Today I remembered a hymn from my childhood. I went to a protestant school and we had assembly every morning. We sang hymns and recited, “Our Father, who art in Heaven.” The hymn I am going to share with you, was one of my favorites. The music teacher played the piano, and in senior school, we could select the hymns. Continue reading
The infant Rama.
Today is a very special day. It is the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama. The deity is called Ram Lalla, which means the infant Rama. Pran Pratishtha means the establishment of life force. The ceremony permeates energy into the murti (statue) of Rama Lalla, transforming it into a deity. This bridges the gap between devotees and the object of their adoration and unites the divine with the material. The deity is now invited as a resident guest by invocations of hymns and mantras. And the deity’s eyes are opened for the first time. The deity is blindfolded until the ceremony and then the deity is all seeing. Continue reading
Hymns to Dawn are simple and full of imagery and hope. These hymns are 3,500 years old, and they symbolize the eternal beginning. Dawn is the goddess Ushas, who gives life, beauty and purity. She is the silence at daybreak and grants us hope, dreams and blessings. She infuses one with prana. Dawn symbolizes the passage from darkness to light. Continue reading