Onam - Kerala's biggest festival

The colorful festival Onam is the biggest festival of Kerala, South India. Onam marks the homecoming of mythical King Mahabali. People of all communities of Kerala celebrate this harvest festival with great joy and enthusiasm. This year, the main Onam Thiruvonam falls on 2nd September. Learn more about it here.

During Onam time, the rich heritage of Kerala comes out in its best form. Colorful Pookalam (floral carpet), Snake Boat Race (Vallamkali, Onasadhya (a grand vegetarian meal served on banana leaf) and Onakkodi (new traditional clothes bought for the occasion) are the main attractions of this festival.

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My Trip to Palani

Palani Murugan Temple is located on top of the Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu, South India. The idol of Palani Andavar is said to have been made of Navapashanam ( a combination of Veeram, Pooram, Rasam, Jathilingam, Kandagam, Gauri Pasanam, Vellai Pasanam, Mridharsingh, Silasat) , by a siddhar called Bhogar. H e is considered as one of the 18 siddhars born in the world. We left home at 7 a.m planning a long journey, and our first destination was Palani. We had booked an accommodation in a budget hotel, Soundarya, after reading many reviews by Tripadvisor travellers. It was just okay for a day. AC was a great relief and it was closer to the Palani Murugan temple. Food was also available. We reached there and had our lunch. After taking some rest we proceeded towards the temple. We had reached the gate where tickets for winch are booked We wanted to travel in the rope car, but that was in another gate which is quite far, said the autorikshaw driver who took us there. The char

Visit to Swananda Loka - Bala Ganapathi Temple in Hoyasala style

I had an opportunity to visit Swananda Loka, an upcoming Ganapathi Temple in Hoyasala style of architecture, housed in the Swananda Ashrama complex located in the Agara village in Tataguni, 3 km off Kanakapura Road. Swananda Loka is believed to be the heavenly abode of Lord Ganesha. The 9-acre temple complex area with lush green gardens is a feast to the eyes and mind. The piolet project was completed successfully and the model called Ganapathi Panchayathana is open to visitors. Around the main shrine, the temple would have 4 shrines for the 4 Yuga Ganapathis and idols of 32 manifestations of Lord Ganapathi. In this Swanandashrama complex, there is also a temple for Lord Subramanya and another one for Devi. In this Devi temple, Goddess is sitting on the snake. A goshala is also there where cows are taken care of. The Ashram also promotes education of rural children and organizes socio cultural events. I was blessed to attend a Mangalarthi puja

Visit to Sri Sai Old Age Home

Recently I was invited by my neighbours to attend a birthday party of their grandson. I was eager to attend it since it was an unusual type of birthday celebration. It was not celebrated at home in a conventional way, but the celebration was with the inmates of an old age home - Sri Sai Old Age Home Orphanage, Magadi Main Road, Sunkadakatte, Bangalore. It was an overwhelming experience for everyone. As we stepped in we saw two aged women walking in the veranda. Seeing our unfamiliar faces they paused and stared at us. Their eyes looked tired and empty, and greeted us with a faint smile. Sri Sai Old Age Home Orphanage is located in Magadi Main Road, Sunkadakatte, Bangalore. serving the elderly senior citizens and destitutes. It was started by late K.L. Ravi Kumar, who was in scrap business, 17 years ago and since his death 5 years ago, his sons Pradeep Kumar and Sashi Kumar continue this noble work. These young brothers spend their whole time in taking care of the

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