Classification of 5 classes of warriors according to the Puranas and Itihas ( Epic History) and Few of them according to their excellence

Rathi: A warrior capable of attacking 5,000 warriors simultaneously.
(Somadatta, Shakuni, Shishupala, Vrishasena)

Atirathi: A warrior capable of contending with 12 Rathi class warriors or 60,000 warriors simultaneously

( Shalya, Kripacharya, Yuyutsu, Drishtadyumna, Ghatotkacha, Angada, Duryodhana , Jayadhradha, Dusassana, Vikarna, Yudhishtir, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva)

Maharathi : A warrior capable of fighting 12 Atirathi class warriors or 720,000 warriors simultaneously

(Parshurama, Bhagwan Rama, Kumbhakarna, Lakshmana, Ravana, Arjuna,Lava & Kusha, Hanuman, Sugriva, Jambavan, Vali, Bhishma, Drona, Ashwatthama, Abhimanyu, Bhagwan Krishna,

Balrama, Bhagwan Narasimha)

Atimaharathi : A warrior capable of fighting 12 Maharathi warriors simultaneously. (Indrajeet)

Mahamaharathi : A warrior capable of fighting 24 Atimaharathi’s simultaneously.

(Shri Brahma ,Vishnu, Shiva, Maa Durga, Ganesha & kartikeya )

Do We (Hindus) really have 33 Crore Gods and Goddesses?

The concept of 33 Koti devata in Hinduism!

’33 Crore Gods’ is a highly misinterpreted fact. The term ‘trayastrimsati koti’ mentioned in Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda, and Satapatha-brahmana, was misunderstood as 33 Crores.

The term ‘koti’ in Sanskrit has two meaning, one is ‘supreme’ and the other is Crore.

The term ‘trayastrimsati koti’ does not mean the number 'thirty-three crore'. Here koti means 'supreme', pre-eminent, excellent, that is, the 33 'supreme' divinities.

So, somewhere in translation, we missed the basic fact that Hinduism has 33 Supreme Gods and not 33 Crore Gods.

(The word koti has the same meaning as “Uchcha koti.”)

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, chapter 3, Yajñavalkya has said that in reality there are only 33 Gods and Goddesses.

Of these 8 are Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, and Indra and Prajapati.

( 8+ 11 + 12 + 2 = 33).

8 Vasus (deities of material elements) are -

Dyaus "Sky",
Prthivi "Earth",
Vāyu "Wind",
Agni "Fire",
Nakşatra "Stars",
Varuņa "Water",
Surya "Sun",
Chandra "Moon"

They are called Vasus, because they are the abode of all that lives, moves or exists.

Ayurvedic Health Clock :

The Ayurveda Clock is a 24 hr guide that aims to nurture our natural circadian rhythm.

During a 24 hour period, one of the dosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) becomes more active at certain times of the day/night.

The Ayurveda clock shows each active dosha at its respective time and what activities we should do to best serve our mind, body & soul so we can adapt to our natural rhythm, offering us energy, vitality, rest and rejuvenation at appropriate times.

The Ayurveda clock is divided into six 4 hr cycles, three of which occur during the day and three during the night.

6 am- 10am- KAPHA time:

This is the best time for exercise as physical strength is great during these hours. Kapha is the most stable and grounding dosha.

If we do our exercise routine during the morning Kapha hours, we have the best chance of developing an enduring habit. If you feel lazy and difficult to get out of bed, then Kapha dosha is the culprit here. So, try getting up before 6am to avoid feeling sluggish.

10am - 2pm- PITTA time:

Pitta dosha governs digestion and appetite. Our Agni is strongest during these hours. So, eat your largest meal of the day during this time. The Pitta energy aids our ability to concentrate. We are most focused and alert during the Pitta times of the day.

Red Fort in Delhi was originally built by Raja Anangpal Tomar in 1060 AD and not by Shahjahan

History was modified by Mughal rulers in India and everyone was made to believe that Shahjahan had built this palace during his tenure between 1639 to 1648 AD

by employing Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as chief architect

But what they did was only few modifications and the original fort existed even before Mughals entered India.

A stone tablet inside Red Fort by modern archaeologists proclaims that Shahjahan (who ruled from 1628 to 1658 AD)

built this fort from 1639 to 1648 AD

But one can see the photo given below for proof of who originally built the Red Fort in Delhi

A painting of Shahjahan’s time is preserved in the Bodleian LibraryOxford. It depicts Shajahan receiving the Persian ambassador inside the fort in

‘1628’ the very year of Shahjahan’s accession

This means the fort existed much before Shahjahan.

In Red Fort’s Khas Mahal, alias the King’s main apartment, one can find the royal emblem of its builder King Anangpal.

It has of a pair of swords laid hilt to hilt curving upwards,

the sacred Hindu pot (kalash) above the hilts, a lotus bud and a pair of scales of justice balanced over it. Dotted around are representations of the sun from whom Indian ruling dynasties claimed descent

At the sword points are two small conches considered

बिजली के आविष्कारक - महर्षि अगस्त्य

राव साहब कृष्णाजी वझे ने १८९१ में विज्ञान संबंधी ग्रंथों की खोज के दौरान उन्हें उज्जैन में दामोदर त्र्यम्बक जोशी के पास अगस्त्य संहिता के कुछ पन्ने मिले।

इस संहिता के पन्नों में उल्लिखित वर्णन को पढ़कर नागपुर में संस्कृत के विभागाध्यक्ष

रहे डा. एम.सी. सहस्रबुद्धे को आभास हुआ कि यह वर्णन डेनियल सेल से मिलता-जुलता है। अत: उन्होंने नागपुर में इंजीनियरिंग के प्राध्यापक श्री पी.पी. होले को वह दिया और उसे जांचने को कहा। श्री अगस्त्य ने अगस्त्य संहिता में विधुत उत्पादन से सम्बंधित सूत्रों में लिखा:

संस्थाप्य मृण्मये पात्रे ताम्रपत्रं सुसंस्कृतम्‌।
छादयेच्छिखिग्रीवेन चार्दाभि: काष्ठापांसुभि:॥
दस्तालोष्टो निधात्वय: पारदाच्छादितस्तत:।
संयोगाज्जायते तेजो मित्रावरुणसंज्ञितम्‌॥

अगस्त्य संहिता :

अर्थात: एक मिट्टी का पात्र (Earthen pot) लें, उसमें ताम्र पट्टिका (copper sheet)

डालें तथा शिखिग्रीवा डालें, फिर बीच में गीली काष्ट पांसु (wet saw dust) लगायें, ऊपर पारा (mercury‌) तथा दस्त लोष्ट (Zinc) डालें, फिर तारों को मिलाएंगे तो, उससे मित्रावरुणशक्ति का उदय होगा।

पर अब यहाँ थोड़ी सी हास्यास्पद स्थति उत्पन्न हुई।

उपर्युक्त वर्णन के आधार पर श्री होले

तथा उनके मित्र ने तैयारी चालू की तो
उपर्युक्त वर्णन के आधार पर श्री होले तथा उनके मित्र ने तैयारी चालू की तो शेष सामग्री तो ध्यान में आ गई,

परन्तु शिखिग्रीवा समझ में नहीं आया। संस्कृत कोष में देखने पर ध्यान में आया कि शिखिग्रीवा याने मोर की गर्दन।

ऋषि, मुनि, महर्षि, साधु और संत में क्या अंतर होता है?

भारत में प्राचीन काल से ही ऋषि-मुनियों का विशेष महत्व रहा है।आज से सैकड़ों साल पहले 'ऋषि', 'मुनि', 'महर्षि' और 'ब्रह्मर्षि' समाज के पथ प्रदर्शक माने जाते थे. तब यही लोग अपने ज्ञान और तप के बल पर समाज कल्याण का कार्य किया

करते थे और लोगों को समस्याओं से मुक्ति दिलाते थे। आज के समय में हमें कई तीर्थ स्थलों, मंदिरों, जंगलों और पहाड़ों में साधु-संत देखने को मिल जाते हैं. लेकिन वे ऋषि-मुनियों की तरह इतने ज्ञानी नहीं होते.

आइए जानते हैं ऋषि, मुनि, महर्षि, साधु और संत में क्या अंतर है

ऋषि :~

ऋषि शब्द की व्युत्पत्ति 'ऋष' है जिसका अर्थ 'देखना' या 'दर्शन शक्ति' होता है।

ऋषि अर्थात "दृष्टा" भारतीय परंपरा में श्रुति ग्रंथों को दर्शन करने (यानि यथावत समझ पाने) वाले जनों को कहा जाता है। वे व्यक्ति विशिष्ट जिन्होंने अपनी विलक्षण एकाग्रता के बल पर गहन ध्यान में

विलक्षण शब्दों के दर्शन किये उनके गूढ़ अर्थों को जाना व मानव अथवा प्राणी मात्र के कल्याण के लिये ध्यान में देखे गए शब्दों को लिखकर प्रकट किया। इसीलिये कहा गया -

“ऋषयो मन्त्र द्रष्टारः न तु कर्तारः।”

अर्थात् ऋषि तो मंत्र के देखनेवाले हैं नकि बनानेवाले

अर्थात् बनानेवाला तो केवल एक परमात्मा ही है

मुनि :~

मुनि वह है जो मनन करे, भगवद्गीता में कहा है कि जिनका चित्त दु:ख से उद्विग्न नहीं होता, जो सुख की इच्छा नहीं करते और जो राग, भय और क्रोध से रहित हैं, ऐसे निश्चल बुद्धिवाले मुनि कहे जाते हैं। वैदिक ऋषि जंगल के कंदमूल खाकर जीवन

Princes of Orissa (1870)

https://t.co/lU805fGjwH

Ayurvedic Health Clock :

The Ayurveda Clock is a 24 hr guide that aims to nurture our natural circadian rhythm.

During a 24 hour period, one of the dosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) becomes more active at certain times of the day/night.
#Thread

The Ayurveda clock shows each active dosha at its respective time and what activities we should do to best serve our mind, body & soul so we can adapt to our natural rhythm, offering us energy, vitality, rest and rejuvenation at appropriate times.

The Ayurveda clock is divided into six 4 hr cycles, three of which occur during the day and three during the night.

6 am- 10am- KAPHA time:

This is the best time for exercise as physical strength is great during these hours. Kapha is the most stable and grounding dosha.

If we do our exercise routine during the morning Kapha hours, we have the best chance of developing an enduring habit. If you feel lazy and difficult to get out of bed, then Kapha dosha is the culprit here. So, try getting up before 6am to avoid feeling sluggish.

10am - 2pm- PITTA time:

Pitta dosha governs digestion and appetite. Our Agni is strongest during these hours. So, eat your largest meal of the day during this time. The Pitta energy aids our ability to concentrate. We are most focused and alert during the Pitta times of the day.

RUDRAKSH🙏🏻🔱

The Rig Veda states -
“Rukha Dravyati Iti Rudra.”

‘Rukha’means ‘misery’and ‘Dravyati’ means to ‘eradicate.’
Rudra is the one who eradicates misery.

In other words, Rudra transforms tears of sorrow into tears of bliss which is represented by the Rudraksha.

In the Svetasvatara Upanishad, the supreme consciousness (Brahman) is identified with Rudra.

He is not just the destroyer, but the Supreme Being himself. ‘Rud’ means “to cry” and ‘Ra’ is the ‘light,’ the divine consciousness, pervading the whole cosmos.

and aksh (अक्ष) means 'teardrops'
When any being experiences divinity, the floodgates of the eyes open, leading to tears of joy. Rudra is that consciousness that brings tears of love, bliss, and gratitude.

As per the legend, this was found to be true even in the case of the “Ishwar”,himself.

This leads us to the origin of Rudraksha, which means “the tears of Rudra”,

According to Sanskrit dictionaries "Rudraksha" is a Sanskrit compound word consisting of Rudra (Sanskrit: रुद्र) and aksh (Sanskrit: अक्ष). Rudra is one of Shiva's Vedic names and aksh (Sanskrit: अक्ष) as An Eye

accordingly,Rudraksha may be interpreted as meaning "eye of Rudra".

India’s Unsung Women Freedom Fighter- Rani Chennamma

"If we live, we will live like free people"

This was Kittoor Chennamma's message to the British agent in South India.

The year was 1824.

As expected, the agent John Thackeray was not pleased, -

He marched to Kittoor with his army, surrounded the fort... and asked Rani Chennamma to surrender.

It is said that Rani Chennamma donned her warrior attire came out with her army. A fierce battle ensued and the British army was reportedly defeated... John Thackeray was killed.

This was a big blow to the Britishers.

Much before the revolt of 1857, there were several lone battles fought in the country and many brave women warriors led these battles and even defeated the British armies.

One such valiant freedom fighter was Rani Chennamma of Kittoor- a kingdom near present day Belgaum in Karnataka.

All was well in the thriving business destination of Kittoor. But misfortune fell upon the queen She lost her husband, king Mallasuraj,-

and after some time, her only son also died.

The British sensed an opportunity to capture her kingdom. It is said that Rani adopted another boy Shivalingappa and announced him as the next heir to the throne.

But the Britishers were not pleased.

27 नक्षत्रों के 27 वृक्ष (नक्षत्र राशि तथा ग्रह के लिए निर्धारित पेड़ पौधे)

जिस प्रकार प्रत्येक ग्रह और राशियों के अपने-अपने वृक्ष होते हैं ठीक बैसे ही प्रत्येक नक्षत्र के भी अपने वृक्ष होते हैं। अपने वृक्ष होने का अर्थ है जो उस ग्रह या नक्षत्रों के प्रतिनिधि हों।
#Thread

या ऐसे वृक्ष जिन पर उक्त ग्रहों का प्रभाव रहता है इसलिए वैदिक साहित्य में “वृक्ष पूजन” का स्पष्ट निर्देश दिया गया है

जब भी कोई व्यक्ति बहुत परेशानियों में घिर जाता है (चाहे उस परेशानी का कारण कुछ भी हो) तब ज्योतिषी, जन्मकुंडली के आधार पर सबसे पहले यह जानने का प्रयास करते हैं कि

किस ग्रह नक्षत्र, राशि वा राशि स्वामी के कारण वह जातक परेशान है।

पुनः उस ग्रह अथवा राशि के कारकत्व को आधार बनाकर जातक के परेशानी को दूर करता है। उन कारकतत्व में पेड़-पौधे भी आते है। जन्म कुंडली में बुरे ग्रहो के प्रभाव को कम करने के लिए तथा शुभ ग्रहो के शुभत्त्व को बढ़ाने के लिए

निर्धारित पेड़-पौधों की सेवा तथा उसके जड़ को धारण करने का विधान है।

ऊपर दिए गए चित्र में चारों तरफ 3 घेरे बने हुए हैं जो सबसे ‘पहला घेरा’ है उसमें ‘27 नक्षत्रों’ के नाम हैं और उनकी पोधो के नाम साथ में लिखे हुए हैं

‘दूसरे घेरे’ में ‘12 राशियों’ के नाम उनके पौधों के साथ लिखे हुए

और ‘तीसरे घेरे’ में ‘नौ ग्रहों’ के नाम लिखे हुए हैं और उनसे संबंधित पेड़ पौधों के नाम भी लिखे हुए हैं।

ग्रह,राशि,नक्षत्र के आसार पेड़-पौधे प्रयोग करने से अंतश्चेतना में सकारात्मक सोच का संचार होता है और वे परिस्थितियों को अनुकूल करने में सहायक सिद्ध होते हैं

What is Yagnopaveetham?

Yagnopaveetham is a Sanskrit word; Yagna means sacred ritual and ‘upaveetham’ means a covering. Thus Yagnopaveetham means a sacred covering on the body without which a Yagna or a sacred ritual cannot be performed.

#LongThread

Yagnopaveetham is a triple-stranded sacrificial filament joined by a knot called ‘Brahmagranthi’ that is worn by those initiated into the Gayathri recital. So It is also called as ‘Brahmasuthram’

Yagno-pavita means ‘thread of sacrifice’ that symbolizes the

sacrifice of ego, anger & selfishness.

What significants three threads :

The sacred thread is a composition of 3 threads, signifying Goddesses Gayatri (thought),Saraswati (speech,wisdom) and Savitri (deed) respectively

The three strands remind the wearer that he has to pay off

the three debts (Runas) he owes to the ancient seers, ancestors and to the God viz. Deva, Rushi, Pithru Runa.

What should be its length?

When you wear the length of Yagnopaveetham should come up to the navel level and it should be neither above nor below the navel.

It is said that if it is below the navel it will lead to the loss of power of penance and if it is above the navel it is Ayuksheenam (decline in longevity).

Composition :

“Yagnopaveetham Navathanthu Nirmitham;”
Yagnopaveetham is made up of nine layers of woven cotton

The only civilization which taught Mathematics in the form of Shlokas 🙏🏻🚩

Lilavati (Story) #Thread

‘Lilavati’ is a ‘Treatise’ of the great Indian Mathematician Bhaskaracharya which was written in 1150. It is the first volume of his main work, the “Siddhanta Shiromani”.

(👆🏼A problem from the ‘Lilavati’ by Bhaskaracharya. This appeared in the “Mathematical Mystery Tour” by UNESCO in 1989)

It was named after his daughter Lilavati. She was a very beautiful child and very intelligent too, which was a rare combination.

Bhaskara was apprehensive about his daughter's inquisitiveness and curiosity. The little girl asked her father many questions and gained a lot of knowledge this way.

As she grew up, Bhaskara decided to get Lilavati married. In the process, Bhaskara perused Lilavati's horoscope.

He was shocked when he found out that Lilavati would not have a happy married life if she did not get married at a particular auspicious time.

He did not tell Lilavati about this, as he despised hurting his daughter.He made all arrangements to make sure that

Lilavati would get married at the auspicious time.
In order to make sure that he did not miss this particular time, he kept a cup with a small hole at the bottom of a vessel filled with water, arranged so that the cup would sink at the beginning of the destined auspicious hour.

Today we remember Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey (Param Vir Chakra) on his ‘Punyatithi’

Who made his supreme sacrifice on the 3rd July 1999, during the Kargil war

“Why do you want to join the Army?”- Asked the SSB Interviewer.

“I want to win the Param Vir Chakra!”

#Thread

- he Replied

Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey was born on 25 June 1975, in Rudha village, Sitapur District (U.P)

He was an officer in the elite Gorkha Regiment of the Indian Army.
At a time when everyone starts preparing for their career, young officers like Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey chose to do their bit for the motherland.

Manoj, an alumni of the 90th course of the NDA, was

commissioned into the 1/11 Gorkha Rifles in June 1997. In Operation Vijay, Capt. Manoj (then lieutenant) was the platoon commander during the advance to Khalubar in the Batalik sector.

After commissioning, his first assignment was in the Kashmir valley and thereafter he was

posted to Siachen. Whilst in Siachen he received orders to move to Batalik sector, where the first intrusions by the Pakistani forces were detected and the Army was preparing for a well-coordinated retaliatory action.

Surya Namaskar ☀️🙏- is the practice of paying respect to the Sun.

In Vedic tradition, the sun is a symbol of consciousness and the Divine and it is the ultimate source of life & energy.

Therefore Surya Namskar is considered as one of the most important Yog practices.

#Thread

It is characterized by the 12 different Yog Aasanas, that not only pay gratitude to the sun but also bestow the one practising it with several physical and mental health benefits.

It is said that our body has several chakras through which life energy or prana is

channelized to nourish us with good health.

Practising Surya Namaskar activates these chakras, and enhances the size of it, letting prana flow through freely. Thus, strengthening different parts of our body and improving our mental and cognitive abilities.

Best to practice it during sunrise as this is the time when the sun helps revitalize our body and refresh our mind.

The ‘Set of 12’ asanas is dedicated to Surya ( the solar deity) and each aasan is associated with a different mantra.👇🏼

Precautions To take :

To enjoy the benefits of Surya Namaskar, you need to be careful. Avoid practising it if you have:

Coronary artery disease
High blood pressure
Hernia
History of stroke
Periods

‘Flag Hoisting’ vs ‘Unfurling’ 🇮🇳
Know the difference between 15 August & 26 January Flag Ceremony

On Independence Day, is the National Flag hoisted or unfurled?
Many people believe that the terms ‘Hoisted’ & ‘Unfurled’ are synonyms,

but there is a significant difference between the two.

On 15th August, Prime Minister ‘Hoists’ the national flag to honour the historical event of India’s Independence.

On Republic Day, the President of India ‘Unfurls’ the flag on Rajpath before presiding over a parade.

1 - The positioning of the flag matters a lot! One can spot the difference between ‘unfurling’ and ‘hoisting’ in the positioning of the flag.

When the national flag hoists on independence day, it is tied and sits at the bottom of the pole.

It is the Prime Minister who raises the national flag up and hoists it

Whereas, when the flag is unfurled on Republic Day, it is closed and tied at the top of the pole.

The President unfurls it without pulling the flag up as it takes place on Independence Day.

Why the President unfurls and Prime Minister hoists?

The prime minister, who is the head of the government, ‘hoists’ the flag on Independence Day.

On the other hand, the President of India ‘unfurls’ the Tricolour on Republic Day as the

Trimurti – The three forms of the Universe

The ancient Indian Hindu texts describe units of time ranging from microseconds to trillions of years.

According to these texts, the creation and destruction of the Universe is an ongoing cyclic process that repeats forever infinitely

In other words, Universes are created and destroyed, and the process goes on and on.

The process of creation (called Srishti in Sanskrit) of the Universe is personified in the form of Brahma – the God of Creation.

The process of destruction (called 'Pralaya' in Sanskrit) of the Universe is personified in the form of Shiv – the God of destruction (Bhagwan Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it)

The permanance, the cycle of creation and destruction that

goes on forever infinitely and hence is timeless and eternal,is personified in the form of Vishnu – the preserver who is permanent and all pervasive.

So, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv form the trinity of 'Creation', 'Maintenance' and 'Destruction'.

Hence they are called 'Trimurti' – the three forms of the Universe.
So here we personify God in three forms – Generator, Observer, Destroyer (GOD)

इस देश को लूटने वाले हमारे प्यारे बन गए और इसे सोने की चिड़िया बनाने वाले चक्रवर्ती सम्राट महाराजा विक्रमादित्य को भुला दिया गया!

सम्राट विक्रमादित्य के नाम से विक्रम संवत चल रहा और 2078 पूर्ण होकर 2 अप्रैल (चैत्र शुक्‍ल प्रतिपदा) से 2079 विक्रम संवत आरम्भ हो रहा।

#LongThread

महान सम्राट महाराजा विक्रमदित्य (विक्रम सेन परमार) और उनकी वीरता और महानता के बारे में आज देश के सिर्फ़ मुट्ठी भर लोगों को ज्ञात होगा, कि उन्होंने इस देश को सोने की चिड़िया बनाया था और देश में स्वर्णिम काल लाया था

विक्रमादित्य के पिता जी का नाम गर्दभील्ल (गंधर्वसेन) था।

सम्राट विक्रमादित्य की बहन का नाम मैनावती था तथा उनके भाई भर्तृहरि महाराज थे। सम्राट विक्रमादित्य की माँ जी का नाम सौम्यदर्शना था।

महाराज विक्रमादित्य, चक्रवर्ती (अर्थात् जिसका संपूर्ण भारत में राज हो) सम्राट थे कहते हैं उनके राज में कभी भी सूर्यास्त नहीं होता था।

महाराज विक्रमादित्य ने हिंदुत्व का परचम पूरे विश्व में लहराया था तथा उन्हीं के कारण ही आज सनातन धर्म बचा हुआ है।

सम्राट विक्रमादित्य का जन्म 101 BCE अवंतिका( उज्जैन) मध्य प्रदेश में हुआ था और 57 BCE में शको ( विदेशी आक्रमणकारियों ) को हराने के उपलक्ष में

नए काल सत्र का निर्माण किया, जिसे हिंदू पंचांग में “विक्रम संवत” के नाम से जाना जाता है |
आज जो भी ज्योतिष गणना है जैसे , हिन्दी सम्वंत , वार ,तिथीयाँ , राशि , नक्षत्र , गोचर आदि उन्ही की रचना है

(विक्रमी संवत् = current year + 57)

Emergency: A dark chapter in the history of India.

(The Terrible Story Of An Actress Snehalatha Reddy Who Was Tortured Till Death).

On the night of 25th June 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency,

on the orders of Indira Gandhi, with the signing of President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the Emergency was imposed on the country and suspended the fundamental rights of all citizens, which shook the nation's democratic foundations.

This emergency ended on 21 March 1977.

In 19 months, lakhs were imprisoned and tortured unnecessarily.

Thousands of column inches have been dedicated to articulating the horrors of Emergency, and the lessons it holds for future generations.

Among those who stood tallest at the time, but paid the ultimate price for her principled dissent, was writer, activist, producer and actress Snehalatha Reddy (1932– 20 January 1977)

She was known for her works in Kannada cinema,Kannada theatre and Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre

Married to poet, mathematician and director Pattabhi Rama Reddy, the couple were devoted socialists, dedicated to the cause of renowned activist and freedom fighter Dr Rammanohar Lohia.

Considering their affiliation to Lohia’s principles,both Sneha and Pattabhi spoke out against

Types of Shivling 🙏🏻🔱

Shivlings can be of various types, though broadly divided into 2 classes:

Chal lingas (movable ones); and Achal or Sthir lingas ( स्थिर, immovable ones, such as the ones in heavy stones

which we see in temple sanctums).

The Chal lingas - can be categorised into mrinmaya (made of earth), lohaja (metal made), ratnaja (made of precious stones), daruja (wooden ones), sailaja (stone made ones), and kshanika lingas

(made for some occasion and disposed off immediately afterwards).

The Achal lingas - also known as Sthir lingas or Dhruv lingas, and can be classified into ‘Four Types’: Daivika, Arsaka, Ganapa, and Manusa.

The Kamika Agama ( Granth) however classifies them into ‘Six Types’

Swambhu, Daivika, Arsaka, Ganapatya, Manusa, and Banalingas.

Besides the swambhu or the natural ones that have a special significance of their own,

the last two are the most important ones. Banalingas, like salagramas, are natural and found in particular

river beds, mainly fished out from the river Reva or Narmada.

Manusa are man-made lingas; comprising of three parts namely, Brahmabhaga (square lowest section), Vishnubhaga (octagonal middle part), and Rudrabhaga (topmost part, generally cylindrical);