Celebrating Makairam – Thiruvathira

Dashapushpam Nedikkal (Placing 10 sacred herbs to Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy)

*27 stars and *Arundhati joined me
We are celebrating
Moon, Earth, and sky,
Watching our dance
For health, peace, and long life of our dear ones,
We pray and dance and fast these days 😊

Thiruvathira in the month of Dhanu (Sagittarius) is the celebration of birthday of Lord Siva. It’s a full moon day. Sky will be bright with cooling light of moon. If you were in village, you could hear Thiruvathira songs from nearby. Since I am in city, we few people celebrate this.

After the death of Sati, she reborned as Parvathi. In order to get Lord Siva as husband, she took fasting on this day and got Siva as her husband.

We, Kerala women celebrate this beautiful tradition with prayers, dancing (Thiruvathira kali), putting Dashapushpam (10 medicinal plants) on hair, make special foods – Thiruvathira puzhukku (8 types of vegetables cooked in coconut gravy) along with Gothambu kanji (broken wheat porridge cooked in coconut milk) and Koova kurukku ( Arrowroot pudding). We do not take rice in any form.

Just the day before Thiruvathira is Makairam (Both are stars among the 27 stars who are the wives of Moon). On Makairam, we start the preparation for Thiruvathira. We take rice only once and take fruits or light food. We pluck 10 medicinal plants – Karuka, Nilappanna, Cheroola, Vishnukranthi, Mukkutti, Muyal cheviyan, Valliuzhinja, Kayyunyam, Thirithaali, and Poovamkurunnila. These are regarded as sacred plants.

This beautiful tradition is followed by women of all ages of orthodox Hindu families. We believe girls will get good husbands, married women will have long happy married life with their husbands, and all who participate in this celebration will get Lord Siva’s blessings. Though it’s a celebration of women and nature and moon, everyone can participate and get blessed.

Getting up early morning, bathing, putting sacred herbs on hair, preparing special foods, dancing under moonlight bring good health and beauty to women. Makairam and Thiruvathira are beautiful days in which women come into close contact with nature. Getting moonlight on skin decreases body heat, increases fertility, gives glow to skin, balance hormones, calms mind, and bring joy to mind. Not only on Thiruvathira, allowing moonlight to fall on body on any full moon day is very good for both women and men.

*27 stars (nakshatras): Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrighasira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishaka, Anuradha, Jyestha, Moola, Purvashada, Uttarashada, Sharavan, Dhanishta, Shatabisha, Purvabhadra, Uttarabhadra, and Revati. According to the birth time of an individual and with the position of Moon at that time, an individual’s the birth star is determined according to Astrology.

*Arundhati: Wife of Sage Vashita. Arundhati and Vashita are ideal couples in Hindu mythology. Vashita is one among “Saptarshis” (7 sages) and Arundhati is his chaste and revered wife. Along with Saptarshis, we can see Arundhati star in a clear, cloudless sky. It is called as “Great Bear” or “Ursa Major” constellation. In order to have a long, happy, and ideal family life, we women of India look upon Arundhati and Vashita stars to get their blessings on wedding day.

Soulful Love 😊

Human love waxes and wanes

As days and months and years go

With time, it is normal to lose its shine

Take this moment dear one,

And look within your heart

Someone is there watching the whole play

It doesn’t participate in game,

Yet peacefully watch the whole game

While awake, while dreaming, and while in sleep,

It’s there always

At moments when your mind disappear

In prayer or in meditation or in ectasy,

You, which is a bubble burst

And dissolve in the vast sea of your being

Yes dear one, that’s you, the real one

The one who is the source of all love,

The one who is the source of eternal bliss

And the source of everything

This love never fades with time

For it’s the love itself 😊

Sunshine on me :)

Sunshine from Auroville garden – October 2019

Thank you so much dearest Marina for nominating me for Sunshine blogger award 😊💖🙏 Dear ones, please check Marina’s beautiful blog at https://www.marina-kaiser.de/gpEasy/index.php. There are lots of beautiful and interesting contents and paintings in her blog. You will definitely love it.

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to bloggers by fellow bloggers who are creative, positive, and inspiring. After the nomination, the blogger has the honor of being able to write a post in which thanks for the nomination and a link to their blog is created.

Here is what we nominees have to do:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions asked of you.
3. Nominate other bloggers (if you want – up to 11 people) for the award and also ask them 11 questions.
4. Notify the nominees in the comment field of one of their contributions.
5. Include the request and the logo of the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.
   You can design it yourself or download one.

Marina’s questions to me (I love to answer each of this):

1. What is your relationship to Christmas?

I am a Christmas baby born on Dec 24th. My mother gave birth to me just few days before everyone expected me to born. My birth took place in Mercy Hospital amidst the Christmas time prayers and my mother’s gynecologist was a nun. My mother gave me birth looking at Mother Mary. Since I was the only baby born at that time in that hospital, they called me “Christmas baby.” Even though I was born in an orthodox Hindu family, my school and college education happened in Catholic institutions and I lived in a convent for 3 years. All these connected me more towards prayers and holy spirit.

2. What makes your heart bounce?

Hearing the glory of Almighty in any language in any ways. It will make my heart bounce, fill my eyes with tears of happiness and my body feel goose bumps.

3. What do you want to open yourself to more?

I am not good in understanding people’s motive and mostly gets hurt easily. I have to be more strong.

4. What do you do when you cannot fall asleep?

I do deep breathing and chant “Om namo narayanaya” or “Om namah shivaya” (whichever comes into my mind automatically) with each inspiration and expiration and at some moment, I will fall into peaceful sleep.

5. What fairy tale or story particularly impressed you as a child?

Story of Prahlada and that of Ajamila from Srimad Bhagavatham impressed me as a child. My grandmother used to tell me stories from Srimad Bhagavatham and these two stories put the seeds of devotion and love to Almighty in my mind and I trust in whatever situation, there Almighty is with me to help.

6. How do you show yourself that you love yourself?

I take break when I am in middle of stress and lots of noise and go to nature or spend few days away from people to enjoy solitude.

7. What helps you if you are not doing so well?

I go solo to enjoy a cold coffee or virgin mojito or hot soup watching sky at a nearby coffee shop.

8. What thoughts make you strong?

Almighty know everything and is always with me and whatever happiness, it is ultimately for the highest good only.

9. How can you do something good for your inner child?

Going solo, remembering the glory of Almighty and experiencing the divine presence in heart.

10. Who or what do you turn to when you need support?

When I feel down or become clueless, I go solo and in silence and chant mantras. Mostly in the middle of night or early morning, I will get answer what to do next.

11. Which values ​​are particularly important to you?

Genuineness, bravery, punctuality, non-judgemental.

Thank you once again dearest Marina for the nomination and your wonderful questions for me 🙂

My questions to nominees:

1. What are your thoughts about Christmas?
2. What are your stress busters?
3. How is your relationship with God?
4. How many languages you understand and which are they?
5. Name 3 of your favourite films?
6. How you spent your leisure time?
7. Do you enjoy solitude or you always need someone to be with you?
8. What you hold most important in your life?
9. What will you do when you feel sad or clueless in life?
10. Do you believe in miracles? Briefly explain one please.
11. Do you love cartoons? Which is your favourite one?

My nominees are:

1. https://guidelinesweb.wordpress.com/
2. https://blindwilderness.wordpress.com/
3. https://mercurytwin.com/
4. https://road-to-nara.com/
5. https://kamalabelagur.wordpress.com/
6. https://sunithkollara.com/
7. https://howtoteachadifficultchild.in/author/gayatribagayatkar/
8. https://jeffflesch.com/author/fleschj/
9. https://smithasbakelove.com/
10. https://rakupottery.ca/
11. https://heartsandverses.poetry.blog/

Beloved 😊💖

Like the butter in milk

Like the fragrance in sandalwood

Like the fire in wood

Like the oil in seed,

You are in me, beloved

In the lotus of my heart, you reside

Each heart beat is the sound of you

Being in me as me, I never miss you

Dearer than dearest

Nearer than nearest

Beloved, we are one always

Always, always, and always 😊❤

Watch the Game

Somes games are just for me to watch

Participation will only bring chaos

Fights are alluring,

But I watch, just watch silently

For I don’t have a role to play there

Time is precious

Games go on and on

But I will watch, just watch

Because I know it’s a game, just a game 😊

Few more words…

Dear ones, few more things I wish to say to those who are genuinely search the absolute truth. Destination is always one only and to reach there, different paths are there. Since people think things differently and have difference in intellect, we have different paths here. No path is superior or inferior. Everyone have the same chance and opportunity to walk one or more of these paths to reach the destination.

If I say destination, that too is wrong in front of the absolute truth. We all are already there and we are that only. It is just an illusion some of us think we have to do something or we have to go to someone to do help us reach the truth. JUST HERE AND NOW, WE ALL ARE THAT. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS OUR VERY BREATH.

It’s absolutely fine if any of you couldn’t experience it right now. Select the path which suits you (if you could sit in deep silence for some, your own heart will tell you which path to take) and keep on searching. And, never ever give up. Happy things will happen and most saddening things will happen, but never give up. Surely, you will soon experience the truth.

Once again, I would like to tell, truth is simple, but very very powerful. Once you start the search, it will take you to destination. Frankly saying, all these paths are not beautiful, not always give you happy and peaceful experiences until you reach the destination. So, only old people and wise teachers say young people to refrain from spirituality until one reach maturity.

Here maturity is not the maturity by age or by body’s external appearance, it is the maturity of mind to face both positives and negatives alike and both success and failure alike. If mind is immature, one will fall in positives only (the so called “positive energy, positive vibes, positive affirmations, law of attraction, use amulets/mantras to ward of negativity, thought of avoiding toxic people, etc). One will feel they are something unique and superior and has to avoid certain places, certain things, certain people etc. Know that it is just the play of Almighty’s illusion to test your mental strength. Whatever comes in front, face it. Physically, it may sometimes harm you. Emotionally, it may hurt you. But, if you persist, you will experience the truth.

Dear young people, be alert be very very alert about whom you share your experiences in the beginning. You will have lots of experience for sure. Those who doesn’t have idea of what is going on or those who are very much materialistic or egoistic, will surely try to deviate you from the path. At those times, sit in silence and your heart will show you what to do. But, you should have the open mind to listen to your heart and trust in your heart. Trust your heart more than any other person, whoever that will be.

Guru, universe, spiritual leaders, pilgrim/religious centers, Ashrams, Yoga retreats with different kinds of yoga – Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, Kundaline yoga, Tantric yoga etc, etc. are just stepping stones for you to experience the truth. They are just paths. At one time, you need to leave all these behind and stay as yourself. There is nothing wrong in them, but that too are blocks at one point. For majority, it is most testing or hard phase, but you have to do it. You have to leave everything aside except you. And at last you have to leave you too. When I say you, it is the not the physical body of you. It is the individual whom you think you are (ego, personality – call it any name). Leave the mind-made images of you. The desire to accomplish something. The desire to be approved by others. The desire to make changes in the world. The desire to heal the world. The desire to make world perfect. The desire to become someone whom the world will treat as guru (Be very very alert about this as many young people come to spiritual path to become gurus, teach others, show miracles and become famous in medias). Gurus and spiritual leaders have their own roles to perform. Let they do it. Please do not try to copy them or criticize them. Almighty have plans for each one of us and when we accept it, the journey will become easy and truth will shine like sun in our hearts. Realize, there is nothing to earn here, nothing to lose here. These are all divine games where our only duty is to know who we really are and end the game as soon as possible. We are always that only and we cannot be anything other than that ever 🙂