By: Patitpavan Das A smartphone is not a pacifier, and should not be used as one. My nephew is only five years old but refuses to eat without a smartphone in hand, to play some silly game on. It seems he was given a phone to play with when he was only a nine-month-old baby. Old habits die hard? Indeed!          How mobile addiction affects children? So what is wrong in giving cell phones to kids if that will keep them busy and engaged, and thereby avoid all the hullabaloo they would otherwise create? A perfect godsend to relieve the poor parents of their baby ..read more

Ugadi or Yugadi is a festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the New Year in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. While it is called Ugadi in Telangana, Andhra and Karnataka, in Maharashtra it is Gudi Padva. Ugadi celebration Ugadi is celebrated during the bright fortnight, Shukla Paksha, of the first month – Chaitra Masa (March-April) in the first season of the year, i.e., spring (vasanta-ritu). It is believed that Lord Brahma started creation on this day. The arrival of the spring season also marks the commencement of new life with plants getting new leav ..read more

Lord Varahadeva Appearance – Varaha Dwadashi In ancient times there were two brothers named Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. They were demons born to sage Kashyapa Muni. They flaunted uncommon bodily features and had steel-like frames which grew just like mountains. Their bodies became so tall they seemed to kiss the sky with the crests of their golden crowns. They blocked the view in all directions, and while walking shook the earth with their every step. The younger demon, Hiranyaksha, was a greedy exploiter of gold. He exploited enough gold from the earth so as to cause it to spin out of orb ..read more

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited the highest level of devotion to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Read about His life and teachings. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, who appeared in this Kali-yuga to inaugurate the yuga dharma for this age – Sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord. Appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared at Sridhama Mayapura, in the city of Navadvipa in Bengal, on the Phalguni Purnima evening in the year 1486 AD. His father, Sri Jagannatha Mishra, a learned brahmana from ..read more

Glorification of Lord Nityananda, His appearance and childhood, pilgrimage, distributing Krishna-prema and many other pastimes. Narottama Dasa Thakura, one of the acharyas in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya writes in glorification of the Lord that one will get the soothing moonlight of millions of moons when one takes shelter of Lord Nityananda’s lotus feet. If one really wants to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krishna, he must firmly catch hold of His lotus feet. In the age of Kali-yuga, Lord Krishna advents in this material world as Lord Chaitanya ..read more

Shiva-ratri means the night of Lord Shiva. In the Vedic month of Phalgun (February-March) there is a Maha Shivaratri. The ceremony takes place mainly at night. This festival is observed in honour of Lord Shiva, who was married to Parvati (Mother Durga/Mother Gauri) on this day. Some devotees observe a strict fast on this day. They stay awake the whole night. The Shiva linga is worshipped throughout the night by bathing it every three hours with milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, etc., whilst chanting of the mantra “Om namah shivaya” continues. Bilva leaves are offered to the linga. These lea ..read more

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious festivals of India. This is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase which marks the end of winter season and the commencement of a new harvest season. Makar Sankranti is one of the few Indian festivals which is celebrated on dates of 14th or 15th January every year. In Bhagavad Gita (3.14), Lord Krishna says: annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ yajṣād bhavati parjanyo yajṣaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ Translation: All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña&nbs ..read more

Do you know the significance of Vaikuntha Ekadashi which is an important festival for the Vaishnavas, devotees of Lord Vishnu? In this New Year of 2022, celebrate it’s first major festival – Sri Vaikuntha Ekadashi. This day commemorates the attainment of Vaikuntha, the spiritual kingdom of Lord Vishnu by His great devotee, Sri Nammalwar. Here are five things recommended for you to follow on this auspicious day and seek the blessings of the Lord. – 1) Seek God’s Blessings – Visit a temple of Lord Vishnu Visit a temple of Lord Vishnu or of any of His avat ..read more

Time flies rather quick. Yet another beautiful yearn has passed, leaving behind its sweet memories. Hope you too had some awesome memories of last year. It’s high time now to indulge ourselves in some retrospection and revaluate some of our New Year resolutions that we have vowed on the last New Year. Did you fulfil it all? Did you miss something? Were those New Year resolutions even perfect for you? Every New Year we jump into new year resolutions assuming they are the perfect opportunity for us to start rectifying our past year mistakes and to make the coming new year a better year for ourse ..read more

There are nine processes of bhakti — hearing, chanting and so on. One of the processes is atma-nivedanam, submitting one’s self to the Supreme Lord. The exemplary devotee who performed this process and received benediction that even great demigods could not attain is King Bali. He is one of the twelve famed mahajanas or great devotees of the Lord, described in the Vedic literature. Purpose of the Lord’s incarnation In the beginning of Treta yuga, King Bali ruled as the king of demons. He was the grandson of King Prahlada, who had pleased the Supreme Lord with his pure devotion at a very young ..read more