Skip to main content

READ ME - Disclaimer

All opinions expressed here are those of their author and not of the employer. Information provided here is only a personal opinion or a random thought of the author at the time of writing the blog and not intended as and does not substitute for professional advice. Under no circumstances will the author be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with the use or misuse of information contained in or implied in this website. The appearance of external hyperlinks including advertisements to other websites does not constitute endorsement. The author does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the accuracy, currency, completeness or quality of the content contained in these sites.

The author reserves the right to modify, edit or delete any comments posted on this blog. The author assumes no responsibility for monitoring the blog for inappropriate content or conduct. The author nonetheless assumes no responsibility for the content, no obligation to modify or remove any inappropriate content, and no responsibility for the conduct of the users submitting any such content.
In addition to the above statement, please go through the READ ME provided by another blogger at http://www.namaii.com/readme/

The author has tried his best not to infringe the intellectual property of any person / establishment. But if anyone feels that there is any infringement or objectionable content in this blog, please feel free to use the contact form so that the author can take necessary action regarding the same.
The author makes no representation that materials on the blog are appropriate or available for use in locations other than India. Those who choose to access the blog from other locations can do so in their own risk and are responsible for compliance with local laws. In case of any dispute about or involving this blog, you agree that the dispute shall be governed by the laws of India, without regard to conflict of law provisions and you agree to exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue in the state of Kerala, India.

Creative Commons License
Vedic Talks by Raman Balakrishna Venkatta is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 India License.

Popular posts from this blog

How to do Pradakshinam (circumambulation) in a temple

All the heavenly bodies rotate on its axis as well as circumambulates around other objects like earth around the sun. It is symbolized in the Hindu custom of doing Pradakshinam around the deities in a temple or during a pooja. Circumambulation around sanctum sanctorium in the temple or deities is called Pradakshinam (Pradakshina). It has to be done always in a clockwise manner with the deity on our right side during circumambulation. The number of Pradakshinam that has to be done in a temple depends on the deity to whom we are offering it. According to some sources it is as follows. 1 – Ganapathy 2 – Aditya, BhadraKali 3 – Shiva 4 – Vishnu, Devi 5 – DharmaShastha 6 - Subrahmanya 7 – Durga, Banyan Tree 21 - Swayambhu There are four different parts in a Pradakshinam. Walk one step at a time slowly, like measuring the length with our foot. Keep the hands folded like a lotus bud holding it close to the chest. Chant the names of the respective deity. Keep the thoughts fixed ...

Namakarana - Naming ceremony

Naming a baby is a religious ceremony for the Hindus. In Kerala, usually a baby boy is named on the 27th day after birth and a girl is named on the 28th day after birth. The right day for the ceremony is defined by Gruhyasutras and there are different opinions for the same. Even these dates were to be postponed if there is any lack of religious propriety as in events like a Sankranti, Sraddha ceremony etc. On that day, the baby is given a bath and a black thread is tied around the waist. There will be a feast and distribution of sweets like "payasam". Later, either the father, uncle, grandma or the most senior person of a household whispers thrice into the right ear of the baby, his or her name for the first time. But according to Sastras, the naming ceremony is supposed to be conducted on the 11th day or 101the day. Different kinds of pujas and homams are conducted on that day. After whispering the name three times into the ear of the baby, the person who conducts the nami...

Sacred Saligramam ( Saligrama )

If you ever happened to have a look inside a Vaishnavite's Pooja room, you might have had a glimpse of a black stone called Saligramam being worshipped. It is usually black in color with the symbol of sudarshana chakra. The chakras can be seen both outside and inside. The Saligrama stone is not believed to be just another stone found in the nature. It is found only at Gandaki River situated high in the Himalayas in Nepal. It is believed that the chakra symbols are formed by river worms called Vajra Keeta. It is believed that these worms drill the stones, get inside and use the stones a dwelling place. There is a legend behind the origin of Saligramam. Once upon a time, Lord Siva was waging a war with an asura called Jallundhara. The war seemed to be between two equals and not just another war of a God with a demon. It was in fact a test of chastity of their consorts. (It is a Hindu belief that chastity of the wife protects her husband even from death) Lord Siva knew that unless the...