lord ayyappan,swami ayyappan

In a small hill shrine popularly known as sahyadri hills a temple called sabarimala is situated and the presiding deity is lord Ayyappan or Lord Aiyappa.In the months from November 15th to January 15th millions of devotees from all over the world would visit Sabarimala.

Like in other temples devotees can walk in any day during puja or
offering timings.pilgrimage of sabarimala is undertaken after a strict 'Vrath'(austerities) for 41 days.Performing this 'Vrath' for 41 days purifies one's soul and brings him closer to God , it is also called 'Thatvamsi'- that is , oneness of God and self.And the period of vrath is also called as 'Mandala kaal'.After the 'Mandala Kall',devotees will undertake pilgrimage to the sabarimala temple(In Kerala).

The Legend and History Of Ayyappan

There was a king named Mahishasura , who had a boon that no men can destroy him and he was trying to destroy the world. He was blessed with invulnerability to all men, then the Gods sent a women , the Goddess Durga , to fight and kill him . Finally the goddess succeed in killing Mahishasura.

Mahishasura had a sister named Mahishi , Began performing a fearsome set of austerities, and breaked all records in grim tapasya , that Lord Brahma The creator had really no option but to give her the boon she wanted.The boon she asked , she can only be killed when both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu sterngth and powers are combined, Since such a person did not exist , she thought she was safe and other asuras started the plunder.

The gods then went to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu to save them from this catastrophe.Then Lord Vishnu comes out with a Possible solution.When Vishnu had taken kurma Avatar,he also had to manifest himself as Mohini,the enchantress,to save the nectar of immortality from the demons who are not willing to share it with the gods.Then Lord Vishnu thought if he became Mohini again,then the female Mohini and the male shiva could have the divine child who would combine their powers and beat Mahishi.Thus was born Lord Ayyappan.The divine child was left on the banks of Pampa River.There was a king named Rajasekhara in Panthalam(Kerala), who belongs to the pandya dynasty of south India,while hunting he heard the crying of the child found lying on the banks of the river,with a radiant face and a Golden bell tied around his neck.The King who had no child of his own,took him to the palace and brought him up as his own son.Then he was named Manikantha because of the Golden bell found around his neck.

After few years , the Queen also conceived and gave birth to a son.Both sons grew up in the palace as brothers.But when the time came to decide on who will be the prince,king Rajasekhara nominated Manikantha as the Prince(Yuvaraja).But due to the conspiracy of the chiefminister, the Queen favoured her own son.Then the Quuen and the chiefminister hatched a plan to get rid of Manikantha.She acted as she has got sickness and prevailed upon the palace physician to prescribe a Medicine which included the milk of a tigress.Manikantha was assigned to the task of milking the tigress and was sent out to the forest.It was the plan of the Queen that he would be killed by the wild animals in the process.

The King advised Manikanda to take along a coconut of tri-netra (three eyed coconut) to represent Shiva in order to protect him and some food items to sustain him till his return, in a cloth bundle known as irumudi which was to be carried upon his head.

While wandering in the forest of Sabari, the battle between Mahishi and Ayyappan took place at the bank of Azhutha.Finally Lord Ayyappan killed Mahishi.Mahishi's soul emrged and was redeemed from a curse that sustained from her previous life ,when she was known as Leela.She then requested Ayyappan to marry her and take her as his consort.But Lord Ayyappan declined being a celibate.How ever he promised that she also would be visited by piligrims and would be housed next to his temple, he promised that if the number of new pilgrims visiting him stopped,then he would marry her, But the number of pilgrims increases every year.

Harivarasanam is chanted by his devotees every day , which pleases Lord Ayyappan to grant boons for his devotees

Lord Ganesha or Lord Ganpati

The name Ganesha is a sanskrit word , Gana means a group,multitude or categorial system and isha means lord (or) Master.

Lord Ganesha is popularly known as the remover of obstacles and also associated with wisdom,learning and Power.As the God of success his name is chanted at the start of any important Hindu Cermonies.As the remover of obstacles he is invoked at the start of every journey,marriage,house construction,religious rite 9or0 even writing a new book (or) a letter.

Every element of Lord Ganesha's body has its own value and its own significance.

The elephant head indicates fidelity,intelligence and discriminative power.

The single tusk(the other being broken off) indicates Ganesha's ability to overcome all forms of dualism.

The wide ears of lord Ganesha denote wisdom,ability to listen to people who seek help and reflect on spiritual truths.

His trunk symbolizes that a wise being has the ability to be strong as well as skilled to identify good.

On his forehead , The Trishula(weapon of Lord Shiva) is placed which symbolizes time(Present,past and future) and Ganesha's mastery over it.

The pot belly of lord Ganesha's contain infinite Universe , which also signifies the bounty of nature and calmness,It is also belived Lord Ganesha swallows all the sorrows of the Universe and protects the world.

There are four arms to Lord Ganesha and each arm represents the four inner attributes of the subtle body, that is intellect(Buddi),Mind(Manas),Ego(Ahamkara) and consciousness-The Soul-which will power these four attributes to function in us.

The hand which holds an axe is a symbol of retrenchment of all desires,beavers of pain and suffering.With the help of this axe Lord Ganesha can strike and repel the obstacles.The axe will also help Man to the path of righteousness & truth.

The second hand which holds a whip is the symbol of the force that ties the man with deep faith in god to the eternal supreme blessedness of God.The whip also conveys that wordly attachments & the desires should be rid off.

The third hand which is turned towards the devotee is in a pose of blessing,caring for the people to overcome the obstacles and protection(abhaya).

The Forth hand while holds a lotus flower(padma) is the symbol of highest goal of human evolution and the sweetness which will be relised inner self.
32 Forms of Lord Ganesha in scriptures

1: Baala Ganapati - Lord Ganesha is in red colour with four arms.
2: Dharuna Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with eight arms.
3: Bhakti Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in grey colour with four arms.
4: Veera Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with sixteen arms.
5: Shakti Ganapati: Lord ganesha is in red colour with four arms,seated with his consort to his left.
6: Dwija Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in white colour with four arms.
7: Siddhi Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Gold colour with four arms.
8: Ucchishta Ganapati: Lord Ganesha is in blue colour with six arms with his consort.
9: Vigna Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Gold colour with eight arms.
10: Kshipra Ganapati: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with four arms bearing ratna kumbham.
11: Heramba Vinayak: Lord ganesha is in black colour with ten arms,five faces,seated on a Lion.
12: Lakshmi Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in white colour with eight arms,with two consorts.
13: Makara Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour,with third eye,with ten arms,bearing a ratna kumbham,with his consort.
14: Vijaya Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with four arms on the mooshika mount.
15: Nritta Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Gold colour in a dance posture.
16: Urdhva Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Gold colour with six arms seated with his consort.
17: Ekakshara Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with third eye,seated on a lotus.
18: Vara Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with four arms,with third eye.
19: Dhryakshara Vinayaka: Lord Ganesha is in Gold colour with four arms ,decorated with chaamara ear rings.
20: Kshipraprasaada Vinayak: Lord ganesha is in red colour with four arms.
21: Haridra Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in yellow colour with four arms.
22: Ekadhanta Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Blue colour with four arms.
23: Srishti Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with four arms,seated on his mooshika mount.
24: Utthanda Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with ten arms ,with his consort to his left.
25: Ranamochana Vinayaka: Crystal image of four armed Ganesha.
26: Dundi Vinayak: Lord Ganesha with four arms bearing a tusk,a garland,an axe and a gem studded vessel.
27: Dwimukha Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in Red colour with two faces and four arms.
28: Trimukha Vinayak: Lord Ganesh is in red colour with three faces,six arms seated on a golden lotus.
29: Simha Vinayak: Lord Ganesh is in white colour with eight arms(bearing a Lion's face).
30: Yoga Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with a posture of a yogi.
31: Durga Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with eight arms.
32: Sankatahara Vinayak: Lord Ganesha is in red colour with blue cloths,seated on a lotus peetham with his consort on his left.

Lord Ganesha's Mantra

"Om Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah"

Chanting this Mantra will remove all the obstacles of a person and will provide way to success.
One can also over come the difficulties and attain happiness after chanting the Ganesha Mantra with devotion.

Goddess Parvati

Goddess Parvati is also known as Goddess Durga,Her consort is Lord Shiva who Mediates in Himalayas.She is also called by Goddess Lilita.She also exists in Various forms,both friendly and fearfull forms.Two of her very powerfull forms are
1.Durga Devi - Who is mainly worshipped by married women for a happy married life.
2.Goddess Kali - She is the Goddess of Destruction.

Both of these two forms have eight heads and great power and energy(Shakti).Goddess Durga rides on a lion and Goddess kali rides on a corpse of a demon.As Goddess Kali is the destruction form,She has the garland of skull,blood etc.

Goddess Durga is also known as the Mother of the Universe,She is belived to be the power behind the creation,preservation and destruction of this world

Goddess Kali love her devotees inspite of her fearful appearance.In this relationship the devotees (or) worshippers becomes a child and Kali takes the form of the ever caring Mother.She was born from the brow of Goddess Durga,during one of her battels with the evil forces.Goddess Parvati was also called sati in her previous divine incarnation.

Mantra-
"Om Sri Durgaya Namaha"
Meaning -
This Mantra is the powers of Goddess Lakshmi ,Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Kali.By spelling this Mantra one's a day ,A persons physical,Mental and economic problems will be solved.
Chanting Durga Mantra once in a day  will help you in help you in getting good wealth and prosperity.

Goddess Laxmi or Goddess Of Wealth

She is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.She is the wife of Lord Vishnu.Goddess Lakshmi is mostly worshipped by Hindu families , even though she is worshipped daily,the month october is the festive month for Goddess Lakshmi.Lakshmi puja is celebrated on the full moon night of Kojagari purnima.

She is belived to have come out from the froth of the Milk ocean when it was churned by devas and Asuras,with full beautiful lotus in her hand.Goddess Lakshmi represents a beautiful woman with golden complexion,with four hands sitting (or) standing on a fully bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud,This refers the beauty,purity and fertility.

When ever Lord Vishnu takes a different Avatar,she appears as divine,even when he becomes mortal,she also does,transforming her own person to what ever Avatar Lord Vishnu takes.Gold coins are seen flowing from her hands, which suggest that those who worship her will gain wealth.

Mantra -
"Om Sri Maha Lakshmi Namaha"
Meaning -
This Mantra will help in getting all the fortune and wealth that we are about to get.MahaLakshmi stotram will also give power to gain more wealth and prosperity.