21 Mahakaleshwar

21 Mahakaleshwar no one has ever seen before

According to Hindu scriptures, worshiping Lord Shiva in the month of Sawan fulfills all wishes. Visiting the 12 Jyotirlings during the holy month of Sawan is also of particular importance. All of these 12

Jyotirlings have their own distinct characteristic. But the only one

Jyotirling among 12, which faces the south direction, is Mahakaleshwar.

This Jyotirling is situated in the religious capital of Madhya Pradesh in Ujjain. Local residents of this city consider Mahakal to be their King. It is their belief that every Sawan, their King Mahakal sits

on his vehicle and takes the round of the entire city asking for

people’s well being.

Apart from this, there are many other ancient stories famous about Mahakaleshwar. The amazing dressing and makeup of Mahakal attracts every human here.

Adradhanarishwar

Bhang Mahakleshwar

Ghatatop Mahakleshwar

Kesar Chandan Mahakleshwar

Sri Ganesha Mahakleshwar

Rudra Mahakleshwar

Sehra Mahakleshwar

Adhbhut Mahakleshwar

Panchmeva Mahakleshwar

Akarshak Mahakleshwar

Akarshak Mahakleshwar

Bhasma Mahakleshwar

The after Bhasma Mahakleshwar

Bhasmabharti Shringar

Panchamrit Mahakleshwar

Vastavik Mahakleshwar

This how Mahakaleshwar used to look many years ago

The present look of Mahakaleshwar

In the month of Sawan and Bhado, Lord Shiva’s royal ride is extracted. This is the amazing view of the ride.

Mahakal’s sawari

The Mirror of Lord Jagannath

On the Lord of the Universe's bathing paraphernalia

Among the articles required for the daily rituals worship in the Sri Jagannath Tmple at Puri are three mirrors. The mirrors are made of brass, having no part of glass, and each is about two and half feet high. The mirrors are disc shaped and mounted on a stand. Both surfaces of the disc are well polished.

These mirrors are used at the time of abakash of the Deities, which refers to the cleaning of the teeth and bath of the Deities. This religious rite is performed subsequent to the dwaraphita, or (opening of the temple doors in the early morning), the mangala arotik and the mailam (removal of flowers, clothes, etc. decked on the Deities the previous night).

The scheduled time for abakash is at 6:30 in the morning, as specified in the "Record of Rights" of the temple. The sevaks (servitors) associated with this service are pushpalak, meaning 3 persons, and there are many such servitors: Paniapat, Suarbadu, Khatulisevak, Mukhapakhala-Padhiary, Mukhapakhala-Puspalak, Garabadu, Amla-Ghatuary, Mahabhoi, Jyotisha-Khurinayak, Bhandar-Mekap and Darpania. 

The pushpalak sevaks perform the abakash ritual sitting on the floor below the ratnavedi (pedestal) in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. They sprinkle water mixed with camphor, curd, sandal paste and amla fruit paste onto the three brass mirrors placed on the floor. There is a mirror for each one of the three Deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. The mirrors symbolize the Deities taking Their bath. During the abakash rites, the temple Jyotisha (astrologer) reads out the tithi (timing) and other astrological details of the day to the Deities.

Before bath, the sevaks show toothsticks and tongue scrappers to the Deities, symbolizing the cleaning of Their teeth and tongues. One such mirror is also used in the Pushyaviseka ritual of Lord Jagannath, which is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Pausha.

There is also a ritual service known as Darpania Seva in the temple. The word 'darpan' means 'mirror' in English. The sevak of this service, Darpania Sevak, is in charge of keeping the mirrors for the rituals. He also cleans certain utensils used in the rituals, on a place called anasarapindi after mangal arotik is over.

The necessity of a mirror as on article of paraphernalia has been mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavata (book eleven). It would not be out of place to mention here that in Tibetan Buddhism, a mirror (in their parlance, adarsha) is used in their rituals. In Oriya, the words adarsha, darpana, aaina, aarisi, and mukura convey the same meaning, i.e., 'mirror'. The mirror (adarsha) of Tibetan Buddhism has a close resemblance with that of the Puri temple.

Gajendra_Moksha

nine goddesses

FIVE FACES SHIV

Shree Hanuman

Power Of AUMMMMMMMMMMM

MAY GOD BLESS US ALL

Sri ANNAPURNA

8 Ashtavinayak

Queue Of Devotees

An orderly queue of the devoted: Hindu worshippers take to roads of India clad in saffron robes as they carry holy water from the Ganges to their home temples

These amazing photographs capture the pilgrimage of the Hindu Kanwarias, devoted worshippers of Hindu God Shiva.

The Kanwarias carry metal canisters filled with holy water from the Ganges River and take a ritual journey of the roads of India
Yesterday they gathered in hundreds to walk to the revered Padilla Mahadev temple on the outskirts of Allahabad.

Holy carriage: Worshippers of Hindu God Shiva fetch holy water from the Ganger River and carry it in a ritual pilgrimage

Long and winding road: The Indian Hindu Kanwarias take the water of the Ganges River back to Hindu temples in their hometowns

Holy walk: Hundreds of Kanwarias, devotees to Hindu god Shiva, traveled to Allahabad to the revered local Shiva temple as part of their pilgrimage

The Kanwarias dress in saffron colours on their pilgrimage and carry the ornately decorated canisters over their shoulders for hundreds of miles back to their home towns.

 

They fetch the water as a gesture of thanksgiving to Shiva and walk for days, some braving Indian roads and highways barefoot.

Kanwarias are named after the pole, kanwar, which they sling over their shoulders to carry their metal pots.

In line: The Indian Hindu Kanwarias walk towards Padilla Mahadev temple wearing saffron coloured clothing and and carrying the ornately decorated canisters of the sacred water of the Ganges River over their shoulders

Prayer: A Kanwarias worshipper touches the wall of the temple and another  writes holy Hindu scripts on leaves to bring on the journey and sacrifice to Shiva

Hundreds took part in the walk yesterday, most wearing orange coloured clothing as they performed the holy ritual pilgrimage for Kanwarias

Their annual pilgrimage is known as Kanvar Yatra or Kavad Yatra and sees them visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters of Ganges River, 

The pilgrimage always takes during the sacred month of Shravan and has grown in popularity in recent years.

As the numbers have grown, security measures have had to be undertaken and the rows upon rows of pilgrims are known to stop highway traffic on national Indian roads.

Sacrifice: Metal canisters are kept on the ground outside the Padilla Mahadev temple, one revered among Shiva worshippers, in Allahabad, India before being offered to Shiva

Long walk home: The canisters of holy water is carried to each of the Kanwarias' home towns for their temples