Reflections on a Tradition:

Was invited recently to an inaugural and do the opening honors.

What began as a rope cutting ritual, centuries ago,  stands transformed today into a more elegant ribbon-cutting. Records have it that the first historic ribbon-cutting ceremony happened in 1898 to mark the opening of a railroad line in Northern Louisiana. Ever since, the ritual began to mark the beginning of any new activity, be it the launch of a newly built boat or business.

It is also traditional component of wedding ceremonies in some western countries. The bride or her father cuts a ribbon stretched across the door of the family home, symbolizing her new found freedom and leaving her life as a maiden behind. In essence ribbon-cutting has come to symbolize freeing or opening something.
In vaastu sastra and vedic rituals, we have a component called Digbandana – closing bounded space or water filled vessels with sacred threads for insulation of divine vibrations and opening them at the end of sacred chants and japa.

The 12 year cycles:

 We each experience a unique mixture of planetary transits in a lifetime. The planets travel at their own speed, marking cycles of challenge, crisis and growth in our lives. For instance, the majestic Jupiter returns every 12 years.
Kumbhabhishekam, the auspicious ritual bathing at temples is performed every 12 years to synergize the mystic powers of the deity. The Kumbha is bathed with the sanctified holy waters in the sacrificial pot and the pranic powers trickle down a silver wire to enter the deity installed inside the sanctum. The deity, until then only a granite stone image, then transforms into a living representation of the Lord with beatitude, conferring divine blessings on devotees.

The world renowned Kumbhmela returns every 12 years.

NeelKurinji, the purplish wild flower, after which the Blue Mountains of Nilgiris have been named, blossoms gregariously once in 12 years. The tribals, in fact, used it to calculate their age! As we write this post, Kurinji flowers have bloomed in the hillocks of Chickmagaloor, delighting the tourists of Karnataka as well.

(Pics from Celestial Nectar evenings on eve of Kumbhabishekham at Avinashi and Achangulam)

A Tribute to Tradition:

Surprised to see  this  in FB circulation. It was in  response to book lovers being asked to share list of Ten books that influenced them. It has come on a day when translated work of Samparadaya is going into print in one more Indian  language.

1. Bhagwad Gita - 
2. Stumbling into Infinity -by Michael Fischman
3. Conversations with God - by Neale Donald Walsch 
4. Many Masters, Many Lives - by Dr. Brian Weiss
5. Only Love is Real by -Dr. Brian Weiss
6. Sampradaya -A Tribute to Tradition- by Dr.Arun Madhavan 
7. Skipping Christmas - by John Grisham
8. Lean In - by Sheryl Sandberg
9. The Secret - by Rhonda Byrne 
10. Brida - by Paulo Coelho 

A Tribute to Heritage: The inimitable Palakkad!

28August 2014

Our first visit to the Heritage Gramas of Palakkad. It presented us with rare glimpses of village life, frozen in time for centuries. Houses in rows with wooden shutters and metal grills in each lane leading to temples. The State has done well to accord Heritage status already to one of the villages to help conserve their unique culture, tradition and lifestyle; prohibiting in the process major architectural changes or rebuilding. Steeped in Vedic culture, these villages boast of a large number of scholars of the Vedas aside from producing stalwarts in Indian Administrative - Civil services.

We were delighted to receive the vibrant vidyarthis from a Vedic Gurukul at our satsang. When the scheduled tabla player failed to show up, one of the Gurukul students promptly filled the slot and astonished us with his able percussion support!