It is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu known as Venkateshwara or Balaji. Around 50,000 people visit to worship the Lord each day. The number is huge, and so is the offerings made by the devotees. You will be surprised to know, that this temple is one of the richest temples in India. Well, this is not it! While having a closer look of the Lord Vishnu, you will notice that the deity has actual hair and has often seen sweating. Shocking, right? Despite the consistent efforts of the priest, the back of the idol stays wet.

There is a Vaikuntam Queue Complex, a network of connected halls that leads to the main temple. It serves as the entrance for the Darshan. With the different amenities offered, these halls are tidy and cozy. Now, while walking around you will find a picture of Lord Venkateshwara in the backside, if you place your ear carefully on it, you can clearly hear the sound of waves, interesting, right!

At last, but not the least, there is one more interesting thing about this temple. To enter the temple, you must fill out a declaration form in which you must affirm your belief in Lord Venkateshwara.

Timings:

Morning: 6:00 to 11:00 AM

Afternoon: 2:00 to 7:00 PM

Night: 8:00 to 1:00 AM

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Venkateshwara temple pic courtesy Avinashx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lord Venkateswara pic courtesy Kalyan Kanuri, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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India is the land of festivals and they are treated to be auspicious as per the Hindu religion. Each Indian festival has its own unique way of celebration and people follow the tradition while celebrating it. Festivals in India are awaited all year long and are celebrated with great enthusiasm.

With zest of festivity comes the food ritual fasting…!!

Fasting holds great significance in the Hindu culture, and one festival where a fast is religiously observed is Karva Chauth.

Falling on 17th October 2019 this year, especially in Northern India, married women, fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.

One of the most important parts of this fast is the ‘SARGI’ (my favorite part of festival), the pre-dawn meal that a Mother-in-law gives to her daughter-in-law who is keeping a dawn-to-dusk fast as a prayer for her son’s well-being and long life or we can say, the only meal that a woman consumes for the duration of the day. (sounds unrealistic but it’s True)

This sargi is actually a traditional meal, an assortment of sweets and savouries like mathri (salty fried snack), mithai (sweet), kaju-kishmish aur badaam (dry fruits), feniyan (Vermicelli) and fruits.

All about Feasting Thali…

Not only it looks delightful but it also provides ample energy to a woman to sustain without food and water throughout the day. Here are some food items that are included in a conventional Karva Chauth thali.

Vermicelli (Popular as Sevayyian)

Sevayyian or Vermicelli Kheer, prepared from milk and sugar is an essential item in a sargi thali which makes it full of nutritious and yummy.

Fruits

Fruits like bananas, apples, etc., are also a part of the sargi. Fast involves staying without food and water, eating fruits that are rich in fiber and water, helps the woman feeling fuller and hydrated till the evening

Sweets

Indian festivals are incomplete without sweets, the sugar in the sweets is great for providing much-needed energy for the day.

Dry Fruits

Rich in nutritious nuts like Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews etc, are included in the sargi thali. Nuts are considered auspicious and can draw all the energy for women fasting to manage without food and water.

We wish you happy fasting!

Credit – Sana Kochar

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Kartikeya is known as Lord Skanda and Mata means mother, therefore goddess Parvati is generally called Skandamata. Ruling the planet Budha (Jupiter), She is the fifth form of Goddess Durga and the mother of Lord Kartikeya, who was picked by the devatas as their leader in the war against the malicious existences. The image of Devi Skandamata delineates mounting on furious lion, holding Lord Skanda in his infant form and a lotus in her other hand. She has four arms, three eyes and an awe-inspiring appearance. She is moreover called as Padamasani since She is normally depicted arranged on a lotus bloom in her divinity. She is furthermore loved as Parvati, Maheshwari or Mata Gauri. The left arm of the goddess is in a stance to surrender helps with magnificence to her fans.

According to ancient tales Tarkasur, an unfathomable shrewdness nearness, when fulfilled Lord Brahma with his uncommon devotion and outrageous compensation. He asked Lord Brahma to shower His blessings and make him undying. Ace Brahma denied him this blessing, saying none can escape passing. Tarkasur acted splendid and mentioned the going by the offspring of Lord Shiva, since he thought Lord Shiva would never get hitched. Tarkasur started tormenting the people on the earth. Fearing his quality would cause destructions, the devatas referenced Lord Shiva to get hitched. He agreed and married Goddess Parvati. Their youth, Lord Kartikeya/Skand Kumar, destroyed Tarkasur. Devi Skandmata is a picture of the mother-child relationship.

By adoring Her, you get enormous love from her and all your needs get fulfilled. You may achieve prevalent enjoyment even in this human world. Her adoration normally consolidates the affection for Lord Kartikeya.

Auspicious flower:  Yellow Rose
Color of the Day: Yellow
Mantra: ‘Om Devi Skandamatayai Namah’

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