Category: Divinity

  • Haridwar: The Reality of a Holy Land

    by

    Haridwar is one of the holiest cities in India (for Hindus).  It is where Lord Vishnu dropped “Amrit”, holy nectar, and left his footprint on the banks of the Ganges.  Millions of pilgrims come here each year to bathe at the holy ghat of Har Ki Pauri. As a town, Haridwar left little to be…

  • Pictorial Post: The Golden Temple of Amritsar

    by

    I have seen many temples and monuments in my life from various religious denominations, but none come anywhere near the ethereal beauty of Amritsar’s Golden Temple. This temple hosts upwards of 60,000 people a day, yet still remains a place of calm and peace. With the religious chanting and songs piped through the entire complex,…

  • Pictorial Post: Dharamsala

    by

    Dharamsala is the home place of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet in Exile. It’s a town of contradiction. On one hand it is peaceful and calm.  It must be the only place in India where people apologise if they accidentally bump into you, and don’t try to swindle you out of too much…

  • Raksha Bandhan… My Day

    by

    This weekend was Raksha Bandhan. It is a festival where a sister ties a Rakhi (which is like a wristband made from coloured thread and beads), around her brother’s wrist.  This is to wish him prosperity. In return, her brother gives her a gift. In Australia, I have always been aware of this festival, primarily…

  • Are women really impure in the eyes of god?

    by

    In my last post (here) I talked about how the temple is the centre of the community in India.  However I have now found myself banned from entering.  Yes, banned from the temple….. what terrible faux pas did I make to be prohibited from entering the temple? I bled. The most natural thing in the…