#WhatIsGolu or #Kolu. It simply means divine presence. We know #Navarathiri as the festival of the 3 Devis Durga Lakshmi Saraswathi. Golu is part of this celebration. It is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the Saradha Navaratri (Dussehra Dasara)
Golu is kept on Mahalaya Amavasai. It is a Hindu festival where women and artistic men display dolls, figurine, which are thematic, narrate a Hindu purana, ithu has a like Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Dasavathara, 6 abides of Subramanya, Siva in Kailash, dances of Nataraja, court life
everyday scenes and miniature kitchen utensils Ratha Yatra, processions etc along with the divine presence of the Goddesses Saraswati, Parvati and Lakshmi. The steps may also be interpreted as the evolution ladder that we are all traversing in the journey of life. Keeping golu is
predominant in the Tamil, Kannada and Telugu households during Navaratri or The Nine nights. They are also called as #Kolu, #Gombe_Habba, #Bommai_Kolu or #Bommala_Koluvu. On the first day of Navaratri, following Ganapati puja, a welcoming ritual is performed for Saraswati, Durga
and Lakshmi by a Hindu ritual Kalasa Aavahanam, performed by an elderly male or female of the family at an auspicious time (Each family has a different ritual. Some may or may not follow this). This is then followed by building a rack
of odd-numbered shelves of Kolu (or Padi)
(usually 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11), set up using wooden planks. (Now umpteen number of innovative options have cropped up in the market which double as a storage unit other than the nine days) After the steps have been covered with fabric it is then adorned with various dolls,
figurines according to their size, with the deities at the top. It is a traditional practice to have wooden figurines of the bride and groom together, called 'Marapacchi Bommai' or 'Pattada Gombe', usually made of sandalwood, teak or rosewood or dried coconut displayed in Kolu.
In southern India, bride is presented with 'Marapacchi Bommai' during the wedding by her parents as part of wedding trousseau to initiate thep yearly tradition of 'Navaratri Golu' in her new home with her husband. These dolls come as couples dressed in their wedding attire,
depicting husband and wife symbolizing prosperity and fertility and the start of the bride's Golu collection. Display figurines are passed on from one generation to another as heirloom, and are often several generations old. In the old Kingdom of Mysore, 'Pattada Gombe' is also
believed to be a tribute to the kings of the Wodeyar dynasty who ruled of the region for around 600 years. Generally these dolls are typically made by rural artisans from clay and wooden materials then brightly painted. In the evenings, women within the neighborhood invite each
other to visit their homes to view the Kolu displays, they also exchange gifts and sweets. A Kuthuvilakku lamp is lit, in the middle of a decorated Rangoli, while devotional hymns and shlokas are chanted. After performing the puja, on each day ‘sundal’ or spiced pulses, lentils
and legumes (a different variety on each day) are offered to the Gods and Goddesses as neividhyam and then to the guests as prasadam.
The first 3 days of the festival are dedicated to Durga, then the next 3 days dedicated to Lakshmi and finally, the last 3 days are dedicated to
Saraswati. On the 9th day, Saraswati Puja, special pujas are offered to goddess Saraswati. Books and musical instruments are placed in the puja and worshipped as a source of knowledge. The 10th day, Vijayadashami, is the most auspicious day of all. It was the day on which the
demon Mahishasura was finally destroyed by Durga. Mahishasura (Mahisha – buffalo and asura – demon) waged war against the Devas. He had a powerful boon that no man can kill him. When all the devas including Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, and Lord Vishnu couldn’t defeat Mahishasura,
they decided to create Goddess Durga with all their divine powers combined. Goddess Durga with all her skills battled the asura riding on a lion for nine days and killed him on the day of Vijaya Dasami – the tenth day of Navaratri. Because of this, we worship her by the name
Mahishasura Mardini also – the one who killed Mahishasura. We celebrate the last day for the victory over the Mahishasura as Vijayadasami. All our festivals are celebrated to rejoice the victory of good over evil. So many auspicious events took place on this day. The Pandavas
recovered their weapons after their 13 long years of exile in the forest.. It marks a new and prosperous beginning. New ventures started on this day are believed to flourish and bring prosperity. Kids often start tutoring on this day to have a head start in their education.
Later, on the evening of Vijayadashami, one of the doll from the display is symbolically put to sleep, and the Kalasha is moved a bit towards North to mark the end of that year's Navaratri Golu display.[citation needed] Prayers are offered to thank the Lord for the successful
completion of that year's Navaratri festival and with hope of a successful one the next year. Then the steps are dismantled and the dolls are packed up for the next year. Kolu also has a significant connection with the agricultural and handicrafts professions in India. Besides
the economic aspect of the festival, it is an important occasion for socializing. During this season relatives and friends in south India make it a point to visit each other's homes. This is also a very important occasion that promotes creative expression for women and for the
family to work together on an aesthetic aspect. Major Hindu temples such as the Meenakshi temple and Srirangam temple and several other smaller temples too arrange elaborate golu displays each year for Navaratri.
Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam 🙏🏻
Some people like @LathaPrasana are quite innovative. This is their house golu
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#MahaPeriyava
By His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal Sri Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
(Bhavan's Journal was privileged to publish Paramacharya's article entitled 'What Life Has Taught Me' some years ago. Rarely do saints like our
Paramacharya talk about themselves. But He did so and what He said was marked by 'vinaya' (humility) of which He is never tired of speaking. Says the Acharya: "God has created some souls to live for others only).
When this article appeared in the 'Bhavan's journal', Rajaji was
the first to congratulate us on securing an article of this kind from His Holiness.
"The first two experiences remembered as having occurred in the third or fourth year of my life, are dreadful to think, as they were interwoven with temptation, greed, avarice, deceit, groaning
#ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர்_ஆதிகேசவப்_பெருமாளும்_ராமானுஜரும்
இத்தலத்தில் தான் ஸ்ரீ ராமானுஜர் அவதரித்தார். அவருக்கென இக்கோவிலில் தனி சந்நிதியொன்று உள்ளது. இங்குள்ள பெருமாள் ஸ்ரீதேவி பூதேவியுடன் அருள் புரிகிறார். ஒவ்வொரு கோவிலும் வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசிக்கு சொர்க்கலோக கதவை திறப்பார்கள். ஆனால்
இக்கோவிலே பூலோகத்தின் வைகுண்டமாக கருதப் படுவதால் வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசி அன்றைக்கு இக்கோவிலில் அடி எடுத்து வைத்தாலே சொர்க்க வாசலில் நுழைந்த முழு பலனைப் பெறலாம். இங்குள்ள தாயாரின் பெயர் யதிராஜவல்லி. தாயாருக்கென்று தனி சந்நிதியுள்ளது. அத்தோடு ஆண்டாளுக்கும் தனி சந்நிதி ஒன்று தனியாக உள்ளது.
ஆண்டாளின் அழகை வர்னிக்க நம் அகக்கண் பத்தாது. பிறகு இராமருக்கும், வேணு கோபாலருக்கும் தனித்தனி சந்ந்திகள் உள்ளன. இப்பெருமாளின் திருநட்சத்திரம் திருவோணம். ஸ்ரீராமானுஜரின் திருநட்சத்திரம் திருவாதிரை. ஆகவே ஒவ்வொரு மாதத்திலும் இந்த நட்சத்திரம் வரும் தினங்களில் திருவீதி உலா வரும்
#Vasishtha_Kavyakantha_Ganapati_Muni (1878 1936)
He was a valiant soldier in the cause of Truth and Divinity. Even highly learned people of our time wonder at his indubitable versatile genius, keenness of perception and understanding of our modern problems, though he had never been to school all his life. His powers of intellect and intuition had solved and untied many mystic knots. His wide scholarship and studies in religious lore harmonized in him all religions and schools of philosophy. He was a master of metaphysics and his gift transported him into regions where he could see the entire manifestation. In fact, he belonged to the order of the Rig Vedic seers who were gods among men.
The Muni's life story is sweet and all absorbing and has been beautifully rendered in the famous biography #Vashistha_Vaibhavam by his foremost disciple, Sri Kapali Shastriar. Ganapati Muni was born in Kalavarayi near Bobbili in Andhra Pradesh on 17th November1878. He belonged to a family of Sri Vidya initiates (in vashishtha gotram), which had actually migrated from a village near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu in the late 16th or early 17th century (later the family was wellknown as the Ayyalasomayajulu family). His parents, Narasimha Sastry and Narasamamba, had 3 sons, Ganapati being the middle one. Nearly a year before his birth, on the holy day of rathasaptami, his mother had been to the famous Surya (Sun) temple at Arasavalli (near Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh) to offer her prayers and worship. She stayed overnight in the temple after the traditional worship to the Lord. In the next early morning she had a dream in which a beautiful woman with golden divine radiance emerged from the corridors of the temple, approached her with a shining pot of fire and giving it in her hands vanished. To her utter astonishment, the moment the fire pitcher came into contact with her, it entered her womb and assumed the form of a child.
Soon after her return to home from Arasavalli, she showed signs of pregnancy. She believed that her child was a divine gift of God Agni (fire). While she was waiting to deliver the child, her husband, Narasimha Sastry, had gone to the holy city of Kashi (Benares in Uttar Pradesh) in November 1878, where he also had a unique experience. When he was performing tapas in the Dhundiganapati temple (near Visweswara Ghat) he had the vision of a little child emanating from the Deity and coming near him. After these wonderful experiences by both parents, Ganapati was born in the parental home of his mother on 17th November 1878.
The father appropriately named his second son Ganapati, rooted in his conviction that the child was an emanation of God Ganapati himself. It may be noted that the Vedic deity Agni (Fire) is none other than Ganapati described in the puranas and worshipped in the tantras. Ganapati himself was conscious of his divinity. He has expressed this in his most famous poem #Umasahasram and has said that he was born as an amsa (portion) of God Ganapati. He has also expressed his conviction about the identity between him and God Ganapati, the guiding spirit of his corporeal existence, in his work #Herambopasthanam (Glory of Ganapati).
Ganapati was educated entirely at home. His father, Narasimha Sastry, like his ancestors, was an expert and well versed in mantra shastra, astrology and ayurveda. With this traditional family background, proficiency in these subjects came naturally to Ganapati. When he was only 10 years old, he was able to prepare the pañchamgam (almanac). He finished studying the classical Sanskrit poems and then devoted himself to the study of grammar and poetics. At the same time he delved deep into the writings of Vyasa and Valmiki. Again and again he read the Mahabharata. His horizon widened and his intellect mellowed with an everdeepening perception. Like the ancient Rishis, Ganapati wanted to experience immense strength and power by the practice of tapasya through mantra japa and meditation. Although married at an early age to Srimati Vishalakshi, he started visiting one sacred place after another for his tapas when he was 18 years old.
He used to stay in one place for a few days or even months. In one such visit to Bhubaneswar (in Orissa, where the famous Lingaraj temple of Lord Siva is located), during his tapas, Ganapati had a vision, in which Goddess Lalitambika (bhuvaneshwari) appeared before him, offering divine nectar. As Ganapati tasted this heavenly nectar, the Goddess watched him with a sweet smile, full of grace. From then onwards, the sweetness of the nectar became an integral part of him. After this incident, Ganapati's intellect developed a rare sharpness and he attained complete mastery over poetry. Indeed, the literary work composed after this incident is endowed with a distinct sweetness and grace.
When Ganapati was staying in Kashi, he came to know that an assembly of scholars (harisabha) would be held in the famous city of Navadwipa in Bengal. On the advice of his friends he got a letter of introduction and went to Navadwipa. There he excelled in all the difficult tests that he was put to with an effortless ease that stunned his examiners, who unanimously conferred the title #kavyakantha (one who has poetry in his throat voice of poetry) on him forthwith. He was only 22 years old then (details are in Volume 11).
Ganapati repaired to the south of the country in his 25th year. From Kanchipuram he came toArunachala (Thiruvannamalai) in 1903 to perform tapas. He visited twice #SriBrahmanaSwamy (who was later named as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by Kavyakantha himself) before he accepted a teacher's job at Vellore in 1904. Later in 1907, he resigned his job at Vellore and returned to Arunachala. It was at this stage that he sought and gained the grace of Sri Brahmana Swamy (Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi). An intellectual and spiritual giant who had high achievements to his credit and a host of followers as well, Kavyakantha still felt that his life's purpose was not fulfilled. He remembered Brahmana Swamy whom he had met earlier and approached him for his grace and gain inner realization, peace and true import of tapas that he still lacked. On 18.11.1907 Kavyakantha approached Brahmana Swamy, who was staying in the Virupaksha cave, and prostrating himself at his feet said in a trembling voice: “All that has to be read I have read, even Vedanta Sastra I have fully understood. I have performed japa and puja to my heart's content. Yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas is. Hence have I sought refuge at thy feet, pray enlighten me about the nature of tapas.” For quite some time Brahmana Swamy gazed silently at Kavyakantha. He broke his 11 years of long silence and spoke gently, “If one watches where his notion of `I' springs, the mind will be absorbed into that. That is tapas. If a mantra is repeated and attention is directed to the source where the mantra sound is produced, the mind will be absorbed in that. That is tapas.”
The scholar poet was filled with joy to have found his guru, and announced that the upadesha (teaching) was original, and that Brahmana Swamy was indeed a maharshi and should be called so thereafter. He gave the full name #BhagavanSriRamanaMaharshi to Brahmana Swamy, whose original name was Venkataraman. Thus, the meeting was of profound significance not only for Kavyakantha but also for the world at large, which could learn from such a high authority about the real stature of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the Silent Sage of Arunachala. Following this momentous meeting, Ganapati composed his great devotional poem, #Umasahasram, a thousand verses in praise of Uma, the Divine Mother, as a part of his tapas in gratitude to the great Goddess for having given him the Maharshi as his Guru (Master). This work is the magnum opus of Sri Vasishta Ganapati Muni.
The Muni had the unique experience of kapalabheda. In the summer of 1922 at the Mango cave of the Arunachala hills, the Muni had several yogic experiences, arising from deeper parts of his being and invading his physical consciousness (resulting in great physical pain). During this, he visited his Master and told him of his inner and physical experience. His most compassionate Master, Sri Maharshi, comforted him by placing his lotus hands on his head. On the very night, he had the experience of the culmination of kundalini sadhana, resulting in the most unique experience of kapalabheda. His cranium was broken into two parts; a distinct sound caused by the breaking arose from the passage, which joins the two holes of the ears. A line of smoke going out of the head was perceived there. The Muni later spoke to his disciples about this yogic experience and that this has been mentioned in the sixth chapter of the Taittrriyopanishad, quoting vyapohya shirshakapale bhurityagnau prati tishati (“having separated the two parts of the cranium, he stands established in Fire as Bhuh, the earth element”) and mentioned several great effects of the power of yoga experienced at this time with their secrets. It is usually believed that the physical effects of this great experience are such that the body cannot sustain long following this event. However, in his case, with the strength of his own tapasya and the Grace of his most compassionate Master, he lived for 14 long years (although he had to observe certain physical restrictions, such as that he could not shave his head nor could put his bare feet on the ground) after this experience. This event speaks volumes on the extraordinary nature of his tapasya and the fact that he was perhaps the greatest Master of tantra born on this earth. In fact, the final revision of his magnum opus Umasahasram after this experience, remains, testimony not only to his supreme mastery over the tantras but also his ability to find the reconciliation and concordance between the Vedic, Upanishadic and the Tantric schools of thoughts. The kapalabheda experience also reconfirms the conviction that he was the direct aWsha (portion) of the Vedic deity agni (who resides as the power of kuKoalinn in the muladhara of human beings).
The poet seer Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni met #Sri_Aurobindo on 15th August 1928. He stayed at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for about a fortnight. During this stay at the Ashram, the Muni meditated with The Mother a few times. After one such meditation, The Mother expressed that the Muni was a real yogi who could plunge into great depths the moment he started meditation and that she had not so far found any person abiding in Her spiritual consciousness as Ganapati Muni did.
#அழகியசிங்கபெருமாள் #திருவேளுக்கை திவ்ய தேசம் - 46
மூலவர்: முகுந்த நாயகன், அழகிய சிங்கர்
தாயார்: வேளுக்கை வல்லி
தீர்த்தம்: கனக சரஸ், ஹேமசரஸ்
பழமை: 500-1000 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்
புராண பெயர்: திருவேளுக்கை, வேளுக்கை
ஊர்: காஞ்சிபுரம்
மாநிலம்: தமிழ்நாடு
மங்களாசாசனம் : பேயாழ்வார்
புராண வரலாற்றின் படி பிருகு முனிவருக்கு கனக விமானத்தின் கீழ் கிழக்கு நோக்கி நின்ற திருக் கோலத்தில் காட்சி கொடுத்ததாக ஐதீகம். பேயாழ்வார் இத்தலத்தினை, உப்பிலியப்பன் கோயில், கும்பகோணம், திருப்பதி போன்ற தலங்களுக்கு இணையாகப் பாடியுள்ளார். இதிலிருந்து இத்தலத்தின் சிறப்பை அறியலாம்.
ஆழ்வார்களைத் தவிர சுவாமி தேசிகனும் இப்பெருமாளை #காமாஸீகாஷ்டகம் என்ற ஸ்லோகத்தால் போற்றியுள்ளார். இதை தினமும் பாராயணம் செய்தால் நரசிம்மரின் பரிபூரண அருள் கிடைக்கும். இதனை ‘காமாஷிகா நரசிம்ம சன்னதி' என்றும் அழைப்பார்கள்.
திருமாலின் அவதாரங்களில் மிகவும் போற்றப்படுகிற அவதாரம் நரசிம்ம
#பஞ்ச_நரசிம்ம_க்ஷேத்ரம்
தமிழ்நாட்டின் சீர்காழியில் 5 நரசிம்ம ஆலயங்கள் தோன்றக் காரணமே திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார். அந்த 5 உத்தமமான நரசிம்மத் பெருமாள் ஆலயங்களை ஒரே நாளில் சென்று வழிபட்டால் கடன் தொல்லை குறையும், எதிரிகள் தொல்லை விலகும், தடைப்பட்ட திருமணம் நடைபெறும், மன அமைதி கிடைக்கும்
என்பது ஐதீகம். ஓரிரு கிலோமீட்டர் தள்ளித் தள்ளி ஒரே இடத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள இந்த 5 ஆலயங்களும் திவ்ய தேச ஆலயங்கள் ஆகும். திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார் கள்ளர் பிரிவில் பிறந்தவர். சீர்காழி நகரின் அருகில் உள்ள மங்கை மடம் எனும் ஊரில் இருந்து 5 கி.மீ தொலைவில் உள்ள திருக்கறையலூரில் பிறந்தவர். சோழ
மன்னர்கள் ஆட்சியில் இருந்தபோது மங்கை மடம் எனும் பகுதிக்கு குறுநில மன்னராக திருமங்கை மன்னன் இருந்தார். திருமங்கை மன்னன் பகவான் விஷ்ணுவின் வில்லின் அம்சம். அவருக்காகப் பிறந்தவர் குமுதவல்லி நாச்சியார். பல நிகழ்ச்சிகள் நடந்தேற அதன் இறுதியில் அவர்கள் இருவரும் திருமணம் செய்து
#Thiruthanka #Thoopul #SriDeepaPrakasar_Temple Kanchipuram Divya Desam - 45
This is the Avathara Sthalam of Sri Vedantha Desikar.
The Moolavar of this sthalam is Sri Deepa Prakasar. He is also called as #Vilakkoli_Perumal, #DivyaPirakasar Moolavar is in Standing position facing
West Direction. Prathyaksham for Lord Saraswathi.
Thaayar : Maragathavalli Thayaar
Sannadhis: Separate sannadhi for Vedantha Desikar, where he is found with Gnana Muthirai, was built by his son, Nayina Varadachariyar and separate sannadhi for Lakshmi Hayagreevar.
Mangalasasanam:
ThiruMangai Azhwar – 2 Paasurams.
Pushkarani: Saraswathi Theertham.
Vimanam: Srikara Vimanam.
This is a big temple with a huge Vaagana Mandapam.
As per puranas, once there was an argument between Saraswathi, the consort of Brahma and Lakshmi on superiority. They went to Indra,