About Vaishno Devi

Man is a curious being. And with the power to know comes an ability to find out. By that logic, we should know more about the things we do, the places we go and what they mean, like Vaishno Devi for example. A place so rich in every way, Vaishno Devi holds so much information. But do we really know anything worth knowing? Here’s testing your knowledge with 12 interesting facts about Vaishno Devi, one of the most sacred places for the followers of Hinduism.

12. Durga’s Manifestation:

Vaishno Devi, also Mata Rani to some, is actually a manifestation of Goddess Durga. In fact, the word ‘maa’ or ‘mata’ is commonly used in India as mother, which makes our connection to Her even stronger.

11. Origin unknown:

The Origin of Vaishno Devi is a complete mystery, like many of the places in India. No one knows how the caves came to be or what exactly happened there, which means your guess is as good as mine

10. A Million Years On:

Geological investigations into the matter of Vaishno Devi, and some research of the Holy Caves, have yielded the result that it’s been approximately one million years on since the pilgrimages have begun to Vaishno Devi. Betcha you didn’t know that one.

9. An Epic Twist of Fate:

If stories are to be believed, during the battle at Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the Mahabharatha, Arjuna was told by Lord Krishna to meditate in front of the Holy Cave to Lord Durga and pray for victory. We all know how that turned out, but who knew this was part of the plan.

8. The Guru Ascended:

Many of the claims that support Vaishno Devi being a place of holiness are strong, but none are as prominent as the late Guru Gobind Singh himself visiting it several years ago. It is his trek which has made Vaishno Devi the pilgrimage centre it is today.

7. Holiest Place or Shaktipeeth

Vaishno Devi is considered the holiest of all the places (also known as Shaktipeeth), which possesses the energy to keep the Mother Goddess safe. Evidence has even been found to observe the Mata Sati falling at this place.

6. Only One Access Point

The Vaishno Devi temple can only be reached from Katra. It’s a small town from which one has to receive the Yatra Parchi as a darshan, at Banganga point, before proceeding to the temple.

5. A Steep Climb

The highest point in Vaishno Devi is known as Bhavan, which is located at 6218 feet (1906 meters) above sea level. It is said that only the most spiritual and devoted souls make this ascent by foot, which is a startling 13 kms from the town of Katra.

4. A Tribunal of Triples

There are three main caves located at Vaishno Devi, of which the main cave remains closed most of the year. Surprisingly, the three caves combined are too long for a single pilgrimage. Hence only the other two caves are open for the flock of people to see.

3. A Rocky Road Ahead

Life wasn’t always dandelions and daffodils. Earlier, the path to Vaishno Devi was a rocky path which had to be travelled entirely by foot. There were a few flight of stairs but they were even more unsafe than the road, with the stairs being broken and without railings. Now, even helicopters will take you up there, should you have the money.

2. A Mountain Apart

Early on, in the 1900s, the Yatra route, or the original route to Vaishno Devi, was not wide enough to accommodate the multitudes who flooded it. Hence, in order to make more space, the mountain was split in half to build a new road, at Ardh Kuwari (the halfway point). Beyond this point, it’s all foot or an electric auto up to the temple. So you better be prepared.

1. A Crore On And Growing

A statistic shows that compared to the 10 lakh people who used to visit the shire in the early 80’s, the number has since grown tenfold over the last the last 30 years. In fact, 2014 is reported to be the year which will be making history, as over one crore people will be making their way to one of India’s holiest places. Now that’s what I call dedication!

                                                 More Info: http://topyaps.com/

Greatest Kings in Indian History

India is probably one of the richest countries in the world in terms of its history and heritage; in terms of rulers and ruling clans. Thousands of years have passed and the country has seen several dynasties, rulers, emperors and conquerors. While those at power in the present day strive to annihilate the country, let us take a look at some of the greatest kings that ruled this land prior to it becoming a hotbed for pseudo-secular political drama. Greatest kings in Indian history shaped the path we walk on now.

10. Maharana Pratap:

He was a Hindu Rajput ruler of Mewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan. Known for his gallantry and magnanimity, Maharana Pratap opposed the Mughals, particularly Emperor Akbar. Chittor was conquered by the Mughals; Maharana Pratap won back most of his territory except his cherished Chittor. He had pledged to sleep on the floor and live in a hut until he won Chittor back from the Mughals which unfortunately he never accomplished in his life time.

9. Chandragupta I:

He was a major king in Indian history and also the founder of the Gupta Dynasty. He is believed to have formed several alliances with powerful houses through marriages into those families. He was the Gupta Emperor from 320–335 CE and called himself Maharajadhiraj which means king of kings to show his superiority over others. He ruled over territories like Prayag (Allahabad), Saket (Oudh) and Magadh (south Bihar).

8. Samudragupta:

He was the successor of Chandragupta I belonging to the Gupta Dynasty and was the greatest king of that dynasty. Samudragupta is the ruler who is known to have ushered in the Golden Age of India. A great warrior, a connoisseur of art and a generous ruler, Samudragupta was chosen for succession by his father inspite of him not being the eldest of his sons. Another quality that he is remembered for is his tolerance and patronage for other religions.

7. Ranjit Singh:

Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire based in Punjab in the early half of the 19th century. During his rule he brought the whole of the central Punjab from the Sutlej to the Jhelum under his sway. His empire was based on the foundations of the Khalsa with opportunities for accession to commanding positions not restricted only to the Sikhs. He was a tolerant king and was also known as the “Maharaja of Punjab”.

6. Prithviraj Chauhan:

Prithvi Raj III was a king of the Hindu Chauhan dynasty. He ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi after succeeding to the throne at the young age of 20 and ruled much of present-day Rajasthan and Haryana. His elopement with the daughter of Jai Chandra Rathod of Kannauj, Samyukta , is a popular romantic tale of Indian history. But he is more importantly remember for having defeated Muhammad Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191 and later killing him during an archery show when blinded and imprisoned by the latter in 1192.

5. Kanishka:

Kanishka, also known as Kanishka the Great, was an emperor of the Kushan Dynasty. His empire extended from Turfan in the Tarim Basin to Pataliputra on the Gangetic plain. With Pataliputra as his main capital, his reign was famous for its military, political, and spiritual achievements. He also had regional capitals as far as present-day Bagram in Afghanistan. Kanishka was a great patron of Buddhism and is still today considered as one of the greatest Buddhist Kings of India.

4. Shivaji:

Shivaji Bhosale was the founder and the greatest king of the Maratha Empire. Hailing from the Bhosle Maratha clan, he created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its capital. He was crowned as Chhatrapati for leading the struggle against the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur and the Mughal Empire. He is remembered as a great warrior and a hero who united most of India against the Mughals. Shivaji is also known for pioneering the guerilla warfare methods using geography, speed, and surprise for attacks against more powerful and larger enemies.

3. Ashoka:

Ashoka is also known as Samraat Chakravartin. He belonged to the Maurya Dynasty and ruled from ca. 269 BCE to 232 BCE. He reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent from the modern Iranian provinces of Khorasan, Sistan and Balochistan (unpartitioned), through the Hindukush Mountains in Afghanistan, to the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. He is attributed to the global spread of Buddhism and the emblem of modern India is derived from the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

2. Akbar:

Akbar was the Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death. The third ruler of the Mughal Dynasty, he succeeded Humayun at a very young age. He went on to become one of the greatest rulers in Indian history and the greatest Mughal Emperor, too. His empire included nearly all of the Indian Subcontinent north of the Godavari river and he consolidated the same using marriage alliances and diplomacy. Akbar is known to have been a liberal ruler who believed in cultural integration.

1. Chandragupta Maurya:

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire and believed to be the first Emperor to have united India into one state. The Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya was the largest empire in Indian history up until that time. With his chief advisor Chanakya, he built a strong central administration and economy. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest rulers in Indian history known to have conquered Alexander the Great’s easternmost satrapies.

                                                More Info: http://topyaps.com/

10 Biggest Festivals of India

Planning a trip to India? Here's our list of the 10 biggest festivals of India

India has many religions and hundreds of customs and festivals. Many of these festivals are shared by communities across the country, albeit with variation on their history, theme and method of celebration. Here are 10 of the biggest festivals of India.

Diwali

Easily one of the biggest festivals of India, Diwali or the Festival of Lights is usually celebrated in October or November. It is a five day Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. In North India, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. In South India it is a celebration of the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura.

Hindu households begin preparing for Diwali nearly two weeks in advance. Homes are cleaned thoroughly, oil lamps and electric lights are bought, the prayer room is set up and mithai (indian sweets) and flowers are stocked up. On the actual days of Diwali, India lights up with the collective celebrations of millions of devout homes all over. Lights are kept on the whole night, and doors are kept open for as long as possible to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) who is said to visit people's homes on Diwali, bringing with her prosperity and financial luck for the New Year. Very often, people draw little feet outside their homes, as a way of showing the path to their homes to the Goddess. After prayers, firecrackers ring loudly into the night, lighting up the sky.

Holi

Holi is the festival of colours usually celebrated in March. During Holi, people light bonfires, burn effigies of the evil Holika, smear each other with coloured powders and drench each other with water and water balloons!

The mythological origins of this festival, like Diwali, vary from North to South. In the south, this festival is a depiction of the fate of Kama Deva - the God of Love and Lust. It is believed that he had once aimed an arrow at his wife Rati, but missed and ended up hitting Lord Shiva instead. Lord Shiva was enraged, and his third eye opened, burning Kama to ashes on the spot. Rati was grief-stricken, and Lord Shiva, feeling guilty for having widowed her, granted her the ability to see her husband, albeit never again in the flesh.

In the North on the other hand, Holi celebrates the victory of devotion and purity over wickedness and ego. There was believed to be a King who ordered that every man in his land worship him as God. All complied but his son. The king was so incensed that he kept trying to kill his son, but to no avail, as the Lord Vishnu, who the son had accepted as his ultimate master, had granted him protection against his father's evil designs. It is believed that one day, the King's sister Holika, who herself had been granted a boon that made her fire-proof, offered to take the prince onto her lap and set herself ablaze. However when she did that, she burnt to death on the spot and the prince was saved, as her boon only protected her and not her evil designs. And so, on the day before Holi, effigies of Holika are burnt amidst much jeering and celebrations!

Maha Shivaratri

There is a legend about a time when the Asuras (demons) and the Gods joined hands to churn out Amrut (the nectar of life) from the depths of the ocean, using a mountain and a snake as a rope. Among the things that came out, was a pot of poison. This poison was so potent that it had the power to destroy the whole universe. When they realized what they had done, all the Gods and Demons ran in different directions to save themselves as none among them had the power to stop the spreading poison. On the request of the Gods, Lord Shiva went to the spot and drank the poison. Shocked, his wife Goddess Parvati tightened a noose over the neck of the Lord and managed to stop the poison from entering his body below the neck. However, the poison was so potent that it changed the colour of his face and neck to blue.

Shivaratri literally means the great night of Shiva or the night of Shiva. Devotees flock to shiv temples by the thousands and offer Bael or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva. While some Hindus abstain from food for the whole day, others allow themselves one meal. People cluster around Shiva temples and after bathing, smear their bodies with holy ashes and keep reciting prayers to Lord Shiva. Extensive singing and dancing takes place to enable people to stay awake all night. Bhang (cannabis) is also consumed as part of the celebrations.

Ramadan / Eid-ul-fitr

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting, during which Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex during daylight hours. Ramadan is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Muslims fast as a tribute to God and offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon. Thus, fascinatingly, a person will have fasted every day of the Gregorian calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month as it is believed to be the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. During the Ramadan month, the evenings are filled with feasting and festivities. The roads in Muslim localities get lined with vendors of eatables of all kinds and the feasting continues late into the night with entire families coming out to partake in the festivities.

Eid marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. "Eid" means "festivity" while Fitr means "breaking the fast". Eid celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. On Eid, Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak, wear their best clothes and perfumes, eat some sweet food, and then rush off to offer prayers.

RakshaBandhan

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. The name 'Raksha Bandhan' refers to 'a bond of protection'. On this day, brothers make a promise to their sisters to protect them from all harm and sisters pray to God to protect their brother from all evil. This one day festival generally falls in the month of August. Sisters do a small puja for their brothers, and tie a colourful and often ornately decorated thread called a Rakhi on their wrist. Brothers on their part must pledge to look after their sisters till their dying breath and sweeten the deal with a gift of some kind!

Navaratri/Durga Puja

Navratri, the festival of nights, lasts for 9 days with three days each devoted to worship of Ma Durga, the Goddess of Valor, Ma Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. During the nine days of Navratari, feasting and fasting take precedence over all normal daily activities amongst the Hindus. Evenings give rise to the religious dances in order to worhip Goddess Durga Maa. Gujaratis perform their traditional dances 'Garba' & 'Dandiya-Raas' during Navratri. The women-folk dance in a circle, singing 'Garbas' or traditional songs. Young men-women wear colourful traditional dresses and play Garba with great enthusiasm. The mood of Navratri is very colourful & unique.

Dussehra

Dussehra is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. It also symbolizes the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, it is basically a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hindu autumn lunar month of Ashvin, which falls in September or October of the Western calendar. The first nine days are celebrated as Navratri. The entire ten day period is marked with much fasting, feasting, singing and dancing. Dusshera also marks the unofficial end of the summer season and the onset of the winter season.

Krishna Janmashtami

The birth of Lord Krishna (a re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu) is celebrated on the eighth day of a lunar fortnight in August-September, hence the name Janmashtami (birth + eighth day). Lord Krishna was said to be a mischievous child who loved milk, butter and ghee, and so women fast and make milk based sweets of all kinds and offer it to the Lord. They also visit temples or set up prayer rooms at home and pray to Lord Krishna.

One custom of Janmashtami is Dahi Handi. This is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. A clay pot filled with buttermilk is hung very high above the ground. A human pyramid of men, who have trained for weeks prior to this event, then attempts to reach the height of the pot. The topmost person on the human pyramid attempts to break the handi by hitting it with a blunt object. When that happens, coconut water or buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. Handis are set up around the city, and groups "Govinda Pathaks", travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day in order to reap the rich rewards that come with successfully breaking the highest handis!

Ganesha Chaturthi

Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha or Ganpati is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu religion. He is worshiped by both Shiva worshippers and Vishnu worshippers as he is considered to be an avatar of both Shiva and Vishnu. Even Buddhists and Jains have faith in Ganpati. In the run up to this festival, a large number of idols are made of clay or metal in all possible sizes; sometimes even up to twenty feet in height. People buy these idols of Lord Ganesha and install them in their houses. They then worship the idol for anything up to eleven days, after which the idols are taken out in extravagant ceremonial processions, through the streets of the town/city (mostly in the state of Maharashtra) and immersed into the river, sea or well. In recent years, pandals vie for the title of best pandal, by trying to outdo each other in terms on the size of the idol, the amount of money and jewelry offered to it and the number of devotees they can attract!

Baisakhi

Baisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across the northern Indian subcontinent, especially in the state of Punjab. It is also celebrated as the Sikh New Year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth.

The history of Baisakhi celebrations can be traced back to 1699. Guru Gobind Singh, the then Guru of the Sikhs, called on the historic Baisakhi Day congregation of Sikhs at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur on March 30, 1699. Thousands of people had assembled seeking their Guru's blessings. Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. After a powerful speech meant to infuse courage among the congregated masses, he said that every great deed was preceded by a great sacrifice and called upon people who were prepared to give their lives. On the Guru's third call, a young man offered himself. The Guru took the man inside his tent and reappeared alone with a bloodied sword. He then asked for another volunteer. This was repeated another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent and the Guru had come out without them each time. Everyone present was stunned at the thought that their guru had killed five innocent Sikhs. At this point, the Guru presented all the five men before the people. Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans and saffron-coloured garments. These five men were called Panj Piara or 'Beloved Five' by the Guru. That day ended on a celebratory note, and the tradition is carried forth to this day.

                                         More Info: http://www.tripcrafters.com/

Easy Art & Delicious No-Bake Desserts

10 super easy no bake cookie recipes for you that are super easy to prepare, delicious, visually appealing and foolproof

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bowl

Feel like a bowl of delicious chocolate?

Recipe here.

Art You Can Eat – Jell-O Dessert

This is so cool! We can’t wait to try this.

Recipe here.

Perfect OREO Dessert

Source tutorial link.

Heart Shaped Chocolate Strawberries

“If I were Maria von Trapp and singing about my favorite things, chocolate strawberries

would be near the top of the list.”  This is a clever and tasty idea.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Christmas Trees

Sweet, simple, and adorable! These are definitely one of the cutest christmas projects We’ve seen!

Easy to Make, No Bake, Candy Bar Cake

We love this idea! Yummy.. It is super easy to put together and you can put whatever kind of candy on it that you like. It is the perfect gift for just about any chocolate/candy loving person in your life.

Brownie Bites (No Bake)

And then God said let there be chocolate and some more of it! This super delicious sinful double chocolate desert requires less than five minutes to prepare, less than five ingredients and has a ton of chocolate in it. To prepare this you need one brownie mix, half a cup of miniature chocolate chips, dry pudding mix and 3/4 cup of butter.

The Oreo Melting Snowman Truffle

This one is going to look little bit messy end melty, but don’t worry that’s part of the master plan. To prepare this bake a pack of Oreo cookies, crush it in a Ziploc bag and empty the crumbs into a mixing bowl. Take some softened cream cheese, mix with the crumbs and roll the dough into balls. Refrigerate the balls for a while and in the meantime fashion out snowman hats using the Rolo candy and Oreo (use the candy for hat top and Oreo for hat rim). Now melt some candy and put a blob of it on parchment paper to prepare the “melted” part of the melting snowman.

Homemade Holiday Lollipops

Are you ready to give the gift of good taste this season? Recipe and Instructions: justataste

Marshmallow Snowmen

Some big marshmallows, some small marshmallows, icing sugar, liquorice lace and gum drops are all you need to prepare this colorful and sumptuous desert. Fashion out the snowman’s face using a small marshmallow and use icing sugar for decoration. Use a large marshmallow for the torso and fix the head to it using icing glue. Set it aside while you give your snowman marshmallow arms. Make sure you hold the parts in place for a while until they set. Drape around the red liquorice lace in the form of a scarf and use a gum drop for the hat. 25 minutes, 5 ingredients and ton a ton of love is all you need to prepare this sweet and mushy no bake Christmas treat.

Guilt-Free “Ice Cream”

Ingredients:

• 3-4 bananas, sliced and frozen
• A spoonful of peanut butter
• 2-3 tsp. cocoa powder

This sounds to good to be true. I cannot wait to try this.

Recipe and instructions: thenotquitevegan

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Great item to take to summer family gatherings! 

More Info: http://cutediyprojects.com/