SHAIVISM - Sanatana Dharma

KEY SCRIPTURE: Saiva Agamas, Vedas

SCHOOLS: Saiva Siddhanta, Pashupati Shaivism, Kashmir Shaivism, Veera Shaivism, Siddha Siddhanta and Siva Advaita.

Synopsis

Shaivism declares God Shiva is Love, He is both immanent and transcendent Creator and the creation. This world is the scene of our evolution, which gradually leads to moksha - liberation from birth and death. Aum.

Shaivism is a unique religion in which God manifested and unmanifested, and dual and nedvoystven, within us and outside of us. This religion is not strictly pantheistic, monotheistic or polytheistic. Its fundamental theology known as monistic theism, panentheism or Advaita ishvaravada. Monism, dualism, in contrast, is a study of reality as a unified whole existence without independent parts. Theism is the belief in God and the gods as immanent and transcendent. Shaivism monistic in their belief in one reality and hell-vayticheskoe unity of man and reality. Shaivism teistichen in their faith in the gods, and Lord Shiva as a loving personal God, the immanent world. Shaivism expresses the unity of the Party-Pasha Pasha (God-soul-world) covers non-dual and dual, faithfully carries both Vedanta and Siddhanta, clean Sanatama Dharma Vedas and Saiva Agamas. "Tirumantiram" states: "Suddha-Saiva (net Saivites) meditate on the following on his religious path: your Self, the Absolute Reality and the Primal Soul, on the trinity of God, the soul and the shackles of Maya, a clean release and all that binds the soul. " Aum Namah Shivaya.


The objectives of Shaivism

The primary goal of Shaivism is the awareness of its identity with Shiva - in perfect union and invisibility. This condition is called nirvikalpa samadhi, Self-realization, and can be achieved in this life. This ensures moksha, liberation from the eternal cycle of birth and death. Intermediate target is savikalpa samadhi, the realization of Sachchidananda experience of unity with the super-consciousness, which are learned perfect Truth, Knowledge and Bliss. Every soul is ultimately destined vishvagrasa, complete solution in the God Shiva.


Ways to achieve

The path of enlightenment is naturally divided into four stages: charya - virtue and selfless service; Kriya - Sadhana, yoga - meditation under the guidance of a guru and Jnana - the state of the wisdom of a realized soul. Aum.

Charya, kriya, yoga and jnana are a sequence of evolution of the soul, like the natural development of a butterfly from egg to caterpillar, from caterpillar to chrysalis and then the final transformation into a butterfly. This four pads, or stages through which every human soul must pass over many reincarnations to achieve the ultimate goal. Before reaching this stage of spiritual soul is dissolved in a low-marginal nature anava or egocentric way, limited by fear and lust, painful malice, jealousy, confusion, selfishness, ignorance and anger. Then the soul wakes up, reaching a state of charya, selfless religious service or karma yoga. Having developed in chare, the soul enters the state of the kriyas - worship, or bhakti-yoga, and finally blooms, reaching a state of Kundalini Yoga. Jnana - a state of enlightened wisdom, reached at the end of the path as a result of Self-realization. Four pads are not alternative paths, but progressive phases constituting one path - San Marga. "Tirumantiram" says: "A great worship Jnana - life is life. The vision of the light of life is the great worship yoga. The giving of life by calling for the worship of God is the exterior. The expression of adoration is charya. " We Aum oh Shivaya


Six schools of Shaivism 
(Satguru Swami Shivaya Subramuniya )

1. Saiva Siddhanta2. Pashupati Shaivism3. Kashmir Shaivism4. Veera Shaivism5. Siddha Siddhanta6. Siva Advaita

In search of peace, enlightenment and liberation can not find a more tolerant, more mysterious, more advanced or more ancient ways than Shaivite Hinduism. During its long history of Shaivism has generated a lot of lines and spiritual traditions, each of which has unique philosophical and cultural-linguistic character, and up to 1100 dominated the whole of India, from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka, on the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea. In this section, we present the main features of the six main traditions that stand out in the context of modern Shaivism. This Saiva Siddhanta, Pashupati Shaivism, Kashmir Shaivism, Veera Shaivism, Siddha Siddhanta and Siva Advaita. should be borne in mind that this is a formal and somewhat intelligent unit, as would be helpful it may be, can in no way be any exhaustive description of Shaivism, or even the only possible list of its traditions. Real Shaivism is much richer and more varied than is assumed by the scheme.

There is, for example, a kind of Shaivism who practice thirteen million people in Nepal, three million in Indonesia or fifty-five million induizirovannyh Javanese who worship Shiva named Batara. Think also about the millions of smarts and other universalists who took Ganesha, Shiva or Lord Murugan as their chosen deity, or the many fans Ayappana who commit worship in South Indian shrines of Lord Muruga. This is not to lose sight of the fact that only a handful of the millions of followers of Shiva Kashmir formally associate themselves with the school, which is called the "Kashmir Shaivism." Similarly, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Shiva is worshiped more than fifty million people, only a well-informed minority calls itself the Saiva siddhantinami. Our discussion of these six schools and their traditions are based on historical information. In historical records, there are significant gaps, but at every moment when the past raises the curtain in front of us, we can see that the worship of Shiva is present. In the Indus Valley 8000 years ago did the press, which was depicted as Lord Shiva Pashupati, sitting in yogic posture. In the "Ramayana", which dates back to 2000 astronomical methods E's. BC. e., Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva as his enemy Ravana. In the "Mahabharata", dating from about 1300-mi's. BC. e., we again encounter the worship of Shiva. Buddha was born in BC. e. Saiva in the family, and the historical records of the time talking about the Saiva ascetics who wandered over the hills and looked much the same as today. basis of all schools of Shaivism are the Saiva Agamas. The philosophy of these Agam - theistic, ie Shiva appears in them by God Almighty, immanent and transcendent at the same time accepting the worship of God as a personal and attainable through yoga.

This theistic concept runs through all schools. From a philosophical point of view agamicheskaya tradition includes the following basic doctrines: 1) the five energies or favors, Shiva, creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and revelation, and 2) three categories: Pati, Pasha and Pasha - God, soul and bonds, and 3) three types of bonds: anava, karma and maya, and 4) the triple energy of Shiva - iccha-, jnana and kriya shakti 5) thirty six tattvas, or categories of being, from the five elements of matter to God, and 6) the need to initiate and Satguru 7) power mantras, 8) four pods: charya, kriya, yoga and jnana. examining individual schools and lines the inside of Shaivism, keep in mind that they all adhere to these teachings. Our discussion will, quite naturally, focused on the differences between the schools, but the differences should not overshadow the impressive similarities that exist both in faith and practice. At the Saiva Agamas are and monism and dualism, and intermediate philosophy. Therefore, different schools may stand on different philosophical platform and thus all - rely on Agama.

The tradition of Kashmir Shaivism says that Shiva revealed different philosophies people of different mind-set, so that everyone can move forward on the spiritual path to the recognition of inner unity of man and God. At that very few of the followers of Shiva presently or in the past has been directly familiar with the Agama. Reading and writing was the prerogative of specially trained scribes, and even today Agama remain basically the same leaves Olam, in which they were handed down from generation to generation. Agamicheskaya philosophy and practice of the average person is transmitted through other channels, one of which is the Saiva Purana. These collections of oral traditions about the life of the gods imbued agamicheskoy philosophy. For example, "Shiva Purana" proclaims: "Shiva is the great Atman, for He is the Self of all, He is always endowed with great qualities. Devotee should realize that Shiva is identical to himself," I - only Shiva. '" second channel agamicheskoy philosophy - is Saiva temple, as the device of temples and performing temple rituals are set precisely in Agamas, in fact, it is one of the most important topics Agam. Priests are special guidelines (paddhati), which summarizes all the instructions for worship contained in the Saiva Agamas.

The third channel - these are songs and bhajans Saiva saints that "for all its simplicity, are powerful philosophical content. Channel Four - is continuous oral teachings of the guru, Swami, pundits, Shastri, priests and elders. So, Shaivism is not a single hierarchical system . Rather it is a collection of thousands of traditions, big and small. Some of them - the traditions of orthodox and pious, others - iconoclastic, and others - for example, Kapalika and aghori - rigidly ascetic, eccentric and orgiastic. For some, Shiva is a powerful, fearsome, terrifying destroyer but for the majority of He - embodied love, compassionate and gentle God. And for almost all of the millions of devotees of Shiva Shaivism - this is not a school of philosophy, and life itself. They just love to Shiva and to be honored traditions of their families and communities. These people visit temples and celebrate turning points in the life of the Holy Sacrament. They make pilgrimages, doing daily prayers, practice meditation and yogic discipline. They sing sacred hymns, listen to stories from the Puranas and repeat verses from the scriptures.

Today, all six schools of Shaivism, in one form or another, continue to exist. Their leaders and gurus reincarnated, pick up the threads of the past and stretch them in the twenty-first century. Seekers who worship Shiva, carefully choose a school. Guru - a dedicated, profane or self-appointed spiritual forces that within them - proclaim God Almighty God Shiva and adjacent to a particular Saiva line. Neinduisty raised profound philosophy of Shaivism, serve as volunteer missionaries. Many fully turned to Shaivism as a religion of their soul. In this modern era, in the late twentieth century, Shaivism gained new strength and power. School of Shaivism communicate with each other in love, kindness, compassion and understanding, share with each other their strength and the weaknesses of each other. Our supreme God Shiva knew that His creation is not the same. In a different mood, and at various times he has created different types of shower. Therefore, in His supreme wisdom, He created these six approaches to His grace on a common Vedic-agamicheskoy basis - one for yoga ascetics, one of the heroic nonconformists, one for the mystic kundalini, one for the astute philosopher, one of the immortal hermits and one for devotees nedualistov . No one has been forgotten. Indeed, today, Lord Shiva calls on the leaders from the ranks of supporters of the six philosophies preach His message in the sacred eloquence.

Hindu Cremation and Varanasi

There are about 3.14 million deaths a year. Most people are cremated. For the part most cremations are still done the way they have been done for centuries, by following the final life ritual called antyesti, outlined in the Grihya Sutras. The average cost of a funeral is $12 to $71.

Gandhi cremation

Cremation is an extremely important ritual for Hindus. They believe it releases an individual’s spiritual essence from its transitory physical body so it can be reborn. If it is not done or not done properly, it is thought, the soul will be disturbed and not find its way to its proper place in the afterlife and come back and haunt living relatives. Fire is the chosen method to dispose of the dead because of its association with purity and its power to scare away harmful ghosts, demons and spirits. The fire god Agni is asked to consume the physical body and create its essence in heaven in preparation for transmigration. Cremations are still associated with sacrifices. The god Pushan is asked to accept the sacrifice and guide the soul to its proper place in the afterlife. 

Not everyone is cremated. Holy men, lepers and people with small pox have traditionally been buried, with holy men traditionally buried in a vertical position preserved with salt. Small children under two are not cremated because their soul does not need purifying. In many cases today they are not buried but are taken to the middle of the Ganges or another sacred river and dropped to the river bottom with a weighed stone. Families who can not afford the wood for cremation sometimes throw unburned corpses in the Ganges. In some cases an effigy is burned to symbolize cremation. Few people are buried. These are victims of suicide, murder, or some other kind of violence who, it is believed, have souls that will not rest, no matter what is done to the corpse.

Cremation has remained common, possibly because cemeteries are a waste of space. New electric crematoriums are becoming more popular. They are more efficient and cleaner,  and save precious fuel and forests.

 Hindus often have little interest in the afterlife.

Early Cremations in India

Balinese widow burning in 1597 It is not clear how and why the custom of cremation evolved. By the time the earliest Hindu texts were written around 1,200 B.C. it was already an established custom. There is some archeological evidence that in the distant past burial was the norm and later cremation with a secondary burial became common place and this gave way to cremation, the dominant custom today.

From the time of the Rig Veda, which contains passages possibly written as far aback as 2000 B.C., Hindus have cremated the dead although small children and ascetic were sometimes buried and low caste members sometimes buried their own. One passage from the Rig Veda addressed to Jataedas!, the fire that burns that corpse, goes. O Jataedas! When you thoroughly burn this [departed person], Then may you hand him over to the pitris [i.e. heavenly fathers]! When he [the deceased] follows thus [path] that leads to a new life, May he become on that carries out the wishes of the gods

 Sometimes animals were sacrificed at the funerals. Another passage from the Rig Veda reads: O Jatavedas! May you burn by your heat the goat that is youre share! May your flame, may your bright light burn that goat; Carry this [departed soul] to the world if this who do good deeds By means of youre beneficent bodies [flames]!
 It is not known why the custom of cremation was adopted, Some have suggested 1) it is a method of purification, of releasing the soul from a polluted body; 2) it symbolizes the transitory nature of life, of destruction and rebirth; or 3) it eliminated the body as a health risk and doesn’t take up valuable land.

The Soul, Death and Afterlife in Hinduism

There is little mourning when a Hindu dies because they believe that once a person is born he or she never dies. Krishna said in the Bhagavad-Gita that “Worn-out garments are shed by the body: worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller within…New bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.” Death is often viewed in a positive light: as an escape from one life on the road to a better an ultimate moksha (nirvana), shanti (peace) and paramapada (the ultimate place).

Atman (the self or spiritual soul) is seen as a kernel that lies at the center of a large onion and is only revealed after the layers around it—associated with the body, passions and mental powers—are removed in a step by step fashion. The Taittiriya Upanishad defines five layers or sheaths (from the outer to the kernel): 1) the body 2) bio-energy, the equivalent of Chinese qi; 3) mental energy; 4) intuition and wisdom; 5) pure bliss achieved mainly through meditation. These layers can be removed through self actualization and the kernel of eternal bliss can ultimately be realized.

On the subject of death one passage in the Rig Veda reads:

When he goes on the path that lead away the breath of life.Then he will be led by the will of the godsMay your eye go to the sun, you life’s breath to the windGo to the sky or the earth, as is your nature. 

The Vedas refer to two paths taken after death: 1) the path of the ancestors, where the deceased travels to a heaven occupied by ancestors and is ultimately reborn; 2) the path of gods, where the deceased enters a realm at the sun and never returns. The latter is the equivalent of reaching nirvana and escaping reincarnation. There is also a reference to a hell-like “pit” where sinners are punished.

At death the sheaths break apart one by one, and go their separate ways revealing the atman, which departs the body and goes on a path defined by an individual’s karma. In most cases the individual goes to a niche in the cosmos occupied by his ancestors or to one of the 21 heavens and hells of Hindu cosmology and remains there for duration defined by their karma until he or she is ready to be reborn.

Hindu Beliefs About Reincarnation

Reincarnation is viewed as a never-ending set of cycles ( yugas and kalpas ). One may be reincarnated millions of times. The doctrine that the soul repeatedly dies and is reborn is called samsara (Sanskrit for migration). Karma determines what a person is reincarnated as. Escape from the weary cycle of reincarnation can be achieved through escape into “an unchanging anonymous Absolute” and attaining moksha , the Hindu equivalent or nirvana . For More on These Ideas See Below.

Hindu funeral
> According to Hindu theology an atman (an internal self or soul) dwells in each person as a kind of cosmic energy that exists beyond worldly reality and karma and doesn’t require good deeds or prayers to improve on itself. The problem is that few creatures can tune into their atman and thus require deeds and prayer to help them establish their place in the world Reincarnation helps them do this and evolve to reach closer to their atman.

> The cycles of birth and death are perceived a continuations of the disintegrating force of Creation while transmigration of the soul from one life to another is viewed a perpetuation of the separation of the individual from the unifying force of existence. The aim of the individual is to “get off the wheel,” to escape the cycle and merge finally with the Oneness that was there before Creation began. into the original One. Methods used on the path of escaping reincarnation include yoga, meditation, and charity. Since the chances of escaping it are quite low people are encouraged to work to achieve a better position in their next life by doing good deeds, living simply and praying a lot.

> Behavior at the end of one’s life and last thought before dying are believed to be very important in determining how an individual will be reincarnated. Thus a great deal of care goes into making sure a person is well cared before they die and after. This is achieved by creating a calm atmosphere and reading Vedic scriptures and reciting mantras so the soon-to-be-dead can earn as much merit as possible.

Hindu Funeral Customs

In keeping with the Hindu custom of swift cremation, bodies are cremated within 24 hours after death, if at all possible, even if close relatives can not attend the funeral. Ideally cremation is done within 12 hours after death, or at the very latest before sundown on the next day if death occurs late in the afternoon. The first person families of the dead usually call is the “ice wallah” in the nearby market. 

Normally the eldest son carries out the funerary rites. He lights the funeral pyre after first placing a burning stick in the mouth of the deceased. One of the primary reasons that Hindus wish for a son is that only sons can carry out funeral rites. It is possible to substitute another relative for a son but this is generally regarded as much less effective. 

 There is little mourning when a Hindu dies because they believe that once a person is born he or she  dies. Often there is little crying. Some Indians have said this is because the point of a funeral is to show respect not sadness. Other say it is because Hindu believe the dead are off to a world far better than the one they left behind.
Traditionally women have not been allowed at cremations because they might cry. 

Their tears like all bodily fluids are regard as pollutants. Women are not supposed to enter the cremation area or even watch what goes on inside it. This includes close relatives and family members. They may help lay out the body at home but carrying the body, gathering the wood and lighting the fire are all considered man’s work.

Manikarnika Cremation Ghat in Varanasi

Hindu Preparations for Dying

When death is imminent the dying person is taken from his bed and laid on the ground, facing south, on a layer of sacred grass. Then a series rites is carried out, presided over by the oldest son or another male relative. These include: 1) the vratodyapana (“completion of the vows”), in which all the vows that the dying has not yet complected are magically completed and ten gifts are made in the name of the dying in one last effort to earn merit ; 2) savraprayascitta (“atonement for everything”), in which is a cow is donated to Brahma to absolve the dying of all his sins and guarantee he or she is carried over the river into heaven; and 3) a ritual bath in holy water from the Ganges.

When death occurs verses from the Vedas should be recited in the ear of the dying. Behavior at the end of one’s life and last thought before dying are believed to be very important in determining how an individual will be reincarnated. Thus a great deal of care goes into making sure a person is well cared before they die and after. This is achieved by creating a calm atmosphere and reading Vedic scriptures and reciting mantras so the soon-to-be-dead can earn as much merit as possible. It is believed that if a person’s final thoughts are angry or disturbed he may end up in hell.

Preparations Before a Cremation
Preparation for cremation of Brahmin corpse

Family members have traditionally prepared the body of the deceased. Before cremation, the body is wrapped and washed, with jewelry and sacred objects intact, in a plain sheet. A red cloth is used for holy people. Married women are buried in their wedding dress and an orange shroud. Men and widows have a white shroud.

 Later the body is dressed in fine clothes and the nail are trimmed and thumbs are tied together while scriptures are read. Often some leaves of the Tulasi tree and few drops of sacred water are placed in the mouth of the deceased. In ancient times the funeral bed was made from rare wood and antelope skin. These days it is made from bamboo or common kinds of wood and no animal skins are used.

While the corpse is in the house no family member or neighbor can eat, drink ir work. Hindus don’t like it when non-Hindus touch the corpse so an effort is made make sure that any non-Hindus who touch a copse at a hospital are wearing rubber gloves. In the old days the body was disemboweled, fecal matter was removed and the abdominal cavity was filled with ghee or some other pure substance. But this is no longer done. Autopsies are regarded as extremely offensive. Some customs vary according to caste, cultural background and region from which the funeral participants are from.

After the body has been prepared it is carried by male relatives on a flower-draped bamboo bier to the cremation ghats. There is no coffin. Sometimes if the deceased died on an inauspicious day the body is taken out of the house through a hole in a wall rather than the doorway. Male relatives that carry the shrouded body chant “Rama nama satya hai,” the name of the God of Truth. The eldest son is in the lead. He has been purified in a special ritual and carries a fire kindled in the home of the deceased. The fire is carried in a black earthen pot. If the procession is near the Ganges the body is immersed in the river before being placed on the funeral pyre.

Hindu Cremation

Common fire for poor Cremations take place at special cremation grounds. The body is anointed with ghee (clarified butter). Men are sometimes cremated face up while women are cremated face down. The funeral pyre is often made of corkwood and offerings of camphor, sandalwood and mango leaves. A typical pyre is made of 300 kilograms or so of wood. Rich families sometimes pay for the entire pyre to be made up of sandalwood. In Kerala mango wood is often used. because wood is scarce and expensive. Some poor families use cow dung instead of wood. In any case, wood is usually piled on the pyre until only the head is visible. Mantras are recited to purify the cremation grounds and scare away ghosts. Offerings are made to Agni, the fire god, at an altar.

Possessions of the deceased are often placed on the pyre. Death is believed to be contagious and it is thought that contact with these possessions could cause death. Sometimes a wife climbs on the pyre and climbs off before the fire is lit, an acknowledgment of suttee (wife-burning) custom without actually carrying it out. Sometimes goats is circled around the pyre three times and given to Brahmins. This symbolizes an ancient cow sacrifice.

The eldest son or youngest son— often with his head shaved and wearing a white robe out of respect— usually lights the fire. Before this is done the shroud of the deceased is cut and the body smeared with ghee and a brief disposal ceremony is led by a priest. The son lights a torch with the fire from the black earthen pot and takes the torch and a matka (clay pot with water) and walks around the pyre seven times. Afterwards the matka is smashed, symbolizing the break with earth. The torch is used to light the funeral pyre: at the foot of a deceased woman or at the head of a deceased man. The Brahmin priest reads sacred verses from the Garuda Purana, speeding the dead person’ soul to the next life.

Burning of the Body During Hindu Cremation

As the pyre burns the mourners jog around the fire without looking at it, chanting “ram nam sit hair: (“God’s name is truth”) in the inauspicious clockwise direction. The priest intones; “Fire, you were lighted by him, so may he be lighted from you that he may in the regions of celestial bliss.” It takes about three or four hours for a body to burn.

The fire is left to burn itself out. In that time the body is transformed to ashes, and it is hoped the skull explodes to release the soul to heaven. When the fire has cooled, if the skull has not cracked open spontaneously, the oldest son splits it in two. If the cremation is done near the Ganges the bones and ashes are thrown into the Ganges.

Few tears are shed. The cremation of Indira Gandhi was broadcast around the world. After witnessing her cremation presided over by her son Rajiv, one visiting dignitary asked him , “Could you really do that to your mother?” On the third day after the funeral the cremation bones are thrown into a river, preferably the Ganges, and for ten days rice balls and vessels of milk and libations of water are offered to the deceased.

Hindu Cremations in Varanasi

Bodies waiting for cremation Varanasi (Banaras, or Benares) is the place every Hindu hopes to be when he or she dies so they can escape the cycle of rebirth and death. If a person dies in the Ganges or has Ganges water sprinkled on them as they breath their last breath it is believed they achieve absolute salvation, escaping the toil of reincarnation to be transported to Shiva’s Himalayan version of heaven.

Cremations have been taking place in the Ganges for thousands of years. Perhaps a 100,000 cremated bodies are thrown in the Ganges every year. In Varanasi, funeral parties wait for their turns on the steps of the ghats (cremation grounds). Bundles carried through the streets are often corpses. On the roads leading to Varanasi you will often see shrouded corpses placed on the roofs of vehicles like surfboards or kayaks. There is even a caste that specializes in sifting through the ashes and mud at the bottom of Ganges for rings and jewelry.

The processions with the corpse to the ghat are often accompanied by singing, dancing and drumming. They often have a festive atmosphere. Relatives chant “Rama nama satya hai.” The body is immersed once in the Ganges and then anointed with ghee (clarified butter), lashed to a platform and wrapped in bright yellow fabric. The pyre is lit with a flame from a temple. Periodically the embers of the fire pyre are poked by boys with six foot poles to keep the fire burning.

Description of Cremation in Varanasi

wood for cremation Describing the burning ghats at Varanasi in 1933, Patrick Balfour wrote: “Through stagnant water, thick with scum and rotting flowers, we drifted towards the burning ghats, where a coil of smoke rose into the air from a mass of ashes no longer recognizable as a body. One pyre, neatly stacked in a rectangular pile, had just been lit, and the corpse swathed in white, protruded from the middle.” [Source: Eyewitness to History, edited by John Carey, Avon, 1987]

”An old man surrounded with marigolds, sat cross-legged on the step above. Men were supporting him and rubbing him with oil and sand, he submitted limply to their ministrations, staring, wide-eyed, towards the sun…’Why are they massaging him like that?’ I asked the guide…’Because he is dead.’”

”And then I saw them unfold him from his limp position and carry him towards the stack of wood. Yet he looked no more dead than many of the living around him. They put him face downwards on the pyre, turned his shaved head towards the river, piled wood on top of him and set it alight with brands of straw, pouring on him butter and flour and rice and sandalwood.”

 ”The ceremony was performed with detatchment and a good deal of chat, while uninterested onlookers talked among themselves. When I drifted back, some ten minutes later, the head was a charred bone and a cow was placidly munching the marigold wreathes…The body takes about three hours to burn. Sometime less if more wood is added. The richer a family is the more wood they can afford. While its burning Dom teenager poke at the logs as if it were a campfire. Sometimes cows stand around the fire to get warm.”

 “When the wood is burned to ashes, the breastbone f the deceased is often still intact. It is given to the eldest son who tosses it in the Ganges. After the family of the deceased leaves Dom children descend on the on the ashes looking for coins, nose studs or gold teeth.”

Doms and Hindu Cremation

busy Ghat The cremations in Varanasi and other places are preformed by the Doms, a subcaste that makes their living burning bodies for cremations for a fee that ranges considerably depending on the wealth of the family. The Doms are a caste of Untouchables. Touching a corpse after death is viewed as polluting and thus only Untouchables are designated to do this kind of work. So terrible is this work supposed to be the Doms are expected to weep when their children are born and party when death releases them from macabre responsibilities.

In addition to charging money for performing the cremations the Doms also take a cut from the exorbitantly-priced wood sold near the ghats. The Doms in Varanasi have become very wealthy from their trade and some Indians have accused them of “extortion” over the high prices they charge and the fact they often take money from poor families that struggle to come up with the money for the cremations. Because they are the only ones allowed to perform the cremations, the Doms have established a monopoly and are allowed to charge exorbitant prices because they have no competition. When customers can’t pay the full price the Doms are hold back the supply of wood and bodies end up half-burned.

In the 1980s the Dom Raja controled the ghats and the supply of wood used to burn the 35,000 or so bodies brought to Ganges in Varanasi for cremations. The Raja did not perform a cremation unless he paid in advance the $45 or so for the wood, and often he demanded an extra payment to guarantee the soul would be liberated. These payments, some claimed, made him the richest man in Varanasi. [Source:Geoffrey Ward, Smithsonian magazine, September 1985]

Describing an encounter with the Dom Raja, Geoffrey Ward wrote in Smithsonian magazine: “The Dom Raja himself sat cross-legged on a string bed inside his darkened room. Eight hangers on sat at his feet around a little table on which rests a brass tumbler and half-empty bottle of clear homemade liquor. The Dom Raja was immensely fat, nearly naked and totally bald. His thick fingers were covered with big gold rings. When he spoke she slurred his words. I had not brought him a handsome gift, he finally mumbled, so he saw no reason to speak further with me.” [Source: Geoffrey Ward, Smithsonian magazine, September 1985]

Remains in the Ganges

After the cremation the bones and ashes of the deceased are thrown into the Ganges. Even those who are not cremated near the Ganges have their ashes placed there. Rock guitarists Jerry Garcia and George Harrison are among those who had their ashes scattered in the Ganges. In the old days thousands of uncremated bodies were thrown into the Ganges during cholera epidemics, spreading the disease and producing more corpses.

Today only bones and ashes are supposed to be scattered in the river. Even so the cremation process, especially among those who can not afford the large amount of wood needed to incinerate the entire body, leaves behind a lot of half burned body parts. To get rid of the body parts special snapping turtles are bred and released in the river that are taught to consume dead human flesh but not bother swimmers and bathers. These turtles consume about a pound of flesh a day and can reach a size of 70 pounds.

In the early 1990s, the government built an electric crematorium on the side of the Ganges, in part to reduce the amount of half-burned bodies floating down the river. Even after the system was introduced most people still preferred the traditional method of cremation.

After the Hindu Cremation

After the cremation fire is extinguished the focus of the funeral ritual changes to purifying the relatives of the deceased who are looked upon as ritually impure from their exposure to the corpse. If he hasn’t done so already the eldest son or presiding male relative shaves his head and wears a white robe after the cremation. On the day after pyre was lit he often pours milk over pyre.

After the cremation family members wash themselves in water in trenches north of the pyre and pass under a cow yoke propped up by branches, and offer a prayer to the sun. They then walk off led by youngest son and don’t look back. In the first stream they encounter they bath while shouting out the name of the deceased. Afterwards they place rice and peas on the ground to confuse ghosts and then walk to a pleasant place and relate stories about the deceased. When they arrive at home they touch several objects— a stone, fire, dung, grain, a seed, oil and water—in proper order to purify themselves before they enter their houses.



Hindu Mourning Period and Departure of the Soul

Hindus believe that the soul exists in a ghost-like state for 10 to 30 days until it is ready to move on to the next stage. For ten to 30 days after a funeral, depending on the caste, the mourners are secluded from society while daily ceremonies. with special ones on 4th, 10th and 14th days, are performed to provide the souls of the deceased with a new spiritual body needed to pass on to the next life. These rites involve offering rice balls and vessels of milk to the deceased. Mourners are expected to refrain from cutting their fingernails, combing their hair, wearing jewelry or shoes, reading sacred texts, having sex and cooking their own food. If not properly performed the soul may become a ghost that haunts its relatives.

 After the tenth day, the soul move on and the mourners are regarded as purified. The 12th day after a death has special meaning for Hindus. It is when the soul passes on to the next life. The day is marked by special prayers. A caste dinner is given on the 12th or 13th day after special “ritual of peace” is performed to mark the ending of the mourning period . The ritual involves the chanting of mantras while making a fire and placing four offerings in the fire and touching a red bull.

The full mourning period lasts two weeks to a year depending on the age of the deceased and the closeness of the relationship to him or her. At the end of a mourning period for his mother a son shaves his head. Sometimes this is done in a river and the hair carried away is a “sign of renewal.” When the morning period is complete the eldest son become the head of the family and the wife of a deceased man becomes a widow.

There are restrictions on eating salt, lentils, oil and a number of other foods during the mourning period. Restrictions on the eldest son are even stricter. He often can eat only one meal a day consisting of rice, ghee and sugar and must shave all the hair from his body and conduct hours of rituals and take periodic ritual cold baths for a period of mourning that lasts up to one year. 

 Rites with offerings known as shaddha are periodically held after a person has died to nourish the soul in the afterlife. The rites are often performed once a year and feature a feast with a plate of food of food offered to the dead. Hindu believe the living must feed the dead living in the World of the Fathers. If the ancestors are properly taken care of they will reward the living with prosperity and sons. The shaddha is thought to day back to the Aryans. It is viewed as a meeting between the living and the dead. The souls of the dead who are nor properly buried are thought live outside the World of Fathers as ghosts that torment their relatives until they are there. custom ["World Religions" edited by Geoffrey Parrinder, Facts on File Publications, New York]

Source: http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1343=55=354

Aghora: At the Left Hand of God

AGHORA: At the Left Hand of God This trilogy forms a portion of the story of the Aghori Vimalananda. An aghori is a practitioner of Aghora, the spiritual discipline that takes Tantra to its farthest limits. For Vimalananda Aghora was a wholly internal process that eliminates all commonly-accepted restricitions to the human faculties of perception. He defined an Aghori in this way: “An Aghori is beyond the bounds of the earthly shackles; nay, something above the elements which shape the universe, and you. He takes a sort of intoxicant and thus gets intoxicated in Supreme Love which emanates from the innermost recesses of his heart. Shall I call it interiority? It is that part which is beyond awareness. He gives off the best part of love. Why part? Part of the Supreme, Universal Love, where one experiences, with the help of perception, All-in-One/One-in-All. When you, the finite, merge into infinity what dost thou not know? During this stage he merges with his own deity so that he becomes Him — capital H. That is why he is said to have gone from darkness to divine enlightenment. This is an Aghori.”

Aghora: At the Left Hand of God is the first book in the Aghora trilogy. Written almost entirely in Vimalananda’s own words, it presents events from his life, tenets of his philosophy, and highlights from his spiritual practices. Designed partly to shock and partly to comfort, but wholly as an offering to his Beloved, Aghora is as clear a picture as possible of a man who was a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Vimalananda insisted that this book be published only after his demise, that he might be spared pursuit by those whose curiosity might be inflamed by some of the sensational events described within. He believed in devoting his all to the pursuit of the direct perception of Reality, and advised others to be similarly dedicated to attaining personal experience of God. To readers he offered this warning: “Don’t take anything I say as gospel truth. I am human, I make mistakes. Test on yourselves what I’ve told you. Try it out, experience it, and then you will know whether or not I’m telling you the truth.”

“Required reading for anyone interested in knowing and experiencing Tantra.” – Nik Douglas

http://youtu.be/PknfxJHwpuI

“Often even a sentence or two will shed more significant light on profound states of consciousness or very complex stages of meditation than the reader is likely to find in whole volumes intended to illumine the same subjects.”
Robert Masters, Ph.D.

THE '' Aghori Sadhu ''

What kind of feelings does the word cannibalism arouses? Well most of us would get disgusted, but there are people who follow cannibalism in India even now.

Foreigners Meets to Aghori sadhus To know About them 

India land of oldest society, oldest civilization, but all this time in the Indian history there was a sect dedicated to Shiva was involved in cannibalism and other very crude animal behavior. The aghori or aghouri sect has its origin in ancient Vedic system, even though these people don’t follow the main stream Vedic system but the root is the same. The word aghori in Sanskrit means non terrifying, ‘a’-‘ghori’ most of the Hindi speaking people would have heard the phrase ghor kaliyug, ghor paap, etc.. it is the same ghor, theoretically these people don’t attach themselves to anything mortal. They do things which a common man finds to be terrifying, so they overcome this terror by going through it, since they do it regularly it is a common thing for them.

In Hinduism, “there is no evil, everything is emanated from ‘Brahman’, so how could anything in this universe be impure”? this is the kind of philosophy the aghori babas follow. According to them anything in this universe is the manifestation of god itself, so everything is as pure as god and is god like, so abandoning anything is like abandoning god itself.

The aghori mainly worship lord Shiva, according to the sect every human is a ‘shava’(dead body) with emotions and they should try to become ‘Shiva’ by denying the human pleasures and involving in the aghori rituals.

Ghauri Shankar Mishra an aghori
drinking liquor in a kapala(skull cup).

The root of aghoris are as old as Hinduism itself, but the sect in its present form has its origin in Kinaram, he was an aghori ascetic and lived for about 150yrs. He was believed to be the incarnation of lord Shiva. He attained many siddhis through tapas and rituals and then helped the people with his siddhis. There is a temple in Varanasi for this baba and is the most sacred for the aghoris. Some also trace the root to Dattatreya.

The aghori is a human symbol of lord Shiva himself. The aghori lives in cemetery (shmashana), the living place for lord Shiva, this is the representation that the final abode for everyone is the cemetery. And many of the aghoris roam around naked, representing the true humans and their detachment from this world of mortals who live in the world of illusion. By this they transcend beyond human feelings of love, hatred, jealousy, pride etc..

Bhola Giri Naga Baba blowing
 the Nagaphani.

There are many aghoris walking the streets of northern India with kapala(skull cup). These aghoris eat anything, when I said anything, it really meant anything like rotten food, food from the dumps, the animal faeces, animal urine.. etc they regularly perform rites(some are so crude that it cant be explained here) to attain the highest level in aghoratva, the enlightenment. The final part of the ritual requires a minimum of one eating of putrid human flesh, and also meditating on(sitting) the dead corpse. This is the symbolic of their rise from shava to Shiva. They follow the simple rule that the universe resides in them and they try to attain enlightenment by self realization.


As the ascetic advance in his search, he attains many siddhis. Slowly they gain control over the environment. They seem to posses powers to cause a rain or to stop one. This is disturbing but this is true, even though they possess this kind of powers they will not use it, for the basic rule of aghori itself is to deny human pleasure so the change in climate is an event which should happen on its own. Whatever the ascetic says happens, I have met people who have had direct relation with the ascetic, and I cannot question the veracity of the datas. It is also said that when he curses someone, every wish of the person comes true.

A place considered dreadful by others is home for Aghoris - The Hindu cremation ground! 

There have been many aghoris in the past. Some of them being Dattatreya, Kinaram, Tailanga swamy, Aghoreshwar Mahaprabhu Baba Bhagwan Ram.
Some stories

Tailanga swami

Tailanga Swami of Benaras was a very powerful Aghori, and perhaps the only one who performed worship of Shiva at the Kashi Vishwanath temple using his own filth. And Tailanga Swami could do so because he had full realization that filth is as much a part of the Universal Soul as roses, holy water etc. The priest who saw Tailanga Swami doing such "dirty things" slapped him and ordered him out. But at the
same night, Shiva appeared in a dream to the king of Benaras and told the king about his anger since someone insulted Tailanga Swami, who's Shiva's very essence. The King then set out to find the priest and
punish him, but the priest was mysteriously found dead.


Dhuni wale baba
This refers to an incident which a man narrated to Ambar joshi about an Aghori Baba who lived in Burhanpur (near Khandwa,MP).This is what he narrated---There used to be an old Baba .People used to call him Dhuni wale baba. Now there is a samadhi of Dhune wale bab in Khandwa whre people still throng in large numbers to worship him.He used to stay ther and roamed the adjoining areas ,use to eat whatever came his way- rotten food or thrown away food .He used to utter obscenities if anyone talked to him or disturbed him even while he seemed to be doing nothing. He used to stare into the sky for hours and talk to himself. One day i saw a person come up to him and touch his feet and ask him to bless his daughter who had not been married in spite of their best efforts. The Baba uttered obscenities on him. Cursed his mother and family members and said that his daughter would go to hell. Then the man went away contented and after three days he came with some sweets and gave to the Baba who again uttered obscenities on him. I intercepted him on the way back and asked him why he respected a useless mad old man. The man remarked he is a great Baba and has cured many peoples problems. If he curses you then your problem is bound to get solved. Aghori Babas are like that he said and offered me a piece of burfi(An Indian sweet)which I gladly ate. Then I saw many other instances when the Baba uttered obscenities, people used to still go behind him even while he used to answer the call of nature. He used to throw his faeces all over people who came behind him and they used to collect it and take home as prasad.(holy).


Maldevata incident taken from ‘The Week’
Maldevta is a popular picnic spot near Dehra Dun. Thirst overtook us while trekking to Maldevta and we decided to ask for some water at a small thatched hut about a eight hundred scrubby hundred yards from the canal we were following. A dusky, well built man wearing a skimpy loin cloth emerged from the dark interior of the hut. Why, of course, we could have water, he answered. He didn't have that much left, just a couple of glasses, as he'd just finished cooking, but we were most welcome to it. Was this his permanent residence, we asked him conversationally? Oh no, he had no fixed place of stay. There was a cremation ground just a stone's thrown away, and he'd built this hut as he had been waiting for a lawaris body (homeless person's body which is generally cremated by a philanthropic organization or trust). As luck would have it, after waiting for some three months, such a body had arrived just yesterday, and he'd been able, in exchange for a good luck charm, to obtain the head of the dead man. In fact, he'd almost run out of water as he had used most of it for cooking the dead man's brain with some rice.

He brought out a blackened pot and showed us the contents. He'd already had one portion of it, and would have to space out eating the cooked brain and rice over the next three days. Repelled, chilled, yet curious, we asked him who he was. He was an aghori, he said, and Calcutta was his birthplace. After early initiation when he was just nine years old into Tantric Kali worship, he'd moved into other deeper sadhnas (disciplines), but always, it was with the forces of the dark. The rules and demands of the search for power in which he was now engaged ordained that he had to eat at least one human brain annually. Already, he had acquired the ability of divining the future. He could actually show us our future, in case we were interested. Why didn't we come in?

The Great Peacful Aghoris Symbol Of Lord shiva

Fascinated yet afraid that at this isolated spot we might end up becoming his annual meal, we left somewhat hastily, forgetting all our lessons in politeness. Over the next few days, I couldn't get the aghori out of my mind. When a brigadier and his wife came to seek a reading from the cards as they were in deep trouble with a court martial looming on the horizon, it gave me the opportunity to go back to the aghori, with the anxious brigadier and his wife in tow. After all, he had said he could show one the future. What better way of testing the claim ? He was still there, at the peak of his powers, he informed us, as he'd recently consumed the human brain. This time, we entered his hut and our eyes soon became accustomed to the dimness. The aghori requested us to sit, and as we sat cross-legged on the earthern floor, placed a lota (container) of water before us. "Look into the water" he commanded. And in the water, we saw the brigadier, older, dressed in civilian clothes. After several sequences, we saw the brigadier with the Supreme Court clearly visible in the background, and he was wearing a dark blue suit and distributing sweets to a group of people who were with him.

Some months after this amazing incident, the brigadier wanted to take a friend to meet the aghori, but when we reached there we found the hut in a sad state : it was just a bundle of grass and straw and twigs strewn on the ground. Enquiries at the cremation ground revealed that the aghori had been driven away by irate residents of Raipur, a nearby suburb. Seven years passed with only occasional meetings with the brigadier, who was no longer in active service and was fighting his case in the civil courts. One day I received a message from him. The Supreme Court was to give the verdict on his case. And when I went on the appointed day, apart from other settings, there, outside the imposing Supreme Court building, was the Brigadier, dressed in a dark blue suit, distributing sweets just as he had been seven years ago in the lota of water the cannibal aghori had placed before us.

Philosophy behind this: Aghoris are indifferent to everything. For them there is nothing good ,ideal or bad. Everything that exists in this world is essentially made up of same thing. Hence they utter obscenities, may take liqour, eat Dead human flesh and do other things which might appear to be 'uncivilised' to us.

We should respect the way chosen by these people for enlightenment. After all lord shiva is also an aghori, yes it was his another name. Many people think that aghori babas kill humans for their rituals, but there is no strong evidence for this. Since this sect has most of its rites and rituals a secret, we don’t have exact number of aghoris present in India, but you can always find few aghoris in the Kinaram aghori temple in Varanasi.

Hundreds of New Initiates to Hindu Holy order Perform Rituals on the Ganges

Hundreds of new initiates to Hindu holy order perform rituals on the Ganges

Photos chronicle the initiation of the mysterious ‘Naga Sadhus’, a  secretive Hindu sect
They undertake the ritual during Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering of people on Earth
The rite involves being covered in ash and takes place on the shores of the Ganga river
These intriguing photos show newly-initiated ‘Naga Sadhus’ perform rituals on the bank of the Ganga, or Ganges, River in the city of Allahabad in Uttar Pridesh, India, earlier today.

They were taken during Kumbh Mela, a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which the faithful gather at a sacred river for a bath. It is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation; Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain.

It is the world’s largest gathering and around 80million people are expected to bathe in the river during the festival.

Revered: Newly initiated ‘Naga Sadhus’, Hindu holy men, perform rituals on the bank of the Ganga River during an Indian festival

The Naga Sadhus are highly secretive and have never divulged the details of their initiation processes
The men are taking part in the diksha, a ritual of initiation held by gurus, to become Naga Sadhus – holy men who have left behind all material attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal.

There are an estimated five million sadhus in India today and they are widely respected for their holiness. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off their karma and that of the community at large.
There are many different types of Sadhus. Naga Sadhus are known for stripping naked and covering themselves in ash.

The Naga control the religious affairs at the world’s biggest gathering and have the right to remain naked. Naga is derived from the Sanskrit for naked, ‘nagna’.

The Kumbh Mela attracts Indians from all over the vast country,
 as well as Hindus from other nations

The festival is the largest gathering in the world and is held every three years. An estimated 80million people will bathe in the water throughout the event

 

The ritual is ancient, but that doesn’t stop the zealots using modern technology to capture the event and make themselves heard
The Naga order is a highly secretive and closed group. Its initiation and rites are not made known to the public.

This year, for the first time ever, women from the Naga holy order have won the right to have their own separate camp at the Kumbh Mela.

Called the Juna Sannyasini Akhara, or the Juna Nuns’ Order, the women have their own symbolising, an anointed leader and a separate enclosure at the event.

Hinduism is the biggest religion of the Indian subcontinent, and includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Śrauta, among numerous other traditions. It is not so much a rigid set of beliefs but an amalgamation of practices, cultures and spiritual beliefs.

The holy men walk hand-in-hand to the river before the ceremony begins

Faith: The diksha, or ritual of initiation, attracts followers of all ages and backgrounds

NAG PANCHAMI - Festival Of '' COBRA-SNAKE ''

LORD '' KRISHNA '' with KALIA ''NAG'' - SNAKE

On the fifth day of the bright half of Shravan people worship the snake, “nag”. The day is known as “Nag Panchami”. Naga Panchami is the festival of snakes celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shravan. The festival falls during the rainy months and is believed to counter the increased possibility of a snake bite during this time. People visit temples specially dedicated to snakes and worship them. Shiva temples are also favoured places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him. In South India, people craft images of snakes using cow dung on either side of the entrance to the house to welcome the snake god. Some go to worship the snake which is believed to be hiding in the holes of anthills. Or else a five hood snake is made by mixing “gandh” (a fragrant pigment), “halad-kumkum” (turmeric powder), “chandan” (sandal) and “keshar” (saffron) and placed on a metal plate and worshipped.


Women worship Ananta ( thousand-headed Ananta is Vishnu’s couch and also holds up the earth) the cosmic snake in temples. Shiva is also worshipped since he wears snakes as ornaments. Snakes are feed milk and sweets, and released into the forests. Worshippers search for holes where snakes are likely to be found. When they have found a hole, they make periodic visits, placing before it milk, bananas, and other food that the snake is likely to fancy.

Legend
The Snake and the Farmer
A farmer was ploughing his field. At the edge of the field there was an anthill which he inadvertently destroyed with the plough, and thus the young serpents that were hiding in it were killed. The mother snake had casually gone out. When she came back she could not find her young ones. At last she found them cut into pieces. She was furious and understood that the farmer had killed them. She was bent on taking revenge.

At night when the farmer was sleeping with his wife and children, the snake came full of anger. She began to bite the feet of the farmer, and then one by one the feet of his wife and children. All began to cry. But the eldest daughter happened to be out of the house that night. Then the snake remembered that on the occasion of her wedding, the girl had gone to the house of her father-in-law. “I will not spare her either,” the snake resolved.

The snake ran towards the neighbouring village. She stopped before the door of a house, and saw a young girl inside. She recognized her as the farmer’s eldest daughter. The snake went in determined to bite her. But then she saw the young girl with joint hands worshipping the snake she had made out of “gandh”, and the nine “nagkule” (young snakes). She had offered them “nagane” (gram soaked and parched), “lahya” (rice blown out by parching), and “durva” (grass sacred to Ganpati), and she was praying with great devotion, “O God Snake, don’t be angry if I have committed any mistake. Accept my worship. Look after my people at home and in my father-in-law’s house. Do not bite anyone. Forgive any fault we may have committed inadvertently.”

With this the snake was pleased and came before the girl. She opened her eyes and got frightened at the sight of the snake. But the snake said, “Don’t be afraid. I shall not bite you. Tell me who you are and where your house is.” Then the snake knew well that the girl was the farmer’s daughter and felt very sorry for having killed all her people.

The snake told the girl what had happened, but told her not to cry. She gave her some nectar and told her to sprinkle it on her dead people, and with this they all came back to life.

LORD VISHNU on '' SHESHNAG'' 

Krishna and the Kaliya Snake
Nag Panchami is also connected with the following legend of Krishna. Young Krishna was playing with the other cowboys, when the ball got entangled in the high branch of a tree. Krishna volunteered to climb the tree and fetch the ball. But below the tree there was a deep part of the river Yamuna, in which the terrible snake Kaliya was living. Everybody was afraid of that part of the river.

Suddenly Krishna fell from the tree into the water. Then that terrible snake came up. But Krishna was ready and jumping on the snake’s head he caught it by the neck. Kaliya understood that Krishna was not an ordinary boy, and that it would not be easy to overcome him. So Kaliya pleaded with Krishna: “Please, do not kill me.” Krishna full of compassion asked the snake to promise that henceforth he would not harass anybody. Then he let the snake go free into the river again.

On Nag Panchami day the victory of Krishna over the Kaliya snake is commemorated. For this reason Krishna is known as “Kaliya Mardan”.

On this day digging the earth is prohibited, because the serpents live under the earth or in nether world and digging may hurt or annoy them. The various purans like Agni Puran, Skanda Puran, Narad Puran, etc. They roam about the land wearing lustrous jewels and ornaments. The thousand-hooded Shesh Nag or Anant is the most earth like a chaplet on his crown. When he nods or yawns, the earth with its oceans and mountains, begin to tremble.

Celebrations
On this day, the women draw figures of snakes on the walls of their houses using a mixture of black powder, cow dung and milk. Then offerings of milk, ghee, water and rice are made. It is believed that in reward for this worship, snakes will never bite any member of the family.

In Maharashtra, snake charmers go from house to house carrying dormant cobras in cane baskets, asking for alms and clothing. 

In Kerala, snake temples are crowded on this day and worship is offered to stone or metal icons of the cosmic serpent Ananta or Sesha. Altars in many Kerala homes have a silver or copper cobra that is worshipped and offered milk and sweets as families pray for the welfare of their children and for prosperity.

In Punjab, the festival is celebrated in September-October and is called Guga Naumi. A snake made of dough is taken round the village in a basket, and an offering of flour and butter is made from each house. The ‘snake’ is then buried. 

In West Bengal and parts of Assam and Orissa, the snake deity worshipped on Naga Panchami is the goddess Manasa.