Gruhapravesham @ Goloka Vrindavanam on 23-Apr-2025

Day 1 : 21- Apr-2025  , Monday Activities

1. Ganapathi Pooje & Punyaha

2. Chapparada Pooje

3. Rakshogna Homa

Rakṣoghna (रक्षोघ्न) refers to “white mustard”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 15.1-2, while describing protection rituals]—“I shall now explain how the lord of mantra [Amṛteśa] provides all protection, [how] the protector of mantra is strong and great, and how white mustard (rakṣoghna) [becomes more effective] when infused with perfume. A person who receives the white mustard seed, [over which the Mantrin] has recited the mantra seven times, and who always keeps it on his head, he is freed of all faults. [...] Since all Rakṣasas run away and are killed, then O Devi, I call [white mustard seeds] rakṣoghna. They spread on Earth and in all battles between demons and the chiefs of gods”.

Rakshoghna Homa is a Vedic ritual designed to ward off negative influences, especially evil spirits and harmful energies, and promote well-being. 

It involves specific mantras and offerings, and is performed to protect individuals, homes, or property from adversity.

Key Aspects of the Ritual:

Mantras:
Specific mantras are chanted during the homa, which are believed to activate positive vibrations and ward off negativity. 
Offerings:
Rice, jaggery, sesame seeds, and other specific grains are offered into the fire, symbolizing the purification and protection sought.
Incense (Samidhas):
Various types of incense, like Vadlu and Navagraha Samidhas, are used, adding to the spiritual atmosphere. 
Time and Duration:
The homa is typically performed at a specific time (before 2 PM), without fasting or clocks. It generally lasts for 3 to 3.5 hours. 

 4. Pada Pooje - For elders in the family padam is washed with water and gifts are provided seeking their divine blessings on the auspicious occasion.

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Day 2 : 22- Apr-2025  , Tuesday Activities

1. Pradhana & Navagraha Kalasha Sthapane

(9 Kalasha - Navaraham, Pradhana Kalasham -braham vishnu maheshwara and other god and godess, Navagraha Dhanyam  & Satyanrayana Swami Photo)

2. Vastu Mandala Aradhana

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Day 3 : 23- Apr-2025  , Wednesday Activities

1. Go Pooje - Cow and Calf symbol of prosperity.

2. Dwara Pooje

Adding copper nails to the kadapa/hosilu (Door entrance) and pooja.

3. Gruhapravesha (@ Muhurtham)

Adding Jeera & Jaggery (JeerigeBella) on the door entrance for muhurtha shuddi (Cleansing time of home entrance) and making a entry with Diety of House (Lord Subrahmanya) along with Poorna Kumbha Kalasam with right leg entering first. Lady of the house (wife) also gets to kick the jar filled with rice and jaggery as a symbol of prosperity spread inside the house.

** Dwadasha Shuddi Muhurtha Shanti - Since Sun was in 12th House for Gruhapravesha Muhurtham, Wheat - Godhume dhanam was given to propriate the Dwadasha Shuddi Muhurtha Shanti for Sun.

4. Haalu Ukkisuvudu (Boiling Milk)

Boiling a pot of milk and make it overflow. Sign of prosperity (overflowing).  Sugar is added and served to all.

5. Mane Devara Pooje (Subrahmanya Pooje)

Establishing of family diety in the altar (created in the house) for firstime and performing the pooja/archana.

6. Homas

    a. Ganapathi Homa (101 Modakam)

    b. Vaastu Homa

    c. Navagraha Homa

    d. Ishta & Mane Devara Homa

    e. Poornahuthi

7. Indradhi Digbali

8. Sathyanarayan Vrata with Katha

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Tirupathi Balaji And Srikalahasti

Tirupathi Balaji And Srikalahasti - 24th & 25th November 2023

Day 1: Travel from Bangalore to Tirupathi (247 Kms -5Hrs):  Travelled by Car on 24-Nov-2023,Friday from Bangalore at 5:30AM and reached Tirupathi by 10:30AM. Since did not have planned visit tickets books got into SSD Ticket Center at Srinivasam Complex near to Tirupathi Bus Stand, since any available tickets are prvoided at this center till stocks empty. We got the tickets within 2 mins as there was no queues there, tickets were for next day 25-Nov-2023, Saturday 5 AM Darshan.

Typically there are suppose 5 centers where the SSD Tickets are provided in Tirupathi. 

Tirupati SSD - SarvaDarshanTokens- Aadhaar Tokens(DDT-Dharma Darshan Tokens)

1. Alipiri -3AM- BhuDeviComplex- Aadhaar based token. 

 2. Srivari Mettalu -6AM- 240th Step - Aadhaar based Divya Darshan Token. 

From Morning 5Am. 

3. Govindaraja Swami Chatram -Backside Railway Station 

4. Visnu Nivasam- near railway station 

5. Srinivasam Complex- Busstand

Youtube post was useful to know this - https://youtu.be/QBxu3oC-KXQ?si=eWCg_EePG4AGdG7H

 Booked a place to stay near to Vishnu Nivasam, as TTD Accomodation were already filled by online bookings done by devotees. Stayed at Damodar Residency near to Govidaraja Swami Temple.

Finished the Lunch opposite to hotel at the SriVijayaVenkateshwara Bhavan, nice south indian meal served on plantain leaf and later had a nap for upto 3PM.

Places around the Sri Govinda Raja Swamy Vari Temple- 3:30 PM

Mobile phones are not allowed in the temple but there is a counter to keep them & collect back when going out, not much rush was there in the temple as visited around 3:30 -4 PM. Some nomincal Rs.20 Sheegra Dasrshan Tickets were taken but that also was not required as people here move quite fast. This template exactly resembles the Tirupathi temple on the mountain, so if somebody could not visit on hilltop can finish darshans here shortly.

1. Sri Govinda Raja Swamy Vari Temple

2. Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy Temple

3. Sri Aandal Amma Vari Temple

4. Sri Partha Sarathy Swamy Vari Temple

Tirchanur Padmavathi Temple - 5PM

Next we visited the Tirchanur Padmavathi Temple, where we had booked the Online tickets for Rs.200 Darshan as it was a Friday and evening 5 PM had planned in advance and it was planned for Gate 3 Visit, but the parking was pathetic around here nobody to guide and crowded street found a place to park and visited the temple. 

Being Uthanna Dwadashi, Tulsi habba and also Padmavathi Brahmostavams were ongoing, there was a beautiful Unjal Seva happening for Padmavathi Ammavaru at the temple with nice Annamaya Keetana offered to devi.

Day 2: Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam - 4 AM - 7:30 AM (Morning Darshnam through SSD)

ATGH - Alwar Tank Guest House

Next day morning woke up at 2AM got bathed checked out from the Room below hill at Tirupathi started towards the hill by around 3AM. Was a nice chill morning with pleasant weather in the morning, we had to wait for the gates to open to start climbing the hill in our car, it got opened in 15mins aorund 3:15 Am they aloowed us the condition is min,.45 mins to be taken to climb the hills one should not drive fast here. 

Our Sarvadarshana counter on the hill was at the ATGH, we parked the car outside the counter and started moving towards counter by around 4 AM. After a nice breif walks for say around a hour, there are counters with water & toilets for devotees to wait in queues we waited there until 7AM. Within the next 15mins our Darshnam happended with Sri Tirumala Venkateshwara fillin our eyes with the 2 second span we get in front of the lord. After this we visited the Varaha Swamy Temple near to the SrivariPushkarini Tank.
1.Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vaari Temple
2. TTD Laddu Counters
3. Shri Varaha Swamy Temple (near SrivariPushkarini Tank.)

Started from Tirupathi after having breakfast at Royal Sarangee Family Resturant at 9AM, took a cab to go to ATGH complex where we had parked our car. We started alighting down the hill around 9:15AM and came down to Alipiri by around 10AM. Had some snaps around the Garuda Deva the Alipiri Circle.

 Srikalahasthi (SKH) - 41 Kms from Tirupathi 1Hr 15Mins

Travelled from Alipiri Circle towards Srikalahasti for the Rahu Kalam Pooja though we were aware we could not reach by Rahukalam, we reached the temple by around 11:30AM, also here the parking places were not available though there were earmarked spaces, had to wait and get in.

Planned for the Rahu-Ketu pooja the kshetram starte by aorund 12PM noon and went on with pooja until around 3PM when we came out of the Temple complex.

Sanctum temples for the following dieties visited, very huge temple for shiva was reminded of the Nanjangudu Temple of Karnataka.

1.  Sri Kalahasteeswara means Shiva

2. Goddess Gnana Prasunambika Devi means Parvati 

3. Sri DakshnaMoorthy

* other gods Sadh Ganpathi, Annapurna, Subramanya, Suryanarayan, Kasi Viswanatha, etc.

Kalahastiswara and Gyanaprasunambika- The inner temple was built in the 5th century by the Rajendra Chola I and later by the the Vijayanagara kings in the 11th century .

According to legend Srikalahasti is named after Sri (spider), Kala (snake) and Hasti (elephant) as legend has it that that the 3 of them once worshiped the Shiva lingam here and attained Moksham or Salvation. Srikalahasti is also known as a Rahu-Ketu ( The 2 shadowy planet North node and South node) kshetra and also called Dakshina Kailasam.

Sree Dakshinamoorthy (Guru Graha Sambandham)

Sri- Spider

Kala - Sarpa

Hasti - Elephant

More details nicely written at ; https://www.aanmeegam.in/en/srikalahasti-temple-history-timings-festival-address/

Jaya Shri Krishna, Sarvam Krishnarpana Masthu.

CHIKKAMAGALUR TRIP - MAY 2019 - 4 Days

Day1 -23-May-2019 B'lore – Chikamagalur

6:15 AM Morning Gorguntepalya-Left-Tumkur Road Towards Nelamangal (15km)- Hassan –Mangalore rd, Breakfast – 7:30AM @ Udupi Upahar ------------------- Toll Road – 4lane road towards Hassan (10:30). Hassan-Belur Road (right turn) Belur to Chikkamgalur(1hr-11:15 AM) ------------------- On the Way visited the Hiremagaluru KodandaRama Swami Temple - 11:30 AM ------------------- Chikkamagalur – 12 PM Lunch @ Chikkamagalur Town (Maurya Deluxe Hotel) ------------------- Hirekolalau lake - Evening Afternoon there were rain showers till around 3:30 -4 PM,after which we explored the Hirekolalau lake for the rest of the evening.

Day 1- Homestay by 1 PM (Near Kaimara/Indavara)

Chiroos Homestay

Day 2- 24-May, Friday

·Shooting Viewpoint (Kavikal Gandi) - Could not visit but is on the way. ·Sitallayanagiri Mullayana Giri (Tallest Hill/peak in Karnataka) – 11:15AM ·        Lunch to be packed - We had to wait for another 4 hours to get down the peaks for Lunch as had paln to cover the rest same day.

Day 2- 24-May, Friday

BababudanGiri – Dattapeeta Manikhyadhare falls Deviramma Guuda (just seeing) Gaalikere Honnamana Halla (did not visit) Jhari Waterfalls or Butterfly Falls (did not visit)

Day 3- 25-May, Saturday

Travel from Homestay @ 9:20 AM. Hebbe Waterfalls -11Am to 1PM (Jeep to be taken- Rs.800 –perhead, bumpy trip.) Kemmandagundi - Krishnaraja Park - 1PM Shanthi Falls& Z Point (Did not go as trekking zone needs walk) 2:00 PM - Lunch @ Kemmanagundi Horticulture Department hosted Hotel, food was good (South Indian Meal). Kalahatti Falls – 3 PM

Day 4- 26-May, Sunday

9AM – Checkout Chikamagalur-Belwadi – Hoysala Temple (10-11AM)Belawadi Lake Sringeri Udbhava Ganapathi Belawadi to Halebidu – Hassan to Bangalore