According to the Shiv Purana, states Shiva was mostly focused on his emotions. The making of a Shiva Linga was to denote the emotions based on which many structures were built. Veni temples are built without knowing the basic reason for establishing a Linga. It can be a small Temple near the Ganga Ghat or a huge temple of Adi yogi.
Emotions and energy the blend of both is described in the form of the shiva linga. Behind the development of the structure, there has been a science. Though few people know about the facts of the blend between science and history.

Shiv Purana and the structure of shivalinga

Shivalinga is a round-shaped elliptical object made of stone placed on the base which is known as Peedam. It is established at the center of the temple which is known as the Garba Griha. Lord Shiva devotees were not only limited to the Indians but also has been seen in the evidence of Roman and the Mesopotamian culture.

Cosmic
As described in ship Puranas as well as other Veda it represents the cosmic egg. The Linga symbolizes eternity which means it is endless. But according to some of the critics, the structure has been defined differently.

Prominent on the cosmic is black. The color itself describes the meteorite black stone, the linga is made of it. Describing the material, scientist Danish mentions that atoms play an important role to to produce energy.

Panchabhuta shivalinga
This Shiv linga describes the five elements of nature. Air, water, fire, wind, and space are the five elements that are worshipped. These five elements blend to become a body or structure. It has the fundamental practice of yoga which is explained as bhuta shuddhi.

Jyotirlingas
Jyotirlingas is popular among the devotees and its structure is found in different parts of the world. It was created to generate energy and power. The main aim of worshipping Jyoti slingers was to create powerful tools to move towards Mukti.  These Linga were carefully developed by determining the spaces and establishing the Linga as per the celestial movement.

Mahakala

Shiva Purana also describes Mahakala. It is the dark side of Shiva which is known as Kala Bhairava. The sacred holy book describes The Spiritual process of birth and death. He is the destroyer of all the living and nonliving things in the universe.

Bhairava
According to the Puranas, it is described that about 99% of the Cosmos is empty. The only thing that remains is the time and space that is described as Kala. Shiva is described as Kala Bhairava, the state in which he takes control over Kala or time.

Shiv Linga has been the idol of Lord Mahakala. But few can know about the presence of his linga established for millions of years. Shiva Purana, mentions the different linga and the emotions connecting the universe to Shiva. Devotees praying the black cosmic stones pray to the energy and his emotions.

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India has been popular for cannabis, worldwide. The Lord of Cannabis is Lord Shiva who has been known for sharing the secret of ending pain and sadness. One of the ancient and traditional forms of peace of mind and pain is possible through the bhang. The description of weed and its uses by God is mentioned in sacred books. Enjoying the time forgetting the pain and being happy for the time being has been a greater achievement for his followers. Over time the followers of Lord Shiva are not only in India but all over the world.

Savoring and reliving to the best part of goodness giving up on worries and pains was a tradition that spread from the yuga of Parvati and Shiva. The Atharva Veda mentions it as a medicine to remove the pain that makes it the sacred plant.

Was there a need to start With Weeds By Lord Of Cannabis?

Shiva the Lord of Bhaang was given Cannabis to get rid of the pain. He is also known as Neel Kantha who had drunk poison. It turned his throat to become blue as an effect the reaction of the poison. Now, It was difficult to bear the pain, and therefore to get some relief he was offered bhang. Having it he was able to sustain from the poisonous drink. The story of Samudra Manthan is popular mythology in which the demons and monsters had shattered their lives by shaking the ocean (Samudra).

But instead of the Amrit(the drink to remain immortal), there was the eruption of poison. The poison was about to destroy the Universe, hereby to save his people and the earth Lord Shiva had drank all the Cannabis.

Maha Shivratri and having of Bhaang

Bhaang is the medicine to kill pain, also it is believed that it gives a way to gain spirituality. While Shiva is the only Lord who can win them over to kill the pain after having poison and at the same time gain spirituality. India is a place where the devotees celebrate the festivals by having weeds and Bhaang as cherishing the day for Shiva.

They also believe that having Cannabis keeps them close to the Lord of Cannabis. There are temples, sacred places, where the Aghoris are found to dedicate themselves entirely to the Shiva. They belong to a different world, not at all they have a similar living or thoughts of common people. They have a belief in transcending themselves.

Ganga the sacred river that has evolved from the bun or Jata of Lord Shiva, Aghoris are mostly seen nearby. Cannabis is their need to achieve wisdom, also they are respected as holy humans. Lord Shiva has also transformed into Aghori, that we know as Bhairava. The Aghoris practices rituals with skulls and ashes on Maha Shivratri, apart from having bhang. Cannabis is medicine to reduce inflammation that his followers and devotees use to cherish bravery and eternity.

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Lord Shiva is believed to be kind to his devotees. Offering prayers to him is not hard at all if devotees can pray from deep within their souls. Compared to other Lords, the devotees can connect more closely to Shiva. This is the reason the strongest creator of the Trimurti is also called “Bham Bhole”. The most innocent and simple life of this God is connected to human life. Luxury, money, and greed cannot influence him all he needs is simplicity and creations. But while placing the Lord of the mountains at home, it is essential to know a few basic facts when placing Shiva Linga. As placing them at any corner of a room may bring negative energy to the home and family.

Never Face the Shiva Linga Idol At the North

Placing any idol or picture facing the north direction of the house is not preferable. Lord Shiva’s idol cannot be placed facing the north as it does not bring in any positive vibes. So always avoid these specific directions to place lords. Ishaan Kon according to the Vaastu is always the best for placing any temple or idols. North-east is known as the Ishan Kon which is best to avoid all kinds of negative energy.
But for Lord Shiva, the best place is placing him on the north and facing towards the south direction. It helps in increasing peace in the house. Removing lethargy, laziness, and quarrels inside the house.

Permissible south but you facing north or east
The southern corner of the house can be preferable for placing Lord Mahdev’s idol or linga. Also, the west is reserved for Nandi, the Vahana of Lord Shiva. Nandi should always face Lord Shiva and so he should oppose Nandi in the temple. Mostly in temples, it is so, but in homes or houses, temples generally have Shiva Linga. An idol of black stone can be placed on the south unless you can offer prayer sitting north or east directions.
Apart from placing the idol of a lord, sitting and praying position and direction becomes essential.

Place Shiva Linga on the North

Placing Lord Shiva is considered the best for Lord Shiva. If there is enough space to create a space at the North for him it can bring the best positivities. Better to avoid other directions and corners of the house. When image or idol can be placed in Mahadev’s favorite direction.
North is the direction in which Mt. Kailash the home of Mahadev stands high. It is the place he had spent hundreds of years meditating. So, do it if it is possible to avoid the other corners. Placing him in the north is the appropriate place.

Om, the symbol should be placed at the entrance to bring good vibes to the house. Keeping away the evils away from the house. Also, avoid angry or Rudra images of which may bring anger and sadness around further if put in the wrong directions in the house. Meditation pictures of Lord Shiva are considered to be the best picture that one should place at home. Shiva Linga can be placed as a beautiful decor and praying idol at the same time.

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It is true that the Mountain Kailash is not climbable; a difficult and steep path is not the only reason. Located in the western part of the Tibetan areas climbing the top has not been in the victory of anyone. According to the ancient stories, it is believed that only one person Milarepa, a Buddhist monk had climbed the mountain.

Whoever wanted to reach the top was unsuccessful and their life ended up with a mysterious death. It is somewhere a blind belief that climbing till the top will disturb the Gods. Approximately four people had tried and they were no longer alive.

Is it rudeness? Or there is a reason behind it?

There is hardly anything offensive to come close to God. The strange energy of aging persists in the range of Kailash Mountain. The sad part of the area is that a person will increase or speed up the time of aging. Whoever has visited their nails and hair has grown faster. Comparing to the normal life of a person the life speeds up to two weeks. Is it time travel? It is when a person can travel two weeks forward after they start traveling to the mountain. That too within 12 hours of traveling to the mountain the nails and hair grow at a higher speed. This is one of the reasons that Kailash Mountain is restricted and climbers find it challenging.

Mountain Kailash is Restricted not to disturb the holiness

It was after the Buddhist monk returned back and suggested not to disturb the holiness of the mountain. It is the place of Lord Shiva. An energy that flows throughout the mountain ranges and the two lakes, Mansarovar and Rakshas Tal Lake restrict the climbers and trekkers. This is according to the Hindus’ point of view that trekkers and climbers are restricted as it can disturb Lord Shiva Existence.

Those who forcibly wanted to climb have grown older faster and died after few years. The weather condition of the mountain is a great challenge that has restricted people to travel. The intense chilled weather within the snowy path has made it difficult to climb up. It leads to the lack of oxygen also the extremities of cold and heat have made the entire journey impossible.

Is Mountain Kailash a pyramid?

According to Dr. Ernst, he is a Russian ophthalmologist who has studied Mt. Kailash. The mountain is not a natural form but it is like a pyramid. There are about 100 pyramid structures that have given the shape of the large structure of the mountain. It may be the natural extremities that are surrounded by the pyramids or the holiness of the place. The mountain is not at all climbable.

Till now only one person has been able to reach the top of the Mountain Kailash, after which he suggested not to disturb the sanctity of the holy mountain. The mountain or a structure of pyramids, it is challenging and almost impossible for trekkers and climber to climb.

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Lord Shiva has been the origin of Yoga who is supreme of the ascetics and yogis. The main objective of the Shiva Bhakti is the Yog and meditation. The creator of the universe who has created the world has endorsed the beliefs of Shiva Bhakti. It is the intense attachment of a human mind to the supremity of God.

Tantra and Yog are two of the main objective for the Shiva Bhakti. Tantra is not popular but the Yoga has been gaining importance year by year. The bhakti towards the Lord has been diversified into different types. Shaivanism, that is the combination of the Vaisnava tradition with the Shiva-Shakti traditions.  And followers of the Shakti are known as the Shaivas.

Shiva Bhakti and the Shaivas

Shiva, the creator of the universe is one of the three Gods. They are Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara. The Shaivas have increased the popularity of Shiva Bhakti. They are dedicated to worship with Shakti and Shiva. The main objective of Shiva bhakti is to metastasize the basic influence of the powerful Lord. The Shakti tradition has to focus on the denominations that can bring a change in the lifestyle of a person. The response to the devotees has been fruitful relating to progress, peace of mind, and physical health.

Adi Dev Gives freedom to worship

Among all the supreme lords the Adi Dev provides the freedom to express their feelings and emotions. It ensures the tolerances and anger that are acceptable for the devotees. They are given the freedom to thoughts and way of living. It does not bind their devotees under strict rules or conditions rather helps to pick the path of wisdom through yoga.

The Shiva Bhakti has been also growing popular as it has developed easy ways to worship Lord Shiva. Two of the main ways to worship Mahadev are:

Believing in idol, Shiva Bhakti

It can be in the month of Shravana, or a pilgrimage to his place Uttarakhand. The followers of Shaivas sincerely visit the places to offer prayers to the SHakti. Maha Shivratri is the festival for those who want a dedicated husband like him. Each year they celebrate Shiva Ratri and worship by fasting and bathing with milk on the Shiv Linga. Hindus worship the Lord of Shakti that is unconventional.

Yoga or meditation

Meditation or Yog, is another way of expressing the way of Shiva Bhakti. The increase in Self-esteem, developing the strength of mind and physique of a human body is the part of worship that was created by Lord Shiva. It is one of the ways to connect the mind and body to the supreme creator of the Universe.

Nataraja, worshipping the Lord of Dance is another way of expressing the Shiva Bhakti. From ancient years, the form of dances and traditions has given power and wisdom to worship as a devotee. Shiva Bhakti is considered one of the greatest ways to worship Lord Shiva. Devotees worship in different forms but the motive to pray focuses on one Lord.

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Shivoham is the eternal meaning of oneness, the state of pleasure to the soul free from all kinds of regrets and evils. What is the meaning of Shivoham? The word means “I am Shiva” chanting the mantra that always reminds me about the ultimate truth in a state of spirituality. Elevation of the spirit and mind at the same time is the main objective of the Mantra.

Yogi chants the mantra to heighten their consciousness and discover the real person within. Meditating the “Soham Shivoham” mantra is one of the mantras of Lord Shiva. Evaluate the soul and spirit by revealing the truth of Shivoham.

The benefits that make to push in the majestic state of spirituality “Soham Shivoham”:

Not only a Yogi even a person who meditates can chant Shivoham. The fineness and oneness are all one, who can find to improve their realization toward themselves as well as towards the world. Some of the benefits of chanting Soham Shivoham are as follows:

State Of Spirituality to soul and mind

The mantra “Shivoham” means I am Shiva and I am consciousness. The chanting leads to purifying the mind and soul of a person. It helps in removing all kinds of negativities that acts as a barrier to all kinds of activities that a person wants to do. The self heightening does help in improving the mind and soul without intensifying the feeling of pride and anger. It is an amazing way to derive self wellness from spirituality to the soul.

Increase concentration

Meditation has always been beneficial in increasing the concentration of a person. “I am Shiva” the sentence itself develops a great stretch to divine spirit. Cleaning the mind from all the unwanted thoughts grow and increase the habit to concentrate. Being a pure soul means being honest to oneself, free the mind from unworthy delights and help to focus.

Remove inferior feelings

How your day does start? The first things that strike that mind are about the things with confusions. Confusions make a person lower the confidence and increase the inferior feelings. Decision making and leading oneself need a clear mind free from all negative and unwanted thoughts. Shivoham teaches to take a decision by proper judging the present and the past.

The healthy mind and body

Meditating improves the health of the mind and the body. Chanting of Shivoham will enable the mind and soul to bring to the state of calmness and freedom. Being free from all kinds will build the power of self-illumination that keeps the mind away from negative thought. Keeping the mind healthy inspires one to have a healthy body.

Importance of the state of spirituality

The ability of the taking decisions and understanding the importance of each fact and steps of life is possible through self-illumination. Shivoham has the power to evaluate the best things in life when a person knows about the important facts of life.

The state of spirituality escalates with the chanting of the Shivoham “I am Shiva”. That means I am the one who can develop and control my own body and mind within oneself. Developing purity and honesty cleaning the negativities to positive vibes.

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Hanuman is the 9^th incarnation of Lord Shiva. Hanuman was the closest disciple of Lord Rama who is the avatar of Krishna. As Shiva is the superior who controls the entire universe being the strongest of all.

Hanuman has a great historical role in supporting Lord Rama to win the battle against Ravana. Vishnu was re-born to fight against Ravana, and Lord Shiva was on earth to help him throughout the journey. He was kind, supportive, loyal and above all courageous. None of the external features of the Shiva matches with the Hanuman.

Appearance of Hanuman

He is still the king of the monkey kingdom ruling on the earth. His face is similar to the monkey species with a long tail at his back. Partially the structure of human and monkey he was the incarnation of Shiva. Comparing with the appearances of Shiva it does not in any ways describe the ninth avatar. He is one of the loyal and honest souls who have been with his best friend Sugriva when he was sent to exile.

Sugriva was in exile after his brother who was the king of Kishkinda threw him out of the kingdom of monkeys.

How incarnation of Lord Shiva helped Rama?

After Rama lost Sita, two-person was close to him one was Laksmana and the other was Hanuman. Without the strongest Hanuman overcoming the difficulties was impossible. Two of the major obstacles that are memorable and describes the ninth avatar of Lord Shiva are:

Sanjeevani Herbs

During the battle between Rama and Ravana, Laksmana was severely injured. The only way to save his life was the herbs from the mountain of the Dronagiri ranges located at the Himalayas Uttarakhand. Finding out the life-saving herbs that are known as Sanjeevani Booti was not possible from the dense forest.

All he did is picked the entire mountain in his hand took it to the injured Laksman. Finally, they were able to pick the herbs and treat the injury. Finally, Rama’s brother was saved during the battle.

Rama Setu and incarnation of Lord Shiva

Hanuman is known as the Lord of the Monkeys. To help Rama and reach Lanka to rescue his wife Sita was not possible without the bridge build by the army of monkeys. They wrote the name of Lord Rama on the stones and placed it on the sea to form the bridge which is known as Rama Setu.

Once again the ninth incarnation was the one in all to sort out the problems and obstacles. Alone Lord Rama would have been taken a much longer time to reach Sri Lanka and find his wife.

Ravana was the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva who had showered the blessings of being immortal. Thus it was necessary for Lord Rama to have the support of Hanuman who is the incarnation of Shiva. He was able to fight against all the odds to defeat Ravana. The King of Monkeys “Hanuman” was on one side the devotee of Lord Rama and on the other side the avatar or incarnation of Lord Shiva.

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Hinduism is the only religion that believes in one God but different forms. Different states of India worship the different incarnation of God. Hereby, Lord Brahma is one who has various faces. Being the supreme of God as a creator of the universe has three main forms they are Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara.

With the power of these three, the entire earth is sustaining life as per the Hindu ideologies. The religion itself has given the freedom to believe in God as per their realization. The different forms of Lord that people worship are in one form or other apart from the supreme Gods is Goddess Durga.

Different Forms of One God

Durga one God survives in various forms. She lives within the prayers of her disciples or devotees. The god is divided into nine forms they are:

• Shailaputri
• Brahmacharini
• Chandraghanta
• Kushmanda
• Skandamata
• Katyayani
• Kaalratri
• Mahagauri
• Siddhidhatri

These are the different forms that are worshipped by her devotees apart from it she has 108 names.

Similarly, Lord Shiva is divided into five forms. His five faces are popular as well as worshipped to gain his showers of blessings.

• Lord who dominates with the power of Panchabhuta, Known as Bhuteshwara
• Lord Shiva has conquered time and it survives as a universal creator, known as Kaileshwara.
• Surviving during the hardest time was all about Shiva Shambho
• The form of Yogi through years of meditation is known as Bholenath
• The God of dance is known as Nataraja.

All the different forms of all Gods are worshipped in a form or another. They are popular as per the beliefs of the devotees. Every form has a reason for which the devotee worships a particular form of idol. They believe in one kind of force as they feel or as per their beliefs.

India secularism different traditions

Along with the tradition of India, the beliefs in God and their forms varies. Each culture and tradition varies from a state to another. When the eastern part of India celebrates Durga Puja at the same time the western and northern part of India celebrates Navratri.

Worshiping Narayana, or Vishnu who lives on celestial water is the supreme God of the Vaishnav. While this form as Vishnu is known to have nine avatars or forms. Worshipping each form of Vishnu or Narayan is throughout the year. One of his famous forms is of “Lord Krishna”, his birth is in Kalyug to protect the world from disaster.

Holi the celebration that is celebrated with equal beliefs in Hinduism of One God. Janmashthami is another famous festival celebrated around the country, which is a form of Lord Vishnu.

The three supreme gods and Devi Durga have given different forms to worship so that devotees can offer prayers with freedom. Hinduism provides the freedom to worship God according to their state of mind, their trust, and their belief in God.

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King Ravana is a negative character of Ramayana, the king of Lanka with the power of “Dusshanan”. The king with ten heads enhances the power of being immortal.

The top disciple of Lord Shiva was this 10 headed King. Due to his intense devotion towards Lord Shiva, he became the closest devotees blessed with the boon of never dying.

Though he has a defaming character for kidnapping Sita, the great King was one of the best Kings of Epic.

King Ravana with skills of Warrior

The ancient literature and arts mention Ravana as one of the great warriors who belongs to the empire of Lanka. Ravana was the king who won several battles and defeating demons, emperors to capturing territories.
Being a great ruler “King Ravana”, who has fought till the end as per in the epic Ramayana. The battle between Ram and Ravana continued for 10 days, but killing him was not easy at all. He was a person with courage and determination. During the 20^th century, he was declared as the ultimate Dravidian hero by the political Periyar.

Immortal King Ravana

After chopping the head 10 times to please lord Shiva, he was blessed with 10 heads with immortality. The superior King was also blessed with immortality due to his extreme Tapasya to gain the blessings of never dying.

Finally, he was given the boon of celestial nectar immortality. The Great King Ravana knew about his death, he was aware that the powerful emperor will be killed by the incarnation of Vishnu. His blessings of immortality were in danger with the birth of Lord Rama.

Musician, Artist, and Scholar

The art scriptures describe Ravana as a great artist who has knowledge of 64 different arts. The powerful demon also had the knowledge of tantra vidya, who is known as Brahmyarakshasha. As a musician, he was an excellent Veena player. Being well skilled in music and art he invented the Ravanhatha.

The instrument was easy for the beginners to learn the ragas and play them. It was similar to a violin that was connected with strings for playing the Ragas. So, the Great King, the Dravidian ruler had a keen interest in music, and the poet has the composition “Rudra Stotra” dedicating to Lord Shiva.

Astrologer

Ravana was a great astrologer with greater knowledge wrote the book “Ravana Samahita”. He also invented the Ayurvedic method “Arka Sastra”. His Kumara Tantra is the guidance to treat the diseases related to infants.

The great King Ravana had the wisdom that was able to determine with his descriptive information about astrology in his book.

Great Grandson of Brahma

The ruler of the demons, Ravana was the Great Grandson of Brahma. He was the son of a priest or Rishi Visrava, who was a Brahmin and married Kaikesi from the demon community. This is the reason he is known as a Brahmarakshasha.

Demon or the Great King Ravana has always been introduced as a powerful villain character. But apart from kidnapping Sita, that led to ending his immortality due to ego and overconfidence. Ravana was a Great scholar and Ruler.

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The formation of a single body from two souls is seen in the “Ardhanarishvara”. The idol that is the formation of Shiva and Parvati, is the partial combination of both to set one of the greatest examples of love and unity. The “Vahana” of the half man and half woman is the Nandi, who is known as the blind disciple of Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva who is believed to rule the universe had a strong bond of love and relationship which can be predicted from the idol. Being two souls separated from each other they are one mind and have dedicated them to stay bonded to each other. Their mind and body are entirely one which is necessary for the true couples who think as one and feel the same passion to be along with each other.

The half body of man is of Lord Shiva, you can see the interlocked hair with the sign of the moon on the head. The third eye of Lord Shiva is visible on the forehead with whom he can see the universe while at his right-hand side is Parvati with long black curly hair, beautifully dressed up in saree adorned with flowers and ornaments. Her vahana is Lion, she is seen with a bull and lion along with her lord Shiva.

The idol signifies about the conception of gender difference, between a man and a woman. It entirely denies the differential treatment based on gender. Apart from it, an incident is also famous when Shiva decided to make Parvati his better half. Nandi has always been the closest disciple, no one can understand or imagine Lord Shiva without Nandi and Bhringi.

Parvati wanted Nandi to worship her similarly as they do for Lord Shiva. But Nandi denied to do so, and Parvati was highly upset about the discrimination. This is also a reason to believe that Lord Shiva decided to unite with Gauri so that she can receive the worship of his disciples.

Shiva and Parvati have been always a great belief of nature and love, so on other hand, their unity has been the sign showing the close of a man and woman required along with dependence and trust to be together. “Ardhanarishwar” with the position of “Tribhanga”, which is the body posture is divided into three parts. The head, body inclined to form two parts that finally divides into three. You can also find the sitting postures of the idol, half Shiva and Parvati but mostly the standing postures are seen in the temples.

Ancient scriptures and depictions have mentioned about the undivided and inseparable connection between the couple. It stands as the symbol of togetherness, support each other. Compatibility of love and understanding which is highly important for the relationship between husband-wife. Who can think beyond themselves? Think about their partner and stand for them, a great precedent to the universe, where nature and beauty have been described inseparable.

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Lord Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. According to Shaivism, one of the major doctrines within contemporary Hinduism, Lord Shiva prevails over other Hindu deities for his strength and poise. Lord Shiva creates, destroys, protects and transforms the universe hence he is the most revered god among the famous Hindu trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara). Goddess Parvati, the spouse and equal complementary partner of Lord Shiva is believed to be the source of his energy and creative power. There are countless temples of Lord Shiva, both big and small, scattered across the Indian subcontinent but there are innumerable temples dedicated to him that are found outside India too. Here are the names:

Prambanaan temple in Java, Indonesia:

The ruler of Mataram Kingdom, Rakai Pikatan built the temple in the 9^th century. It is both the largest temple of South East Asia and the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. The name ‘Prambanaan’ is derived from ‘Param Brahman’ which stands for ‘Supreme Brahmin’ in Javanese.

Pashupatinath temple in Kathmanu, Nepal:

The name Pashupatinath means Lord of the animals. One of the oldest temples in Kathmandu, this is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple was built by Jayadeva back in 753 AD. The Nepalese Pagoda style architecture despite being a Hindu temple is the main attraction of this.

Katasraj temple in Chakwal, Pakistan:

Near Lahore in Pakistan, the temple is located in the Chakwal district of Punjab. The temple came in existence during the days of Mahabharata and it is there ever since. The temple is famous because it was the refuge of the Pandava brothers during their days of exile.

Munneswaram temple in Munneswaram, Sri Lanka:

Since the days of Ramayana, this temple existed. According to the legends, Lord Rama prayed here after defeating Ravana. The festival of Navrati is commemorated here in a grand manner.

Arulmigu Sri Raja Kaliamman temple in Johor Baru, Malaysia:

The temple was constructed back in 1992. This is one of the oldest temples in Johor Baru, Malaysia. The temple prides on its creative, intricate and neat glass work. More, the sanctum that sits Lord Shiva over it, has over 3,00000 Rudraksha beads pasted onto the backside wall.

Mukti Gupteshwar temple in Minto, Australia:

In the year 1999, the then king of Nepal, Bir Bikram Shah Dev,  gifted the 13^th and the last Jyothirlinga to Australia. The Linga came along with 7996 hymns arranged in eight volumes distinguishedly to be sung in praise of the deity. The temple’s foundation was laid on Shivratri in 1999 in Minto, a suburb of Sydney. This is the only cave temple in history that is man made.

Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, California:

This temple is one of the biggest temples in Bay area. There are deities of innumerable gods and goddesses such as Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Aiyappa, Lakshmi  that grace this temple. Most of the idols were donated by the Tamil Nadu government in the year 1985. The tranquil atmosphere of the temple is the magnet to many devotees.

Shiva temple in Zurich, Switzerland:

This is a small temple located on the first floor of a building. In the ‘garbha griha’ behind the Shiva Lingam of this well maintained temple, there are Nataraja and Sahkthi. The sacred festival of Shivratri is celebrated here with pomp and grandeur.

This is amazing to know that there are temples dedicated to Lord Shiva outside India too. All hail the supreme god!

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Facts about river Ganga – Ganga which is treated as River Goddess in our country is believed to provide a living for almost 400 million people.

In a documentary Expedition Blue Planet, they say “Ganga is the cultural and spiritual life blood of India.” Ganga river always amazes us through its beauty, curative powers, special sounds and whatnot.

Here are five unknown and interesting Facts about river Ganga you need to know.

Facts about river Ganga –

1. Ganga was originally not a river and was a person. So, who’s Ganga?

Ganga was born from the water when god Brahma washed lord Vishnu’s feet after using his kamandula. She was beautiful and dances in heaven to delight of all.

2. Ganga was reincarnated as river.

Once, when a gush of wind blew away the only cloth worn by Rishi Durras, on seeing him Ganga broke into laughter. As a result of his anger, he cursed Ganga to reincarnate as a river. A river through which every person can attain Moksha or seek purification of their soul.

3. How did river Ganga enter earth?

Bhagiratha was born in the seventh generation of King Sagar. He managed to please Brahma and have Ganga on the earth. But if Ganga was released as it is, it’s force would destroy whole earth. Therefore, Bhagiratha requested Lord Shiva to lock Ganga with this hair and release it from his head. When Ganga was released it was believed that Lord Shiva covered entire sky with his hair to lock Ganga. Later Shiva came to Shivalik Range and released Ganga. Ganga was instructed to follow Bhagiratha thereby providing purification of soul or Moksha who ever bathed in it. Ganga was released on Earth only out of pity on Bhagiratha.

4. Ganga was declared as a “LIVING PERSON”.

Yes, people, you read it right. River Ganga along with river Yamuna was termed as a “living person” by the Uttarakhand High Court on March 20th, 2017. It was granted legal human status.

The court order goes like this:

“…To protect the recognition and the faith of society, rivers Ganga and Yamuna are required to be declared as legal persons [or] living persons,” stated the court order.

“The Ganga and [the] Yamuna, all their tributaries, streams… are declared as juristic [or] legal persons [or] living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person in order to preserve and conserve river Ganga and Yamuna,”

5. “Holy bath in the river Ganga is not the ultimate way to attain Moksha,” says Lord Shiva.

Once upon a time, Lord Shiva and Parvathi were traveling on the Earth. Being an auspicious day, many people came to have a holy dip in the river Ganga. On seeing this sight, Parvathi Devi had a doubt whether every person who takes the holy dip is going to attain Moksha or not. Lord Shiva replies “one who is really yearning for Moksha will attain it here on this earth itself and for such people taking a dip and not taking one is of the same value.” Parvathi. Devi argues that people have come from far away here and they all are good, spirited and religious people.

In order to prove that he was right, Lord Shiva was disguised as a leper and Parvathi disguised as his wife. Parvathi Devi asked everyone to help her husband to perform the Ganga Snan to cure his disease. But, none of them helped. A few told her to leave him and remarry. Others told to marry them. Some people showed sympathy but did not help. Some spoke in a bad way. Finally, man came who helped them without even uttering a word. Then, Lord Shiva says “he already attained moksha.” He believes there’s only one supreme being. Both leper and a normal human means the same in his point of view.”

Ganga portrays the cycle of life and death on its bank. One side you can see people taking the holy dip and on the other side, there are people being burned. It is a home for diverse species.  It saves people from diseases with its curative powers and aquatic species by regenerating oxygen at a faster pace.

This is all about unknown and interesting Facts about river Ganga. So, do comment your opinion and lets us know if you know any other facts about Ganga by commenting in the comments section.

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Lord Shiva – In the journey of finding spirituality in this world, I stumbled upon Amish Tripathi’s The Shiva Trilogy.

After reading the first book, I was entranced into a world of sheer love and respect for the Supreme God of Hinduism.

I did not stop at one. I finished the entire series, but my hunger to know him more grew stronger. I read all sorts of materials on him and even learned the Mahamrityunjay Mantra. I took his name at all times. I, like a mad woman in love, started worshiping him, despite of all my religious hurdles and forbid-dance.

Below is my true understanding of the person and the God:

Who is Lord Shiva

Shiva, which in Sanskrit means the “Auspicious One,” is one of the main deities of Hinduism, whom the Shaivites worship as the Supreme God. Among his common epithets are Shambhu, Shankara, Mahesha, and Mahadeva. He is known as both the “destroyer” and “transformer.” He creates, protects and transforms the universe.

He is represented in a variety of forms: in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Kartikeya, as the cosmic dancer, as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, as a Dalit accompanied by a dog, and as the androgynous union of Shiva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female called Ardhanarishvara.

He is a great ascetic and a master of fertility, and he is the master of both poison and medicine, through his ambivalent power over snakes.

As Lord of Cattle by the name Pashupati, he is the benevolentherdsman, or, at times, the merciless slaughterer of the “beasts,”

Umapati

Lord Shiva’s female consort is, as we all know, known by many names such as Uma, Sati, Parvati, Durga, and Kali.He is Umapati, the husband of Uma (Parvati.)He is also sometimes paired with Shakti, the embodiment of power. The divine couple, together with their sons, Kartikeya and Ganesha, are said to dwell on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas.

The six-headed Kartikeya is said to have been born of Shiva’s seed, which was shed in the mouth of the god of fire, Agni, and transferred first to the river Gangesand then to six of the stars in the constellation of the Pleiades.

Ganesha was born when Parvati created him out of the dirt she rubbed off during a bath, and he received his elephant head from Shiva, who was responsible for beheading him.

His close connection with Nandi

Lord Shiva’s vehicle in the world is the bull Nandi. A sculpture of Nandi sits opposite the main sanctuary of many Shiva temples. In temples and in private shrines, Shiva is also worshiped in the form of the lingam, a cylindrical votary object that is often embedded in a yoni or spouted dish.

The way Shiva looks

Shiva is seen by the ashes of corpses that are smeared on his body and with a blue neck.It comes from holding in his throat the poison that emerged at the churning of the cosmic ocean, which threatened to destroy the world. His hair is arranged in a coil of matted locks and adorned with the crescent moon and the Ganges.He brought the Ganges River to earth from the sky, where she is the Milky Way, by allowing the river to trickle through his hair, thus breaking her fall.

He has three eyes; the third eye bestowing inward vision but capable of burning destruction when focused outward. He wears a garland of skulls and a serpent around his neck and carries in his two hands a deerskin, a trident, a small hand drum, or a club with a skull at the end. The skull identifies Shiva as a Kapalikaor the “Skull-Bearer” and refers to a time when he cut off the fifth head of Brahma. The head stuck to his hand until he reached Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. It then fell away, and a shrine for the cleansing of all sins, known as Kapala-mochana, which is “The Releasing of the Skull,”that was later established in the place where it landed.

Lord Shiva – A true hero of all times

Lord Shiva is a true hero to all those who worship him and keep him close to their hearts. He is the answer to your every prayer. The world bows down in front of him. In any form, he calls for respect and people take his name in fear and awe.

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Sixteen Mondays – So, we are already in the middle of the Shravan month according to the Hindu calendar of the year. It is the month of rain and the almighty Shiva.

According to Hindu culture and tradition, if someone fasts consecutively sixteen Mondays, beginning from the first Monday of the Shravan month, then they will bask in the bountiful blessings of the Lord Vishwanath. All the theosophists and bhakts throngs the temples to perform the rituals of Shiva puja along withavishek of the Shivling during this period. This fourth month of Hindu calendar is considered to be a pious month, which washes away pride, anger, gluttony and expectations.

Being a Hindu I feel, it frees you from the chakra of life and takes you ahead in the path of moksha.

There is always a story behind all the fasts and rituals we perform, similarly the consecutive sixteen Mondays also have a story behind. Ages ago Shiv & Parvati decided to come down to earth and stay in a beautiful temple at Amravati, made by the king. During their stay, one day they decided to play the dice game. While the game was proceeding, the priest of the temple came. Parvati urged him to foretell the winner of the game. In a hurry and without giving any second thought, the priest said that Shiva will win the game. But the result was opposite, despite winning the game Parvati was angry with the Brahmin, as he lied. The Lord could not pacify the anger of the goddess, and she cursed the priest. She cursed him to be a leper.

Owing to the curse, life of the Brahmin became miserable. With each passing day his suffering increased. During that period, apsaras from heaven came down to that temple at Amravati to worship Shiva. They met the Brahmin in the temple and pitied him for his suffering. On asking the reason, he narrated the whole story to them. After listening his ordeal, they suggested him to keep fast for sixteen consecutive Mondays and worship Lord Vishwanath whole heartedly. This would help him to get rid of the curse.

After fasting for sixteen consecutive Mondays, he got rid of the curse and healed miraculously. There was not a single scar on his body, he regained his healthy self. After few days, when Lord Shiva and Parvati visited the same temple again and was surprised to see the priest in sound health, without any scar. This made Parvati happy and on asking about the miracle, the priest narrated the incident of the apsaras visiting the temple and the ritual they suggested him, for wish fulfilment. She was so impressed that, she also decided to keep the fast of sixteen Mondays. On the seventeenth, her son Karthik, who was displeased with her returned back to her.

There are series of small stories recorded in the Hindu scriptures, which glorifies the magic of Shiva worship. Some childless parents had child after performing this fast and with Shiva’s blessings some gained back their life.

It all depends on you, how you take the stories. For some they are mere myths, some makes fun, some worships blindly and some forcefully. But the truth is that, every story has a lesson to deliver. What I can conclude from this myth of sixteen Mondays is that, suffering is part of mundane, but if you are determined to remain in the right path ignoring all hurdles then you would be blessed with satisfaction. Now close your eyes, fold your hand and chant “Om namahShivay” thrice. If not miracle but some peace will surely prevail.

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Lord Shiva – Does the title surprise you? I know, that you must’ve had questions running through your mind saying “how’s that possible” and “what happened” etc, etc.

You know what; we will get there. First, let me tell you, that this story came into limelight when on Quora somebody asked: “What are your experiences with Lord Shiva.”

A Quora user “Mahendra Gavli” beautifully described this story that you’re about to read. The answer has “97.7k views and 8,860 upvotes.”

Now just in case, you missed it, here’s the Story that you want to know.

It all happened in the year 1897 when an officer in the British army Lt. Col. Martin was leading the army in the war against Afghanistan.

Yes, it was that time of the year.

Col. Martin would send letters to his wife regularly, just to tell her that he is doing FINE.

The war kept going for a long time and Lady Martin stopped getting messages. Like any other lady, she was worried. One day, while riding on a horse, she passed by a temple in MP and went inside.

She noticed that many Brahmans were busy worshipping Lord Shiva. Some looked at her and noticed that she was tensed. So they went and asked her about it.

Lady Martin revealed everything and then they told her to pray to Lord Shiva as he saves people in tough situations as well. So she did what they said and started saying the Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” for 11 days.

She kept praying and also decided that if her husband comes back, then they will get the temple renovated.

Surprisingly, on the last day, she received a letter and it was her husband’s. He had written “I was regularly sending messages to you from the battle grounds, but suddenly the Pathans surrounded us from all sides. We were entrapped in a situation where there was no scope of escaping death. Suddenly, I saw a Yogi of India with long hair, carrying a weapon with three pointers (Trishul).

His personality was amazing and he was maneuvering his weapon with a magnificent style. Seeing this great man, the Pathans started running back.

With his grace, our bad times turned into moments of victory.

This was possible only because of that man of India wearing a lion skin and carrying a three-pointer weapon (Trishul). That great Yogi told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.”

Yes, did this gave you Goosebumps? Further, Lady Martin started to cry but this time it was tears of joy. Lady Martin thanked Lord Shiva for the miracle and fell into the feet of his Statue.

After weeks, Col. Martin returned and they both went to thank Lord Shiva in the temple. That’s when Col. Martin noticed the resemblance between Lord Shiva and the one who saved him. Later, as Lady Martin had promised, they helped to build the temple and even donated money. Other than that, the British couple has their name engraved on inside the temple.

Isn’t it surprising? This story is a proof that miracle exists.

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