Jaunt to Neelkanth Mahadeva

 Neelkanth , a very renowned temple of Lord Shiva , as the name indicates it is associated with a mythological story . How can any eminent temple of Mahakal not have a tale worth mentioning. So Neelkanth means Blue throat and how did Lord Shiva had a blue throat it was the time during the “samudramanthan” also known as the churning of the ocean , it is this place in the Rishikesh city of Uttarakhand where lord Mahadev consumed the poison to save the universe from the calamity and devastation. It was Parvati Devi his consort who abstained the poison from spreading to other body parts by pressing his throat hence the name Neelkanth Mahadev.

The poison consumed by lord Mahakal was known as “Kalkut” and to relieve himself from the ill effects of the poison he meditated for nearly 60 thousand years here at the confluence of Pankaj and Madhumati river beneath the Panchpani tree.

So let’s begin with my odyssey to one of the most resplendent Lord shiva temples . I was not travelling alone but with the most convivial company of friends and my  most revered professor Dr . Sukhnandan Singh who is a travel enthusiast and a pronounced travel Journalist , he is the reason of me being into blogging and travel writing . With him I’ve learned a different perspective of expeditions and knowledge acquisition while travelling.

We all started from Haridwar heading to Rishikesh and witnessed many things on our way to the enlightened destination. Starting of the Veerbhadra barrage which is similar to a dad especially used for irrigation purposes and electricity generation. This place has been very closely associated with me because my life started from here my parents back then used to live near the Veerbhadra temple and Rishikesh is my birth place . And then going ahead our first stop was the Mata Bhagwati temple to seek blessings , how can a visit to Lord Shiva would Begin without seeking blessings , guidance and permission from his beloved . That was the best thing we all decided to go , it is situated quite close to Neelkanth.

            Maata Bhuvaneshwari Devi temple 

One prominent thing I would wish to mention about this temple is it had Gayatri Mantra engraved on its wall which was extremely enchanting and I did recite Gayatri mantra inside the temple and I was imbibed with an  enhanced optimism and rejuvenation , making my journey even more exciting and motivating.

Then after that we headed to the Jhilmil guffa which is located in the Manikoot parvat region of Rishikesh . This cave is named after a sage called Jhilmil sadhu , who is believed to have meditated and attained samadhi in this cave . This cave had an idol of Gorakshanath who was a popular philosopher of the Nath sampradaya , he wrote the most popular text on Hathayoga known as the Goraksha Samhita. The upper portion of the Jhilmil cave did not comprise of a surface or ceiling it is open with a wide opening and that is the most astonishing part about the cave. 

                    Entrance of the Jhilmil cave

Inside the cave , the ambience seemed quite relaxing and an epitome of a place suitable for meditation and doing yogic Sadhna or meditation as Maharishi Gorakshnath did and one thing which really intrigued me was a sage who had previously done a variation of mediation known as khadeshwari Sadhna in which a person restrains himself from sitting , he would only stand during the course of his meditation period. The priests over there were extremely hospitable and warm and welcomed us with love and affection and offered us tea and told us about the place and its history .

                    Idol of Gorakshanath inside the cave

                             No roof ceiling 

After our wonderful visit to the Jhilmil cave we finally headed to the Neelkanth temple via the trekking route , avoiding the usual path and it was the best decision ever made . Walking on food gives a different aspect of the whole journey and taught us a lot and we interacted a lot also with the native and the local people. 

               On the way to Neelkanth temple 

The trek was quite easy with magnificent scenery and the sounds of the crickets and the scary nettle grass. It is well said that journey is always beautiful than the destination, and it is the journey which makes the destination so memorable and photographic. The moment we reached the Neelkanth temple the ambience changed and it had a unique smell which is difficult for me elucidate but rather its instilled in my consciousness, words are always less and vague to explain such divine places . 

                 Entrance of the Neelkanth temple 

The architecture of the temple is quite similar to the Tamilian temples of Lord Vishnu , it is said to have a shivalinga which is in the shape of throat symbolic of the poison he consumed and his triumph . This temple in itself had a very attractive demeanour and a sense of contentment , I wished to stay here for a little while more but had to return . 

                             Inside the temple 

Also one thing I would highly appreciate is that it was very convenient to seek blessings and worship peacefully without any commotion, the temple was mostly empty regardless of the day being a weekend . I wish if I had been able to stay a little longer and attended the Aarti. 

The shape and structure of the shivalinga is quite distinctive than the others , this could be the reason of it being so attractive and highly visited temples of India . 

Yoga : The ultimate union

 Yoga is considered as a union, which in fundamental terms could be defied as joining of two certain unlike or dissimilar things . In its true context yoga is the union of the consciousness (“Atma”) with the divine consciousness (“Parmatma”) . According to Maharishi Patanjali the pioneer of yogic philosophy , yoga means “chiitas vritti nirodha “ which means cessation of all the mental processes and the mind enters enter a state of “shunya” which means every material and spiritual form emerges from nothingness and merges into nothingness. Yoga teaches us punctuality, acclimatisation to certain extreme conditions, control, focus, internal as well as external purification, strength as well as stability which promotes refinement of an individual in every aspect possible and eventual detachment and termination to every possible desire and eventually entering a state of accomplishment and enlightenment with the sense of achievement in all aspects and the ultimatum is salvation or samadhi.

Yoga is said to be a conversation between Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati , where gave the sermon of yoga Vidya to her. Lord Shiva is known as the first yogi or guru known as Adiyogi . It has also been mentioned in the Hindu Scriptures that Shiva distributed this knowledge of Yoga among the legendary saptarishis along the banks of the lake “Kantisarovar” in the great Himalayan Valley. And then it was because of there seven profound sages that the knowledge of yoga was promulgated and one of the prime saptarishi “Agastya” travelled across the Indian subcontinent spread the knowledge across the whole of India , most of this dates back to 5000 years ago . Yoga became extremely popular during the 19th century because of the efforts of spiritual leaders like Swami Vivekananda and Parmahansa Yogananda. The form of yoga which is quite popular in the west is “Hathayoga” which primarily focuses on body postures(Asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama) and certain mudra bandha. But in India mostly yoga was a spiritual practice. There are also certain misconceptions associated with yoga that it is only a way of physical exercise or it is only meant for people who are into asceticism. It isn’t only meant for younger younger and only males , it can be performed by any person of any age group or of any gender. It is not only a spiritual or a religious activity, it can be performed by any person belonging to any race, caste, creed or religion.

We’ll now discuss some fundamental dictums of prominent yogic scriptures like the Patanjali yoga Sutras by Maharishi Patanjali and Hathayogapradipika by Swatmarama Suri .

Let’s begin with the Patanjali yoga sutra . So the sutras of Patanjali have 8 limbs that’s why it is also known as the Ashtanga yoga (Ashta means eight) , and they are as follows:

1. Yama: These are certain abstinences a person must follow during his yogic practices, they are primarily moral values or disciplines, code and conduct of society.

2. Niyama: optimistic duties a person must abide for his own betterment.

3. Asana: body postures, imparts physical strength 

4. Pranayama(Kumbhaka): Breathing techniques 

5. Pratyahara: controlling of the senses

6. Dharna: focus on a particular point or object

7. Dhyaan: extreme form of dharna is dhyaan which is synonymous to meditative engagement 

8. Samadhi: Enlightenment or salvation 

Apart from this the patterns of mental processes which causes hindrances in the yogic practices are certainly benign as well as hazardous. They are:

- right perception : it arises from direct observation by the senses

- error: also known as misperception which is based on false knowledge without any evidences

- conceptualisation: it is basically verbal or linguistic knowledge via communication not in in direct association with real things

- sleep: deep sleep is in for that knowledge that nothing exists

- remembering : retrieval of experience 

The other form of yoga is Hathayoga  which emphasises predominantly on asanas and physical postures , there are many Hathayogic text which are the “Siddha Siddhanth Padhati”, “Gherand Samhita”, “Hatharathnavali”, “Goraksha Samhita” , “Hathapradipika”. The main focus of the Hathayoga sadhana is to attain equanimity in all aspects of life prioritising the physical form , because according to the founders of hathayoga who are significantly considered as the Nath cult , it is difficult to tame the mental fluctuations, but by considering the physical self as regulated the non physical self could be bought under consideration. 

The main components of the hathayoga consists of:

Asana

Pranayama

Mudra

Naadanusandan

There are also six cleansing processes mentioned in the hathayoga mainly they are as follows:

- Dhauti

-vastu

-neti

-nauli

-tratak

-kapalbhati 

But in the hatharathnavali there are 8 cleansing processes mentioned known as the ashtakarmas instead of the usual shatkarma

The Resplendent Faroe Islands

 Faroe Islands have been kept under wraps for many centuries but lately after being discovered, there could not be any other beautiful place than the Faroe Islands . So what are Faroe Islands to begin with it could be considered as an archipelago but geographically and politically it’s been considered as a union territory in the world map . It is located in the Northeast Atlantic halfway between Scotland and Iceland . The Faroe island comprises of 18 small islands characterised by mountain tops heighted cliffs and a close proximity to the mainland water bodies . It has a population of only around 55,000 people according to the 2019 world census.

                       Flag of the Faroe Islands 

Faroe Islands is only around 1300 square kilometres in area. There are 1,117 kilometres of coastline and no land boundaries with any country so it is quite independent and relatively safer from any foreign invasions. The wind flow is extremely high and high wave tides as well, summers tend to be moderate with cool winds but the winters are on harsher side with fog causing vague ambience. The most prominent tourist attraction about the Faroe Islands is having the highest cliffs in the whole of Europe and also in the world as well . Because of such an obnoxious landscape with high cliffs and mountains construction of road as a challenge until recently when tunnels have been constructed for convenient travel. The capital of the Faroe island is Tòrshavn and the official language spoken is Faroese.

                    Map of the Faroe Islands

These islands are considered as an autonomous territory of Denmark , people here are of Norwegian and of Scandinavian descent. To be precise these islands form a self governing overseas administrative division of the Kingdom of Denmark , in much the same way as Greenland. The most perplexing thing about The Faroe Islands is that the population of sheep’s are relatively more than the human population, there are more than 70,000 sheep inhabiting the island . The Faroe Islands has a jacket of the water bodies , all the major towns and cities with only few people residing are on the coast . Though travelling is quite difficult but still inside the premise of the territory the bus is free mode of transportation for the natives . The Faroe island is home to the world’s first underwater traffic circle .

The most prominent occupation of this archipelago is fishing as life revolves around the sea only . It comprises of rich and diverse history and bird cliffs that homes many puffin birds to as many waterfalls a person could not even imagine . Puffin birds are found in the Faroe Islands from April to September , around 1 million puffins breed during this season. 

                The most found bird on the Faroe Islands 

Also one most significant superlative which is an impeccable tourist attraction with a bewitching mythology is the Legend of Kòpakonan (seal woman) . It is the best known folk tales in the Faroe Islands . In order to honor the seal woman and the most inhabited marine bio life were the seals hence a statue of the seal woman was raised on 1 August , 2014 in Mikladagur. This statute measures about 2.6 metres and has a mass of about 450 kilograms , and is made of bronze and stainless steel. 

   

The seal woman 

The pseudoscientific Astromancy

 Technically speaking astromancy is synonymous to astrology or occult or mysticism. Could be complex but to elucidate it unambiguously it is the study of the celestial bodies the stars , the sun , the moon and the other planets that are mars Venus mercury Jupiter Saturn and the two shadow planets known as the north node of the moon (Rahu) and the south node of the moon(Ketu ) . This is not what astrology is about the most prominent aspect of astrology is the 27 constellations which acts behind the scenes and provide hidden insights on various significant factors affecting our lives. Also the time when the person is born is a prerequisite for astrological interpretation. 

 This was just a basic understanding to astromancy but before knowing about it deeply it is essential to understand the origin and history of this exhilarating science. Yes it is science because it involves mathematics, astronomy, statistics and a little bit of philosophy. It is not religion biased but there have been many branches of astrology all across globe like there’s Chinese astrology , Jewish astrology, Tibetan astrology even various civilisations like the Mesopotamian, Roman, Egyptian and Persian . But out of all of this Vedic astrology is the highly renowned formed of astrology because Indians were the first to talk about astrology it’s been a traditional thing for the Indians it is part of our upbringing and culture. Maharishi Parashara is considered as the Father of Vedic Astrology . Vedic astrology as the name suggests has been mentioned in the vedas , the ancient scriptures in the Hindu culture.

There are not only 9 planets and 27 nakshatras but there are also tithis the moon cycle as moon has been cursed to wax and wane by his father in law “Daksha Prajapati” and after he did an extreme penance to please Lord Shiva and eventually blessed him his true form was retained and was given the blessing that everyday his physical form would diminish in one aspect and continue to grow in other aspect. So there are 2 phases one is known as the Shukla Paksha(Bright fortnight) and Krishna Paksha(Dark fortnight) and there are two extreme time period in the month which are amavasya(no moon) and Poornima (full moon). Bright fortnight is considered extremely auspicious and most of the religious activities can be performed during this phase , whereas Dark fortnight isn’t favourable for performing certain auspicious activities or hosting certain important events.

Another major aspect of Vedic astrology is the ascendant or the rising sign which is the protagonist in the determination of a birth chart. It is the sign which was rising in the east when a person was born , it could be any out of the 12 zodiacs that are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Just like the 12 signs there are 12 houses with the above signs mentioned respectively. Now these 12 signs have various rulerships by the 9 planets .

Sun: lord of the 5th house which is Leo sign

Moon: lord of the 4th house which is Cancer sign

Mercury: lord of the 3rd and the 6th house that are Gemini and Virgo respectively 

Venus: Lord of the 2nd and the 7th house that are Taurus and Libra respectively 

Mars: Lord of the first house (which is known as the ascendant) and the 8th house that are Aries and Scorpio respectively 

Jupiter: lord of the 9th and the 12th house that are Sagittarius and Pisces respectively 

Saturn: lord of the 10th and the 11th house that are Capricorn and Aquarius respectively 

*The shadow  planets rahu and Ketu doesn’t have a physical body therefore they don't any  have fixed ruler ship of any house but in various classical “Brihata Jataka” Rahu the north node of the moon is considered to be ruling the Aquarius and Ketu the south node of the moon is considered to be ruling the scorpio. 

Mother of astrology is philosophy predominately taking into consideration Indian mythology. There’s a mythology as to why Rahu and Ketu aren’t physical planets . It wasn’t like this earlier that they were shadow planets . There used to be a asura (demon) named Svarbhanu he was an extremely powerful and witty Asura during the churning of the ocean which is known as “The Samudhra Mathan” there were the divine Gods on one side and the Demons on the other side , when the divine Nectar (Amrit)came out as a result of the churning a huge rage held amongst the Devas and the asuras as to who would be given the nectar . As asuras were also promised the nectar but weren’t given the prudent svarbhanu disguised as the Deva sat in between the Gods and drank the Amrit and as soon as Lord Vishnu found out that he wasn’t the Deva no sooner than he beheaded him with his discus, the Sudarshana Chakra . Henceforth, the head was known as Rahu also known as demon’s head and Ketu known as the demon’s tail ended up becoming the shadow planets as they drank the nectar and became immortal.

So the most important planet which is known as the King of all the planets is the Sun . He is the significator of our atma (soul ) he is the Atmakaraka. Without sun there couldn’t be any life possible on earth it imparts sustenance and vitality. In terms of body organs it represents the digestive system left eye for a man and right eye for a female and the heart. The living significations of the sun include the Father and the Government in terms of a democratic republic and in a monarchy it is obviously the king . Sun signifies our ego , self respect, self esteem , self reliant , opinion, confidence, leadership, Authority. People with strong sun can be good government servants, administrators can be in a leadership position they tend to me hard hearted and extremely opinionated and in extreme cases it could lead to a person becoming narcissistic and extremely arrogant if it is being aspected by certain malefic planets like Rahu . Aspects in astrology means a planet imparting their effect on another it could be either positive or negative . Even though sun is the ruler , the King it is considered a malefic planet because in order to rule the kingdom the King can not be soft he needs to be extremely harsh. Sun is the ruler of the 5 th house which is the house of education(mainly under-graduation)creativity, speculations like stock market, gambling, it is also the house of love affairs but it is important to understand that it does not signify marriage. It is also the house of children, meaning offspring as it is the house of creation and giving life to someone is none less than the greatest creation. It is also the house of past life deeds , therefore it is considered extremely favourable if there are benefic planets like moon , sun , Venus, Jupiter , mercury in the 5 th house. 5th house is also the house of stage performances, including acting, dancing, any form of artistic ability is signified by the 5th house. Planets like moon , venus and even rahu tend to give huge artistic potentials . The nakshatras of sun are Kritika, Uttaraphalguni and Uttarashada

Of course after the king comes the queen that is the moon. Moon is considered the most beautiful planet it is white in color . It signifies the mind , the consciousness, emotions , osmoregulation in the body is also represented by the moon. Because sun and moon are the luminaries they signify the eyes moon signifies right for the women and left eye for the men. Our mental peace is moon, food,  and water bodies are also represented by the moon. In terms of living significations our mother is the moon . Moon is nourishment and mother is epitome of everything that is signified by the moon as mother provides emotional stability, comfort , food and everything possible for our survival and growth. Moon is a feminine planet it is considered to have 16 artistic abilities . Moon is considered to be exalted(best position) in the 2nd house which is Taurus . People with a prominent moon love cooking food and distributing food , tend to have a soft speech and a plumped body. Moon is best in the 2nd and 4th house which is the sign of cancer which is ruled by moon itself . 4 th house represents motherland, mother, all sorts of comforts, real estate , property, national fame , vehicles. Moon is expressions , being expressive is an extreme Significant component of moon. As mentioned before , the two extreme phases of moon the amavasya and Poornima . Moon is considered to be extremely expressive on the day of Poornima , as moon is in highest and purest form with the brightest illumination. Whereas on the day of the amavasya moon is unexpressive. Therefore moon is considered extreme Delicate. 

If anyone wants to know whether there sun and moon are in a good position in their natal chart then the connection or relationship between the father and mother is good. 

Mars is an army commander, he’s simply a soldier. A little hot under the collar. It represents a person’s physical strength, therefore the rulership of the first house is imparted to mars . The first house represents our physical form , how a person looks physically, his gestures, his appearance, complexion, hair , forehead. Friends are also represented by mars , the most fundamental need of security and stability is also represented by mars . Mars has no religion because he is a soldier. Mars is red in colour and as the red color signifies danger, aggression, energy, passion everything is associated with mars. The pressure exerted by the blood flowing in the arteries is also represented by mars . Malefic mars is considered extremely good because it gives a person ego and makes him work hard and strive to attain their goal. Mars is also courage, love for the motherland comes from mars , it is also considered as the signification of the 4th house of real estate, motherland. Even though it is debilitated in the 4 th house because 4th house is out dwelling, the comfort which we get when we are in our home, it is peace and if an aggressive entity would enter in a peaceful environment it would create turbulence. Mars is also the husband in a women’s natal chart, because mars is everything what a women would want from a man that is stability and security. Mars is exalted in the 10 th house which is the house of career and your work space because a good mars gives strength and protection to work even in the most difficult situations possible. People who have good mars they will always find support from their friends network. It is a malefic planet . It is also the lord of the 8th house of scorpiowhich is a mysterious house , it represents all the underground things like occult , mysticism, tantra, witchcraft, inheritance, psychology, scandals , death, longevity , it also represents in-laws and spouse’s wealth. 

Mercury is considered as the prince of all the planets, it represents communication, writing, speech, journalism, accountancy, auditing, hobbies, structure and definition. It is a very technical and analytical planet . It is the chief signification of learning. People with good mercury have great sense of humour. Mercury is represented by green color . Mercury is the ruler of the 3rd house which is the house of hobbies, skills, hands , siblings, courage, communication, writing, a bit of stage performance and art,gestures, expressions. The six types of knowledge to become the king is acquired by mercury. Mercury represents duality, because it is the ruler of the 3rd house which is Gemini , the symbol of Gemini is represented by two people of opposite sex facing each other. Transgenders are represented by mercury, young girls before reaching the stage of menarche are also represented by mercury. Mercury is also the ruler of the 6 house of Virgo which is a house diseases, debts, enemies, routine work. 6 th house predominantly represents the urinary system . Mercury is exalted in the 6th house.

Saturn is the slowest moving planet , he is the son of the King the sun . He is considered as the most malefic planet possible. Time is represented by Saturn , he is known as the karmafaldata , the one who is the judge of all our karmas. Saturn as it is a slow planet it represents all the things that takes time to perpetuate like coal, petrol, fossils, metals, ores etc . Saturn represents discipline and patience . Saturn amplifies pressure in order to transform the person, it is solitude . It also represents all the workers, labourers, janitor, an old person. He is the ruler of the 10 th house , Capricorn, which is the strongest house because it is the house of career and power and position. 10 th house represents international fame and authority. 10 th house is the strongest house because mars the most powerful planet is exalted in this house, because mars is the only planet which can handle the pressure given by Saturn. Therefore, malefic planets work best in the 10 th house.Another most powerful house which is also ruled by Saturn is the 11 th house which is the house of desires , it is the highest of the Kama trikona houses, fulfilment of desires is also signified by the 11 the house . This house represents our gain,our professional network circles, organisations .  Though Saturn is infamous for scaring people , considering him the deadliest of all he is actually pretty powerful and the one that can provide with everything and anything possible. Reciting the hanuman chalisa and worship lord Balaji on Saturdays can help tame a malefic Saturn and divert him to provide good results. 

Venus , one of the most beautiful planet, it is an epitome of everything a man desires . It is money , wealth, luxury , gems , jewels , expensive food, expensive wine, designer brands, fragrances, women, feminine things, clothing, it also represents germ cells (sperms and eggs) . Venus represents a wife in a man’s chart. Currency of any nation is Venus. Venus is goddess Laxmi . The goddess of wealth. Venus also represents artistic abilities, it comprises of 64 artistic abilities. It is the greatest form of arts. Venus is white in color, represents white color along with moon . Venus is also marriage, it is also represents law , partnership, unionship, business contracts. Venus is the ruler of the 2 nd house of Taurus, which represents money , assets , voice, face, eyes, eyebrows, teeth , the food we eat , vocal cords. Venus and moon are considered best in the second house of Taurus they tend to give person huge wealth and love from family and a beautiful face as well as melodious voice. Venus is also the ruler of the 7 th house libra which represents spouse, marriage, highest status,law, court room, the symbol of libra is a set of scales. 7 th house is partnership and marriage is none less than a partnership. Sun is debilitated in the 7 th house of marriage because ego and dominance doesn’t work in a relationship, it is the house of service. Venus represents love , therefore it is exalted in the 12 th house of devotion because the purest essence of love is devotion. Venus is also a teacher , the greatest teacher he is considered as the guru of the auras , he is the one who has acquired the knowledge of Sanjeevani, after offering penance to shiva for more than a century he was blessed with the Mahamrityunjata mantra mantra. 2 nd house which is ruled by Venus also represents teachers and counsellors.He is unbiased and because despite of having immense knowledge about all the vidyas and having greatest of the Siddhi’s , he chose to educate and impart his knowledge to the demons . 

Jupiter is another teacher, he is the most Satvik person , he is represented by the color yellow. He is the divine teacher and counsellor of the Gods. Jupiter represents fat in our body , people with good Jupiter will have healthy fat in the body. Jupiter represents all the vedas, philosophy, religion, religious places, religious scriptures. Jupiter is the ruler of the 9 th house of Sagittarius which represents post grad education, father, government, spirituality, religion. 9 th house is the house of dharma. Ethics, righteousness. Jupiter is also the ruler of the 12 th house which represents isolation, jails, monasteries, mental asylum, hospitals, meditation, addiction, it is the exit therefore it symbolises salvation, isolation from the mundane sufferings of the dogmatic world. Jupiter ia extremely benefic in the first, fifth, fourth, ninth and eleventh house.

Rahu is a mysterious planet it represents smoke, it is vague, it represents illusion, it is maya , it represents things done in excess, it is gambling, speculation, it represents films and photography, it is the color brown , it is never satisfied. Because it only has a mouth it is devoid of a body hence is never satisfied. Rahu or north node of the moon represents massive fame especially in the 1st ,5th and 10th house also in the signs of Leo and Taurus. All sorts of addictions, smoking, drinking, alcohol , cigarettes, intoxication are represented by rahu. Pornography and prostitution are also represented by Rahu. Rahu shows amplification of things . All sorts of undiagnosed and incurable disease are represented by Rahu . It is outcasted because among all the gods he was the demon . Rahu shows revolution, he is the most prudent of all the king of the current era the “Kalyuga “

On the other hand Ketu shows intensification of things. It is detachment , psychic abilities, clairvoyance, intuition and isolation. Ketu abstains from materialism. It doesn’t have a head only comprises of a body therefore thinks irrationally. Ketu is represented by flags , therefore can make a person reach highest in his life by spiritual means which is the highest attainment for a human.

By:

Ishani Singh Bartwal 

Odyssey to goddess surkanda

 It was last summer when I visited the surkanda Devi temple I’m local to Dehradun so it’s in my proximity zone. The trekking over there is pretty good but a long way to go. The climate over there is good and well suitable for every season. There’s a mythological story about the temple that once during the reign of aadinath known as the aadikal when Daksha Prajapathi father of goddess Sati had organised a yajna and as he was discontented with the choice of his daughter to marry shiva as he was a tapasvi he didn’t invite sati and shiva and sati in immense anger and humiliation jumped into the sacred fire and gave away her life in Shiva’s love . And in anger when shiva was roaming around everywhere doing tandava with burnt sati on his head , Vishnu’s Sudarshana chakra passed and sati’s head fell off when he was going to kailasha, the place where the head was cut off was surkanda Devi temple. It is a very auspicious temple in the whole of Uttarakhand people from all over the globe come to see this place.

                  Surkanda Devi temple front view

Amidst the beautiful Himalaya valley lies this temple , I went with my family for a pilgrimage to this temple and the whole environment and aura was mesmerising and enchanting. There’s serenity in the environment as it is located pretty close to Dhanaulti, Mussoorie even during the months of December and January one can see snowfall and it’s pretty cold over there and Uttarakhand is a pretty humid area as precipitation levels are quite high so it often rains , it is also pretty close to the Champawat area . One can use any means of transportation and would be easily able to reach the temple , there’s also a saying that this temple is synonymous to transformations as dead sati was reincarnated as Parvati to fulfill her duties because she is the goddess mother and the divine consort of the god of god’s almighty Shiva. The optimistic aura is invincible and impeccable it’s just that you need to visit it and it will magnetise and hypnotise your conscience and you will be drawn to this place and spirituality. There are even certain things one need to keep in mind while travelling to sunderkanda Devi temple that it is pretty cold over there and it is quite wet as it rains heavily and the food over there is also quite limited but is still palatable and fresh but people with hypoxia and asthmatic and other respiratory issues shouldn’t travel.

Even if it’s a trekking spot there are still cable cars and easy mode of transmission and also as an aid to people for whom travelling is not possible but still they shouldn’t be devoid of the blessings of the goddess divine. The temple is triangular in shape, because of the significance of the three temples located nearby in the Tehri district only which are Kunjapuri temple and Chandrabadani temple. It is part of the 51 shaktipeeths . Inside the temple there’s a majestic and bewitchin Idol of the goddess which is spectacular adorned with silk saree and gold crown . Besides the enchanting idol of maa surkanda there are also various shrines of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva.

Devi temple as it is located amidst the magnificent Himalayan valley and its scenic architecture and an outstanding mythological history. It is also one of the prominent places of trekking in Uttarakhand and also hosts adventure sports and various activities. The initiation of trekking starts from Kaddukhal village and alongside are dense forests and a steep uphill terrain . The trek is not that difficult it would hardly take 2-3 hours depending on the person’s health and fitness even the pace and also climate is the greatest factor. Even a person can attain camping experience and also one can set up tents and bonfires during the night. There are even parkour sports like paragliding options available. And one should not worry about accommodation as there are Dharamshalas and guesthouses also that to not a very high cost. It is not only adventurous but also there is a festival of Ganga Dusherra which is celebrated every year during the summer season so it is also an optimum time to visit the surkanda temple . The evergreen forests also present in the vicinity of the temple acts as a catalyst to the every existing serenity of the place , Uttarakhand in general is a beautiful spot and this place is the protagonist cause of the same and is such a joyous experience with the most special people of my life along with the spiritual manifestation one seeks to attain and also being a yoga student it becomes essential for me to form an association with the nature and the almighty . I’ve had an invincible journey of mental healing in the temple and all through the way because the spiritual demeanour is extremely amplified and causes a psychological enhancement for the person.

Overall I would like to conclude that Surkanda temple was a great adventure also inclusive of spiritual abundance and a serene and contented environment, I wish to visit it every other weekend . 

Rounslii treee amidst the temple.          

Miracles of yoga with the potentiality of psychology

 Yoga is the only essential component which is associated with the supreme consciousness, it redeems the person with the mundane sufferings from the dogmatic world. And as also mentioned in the Patanjali yoga sutra the concussion of the ‘atma’ the inner self with the ‘parmatma’ the higher self is referred to as yoga. Yoga metaphorically means to join and it joins us with the other higher world. Now speaking about psychology it is a science of the mental processes and understanding the behaviour of human and even animals. It understands the covert and overt behaviour reactions and on that basis predicts the outcome and helps human understanding their inner conflict and in the regulation of their inter personal relationship and how a person can attain their highest potential. Psychology and even psychological therapies inclusive of yoga are impeccable what we understand by this is that mind is the root initiator of every possible thing . If a person has control over his minds and his emotions he has conquered the world . Psychology and yoga is an inevitable fusion of the life we anticipate in the present century. It is an epitome of serenity , in today’s world a person comprises of everything but still something’s missing and they want to fulfill their lives with abundance and what’s the value of all the attainments without any contentment and peace of mind. Divorce rates are exponentially heightening and premature deaths , senescence, infertility all can be healed just by incorporation of yoga asanas and finessing  a little bit with your mind and allowing all the optimism and plethora of wealth cross the threshold of your vigilance . It is also being mentioned in the hathayogapika by Maharishi swatmaram Suri how hathayoga practice is a prerequisite of even living a normal balanced life and not engaging in all the dogmatic things of the bourgeois. It’s an oblivion to life a basic life because first of all there’s absence of satisfaction in anything and everything a person owns , it’s just about “me” and when the limelight is only on you there’s no achievement of tranquility. Yoga is being considered a ladder to moksha meaning salvation from the bondage of death and rebirth it’s the highest and the highest of all the yogas henceforth it’s considered Rajayoga, whether it is through the activation of the chakras or awakening of the kundalini it is all psychological. It’s all under the control of the mind and controlling the mind is yoga , yoga is “chitta vritti nirodha “ meaning cessation of all the activities of the mind and entering the state of samadhi. Now the question arises how is it possible to terminate the mental processes ? Yes it’s not that uncomplicated to control your mind to an extent that a person puts an end to irrelevant thoughts . The most prominent thing to control the mind is by doing meditation , practising nadanusandan which is meditation in the presence of an external sound known as Dhwani to an extent that sounds have an echoic memory of being melodious and a person is lost in it , there’s nothing audible to him except for the sound. Then after a point the person realises what is the true purpose of life. Psychology is the means to attain yoga the Rajayoga. This comes to the following 6 stages which is determination, perseverance , discrimination, unshakeable faith, courage and honesty. 

Magnificent Himalayan valley

 Magnificent Himalaya Valley temples

There are several temples situated in the Himalayas , among all the temples and other spiritual destinations, Tungnath has been one of the most mesmerising enchanting and inevitably unforgettable pilgrimage of mine. It has an optimistic demeanour to it and an extreme rejuvenating ambience, it is an epitome of peace and serenity. It is a perfect holiday destination for those who are fond of trekking, the environment is extremely harmonious and full of contentment. The climate usually is on the lower side, but during the winter season it’s not possible to go and also the temple’s gate are closed. It is situated on a height and the trek is of around 5 kms on a slope. There’s been various mythological stories revolving around the temple, about how lord shiva’s worshipers have established various shivlings and offered there penance for a prolonged period of time , and have obtained blessings from lord shiva and also were successful in the attainment of  various “Siddhis”. 2 kms  above the Tungnath Temple , is a beauty temple known as “Chandrasheela” as the name indicates it symbolises moon or the lord “Chandra” , there’s been a mythological story about that when lord Chandra was cursed by his father-in-law “Daksha Prajapati” that he would lose his true self  and would begin to wax and wean then he offered excessive penance to lord shiva for a long duration and was blessed by him. It was this place in the Tungnath where Chandra did his “Sadhana” . Chandrasheela is also considered one of the highest point from where one can view the whole of Uttarakhand. During my trip to Tungnath it’s been a blessing for people to visit and seek blessings for the lord of the lords shiva and such a beautiful atmosphere and even when there’s scrounging hot and humid climate across the nation but there’s peace and cold environment in Tungnath it is located near Chopta in the Himalayan valley known as Chamoli district . There’s also one prominent thing that I spotted which made my journey more than memorable was the beautiful bird named monal it is one of the most beautiful and attractive avian creatures , it is very hard to spot that bird it is said that when there’s good fortune around and there’s blessings of the goddess there’s optimism and a sense of humility around which is been said that only a few lucky people could see and all almighty’s graces I was one of them .

        View from Chandrasheela.

As before I’ve mentioned about the climate and the temperature I would also like to mention or tell in advance people who are fond of trekking that it’s quite of an easy trek to achieve it but one must take care of their health as it is located in a high altitude so there is a probability of hypoxia that is insufficient oxygen causing respiratory problems so one must be cautious of their health and despite of the beautiful view and greenery all around food availability over there is quite difficult to attain as there is most likely to be ready to eat or instant food . One must also carry there raincoats and umbrellas because there’s a possibility of rain but when it rains it’s even more spectacular this place is rejuvenating and has an inherent connection to nature as well as spirituality.

Monal bird

            Front view of the Tungnath temple 

My family is extremely fond of travelling especially in the mountain region so it’s been quite often and impromptu visit but still one of the most faacin Destinations . I’ve met many people from all

Across the globe visiting Tungnath and even there’s a saying that one’s desires and wishes are always fulfilled whenever they visit this temple because it was the first temple which was established by the Pandavas and then lord moon himself devoted himself to lord shiva for his extreme intensified penance and also one of the temples in India which is being situated in such a high altitude but still there’s an outer body experience a person can feel , it’s a sort of an oblivion because places like this are very rare to find , there’s one thing I could ask from the almighty that there shouldn’t be exploitation of such speculated places.