The glory of an Ekadashi lies in the process, the altruistic spirit and the underlying benefits involved in observing the fast on the specified days. A Hindu devotee would be well aware that as per the mythological books, a person is eligible to get blessed to a great extent by fasting on the 11th day of every lunar month. The Varuthini Ekadashi Vrat is also among this list; however it has been regarded as a greater festivity, due to certain reasons cited supposedly by the Lord Himself. People, who believe in fasts with religious motive, should not skip this auspicious occasion to get nearer to the spiritual powers. If some are reluctant about the shopping, they can now ease off their worries by purchasing from Pooja items online. Continue reading Earn Highest Virtues with Magnanimous Varuthini Ekadashi Vrat
Rid Yourself of Evil Spirits with Kalashtami Vrat Puja
The theory of Supernatural powers affecting human lives in good or bad way is not something that is acceptable to many people. It is quite natural, given that what is unseen, remains a topic of debate for living beings. The omnipresence of God is a concept that perhaps cannot be proved but felt. Similarly, the possibility of existence of some powers which are beyond control of the normal beings cannot be denied. The Gifts for Divine spirit are a way of seeking divine shelter from such forces. We pray, pay offerings, try to follow some customs that may lessen the bad spiritual effects.
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The Vedic Traditions Influencing Our Puja Ways
The word ‘Vedas’, when we speak of, surrounds us with a certain weight of aura that is carried by it and subsequently the adjectives ‘great’ and ‘ancient’ follows. The magnificence of the vastness and the generalisation of social applications that the scriptures encompass are always a matter of amazement for us. Although its origin is veiled in ambiguity, the contents that they comprise are a source of clarity in various aspects of life, even today. We are hazed by the western impact in this age and have got our ethnicities blended with that of foreign culture. People have adapted themselves to technologies and comforts, the products of which claim to save time and energy. An example of this is, to do away with physical shopping people prefer to buy online Puja Samagri. The lives have changed but some values still remain intact.
Continue reading The Vedic Traditions Influencing Our Puja Ways
Avert the Obstacles on Your Path with Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat
We humans are born as mortals and with various desires that keep us active and working during our lifetime. There are very few who are able to conquer their wants and get over the hyper-human emotions. Those are the sages, which might rarely exist in this age of highly commercialized and materialistic societies. Spiritualism has now been restricted to Puja rituals, to prepare for which people buy Pooja Samagri online nowadays. This is because people are going through serious time constraints and stress, which also have contributed in moving away from the other aspect of spirituality – Dhyana. However, the latter mode is the only way to relieve ourselves from all the problems.
Continue reading Avert the Obstacles on Your Path with Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat
Puja Shoppe, a Means to Divine “Art of Living”
What do we think of, when we speak about someone being religious? A human being paying respect to the divinity, pleasing Him with various religious rituals, mantras, or by adopting certain code of conduct, or everything in a combined way, etc. These are generally the features which we associate with a religious person. People purchase various Pooja Samagris online and offline to perform a Puja. But sometimes they fail to understand the significance of each and every item, used for worshipping.
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Different Type of Diyas and Their Significance
Puja Samagris play a significant role in Hindu rituals especially while performing Pujas. It is said that the image of the deity which is called Vigraha (in Sanskrit it means devoid of the ill effects of the “planets” or “grahas’).
So using the right puja materials help us to protect us from the ill effects of the planets like offering flowers ( that stands for the well-being of an individual), fruits (that stands to symbolize our self-sacrifice of the past deeds), burning of incense sticks (stands for the desires we have in our life),vermillion powder (stands for our emotions).
Last but not the least, the significance of lighting diya, represents the light in us, which stands to offer the Absolute.
As per old scriptures, lighting of a diya wards of evil forces and helps us move upward in life. There are more significant facts to know as why we light a diya:
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Online Pandit Service is Making Puja Easy for You
When you are running to keep up with the fast pace of life it becomes difficult to focus in other things. Most of the time, in the hurry of hullaballoo of modern demanding life we forget to pay homage to our deities.
The young generation is not really well versed with all the religious rituals as their demanding fast life does not let them to get to know about these rituals.
But when Puja Shoppe comes forward to solve this problem, puja becomes easier for you.How? Avail our online pandit service and you will get to know.
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Know About Goddess Kali and Significant Kali Puja Rituals
Maa Kali, the Hindu Goddess signifies “Shakti” Power and considered as the divine feminine energy of the Universe. According to the Hindu calendar or traditional Bengali calendar, Kali Puja is observed on the Amavasya tithi/day during the month of ‘Aashwin’. Generally, Kali Puja occurs during late October-mid November. Kali Puja is also known as Shyama Puja. People from West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, and Eastern India celebrate Kali Puja widely.
Most of the puja rituals connected with Kali Puja start generally at midnight. As Goddess Kali is associated with dark and demon worship, devotees perform the rituals strictly with great dedication.
Puja Preparation:
In eastern India, the devotees observe this puja with great devotion and worship immense idols of Goddess Kali. On this day pandals, streets, houses are decorated with lights and flowers, and Kali puja is celebrated as a communal festival. Devotees must coordinate with the Pandit firstly and organize the puja samagri by late evening. One should assemble the puja materials in the puja place prior to starting the puja in the midnight.
A brief Puja Process:
If you’re doing Kali Puja at home then you don’t have to follow all the Vedic rituals. But if you’re a part of communal Kali puja then you should follow all the rituals.
Once the puja area is cleaned, establish an idol or image of Maa Kali, and to sit comfortably facing the image. Arrange all the puja samagri on the Puja Thalis and sprinkle some holy water and akshata to purify them.
Now perform the invoking process by using incense, incense sticks, and perfume. Start worshipping by using red sandal wood paste, and flowers. Perform Nyasa, sound the bell or gong, and meditate for Maa Bhagwati.
Now, one can offer clothes, aachman, holy thread, sandalwood paste/powder, Akshatha, prasadam, to the Goddess.
After the puja is done, offer food along with Dakshina to the Brahmins who took part in the puja and distribute the prasad among devotees.
How To Observe Chhath Puja and Celebrate The Festival?
Chhath Puja or Dala Puja is mostly about worshipping the Sun God or Surya. As per traditional Hindu calendar Chhath Puja is celebrated in the month of Kartik in the lunar fortnight on the 6th day or ‘Shasthi’. According to English Gregorian calendar, Chhath Puja falls in the month of October – November, exact six days after Diwali, the festival of lights.
This year Chhath Puja will take place on November 17. Sandhya Arghya evening puja will take place on November 17 during sunset, and Suryodaya Arghya morning puja will take place on November 18 during sunrise.
Puja Preparation:
The major Chhath puja riverside rituals take place in the river ghats or riverbanks. Devotees come to complete their riverside rituals during at dawn and dusk. The significant Chhath puja rituals include rigorous fasting, and offerings to Lord Surya. Devotees should arrange all the puja samagri prior to the puja day.
Chhath puja samagri mostly include these items:-
1. Deity or picture of Lord Surya, Chhathi Maiya Calender
2. Akshata (Raw Unbroken Rice), Curd, Milk, Roli, Moli / Mauli, red and yellow Sindoor (Vermilion)
3. Wheat for Prasadam, Banana Ghaur, Dry Fruits, Fruits, Jaggery, Sugar, Sugar Candy, Coconut, Clove, Honey, Red and Yellow Flowers, Vegetables
4. Grind white Rice, Pots and Bamboo Baskets (Dalhiya/Dala), Bamboo/Brass Soop, Copper Pot/Kalash, Brass Bowl
5. 11 Betel Nuts, Betel Leaves, Arteek Leaves or Paat, Durba Grass
6. Red/yellow cloths for covering all items in the basket, Holy Water(Ganaga Jaal), Hawan items, Sandalwood, Incense Sticks, Dhoop, Camphor, Earthen Lamps, Mango Leaves, Branches, and Woods, Teel seeds both black and white
7. Coins & Money for Worship, Donations, Saffron, Milk, Wheat, Pistachio, Almonds, Dry/Green Grapes, Cashew, Cardamom, Chestnut, Lotus Seeds for Offerings
8. Mustered Oil, Pumpkin, and Bottle Gourd for Nanha Kha / Naha Kha date, Rose Water, Kevara Jaal (Screw Pine Water), Gram Pulse, Glass Bangles, Blanket
You can also check out Pujashoppe’s premium puja kit to get all the mandatory ingredients for this puja.
Chhath Puja Vidhi/ Process:
Devotees observe this prosperous Chhath festival for the welfare of the family. Both women and men can observe the fast and follow the rituals.
The primary day of Chhath Puja is celebrated as Nanha Kha or Nahai Khai. This day is dedicated to basic puja preparation, and purification.
The next day of Chhath Puja is known as ‘Kharna’ fasting. Devotees observe fast on this particular day, which is believed as ‘Kharna’, and break the fast in the evening after performing a puja at home. Sweets, kheer, fruits, and dry fruits can be offered during this time to the deities, and then the prasad can be distributed among the members of the family.
However, devotees commonly break this fast usually on the fourth day morning.
On the third day of Chhath, the devotees perform ‘Sandhya Arghya’ in the evening. on this auspicious day devotees must observe the fast devoid of consuming water until sunrise on the next morning. By standing in knee-deep water in the river, pond, lake, devotees should offer ‘Arghya’ along with ‘soop’ to the setting sun (Lord Surya).
‘Argh’ and ‘soop’ are offerings, which include flowers, fruits, sacred items, diyas, sugarcane, jaggery, coconut, milk, sweets, and vegetables. One should perform evening puja at home for Lord Agni, the fire god.
Fourth day of Chhath Puja is acknowledged as Chhath ‘Suryodaya Arghya’. On the fourth day morning, devotees perform this ritual by repeating all the sacred rituals they executed on the third day for the rising Lord Sun. The existing offerings are distributed among devotees after the Chhath Puja ends.
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Significance of Mahalaya and the Story behind It
Durga puja is on the verge now. It is the time of biggest festivity of Bengali. You must be planning for spending the four great days with your loved ones and friends. You are probably thinking about getting up in the morning of Mahalaya to listen to the age old and timeless chanting on the radio. This day of Mahalaya is an auspicious one since it denotes the day of worshipping and offering food to the ancestors.
This year the Mahalaya amavasyaa is on 12th October. When you are waiting for the day and accumulating puja samagri for the rituals of the day take a look to know about the significance of the day. There is a huge mythological significance that says about the win of good over evil and woman power.
The Story of Asura, Parvaty and Significance:-
Asura, the symbol of evil, and his followers were dangerous and evil. They became immortal with the blessings of Brahma and Lord Shiva. They were fearless and they were making it difficult for the devatas to rule in heaven. Lord Shiva has blessed them saying that only a woman will be able to destroy them. Asura found the idea ridiculous since they were sure that no woman will ever dare to fight them, let alone, kill them.
When Deavatas, scared of the increasing power and devilish ways of Asura went to Lord Shiva, he started thinking about destroying the Asura. Lord Shiva got married to Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya and asked her go for deep meditation. She gathered power and blessings from all Devatas. Parvati was a part of Shiva himself. After the meditation when she gathered all the power, Shiva and Parvati took the shape of Ardh Narishwar. They symbolized that man and woman are equal. If man signifies the physical strength, woman signifies the inner strength or Shakti.
On the day of Mahalaya, Devi Parvati or her avatar Durga amassed weapons from all lord and went to banish Asuras and save the earth and heaven from evil.
Parvati went to fight Asura. She was given a proposal for marriage. In fact her husband Lord Shiva was insulted in his absence. That infuriated Durga and she fought Asura for nine days. It is celebrated as Navaratri in the whole country. She defeated the army of Asura on the day of Mahalaya. For Bengalis, Mahalaya denotes the beginning of Devi Paksha.
Worship goddess of Shakti and seek her blessings on the auspicious day.
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