I grew up with the notion that the 'Ramayana’ and 'Mahabharata’ stories were all imaginary. Nothing like that happened in reality on this planet.
But As I started exploring more and more places either in person or online, I found that many places not only within India but even outside Bharat have co-relation with the incidents described in them.
For example recently I visited a place called ‘Panchalimedu’ a hill station in Idukki district of Kerala.
This is the history of this beautiful place:
1⃣ Pandavas along with their spouse Panchali had a sojourn there at time of one-year exile. Hence the place got its name Panchalimedu which derived from the words "Panchali" (Draupadi) and "medu" (hill). The local tribes there offered selfless helps to the Kuru princes.
Pandavas left the region before the beginning of one year incognito. They rewarded an idol of Goddess Durga to the tribal chief for their helps and instructed them to worship Devi. But, unexpected incidents occurred when the tribes worshipped Devi by following their own uncivilized puja methods. Hence the place became uninhabitable for them. Later, Devi herself moved to the present Valliyamkavu region and presided there.
People still believe that Panchalimedu is the moola sthana or sanctum sanctorum of Devi.
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A north Indian saint Sundarar Nathar who mysteriously became a south Indian saint Thirumoolar.🤫

The legend goes like this….
Sundarar Nathar was a great Siddha Master who had Ashta Siddhis(8 spiritual powers) and Nava Nidhis (9 treasures of God Kubera).
Nearing the end of his journey close to a village Sathanur, an amazing event changed Sundarar Nathar’s life forever....
1⃣ He saw a group of cows surrounding a dead cowherd. The cows were smelling the dead body and crying. This cowherd, who had the name Moolan, was from a nearby village called Sathanur and had been bitten by a snake, and died.
Seeing the cows weeping with sorrow so touched was Thirumoolar that he decided to alleviate the sufferings of the poor cows.
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#Thread
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I was very fortunate to visit Thirunelli temple last Monday.
The temple lies at an altitude of 3000 feet and can be reached by driving through three wildlife sanctuaries. hence on the way to the temple, one can easily get to see a number of wild animals. we too, spotted a few🦌🐒🐘 of them.

This Temple is the only ancient temple in the world where the devotees can perform all the rituals related to one’s life, starting from birth to death and life after death. It is one of the most ancient temples in Kerala🌴.
It is believed that here the prathishta of Lord Vishnu was performed by Lord Brahma. It is also known as ''Sahyamala Kshetram'' and ''Kashi of the South''.

#SanatanaDharma
#Hindutva
#SPIRITUAL
#Kerala
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The Legend goes like this....
Lord Brahma (the Creator) while traversing the world on his swan got attracted by the bewitching beauty of the area. Then he landed on a hill which is later known as Brahmagiri.
Lord Brahma while walking through the hills enjoying the tranquility and serenity of the surrounding hills, saw an idol of Lord Vishnu resting on an amla🍈 tree, hence the name Thirunelli. (nelli, the Malayalam/Tamil equivalent for Indian gooseberry (Amla) tree.)
Brahma realized that this abode of peace is nothing but Vishnuloka. This was confirmed by a disembodied voice.
Soon he installed the deity with a request to Lord Vishnu that he should remain in this area to give peace to the human souls hounded by the thought of their sins.
Lord Vishnu assured that the rivers around this temple would wash away the sins of human beings during their mortal life and life after death.
Brahma entrusted two pious Brahmins of the Amalaka village, its keeping. He also instructed them that everyday he himself visit the place and do service to Vishnu.
The puja in every shrine closes ordinarily at about 9 to 10 P.M. But in this shrine, where the ordinary puja is done five times, from morning till Night the priest prepares for a sixth puja before leaving the place. On opening the doors next morning he finds that all the materials for the puja have been utilised during the night. It was Lord Brahma who performed the sixth puja when the animate and inanimate objects are in deep slumber.
This has been going on every day and will go on for ever.
The priest before entering the temple in the morning swears thrice that he will not divulge what he sees there on opening the door, and no priest dares to give out the secret at the risk of being bitten by cobras🐍 emanating from the shrine.

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Many of my relatives n friends have stopped performing the rituals of 'shraadh 'during #PitruPaksha.
Many say, “ what's the point of making offerings n doing elaborate rituals for the dead. Just treat them well while they are alive. Why do something mainly out of fear once they are gone?” while I agree that we have to treat the older generations well while they are alive, do these rituals-deep rooted in our culture🕉️ are of no significance❓
In my parents' what's app groups, there are messages being circulated that these post death rituals have become just a way to make money by a particular section of people. In today’s era of space n science continuing with these age-old rituals is a mere waste of time n energy.
Is it really so? do Our ancestors hold any significance in our lives even after they are dead❓
Lets dive deeper into it.....

The new moon day known as the beginning of Dussehra. It is a special day dedicated to making an offering to express our gratitude to all the previous generations of people who have contributed to our life.
During this time, in the Indian subcontinent, new crops would have just begun to bear yield. So, their first produce is offered to the ancestors as a mark of respect and thankfulness, by way of 'pinda', before the whole population breaks into celebration in the form of other festivals like Navratri, Vijayadashami and Diwali.

#ShraddhKarma
#DayForAncestors
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This is the time of the year close to the Autumnal equinox (the day when Earth is perfectly angled sideways to the sun and so day and night are of equal length.),
many cultures worldwide celebrate this day n the start of new season drawing upon its spiritual n symbolic meaning.

Different Types of Ancestor Worship from Around the World:🌎

▪️Sraddha from India. ...
▪️Vodun from Ghana. ...
▪️Día de Los Muertos from Mexico. ...
▪️Venerated Saints from Rome. ...
▪️Shi Ceremony from China. ...
▪️Megalithic Tombs from Europe. ...
▪️Pchum Ben from Cambodia. ...
▪️Samhain from Scotland.

Have u ever wondered Why Do We Go Clockwise Around Temples🛕?
This walking around the 🛕 in clockwise direction is called '#Pradakshina'.
Some time back when my 5-year-old asked me, why only clockwise & not anticlockwise? I had no answer.
But Now I know the reason behind it.
1/n If you notice closely, many natural phenomena turn clockwise above the #Equator and anticlockwise below it. It is not just with air or water, the very energy system functions like this. In the northern Hemisphere of the planet, this is a natural phenomenon.
Check this video👇
2/n

When I was in my 7th standard , my mother spotted few strands of grey hair on my scalp. N I freaked out🙀 .
Year after year, their percentage went on increasing rapidly. By the time I turned 20-21...1/n I had to use Henna on regular basis to mask my grey hair, their percentage had shooted up to 25-30 % by now.😰

A couple of years post my delivery, when I suffered from Psoariais, the condition even affected my scalp. My scalp became...2/n

For a minimum of 15 yrs of my early age, every single day I ate tea-rusk, tea-khari, tea -bun or bread, tea-buisciuts, morning as a breakfast n then as evening snacks. It tasted yumm…😋
a few years later, as a #Health -conscious adult, I refused to eat...1/ any of the maida products switching to alternatives like milk with Kellog’s corn flakes or chocos, milk n banana for around 2 yrs . it was also the time when I started getting skin related problems. what started as a sun allergy initially, developed into an...

#AdiShankaracharyaJayanti
My current residence is only half an hrs drive from the #Kalady, the holy birth place of Jagadguru Adi Shankara.🙏🙇‍♀️ Let's know a bit more about the #Sringeri Mutt...+

https://twitter.com/NaturallySudha/status/1650792110738796544

The Sringeri Mutt Complex includes two temples built as a shrine to Adi Shankara. The first of these is the Shankara Temple, dedicated to Adi Shankara himself, celebrating the stories around his life and his teachings.+

Until 3 years back, I was so used to #pressurecookers for everyday #Cooking of rice, daal, potatoes, lentils, etc. At that time, I could not even imagine going without the quick and convient process of pressure cooking. But thanks to the ...1/n Bloating issues and other #digestiveProblems I faced immediately post delivery, which continued for more than 2 yrs. It was due to these health issues that I started becoming more conscious regarding my #Food. I came across the 'sutras by Maharishi Vagabhata', which states 2/n

1. As promised I m here to share #hamdmade #natural #simple #pocketfriendly n effective receipe for #dishwashingPowder. My search for such a product started when I introduced #earthenware in my kitchen. As we know earthen vessels are... 2.porous in nature n soap 🧼 used for their cleaning gets into these pores only to be released back while we cook in them at high temperatures. Who would want to have a curry🍛containing soap?😖
When we make a shift to #traditionalcooking utensils...
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