was completed in year 2005. He has single handily arranged financial support from all over the world for this glorious temple. It was inaugurated in presence of His Excellency Lt. Gen (Retd) S. K Sinha PVSM, Governor of Jammu & Kashmir on the 108th year of auspicious appearance day of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada on Aug 19, 2005.

Source of info: http://iskconudhampur.com/iskcon-udhampur/

Shantadurga Temple Ponda Goa

Shri Shantadurga Temple is a large temple complex 33 km from Panaji,   in Ponda Taluka, Goa. Initially, mud shrine was built and the deity was installed here. This mud-shrine was converted into a beautiful temple whose foundation stone was laid in 1730 and the temple was completed in 1738 and renovated in 1966.

The temple is dedicated to Shantadurga, the goddess who mediates between Vishnu and Shiva. Local legends tell of a battle between Shiva and Vishnu The battle was so fierce that the god Brahma prayed to Goddess Parvati to intervene, which she did in the form of Shantadurga. Shantadurga placed Vishnu on her right hand and Shiva on her left hand and settled the fight.

Shantadurga is shown as holding two serpents, one in each hand, representing Vishnu and Shiva. Apart from this battle, local legends often say that Shantadurga had gone to Sankhwal, a village in Salcette Taluka to kill a demon named Kalantak that was harassing the Brahmins. As a reward, she was given the name of Vijaya.

Shri Shantadurga is the Kuldevi (family deity) of many Goud Saraswat Brahmins (Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa).Temple is Private.

Mangueshi Temple Ponda Goa

Shri Mangeshi temple  is located at Mangeshi Village in Ponda taluk, Goa. It is at a distance of  21 km from Panaji the capital of Goa, and 26 km from Margao. This temple is one of the largest and most frequently visited temples in Goa.

The temple has been rebuilt and renovated twice during the reign of the Marathas and yet another time in the year 1890. The final renovation occurred in the year 1973 when a golden kalasha was fitted atop the tallest dome of the temple.

The main temple is dedicated to Bhagavan Manguesh, an incarnation of Shiva. Bhagavan Mangesh is worshipped here as Shiva linga. According to the legend, Lord Shiva had manifested into a tiger to scare his wife Parvati. Paravati, who was frightened at the sight of the tiger, went in search of Lord Shiva and cried out, "Trahi Mam girisha!" (Oh Lord of Mountains, save me!). Upon hearing the words, Lord Shiva turned himself back to his normal form. The words "mam girisha" became associated with Lord Shiva and over time the words got abbreviated to Manguirisha or Manguesh.

The complex also has shrines of Goddess Parvati and God Ganesha. 

ISKCON Chicago (US)

ISKCON Temple Chicago
 is a hindu temple located at 1716 W Lunt Avenue, Chicago, IL 60626, United States.This temple was initially known as  Sri Radhe Shyamasundar temple.
ISKCON Chicago strives to give you the genuine Hare Krishna experience, based on the principle of selfless loving service.Temple is open from 4 am to 1pm and then 4pm to 8pm.
Krishana fest is hosted every Sunday at 5pm. Krishna fest hosts keynotes including regular theatrical performances, interactive exercises, and occasional workshops demonstrating how spiritual life can be practically applied to enhance one’s quality of life. Chanting of Hare Krishana Hare Rama mantra and dancing is carried out. Lively kirtan (call-and-response chanting) , sumptuous vegetarian feast,thought-provoking keynotes by eminent Bhakti Yogis, Mantra meditation and children’s activities. are also carried out.

Hare Krishana Movement

The Hare Krishna movement 
has its roots 5000 years ago in the teachings of Lord Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead.  The movement was introduced to the western world by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 and it rapidly spread all over the world in a matter of 12 years The Hare Krishna movement includes mantra meditation (japa), music (kirtan), food (prasadam), philosophy and festivals.

Basic Philosophy

The Bhagavad Gita focuses on the spiritual nourishment of the soul thereby guaranteeing inner happiness and contentment. The simple process is to connect our daily lives with the supreme spiritual personality, Lord Krishna. So the food we eat, the music we hear, the object of our meditation and the basis of our relationships with one another are all centered around the same focal point.

The basic philosophy begins with the understanding that we are not this body, rather we are the conscious spiritual beings residing in these material bodies resembling humans.

Moreover the spiritual beings residing in all these varieties of life-forms are parts and parcels of the supreme personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. So on the spiritual platform we are all equal and we experience real happiness when connected to our source.  

source of info:http://www.iskconchicago.com/hare-krishna-movement-history/

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hares