It has been a week since we returned from Imphal, #Manipur, and cannot wait to go back for a longer trip, prayers for peace and stability in the state. Spent only a day but learnt so much. Amma returns after 42 years! She and her friend went by road. We were living in Silchar then. She came back with such mesmerizing stories of Loktak and the women at IMA market. Have been attracted to Manipur ever since.

#Panaji Walking to Temples in Goa. Amma was as surprised as I was when I first read the threads on the temples here by @kokumsherbet ever since been wanting to visit and finally we did it...grateful to @rahul_goa ji for suggesting the best driver for this trip, a local who knows so the air tickets from Hyd were verrry expensive so we took the overnite sleeper bus....resting up a bit in the Latin Quarter before getting on with it..in Fontainhas...at Hospedaria ..family owned

#Shivaratri 2020 was at GWU, leading pooja for the Hindu Students Association. This year they got permission to have 'one candle' hence agreed to lead; there can be no pooja without agnidevata. logistics had to be looked into days before - as the crowd was mixed - partly sponsored by Sikh Association, Pakistani students association etc but kudos to HSA they let me decide, so 108 names with meanings - shiva ashTottaram was done, print outs given to all

@rasita @Koenraad_Elst @IndicAcademy @avatans @VMuppi Thank you @Koenraad_Elst ji for taking us through the whole gamut of the history of Yoga and all that it entails in the current scenario, learnt a lot. We are indebted to your scholarship. Happy Travels! @rasita @Koenraad_Elst @IndicAcademy @avatans @VMuppi From running notes some importance points:
1. Whether Gayatri Mantra or Mrityunjaya Mantra the mention of 'dhee which is awareness', and outgrowing of attachments et al points to a deep insight of the peoples. Not 'mere tapas' as is usually belittled.

There is no better place than the Sivananda Ashram in Nassau, Bahamas to study the Tale of Two Birds from the Mundaka Upanishad while the Govt and the City Shuts down #WalkToTemple Yoga Vacation 2019 the whole ashram with 99% non-desis but teaming with shraddha and saadhana, just took my breath away with the fabulous art work depicted at unexpected corners, walls, nooks...first day was sheer serendipity

శబరిమల ఆచార నియమాలు

1. నల్ల బట్టలు మాత్రమే ధరించాలి. ఇది శని దేవుని ప్రకోపాన్ని తగ్గించుతుంది.
కొన్ని ఏండ్ల దీక్ష తరవాత నీలము లేక కాషాయ వస్త్రాలు వేసుకోవాచు. పాద రక్షలు నిషేదం. ఇంట్లో ప్రవేశ సమయము కాళ్ళు కడిగి తీరాలి. 2. ప్రతీ దినము ప్రొదున్న సాయంకాలము చల్ల నీళ్ల తో తల స్నానము చెయ్యాలి. సుగంధిత ద్రవ్యాలు నిషేధము.

3. శాకాహార భోజనము మాత్రమే తినాలి. సొంత వంట ఉత్తమము, వేరే పాత్రములల్లో వండుకోవాలి.

4. కచ్చితంగా నేల మీదనే నిద్రపోవాలి. మంచాలు నిషేధము. దుప్పట్లు లాంటివి వాడవచ్చు.

"One of the first questions, any Indian gets asked when abroad, is about the bindi. Of all the various answers that are possible, the most definite one is that a bindi is considered auspicious among Hindus , even by those who do not sport it!" 1/n Even within the country there are people who question it’s need find it to be obsolete an incongruous tribal marking in this day and age; however one looks at it, it is lack of understanding of what the bindi entails, it’s purpose, it’s symbolism, it’s health benefits if any 2/n

flying into Siem Reap was like entering India of the 80s, in some rural hinterland; farms, labour, small town - yet the airport and the city was anything but - very proud of its past and overtly so. naagaas, apsaraas, Rama, Hanuman, Narayana, and Bayon faces everywhere you look get used to him, he greets you at the airport. while I see some non-local film actor when I land in Hyd!

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti, abode of Vedanta learning. Rural, rustic, no frills, traditional, in-depth and heaven on earth! Sri gurubhyo namaha! Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji taught here, my alma mater. Celebrated Kumbhabhishekam, Guru Poornima, attended Vedanta camp medhaa dakshiNaamoorty and gnyaaneshwari...eyes never tire of having their darshan

thank you @khatvaanga for a wonderfully organized mahaarudram and sahasra gaNapati atharvasheersham last weekend at Rajdhani Mandir. back-breaking work obviously, try organizing a mammoth event like this!