Hawan Group of New Jersey, USA
Sanskaras means making impression that would determine the future quality of life. These religious ceremonies ensure that individual follows the right path in their life. There are sixteen sanskaras. Sanskaras prevent an individual from joining undesirable company and influence him to become a useful citizen. The first sanskara marks the beginning of life and the final sanskara is performed at […]
» Read moreMost Hindus wear a Tilak or Bindi (kumkum) on the forehead – particularly on religious or special ceremonies. The Tilak is applied on saints and the Lord as a form of worship. The Tilak is also applied to welcome people, or to honor a guest or when bidding farewell to a son/daughter/relatives. It invokes a feeling of sanctity in the […]
» Read moreWe greet each other with Namaste. In Sanskrit it means namah + te, That is I bow to you.”Nama” Signifies reducing ones ego in front of another, a gesture of friendship and humility. The life force in all of us is the same. Recognizing the oneness with folded palms; with our head bowed down we salute the divinity in the […]
» Read moreYajna and Agni have special place in lives of Hindus. We perform Yajna at all the auspicious events of our lives– be it birth of child, marriage ceremony, or house warming. Despite such a significant role, Yajna, perhaps, is one of least understood rituals. Some dismiss it calling it wastage of ghee, samagri and money. There is a need to […]
» Read moreAll of us are thinking machines. We are thinking all the time – either consciously or sub-consciously. The kind of thinking we entertain has profound impact on our lives. We become what we think most of time. Any and every great – or shameless – event starts from a tiny thought. In our Vedic culture, sages have placed high importance […]
» Read moreKrishna was a dynamic incarnation (Avatar) of Lord Vishnu. Krishna’s incarnation brought a powerful influence upon Indian thought and life. Every aspect of Krishna’s life and deeds is a symbol indicating a subtle truth. Lord Krishna is represented in different forms in different pictures. Each form signifies meanings and teachings. In all the representations, there are some common attributes. Krishna’s […]
» Read moreThe Goddess Saraswati is represented as sitting on a lotus. She has four hands. She holds the sacred scripture in one hand and a lotus in the other. With the third and fourth hands she plays the Indian lute (veena). The four hands of the Goddess represent the four aspects of the inner personality of human kind, namely, mind, intellect, […]
» Read moreWhen we invoke Lord Shiva, we are reminded of His divine power (Shiv Shakti) of rewarding the good and destroying the evil. When we study Lord Shiva’s picture, we find that there is a message in each symbol that adorns the image. 1. The Water of the Ganges from the head has four messages for us. a. It is very […]
» Read moreThe first assignment of year 2005 for kids is “Ganesha”. There is an assignment for parents, too. Please help kids cut and paste a nice small picture of Ganesha in their journal. The mantra of the month is: VAKRA TUNDA MAHAA KAAYAA SURYA KOTI SAMA PRABHAA NIRVIGHNAM KURU MEY DEVA SARVA KARYESHU SARVADAA Meaning: O Lord Ganesha! The one with […]
» Read moreThe assignment for this month is to review what we have learned this entire year. It is essential that kids understand the meanings of mantras they recite. As Auntieji suggested, this month kids should go over the mantras they have learned. In addition, please revise the topics we have covered throughout the year. Let kids pick the topic(s) of their […]
» Read more