2016 09 05 Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration

Today's playlist starts a little differently....with a recipe! This Is Ganesh's favorite food and you might like to whip up a batch to enjoy at the end of the celebration!



"Modaks have a special importance in the worship of the Hindu god Ganesha; modak is believed to be his favorite food, which begets him the moniker modakapriya (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit. During the Ganesha worship ceremony, known in Maharashtra as Ganesha Chaturthi the puja always concludes with an offering of twenty-one modaks to the deity and as prasadam. Modaks made with rice flour shell are preferred for this purpose, however, wheat shell version are also used. Innovative recipes for modaks have also been created. These include banana nachni modak, motichoor modak [1] and chocolate modak."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modak


9 videos play for 65 minutes

EnJOY! 


1 - Steamed Modak Recipe | 3 Different Fillings - Ganesh Chaturthi Special | The Bombay Chef  9:49
(Click through to You Tube to get the printed recipe which is on the page. As of this writing, I have not tried this so cannot vouch for how it comes out.)


2 - Ganesh Gayatri Mantra Chant - Om Ekadantaya Vidmahe by Suresh Wadkar  10:07


3 - GANESH BHAJAN,KIRTAN -Vinayaka vinayaka by Leepikaa Bhattacharya || ganesh hindi bhajan||  4:56


4 - Ganesha Pancharatnam - Sooryagayathri & Kuldeep M Pai  5:52


5 - Ganesh Bhajan (Marvellous Dhun)  9:14


6 - Ganesh Chaturthi Special - Lord Ganesha Devotional Songs - Helps To Remove Obstacles -Bombay Sisters  9:02


7 - Ganesh Chaturthi Jai Dev Jai Dev  3:12


8 - Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha - 108 Times  5:01
(Ganesh Bija (seed) mantra)


9 - Siddhivinayak Aarti from Siddhiviniyak Temple Mumbai I Deva Shri Ganesha  7:12

Playlist url:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLACmwZPBGZMf6bXoolT-0F9wjQ1P64Ptz

2016 07 19 Guru Purnima - Sri Ramakrishna

I did a past life regression recently in which I learned I was a young Indian woman devote of Sri Ramakrishna serving at the Kali Temple in Dakshineswar, and then later at Kalimath, a Kali/Lakshmi/Saraswati temple complex in northeastern India about 1/2 way between Rishikesh and Kedarnath.

Sri RamaKrishna is a mystic who lived at the Kali temple in Dakshineswar (across the river from Kolkata (Calcutta) around 1855.

What is so startling about this past-life regression experience is that the Call I received to go to India in 2012 was a picture of the KaliMat temple complex. I had a very powerful deja vu experience while there; I knew I had been there before but not when or why or how.

Also, when choosing a Yogananda Ashram to visit, while most people visit the most popular ashram at Ranchi, I was guided to go Dakshineswar. The Kali Temple was about a 20 to 30 minute walk from the ashram, and while visiting the temple I was allowed (as is all the public) to sit in Sri Ramakrishna's room for a while to meditate.

It's taken nearly four years for all this to "catch up" with me.

Here is an interesting story:
The Story of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Enlightenment


To read the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, you may download this Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file. It's a large book of over 1,000 pages.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
By Mahendranath Gupta (“M”), His Disciple



Today's playlist contains three videos and plays for approximately 1:21:00

1 - Hare Krishna Hare Rama 10:53

2 - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa – Documentary 1:17:53

3 - Om Asatoma Sat Gamaya 1:51

 Playlist url:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLACmwZPBGZMfCCUNeHq9iaiX0RjsIEo7H

2016 04 08 Vasanta (Spring) Navratri

Vasanta (Spring) Navratri 2016 04 08 through 16

Nine Nights of the Divine Mothers Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati

 

 Click here to learn more about the Significance of Navratri – the festival of nine nights 

12 videos play for approximately  75 minutes

The three types of songs chosen for the playlist this Navratri:

Ashtakam: eight parts (a song with eight verses)

Bija Mantra: Bija means “seed,” Bija mantra is the single-syllable, primary sound that represents a god/goddess; each chakra also has a seed sound. (For example, some seed mantras are Aim (Saraswati), Shrim (Lakshmi), Krim (Kali), Gum (Ganesha and Ganga Mata (Mother Ganges River)), etc.)

Stotram: hymn of praise

1 Shri Lakshmi ,.Kali ..Saraswati ..Mantra 4:48

2 Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namaha | Mahalakshmi Mantra 11:39

3 Saraswati mantra 108 - Om Aim Saraswatei Namah 7:03

4 Saraswati, Mahalakshmi, Durga Ashtakam dance performance by shivam school 4:52

5 Kalika Ashtakam - Kali Kali Mahakali 4:37

6 Mahalaksmi Ashtakam 4:26

7 Nrusimha Saraswati Astakam.wmv 4:21

8 Maa Saraswati, Maa Durga, Maa Laxmi - Vandana Dance - Kala Ankur Ajmer 7:27

9 Kalika Ashtakam (Devi Kali Stotra) by Shruti Vishwakarma 7:00

10 Ashtalakshmi Stotram (with sanskrit sub titles) 5:40

11 Beautiful Maha Saraswati Stotram with Lyrics! 5:58

12 Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Vichche || Goddesses Durga Mantra By Suresh Wadkar 7:22

Playlist url: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLACmwZPBGZMd_pVTh69h0t_wh7M7_VA0c

2016 04 05 Why We Chant Mantras at Sunrise and Sunset

In particular, the times of sunrise and sunset hold special significance which is why I offer the Mantra Yoga Chanting practices at 6:30 on Thursday evenings. This time falls into the category of Sandhi Prakash. In Sanskrit, Sandhi means “period between day and night” and Prakash means “light” and indicated the sunrise/sunset times of day. The hours of Sandi Prakash are defined as 4:00 - 7:00 am and pm. However, IMO, following Nature is the best way to go, chanting at actual sunrise/sunset.

Indeed, at the three ashrams I stayed at in the fall of 2012, Babaji in Haidakhan, Yogananda in Dakshineswar, and Sai Baba in Puttaparthi, we sang around the hours of sunrise and sunset. (See the link is the sidebar to my book Pilgrimage To India to learn more about the ashrams!)

Photo by Shellie Wood, Boise ID April 8 2014

In Classical Hindustani music, the times of the day call for different tunes and notes to be played for the physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony of the listeners. (Hindustani Ragas by Vijay Banaz Razdan, 2009) In Mantra Yoga Chanting, I play the prescribed musical notes for the sunset time of day.

I was tickled to find the following information on p 86-7 of The Turning Point by Gregg Braden (Hay House Inc., 2014) which explains in detail why this time of day is especially significant and powerful.

“In many indigenous traditions, it's understood that the mysterious space between things holds the power of new possibilities. In North American native traditions, for example, it's the space between day and night that's believed to open the door to all paths and new outcomes for our lives. …

“Two times each day, something remarkable happens with respect to Earth's location in space and the effect it has upon us. When the evening sun disappears from the sky as it sets on the horizon, the doorway to a mysterious period of time briefly appears. Although the sun is no longer visible, the sky is still light. It's not really daytime any longer, yet it's not quite night. It's this space between day and night that was called the crack between the worlds. The crack between the worlds appears again at dawn, when the sky is no longer the darkness of the night, yet hasn't become the light of day.

“From the description of ancient Egyptians and Peruvian shamans to those of healers from America's Desert Southwest, the theme of these turning points is the same. Twice each day, nature gives us a time when our prayers may be offered with the greatest potential to shift our lives.

“The beauty of knowing that a turning point exists is that it holds the opportunity for us to change before we experience something that we don't want in our lives...”

2015 12 21 Aarti for Solstice

Aarti is not necessarily a Solstice celebration; it's celebrated every evening in many temples and other sacred places around India.

What is aarti? 

From the Sanskrit dictionary at http://dictionary.tamilcube.com/sanskrit-dictionary.aspx
Aarti : form of worship
Aarti : Invocation ceremony or a welcoming ceremony . Normally involves waving a lamp gently in front of the deity.
Aarti : Worship of the deity using lit lamps.



From the Ram Aarti page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYaXQXI6nY
Aarti - A Hindu religious ritual of worship, refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity when lamps are being offered. Devotees express their complete and unflinching love towards God by singing aartis with a deep sense of reverence and adoration.


Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarti
Origin

Aarti is derived from the Sanskrit word Aratrika, which means something that removes Ratri, darkness (or light waved in darkness before an icon). Another word from which Arati is thought to be derived is the Sanskrit word Aaraartikyam (Sanskrit:आरार्तिक्यं). A Marathi language reference says it is also known as Mahaneeranjana (Sanskrit:महानीराञ्जना)

Aarti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. In the traditional aarti ceremony, the flower represents the earth (solidity), the water and accompanying handkerchief correspond with the water element (liquidity), the lamp or candle represents the fire component (heat), the peacock fan conveys the precious quality of air (movement), and the yak-tail fan represents the subtle form of ether (space). The incense represents a purified state of mind, and one’s "intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and order of offerings. Thus, one’s entire existence and all facets of material creation are symbolically offered to the Lord via the aarti ceremony. The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional song that is sung during the ritual.
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Many of the aarti songs included here do follow a lyric pattern and song that seems traditional, and some do not....they may be newer songs or interpretations.

13 videos play for 75 minutes


1 - Aarti - Ganesha Aarti 7:42

2 - "Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva" - Lord Ganesh Aarti 4:32

3 - Varanasi Ganga Aarti Holy River Hindu Worship Ritual *HD* 7:01
Brahma/Shiva

4 - Bhajan | Om Jai Saraswati Mata [Full Song] Aarti by Arpita Bobade 7:45

5 - Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti by Narendra Chanchal - Lord Vishnu Aarti 5:31

6 - Aarti - Mahalaxmi - Om Jai Laxmi Mata 4:28

7 - Om Jai Shiv Omkara full Aarti from Movie Aayee Milan Ki Raat  4:52

8 - Parvati Mataji Aarti 7:19

9 - Kali Arti 5:26

10 - Krishna Aarti (NEW) ( Beautiful Song ) 6:20

11 - Aarti Shri Raghuvar Ji Ki | Ram Aarti With Lyrics | Hindi Devotional Songs  4:00

12 - Sita Aarti With Lyrics | Sanjeevani Bhelande | Hindi Devotional Songs | Ram Navami Special  3:14

13 - Hanuman Chalisa & aarti by Ashwin Pathak 6:29






Playlist url
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLACmwZPBGZMeAf4D-Aa_nswkCXQmuCvoE