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What if religion was each other? If our practice was our life? If prayer was our words? What if the temple was the Earth? If forests were our church? If holy water - the rivers, lakes, and oceans? What if meditation was our relationships? If the Teacher was life? If wisdom was knowledge? If love was the center of our being.
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Ganga White
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Once the caravan reached the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range, in the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, Jesus continued the journey with a small group of locals until he completed the last leg on his own, guided from one place to another by the local people.
Some weeks later, he made it to the Indian Himalayan region where Jesus was greeted by some Buddhist monks and with whom he sojourned for some time. From that location, he then went to live in the city of Rishikesh, in India's northern state of Uttarakhand, spending most of his time meditating in a cave known as Vashishta Gufa, on the banks of the River Ganga.
Jesus lived in those lands for many months before he continued traveling to the northeast, until he arrived in the Kingdom of Magadha, in what is presently West-central Bihar. It so happened that it was here, in Magadha, that Jesus met Mari for the first time, the woman better known today as Mary Magdalene...
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Anton Sammut (The Secret Gospel of Jesus, AD 0-78)
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When you touch river Ganga in Rishikesh, you also touch the ocean to which the river is connected. Because the distinction between the river and ocean is just in your mind. You also touch the vapours rising from ocean, You touch clouds, rains, earth, mountains, You touch eternity. You touch God.
Remove the distinctions, clean the mind. God is right here, right now.
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Shunya
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Imagine that your nails and hair start growing so fast that you can see them coming out of your body in real-time. The matter is coming and going out of every inch of your body. Like water flows through a bank of river Ganga, five elements are flowing in and out of your body. Why do you identify yourself with the flowing matter? You are the ancient banks.
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Shunya
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Each of these rivers is associated with a particular divine force. The Ganga is associated with Shiva, Godavari with Rama, Yamuna with Krishna, Sindhu with Hanuman, Saraswati with Ganesha, Kaveri with Dattatreya and Narmada with Durga.
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K.V. Singh (Hindu Rites and Rituals: Origins and Meanings)
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yet the very name Ganga-Sagar, joining, as it did, river and sea, clear and dark, known and hidden, served to remind the migrants of the yawning chasm ahead; it was as if they were sitting balanced on the edge of a precipice, and the island were an outstretched limb of sacred Jambudvipa, their homeland, reaching out to keep them from tumbling into the void.
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Amitav Ghosh (Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy, #1))
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While at home his heart dwelt in the silent forests of spiritual thoughts, beating in tune with eternal Pranava-Nada (mystic sound of the Eternal) of the Jnana Ganga (river of Knowledge) within himself. The seven years at home following his return from Tirupati were marked by seclusion, service, intense study of spiritual literature, self-restraint, control of the senses, simplicity in food and dress, abandonment of all comforts and practice of austerities which augmented his inner spiritual power.
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Chidananda
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To be a good spouse, wife or husband, the wilfulness of Ganga needs to be balanced with the serenity of Shiva. Only then will the river of marriage create fertile riverbanks
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Devdutt Pattanaik (Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana)
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The geography of the land described in the Vedas extended from as far west as the Oxus river in Afghanistan (Vakshu in Sanskrit) to the Ganga (Ganges) river in India in its easternmost extent. The area was frequently referred to as Sapta-Sindhu which means “seven rivers”. In the Vedic period people who lived in modern-day Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and eastern Iran were all considered to be known tribes living in areas called Balkh, Gandhara (5.01) and Madra. In the lands beyond the Oxus river were the Scythians known to the Vedic people as Sakas.
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Shiv Sastry (Aryan Invasion: Myth or Fact?: Uncovering the evidence)
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इसलिए शायद गंगा जी में राख बहाते समय आदमी सब शिकायतें भी बहा देता है। ईश्वर पर विश्वास हो-न-हो, मौत के ठीक एक पल बाद की दुनिया की पहेली हमें ईश्वर पर विश्वास करने की वजह देती है।
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Divya Prakash Dubey (Ibnebatuti । इब्नेबतूती (Hindi Edition))
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Winter turns my mind to journeys those taken and those never done. Especially to a fantasy one I have always wanted to make: along the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Peshawar. For the Road is a river. It may not be as sacred as the Ganga, which it greets at Kanpur and Varanasi, but it is just as permanent. It’s a river of life, an unending stream of humanity going places, intent on arriving and getting there most of the time. A long day’s journey into night that’s how I would describe the saga of the truck driver, that knight errant, or rather errant knight, of India’s Via Appia. Undervalued, underpaid and often disparaged, he drives all day and sometimes all night, carrying the country’s goods and produce for hundreds of miles, across state borders, through lawless tracts, at all seasons and in all weathers. We blame him for hogging the middle of the road, but he is usually overloaded and if he veers too much to the left or right he is quite likely to topple over, burying himself and crew under bricks or gas cylinders, sugarcane or TV sets. More than the railwayman, the truck driver is modern India’s lifeline, and yet his life is held cheap. He drinks, he swears, occasionally he picks up HIV, and frequently he is killed or badly injured. And we hate him for hogging the road. But we cannot do without him.
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Ruskin Bond (Landour Days: A Writer's Journal)
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Choosing the right tour package is truly a significant choice to make. If you are planning to spend adventure holidays in the state of Uttarakhand, you ought to not worry about where to go and what to do so that you have the maximum fun. Uttarakhand Adventure is at your service to offer you with just the things you are looking for. Our travel advisors have been exploring the adventure destination in the state for several years. They know all little detail and can advise you tips that you can use to have the time of your life while on an adventure tour to Uttarakhand. Trekking, Camping, Skiing and Water sports are the well-known adventure sports activities besides pilgrimage visit by the devotees. Bestow with glaciers and rivers like Ganga and her divisions, Yamuna, Kaliganga graceful from border of Nepal, Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand is one of the major water adventure destination in India. Canoeing, Kayaking, White Water Rafting, Water Skiing, Boating and Fishing are the main water adventure sports experienced in Uttarakhand.
If you are planning an adventure anniversary, you can get in touch our travel outfitters right away. Depending on your person travel requirements and preference, they can offer you modified adventure tours. In case you want to add more in your tour, our travel counselors are always there to help you. Whether you are a newbie in the field of venture sports or have some knowledge under your belt, Uttarakhand can satisfy the thirst of all abilities. From one corner of this northern Indian condition to the other, adventure lovers will find a diversity of option to indulge in exciting and adrenaline pumping performance. Choose to raft along the outstanding rapids of river Ganges. Go trekking from side to side green valleys and meadows and pass by hilly villages in the foothills of the Himalayas. You can enjoy a choice of other adventure actions like mountain biking, skiing, paragliding and rock climbing in the Himalayas. Angling or fishing in the rivers and streams of the upper Himalayas are as well a lot of fun. Every year tourists crowd this beautiful hill state in enormous numbers for the simple reason that it is in Uttarakhand, they find their vision of an ideal holiday being satisfied.
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uttarakhand adventure
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said Ganesh, turning back to look at the sangam of the Ganga and the Sarayu. ‘The rivers fight with each other with the only currency that they know: water. We humans fight with the only currency that we know in this age: violence.
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Amish Tripathi (The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy #3))
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If you looking for Rafting Company in Rishikesh? Then we are the people to call because we have it all. If you are looking for camping in Rishikesh, adventure, fun, anticipation and family bonding then your one weekend with us is awaiting. As in this weekend we give you all kind of rafting in Rishikesh like river rafting, bungee jumping and trekking, if you are the daring kind. And you can dare to paint the town red then paintball is your thing. Diffidence prevents us from audacity, but we do have the best camps for hosting your family weekends. So what are you coming up for Pack your bags as Uttarakhand Adventure is calling.
If adventure runs from side to side your veins and you dare to ride high on the wild waters of the Ganga then head to Rishikesh for a rejuvenate and exciting holiday journey. Revitalize your drained body and mind in the good-looking surroundings of this holy town and let the thrill of white water rafting take you absent from the rest of the world.
Offering a synthesis of chilly conditions and gorgeous sand beaches with Garhwal Himalaya Mountains in the background, Rishikesh is one of the most important rafting destinations in India. It is a place that continues to strike the thoughts of city dwellers who want to escape from their work routine and droning lifestyle. The best element of river rafting company in Rishikesh is that it can be enjoyed by anyone; you don’t need to be a swimmer or a specialized rafter to enjoy this sport. The strong present of the Ganga flowing down from a very high height through the Himalayan Mountain Range makes it one of the best rivers in India to enjoy rafting adventure. Wash away your fears and go in front and sail crossways the river awash with demanding whirlpools and rapids. If you manage to successfully man oeuvre through the stretch with little help from the guide, you positively deserve a pat on your back for your skirmishing spirit.
Most of river rafting packages in Rishikesh are incomplete without experiencing the rustic charm of beach camping under the open sky. The best instance for white water rafting in Rishikesh is from February to May and as of September to November. River Rafting is best enjoyed in the consecrated valley of Rishikesh which boasts of the Great Ganges River downward with an ultimate force and existing precisely as the originator intended her to be- Wild and Free. The attendance of numerous rapids and troughs along the make bigger of the river fortifies the stand of Rishikesh as the River Rafting capital of India. Once here; you will be given a crash course on the sport, its navigational technique, and how to make it safer. Following the briefing, the organizers will hand you gear like rafts, paddles, helmets and life jackets.
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uttarakhand adventure
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The beauty of man is often the child that lives on in him. Source: The River Goddess by Vijay Singh
Only humour can conquer death. Source: One Dollar Curry, a film by Vijay Singh
To write is to meet solitude, face to face...nothing is more creative than a solitude where the presence of the other...is more present than ever... Source: Jaya Ganga, In Search of the River Goddess by Vijay Singh
When reality is bitter, let life be a dream. Source: India by Song, a film by Vijay Singh
Who is not a poet on earth? Some write with words, others write with silence. Source: Jaya Ganga (the film) by Vijay Singh
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Vijay Singh
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A particularly elaborate version of such an aswamedha is commemorated in the heart of Varanasi (Benares), otherwise the City of Lord Shiva and the holiest place of pilgrimage in northern India. Legend has it that Shiva, while temporarily dispossessed of his beloved city, hit on the idea of regaining it by imposing on its incumbent king a quite impossible ritual challenge, namely the performance of ten simultaneous horse-sacrifices. The chances of all ten passing off without mishap could be safely discounted and thus the king, disgraced in the eyes of both gods and men, would be obliged to relinquish the city. So Lord Shiva reasoned and, just to make sure, he also arranged for Lord Brahma, a stickler for the niceties of ceremonial performance, to referee the challenge. Shiva failed, however, to take account of King Divodasa’s quite exceptional piety and punctiliousness. All ten aswamedha were faultlessly performed. The king thereby gained untold merit and favour; Brahma was so impressed that he decided to stay on in the city; and Shiva slunk away to fume and fret and dream up ever more ambitious schemes to recover his capital. Thus to this day, when approaching the celebrated river-front at Varanasi, pilgrims and tourists alike get their first glimpse of the Ganga and of the steep ghats (terracing) which front it from ‘Dashashwamedh’ ghat, the place of ‘the ten horse-sacrifices’. And the merit of this extraordinary feat, it is said, continues to attend all who here bathe in the sacred river.
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John Keay (India: A History)
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Nothing,’ said Kaushalya wistfully. ‘The sun will rise. The birds will chirp and the city will go about its business. The world does not need us, my husband. We need the world. Come, let us go inside and prepare for Bharata’s coronation. Fortunes and misfortunes come and go but life continues.’ The motif of the beloved leaving on a chariot is a recurring one in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Ram leaves Ayodhya on his chariot and the people of Ayodhya try to stop him. Krishna leaves Vrindavan on his chariot and the milkmaids of Vrindavan try to stop him by hurling themselves before the chariot. Krishna does not keep his promise to return but Ram does. Unlike the departure of the Buddha that takes place in secret, Ram’s departure is public, with everyone weeping as the beloved is bound by duty to leave. Ram’s stoic calm while leaving the city is what makes him divine in the eyes of most people. He does what no ordinary human can do; he represents the acme of human potential. According to the Kashmiri Ramayana, Dashratha weeps so much that he becomes blind. Guha, the Boatman The chariot stopped when it reached the banks of the river Ganga. ‘Let us rest,’ said Ram. So everyone sat on the ground around the chariot. Slowly, the night’s events began to take their toll. People began to yawn and stretch. No sooner did their heads touch the ground than they fell asleep. Sita saw Ram watching over the people with a mother’s loving gaze. ‘Why don’t you sleep for some time?’ asked Sita. ‘No, the forest awaits.’ As the soft sounds of sleep filled the air, Ram alighted from the chariot and told Sumantra, ‘We will take our leave as they sleep. When they awaken tell the men and women of Ayodhya that if they truly love me, they must return home. I will see you, and them, again in fourteen years. No eclipse lasts forever.’ Ram walked upriver. Sita and Lakshman followed him. Sumantra watched them disappear into the bushes. The sky was red by the time they reached a village of fisherfolk; the sun would soon be up. ‘Guha,’ Ram
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Devdutt Pattanaik (Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana)
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If in one area you see a pyre being lit, a little away you’ll see an infant undergoing a ritualistic tonsuring. Barely 100m away a newly married couple will be offering prayers to the river, while further away you’ll find children playing cricket on the banks of the river close to an elderly man who is deep in thought silently watching the Ganga flow by. Nearby, people will be feeding the fish, while some distance away little girls in brightly coloured skirts and tops play hopscotch on the steps leading to the river. In essence, the cycle of life is quite literally unfolding before your eyes," Irfan Nabi
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Irfan Nabi (Banaras: Of Gods, Humans and Stories)
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It was three o'clock in the morning by the time the funeral was over. Everyone else went to bathe in the river afterwards, but Apu did not join them. He did not feel any attraction — or respect — for the Ganga in Calcutta. He would have a bath when he got back home.
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Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (Aparajito, Yang tak Terkalahkan)
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Pouring down from the celestial skies
From origins beyond the sight of mortal eyes,
Breaking through many hills and highs
Oh Ganga, you flow far and wide!
Oh Ganga, you flow far and wide.
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Vamsidhar Chaturvedula (Fight Story : Life Will Always Be a Fight Between Destiny and Will)
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Secretly, she fretted about her vanished children, lost to unknown stories in what was then a very distant elsewhere. She also had the sorrow all Kerry people have when they’re not in Kerry, but this she countered with copious letter-writing. Letters took several days to write, the lost art of composition then a tenet of civility, and sheets of blotting paper with traceries of script indicative of the hand-pressed, my-hand-to-your-hand nature of the thing. She’d write those letters until the day she died, her forefinger inked and with a permanent pen-welt. She had many correspondents. One was Aunt Nollaig, who went to America, and defeated the physics of space by writing ever smaller on the single page of the aerogramme, her character apparent the moment Doady ran the knife carefully along the dotted line and held to the light the script that with Ganga’s loupe would take days to fully decipher. Doady’s own missives went across the river and over the mountains and brought replies that were read over several times, then folded back into their envelopes and stored inside a foil-lined tea chest stamped CEYLON, where in ink, paper and penmanship a kind of inner Kerry endured, and could be visited easier than the real thing.
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Niall Williams (This Is Happiness)
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It was the mix of hashish and marijuana known as ganga-jamuna, named after the two holy rivers, Ganges and Jamner. It was so potent, and came with such force from the water-pipe, that almost at once my bloodshot eyes failed in focus and I experienced a mild, hallucinatory effect: the blurring at the edges of other people’s faces, and a minuscule time-delay in their movements. The Lewis Carrolls, Karla called it. I’m so stoned, she used to say, I’m getting the Lewis Carrolls
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Gregory David Roberts (Shantaram)
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The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam prays to Paramashiva and Ma Ganga for the Atma Shanti of the lives lost in the avalanche and massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Further, The SPH prays for the speedy recovery of the injured. Maheshwara Puja will be offered for the departed souls of this tragic incident on the 11th Feb 2021 for their Atma Shanti.
Alarmed by the continued massive flooding that would further upto other places, we would like to extend this notice shared by a samaritan online.
Emergency Notice...
A dam has been broken near Joshimath... Very terrible flood is about to come... Alaknanda river and Ganga ji will take a vicious form... By 2 pm this water will reach Srinagar and by 5-6 pm Rishikesh and Will reach Haridwar...
Will do the rest later... If any friend is in the mountains in this area, then immediately go 8-10 km up... Don't run on main highway, because there is danger of landslide... And if anyone in Haridwar Rishikesh If so, get away from Gangaji.
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The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism
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In the wake of the massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers due to the breakage of a glacier, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam, His Divine Holiness Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam prays to Paramashiva and Ma Ganga for the Atma Shanti of the lives lost and further performs Maheshwara Pooja along with His sanyasis for the liberation of the departed souls.
The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam also sends healing blessings to the victims, their families and prays for their speedy recovery.
Regardless of the number of births the soul would have taken, regardless of the soul, while embodied having been initiated by the Master or not in his lifetime - the Master can intervene and make His presence available in the departed soul’s life and lead it to Enlightenment! This is possible only through Maheshwara Puja! It is possible only in Hinduism.
The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam says, "The best place on Planet Earth to give “pinda tharpana” is the stomach of a sannyasi. That is, the hunger fire (jataragni) of a sannyasi is the best fire into which you can offer the “pinda tharpana”, the “shraaddha”, which reaches the departed ancestors, (pitrus) directly.
The Somasambhu Patati describes that it is thousand times more greater than offering any “shraaddha”, any “pinda”, in any river, any water-body, any lake, any holy land, any holy place. Offering it in the stomach of the living incarnation of Paramashiva is the best form of “pinda tharpana” and 'shraaddha'. In Hinduism, Shraadhha wherein food is offered to sanyasis for the completion with the departed souls, is called Maheshwara puja.
In the Somashambhu Paddhati, Shraadhha vidhi,Sloka 3
लिङ्गिनो ब्राह्मणाद्याश्च श्राद्धीयाः शिवदीक्षिताः ।
liṅgino brāhmaṇādyāśca śrāddhīyāḥ śivadīkṣitāḥ ।
The translation goes “The Sannyasis and Brahmanas who have been initiated into the Shiva deeksha are eligible to be appointed as the representatives of Pitrus in the Shraadhha.”
KAILASA’s Department of Religion & Worship conducts the Maheshwara Puja as prescribed by the Vedas and Agamas revived by The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam. In the Maheshwara Puja, as the 1008th living incarnation of Paramashiva, The SPH personally receives Bhiksha (alms) and He liberates the departed souls along with the Nithyananda Sanyas Order (Monastic Order).
In conjunction of Year 2021 dedicated to Peace & Trust, Shrikailasa Uniting Nations for Monks & Nuns, Shrikailasa Uniting Nations for Ancient Sciences with the collaboration of ShriKailasa Uniting Nations for Global Peace & Religious Harmony requests the grace and blessings of The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam to liberate the 156 departed souls for which Maheshwara Puja is being offered today. It includes the 34 lives lost due to the Uttarakhand flood.
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The SPH JGM HDH Nithyananda Paramashivam, Reviver of KAILASA - the Ancient Enlightened Hindu Nation
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The SPH Nithyananda Paramashivam prays to Paramashiva and Ma Ganga for the Atma Shanti of the lives lost in the avalanche and massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Further, The SPH prays for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Maheshwara Puja is being offered today on the 11th February 2021 for the departed souls of this tragic incident that took place on 07 February in Uttarakhand, India along with the deadly flash floods that struck in the city of Tangier on 08 February 2021, in Jordan & Saudi Arabia on 04 to 05 February and in Fiji on 31 January 2021 for their Atma Shanti.
In the Maheshwara Puja, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, who is the embodiment of cosmic energy; Paramashiva, personally receives the Bhiksha or food offering and he liberates the departed soul with the Nithyananda Sanyas Order (Monastic Order)
No matter how many births the person would have taken after leaving the body and no matter if the person has met the Master or not in the life, the Master can intervene and make His presence available in the departed soul’s life and lead it to Enlightenment.
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The SPH JGM HDH Nithyananda Paramashivam, Reviver of KAILASA - the Ancient Enlightened Hindu Nation
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GANGA IS RIVER OF KNOWLEDGE, YAMUNA IS RIVER OF DEVOTION, SARASWATHI IS RIVER OF ENLIGHTENMENT WHICH COMES UNSEEN UNDERGROUND. WHERE KNOWLEDGE AND DEVOTION UNITE, IT COMES AND JOINS THERE AND EXPRESSES ITSELF AS ENLIGHTENMENT. KNOWLEDGE IS HEAD, DEVOTION IS HEART. WHEN THESE TWO MEET IN THE THROAT; VAAK - DEVI SARASWATHI, SHE EXPRESSES HERSELF AS ENLIGHTENMENT.
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BHAGAVAN NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM.
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INNER IMAGE (MAMAKARA - HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF) IS YAMUNA. OUTER IMAGE (AHANKARA - HOW YOU PROJECT YOURSELF TO OTHERS) IS GANGA. WHEN BOTH MERGE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FULFIL OTHER’S IDEAS ON YOU (ANYAKARA) THAT IS SARASWATHI. THAT IS WHY THE RIVER’S FORM, AFTER SANGAM, IS IN YAMUNA’S COLOUR BUT THE NAME GIVEN IS GANGA. BECAUSE WHAT YOU SHOW TO THE OUTER WORLD, ITS NAME WILL BE THERE BUT WHAT YOU FEEL AS THE INNER WORLD WILL BECOME STRENGTH FOR WHAT YOU SHOW TO THE OUTER WORLD.
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BHAGAVAN NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM.
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Does the master choose the
disciple or does the disciple
choose the master?
"First thing, it is actually the disciple who
chooses the master. Because master never
chooses. The master just showers. He is like
the sacred river Ganga. He just flows. If you
want, you will enter the river, immerse
yourself, drink or play. You can do whatever
you want. But Ganga itself just flows
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The SPH JGM HDH Nithyananda Paramashivam, Reviver of KAILASA - the Ancient Enlightened Hindu Nation
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Traditionally it is only children, holy men or the victims of snakebite who forgo the cleansing flames of the burning ghat, but with the city now so overcrowded, some simply carry the body to the river, find a convenient point and cast it in. Many horrified tourists, afloat on the river for a view of the waterfront, find themselves agape at the sight of a distended human corpse. All of this adds, too, to the rising pollution of the Ganga, whose waters only the most devout would now consider pure.
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Piers Moore Ede (Kaleidoscope City: A Year in Varanasi)
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In c. 1700 BC, another group of Indie speakers settled in south Afghanistan and took to the composition of the Ṛgvedic hymns in the region between the Helmand and the Arghandab. We have shown that the description of Sarasvatī and Sarayu in the Ṛgveda, and even sūtra literature, fits the Afghan rivers Helmand and Hari-rud better than any river in India. In c. 1400 BC, the Ṛgvedic people moved eastwards to the middle Indus. Eventually, they absorbed the Cemetery H people to found the Painted Grey Ware culture in c. 850 BC in Punjab and on the upper Ghaggar. The Vedic people remained to the west of the Yamuna-Ganga doab until c. 850 BC. The large-scale settlement of the Ganga Plain took place only when the use of iron became widespread and, perhaps, when population increased. During their migrations, the Indo-Aryans carried with them not only their poetry and religious beliefs, but also place and river names which they selectively reused. (Table 15)
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Rajesh Kochhar (The Vedic People: Their History and Geography)
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Glossary Agni: God of fire Agnipariksha: A trial by fire Angaharas: Movement of limbs or steps in a dance Ankush: Hook-shaped prods used to control elephants Annapurna: The Hindu Goddess of food, nourishment and plenty; also believed to be a form of Goddess Parvati Anshan: Hunger. It also denotes voluntary fasting. In this book, Anshan is the capital of the kingdom of Elam Apsara: Celestial maidens from the court of the Lord of the Heavens – Indra; akin to Zeus/Jupiter Arya: Sir Ashwamedh yagna: Literally, the Horse sacrifice. In ancient times, an ambitious ruler, who wished to expand his territories and display his military prowess, would release a sacrificial horse to roam freely through the length and breadth of any kingdom in India. If any king stopped/captured the horse, the ruler’s army would declare war against the challenger, defeat the king and annexe that territory. If an opposing king did not stop the horse, the kingdom would become a vassal of the former Asura: Demon Ayuralay: Hospital Ayurvedic: Derived from Ayurved, an ancient Indian form of medicine Ayushman bhav: May you have a long life Baba: Father Bhang: Traditional intoxicant in India; milk mixed with marijuana Bhiksha: Alms or donations Bhojan graham: Dining room Brahmacharya: The vow of celibacy Brahmastra: Literally, the weapon of Brahma; spoken of in ancient Hindu scriptures. Many experts claim that the description of a Brahmastra and its effects are eerily similar to that of a nuclear weapon. I have assumed this to be true in the context of my book Branga: The ancient name for modern West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh. Term coined from the conjoint of the two rivers of this land: Brahmaputra and Ganga Brangaridai: Literally, the heart of Branga. The capital of the kingdom of Branga Chandravanshi: Descendants of the moon Chaturanga: Ancient Indian game that evolved into the modern game of chess Chillum: Clay pipe, usually used to smoke marijuana Choti: Braid Construction of Devagiri royal court platform: The description in the book of the court platform is a possible explanation for the mysterious multiple-column buildings made of baked brick discovered at Indus Valley sites, usually next to the public baths, which many historians suppose could have been granaries Dada: Elder brother
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Amish Tripathi (The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy #3))