dwarka
Sacred places for Shradh rituals
Pitru Paksha is a special time period during the Hindu year when Hindus pay homage to the departed souls of their ancestors by performing Shradh rituals at holy locations. Few of such sacred locations are as follows:
Varanasi: Varanasi is one of the seven sacred spots for Hindus and is widely known as the ‘Religious capital of India’. Pindan puja or Shanti Paath in Varanasi helps the soul attain salvation through fulfilment.
Allahabad: Situated at the confluence of three holy rivers: Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati; the city of Allahabad is piously sacred and important. To perform Pind Daan Kriya ceremony at the sangam ghat is considered highly auspicious for the departed souls; especially during Pitru Paksha Mela.
Ayodhya: Ayodhya is the birth place of Hindu God Shri Ram, said to be located above the Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Vishnu. Bharata Kund is a sacred place for offering Pind Daan kriya. It is believed that the departed souls attain salvation if the Shradh rituals are performed here.
Ujjain: One of the religious destinations of India, the city has wide range of religious and spiritual interest. By performing Pind daan kriya in Ujjain, the unfulfilled desires and services can be provided to the departed souls.
Haridwar: Haridwar as a place is known for its importance in conducting puja towards all deities as well as towards our deceased ancestors. The pujas including Pind Daan and yearly shraddha ritual can be performed here and have high religious importance.
Mathura: The city of majestic temples and huge religious history is believed to be the sacred place for performing pujan and tarpan to the pitras.
Kurukshetra: The historic and religious importance is widely known by all. Performing shradh ceremonies on the bank of river Saraswati frees the departed soul from the cycle of birth and death.
Gaya: The ancient city in Bihar on the banks of the river Phagu is quite important in Hinduism and is eternally blessed by the power of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the holiest locations for performing Shradh rituals.
Jagannath Puri: Situated on sea shore of Bay of Bengal in State of Orissa, the city caters to the religious needs of lakhs of devotees. It is widely known for conducting shradh rituals for the departed souls.
Dwarka: Being one of the 4 dhams, the place is one of the known moksh-daayi cities. The city is highly auspicious for performing shradh rites, as it is the city of Lord Krishna himself.
Revering the God of Creativity:Lord Vishwakarma
The creative son of Brahma, lord Vishwakarma is the official creator of the magical residing palaces of Gods. He is the sole designer of the eternal Universe and maintains the unique connection between Earth and Heaven. The peculiar trait weapon and flying chariots of gods have also been innovatively designed by Lord Vishwakarma. The God of Manufacture is worshipped by the skilled class of devotees majorly being architects, engineers, craftsmen, potters, carpenter, goldsmiths, blacksmiths and other factory workers.
Day of Celebration:
Lord Vishwakarma is actually worshipped on the last day of the Bengali month i.e. Bhadra or Kanya Sakranti which falls on 17th September; but it is also celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali festival on Padyami. This festival has a major craze in Karnataka, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Tripura, but widely celebrated by Indians globally.
Holiday for machines and equipment:
As the highest ranked creative God is being worshipped on this day and the entire industrial class revers him, this day is an official holiday for the industries. It is believed that the machines should take a peaceful rest on this particular day and let the glory of Vishwakrama fall upon them and make them more efficient. Factory owners also prefer buying new equipment or machinery on this day, as it is considered lucky and prosperous for their working.
Relevance of this day:
The day is not only auspicious for industries and machinery but also has further unique add on s. Govardhan Puja is also celebrated on this day to remember the miracles of Lord Krishna, when he saved the entire city of Gokul from the outrage of Lord Indra. To increase the bond of love between couples, Gudi Padwa is celebrated in which the newly wed couples are invited for special treats by the bride’s family.
This festival spreads the message of adoring creativity and boosting the talented God and his man power. It brings together people from the varied classes and leaves no distinction among them. When the entire working class comes together, it removes the pride of their ranks and they simply cherish their skills. Kite flying is also an important custom on this day, and Bihar and West Bengal arrange special kite flying festivals.
Architectural creations by Lord Vishwakrama:
The laurels of Vishwakarma’s innovation have been mentioned in mythology and Vedas. He has been credited for the flawless creation of God’s abodes in the four ‘yugas’.
‘Swarg lok’ or heaven has been created by the talented Lord Vishwakarma, which is the abode of Gods and is ruled by lord Indra.
During the ‘Treta yug’, Vishwakarma built the beautiful golden city for Lord shiva and Parvati. This was later demanded by Ravana in return of ‘dakshina’; since then it was called as the ‘Raavan’s sone ki Lanka’.
The city of Lord Krishna, Dwarka has been established by Vishwakarma in the ‘Dwapar yug’, which is now a renowned pilgrimage for Hindu devotees.
Lord Vishwakarma’s magic is also evident during the ‘kali yuga’, when the pandavas were ordered to live on a piece of land named ‘Khaandavprastha’. He transformed this barren land into a magical city of Indraprastha, which was known for its architectural beauty.
Contributed By: Meenakshi Ahuja
Char Dham Yatra
With an annual footfall of more than half a million devotees every year, “Char Dham” is undoubtedly one of the most widely visited shrines in India. But before we delve into the popularity of these holy shrines, we first need to understand what Char Dham is all about. According to Hindu mythology, the term Char Dham was first coined by the prehistoric Hindu philosopher Shri Adi Shankaracharya.
Char Dham literally means “four abodes”. These abodes are believed to be homes of the Hindu gods and are considered to be the holiest places of pilgrimage. It consists of four historic temples which are spread across 4 different regions of India, truly encapsulating the message of national unity. These are namely- Badrinath in the north, Puri in the east, Dwarka in the west and Rameshwaram in the south.
BADRINATH
In the north lies Badrinath, a temple of Lord Vishnu, situated at a height of 10,400 feet above the sea-level in the Garhwal Mountains of Uttaranchal. It traces its origins to the word “Badri” which refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the area, and “nath” which means the Lord. Legend has it that Shankara once discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. It was brought to its present day location by the king of Garhwal in the sixteenth century.
Puri
Puri, a small coastal town of Orissa, is situated on the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal. The resident deity at this dham is Shri Krishna, who is celebrated as Lord Jagannath. He is worshiped here along with his elder brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra. This temple was built by an Oriya king Chodagangadeva in the twelfth century but it is believed that it has been there since time immemorial. Legend has it that Vishwakarma himself carved the idols out of wood. When the time came to make the idols, he ordered for a special kind of wood and went into the temple. He closed the doors of the temple and thought that he would remain inside till the idols were ready. Till the time the idols were ready, no one was supposed to enter the temple. Unfortunately, moved by the impatience of his queen, the king had the doors opened before Vishwakarma came out. When they went in they found that the God had carved all the idols up to their elbows. He was about to put on the hands but before he could do so, he saw the king and left angrily, never to be seen again. So the unfinished idols had to be set in the temple as it is and worshiped. That is why Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are handless.
DWARKA
In the west lies Dwarka, a holy shrine situated on the west coast of Gujarat. It was home to Shri Krishna after he left Mathura. The city lies in the westernmost part of India and dates back to 2,500 years. The story behind this temple is that one day, Durvasa Muni, who was known as a saint who could be easily angered, was invited by Lord Krishna and his wife, Rukmini, to dinner. When a person is invited to dinner, etiquette dictates that the host should not eat until the guest has been satisfied. On the way to dinner, Rukmini became thirsty and asked Krishna for help. Krishna then put his foot in the ground and the Ganges water flowed forth from the earth. As Rukmini was drinking the water, Durvasa turned and saw her drinking without his permission. He became angry and cursed her to live apart from Lord Krishna. That’s the reason why Krishna’s temple is in the town and hers is located outside the town.
RAMESHWARAM
Rameshwaram is a small town located in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. According to legends, the lingam was built on Rama’s return from Lanka. Ravana was a Brahmin and it was a sin to kill him even in war. Hence, Rama decided to atone for this sin at the place from where he began his battle march. As a result, Hanuman was dispatched to Varanasi to bring the image of the lingam from the Kashi temple there. However he was delayed and the auspicious moment was about to pass. Therefore, Sita built a lingam of sand and the prayers were conducted. This lingam is referred to as Ramalingam. When Hanuman returned with the lingam from Varanasi he was peeved to find that the prayers were completed. To placate him Sita also installed the Kashilingam and decreed that this lingam should be worshipped before the Ramalinga.
Over the years another Char Dham evolved in Garhwal Himalayas, where Adi Shankaracharya attained freedom from embodiment. It’s known as the “Char Dham of Uttarakhand”. Badrinath, one of the four sites in the original Char Dham, has become the central site of this Himalayan pilgrimage circuit called the Chota Char Dham. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Char Dham Yatra has great significance in the lives of the Hindus. It is commonly believed that undertaking the Char Dham Yatra washes away all the sins and opens the doors for “Moksha” or salvation. It offers a sense of belonging and is believed to purify the mind and the body. Therefore it’s said that every Hindu, regardless of his age should embark upon this journey at least once in his lifetime.
Contributed By Mihir Ajgaonkar
Shubhpuja.com 