Resources for teaching Hindu shlokas and other stuff to kids and other people

Today is Saraswati Pooja day. It is the ninth day of Navratri (nine nights), a special time of the year when the Devi (Shakti) is worshipped. On Saraswati pooja day we place books, musical instruments, art materials etc. in front of Saraswati Ma, the Goddess of Learning, to receive her blessings. To mark this special day, I am reposting the above shloka dedicated to Saraswati Ma. This is a good shloka to teach children. Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge,Wisdom and all the Arts, is most often depicted as dressed in white, sitting on a lotus flower with a Veena (musical instrument) on her lap. Saraswati namastubhyam varade kamaroopini Vidhyarambham karishyami siddhir bhavatu me sada Meaning : I salute you, Goddess Saraswati, the giver of boons. As we begin our learning, we look to you for your blessings always. Happy Navratri and Dusshera!  Sincerely, Meera Sharma

The bell is an integral part of any Hindu prayer room or pooja ritual. When you enter a temple you will often find a large bell hanging down from the ceiling. People ring it as they enter and most kids beg to be lifted up to be able to ring it! Why do we ring the bell? Is it to wake up the Lord? No, because He is ever awake and alert. Is to announce our arrival? No, because He is omnipresent. Inside the temple or outside,we are always in His presence. Temple bells are specially made to precise specifications with regard to materials used, and the size of the bell, to produce optimal tonal quality. A good bell has a resonance that is akin to the primordial, auspicious reverberation of 'OM'.  Temple bells are made with a special alloy of  metals to produce a soothing resonance. This vibration, which lasts for a few seconds, strikes a chord in our brain and all thought is blotted out. This 'thoughtless' state of mind, even for a few micro seconds, is highly bene...

   मनोजवं मरुततुल्य वेगम, जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठं वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं, श्री रामदूतं शिरसा नमामि। Manojavam Maarutatulya vegam, jitendriyam buddhimataam varishtam Vaataatmajam vaanarayutha mukhyam, shriraamadutam shirasa namami This is a prayer to Lord Hanuman, the Monkey God, whose speed, valor and loyalty to Shri Rama are legendary. Hindu ceremonies always begin with a prayer to Lord Ganesha and often end with a prayer in praise of Lord Hanuman. Meaning : He -  whose speed of mind ( manojavam ), is akin to the speed of the wind ( Maarutatulya vegam ) , who has mastered the sense organs ( jitendriyam ) , whose intellect is most superior ( buddhimataam varishtam ) , who is the son of the God of the winds ( vaataatmajam ) and the leader of the vanara-sena - army of monkeys ( vaanarayutha mukhyam ), the envoy of Shri Rama ( shriraamadutam ), Him we salute, by bowing our heads in veneration ( shirasa namami ). .

Om Namo Bhagavate  Vasudevaaya Dhanvantraye Amrutha kalasha hastaaya Sarvaamaya vinaashanaaya Trailoka Naathaaya Shree Mahavishnave Namaha ॐ नमो भगवते  वासुदेवाय धन्वन्तरये अमृत कलश हस्ताय सर्वामय विनाशनाय त्रैलोक्यनाथाय  श्री महाविष्णवे नमः।  Meaning : O Lord ! Salutations to you Lord Dhanvantri, who is none other than Vasudeva (Vishnu)! You hold in your hands the pot containing the Nectar of Immortality.You remove/destroy fear. You are the ruler of the three worlds. You are Lord Vishnu and we offer our respectful salutations to you. My sincere apologies for not posting for over two months. This summer has been a difficult one for my family because of serious medical problems. During this challenging time the only thing that has kept us strong is prayer. Prayer infuses you with energy and strength of body and mind, that you sometimes don't know you possess. I want to share with you a part...

A Thoranam is a decorative festoon that is hung across the top edge of the entrance door to the home. You may also find a thoranam adorning the doorway to the pooja (prayer)  room. Thoranam is regarded as a positive, auspicious symbol in Hinduism. The word thoranam is more widely used in South India to describe these decorative festoons. In North India too you will find these festoons decorating entrances on festive occasions. They may be called by a different name though, like bandhanwar (बंधनवार ) . The concept is the same, regardless of the name.  These festoons were traditionally made with Mango or Neem leaves. The idea behind using these leaves has its roots in Ayurveda. Mango and   Neem leaves have disinfectant properties and repel insects. They are also believed to absorb negative energies from the outside and prevent them from entering the home.  Thoranams made with plastic leaves, beads and other craft supplies are popular these d...