An anonymous 16th century Portuguese illustration featured in the Códice Casanatense, now kept at the Casanata Library in Rome. It depicts a Hindu ritual of self-mutilation, referred to by the Portuguese as enganchamento ("hooking") circa 1540 3 4 replies
Pramukh to mahant transfer If Mahant swami is the gateway to Akshardham then why did we not pray to him when Pramukh was alive? Why did we only start praying to him after Pramukh death? Does his gateway key only activate when the former CEO dies? Or like a hotel card? 1 1 replies
Swaminarayan : Harsh Reality Of Women 1. Women Are Excluded from Spiritual Roles Shikshapatri 175: My followers shall never hear religious discourses from the lips of a woman, nor shall ever meditate upon the form of a woman. 2. Widows' Spiritual Practices Restricted Shikshapatri 163: A widow shall serve God with the same loyalty with which she served her husband and shall always remain under the guidance of her father or son, but shall never behave independently. 3. Women Are Property, Not Equals Vachanamrut Gadhada III-22: "A woman should always remain under the control of... 3 19 replies
The world's largest idol of Maa Saraswati in Batanagar, West Bengal, standing at 111 feet. Joy Maa Saraswati South 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], February 3 (ANI): An idol of Goddess Saraswati, standing at an astonishing 111 feet, was unveiled in Maheshtala's Batanagar in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on the occasion of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja. The colossal structure, crafted from bamboo, jute, thermocol, and paper, was created for Saraswati Puja by over 200 artisans who worked tirelessly for three months to complete the sculpture. The grand puja event was organized jointly by Batanagar Creation and Batanagar Squad, with local councillor Gopal Saha, also... 1 2 replies
Need some advice on spinal breathing/meditation Not sure if this is the best subreddit to ask this, but I’ll go ahead anyways. (I recently started looking into Hinduism/Yoga.)Whenever I do spinal breathing I always feel the sensation of energy(or Prana I assume) going up the spine, but it stops halfway instead of reaching my head. From what I’ve gathered, it’s supposed to the reach the third eye chakra. Could it be I have some sort of “blockage” that prevents the energy from flowing up? 5 2 replies
What does a Hindu service look like? I'm not even sure if it's called a service, but what do you do when you meet to worship in a temple? I'm a Christian, and I'm curious about how things are done in other religions. 2 6 replies
What makes religion right or wrong ? Characteristics of right religion(talking of spiritual aspects only ): 1. It should deal with things of daily life like attachment, thought, control of mind, Mokshsa, dealing with fear, anxiety etc 2. It should be focused on Self Knowledge. About WHO AM I ? 3. It should not divide humanity into "us" vs "them" 4. No greed or fear about eternal heaven or hell 5. It should talk of meditation, concentration, samadhi,etc 6. It should encourage doubt, question instead of believe this or that More on this later 2 7 replies
Why is everyone married? In nearly every loka, beings seem to be married. Asuras have spouses, humans including rishis often have wives, and devatas have divine consorts. Even Ishwar manifests as couples — like Shiva-Parvati or Vishnu-Lakshmi. What are the spiritual benefits of marriage? 2 18 replies
If The River Ganga is Revered as a Goddess, Why Do We Pollute Her So Much? The River Ganga is worshipped as a goddess, believed to wash away sins and purify the soul. Millions take a dip in her waters with utmost devotion, and her presence is deeply embedded in India's spiritual and cultural fabric. Yet, paradoxically, the same river is choked with industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and tonnes of waste. Industries dump toxic chemicals into the "holy" waters, people throw household garbage without a second thought, and some even urinate and defecate along the riverbanks. If we truly revere Ganga as divine, isn't this... 4 20 replies
I am suffering with huge guilt someone please motivate me from past month i decided to keep a fast on every tuesday for my ishta lord hanuman , the first two weeks went fine i had zero urges and everything was good , but from last two weeks i keep getting really lustfull thoughts and i ended up masturbating , last tuesday and today i wasted both days by breaking my fast by indulging in non brahma charya methods i feel like a looser who wont be able to get in contact with hanuman please guide me how can... 3 2 replies
Why it is said that it is easier to attain Moksha in Kaliyug as compared to other Yugas?? It is also said that only by Naam jap or chanting mantra or Stotra, one can attain Moksha. 2 2 replies
Is a thoughtless state Samadhi? I read a book on Western occult and they said if we attain a thoughtless state of mind then we can be near the Holy guardian Angel and True Will. We can implant desires that will manifest in reality. We can even forecast our future and some other abilities. What is the relationship or difference between that thoughtless state and Samadhi? 4 4 replies
What is the main difference between yogas mentioned in the gita ( karma yog, gyan yog and bhakti yog ) and tantric / hath yoga ? The yoga mentioned in gita talks about a union between atma and god , How is tantic and hath yoga different from it? And what's it purpose ? 2 5 replies
Har Har Mahadev Ka Jaikara, Kumbh Mein Gunje Nara, Shiv Ki Kripa Se Mile Ujala, Sangam Mein Dubki Se Pao Divyata. 4 1 replies
so every English speaking yogi has seen mahavtar baba now ? the state of sanatan is "asman se gire khajur me atke" literally every english speaking yogi on youtube have seen mahavtar baba nowdays, its in hype so they say it, i have heard like 6-7 guys saying that mahaavtar babaji is their guru, i mean no one has seen gorakshanath or machendranath any of the other great yogis, but they sure have seen mahaavtar babaji and not just that, they are handing out mantras to conjure him, i dont know if its true or not, but there are yogis... 3 12 replies
