The Secret History Behind The Timeless Christmas Traditions

Christmas traditions can seem as old as the holiday itself—rituals that go back centuries, stuff that's just "always been that way." But, as it so happens, much of what you'd readily associate with the holiday actually happens to be part of a crop of relatively recent developments. From the color scheme of Santa's digs to the practice of hanging stockings to even the Christmas tree itself, here are the surprising backstories of some of the most familiar Christmas traditions. To learn about Christmas traditions of the past

Evergreen Christmas Trees
A number of influences brought about the modern Christmas tree. Evergreens had been used in winter festivals going back to the time of ancient Romans, who decorated them with streamers and ribbons for a Saturnalia, a six-day festival celebrating the God of Wealth. The trees were then often used in religious Mystery Plays during the Middle Ages and became especially popular in Germany as a symbol of the holiday.

Elaborately decorating them became more widespread throughout the 19th century, helped by moments such as the publication of a photograph in 1848 of an illuminated tree at Windsor Castle, which caught the interest of Americans and Europeans who wanted to follow the royal trendsetters.

“At the turn of the 20th century, only one in five families in the United States sported a Christmas tree; by 1930, the custom was almost universal.”

Christmas Tree Lots

One of the main reasons it took time for Christmas trees to catch on in the United States is that, unless you lived in a wooded area, getting access to the trees was a serious challenge. This began to change in 1851, when Mark Carr, a logger living in the Catskill Mountains, read about the growing interest in the trees and packed up 36 balsams.

As the story goes, he hauled them by steamboat to New York City, set up shop in the now-defunct downtown Washington Market, charged a dollar for each, and sold out quickly. Thus, the modern Christmas tree lot was born. And before you head out to get your tree

Red and Green
Red and green have always been components of Christmas, but it was fairly recently that they became the defining brand colors. This was due to holly and Coca-Cola. The former dates back to Romans’ winter solstice celebrations, “And just those beautiful bright red berries and those deep green leaves are the exact colors that we really come to think about when we think about Christmas.

Christmas Ornaments
During the early 19th century, trees would usually be decorated with household items like apples and cookies, then paper ornaments and dolls. Retailers like FW Woolworth and his Five and Dime Shops helped popularize store-bought (and inexpensive) glass ornaments, often sourced from German factories where they were created by hand. To illuminate the trees, candles were the go-to option for decades, despite the fact that they would often cause fires.

By the turn of the 20th century, small lanterns and glass balls that could hold the candles became more widely available and affordable. Electric Christmas lights (first invented by Thomas Edison associate Edward H. Johnson) would follow suit, soon becoming the tree decoration of choice.

This Is Why We Hang Stockings for Christmas
It has a little something to do with a man known as St. Nicholas. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care is one of the most popular Christmas traditions, but many families display theirs without wondering why. No one can be sure when and why the practice started, but some legends give us a clue.

One of the most popular origin tales starts with none other than St. Nicholas—yes, he was a real person. In the third and fourth centuries, St. Nicholas was a bishop in modern-day Turkey who made helping others his life mission, and he caught wind of a family in need.

As the story goes, a single father was raising three daughters but realized he didn’t have enough money to pay their dowries—and without dowries, they couldn’t get married. As a poor man, the father wouldn’t be able to support his daughters for long. The desperate family feared their only choice would be for the daughters to sell their bodies to make money.

St. Nicholas heard of the family’s dilemma but knew they were too proud to accept handouts. To make sure they didn’t refuse his generosity, he anonymously snuck them gold at night. Some legends say he dropped gold down the chimney, and the gifts landed in the stockings that were laid by the fire to dry, while others claim Nicholas himself hopped down the chimney. Someone—either the father or the daughters, depending on the version of the tale—caught the bishop in the act and thanked him for his help. The gifts were enough for the daughters to marry and live happily ever after.

St. Nicholas’ feast day was on December 6, and eventually, the tradition of leaving gifts in stockings was paired up with Christmas celebrations.

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This Is How Letters to Santa Were First Delivered by the U.S. Mail
Every year thousands of children write letters to Santa Claus to request the presents they want to receive from the fabled North Pole resident, and in the United States those letters are often dropped in a real mailbox. But how did that tradition start?

Some of the earliest Christmas correspondence wasn’t actually written to Santa, but rather from him. In the first half of the 19th Century, Santa Claus was more of a disciplinary figure than the jolly old fellow who sorts “naughty” from “nice” these days. Stories of Saint Nicholas were meant to encourage children to behave, and some parents even wrote letters “from” Santa Claus to their children discussing their conduct over the previous year, mischievous or obedient.

The American image of Santa Claus developed throughout the 1800s, from the 1823 publication of the poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas”— now known by its first line, “’Twas the night before Christmas”—to cartoonist Thomas Nast’s Christmas illustrations in the widely read Harper’s Weekly. Nast’s drawings of Santa, which first appeared in Harper’s during the Civil War, helped create the visual references for Santa Claus that are still familiar today, including a red suit and white beard. Nast’s drawings also captured the earliest days of the postal service’s involvement in the Christmas workflow.

Mahesh Bhatt

Find Your Spiritual Side~5 ways to get started:

1. Look within.
Whether you choose an organized religion or a more individual practice, the spiritual journey is a personal one. To begin, search within and ask,What do I want out of life? Why am I here?, what is my purpose? Reflect on what spirituality means to you and what role you want it to play in your life, and you'll have a better sense of how to embark on your own path.

2. Be present.

Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, slow down, tap into your feelings as they unfold, and find the beauty in the now, whether from a friend's laugh or a starry night. Open your eyes and heart and you'll feel a sense of connectedness to the world and see that you're a part of something bigger.

3. Let go.
Put faith in the unknown and give up trying to control how your life will play out. When you embrace your spiritual side, you're choosing to believe that God, the universe, or the divine has your best interests in mind. Trust that there's something positive to be found even during tough times and that everything is happening as it should.

4. Meditate.

Meditation involves turning off your mind so you can connect with your spirit and your own peaceful center. It can be as simple as adding a one-minute pause to your day or taking a few deep breaths to create an oasis of calm in your world. That moment of quiet helps you free yourself to find insights that are typically drowned out by the noise of everyday life.

5. Stay connected.
Living spiritually is a daily choice, which requires more than going to a weekly religious service. You need to stay in touch with your own spirituality and spend time with people on a similar path. And surround yourself with visual cues such as short prayers or pictures that remind you of the person you want to be.

Mahesh Bhatt

वेद: भले ही कीसी भी धर्म मे विश्वास करता हो हर इन्सान को इतनी जानकारी आवश्यक हैं:

वेद (Vedas) दुनिया के प्रथम धर्मग्रंथ है। वेद मानव सभ्यता के सबसे पुराने लिखित दस्तावेज हैं। वेद हिन्दू धर्म के प्राचीनतम एवं आधारभूत ही नहीं बल्कि सर्वोच्च और सर्वोपरि धर्मग्रंथ हैं। प्राचीन भारत के पवित्रतम साहित्य वेद भारतीय संस्कृति में सनातन वर्णाश्रम धर्म के मूल हैं। वेदसे ही वैदिक संस्कृति प्रचलित हुई। वेद के ही आधार पर दुनिया के सभी मजहबों की उत्पत्ति हुई है। दुनियाके तमाम घर्मोके साहित्योने वेदों के ज्ञान को ही अपने अपने तरीके से भिन्न भिन्न भाषा में प्रचारित किया है।

वेदको ईश्वर की वाणी माना गया है, ऐसी मान्यता है कि इनके मन्त्रों को परमेश्वर ने प्राचीन ऋषियों को अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से सुनाया था। सृष्टि के प्रारम्भ से लेकर आज तक जिसकी सहायता से बड़े-बड़े ज्ञानी ऋषि-मुनियों को सत्यविद्या ज्ञात हुई, और क्योंकि ये ईश्वर द्वारा ऋषियों को सुनाए गए ज्ञान पर आधारित है इसीलिए इसे श्रुति कहा गया है। 'श्रु' का अर्थ है 'सुनना' और ‘(ई)ति’ का अर्थ हैं ‘हुआ’। अत: 'श्रुति' माने 'सुना हुआ (ज्ञान)। सुने गये सभी ज्ञानको जिस एक स्थानमें संग्रहित किया गया उसे वेद कहते हैं।

इष्ट (इच्छित) फल की प्राप्ति के लिये और अनिष्ट वस्तु के त्याग के लिये अलौकिक उपाय (मानव-बुद्धि को अगम्य उपाय) जो ज्ञानपूर्ण ग्रंथ सिखलाता है, समझाता है, उसको वेद कहते हैं।

जिसकी कृपा से अधिकारी मनुष्य (द्विज) सद्विद्या प्राप्त करते हैं, जिससे वे विद्वान हो सकते हैं, जिसके कारण वे सद्विद्या के विषय में विचार करने के लिये समर्थ हो जाते हैं, उसे वेद कहते हैं।

पुरुषार्थचतुष्टय (धर्म, अर्थ, काम औ मोक्ष) विषयक सम्यक-ज्ञान होने के लिये साधन भूत ग्रन्थ विशेष को वेद कहते हैं। किंतु याद रहे की जिस (नरपुंग्डव) को आत्मसाक्षात्कार किंवा आत्मप्रत्यभिज्ञा हो गया, उसको ही वेद का वास्तविक ज्ञान होता है।

वेद प्राचीन भारत के वैदिक काल की वाचिक परम्परा की अनुपम कृति है, जो पीढ़ी-दर-पीढ़ी पिछले पाँच हज़ार वर्षों से चली आ रही है। विश्व के आत्यांतिक प्राचीनतम धार्मिक ग्रंथों होने के बावजूद, वेदोंके पवित्र मन्त्र आज भी बड़ी आस्था और श्रद्धा से पढ़े और सुने जाते हैं।

वेद शब्द संस्कृत भाषा के "विद्" धातु से बना है, "विद्" का अर्थ है जानना, ज्ञान इत्यादि। सामान्य भाषा में वेद का अर्थ होता है ज्ञान। वेद पुरातन ज्ञान विज्ञान का अथाह भंडार है। इसमें मानव की हर समस्या का समाधान है। वेदों में ब्रह्म (ईश्वर), देवता, ब्रह्मांड, ज्योतिष, गणित, रसायन, औषधि, प्रकृति, खगोल, भूगोल, इतिहास, धार्मिक एवं सामाजिक नियम, रीति-रिवाज आदि लगभग सभी विषयों से संबंधित ज्ञान भरा पड़ा है। वेद में अनेक प्रकार की यज्ञ-विधि का वर्णन है, सम (गाने योग्य) पदावलियाँ है तथा लोकोपकारी अनेक ही छन्द हैं। वेद में कुल मिलाकर एक लाख मन्त्र हैं। जीनमेंसे 4000 मन्त्र ज्ञानकाण्ड विषयक हैं, 16000 मन्त्र उपासना विधि के हैं, और 80000 मन्त्र कर्मकाण्ड विषयक हैं।

एसा माना गया हैं के चार मुखवाले ब्रह्माजी के हरेक मुख से एक एक वेद मिलाकर चारों मुख से चार वेद़ो की उत्पत्ति हुई। वैदिक ग्रंथ ‘शतपथ ब्राह्मण’ के एक श्लोक के अनुसार अग्नि, अनिल, आदित्य और अंगिरा ने तपस्या की और क्रमशः ऋग्वेद, यजुर्वेद, सामवेद और अथर्ववेद को प्राप्त किया। प्रथम तीन वेदों को अग्नि, वायु और सूर्य से जोड़ा जाता है और संभवत: अथर्वदेव को अंगिरा से उत्पन्न हुआ माना जाता है।

प्रारम्भावस्था में वेद केवल एक ही था, और उस एक ही वेद में अनेकों ऋचाएँ थीं, जो “वेद-सूत्र” कहलाते थे। ब्रह्मांडके समस्त विषयों से सम्पन्न एक ही वेद सत्युग और त्रेतायुग तक रहा। द्वापरयुग में महर्षि

कृष्णद्वैपायन व्यासने वेद को चार भागों में विभक्त किया। संस्कृत में विभाग को “व्यास“ कहते हैं, अतः वेदों का व्यास करने के कारण वे महर्षि “वेदव्यास” कहलाने लगे। महर्षि व्यास के पैल, वैशम्पायन, जैमिनी और सुमन्तु- यह चार शिष्य थे। महर्षि व्यास ने पैल को ऋग्वेद, वैशम्यापन को यजुर्वेद, जैमिनी को सामवेद और सुमन्तु को अथर्ववेद की शिक्षा दी।

महर्षि व्यास के अनुसार वेद के जो चार विभाग हुए वो हैं: ऋग्वेद, यजुर्वेद, सामवेद और अथर्ववेद। ऋग-स्थिति, यजु-रूपांतरण, साम-गति‍शील और अथर्व-जड़। ऋक को धर्म, यजुः को मोक्ष, साम को काम, अथर्व को अर्थ भी कहा जाता है। इन्ही के आधार पर धर्मशास्त्र, अर्थशास्त्र, कामशास्त्र और मोक्षशास्त्र की रचना हुई।

1.ऋग्वेद : ऋक अर्थात् स्थिति और ज्ञान। ऋग्वेद सबसे पहला वेद है जो पद्यात्मक है। इसके 10 मंडल (अध्याय) में 1028 सूक्त है जिसमें 11 हजार मंत्र हैं। इस वेद की 5 शाखाएं हैं - शाकल्प, वास्कल, अश्वलायन, शांखायन, मंडूकायन। इसमें भौगोलिक स्थिति और देवताओं के आवाहन के मंत्रों के साथ बहुत कुछ है। ऋग्वेद की ऋचाओं में देवताओं की प्रार्थना, स्तुतियां और देवलोक में उनकी स्थिति का वर्णन है। इसमें जल चिकित्सा, वायु चिकित्सा, सौर चिकित्सा, मानस चिकित्सा और हवन द्वारा चिकित्सा आदि की भी जानकारी मिलती है। ऋग्वेद के दसवें मंडल में औषधि सूक्त यानी दवाओं का जिक्र मिलता है। इसमें औषधियों की संख्या 125 के लगभग बताई गई है, जो कि 107 स्थानों पर पाई जाती है। औषधि में सोम का विशेष वर्णन है। ऋग्वेद में च्यवनऋषि को पुनः युवा करने की कथा भी मिलती है।

2. यजुर्वेद : यत् + जु = यजु। यत् का अर्थ होता है गतिशील तथा जु का अर्थ होता है आकाश। इसके अलावा कर्म। श्रेष्ठतम कर्म की प्रेरणा। यजुर्वेद में यज्ञ की विधियां और यज्ञों में प्रयोग किए जाने वाले मंत्र हैं। यज्ञ के अलावा तत्वज्ञान का वर्णन है। तत्व ज्ञान अर्थात रहस्यमयी ज्ञान। ब्रह्माण, आत्मा, ईश्वर और पदार्थ का ज्ञान। यह वेद गद्य मय है। इसमें यज्ञ की असल प्रक्रिया के लिए गद्य मंत्र हैं। इस वेद की दो शाखाएं हैं कृष्ण और शुक्ल।

कृष्ण :वैशम्पायन ऋषि का सम्बन्ध कृष्ण से है। कृष्ण की चार शाखाएं हैं।
शुक्ल : याज्ञवल्क्य ऋषि का सम्बन्ध शुक्ल से है। शुक्ल की दो शाखाएं हैं। इसमें 40 अध्याय हैं। यजुर्वेद के एक मंत्र में च्ब्रीहिधान्यों का वर्णन प्राप्त होता है। इसके अलावा, दिव्य वैद्य और कृषि विज्ञान का भी विषय इसमें मौजूद है।

3. सामवेद : साम का अर्थ रूपांतरण और संगीत। सौम्यता और उपासना। इस वेद में ऋग्वेद की ऋचाओं का संगीतमय रूप है। सामवेद गीतात्मक यानी गीत के रूप में है।  इस वेद को संगीत शास्त्र का मूल माना जाता है। 1824 मंत्रों के इस वेद में 75 मंत्रों को छोड़कर शेष सब मंत्र ऋग्वेद से ही लिए गए हैं। इसमें सविता, अग्नि और इंद्र देवताओं के बारे में जिक्र मिलता है। इसमें मुख्य रूप से 3 शाखाएं हैं और 75 ऋचाएं हैं।

4. अथर्वदेव : थर्व का अर्थ है कंपन और अथर्व का अर्थ अकंपन। ज्ञान से श्रेष्ठ कर्म करते हुए जो परमात्मा की उपासना में लीन रहता है वही अकंप बुद्धि को प्राप्त होकर मोक्ष धारण करता है। इस वेद में रहस्यमयी विद्याओं, जड़ी बूटियों, चमत्कार और आयुर्वेद आदि का जिक्र है। इसके 20 अध्यायों में 5687 मंत्र है। इसके आठ खण्ड हैं जिनमें भेषज वेद और धातु वेद ये दो नाम मिलते हैं।

वेद के असल मन्त्र भाग को संहिता कहते हैं। मन्त्रों की व्याख्या करने वाले भाग को “ब्राह्मण” कहते हैं। चारों वेदों के चार ही ब्राह्मण-ग्रन्थ हैं, ऋग्वेद का “ऐतरेय”, यजुर्वेद का “शतपथ”; सामवेद का “पंचविंश” तथा अथर्ववेद का “गोपथ ब्राह्मण”। इन ब्राह्मण ग्रन्थों में कर्मकाण्ड विषयक अंश “ब्राह्मण” कहलाता है; ज्ञान चर्चा विषयक अंश “आरण्यक”; उपासना विषयक अंश को उपनिषद कहते हैं। इस प्रकार वेद-मन्त्रों का और ब्राह्मण-भागों का निरुपण मन्त्र, ब्राह्मण, आरण्यक और उपनिषद इन चार नामों से किया जाता हैं।

प्रत्येक वेद के साथ एक-एक “उपवेद” है। ऋग्वेद का आयुर्वेद, यजुर्वेद का धनुर्वेद, सामवेद का गंधर्ववेद और अथर्ववेद का स्थापत्यवेद (कुछ हिंदू शाश्त्रमें

इसे अर्थ-शास्त्र नामसे जाना जाता हैं) ये क्रमशः चारों वेदों के उपवेद बतलाए गए हैं।

वेद के छः अंग और छः उपांग हैं। शिक्षा, कल्प, व्याकरण, निसक्त, छन्द, और ज्योतिष तो छः अंग हैं। शिक्षा ग्रन्थ से मन्त्र उच्चारण की विधि प्राप्त होती है; कल्पग्रन्थों से यज्ञ करने की विधि; व्याकरण से शब्दों की व्युत्पत्ति का ज्ञान; निरुक्त से वेद-शब्दों के अर्थ का ज्ञान; छन्द-शास्त्र से छन्दों का ज्ञान; तथा ज्योतिष से ग्रह-नक्षत्रादि की स्थिति का तथा मानव पर उनके भलेबुरे प्रभाव का ज्ञान होता है। वेदों के उपांग “षड्दर्शन या षट्शास्त्र” कहलाते हैं।

वेदों की 28 हजार पांडुलिपियाँ भारत में पुणे के 'भंडारकर ओरिएंटल रिसर्च इंस्टीट्यूट' में रखी हुई हैं। इनमें से ऋग्वेद की 30 पांडुलिपियाँ बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण हैं जिन्हें यूनेस्को ने वैश्विक विरासत (World Haritage) सूची में शामिल किया है। यूनेस्को ने ऋग्वेद की 1800 से 1500 ई.पू. की 30 पांडुलिपियों को सांस्कृतिक धरोहरों (Cultural Heritage) की सूची में शामिल किया है। उल्लेखनीय है कि यूनेस्को की 158 सूची में भारत की महत्वपूर्ण पांडुलिपियों की सूची 38 है।

आशा करता हूँ की मेरा यह लेख आपके भीतर वेद के उपलक्षमें ज्यादा ज्ञान प्राप्त करने की ईच्छा पैदा करने में सफल रहे।

महेश भट्ट

Mantra chanting of Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali for a happy living:

According to the Hindu tradition Diwali is the last day of the year and the last month is a festive month. Hindus use to worship Goddess lakshmi during this month. I served this information to make the people of the world well aware about the power of the Mantra chanting of Goddess Lakshmi for a happy living.

Goddess Lakshmi means Good Luck to Hindus. The word 'Lakshmi' is derived from the Sanskrit word "Laksya", meaning 'aim' or 'goal', and she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual.

Lakshmi is the household goddess of most Hindu families, and a favorite of women. Although she is worshipped daily, the Hindu festive month of Ashwin or Aso is Lakshmi's special month that mostly fall in either October or November or for sometimes in December.

Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud, which stands for beauty, purity and fertility. Her four hands represent the four ends of human life those are “dharma” or righteousness, "kama" or desires, "artha" or wealth, and "moksha" or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Cascades of gold coins are seen flowing from her hands, suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth. She always wears gold embroidered red clothes. Red symbolizes activity and the golden lining indicates prosperity. Lakshmi is the active energy of Vishnu, and also appears as Lakshmi-Narayan, a couple made of Goddess Lakshmi accompanying Vishnu.

Two elephants are often shown standing next to the goddess and spraying water. This denotes that ceaseless effort, in accordance with one's dharma and governed by wisdom and purity, leads to both material and spiritual prosperity.

Worship of a mother goddess has been a part of Indian tradition since its earliest times. Lakshmi is one of the mother goddesses and is addressed as "mata", the mother instead of just "devi", a goddess.

As a female counterpart of Lord Vishnu, Mata Lakshmi is also called 'Shri', the female energy of the Supreme Being. She is the goddess of prosperity, generosity, wealth, purity, and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm.

The importance attached to the presence of Lakshmi in every household makes her an essentially domestic deity. Householders worship Lakshmi for the well being and prosperity of the family. Businessmen and women also regard her equally and offer her daily prayers.

On the full moon night following Dussehra or Durga Puja, to which, Hindu call it as Sharad purnima,  also called as Kojagiri Purnima Hindus worship Lakshmi ceremonially at home, pray for her blessings, and invite neighbors to attend the ritual worshiping called as “puja”. It is believed that on this full moon night the goddess herself visits the homes and replenishes the inhabitants with wealth. In almost same manner a special worship called as “Lakshmi pujan” is also offered to Lakshmi on the auspicious Diwali night. Click on the below given title and watch this Youtube video to know how to perform “Lakshmi pujan” on Diwali night at home:

LAKSHMIPUJA VIDEO

General Hindus use their money while businessmen use their books of accounts to offer their rituals. People use to keep lighted lamps made of clay in the form of small earthen bowl in the compound of their houses throughout the night during this festive month is a Hindu tradition. Hindus strongly believe in mantra chanting. Here are 12 different types of mantra to get blessings of Goddess Lakshmi:

1..Lakshmi Mantra 1:
This Lakshmi Mantra is to be recited at least once in a day either in the morning or in the evening:
।। ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं त्रिभुवन महालक्ष्म्यै अस्मांक दारिद्र्य नाशय प्रचुर धन देहि देहि क्लीं ह्रीं श्रीं ॐ ।।

।। Om Shring Hring Kling Tribhuvan Mahalakshmyai Asmaakam Daaridray Naashay Prachur Dhan Dehi Dehi Kling Hring Shring Om ।।

2..Lakshmi Mantra 2:
Chant this Lakshmi Mantra daily before going to your job or business:
।। ॐ ह्री श्रीं क्रीं श्रीं क्रीं क्लीं श्रीं महालक्ष्मी मम गृहे धनं पूरय पूरय चिंतायै दूरय दूरय स्वाहा ।।
।। Om Hring Shring Kreeng Shring Kreeng Kling Shring Mahaalakshmi Mam Grihe Dhanam Pooray Pooray Chintaayai Dooray Dooray Swaha ।।

3..Lakshmi Mantra 3:
This Lakshmi Mantra is to be recited 21x108 times (21 mala of lakshmi Mantra) on the day of Diwali:
।। ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौं ॐ ह्रीं क ए ई ल ह्रीं ह स क ह ल ह्रीं सकल ह्रीं सौं ऐं क्लीं ह्रीं श्री ॐ ।।

।। Om Shring Hring Kling Aing Saung Om Hring Ka A Ee La Hring Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hring Sakal Hring Saung Aing Kling Hring Shring Om ।।

4..Lakshmi Beej Mantra 1:
।।ॐ श्रीं श्रियें नमः ।।
।। Om Shring Shriye Namah ।।

5..Lakshmi Beej Mantra 2:
।। ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं लक्ष्मीभयो नमः॥
।। Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhayo Namah ।।

6..Jyesth Lakshmi Mantra:
।। ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं ज्येष्ठ लक्ष्मी स्वयम्भुवे ह्रीं ज्येष्ठायै नमः ।।
।। Om Aing Hring Shring Jyeshta Lakshmi Swayambhuve Hring Jyesthayai Namah ।।

7..Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra:
By reciting Lakshmi(Laxmi) Gayatri Mantra one can get not only wealth & prosperity but the success too:
।। ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे विष्णु पत्न्यै च धीमहि तन्नो लक्ष्मी प्रचोदयात् ॐ ।।
।। Om Shree Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidraahe Vishnu Patrayai Cha Dheemahi Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat Om ।।

8..Shree Lakshmi Narsingh Mantra:
।। ॐ ह्रीं क्ष्रौं श्रीं लक्ष्मी नृसिंहाय नमः ।। ।। ॐ क्लीन क्ष्रौं श्रीं लक्ष्मी देव्यै नमः ।।
।। Om Hring Kshraung Shring Lakshmi Nrisinghay Namah ।। ।। Om Kling Kshraung Shring Lakshmi Devyai Namah ।।

9..Ekadashakshar Siddha Lakshmi Mantra:
।। ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं श्रीं सिध्द लक्ष्म्यै नमः ।।
।। Om Shring Hring Kling Shring Sidhda Lakshmyai Namah ।।

10..Mahalakshmi Mantra 1:
Mahalakshmi Mantra is recited for getting the blessings from goddess Mahalakshmi for the gain of wealth and prosperity:
।। ॐ सर्वाबाधा विनिर्मुक्तो, धन धान्यः सुतान्वितः। मनुष्यो मत्प्रसादेन भविष्यति न संशयः ॐ ।।
।। Om Sarvabaadhaa Vinirmukto, Dhan Dhaanyah Sutaanvitah | Manushyo Matprasaaden Bhavishyati Na Sanshayah Om ।।

11..Mahalakshmi Mantra 2:
।। ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्मयै नम: ।।
।। Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmaye Namah ।।

12..MahaLakshmi Yakshini Vidya:

।। ॐ ह्रीं क्लीन महालक्ष्म्यै नमः ।।
।। Om Hring kling Maha Lakshmyai Namah ।।

Happy Diwali to you all, May Goddess Lakshmi bless you….

Mahesh Bhatt

BE THE CHANGE BECAUSE YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

   

Diwali festival is a time to have spread joy and cheer. let’s not restrict it just to our friends and family this time. Make your Diwali festival more joyous not by mere bodily but by heart. Spare just few moments to think for the poor children of your neighborhood.

A small effort from you can light up the life of a child in need and in that process you can also Educate, Entertain, bring Smile and make them feel that they are a Part of Us. Give them hope. Sell them dreams. Play with them and teach them some good habits. Do this Good Karma. It will be your best Diwali gift ever! Worth claps and admiration!!

Donate old clothes & other household items- You can also carry forward this initiative and can collect clothes and other old items from your neighbors, office, school, etc and can donate among poor children.

Donate Food- Once in a while, make food packets and give it to poor children. It is like a drop in the ocean but it will really feed those 15-20 kids at that time. So, it's worth the effort.

Get poor kids into Government school- Convince their parents to send their kids to schools. They are almost free but still many don't go to school. A small effort in this direction will be highly appreciated.

Encourage others- To help people who are earning less like Maids, Watchman, Washer-man, Driver, etc. May be a one time help of INR 5000-10000 Rupees on the treatment of a kid of an underprivileged person will go a long way.

Arrange a Buffet for poor kids- If there is a function at your home or neighborhood then you can volunteer to donate the left out food to a poor children so that rather that getting wasted that can feed some poor hungry people.

Please don't forget to watch these three videos. Just click on the below given titles:

Helping poor Children

Really Most Heart touching video

The Poverty of India- will it ends?

I  have one great suggestion from the perspective of undergrad student- For all those who have just completed their graduation, the best way for an undergrad student to support poor children is by sharing knowledge he has gathered in so many years. As the education system in India for poor children is crippled, this way you are actually help them in building their future which is far much noble than giving them money. Do not feel shy in going alone to slums to teach children.

If you add to your teaching activity once in a year (or more as per your desire)- fund raising events, food donation, cloth donation, motivation sessions etc., there will be overall development of you and poor children, and that way of our entire society.

Let's first ask ourselves, What is Society? - the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.

By Betterment of Society What do we Wish to Do?:

Upliftment of Society?
Qualities to Improve Collective Action?
Friendship and Mutual Support?
Science and Education?
Spiritual and Moral Upliftment?
Individual and Social Transformation?
Global Solidarity?
Gender Equality?
Mutual Respect?

The Fact is, we already know what we need to do for the betterment of the society, What we need to figure out is "How"?

It is very well said by Mahatma Gandhi that 'Be the change that you wish to see in the world.’

Pick an area on which you wish to work on, and discuss with an open perspective and absorb what you feel about it and keep exploring by talking about what you feel with your circle, but don't form an opinion yet. Slowly, Start Expanding your Horizon of Knowledge. And soon what you will do will start affecting people around you.  

Society is held together by our need. We bind it together with legend, myth, coercion, fearing that without it we will be hurled into that void, within which, like the earth before the Word was spoken, the foundations of society are hidden.

The undermentioned is a list of just few things a person needs to do for the betterment of society:

1. Stop supporting useless and nonsense social costumes and rules. Even if leaders of the society give reasons like ‘this is our culture/morality/ethics’ or like ’our ancestors have been doing this for ages’, try hard to dissociate yourself from social evils.

2. Stop teaching your kids about social evils. Kids are going toconstitute the society in future. You are present, ensuring well being of future is your responsibility even at the cost of past. So don’t let your kids learn about bad things of the society. Teach them that they are free to change the rule as per requirement as rules are made to make life easy.

3. Find people like you and create a new society, slowly replacing the old one . A society is a group of people collaborating among each other for living. A group of good people will make good society.

Hope this Diwali festival will be proved the best ever of your life and you will soon be a part of a good as well as happy society…...


Mahesh Bhatt