Sabrimala temple.

In India the list of temples is very long.Needless to say ,devotees are also uncountable .Unending queues, large crowd are the part of temples and  could  be seen easily near any popular temple.In some devotees wait for hours to visit the same.

      Every year  pilgrims in millions visit the prominent and famous temple Sabrimala ,a beautiful temple located in Sabari Hills in Kerala which is also a popular site of pilgrimage.
    The temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. There are many stories related to the Lord.
It is a belief that Sabrimala is that sacred place where Lord Ayyappa meditated after killing a powerful buffaloe-faced demoness Mahisi who was the sister of Mahishasura.
Another belief is also there.It is said that when Goddess Durga killed Mahishasura, Mahisi tried to take revenge from Goddess Durga but she failed in her efforts and was killed by Lord Ayyappa. It is said that Lord Ayyappa had the powers of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
The unique thing about this temple is that it is not biased to any particular religion. It allows everyone belonging to any caste or creed. All devotees and pilgrims are welcomed here.
 The two crowd pulling events of this temple are Mandala pooja and Makaravilakku.Here, the pilgrim season begins in the month of November and ends in the month of January.During pilgrimage some rules has to follow by the pilgrims. At the time of Mandala pooja the pilgrims undertake a rigorous 41 day vratam during which they don't eat any non-vegetarian food and they also stay away from carnal pleasures.
   This holy place is also connected to a Muslim saint, called Vavar.There is a mosque in the vicinity of the temple. During visit the devotees move around this mosque ,chanting the names of both Lord Ayyappa and Vavar.
  Lord Ayyappa bless His devotees in the form of divine light also called Makaravilakku or Makar Jyothi that appears on the hillside on a particular day .

How to go to Sabrimala temple?

Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are the nearest airports .Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thiruvalla or Chenganur are the nearest railway stations.The bus stop close to the temple is Pampa.Kochin is around 104 kms far away.Mountainous path is also there to visit the temple.From Erumely it is 61 Kms and it is 12.8 KMS from vandiperyar.
The prasadam at the temple is Aravana payasam and Appam.

               The Sweetest Day

In present ,every individual is in the clutches of stress .May be rich or poor no one is untouched by the wave of stress.If you knock, almost everyone comes out with the tales of problems and difficulties.

Then who is happy? or what makes us happy? Does money really give us a real joy.It may be true for someone but is momentary. Happiness and joy are  not a part of money or wealth  and also has a very short period of life.The concept of joy lies in thinking about others, sharing moments with others .
The idea behind the celebration of the 'The Sweetest Day' is also the same.
     In 1922 Herbert Birch Kingston a philanthropist in Cleveland Ohio also wanted to help the orphans, lonely, isolated and so created the day 'The Sweetest Day'.This day is not popular all over the world but is celebrated in some parts of United states, like the Midwester United States,Northern part of Florida ,Northeastern United states on the third saturday in October. The sweetest Day is slowly spreading throughout the U.S. People share romantic deeds or expressions on this day.Gifts of candy, heart-shaped boxes ,greeting cards containing romantic expressions have been the part of Sweetest Day since its first observance. It is also the day that leaves candy companies salivating as the sales of sweets and candy increase multifold  on this particular day.Many believe that sweetest Day originated to promote the sale of sweets,cards and gifts,so has also been referred as a "a concocted promotion". The biggest sweetest Day celebrators are the cities of Detroit,Cleveland and Buffalo.
No doubt ,whatever may be the reasons but this day atleast brings smile on the face of many.

                    Lord Ganesha .

India is a country of festivals. Hardly ,do we  find a month when there is no festival. Holi, Diwali, Durga puja ,Ganesh chaturthi and many .Some festivals is popular in one part others in different part of the country.
In Hindu mythology Lord Ganesha holds a significant place.Every new project begins with the worship of Lord Ganesha.He is matchless .This is incorrect to say that He is worshipped only in India but the fact is different. Other countries like Sri Lanka,Bali,Thailand,Nepal etc.also have the images and temples of  Lord Ganesha.
Devotees of Lord Ganesha is present almost everywhere in India.Ganesh Chaturthi is the main festival of the people of Maharashtra.Basically ,this festival was started as a public festival   in Pune to bring different castes people under one roof.
     Ganapati, Sumukha,Vinayaka, Ek Dant, Vigneshwara are some of the popular names by which Lord Ganesha is known. He is Vigneshwara because He removes all the obstacles of life.As He has an elephant head so He is called Gajanan. He is a God with one Tusk so He got the name Ek Dant.
   The must to offer things that pleases Him are modak, ladoos and grass( Cynodon dactylon).It is said that grass is offered to  Lord Ganesha to bring good luck and prosperity.And in order to fulfill the  long -awaited desires devotees offer ladoos to Lord Ganesha.
        Shiva and Parvati are the parents of lord Ganesha.But the question is why did  parvati create Lord Ganesh?

There is an interesting story behind  the birth of Lord Ganesha .It is said that behind the creation of Lord Ganesha Parvati's two friends Jaya and Vijaya played the important role. They suggested to make Him.Nandi and others used to follow the instructions of Lord Shiva . And there should be someone who follow the orders of Parvati. So ,Parvati made Lord Ganesha from the dirt of her body.His body parts like long ears  signifies that everyone should listen more and talk less .The small eyes signifies importance of concentration and attention and a large head  is related to wisdom and knowledge.Lord Ganesha got married to Riddhi and Siddhi and has two sons Shetra and Laabh.