Har Har Mahadev 🙏🕉🙂

I feel like this is heavily plagiarised

Vasantapuja

This puja is mentioned in the Ishanashivagurudeva Paddhati, and is a festival celebrating the spring season along with Damanakotsava , the associated festival of love, dedicated to Kama. In this puja, the season of spring is treated and worshipped as a goddess.

In case anyone is not aware, Vasanta, the god of spring and flowers, is the best friend of Kama (and Rati). He was mentioned to have been born from the sigh of Brahma in the Kalika and Shiva Puranas.

Vasantaradhana is one of the favorites of Shiva. The important part of worship in this festival held during the spring season (Vasantartu) is the Damanaka Puja, wherein Damanaka is an aromatic plant, and special to Kama since it was this plant that turned out to be the object of his Sapamoksha. Siva also blessed Kama, saying that whoever worships him with the Damanaka plant along with Vishnu, Brahma and other Devas will have all their wishes fulfilled. The author further states that those who do not strictly adhere to the Saivite modes of worship as stated above are, in effect, rejecting the basic tenets of Saivagama (traditionally communicated wisdom).

How The Puja Is Carried Out

For the details related to Vasantapuja and Damanakotsava, the author of the Paddhati has relied on 'Svacchandatantra' (official book of Kashmiri Shaivism) and 'SomaSambhupaddhathi' (another manual for Shaivite rituals).

Rites and rituals:

The venue for Vasantapuja has to be a garden that abounds in Damanaka creepers and Asokavrkshas (Ashoka trees). Puja is begun with the invocation and Aradhana of Ganesh in Nirti angle and Guru in Isana.

It is under the shade of an Asokavrksha that Puja takes place. Two pots of sanctified water are placed at the foot of the Asokavrksha. The one on the right side is meant for Vasanta and that on the left for Kama. The presence of their consorts, Kusumavati and Padmavati respectively, have also to be kept in mind. In the middle of the Pujavedi, the Asokavrksha is conceived as Vasanta in the guise of a vibrant youth, golden in complexion, and is to be invoked and offered Gandha-puspa-nivedyantapuja. The nine powers of Vasantartu are Ahladini, Gandhavati, Surabhi, Malini, Madira, Madayanti, Rama, Pushpavati and Vasanti.

Next is the worship of the Damanaka plant, during which the Bhairava form of Siva has to be conceived in mind. Kama has also to be conceived as remaining seated along with his consort Rati on his right thigh and holding Puspasara in his right hand. He is served on all sides by a group of beautiful and shapely maidens. The Saktidevatas of Kama may also be conceived and offered Gandhadhupa-nivedyantapujas. The Gayatrimantra of Kama is also given.

The important feature of the festival on the second day is the collection of the Damanaka plant (the whole plant including the roots) from the garden in a pot, offering of Puja, followed by the ceremonial procession carrying the three pots (Damanaka, Kama and Vasanta) on an elephant in Nagarapradaksina, to the accompaniment of Nrtta-vadyasangita-ghosas. On conclusion of the procession, the pots are placed beside the idol of Shiva after which Homavidhis, Sampatasparsa, Bali, prayer and Archana are performed. The other customary acts like Dakshina and gifts to the priests are also recommended. The Patala concludes with the following observation by the author. 

ittham vasantavihitam savasantayagam proktam tadantamiha damanakam hi parva| yadvad vasantatilakam sumanobhiramam tadvanmaunobhisitan phalatiha kaman |

Though this festival is no longer celebrated in Kerala, another festival called Vasanta Panchami, also known as Sri Panchami, is observed religiously, mainly as Saraswati Puja and also as worship of Kama, Rati, Indra, Varuna and Brahma, on a grand scale, especially in Bengal, Punjab and most of North India. The legend also bears close resemblance to that of 'Vasantotsava' described in Isanasivagurudeva-paddhati. Legend has it that on this day Shiva turned Kama into ashes.

From the below, I just want to draw a parallel

A woman, somewhere in India, gets assaulted. The news channels picks it up. The internet erupts. People are angry, grieving, and demanding justice.

Feminists across the nation say: it's happened again, we know the criminals are clearly men, it's always men, we need stronger laws to protect us, punishment needs to be harsh for assaults, men are the danger, let's not trust them, ever again.

Parents across the nation sit down with their sons and daughters and tell them - be careful around men, be cautious, be alert.

They don't ask them to stop talking to their male coworkers, their male friends at school or college, in the neighbourhood, they don't ask them to not board a cab if the driver is male. Or ask them to never share the same space as a man.

Because fear is exhausting.

And now a hate crime against Hindus is committed in Kashmir. The news covers it, it's all over the internet, everyone is grieving, fuming over it, talking about it. And we know why the victims were shot.

The only motive terrorists have is spread fear. And they've clearly sent across that message. But it's on us to fix it. Let's not ask others to not trust their Muslim friends, neighbours, coworkers, don't let this break those bonds. Just be alert, be careful, be cautious.

Don’t let this fear turn into hate. Don’t let one crime make you burn every bridge. Don’t carry the weight of suspicion everywhere you go.

India did it again. Their cowardice is out of this world. Targeting a mosque? That too in the dead of night? Going the Israel route I see. Like master like pet ig.

So trans women putting on makeup and jewellery is good. But Hindu women doing the same is bad. Isn't feminism about choices?? Talk about double standards.

And just like there are women about whom there's nothing divine, there are men who have no divinity about them. And they're the rapist, the misogynist, the अधर्मी. The ones who push people away from their dharma. And by dharma I mean duties not religion.

I'm sorry but you're just a misogynist. It's like when women call other women bad feminists because they married and had a baby early or because a woman decided to settle for traditional gender roles.

And okay I get it now, you're talking about the imbalance in beauty standards, I can totally agree on that. Hindus have no strict beauty standards though. We have gods with fair skin and dark skin. And they adorn themselves the same way. Mata Kali is a married feminine energy, we see her wear all sorts of shringar, plus a garland of skulls. Her divine spouse Mahadev, adorns his body with bhasma, snakes and also wears a garland of skulls. And they're both revered in Hinduism.

And at the same time, we have feminine energies like Mata Anusuya who was seen above the Tridevi. And she was a rishika. She didn't wear these fancy jewelleries. So maybe take a minute to think about whether you have a problem with jewellery or Hinduism.

Hindu traditions and festivals just enslave women and reinforce patriarchal practices, karwa chauth for example, a festival where a married woman has to fast and stay famished for whole 24 hours, NO water and food and some of them don’t even swallow their own saliva and why? for the long life and well being of her husband. Husbands are placed on a pedestal in hinduism, he is more revered than god sometimes while reducing women to obedient and self sacrificing caretakers . It reinforces the idea that a woman’s purpose revolves around a man’s needs, his health, his happiness, his survival while her own identity and agency is considered as irrelevant. In this religion women’s existence will always be tied to men and are expected to embrace such misogynistic ideals or else she’ll be labelled as a “too westernised housewife” or other names they love calling when you go against the system

@mrityuloknative 's thanks for this.

This is a call out post. This is not coming from a feminist, but a Hindu.

True Hinduism gives equal respect to feminine and masculine energies.

So, men, you need to evaluate how you view women while claiming you're a Hindu.

How can you call yourself a Hindu while calling women names, while making and laughing at gr*pe jokes, while turning a blind eye to assault?

What are you even doing? You chant "Jai Shri Ram" and use the same vocal cords to hurl a slur at a woman you all have collectively demonized. You comment gr*pe threats under a woman's post like you’re above consequences.

And since I mentioned Shri Ram, let me remind you:

He continued to treat Surpanakha with respect, continued addressing her as "devi", even after she expressed her desire to kill Mata Sita so that she gets to marry Shri Ram. Even after she crossed every line of maryada.

He didn’t degrade her, didn’t mock her.

What would he think of you now?

You add sanskrit shlokas in your bio, but your comment history drips with filth. You bow at Mata Durga’s feet during Navratri, then talk about women’s bodies in a degrading manner.

This isn’t Hinduism. This is *misogyny wrapped in saffron*.

You're so desperate to not associate with what Islam or other Abrahmic religions stand for. And yet you're an equal part of the misogyny that they perpetuate on women everywhere in India.

Take out some time and really think about it. Are you a true Hindu or is it just for social media?

Are you really ready to fight adharma? Do you not know that for any fight with Adharma you want to win, you'd need the feminine energy on your side, by your side, and at times have them lead you. Our ancient texts, our folklore, our puranas are evidence for it.

Any idiot.. and by that I mean ANY FUCKING IDIOT who is moaning and groaning that terrorism has no religion and are curtaining the issue by general ass statements like it is a humanitarian issue not a religious issue are not only ignorant ass fools salivating for a disembowelment by their so called Muslim brothers but are also the worst kind of cowards I have come across. You dont have the balls to call a spade a spade. You dont have the guts to look truth in the face.

So take your pseudo secular bullshit and selective compassion and whinning about Hindu Muslim unity and fuck right off.

We have had enough.

We have had ENOUGH!

Hindus have been invaded and forcefully converted and mercilessly slaughtered and inhumanly raped and hacked and cut and beaten and thrashed out of their homes and livelihoods and humiliated, their places of worship uprooted and desecrated, their voices strangled under the guise of the Gandhian idea of secularism and their very right to exist threatened time and again from an era immemorial.

We have had fucking enough of the so called liberal West and their ideas of how we should live. We have had fucking enough of Pakistan's nonsense and Bangladesh's problems and the supposed 'minority' community's victim posturing. We have had enough of sidestepping and whitewashing and glorification of the Islamic invasion and their relentless terrorist attacks on us.

We have had fucking enough of showing the other cheek.

I will not live my life with the fear of practicing my own religion. I will not live in the shadows, spine bent, and apologetic about my own existence. I will not live my life catering to the hypocrites and the cowards who consistently blind themselves to my people's pain and humiliation.

We cannot live in peace and harmony with these fuckers no matter how ideal and utopian it sounds. They won't let us. Their religion won't let us. Their faith and belief and the so-called education they have received from generations won't let us. These people who laugh at the misery of those poor hindu women and children crying beside the bodies of their husbands and fathers. These animals who celebrate this horror show on social media and congratulate the terrorists. These monsters who would rather be politically correct and appear secular than open their eyes to the reality of this nightmare.

Stop enabling this stupid foolish phyrric dream of Hindu Muslim unity and come back to the fucking ground from the clouds you idiots.

And to the rest, go the hell for real.

Take your sucidal ideations and your superiority complex and your religeous beliefs which call Hindus infidels and kafirs and ask you all to tear down our existence for some hedonistic faith of purification and your fucking 72 fairies and burn in hell.

If I had even an iota of ascetic merit, I would have cursed you all to get wiped off the face of the Earth.

And this is what our culture is. Imagine if we were just allowed to worship our gods and follow our culture and traditions in peace.

our ancestors were such simple people. gave up their land in exchange for the deity staying in their village for a day

🪷☀️🪷

शुभ रामनवमी 🪷

श्रीराम राम रघुनन्दन राम राम । श्रीराम राम भरताग्रज राम राम । श्रीराम राम रणकर्कश राम राम । श्रीराम राम शरणं भव राम राम ॥

Rama who is the delight of the Raghus । Rama who is elder brother of Bharata । Rama who is tormentor of his enemies । I come under refuge of God Rama.

श्रीरामचन्द्रचरणौ मनसा स्मरामि । श्रीरामचन्द्रचरणौ वचसा गृणामि । श्रीरामचन्द्रचरणौ शिरसा नमामि । श्रीरामचन्द्रचरणौ शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

I remember the feet of Sri Ramachandra in my mind । I praise the feet of Sri Ramachandra by my speech । I salut the feet of Sri Ramachandra by bowing down my head । I take refuge on the feet of Sri Ramachandra by bowing myself down.

So I decided to go out today. I usually plan it all out but today was spontaneous.

Luckily Jehangir Art Gallery was a part of it. And I'm glad I went there. The paintings and the art on display were majorly Hinduism related. Hindu gods, stories like Shakuntala, and Shiv ji's wedding to Mata Parvati, birth of Ganesh ji.

Ofcourse, photography isn't allowed, so I don't have pictures. Plus I don't click pictures of art either way because a phone cannot capture the true beauty of those amazing amazing art

But I did get a pamphlet/catalogue thingy for one of the displays -

The last line 👏🏼

This is Pakistani senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan from Bhutto's PPP. She is saying that Pakistan will invade India, destroy Ram Mandir and lay down the bricks of Babri Mosque (this building was never holy to muslims as it is not a mosque associated with any of the prophets) and make Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, who held a speech stating how Muslims and Hindus are two different nations, right before the Pahalgam terror attack, do the first "prayer" call.

They want to destroy Ayodhya AGAIN. They've again and again shown clear aggression towards us Hindus. Yet you see way too many people talking as if pakistan is the victim. No way hell they get to dehumanise us and not expect a response. If pakistan should try this, I will support anything that breaks geneva conventions when it comes to it.