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Skanda Vale Temple Wales England

adam — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Skanda Vale is a multi-faith ashram (or monastery) near Carmarthen in Wales. It was founded on pure Sanathana Dharma; the Timeless Consciousness of God, as taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. We believe that all religions stem from, and merge into the one Reality; God is One, though His forms are many. The ashram was established here in Wales in 1973, though our roots can be traced back to Sri Lanka, for that is where our founder, Guru Sri Subramanium was born. You can find out more about the history of Skanda Vale here. We have three temples; the Murugan Temple, the Maha Shakti Temple and the Sri Ranganatha Temple, and hold six pujas every single day of the year. Skanda Vale is the name of our organisation, whilst the people that live here are known collectively as the Community of the Many Names of God. Nobody at Skanda Vale is paid. All Community members live here full time, and are entirely dependent on the Grace of God for all their daily needs. Skanda Vale is funded solely through voluntary, anonymous donations. We do not charge anyone for food, accommodation or services, and everything is offered completely free of charge. The Community is very self-sufficient, and completely independent from any religious or commercial organisations. The vast majority of Community members live as ‘sannyasa’ – unmarried renunciants who have dedicated their lives to loving, serving and experiencing God through karma yoga and bhakti yoga. We take the Franciscan monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Senior monks are known as Swamis – they lead the higher forms of worship in the temples and take a more exacting form of vow. Our work is of a routine and generally simple nature; cooking, cleaning and caring for an annual congregation of 90,000 pilgrims. An important area of our work is animal care. We have a large number of different animals, including Valli the Temple elephant, a herd of cows, buffalo, deer, goats, plus many birds, rabbits and dogs – many of whom have been rescued from slaughter or neglect. One of our main areas of work is Skanda Vale Hospice, where we offer a high standard of personal care for people with life-threatening illnesses, completely free of charge. The Hospice is staffed entirely by volunteers, mostly from the Skanda Vale sisterhood. Skanda Vale has been built with and is sustained only through the Community’s trust in, and love for God. We are here to help people of all faiths experience God – not just believe, but come to discover for themselves the freedom, peace and joy of living in the consciousness of the Divine.

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Skanda Vale Temple Wales England

Golden Durga Puja @ Cuttack

adam — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Kolkata may host the most lavish Durga puja pandals in the country complete with elaborate decoration and dazzling illumination, but in Cuttack the puja is popular for the extravagance in style reflected in gold and silver work. Lakhs of people visit the puja pandals organised by three main puja organisers who compete with each other to put gold crowns on the heads of the deities. It all started a few years back when the three organisers put up silver tableaux or ‘Chandi Medha’ in the pandals imparting a sparkling aura. But gold? Nobody thought of it till Choudhury Bazar puja committee made gold crowns for the deities in 2002 to coincide with its golden jubilee. Thereafter the three organisers are vying with each other to give the ‘golden’ touch to their worship of Durga. The budget for the Mangalabag Puja Committee this year is a whopping Rs one crore, the major chunk of which would be spent on making gold crowns. Not just the Durga idol, all the other deities that flank her will sport gold crowns this year including Ganesh, Kartik, Laxmi and Saraswati. While the main crown of Goddess Durga is made up of 2.5 kg of gold, the remaining four crowns weigh a little over 2.5 kg. The total cost for the crowns, including making charges, has crossed the Rs one crore mark, said a member of the puja committee overseeing the work. Two other two puja committees — Choudhury Bazar and Sheikh Bazar — have also made gold crowns for Durga idols this year. The crown for Mahisasura was made of 7.6 kg gold at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. Besides the crown, they have ordered gold necklaces for the Goddess Durga as well. Sheikh Bazaar had also made a gold crown for Goddess Durga in 2008. A crown of 3.5 kg gold was made at a cost of Rs 28 lakh which continues to be the star attraction of Cuttack Dusshera. Known for their impeccable dexterity, filigree artisans of Cuttack have always received appreciation worldwide. At a time when silversmiths of the city were deprived of government support, non-existence of cooperatives, poor entrepreneurship, professional rivalries and invasion of machine-finished products in markets, the competition to go for silver tableaus and golden crowns have given them a new lease of life. Click On Picture To Enlarged Image

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Golden Durga Puja @ Cuttack

The Positive Side

adam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:43:00 +0000

The positive side By Damal Ramakrishnan When Narayana Bhattathiri asks his guru what dakshina he wants, the guru replies that he does not want anything. But Bhattathiri insists that he would like to relieve his guru of the paralytic stroke by getting it transferred to him. The guru asks Bhattathiri how he (Bhattathiri) will be cured. The sishya replies that while his guru, being an acharya, will not seek treatment, he himself is not bound by such rules. The guru then transfers his disease to Bhattathiri, But Bhattathiri remains uncured, even though he takes treatment from the best doctors of the time. An astrologer then tells Bhattathiri that he must go to Guruvayur, and sing of Lord Narayana’s 10 avataras there. Bhattathiri goes to Guruvayur, and settles down to sing in praise of the Lord. The mantapam, where he sat down for 100 days, coinciding with the number of chapters for his Narayaneeyam, is referred to as Bhattathiri mantapam. Bhattathiri asks Guruvayurappan Himself to give him the first word of his work. Guruvayurappan tells Bhattathiri to offer a sloka of thanks, an invocation to God or his guru. But Bhattathiri says it is his paralytic stroke that deserves to be thanked. With his scholarship and brilliance, if Bhattathiri had not been afflicted by stroke, he would have gone from one king to another, singing their praises, and he would have been rewarded by them. But now, because of his affliction, he is here in Guruvayur to sing of Narayana’s avataras. So it is his stroke that has saved him from singing the praise of human beings, and has brought him to sing the praise of God. So it is the disease that deserves to be worshipped. When we face troubles in life we do not realise that they too might lead to some good, as it did in Bhattathiri’s case. When Pareekshit is cursed to die of snake bite, and realises he has only a week to live, he asks Sukha Brahmam to narrate Srimad Bhagavatam to him. Had Pareekshit not been cursed, he would probably have been like any other king, waging war, managing his empire, expanding it and administering his territory. But the curse resulted in his listening to Srimad Bhagavatam.

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The Positive Side

Shri Jalaram Bapa

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Shree Jalaram Bapa Shree Jalaram Bapa was born in Samvant 1856 (A.D. 1800). His mother’s name was Rajbai and father’s name was Pradhan Thakkar. Pradhan Thakkar and Valji Thakkar were two brothers actively and honestly engaged in business earning their livelihood. It is said that Rajbai, wife of Pradhan Thakkar was religous lady who was very inclined to serve sadhus’ and sants’. A mother of three sons and three daughter’s, she was content in her family life and used to find free time to do her religous duties to sadhus’ and sants’. She was once a host to Sant Raghuveerdasji who was very impressed with her selfless services and had blessed her – his blessings were that her second son would be instrumental in enhancing the services that she was doing – he would be famous all over in advocating pious life, duty full of devotion and act of good deeds. This second son was none other than our Shree Jalaram Bapa. There was a remarkable incident in early life of this saint person : when he was a child, a saint came to the house and requested to see Jalram; when they came face to face with each other – Jalaram at once greeted the saint with respectful “Namaskar” and it appeared that Jalaram had recollected his previous life, he realised who he was, he was reminded of his goal in life – it is argued that this visiting saint was probably a heavenly messenger – from that day onwards the young Jalaram never stopped chanting “Sita Ram” and he began to live life in a different way. At a young age of 14 Jalaram’s marraige was arranged with Virbai, a daughter of Thakkar Pragji Somaija. Jalaram was not in favour of marraige, but his duties towards his parents forced him to accept this arranged marraige. He got married when he was 16 years of age. Jalaram’s love towards sadhus’ and sants’ grew day by day and he would go to any extent to entertain sadhus and sants. This was not acceptable to his father. Jalaram’s deep involvement with sadhus’ and sants’ led to his seperation from his father’s business. He had decided to go his way. He worked for his uncle for some time. Uncle Valjibhai was very fond of Jalaram, but even that love and fondness would not deter Jalaram’s desire to serve sadhus’ and sants’. If at all anything it made more determined to devote himself fully to the service of sadhus’ and sants’ and the needy. He was fully aware that such devotion would mean complete withdrawal from marital life, a life free from family ties and circles. His inclination was to go on that path faster and with approval of his parents and uncle Valjibhai, he set out on a holy pilgrimage of holy places. He was fortunate that Virbaima was keen to follow her husband Jalaram. To her, Jalaram’s work was her work, Jalaram’s wishes were her wishes and all that Jalaram decided to do she was but prepared to do that. She was following Jalaram in every respect. At the age of 18 he accepted Bhojalram as his Guru and with Gurus’ blessings, he started “Sadavrat” a feeding centre, a place where all sadhus’ and sants’ and the needy can go and expect to be fed 24 hours a day. Both Jalaram Bapa and Virbaima started working for this holy place. Jalaram’s strong belief was that “This was the Lord’s order – This was Lord’s work – I am not doing anything for anybody – Lord has asked me to do this work – since it is Lord’s work HE looks after it and ensures that it functions”. Actually that did happen – indeed the place functioned well. Nobody ever returned from that place without being fed. One can question whether this can possibly be done by a single person – Yes. We argue and debate and yet probably would not come to a sensible answer – but then to do what Jalaram did one has to be a person of Jalaram’s determination, his patience, his love towards others. He was 20 years when his saintliness acquired a great fame. There are stories of how he was put to tests for his qualities of patience, endurence, love towards others, his steadfastness of thinking – he did not change under any pressure – he came out of all those tests successfully. His fame spread and he was regarded and accepted as a saint. People started worshipping him. They came to him for guidance in difficulties, for blessings in real distress and discomfort. It is said that once he was called out to see an ailing child struct with serious disease. Parents of this child believed that the cure was solely due to Jalaram Bapa’s blessings – Jala was since called Allah. In another instance a person who was threatened to be imprisoned went to Jalaram for his blessings. This man was not only saved from such imprisonment but he decided to lead a normal honest life then onwards. Jalaram was then onwards addressed as Bapa – Father of all. There are numerous such instances that can be quoted from his books but fact is that his feeding place was open and is still open today in Virpur where people go and are fed. People go to Jalaram Bapa’s places for prayers to him and seek his blessings for their personal griefs, shortcomings and failures and many acquire relief and satisfaction. Human beings during their span of life always aspire to be rich and acquire wealth – they pray for complete family life – it is such saint as Jalaram Bapa who remain away from such desire and wants. In their lives they always give – even when they are gone they still give to those who ask from them with purity of heart and sincerity of purpose. In 1934 during terrible famine Jalaram Bapa worked very hard to feed those who were suffering. In 1935 Virbaima died and 1937 Jalaram Bapa died while in prayers. Such is the story of the life of this Great Saint of Virpur. Soon his fame spread as an incarnation of the divine. Whoever come to Virpur, whether Hindu or Muslim was fed by Bapa. Once three Arabs in the service of Thakore of Rajkot demanded an increase in wages by four rupees in a month. Being refused, the Arabs resigned and set out to Junagadh. On their way, they hunted few birds and kept them in their shoulder bag. When they reached Virpur, Bapa asked them to have their meals and then go. When they protested that they were Muslims, Bapa said that in the court of God there was no distinction in caste and creed and they were welcome. The three Arabs had their meals in the temple but they were embarrassed that they were carrying dead birds in their bag. The Bapa touched the bag and said that the birds were feeling suffocated. The Arabs opened the bag and found that the birds were alive. They flew away to a nearby tree. The Arabs were amazed and understood that they were in the presence of divine person. They fell at his feet and asked whether they would get a job in Junagadh. Bapa said “What was the need to have a job in Junagadh? The Arabs serve only one master.” Just at that time, a camel man sent by Thakore of Rajkot arrived there. He took back the Arabs with him saying that Thakore has sanctioned an increment of seven rupees in their wages. There are many stories about the greatness of the saint of Virpur. Remembering the stories, we can fill the heart with devotion and gratitude. Soon his fame spread as an incarnation of the divine. Whoever come to Virpur, whether Hindu or Muslim was fed by Bapa. Once three Arabs in the service of Thakore of Rajkot demanded an increase in wages by four rupees in a month. Being refused, the Arabs resigned and set out to Junagadh. On their way, they hunted few birds and kept them in their shoulder bag. When they reached Virpur, Bapa asked them to have their meals and then go. When they protested that they were Muslims, Bapa said that in the court of God there was no distinction in caste and creed and they were welcome. The three Arabs had their meals in the temple but they were embarrassed that they were carrying dead birds in their bag. The Bapa touched the bag and said that the birds were feeling suffocated. The Arabs opened the bag and found that the birds were alive. They flew away to a nearby tree. The Arabs were amazed and understood that they were in the presence of divine person. They fell at his feet and asked whether they would get a job in Junagadh. Bapa said “What was the need to have a job in Junagadh? The Arabs serve only one master.” Just at that time, a camel man sent by Thakore of Rajkot arrived there. He took back the Arabs with him saying that Thakore has sanctioned an increment of seven rupees in their wages. There are many stories about the greatness of the saint of Virpur. Remembering the stories, we can fill the heart with devotion and gratitude.

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Shri Jalaram Bapa

Yoga and Meaningful Work – Satasang with Swami Radhananda

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:34:03 +0000

This satsang is about making work meaningful. Every person has the potential to evolve to a higher state of consciousness through the work that they do. Selfless service will make you divine. … yasodhara ashram yoga satsang work radhananda