Narayana Bali puja on the bank of the Kaveri

Also we did some very complicated Narayana Bali Puja on the bank of the Kaveri for the mother of Annapurna, as she felt she had to do some purification for her. This type of puja is done for person who die a unnatural death (by poison, animals, killing, heavy disease etc.), and who might visit their close friends and family members with a ghost body. So such a ceremony is done for the welfare of souls who suffer as spirit and dont get free from such a condition normally very soon (due to some previous karma etc.).
In that ceremony we ask the spirit to become peaceful, and head for her next destination (body) instead of staying here between the worlds.
One has to worship Lord Narayana (inside of 4 kumbhas) to ask for permission to get her a new place to life, grant her a new life etc. One has to take 14 times a bath inside the Kaveri (for different purification after each worship, or step of the ritual), worship the forefathers (like in shraddha ceremony), and talk with the dead.
Finally we had to merge the pindas (riceballs) together and give them to the fishes inside the Kaveri. My friend Murali Bhattar helped us to find this priest Pandu (Yajurvedi, and one of the best chanter i have met so far!) one of the very knowledgeable person in Srirangam in this subject matter. Very jolly person by the way!

Garlandsss

After the puja i had to take the Maha Garlands from Lord Rama and his consorts on my self for the benefit of the donors he could not come for the puja. Quite trilling feeling!

In Sri Rangam

When we have been in sri Rangam we had to perform few pujas for some friends. Our priest family Murali Bhattar and group (in the back of the photo the son is visible next to Murali Bhattar), did set up the homa, we performed some very farout rituals like Vamana Puja/ Homa, Sudarshana Homa, Narasimha Puja and Homa and other pujas! Very inspiring and spiritual!
Here we are worshipping the Temple Elefant Andal for our first step as Visvaksena and Ganesh Puja for the further ritual we plan to do. What a experience!

Lord Ranganatha with Sri and Bhu Devi

new darshan here!

Have recieved also one very wonderful Sri Rangantha deity from my friend and wellwisher from Sri Rangam temple, Sri Pujya Murali Bhattar (main priest of Lord Ranganatha). This deity is so charming, and he smiles so much! He is only tumb size and has bhu and sri devi on his side. he is in standing position, as the utsava deity (Namperumal) of Lord Ranganatha. Murali bhattar has taken his ancient Family home deity of Lord Ranganatha (Not the original Temple Deity!!!) to one stapathy for order to make a replica for his friends. The stapathy made 3 sets of deities, and Murali Bhattar decided to hand one set over to me. I felt so much blessed from the Hands of the Archaka, from my beloved Lord Ranganatha in person. Now Lord Ranganatha is also worshipped in Germany!!!

Narasimharu Company !

Here you see all of them sitting happly together in berlin city. As our flat is right on the walking way of hunderts of people every day, we have sometime people standing in front of the window and taking darshan of the Lord (as he looks outside to say "Hello - jiva jago").
May some of you wonder why that untypical Form of Lord Narasimha is in yoga posture, with Mahalaxmi on his lap. But dont worry, just because we have not seen, doesnt mean that it doesnt exist! In the Isvara Samhita (4.62-66) this form is mentioned and given the Name of "Bhoga-Yoga Narasimha". He is in full Meditation while enjoying with his most dear consort Laxmi.
Only the Lord can do such a tusk! If we would do such a thing, we would fall into maya like a shot down airplane from the sky!
Anyhow this form has also a deeper insight, and symbolize omniscience (sarva - jnana - mayam parah).

new arrival of Lord Narasimha in our Home

We went for Memorial-ceremony of Suhotra Maharaj to wroclaw (Poland), and i have met my friends Rocana, Adhira and other super polskis there, we stayed in their MVT* Flat (were also Suhotra Maharaj was staying few years ago) and visited the temple, had some slideshow and some good Kirtan. We also did a nice Homa in rememberance of Him and it was really good for my soul. I felt like more peaceful in company with all of them.
While we where staying there, one good friend Gouranga Avatara Prabhu and his wife Kaveri gifted me with one very farout Laxmi Narasimha Salagrama. That sila has a open mouth with a big rock of gold in his mouth, and his form is like a big Mountain. So i called him Meru Narasimha. In the Saatvata-Samhita (12.80) this Narasimha is mentioned as having 10 hands and with five heads. The Gold inside is representing Mahalaxmi and the whole form as Mountain Meru (who is considered to be made of Gold). He frees one of all Diseases and is boon bestowal. Jaya Jaya Narasimha!

Suhotra Maharaja Ki Jaya!

I'm very sad that You had to go so early, and i hope you will bless my spiritual life and all your wellwishers, daughters and sons - so that (i) we can progess and come close to our worshipable Lord who You gave to us!

Suhotra Maharaja part 2

Suhotra Maharaj was a very jolly person, and he always liked to joke and play fun around. That made often the atmosphere inside the temples more happier and more exiting, and his classes were very deep and scientific. He was famous for his "Stay high for ever" Kirtans (Music), one of the most wild happenings inside the templeroom while dancing!
He was a great scholar on different subjects like Vedanta and western philosophy and wrote 4 Books in english language.

Suhotra Maharaj news from Mayapur

Actually i was planning to report from india with all the places we have visited, but Lord Narasimha had some other plans here.

On evening 8th april 2007 HH Suhotra Maharaj has left the world in Mayapur Dham. He was only 57 years old and considered by many friends and wellwishers as a Avadhuta* and rare Genius on this earth. He was my personal wellwisher (and spiritual master as well) for more then 15 years.
He joined the spiritual Movement Iskcon (also Hare Krsna Movement) 1971, and became a travelling preacher. 1982 he took the Sannyas Order (Monk) and became one of the spiritual leader of the Krishna society in europe. 1989 he accepted disciples, and conntinued to initiate up to year of 2004. Due to the heavy task of carriyng the movement forward and his huge responibility of leadership etc. he felt not anymore to take that burden, and had withdrawn of the responsibility of being part of the official Leaders inside Iskcon. Despite of this he continued with his spiritual practise and took shelter in the holy Dham of Navadvip, Bengal-India. He started there a Srimad Bhagavatam Vaibhava Discourse inside the Gurukula (School for young students) and worked on a new development to give teaching on spiritual subject matter only. He was planning to write a book on Srimad Bhagavatam and emerged him self in his last days fully in it. When we were in Mayapur midst of March i missed his assosiation, as he was not available for me. I feel remorse to missed Him so close, but i think there was a reason why. Maybe my ego was to puffed up. I beg to lower my self in front of all of you, to become a better person and serve the great Vaishnavas without offense and egoism!

other stories from Tirukkalikundram part 2

Inside the main Shiva temple in Tirukkalikundram one finds a Parvathi shrine, what is very unique. The deity is made of astagandha (8 different herbs) and only 6 other shrines in india have such a deity. The worship is very delicate as the priest has to take very much care with the handling of this deity. Abhisheka is done only once of the Birth star of Parvathi, and the Tirtha (remnands) are considered to cure any disease.

So Tirukkalikundram is very interesting to visit, even the two birds are not coming anymore. Turn in and absorb the aniquity of this place... Jaya Narasimha (picture is made from one pillar of the Vedagiri Temple)

other stories from Tirukkalikundram

In this small City of Tirukkalikundram we have also a very ancient lake, by the name of shanku Tirtha. It said that Markandeya Rishi did penance here and got blessed by Lord Vishnu to recieve a very precious Conch for his worship here from this tank.
Every 12 years from that time onwards another Conch appear on the surface. The priest will get a certain dream on what place he can find this conch, as the lake is huge.
Inside the Shiva Parvathi Temple one can see for 4 rupies the last 5 conches with their dates written on them when they have found them. The rest of hundred of conch's are well preserved inside one big safe, and only once in a year they will open this and show all the conch's to the public.

only a picture on the wall is left of this miracle

other facts part3

the english autorities were trying to lift the feil of superstition in india about the mystery of different places like Pushkara, Puri or even Tirukkalikundram. Their where investigating and trying with telescopes to measure the birds by distance, but these two birds appeared mystically out of nowhere. I my self saw it when i was there 1992. There could not make any conclusion and left with no answers. That was in the 30 last century. And these two birds continue dispite of the false information the english was trying to spread. They came up to the year 1998 and left the world confused behind. Nobody had a answer why they have stopped to come, but most probably because of their time have ended on this earth.

other facts part2

In the ancient biography of the north indian saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu it decribes his visit to this temple and mentioned the name as "Pakshi tirtha" (holy place of sacred Birds"). This Book was written in the 16th century.

other facts for the antiquity of the ancient story on Tirukkalikundram

So when you have come down from the Hill, there are also 3 very interesting spots in th e templetown to visit. First one is the main Shiva Parvathi Temple, very artistically built, lot of super structure and master pieces of carvings on walls, pillars and domes. But that is here not our main point why we have to visit this temple. It has another proof that this two birds are not a fake hokus pokus story.
There is a granit pillar next to the sanctum sanctorum (the main shrine of Lord Shiva) were one finds a carving most trilling! It shows the two birds sitting on a hillrock (representing Vedagiri Mountain) and next to them the great king of chola dynasty Narasimha Varma I. The temple was built by him in the 7th century, and the survey of india has declared this pillar accurate and from the same time as the building of the temple. It belongs also the the very inner core of temple structure and there is no way that this pillar is later invented to proof* the history of the birds. So that means the birds are coming allready from the time of 7th century.

a close up of the carvings from the peaks of these two birds

part3

After these two birds has taken the temple food from the priest they flew below the temple structure into a cave and cleaned their peaks... well even up today you can find many many holes carved into the granite by these two birds. Just imagine you take a bone like material (from where the peaks normally are made) and start to rubb them on the granite until you will have holes in the same size you will find inside these cave... i tell you it will take you plenty of hundreds of years, may even thousands who knows. See the picture and proof of your self..

Tirukkalikkunram and Vedagiriswara part 2

Well one could say thats a old fairy tale story, but i have some proof of the antiquity of this place connected close to these two birds here in the next few minutes.
First on top of the mountain where they was feed, is a very old inscription with grantha script and it describes the event of feeding the two birds and it comes from the 5th century. (see picture)

the story of the two birds

It is said that two rishis had been quarreled over the supremacy of Lord Shiva or Shakti (Parvati). When Lord Shiva appeared to them, and told them that both are needed to maintain this world, they did not accept it. Then he became angry and cursed them to become vultures. They understood their mistakes and asked for forgiveness. Lord Shiva blessed them to live for 5000 years and while in a vulture body visit different holy places to worship once in a day and get purified. So they came every day first to varanasi in the morning to take their bath, then go to Rameswaram worship the Ramalingam there, on midday to Vedagiri in Tirukkalikkunram to take their food and in Cidambaram to take rest in the evening. I my self have seen them 1992 while feed by priests, and they looked very ordinary, and i was not very satisfied with that vision, may it be do to the indian style of presenting their way of this story, and i thought it is just a bluff for uneducated people from the village. But i have been so much wrong. Later i have learned trough different persons that this place is indeed a very mystic place. My many thanks goes to HH Narasimha Maharaja who has guided me in this, and i dedicate Him this article. All credits will go to Him only, and all mistakes you may find are done by my self. Please read further to continue...

a closer pic of the temple on top of the veda giri mountain

Tirukkalikkunram and Vedagiriswara part 2

Vedagiri is the name of the great Mountain, were a ancient Temple is on top of it. Nowadays there is a Shiva temple but it is said in ancient times, this place was a Vishnu Temple with the name Vedagiriswara. The Mountain is clearly divided into 4 places representing the 4 Vedas as well.

Tirukkalikkunram and Vedagiriswara

Tirukkalikunram is a very ancient place near Mahabalipuram, and it is full of mystic places and temples. It has one of the oldest proof that there is existing something more between the sun and earth, than what be see and believe.
At least for more then 2000 years two rishis (saints) in the form of two birds has come every day on top of the mountain here in this temple city, to be fed with the Temple Mahaprasadam by the priests. Detail story in the next blog! (pic is made from top of the vedagiri mountain)
It takes only 1 hour drive from mahabalipuram, and it is sure a pleasure to visit.

Mahabalipuram

Dear Readers we will make a short schedule of our tour and starting with mahabalipuram! it is a very ancient city which was used as a port to have buisness and cultural exchange with other countries like Cambodia, Java, Thailand and even Vietnam. Named after the great King Bali (see the mystic history of King Bali in the Puranas) who started to built this great port, it became known as Mahabalipuram ("the city of the great King Bali") from the time of 4th century BC.
As most of the city was drown later into the sea, many temples reside next the seashore, and they became known as "seashoretemples". Also the ancient style to carve them out from granite rocks with so much care and devotion, left a fantastic legacy of knowledge on vastu and architecture for all us behind. In and around Mahabalipuram are still schools found who teach this great knowledge, and if you interested into deep study of Vastu, everyone can go there and learn all angas of vastu (category groups in architecture, geometry and rituals). It needs at least a 2 year course, but normally the study takes 12 years to complete. Even one doiesnt have this time to study all this, just by going here and seeing this ancient temples and carvings in old rock temples around mahabalipuram is so much pleasing. Also there are hundreds of workers who do a everyday carving on the beach roads along the shore, some are professionals and some are just artists. One can see the different in carving by observing the details and comparing them with the ancient style. Anyhow its all a nice expierence to see and meet with these people, talk to them, understand their way of life and may get skinned for if one is not careful. But still that is all done with a smile on the lips. Love you!

india tour spring 2007

we (annapurna and me) have toured india from south up to north, some of the important pilgrimage places. Of course there are thousands of sacred places, shrines and pilgrimages in whole of india, we covered only the sides i knew about. Most probably we will do a more adventure trip end of this year by covering places we have NOT visited over the last 15 years. Anyhow it was still a adventure, and we have seen a lot. Meet with saints and common people from all background, it made us more aware of the tiny existence of all of us. Seeing India with so many facettes of different extreme lifestyles - from the richest to the poor - we appreciated the open mind of all these people to allow us to look into their home, way of living and sometime into their heart. We wish to stay in that spirit even living in some other corner of this world.
Haribol!