Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivratri (the 'Great Night of Shiva') is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva. Alternate common spellings include Sivaratri, Shivaratri, Sivarathri, and Shivarathri. It marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Hindu calendar month Maagha which falls in February or March as per the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or golden apple or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil (jagarana). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", a sacred Panchakshara mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva. In accordance with scriptural and discipleship traditions, penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly.

In Nepal, millions of Hindus attend Shivaratri together from different part of the world at the famous Pashupatinath Temple. Thousands of devotees also attend Mahasivaratri at the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham of Nepal.
On Mahashivratri, Nishita Kala is the ideal time to observe Shiva Pooja. Nishita Kala is the time when Lord Shiva appeared on the Earth in the form of Linga.  On this day, in all Shiva temples, the most auspicious Lingodbhava puja is performed.

Thanks 

Vijender Guleria

Goodevening To All

Growth comes from change, and change promotes growth

We can’t be stangnant in our lives.  We need to grow and change.  The thing is, change is hard for a lot of people, myself included.  But if we embrace change, and welcome it, we’ll find ourselves growing as people and as we grow, we change, and from that change comes more growth.  It’s a pretty awesome circle.

Thanks

Sumita Guleria

Happy Valentine Day 2014

Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not a holiday in most of them.

St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communionas well as in the Lutheran Church The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 12.

Thanks

Vijender Guleria

Goodmorning

Advance Study in Shimla

The First building to strike the eye when one comes up to Shimla by rail is The Viceregal Lodge or better known today as The Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The Building which had witnessed the most turbulent phase in Indian history-the slow coming of the Viceroys, their cloaks and ermine tippets to their their sudden and swift departure. It saw the change in its inmates from politicians and generals to professors and scholars.

The Institute which was housed in the building on 20th October 1965 grew to become 'an internationally recognized centre of high creativity and excellence'. It had its years of dormancy but after that it grew and is still growing to achieve new vistas and conquering new horizons.

Thanks

Vijender  Guleria