Ramayana month begins in Kerala

[Guest guest]

Jai Sriman Narayana

 

It is great that Ramayanam is read throught the month

in Kerala. However, to my knowledge, in only one

region, Ramayana play (dance drama) is peformed daily

throught the year, ever year.

 

Where is Ramayana played every day? it is in BALI.

Ramayana is played every day either in a hotel or at a

temple.

 

Where is a dedicated building for playing Kichek

(monkey) dance drama of Ramayana every day; Again it

is not in India but in BALI.

 

Which place has 20 to 25 feet tall display figures

(sculptures, statues) of seens from our epics(eg. Lord

Krishna riding on Garuda and aiming his chakra

towards the raksasa as in narakasura samhara)? again

it is not in India but in Bali.

 

I can go on and on! It is this deep rooted belief in

Ramayana that has kept hinduism alive and dynamic in

in Bali, in the midsts of a muslim nation (indonesia).

 

On the other hand, in the name of securalism, people

in india are getting away from hindu practices.

 

The newly elected state govt in AP has instituted a 5%

reservtion (quota) in education and jobs for MUSLIMS.

 

Jai hanuman

Jai Sri Ram

Jai Sriman Narayana

 

Narender P. Reddy

--- Vipin Kumar <vkumar wrote:

> Ramayana month begins in Kerala

> July 16, 2004 22:24 IST

>

> As Karkitakam, the lean month of the Malayalam

> calendar, dawned on July 16,

> Hindu homes and temples in Kerala resonated with the

> recital of the

> Ramayana. Mornings and evenings, the faithful gather

> at temples to recite

> the Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu of Thunchath

> Ezhuthachan, the father

> figure of Malayalam literature. The entire text is

> read in 32 days.

>

>

> As the season neared booksellers reported a heavy

> demand for copies of the

> Ramayana. Malayalis believe reading the epic gives

> them spiritual strength

> to tide over the hardships of the lean season. The

> term Ramayana maasam, or

> 'month of the Ramayana' used to describe

> Karkitakam, began as informal

> coinage but printed Hindu calendars have adopted it

> for generations.

>

>

> Traditionally, heavy monsoon rains during

> Karkitakam, the last month of the

> vernacular calendar, interrupted agriculture and

> forced people to stay

> indoors. While the affluent depended on stored

> harvests, the economically

> backward labour class had a hard deal. With work

> being scarce, incomes dried

> up. The damp weather also bred disease.

>

>

> On the eve of the first day of the month, houses are

> swept clean,

> disinfected and sanitised. Organic rubbish is

> bundled into an earthen pot

> and discarded outside the precincts to the

> accompaniment of chanting, an act

> that symbolises the banishment of ill omens. To

> fortify homes against ill

> luck, lamps are lit. Sree Bhagavati, the goddess of

> good fortune, is

> worshipped.

>

>

> Non-vegetarian food is avoided. Green leafy

> vegetables are eaten and

> medicinal broth is brewed to fortify the body

> against disease. Ayurvedic

> medicinal potions like kashayam and tonics are

> consumed to build immunity,

> and hot oil massages are regularly administered.

>

>

> People gather in groups and read aloud cantos from

> the Ramayana. The most

> popular one is the Bala Kanda of Ezhuthachan's

> Adhyatma Ramayanam, which

> contains about 2,800 shlokas celebrating Sita's

> devotion and Hanuman's

> selflessness.

>

>

> Certain days of the month, determined by the lunar

> calendar, are auspicious

> to perform rites for departed forebears at temples

> dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

>

>

> Rituals related to the Ramayana month, which had

> fallen into decadence in

> the last few decades, are now experiencing a

> revival. In view of Karkitakam,

> the Travancore Devaswom Board has made arrangements

> for Ramayana recitals in

> major south Kerala temples. In other regions temple

> authorities and various

> cultural forums have organised discourses and

> debates on the Ramayana.

>

[Guest guest]

Dear sir/MEdam tks for the information abt karkidagam & Ramayanam

But pls let me know more details abt these that is

1)Rules and regulations to be followed while reading ramayanam

2)How many chaptors to be read daily

3) REcipe of that poridge

Tks

[Guest guest]

Dear sir/MEdam tks for the information abt karkidagam & Ramayanam

But pls let me know more details abt these that is

1)Rules and regulations to be followed while reading ramayanam

2)How many chaptors to be read daily

3) REcipe of that poridge

Tks

[sreeram 0]

In the month of karkidakam nalambala yathra Pilgrimage to 4 temples are very famus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The four temples of central kerala, thronged by Hindu devotees during the holy month of karkitakam ( also the month of rain. See this) are the Ram temple at Thriprayar, Bharatha temple at Koodal Manikyam, Lakshmana temple at Moozhikulam and Satrughna temple at Payyamal. It was exciting to visit these ancient places of worship which I did on last Saturday along with my wife and son .My parents and my wife’s parents accompanied us.These temples together are called the Nalambalam and the deities here are the four sons of King Dasaratha of Ramayana. Lord Ram, the eldest of them is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, who is the Supreme God of the Hindus. Bharata , second amongst them, is the avatar of the Panchajanya (Conch held by Vishnu) .Lakshmana is the avatar of the Adisesha, the serpent of infinite measures and on whom Lord Vishnu sleeps in the Ocean of Milk. Satrughna (the One who is destroyer of enemies) is the twin bother to Lakshamana and the youngest .He is the avatar of the Sudarshana chakra held by Lord Vishnu.The temples are located in Thrissur and Ernakulam districts in kerala and one needs to travel around 200 kilometeres to cover all these temples in the correct order.We reached Thriprayar around 5 AM in the morning and there was a queue of over a 1000 people and a similar queue existed in all other temples.It took us a good two hours to come out of the temple after darshan.Just right before our darshan, the sri kovil ( the place where the supreme diety of the temple resides) was closed for an intermediate pooja. So that got us standing there chanting the the Ram mantras for an hour and then the darshan happened. It was wonderful feeling of waiting and then getting the chance to see the Lord.The second temple at koodalmanikyam has a important pond ( ambalakulam) said to be the spot where the ancient sage “kuleepani Maharshi” did his Tapas/ Penance. The temple is beautiful for it’s architectural marvel. Bharata ruled the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya while his brother Ram was in exile in the forest. Bharata never ascended the throne of Ayodhya, instead kept the Padukas ( Ancient footwear made of wood ) of Ram on the throne, did Paduka Pooja and ruled on behalf of Ram. Bharata is considered to be a great ruler in the epics.The third temple at Moozhikulam belongs to the Lakshama. He is the closest to Lord Ram and accompanied Lord Ram to the exile in forest. While all people near to Ram wanted to accompany him to the forest, only his wife Sita Devi and Lakshmana were allowed by Ram to accompany him. Adishesha (whose avatar is Lakshmana) incarnates when Lord Vishnu decides to incarnate in the world. They are closely entangled. In one of the esoteric interpretations of Ramayana, Lord Ram is interpreted as the Soul (Atman) and Lakshman as the Mind (Manas). The manas is required to dwell in the material plane perceived by the five senses and incarnation has meaning only when a mind comes to existence and so on the interpretation goes…Payyamal was the last temple we visited and it is dedicated to satrughna. Satrughna being the avatar of sudarshana chakra, one can offer Sudarshana chakra to the diety. The temple does not come under the Governament administration. (Government controls all or most Hindu places of worship in Kerala, through the Devaswom board in the days where we have even profit making PSU’s getting decontrolled).But this temple was the place where the organizers (basically local people) did a great job in crowd control. They also did annadanam ( free food for all people after offering to Lord Satrughna) with discipline considering the space limitations in the temple.My hearty thanks to the organizers at Payyamal.

One feels vitalized from the inner after the pilgrimage to these ancient temples in the month of karkitakam.

 

My home is near payammal Shatrughna temple

[bhattathiri 0]

 

 

Kowsalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya pravarthathe Uthishta narasardoola karthavyam daivamahnikam (Twice)

 

Sri Rama! Kausalya's endearing son! Wake up, dear; You have to do Your day-to-day duties; Do wake up please.

Uthishtothishta Govinda uthishta garudadhwaja Uthishta kamalakantha thrilokyam mangalam kuru (Twice)

Sri Govinda! All the three worlds are under Your rule; they have to prosper. Wake up, my child.

 

Holy Ramayana is one of the the most widely read epics in India. In Kerala Ramayana month begins on 1st karkadakam (16th July 2004). In almost all Hindu families one will read the holy Ramayana and other members will listen. The climate during the period is almost rainy and many people will not have any work and it is also considered as a month for preventive treatment. Elaborate arrangements will be made in the temples to read Ramayana and preach the divine message to lead an ideal life. Paramacharyal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in his characteristic simple language has said "There are two powerful 'Taraka Namas'. One is Aum and another is Ramá. All mantras have to be prefixed with Aum for obtaining the benefits of those mantras, whereas there is no need to prefix Aum when the name 'Ramá' is recited because the name itself is 'Tarka Namam' ". We do not seek a preceptor when we are not in trouble or when we feel that there is nothing lacking in us. The more we are besieged by troubles the more often we go to worship in temples or seek the darshan and advice of great men. "Just as the Veda Purusha (Virat Purusha) was born as Dasaratha's earthly son, the Vedas are born from Prachetasa (Valmiki) in the form of The Ramayana."

The Ramayana is the very form of the Vedas that have come down to us from the heavens to the earth. The Vedas are divided into four parts, viz., Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda. Lord Rama is the embodiment of Rig Veda, Lakshmana, the Yajur Veda, Bharata, the Sama Veda and Satrughna, the Atharvana Veda. The four Vedas became the four sons of Dasaratha and played at his palace. The Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda consist of Mantras which are related to Yajnas and Yagas. That is the reason why Sage Viswamitra took Rama and Lakshmana along with him to safeguard his Yajna. While Rama was in exile, Bharata left Ayodhya and stayed in a village called Nandigrama, all the time singing the Divine Name of Rama for 14 long years. It is for this reason that Bharata is described as the personification of Sama Veda. It was Satrughna who safeguarded the places of sacred rituals like Yajnas and Yagas from the invasion of evil spirits and demons. Do not think that the Ramayana is different from the Vedas. In fact, it is the very essence of the Vedas. Rama exemplified three kinds of righteous behaviour (Dharma), namely, the

Dharmas relating to 1) the individual 2) the family and 3) society. To uphold these three-fold Dharma, Divinity manifested in a triangular flow, in the form of the Trimurtis (the Triune form). The Ramayana manifested to elaborate the human values. The period of the Mahabharata was well over 5000 years ago and the Ramayana was enacted aeons earlier. Even after the passage of countless ages, if it is still occupying the hearts of the people at large, you can well imagine its importance. There are two kinds of messages dominating Ramayana: One pertains to Rama and the other to Ravana. It is said "aakarah vishnu vasaha " that is to say in aakara resides Vishnu. In Aum, aakara leads and in Ramá he resides. Lord Parameshwara says that by chanting Ramá nama thrice one can obtain the benefit of having chanted the thousand names of Lord Vishnu i.e., Vishnu Sahasranamam. Such is the

greatness of this Ramá nama. It is believed that breathing one's last in the banks of holy Ganges in Kasi puri the mokshapuri one gets mukthi, moksha, for Lord Parameshwara is ever chanting the Ramá nama here as Kathyayini Kamukan in the ears of all people in Kasipuri. Listening to or uttering the name Ramá at the time of death relieves everyone from sins and the jevathma obtains the mukthi. Hence the Kasipuri has come to be known as mokshapuri.

Since the jevan transcends samsara to moksha , mukthi by the Ramá nama, the Ramá nama is Tharaka nama , Tharaka mantra.

 

The Ramayana (The Journey of Rama) belongs among the world's oldest literature. Cherished throughout India and Asia for millennia, it has been faithfully preserved and passed on in varied forms of popular _expression - epic poems, folk tales, music, dance, drama, puppet shows, sculpture, painting and even films and comic books. Its story and characters have captured the hearts and minds of countless generations. Despite its huge popularity in Eastern cultures and even though it is recognized by many Western scholars as a literary masterpiece, most people in the West have never heard of Ramayana.

The story of Lord Rama is both a spellbinding adventure and a work of profound philosophy, offering answers to life's deepest questions. It tells of another time when gods and heroes walked among us, facing supernatural forces of evil and guided by powerful mystics and sages.

Revered throughout the ages for it's moral and spiritual wisdom, it is a beautiful and uplifting tale of romance and high adventure, recounting the odyssey of Rama, a great king of ancient India. Rama, along with his beautiful wife, Sita, and faithful brother Laksmana, is exiled to the forest for fourteen years, where Sita is kidnapped by the powerful demon Ravana. Along with his brother Laksmana and a fantastic army of supernatural creatures, Rama embarks on a perilous quest to find his beloved Sita.

The Lord Himself says in Ramayana, "If one surrenders unto Me sincerely, saying, `My Lord, from this day I am fully surrendered unto You,' I always give him protection. That is My vow." Since the ultimate benefit of hearing the Ramayana is increased faith in Lord Rama, everyone will want to read this important book.

Ayodhya

Lord Rama was born and had many of His pastimes here. It is a very holy city and is an important pilgrimage site. It is said to have once had the perimeter of 96 miles and was the capital of Kosala. It is on the banks of the Gogra (Sarayu) River, bathing in which is supposed to destroy even the sin of killing a brahmana.

Rama Janmabhumi

At Rama Janmabhumi Lord Rama have taken birth. There is a small Lord Rama temple here. At this location there used to be the Babri Mosque, constructed in the 15th century by the Moghuls. The mosque was destroyed in 1992 and at the present time there are plans to build a grand Rama temple here.

Guptar Ghat

At Guptar Ghat there are some nice temples and nearby there is a nice park. Gupta means disappearance. It is said that Lord Rama disappeared at this spot. The three temples in the area are called Gupta Harji, Chakra Harji Visnu and the Raja Mandir. In the Cakra Harji Visnu temple there is an imprint of Lord Rama's feet.

There are over 100 temples in Ayodhya. At Janma Sthana Lord Rama have been brought up.

There is a popular temple dedicated to Hanuman called Hanuman-gadhi. It is located right by the main road where the tempos from Faizabad stop. Kanak Bhavan, which is an interesting temple, and Kala Rama temple, by the river, have both Deities of Sita-Rama.

There is a nice area by the river surrounding Laksmana Ghat. Laksmana, the younger brother of Rama, is said to have bathed at Laksmana Ghat.

Vasistha Kund is a temple with a small round kund (pond) like a well.

Rama is said to have performed a yajna (sacrifice) at Treta Ka Mandir. There are Sita-Rama Deities in this temple.

Kausalya, the mother of Rama, is said to have established the Ksiresvara Natha temple for Sita.

Bharata Kund, at Nandigram, 20 km from Ayodhya, is the place where Bharata ruled while Rama was in exile for 14 years.

One half km north of Janmabhumi is Svarga Dvara or Rama Ghat, which is an important bathing ghat.

Ramesvaram

There are four dhamas - Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, Ramesvaram and Dvaraka. Ramesvaram is located at the southeastern end of the Indian Peninsula. Ramesvaram is on an island, which is the shape of a conch shell, in the Gulf of Mannar. The island is sanctified by the footprints of Lord Rama. It is said that Lord Rama bathed at Dhanushkodi, where the Bay of Bengal and the

Indian Ocean meet. There is a major Lord Siva temple here called the Ramanathasvami temple. This name indicates that Lord Siva is a great personality, whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. This temple is very popular.

Temple Story

It is said that the Siva-linga in the the Ramanathasvami temple was installed by Sri Rama on His return to the mainland from the island of Lanka, after killing Ravana. Rama wanted to install a Siva-linga in Ramesvaram to absolve Himself of the sin of killing Ravana, who was a brahmana. Rama sent Hanuman to Mount Kailas to get the linga. Since Hanuman was late when the auspicious time for installation neared, Sita made a Siva-linga out of sand. This linga was then installed by Rama and is known

as the Rama-linga, because it was installed by Lord Rama.

At the time Hanuman came with the Siva-linga from Mount Kailas, he was disappointed to find a linga already installed. Rama told Hanuman that he could remove the linga made by Sita and install the one He brought in its place. Hanuman took hold of the linga with his hands but could not move it. He then wrapped his tail around it and tried to pull the linga out, but it did not move. The linga is said to still have the marks of Hanuman's tail on it. To pacify Hanuman, Rama had the linga he brought, the Visva-linga, installed alongside the Rama-linga. He ordered that puja (worship) be performed first to the Visva-linga, which is still being done today.

Gandhamadhana Parvata

This two-story temple is on a small hilltop, about 2.5 km northwest of the Ramanathasvami Temple. There is a set of Lord Rama's footprints on a cakra here and the small Ramjharoka temple. There is a good view of the island from here. The place is called Vedaranyam. It is said that Hanuman made his great leap to Lanka from here.

Kothandaramsvami Temple

There are Deities of Sri Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Hanuman and Vibhisana here. It is said that Vibhisana, Ravana's brother, surrendered to Lord Rama at this place. A series of paintings inside the temple tells the story. In 1964 a cyclone wiped out everything in the surrounding area. The only thing left was the temple. It is located about 8 km from the southernmost tip of the

island going toward Dhanushkodi.

Dhanushkodi

This is the place where the bay meets the ocean. Pilgrims are supposed to bathe in the small lagoon here called Ratnakara. This is a place to offer sraddha to the ancestors. It is especially auspicious to bathe here in May.

Dhanushkodi is about 20 km southeast of Ramesvaram. It is said that Lord Ramacandra destroyed a small bridge with His bow here due to the request of Vibhisana.

Darbha Sayanam and Adi Jagannatha Temple

At Darbha Sayanam (Tirupallani, Pullanranyam) Sri Rama observed penance, lying on darbha grass here for three days. It is said that Adi Jagannatha appeared before Him, gave him the weapon called Divya Chapa, and blessed Him with success.

5 km south of Darbha Sayanam at Adi Setu is the Adi Jagannatha Temple. The Deity of Sri Visnu here is in a reclining posture on Sesa Naga. It is said that King Dasaratha, the father of Rama, came here to pray for a child, when all his wives were childless. Hindu couples still visit this temple to pray for children. The place where Lord Rama built His bridge is not far from here.

It is said that at the coastal town of Devi Patnam (Navapasanam) Lord Rama put nine stones standing upright in the shallow bay. They are supposed to represent the nine planets that He worshiped for success.

Other Places

There are many pastime places connected with the Ramayana in the area. There is a temple near the bridge that you cross to enter Ramesvaram with a floating rock inside. When Lord Rama went to Lanka with the monkey army, they crossed the ocean on a bridge of floating rocks. Near this temple, close to the bridge, is Laksmana Tirtha and Rama Tirtha. Lord Rama is said to have bathed in these two tanks. Kodi Tirtha is supposed to be a spring that Lord Rama created by shooting an arrow into the ground. It is said that at Jata Tirtha, Sri Rama washed His hair to get rid of any sins that He might have incurred in the battle at Lanka.

Hampi (Vijayanagara)

Hampi was once the capital of the powerful Vijayanagar empire, which for two centuries was one of the most powerful empires in Indian history.Vijayanagara means "the city of victory". It was considered at one time greater than Rome and "the best provided city in the world". At its height half a million people lived in the city, and the Vijayanagara empire had an army of over one million.

At this place Lord Rama first met Hanuman. It is also said to be the spot where Parvati (known as Hampi) met and married Lord Siva.

Kiskindha

The town of Anegundi, about 5 km from Hampi, is situated on the north bank of the Tungabhadra River. Local people believe this to be the ancient place known as Kiskindha where Rama met Hanuman and Sugriva. By Hampi is also the Rsimukha Mountain mentioned in the Ramayana.

The ancient place, Kiskindha, was ruled by two monkey-chiefs, brothers Sugriva and Vali. After a quarrel with Vali, Sugriva along with Hanuman were driven out. They then went to stay at Matanga-parvata Hill. You can get a good view of the surrounding area from the top of this hill. While searching for Sita, who had been kidnapped by Ravana, Rama and Laksmana came south and met Sugriva and Hanuman. Rama killed Vali and restored the kingdom to Sugriva. While Hanuman went to search for Sita, it is said that Rama stayed at Malyavanta Hill, which is on the road to Kampili, about 6 km east of the Virupaksa temple. There is a Ranganatha temple there with a large Deity of Lord Rama.

On the way between Virupaksa temple and Vitthala temple there is a cave on the bank of the Tungabhadra where Sugriva is said to have hidden Sita's jewels for safety. There are marks and streaks on the rocks, which are said to have been made by Sita's garments.

There is a huge mound of scorched ash in the nearby village of Nimbapuram that is said to be the cremated remains of Vali. The birthplace of Hanuman is said to be a little to the northwest.

Other Places to See

The Hazara Rama temple ("one thousand Ramas") is believed to have been a private temple for the royal family and was originally called Hajana Rama, which in Telegu means the "palace temple". It was originally dedicated to Lord Rama in the 15th century and contains many interesting sculptures of scenes from the Ramayana on the walls. It is no longer active. From the Virupaksa temple of Lord Siva along the path on the river bank toward the Vitthala temple, there is a natural cavern marked with painted stripes where Sugriva have hidden the jewels that Sita dropped after Ravana abducted her.

At the Kodandaram ("bow-bearing Rama") temple there are large Deities of Sita Rama and Laksmana. It is opposite the bathing ghat. Here Rama crowned Sugriva as the monkey king.

The very ornate 16th century Vitthala temple is dedicated to Lord Vitthala, after the Deity in Pandharpur. It is on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra. It has musical pillars, which make different sounds when struck. It is considered to be the most outstanding temple in Hampi.

The Virabhadra temple is at Matanga Hill, where Lord Rama have stayed.

Nasik

Nasik is a holy city located about 5 hours northeast of Bombay (187 km). Lord Rama stayed here for some time during His exile and Sita was carried off by Ravana from this place. Nasik is on the banks of the Godavari river, which flows to the bay of Bengal. Laksmana cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the younger sister of Ravana, here. That is why this place got the name Nasik. Kumbha Mela takes place here every 12 years. Sri Caitanya visited here.

The Rama Kunda area is the main pilgrimage place in Nasik. Here Rama and Sita used to bathe, so the tank is considered especially sacred. It is also called Asthi Vilaya Tirtha ("bone immersion tank") because bones dropped here dissolve. In recent years the following people's bones were dropped in the Tirtha after they died: Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and many other famous people. Lord Rama is said to have performed funeral rites in memory of His father, King Dasaratha.

Citrakuta

Lord Rama and Sita are said to have stayed in the forest here during Their 14 year exile. Citrakuta is by the border of Uttarpradesh and Madhyapradesh, due south of Lucknow. It is 132 km south of Allahabad.

Lord Rama and Sita lived here for 11 years of Their 14 year exile. Citra literally means "beautiful" and kuta means "mountain".

Bharat, the brother of Rama, came to Citrakuta and begged Rama to return to Ayodhya, but Rama would not disobey His father's order. Rama stayed on Kamadgiri ("the hill which can fulfill all desires").

Lord Rama would daily bathe in the river here. Sita's footprints are on the rocks at Janaki Kund, where Sita took bath. How is it that Rama could destroy the Rakshasa hordes singly? Really Rama is not a single person. He has got many forms. Sahasra Seersha Purushah Sahasraksha SahasraPat., (Myriad headed, myriad eyed and myriad footed is the PURUSHA..) A mere sight of His presence was enough to reduce the Rakshasa hordeto un-consciousness.

"Sweeter than sugar, tastier than butter, sweeter indeed than the essence of a beehive, constant repetition of this nectarine sweet name makes you taste the very divine Amruta itself. Therefore, contemplate on this sweet name incessantly."Don't associate with anyone who is afflicted with jealousy even at the cost of losing your life Lakshmana said to Sita, "It is even possible to count the waves in the ocean, but there are no words to describe the manifold powers of Rama. In Rama, there are transcendental powers which transcend the Trigunas Let us chant the name of Ramá for obtaining the "moksha" or salvation.

RAMA RAMA JAYA SITARAM

"Ramam Dasaratham vidhhi, maam vidhhi Janakaatmajam Ayodhya mataveem vidhhi, gaccha thaatha yattha sukham" (Consider Rama as your father Dasaratha, Sita as your mother and the forest as Ayodhya; may the journey be a blessed one).