God Shiva

Mahashivaratri Festival or the ‘The Night of Shiva’ is celebrated with devotion and religious fervor in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of Hindu Trinity. Shivaratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which corresponds to the month of February - March in English Calendar. Celebrating the festival of Shivaratri devotees observe day and night fast and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to appease Lord Shiva.

Legends of Mahashivratri
There are various interesting legends related to the festival of Maha Shivaratri. According to one of the most popular legends, Shivaratri marks the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Some believe that it was on the auspicious night of Shivaratri that Lord Shiva performed the‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal creation, preservation and destruction. Another popular Shivratri legend stated in Linga Purana states that it was on Shivaratri that Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a Linga. Hence the day is considered to be extremely auspicious by Shiva devotees and they celebrate it asMahashivaratri - the grand night of Shiva.

Traditions and Customs of Shivaratri
Various traditions and customs related to Shivaratri Festival are dutifully followed by the worshippers of Lord Shiva. Devotees observe strict fast in honor of Shiva, though many go on a diet of fruits and milk some do not consume even a drop of water. Devotees strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri, absolves a person of sins and liberates him from the cycle of birth and death. Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious for women. While married women pray for the well being of their husbands unmarried women pray for a husband like Lord Shiva, who is regarded as the ideal husband.

To mark the Shivratri festival, devotees wake up early and take a ritual bath, preferably in river Ganga. After wearing fresh new clothes devotees visit the nearest Shiva temple to give ritual bath to the Shiva Lingum with milk, honey, water etc.

On Shivaratri, worship of Lord Shiva continues all through the day and night. Every three hours priests perform ritual pooja of Shivalingam by bathing it with milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water amidst the chanting of “Om Namah Shivaya’ and ringing of temple bells. Nightlong vigil or jaagran is also observed in Shiva temples where large number of devotees spend the night singing hymns and devotional songs in praise of Lord Shiva. It is only on the following morning that devotee break their fast by partaking prasad .

Goddess Saraswati

Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha|

Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana||

Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha|

Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa||

English Translation:

"May Goddess Saraswati,

who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon,

and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops;

who is adorned in radiant white attire,

on whose beautiful arm rests the veena,

and whose throne is a white lotus;

who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me.

May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."

Saraswati is the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga.

Vasant Panchami (Devnagari:बसन्त पञ्चमी), sometimes referred to as Basant Panchami or Shree Panchami (Devnagari:श्रीपञ्चमी), is a Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge,music and art. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Indian month Magh (January-February), the first day of spring. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words; brahmins are fed; ancestor worship (Pitr-tarpan) is performed; the god of love Kamadeva is worshipped; and most educational institutions organise special prayer for Saraswati. The color yellow also plays an important role in this festival, in that people usually wear yellow garments, Saraswati is worshipped dressed in yellow, and yellow sweets are consumed within the families.

Also known as Saraswati Puja (Bengali: সরস্বতী পূজা shoroshshôti puja), this festival is celebrated in Nepal, India and Bangladesh to invoke wisdom and consciousness in human beings. Apart from wisdom,Saraswati is also the deity for fine and performing arts. The day is also called Basant Panchami which falls in Falgun (Phalgun in Hindi) month of Bangla calendar; that is February of the Gregorian calendar. In West Bengal saraswati puja is celebrated in Hindu households and also in schools and colleges. Bengali men are usually dressed in traditional paijama and punjabi. Women are dressed in yellow (basanti) coloured sari. With Her grace, the mute, it is believed, have been able to speak and people have been blessed with the ability to write or compose poems. Musicians sing here and many even choose to perform here first. Instrumentalists have puja performed for their instruments here. Apart from art and culture, Goddess Saraswati also showers Her blessings for the education of children.

Notebooks, pencils and pens are kept at the Devi's feet for blessings and then used by the students. A noticeboard asks the students to write their names, address and the roll number on a piece of paper and put it in the hundi after praying for success! It is believed the Goddess blesses them for good and positive results.

Her expression is so serene and calm even as She is majestic. She is seated on a white lotus in Padmasana, adorned by a pure white silk sari, has a book in Her lower left hand, Her lower right hand showing the chinmudra, Aksharamala in Her right upper hand, and Amrithakalasam in Her left upper hand. Both eyes are full of compassion. The vehicle assigned to each of the three goddesses also symbolically represent their special powers. Goddess Saraswathi is the consort of Lord Brahma (Lord of Creation) and is the Goddess of wisdom and learning. Saraswati is the one who gives the essence (sara) of our own self (swa). She is considered as the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and other skills. She has a beautiful and elegant presence, is pure white in colour, clad in a white sari, seated on a white lotus, representing purity and brilliance. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has the sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus (a symbol of true knowledge) in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on the veena.

She is dressed in white (sign of purity) and rides on a white goose (swan). The swan is known for its pecliar characteristic of being capable of separating water from milk, indicating that we should possess discrimination in separating the bad from the good. The seat being a lotus or peacock implies that the teacher is well-established in the subjective experience of truth. When sitting on a peacock she reminds us that wisdom suppresses ego.

Like Brahma, she is not worshipped much in temples. However, every year Saraswathi Pooja (Navarathiri ) is celebrated by people all over India, be it students, workers, craftsmen, businessmen offering their prayers for a successful and fruitful year. However, Saraswathi does have a temple in Koothanur in Tanjavur district (Tamil Nadu).There is an important Saraswati Temple in Basar at a distance of 40 km from Nizamabad in Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh on the banks of Godavari River.

Live with passion!

A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.
-Tony Robbins

Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.
-Tony Robbins

For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and consistent.
-Tony Robbins

How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?
-Tony Robbins

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.
-Tony Robbins

I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.
-Tony Robbins

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.
-Tony Robbins

If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results.
-Tony Robbins

In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.
-Tony Robbins

In life you need either inspiration or desperation.
-Tony Robbins

It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.
-Tony Robbins

It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives.
-Tony Robbins

It not knowing what to do, it's doing what you know.
-Tony Robbins

It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.
-Tony Robbins

Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.
-Tony Robbins

Live with passion!
-Tony Robbins

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.
-Tony Robbins

My definition of success is to live your life in a way that causes you to feel a ton of pleasure and very little pain - and because of your lifestyle, have the people around you feel a lot more pleasure than they do pain.
-Tony Robbins

Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!
-Tony Robbins

One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.
-Tony Robbins

Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.
-Tony Robbins

Passion is the genesis of genius.
-Tony Robbins

People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them.
-Tony Robbins

Remember, a real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.
-Tony Robbins

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
-Tony Robbins

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.
-Tony Robbins

Success comes from taking the initiative and following up... persisting... eloquently expressing the depth of your love. What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?
-Tony Robbins

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.
-Tony Robbins

Surmounting difficulty is the crucible that forms character.
-Tony Robbins

Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience of life.
-Tony Robbins

The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.
-Tony Robbins

The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.
-Tony Robbins

The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.
-Tony Robbins

The path to success is to take massive, determined action.
-Tony Robbins

The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you.
-Tony Robbins

The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behaviors.
-Tony Robbins

The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.
-Tony Robbins

There is no such thing as failure. There are only results.
-Tony Robbins

There's always a way - if you're committed.
-Tony Robbins

There's no abiding success without commitment.
-Tony Robbins

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
-Tony Robbins

Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.
-Tony Robbins

Want to learn to eat a lot? Here it is: Eat a little. That way, you will be around long enough to eat a lot.
-Tony Robbins

We are the only beings on the planet who lead such rich internal lives that it's not the events that matter most to us, but rather, it's how we interpret those events that will determine how we think about ourselves and how we will act in the future.
-Tony Robbins

We aren't in an information age, we are in an entertainment age.
-Tony Robbins

We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.
-Tony Robbins

We will act consistently with our view of who we truly are, whether that view is accurate or not.
-Tony Robbins

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.
-Tony Robbins

Whatever happens, take responsibility.
-Tony Robbins

When people are like each other they tend to like each other.
-Tony Robbins

You always succeed in producing a result.
-Tony Robbins

You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.
-Tony Robbins

You see, it's never the environment; it's never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events - how we interpret them - that shapes who we are today and who we'll become tomorrow.
-Tony Robbins

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.

Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available.

--Jim Beggs

Happiness is a journey, not a destination; happiness is to be found along the way not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it's too late. The time for happiness is today not tomorrow.

--Paul H. Dunn

Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose.

--Maureen Kiloran

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.

--William Arthur Ward

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.

--Tony Robbins

Expressions are forceful.. You cannot hold them...

A white rose with its elegant presence, delicate petals and a pleasing colour reminds you .....
..... that the world around is still so wonderful,
..... that the people are so divine,

and you realise the importance of all the relationships you have in this beautiful world !!!
A yellow rose presenting a sweet image and holding in itself an eye absorbing color imbibes in you .....

..... a sense of belonging,
..... a spirit of joy and security,

that you wish you could take along the whole world with you !!!

A pink rose which is as fascinating in itself forces you to loose hold of yourself to believe .......

..... that you have a fortune,
..... that a fragrant ambience is everlasting,

and you imagine how kind the nature is to you !!!


A red rose with its distinct look and a whole lot of red smily petals do not stop you from realising .........

..... the completeness in yourself,
..... the sense of bliss with mother nature,

and you start to crave for similar kinds of relationships .....


Relationships which are as cute and demanding ;
Relationships which are as caring and understanding ;
Relationships which are as worthy as to crave for ....!!

I've learnt...

I've learnt...

that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,the passion fades and there had better besomething else to take its place.

I've learnt...

that heroes are the people
who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.


I've learnt...

that learning to forgive takes practice.


I've learnt...

that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don't know how to show it.


I've learnt...

that money is a lousy way of keeping score.


I've learnt...

that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.


I've learnt...

that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learnt...

that sometimes when I'm angry

I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me
the right to be cruel.


I've learnt...

that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learnt...

that just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to doesn't mean
they don't love you with all they have.


I've learnt...

that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.


I've learnt...

that you should never tell a child
their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating, and
what a tragedy it would if they believed it.


I've learnt...

that your family won't always
be there for you. It may seem funny,
but people you aren't related to
can take care of you and love you
and teach you to trust people again.
Families aren't biological.


I've learnt...

that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you
every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.


I've learnt...

that it isn't always enough
to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn
to forgive yourself.


I've learnt...

that no matter how bad
your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.


I've learnt...

that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.


I've learnt...

that sometimes when my friends fight,
I'm forced to choose sides
even when I don't want to.


I've learnt...

that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.


I've learnt...

that sometimes you have to put
the individual ahead of their actions.


I've learnt...

that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.


I've learnt...

that you shouldn't be so
eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.


I've learnt...

that two people can look
at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.


I've learnt...

that no matter how you try to protect
your children, they will eventually get hurt
and you will hurt in the process.


I've learnt...

that there are many ways of falling
and staying in love.


I've learnt...

that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves
get farther in life.


I've learnt...

that no matter how many friends you have,
if you are their pillar you will feel lonely
and lost at the times you need them most.


I've learnt...

that your life can be changed
in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.


I've learnt...

that even when you think
you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.


I've learnt...

that writing, as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.


I've learnt...

that the paradigm we live in
is not all that is offered to us.


I've learnt...

that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.


I've learnt...

that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.


I've learnt...

that although the word "love"
can have many different meanings,
it loses value when overly used.


I've learnt...

that it's hard to determine
where to draw the line
between being nice and
not hurting people's feelings
and standing up for what you believe.

I've learnt...

that no matter how thin you slice it,

there are always two sides.


I've learnt...
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.


I've learnt...
that it's a lot easier
to react than it is to think.


I've learnt...
that you should always leave
loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learnt...
that you can keep going
long after you think you can't.

I've learnt...
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learnt...
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learnt...
that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.


I've learnt...
that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.


I've learnt...
that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learnt
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learnt...
that you shouldn't compare
yourself to the best others can do.
but to the best you can do.


I've learnt
that it's not what happens to people that's important.
It's what they do about it.

I've learnt...
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learnt...

that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.

Love someone

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel, and then regret it.

2. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

3. Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, and the romance in a relationship and find out that you still care for that person.

4. A sad thing in life is, you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be, and you just have to let go.

5. When the door of happiness closes, another opens. But often at times we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

6. The best kind of friend is the kind whom you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you have ever had.

7. It is true that we do not know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we do not know what we have been missing until it arrives.

8. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Do not expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart. But if it does not, be content that it grew in yours.

9. There are things you would love to hear that you would never hear from the person whom you would like to hear them from; but do not be so deaf as not to hear it from the one who says it from his heart.

10. Never say goodbye if you still want to try. Never give up if you still feel you can go on. Never say you do not love a person anymore if you cannot let go.

11. Love comes to those who still hope although they have been disappointed, to those who still believe although they have been betrayed, to those who still love although they have been hurt before.

12. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone. But it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

13. Do not go for looks; they can deceive. Do not go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Hope you find the one that makes you smile.

14. There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real! Hope you dream of that special someone.

15. Dream what you want to dream. Go where you want to go. Be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and only one chance to do all the things you want to do.

16. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.

17. Always put yourself in other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person, too.

18. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. A loving word may heal and bless.

19. The beginning of love is to let those we love just be themselves and not twist them with our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

20. The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

21. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried; for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

22. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.

23. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past. You can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

24. When you were born, you were crying, and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling, and everyone around you is crying.

" A person who asks love of others, but does not himself give it, cannot be loved. Always be the first to give love and it shall be given to you. As long as you do not give your heart first, you will be far from love. "

May your heart be as pure as crystal,

Your intellect as luminous as the sun,
Your soul, as vast as the Universe,
and you Spirit, as powerful as, and united with God.

- Peter Deunov