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DASARA 2011

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:20:00 -0700

DASARA FESTIVAL
Mysore Dusshera is the Nada Habba of Karnataka. This festival falls in the month of September or October. It is called as Navarathri which is a nine day festival. The Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari killed the demon Mahishasura and then the Mysore name has been derived. This city has a long tradition of celebrating Dasara festival attracting a large member including foreigners. This is the 401 year of celebration.
Vijayanagar Kings first started Dasara, after the downfall of the Viyayanagar Empire; the Wodeyars of Mysore continued the festival. The king started the festival with special Durbar which is known as royal assembly in durbar hall. The Durbar was attended by the members of the royal family, royal priests, Europeans, special guests, Palace Officials and others. This ceremony is repeated on all the nine days.
The nine days festival is celebrated with pride and joy. The whole Mysore will be decorated with colourful lights. The Saraswathi Puja (God of knowledge) is celebrated on the seventh day where in all the books will be kept and worshipped the Goddess Saraswathi to give us the knowledge. The day nine is Mahanavami which is also called as Ayudapuja, on this auspicious day the royal sword is worshipped. The traditional Dasara Procession will be held on the tenth day. The day is called as the Vijayadashami. The main attraction of this day is Jambu Savari i.e. The Idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on the 100 Kg golden Ambari and taken on a procession. The procession starts from the palace gate followed by the decorated elephants, horses, camels, tableaux created by different states, folk dances, musical bands by police and so on. The important streets are decorated with colourful lights. Lakhs of people stand on either side of the route of the procession.
Many cultural activities will be held during these nine days. Competition will be held in different fields like music, Kusti, Yoga, and Sports and also many instrumental concerts will be held in the palace hall. With related to the Yoga, many dignitaries are welcomed and one among it is to have Sri B.K.S.Iyengar who is a legend in the Yoga World to have with us. He will be giving an introductory speech on Yoga and will also share few of his experiences and achievements in the field. The legend will be inaugurating the Yoga Dasara on 2nd of October at 6:30 am , venue: Palace Grounds, Opp to Mysore Kote Anjaneya swamy temple and is followed by a speech on Yoga in daily life "FOR POSITIVE HEALTH" - A Science of body, breath, mind, consciousness and soul which will be held at Senate Hall, Manasagangothri, Mysore at 10am.
The other major attraction is the Dasara Exhibition which is held opposite to Mysore Palace. Various stall like clothes, plastic items; kitchenware, cosmetics and eatables are set up and attract many people. A play area is specially meant for children to enjoy playing in the merry go round, giant wheel, Columbus and toy train etc. There is a flower show at the Curzon Park. This includes the contests in different fields like Ikebana, Vegetable carving, Rangoli flower decoration. A plant arrangement contest for private, Industrial and Government gardens will be organized by the horticultural department. Many cultural programmes will be presented every evening to add more colour to the show.
The ten day festival will be concluded with the torch light parade and fireworks which will be held in the open ground on the out skirts of Mysore.

Deepavali 2010

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 03:36:00 -0700

Happy Depavali 2010.

Diwali (also spelled Divali in other countries) or Deepavali is popularly known as the festival of lights. It is an important five-day festival in Hinduism,Sikhism and Jainism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For most of the hindus/Indians and working class, this is the biggest f

estival and the day when they want to be with their families and perform the prayers together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Mauritius, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Myanmar , Fiji and Surinam.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word Deepavali (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvali), which translates into row of lamps (in Sanskrit). Diwali invol

ves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas)

(or Deep in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali celebrants

wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Some Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali, hoping for prosperity the following year.

Spiritual Significance

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light, in particular the knowing of which outs

hines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's

While the story behind Deepavali and manner of celebration varies from regio true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite,immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). Thisbrings Ananda (joy or peace).

n to region (festive

fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).

Dates

Deepavali is celebrated for five days according to the lunisolar Hindu Calendar. It begins in late Ashvin (between September and October) and ends in

early Kartika (between October and November). The first day is Dhan Teras. The last day is Yama Dvitiya, which signifies the second day of the light half of Kartika. Each day of Deepavali marks one celebration of the six principal stories associated with the festival.

Krishna and Satyabhama fighting Narakasura's armies -Painting from the Metropolitan Museum

Hindus have several significant events associated with Diwali:

§ The return of Sri Ram after 14 years of Vanvas (banishment). To welcome his return, candles were lit in rows of 20.

§ The killing of Narakasura: Celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi, one day before Deepavali, it commemorates the killing of the evil demon Narakasura, who wrecked havoc. Krishna's wife Satyabhama killed Narakasura during the Dwapara yuga. In another version of the belief, the demon was killed by Krishna or Krishna provoked his wife Satyabhama to kill Narshna, defeating Indra.

§ Govardhan Puja is celebrated the day after Deepavali and is the day Krishna defeated Indra, the deity of thunder and rain. According to the story, Krishna saw preparations for an annual offering to Lord Indra and asked his father Nanda about it. He debated with the villagers about what their 'dharma' truly was. They were farmers, they should do their duty and concentrate on farming and protection of their cattle. He said that all human beings should do their 'karma' to the best of their ability and not pray for natural phenomenon. The villagers were convinced by Krishna, and did not proceed with the specialpuja (prayer). Indra was then angered, and flooded the village. Krishna lifted Mount Govardhanand held to protect the people and cattle from the rain. Indra finally accepted defeat and recognized Krishna as supreme. Although this aspect of Krishna's life is sometimes ignored it sets up the basis of the 'karma' philosophy later detailed in the Bhagavat Gita.

Diwali being festival of lights, across India people celebrate it via symbolic diyas or kandils (colourful paper lanterns) as an integral part of Diwali decorations.

Rangoli, decorations made from coloured powder, is popular during Diwali

Deepavali celebrations are spread over five days. All the days except

Diwali are named according to their designation in the Hindu calendar. The days are:

1. Vasu Baras (27 Ashvin or 12 Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Baras means the 12th day and vasu means cow. On this day the cow and calf are worshiped.

2. Dhanatrayodashi or Dhan teras or Dhanwantari Triodasi' (8 Ashvin or 13 Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Dhan means wealth and Trayodashi means 13th day. This day falls on the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. It is considered an auspicious day for buying utensils and gold. This day is regarded as the Jayanti of God Dhanvantri who came out during the churning of the great ocean by the gods and the deons.

3. Naraka Chaturdashi (29 Ashvin or 14 Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Chaturdashi is the 14th day on which the demon Narakasura was killed by Krishna - an incarnation of Vishnu. It signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness (Gujarati: Kali Chaudas, Rajasthan : Roop Chaudas). In southern India, this is the actual day of festivities. Hindus wake up before dawn, have a fragrant oil bath and dress in new clothes. They light small lamps all around the house and draw elaborate kolams /rangolis outside their homes. They perform a special puja with offerings to Krishna or Vishnu, as he liberated the world from the demon Narakasura on this day. It is believed that taking a bath before sunrise, when the stars are still visible in the sky is equivalent to taking a bath in the holy Ganges. After the puja, children burst firecrackers heralding the defeat of the demon. As this is a day of rejoicing, many will have very elaborate breakfasts and lunches and meet family and friends.

4. Lakshmi Puja (30 Ashvin or 15 Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Lakshmi Puja marks the most important day of Diwali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God of auspicious beginnings, and then light lamps in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.

5. Bali Pratipada and Govardhan Puja (1 Kartika or 1 Shukla Paksha Kartika) : In North India, this day is celebrated as Govardhan Puja, also calledAnnakut, and is celebrated as the day Krishna - an incarnation of god Vishnu - defeated Indra and by the lifting of Govardhana hill to save his kinsmen and cattle from rain and floods. For Annakut, large quantities of food are decorated symbolizing the Govardhan hill lifted by Krishna. In Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, it is celebrated as Bali-Pratipada or Bali Padyami. The day commemorates the victory of Vishnu in his dwarf form Vamanaover the demon-king Bali, who was pushed to the nether-world, and the return of Bali to earth from the nether-world. In Maharashtra, it is called asPadava or Nava Diwas (new day). Men present gifts to their wives on this day. It is celebrated as the first day of the Vikram Samvat calender, inGujarat.

6. Bhaiduj (also Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or Bhayitika) (2 Kartika or 2 Shukla Paksha Kartika): on this day, brothers and sisters meet to express love and affection for each other (Gujarati: Bhai Bij, Bengali: Bhai Phota). It is based on a story when Yama, lord of Death, visited his sister Yami. Yamiwelcomed Yama with an Aarti and they had a feast together. Yama gave a gift to Yami while leaving as a token of his appreciation. So, the day is also called 'YAM DWITIYA'.

Lakshmi Puja

Main article: Lakshmi Puja

Deepavali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India. Farmers give thanks for the bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come. Traditionally this marked the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agrarian cycle, and is the last major celebration before winter. Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.

There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan. The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon king Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.

As per spiritual references, on this day "Lakshmi-panchayatan" enters the Universe. Vishnu, Indra, Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi are elements of this "panchayatan" (a group of five). The tasks of these elements are:

§ Lakshmi: Divine Energy (Shakti) which provides energy to all the above activities.

§ Vishnu: Happiness (happiness and satisfaction)

§ Kubera: Wealth (Generosity; one who gives away wealth)

§ Indra: Opulence (satisfaction due to wealth)

§ Gajendra: Carries the wealth

Mysore Dasara

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:56:00 -0700

Mysore Dasara

Mysore Dasara (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು ದಸರ) is the Nadahabba (state-festival) of the state of Karnataka. It is also called as Navaratri (Nava-ratri = nine-nights) and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October. According to a legend, Vijayadashami denotes the victory of truth over evil and was the day when the Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari killed the demonMahishasura. Mahishasura is the demon from whose name; the name Mysore has been derived. The city of Mysore has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities here are an elaborate affair and attract a large audience including foreigners.

Festivities

The Dasara festivities were first started by the Vijayanagar Kings in 15th Century, after the fall of Vijayanagar Kingdom, The Wodeyar's of Mysore continued the Dasara Festival by, Raja Wodeyar I (1578-1617 CE) in the year 1610 at Srirangapatna. The Mysore Palace is lit up on all the 10 days of Dasara. The festivities begin with the Wodeyar royal couple performing a special puja to Goddess Chamundeshwari in the Chamundi Temple located on the top of Chamundi Hill at Mysore. This would be followed by a special durbar (royal assembly). It was during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in the year 1805, when the king started the tradition of having a special durbar in the Mysore Palace during Dasara; which was attended by members of the royal family, special invitees, officials and the masses. This tradition has been continued even now with the current scion of the Wodeyar family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar holding a private durbar during Dasara. The ninth day of Dasara called as Mahanavami is also an auspicious day on which the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession involving elephants, camels and horses^.

Procession

On Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore city. The main attraction of this procession is the idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari which is placed on a golden mantapa on the top of a decorated elephant. This idol is worshipped by the royal couple and other invitees before it is taken around in the procession. Colourful tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels form a part of the procession which starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called Bannimantap where the banni tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped. According to a legend of the Mahabharata, banni tree was used by the Pandavas to hide their arms during their one-year period of Agnatavasa (living life incognito). Before undertaking any warfare, the kings traditionally worshipped this tree to help them emerge victorious in the war. The Dasara festivities would culminate on the night of Vijayadashami with an event held in the grounds at Bannimantap called as Panjina Kavayatthu (torch-light parade)

Exhibition

Another major attraction during Dasara is the Dasara exhibition which is held in the exhibition grounds opposite to the Mysore Palace. This exhibition starts during Dasara and goes on till December. Various stalls which sell items like clothes, plastic items, kitchenware, cosmetics and eatables are set up and they attract a significant number of people. A play area containing attractions like Ferris wheel is also present to provide entertainment to the people. Various Governmental agencies setup stalls to signify the achievements and projects that they have undertaken. Now-a-days youth Dasara is being held in Mysore, which is attracting large groups of youngsters from mysore as well as from all over karnataka.

Other Programmers'

On all the 10 days of Dasara, various music and dance concerts are held in auditoriums around Mysore city. Musicians and dance groups from all over India are invited to perform on this occasion. Another attraction during Dasara is the Kusti Spardhe (wrestling-bout) which attracts wrestlers from all around India.

Happy Yugadi

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:21:00 -0700

Happy Yugadi to all our Teachers, students, and friends,

Yugadi or Ugadi is the first day of the Hindu calendar (first day of the first month, the Chaitra).

In Karnataka and also in some parts of the country, the tender leaves of neem mixed with jaggery are distributed on the occasion. The neem, extremely bitter in taste, and jaggery sweet and delicious, signify the two conflicting aspects of human life - joy and sorrow, called as 'Bevu-Bella' (a mixture of neem and jaggery in equal measure). This denotes the acceptance by man of all the sweet (jaggery) and bitter (neem) things that are in store for him in the coming year, with gratitude

Yoga India Trip Nov 2009

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:25:00 -0800

28 November 2009
Trip to the temples
I never thought that it was possible to get up at 4 a.m. on a Saturday, but I have found that being here we seem to surprise ourselves week after week! Although a bit tired the twelve of us (Mahendra, Joe, Alina, Mika, Nancy, Peter, Carolina, Michael, Bin, Charles, Sofia and I) gather in front of the shala on a cold morning. After making sure that we had an equal number of men and women in the two cars we start our adventure still under the darkness of the night. Even at that early hour it was surprising to see how many local people were out already on the streets.
On the way to the first sight we watch the sun slowly come up and, after a short chai stop and a filling breakfast of dosas and idlis, everybody is awake and ready to begin taking an uncountable number of photos of each other. This is the first time that we are all together outside of the shala and its strict rules of silence, so most of us suddenly turn into a social animal!
The sun greets us with pleasant warmth as we arrive at Belur temple. Our guide is a very nice man and his technique of using a mirror and the sun`s reflection in it to point to the details of the carvings is very original. Thanks to him we are able to gain an appreciation and better understanding of the genius of the artists who carved the women in ritual dancing poses. These carvings ornate the front side of the temple and every piece is made using one single stone. There is unbelievable precision in each figure, each one has a perfect and differing hairstyle, jewelry and "so-called" sari, but these are a lot more revealing than those being worn nowadays! The small details are fabulous and meticulously done; a monkey of no bigger than 5cm sucking his finger, a lizard of half a cm long gazing a fly resting on a jackfruit and each of the elephants decorating the bottom line of the wall were all different. What variety and what great work, no surprise that it took around 103 years to complete the temple!
Inside the temple everything is made of a black stone and you cannot find one column that is the same. One column in particular represents the whole of the temple, including all of the decorative elements that could be seen outside. Next to the main altar there is a beautiful female figure, and here we learn that she is the image of a perfect woman. According to this concept a lady's body height should be seven times the length of her face, her waist should be as small as her front, her foot should be nicely arched and her second toe should be longer than her big toe. We all curiously follow the explanation up to the last criteria, and at that point we have to give up all hopes. Yes girls, it is maybe better for us to accept that since we cannot pass the toe test we will never be able to dominate our husband! Don't be too sad though, fortunately we live in a different era...
And now it is time to get lost in the complex, we have 30 minutes for ourselves, which means photos, photos, photos! Carolina, Michael, Mika, Sofia and I go really creative and invent some beautiful combinations of asanas, which have to be photographically recorded on the spot. Meanwhile, about ten meters away, Peter gets into a serious philosophical conversation with locals, and I can sense that they are just minutes away from laying down the foundations of a new ashram for `Guru Pierre`.
The site also some other interesting features. One of them is the stone column in the middle that only stands on three corners. Hhm, maybe from this masterpiece of balance we can learn something to improve our sirshasana practice? Another point of interest is the figures on the main gate. Sexual education on a large scale, but the guy high up on the ladder weeding between the lovers makes the scene nicely ironic.
Our next stop is Halebidu temple with its beautiful green lawns and Nandi statues. These humble giant bulls, the vehicles of Shiva, patiently wait for the colorful crowds of worshippers. Four of our men endeavour to seek inner silence and meditate in the temple in spite of the noisy visitors. Bin, who has been trying to find a silent moment since this morning, is more than happy to find the others and join them in meditation. But hey guys, if you can really meditate under those conditions then you are real yogis already! Bravo!
We slowly all gather by the lake on the emerald green grass to have a picnic. Tangerines, bananas, oranges, some Indian sweets and biscuits quickly make their last trip from our bags to our mouths. In this idyllic environment we really forget about everything and it is hard to move on. On the way out a bunch of students start to wave their hands and we wave back in greeting. Suddenly, a schoolgirl runs after us and Joe, Sofia and I cannot leave until a group picture is taken of all of us. It feels so good to be famous! Finally, we managed to escape from the beggars and the sellers, even though one of these small girls has such incredible eyes that it is hard to resist, and get back into the cars.
Next destination: LUNCH! Wow, this vegetarian restaurant is not a bad pick and the food is delicious, but still we have some troubles. Michael is the first to order but the last to be served. Poor Carolina suffers from the spicy sauces and no matter how many ice creams they offer her (at least 3), nothing can make her fully happy. Sofia is losing her temper over the delayed rice and she lets out several "Baya, baya!!!" shouts until the situation is resolved. Alina got her ‘yummy' alu paratha on time and it is tasty, but at the third piece she discovers a hair in her plate and all the complaints will get her another 4 pieces which are way too much to finish.
After settling the bill we are waiting for the last of a long line of people to return from the restroom and I wickedly decide to have some fun. There is a huge fire with threatening black smoke right behind our cars and Bharath is on the phone with a very serious face. All it takes is the right agitated tone to make Joe, our experienced sailor, believe that it is actually our jeep that is burning and Bharath is just seconds away from calling for help. Sorry Joe, it is now clear that you prefer adrenaline to stress.
It is late in the afternoon with the best light of the day when we reach the holy place of Sravanabelagola, with its jain temple and a giant on the top. By now we have got used to leaving our footwear behind, but to climb the 676 stone steps without it might prove to be quite a challenge. But look at the Indian...Sofia is putting on socks, not fair!
From the top the view is breathtaking and the temple and its surrounding buildings are bathing in the wonderful orange sunlight. The huge corridors around the temple with their striped walls, ancient carvings and stone floors are mysterious, especially when you wait for everybody to leave. But it is not just the temple that seems rather special, the hill itself holds some kind of magic. The rock is so smooth it was probably polished by waters or maybe, to obey the wish of a god, it just melted from one second to another to instantly become hard again. Charles is so right to sit down in a comfortable meditation position with Bharath to just experience the energy of the surroundings.
I enter the temple to meet the others and now I can see Bahubali, the jain deity in his full glory. This spotless white statue is elegant in its simplicity, and is a perfect contrast to the orange turban of the monk serving at his feet.
As we climb down the hill, Mika and Bin, in true teacher training style, start to observe the "correct technique", "limitations" and "benefits" of this exercise. There are a few limitations, but in conclusion everyone can do it. Just work carefully if you feel any discomfort, feel and work, but do not fall. Benefits are many, but just to mention a few; it relieves stiffness from the joints, hard work takes place on the legs, it improves lung capacity and greatly increases concentration and will power. The technique is a bit more complicated to explain since we have not much breath left after laughing so much. Therefore, we also cut short the common mistakes by saying that use of a portable chair for 300 Rupees should be avoided.
Eventually everyone is there at the meeting point, but not quite on time since the Tibetan shop represents a huge temptation. It is dark again when we arrive back at the shala, but the streets are still full of people, does India never sleep? Unlike us yoga students, who by now are really longing for our beds. A slip of the tongue makes someone say ‘see you tomorrow at 5 a.m.', but tomorrow is Sunday and we can finally rest.
Anyway, this trip was well worth the effort and thanks to all who contributed by their presence to the completeness and beauty of the day. Om Shanti.
Gobi

19th Yoga Teacher training

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:47:00 -0800

Yoga India Teachers Training

On 8^th Nov 2009 yoga India Started Its 19^th Yoga Teachers Training Course. Attending 18 People from 14 Countries, America, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, India, England, Venezuela, Russia, Romania, Brazil, Ireland, Hungary, Poland, France,

Teacher Training Trip

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

The day began at 4.45am with 13 tired little yogis piling themselves into 2 luxury cars and heading off out for a well deserved day off. The early start was a slight shock to the system, especially as it was even earlier than we had to get up for practice, but as we watched the most picture perfect sunrise over miles and miles of rice paddies it all became worth it! By 6.30 am we were all ready for a chai stop, which gave us the chance to stretch our legs, and experience local life in a town begin it's day. We then drove on through the most beautiful scenery imaginable, it really did feel good to escape the city and be surrounded by greenery, with rice paddies and palm trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Spirits were high and even the small bit of rain couldn't dampen our spirits, but Bharath's suggestion of chanting managed to keep everyone quiet for a few minutes, and I still to this day don't know whether he was serious!!

By 8am we arrived at our breakfast stop, a great little "local" restaurant where we all feasted on masala dosas, iddlies, badam milk and of course more chai. It was a great atmosphere and such an experience to mix with the locals and see how to do breakfast true "Indian style", I'm still not sure I'll ever get used to spices for breakfast though! Just 2 minutes more down the road and we reached our first destination - Bellur. Belur's claim to fame is it's magnificent temple complex and legend has it that it took 103 years and 3 generations to complete. The intricate sculptures that fill the temple are breathtaking, and we were lucky enough to have an amazing tour guide who took us all around the complex explaining everything in detail and making sure that we missed nothing. We were then given some free time in which to wander back around the temple taking in the atmosphere and taking pictures. But, put a group of yogis and a camera together and what happens...asana pictures! We spent a really fun half an hour taking pictures of each other in all of our newly learned asanas (head standing on the concrete floor was optional!)

By 10.30 it was time to leave and drive 45 minutes down the road to stop number 2 - Halebidu. Halebidu was the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century, and is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples. Here we were given just over an hour to wander round these beautiful temples, which were never quite complete and ruined by repeated attacks by enemy empires, which is where the name came from as Halebid translates into Ruined City. We all met back at the lakeside at 12.30 ready to leave but while sat on the grass someone asked a question, which led to an impromptu philosophy class! It was such a different environment from the classroom, sitting next to a beautiful lake enraptured by Bharaths words of wisdom and I think one of my favourite moments of the trip.

The next part of the drive took us through even more beautiful scenery as we wound through country lanes watching women wash clothes in the river, children playing in the street and local farmers walking their cattle, such a great way to see the way to see local life in the countryside. We then arrived into the city of Hassan, which was a complete contrast to the peace and quiet we had just experienced! Here was a whole new set of sights and sounds to take in, a typical Indian city; alive and vibrant, busy and loud! At 2pm we stopped for the most amazing lunch, where we all got to sit together and share the days experiences and a lot of laughs! The great thing for me about the day was the chance to actually talk to everyone, and I really feel that the group bonded and were brought so closely together. Full and satisfied (and slightly tired after so much food!) we piled back into the cars, where Bharath put on some lively traditional Indian cultural dance music to wake us all back up and energise us for the climb ahead! A short drive later and we arrived at our final stop - Sravanabelagola.

Sravanabelagola is a noted place of pilgrimage for the Jains, where a flight of 614 steps finely chiseled into the granite of the mountain leads to the summit, where the 58 foot, 8 inch statue of Sri Gomatheswar stands. Seeing this as a great opportunity to walk off the food we had just eaten most of us set off up the steps, except Enrique, the biggest and heaviest of our group who could not pass up the opportunity of being carried up the mountain in a chair, it was quite some sight! We had an hour here, which was just enough time to tackle the steps and spend time taking in the amazing views on the way up, standing in awe at the foot of the statue, and of course more photo opportunities. Luckily Enrique let the men off with carrying him back down, but Loveleen then could not resist the opportunity either so caught the ride back down!

The drive home saw a much quieter group, with everyone tired but happy. In one day we had managed to just about cover "all of India" with the temples, history, culture, experiencing peaceful local life in the countryside and the mayhem of Indian cities! It was the perfect mid-way point in the Teacher training and one of the highlights, an experience that I won't forget.

Kristy

Happy Deepavali

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:51:00 -0700

Happy Deepavali (Diwali) to all

Tamasoma jotirgamaya lead me from darkness to light. While Diwali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".

Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (inner joy or peace). The gunas are the underlying forces or tendencies which one needs to have unaffected, direct relation with in order to find effectiveness and righteousness in life: they are lines of potential and illuminate thought and action, thus the inner meaning of Diwali being the festival of lights. Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Diwali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the inner light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).

Testimonial

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:45:00 -0700

Happy Deepavali (Diwali) to all

Tamasoma jotirgamaya lead me from darkness to light.

While Diwali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".

The gunas are the underlying forces or tendencies which one needs to have unaffected, direct relation with in order to find effectiveness and righteousness in life: they are lines of potential and illuminate thought and action, thus the inner meaning of Diwali being the festival of lights.

Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Diwali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the inner light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).

Living in Gokulam during Teacher Training

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:32:00 -0700

Living in Gokulam during Teacher Training

Living in Gokulam is not too difficult for foreigners. This upperclass suburb of Mysore is easily navigated by foot, but scooters, bicycles, and motorbikes can be easily rented. To get to Gokulam from Mysore city, it is necessary to take an auto rickshaw or another form of wheeled transportation. Yoga India is about 5 km from downtown Mysore.

The key to living comfortablely in Gokulam is chatting with every foreigner and Indian that you meet. Many of the foreigners are repeat visitors to Gokulam and know all the ins and outs of the area: the best restaurants, good tailors, excursions outside of Mysore, etc. As a consequence, local auto rickshaw drivers and small business owners are familiar with the foreign crowd.

There are certain key locations in Gokulam where you might find those individuals speaking in English or other non-Indian languages.The internet cafes (Anu's, Rishi Internet, Planet Web), restaurants (Tina's, Shaila's, Anu's, Chakra House) and other places like the coconut stand near the Ganesh Temple. By simply asking around, people will point you in the right direction.

As far as finding a place to stay, your best bet is to go straight to Gokulam. One man, Shiva, often finds foreigners homes. I found my room from asking one of my classmates. Most students stay with families, renting a room in their house ("paying guest" is the Indian term). Others stay in apartments that are a part of or adjacent to a family's house. The apartment style living will cost about Rs 5000/month. A room in a house may cost Rs 4000/month. Depending on where you stay this can vary a lot. Sometimes you can purchase food at the house that you live in, sometimes not. Either way, people usually find the best spot for themselves.

Rent A Room Contact:

Mr. Kushal 09448127270- (2 rooms), Mr. Tataji 0821 4263573,(3 rooms), Mr.Venkatesh 09448492414 (3 rooms), Srinivas Hegde 0821 2333890, Ganapaty 0821 4243413 or 09342202596, Rani 0821 2513525

Yoga India Mysore

Foundation Course

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:41:00 -0700

From Jan 2010 yoga India Offers booking for the Foundation course. which is starting on first of the every month for four weeks and later if any one want to continuein to advance course also available.

[for all level Students] is a special combination of the Beginners, Intermediate and Yoga Therapy. The Class is given based on individual requirements . Click here to view program

Success

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:24:00 -0700

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success; that is way great spiritual giants are produced."