KSBKBT 2.0 filled me with nostalgic joy in a manner I would've not expected. Compared with the mindless soaps that are routinely churned out today, the 2025 version of Kyunki has brought back baggage reminiscent of an epoch when things were certainly different in lots of ways.

https://twitter.com/ZoomTV/status/1950426759075418362

2000-2008 (2001-2010 in my part of the world), the years during which KSBKBT originally ran, were critical in the making of modern Bhārat because, in my observation, from the mid-to-late '90s through most of the noughties, a significant socio-cultural shift began to take place.

There is a not-so-popular kathā that, in addition to the well-known divine stories associated with Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Lakṣmī, is closely tied to Dīpāvalī, or rather, coincides with it. Its primary textual source is the Skanda Purāṇa and it is known as Kedāra Gaurī Vrata.
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A great devotee of Bhagavān Śiva, one Bhṛṅgi Ṛṣi, used to perform upāsanā, including pradakṣiṇa, of Parameśvara whilst ignoring Śakti. The Goddess somehow became annoyed at this, and withdrew her śakti, i.e. herself, from the body of the sage.

A few reflections on Mīmāṃsā.

अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा - athāto brahma jijñāsā (Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.1))

atha—now; atah—therefore; brahma—about Brahman; jijñāsā—there should be inquiry.

Now, therefore, one should inquire about Brahman (a Sanskrit noun denoting the absolute truth). अहं ब्रह्मास्मि - ahaṁ brahmāsmi (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.4.10))

I am of the nature of Brahman.

Well, everything ultimately is.

बलिदानेन विप्रेन्द्र दुर्गाप्रीतिर्भवेन्नृणाम्।
हिंसाजन्यं न पापं च लभते यज्ञकर्मणि॥ ब्रह्मवैवर्तपुराणम् (प्रकृतिखण्डः), ६५.१०

О best of Brāhmaṇas, Goddess Durgā is pleased with the offering of sacrifices; by performing yajña, one does not attract the sin of killing an animal. ऐणेयम् मांसम् आहृत्य शालाम् यक्ष्यामहे वयम् |
कर्त्व्यम् वास्तुशमनम् सौमित्रे चिरजीवभिः || वाल्मीकि रामायण २-५६-२२

The story behind the five-faced form of श्री हनुमान् is briefly recounted in the tweets hereunder quoted. This rUpa has the faces of hanumAn, narasiMha, garuDa, varAha and hayagrIva.

https://twitter.com/Sangita_Premi/status/1525075831022063616

The Lord's original mukha as hanumAn himself faces east and bestows upon a worshipper purity of mind and manifestation of desire. The narasiMha mukha looks southward and grants general welfare, whilst the garuDa face, which faces the west, is the provider of good luck.

@Hiranyaa_ Though not told in the वाल्मीकि रामायण​, the story of अहिरावण, or महिरावण​, is mentioned in the अद्भुत रामायण​, and in one or two other more recent regional versions of the रामायण. Sometime during the war, रावण​ sought help from his brother अहिरावण, who ruled over पाताल​. @Hiranyaa_ The latter was able to, at one point, assume the form of विभीषण​ and through such trickery, hypnotise both श्री राम and श्री लक्ष्मण​ prior to carrying them off to पाताल. The real विभीषण​ then urged हनुमान्जी to follow him there and look for the two brothers.

श्री भगवते साम्ब सदाशिवाय नमः। In shaiva (and shAkta) philosophy, the supreme being, on the highest plane of existence, is paramashiva. In order to manage the sR^iShTi-lIlA and help the selves disentangle themselves from avidyA, he first manifests as pa~nchAnana sadAshiva, who is also called pa~nchabrahma.