FREE SEX IN A HINDU TEMOLE FESTIVAL
The Kuthandavar-Aravan festival is an enactment of a legend from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. According to the epic, Prince Aravan had to be sacrificed by the Pandavas to win the war against the Kauravas. Aravan asked to get married and enjoy sexual bliss on his last night. To fulfil this wish, Krishna took on a female form, married Aravan and became a widow
Indi'S transgender community believes Krishna'S female avatar was its first ancestor. "The festival gives the transgender community acceptability in its own eyes. It feels there is a background to its lives and that its members are not plain queer." says Kumaramangalam.
On the last night of the festival, the eunuchs get married to the Aravan idol. The temple priest ties a matrimonial tHRead - called a thali - around the neck of all the brides, to the beat of marriage music and the chanting of mantras.
Then, as per legend, they consummate the marriage. "Sex has a religious sanction that night. Everybody does it - either with their own partners or someone they pick up at the festival. ""says Prakriti???'s Kumaramangalam. Given the housing space crunch in Koovagam, the sprawling paddy fields come handy. ???The fields are full of copulating couples at night,. "says Kumaramangalam.
The free sex at the festival has begun attracting a lot of outsiders in recent years. ""ten per cent people attending the festival are outsiders. They come looking for easy fun," says Kumaramangalam.HIV thrives in these high-risk settings. ""here is intense multi-partner homosexual activity and low usage of condoms. There is also a risk of the infection spreading to the general population. "says Kumaramangalam.
In the last few years, NGOs have begun setting up safe-sex stalls and mobile clinics for distributing condoms and organising awareness programmes. ???Even the cultural programmes and Miss Koovagam competitions we organise have the HIV issue weaved into them," says ARM's Mathew.
On the last day of the festival, the morning after the wedding revelry, an image of Aravan is paraded around the village and then destroyed. The now-widowed eunuchs break their thalis and bangles and don white saris. The mourning is marked by dramatic wailing and chest beating.
The mourning seems more than symbolic. It ends the transgender community's brief escape from real life.

Vedasforall

why do you think men disregard everything in front of their eyes to believe in something unknown? Is it because society rewards only those who fortify existing beliefs? or the fact that men are trained to be emotionally weak and thus end up using religion as a crutch? The motto of the Army high school I attended was "Truth is God". BIG disparity between that and the quote "God is Truth". I find it abnormal that little children in certain schools are taught to say 'Lord, I sin everyday, pls forgive me' in their prayers. Do 5 yr olds have any concept of the word "sin"? I don't feel it has resulted in anybody becoming a better human being. Infact the word 'better' is the cause of all brutality and sin everywhere. 99% of the people you meet present a false picture of themselves. Vedanta essentially says - good and evil are two sides of the same coin, therefore there is no shame in being who you are. Live and let live.

Belief in God is something personal. Hence the personalized Gods in Hinduism and Hinduism is nothing but secular spiritualism. My belief in God stems from the fact that there is much harmony in nature. Atheism is slowly gaining acceptance in the West, which is also a belief, mind you. Men cannot do without beliefs, the end of all belief, is the end of man I believe. The sum total of everything has been found to be equal, so can our experiences be truly annihilated? Do unperceived tendencies of the past reappear again or is it just cellular transmissions of the brain? Not something all of us may understand materialistically. This 'lost balance' situation (pain & pleasure experienced by different degrees among men) shall continue because we know that sameness is destruction.

As for the other two: dogs bark, it's their job! Just ignore.

"Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance and
spoliation, India will teach us the tolerance and
gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the
unacquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit,
and a unifying, a pacifying love for all living things.
"India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit
the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of
our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our
mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals
embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village
community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India
is in many ways the mother of us all." Nothing should
more deeply shame the modern student than the recency and
inadequacy of his acquaintance with India....This is the
India that patient scholarship is now opening up like a
new intellectual continent to that Western mind which
only yesterday thought civilization an exclusive Western
thing."
- Will Durant

- Arnold Joseph Toynbee

" I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-Gita. It was
as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy,
but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old
intelligence which in another age and climate had
pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which
exercise us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The Indian teaching, through its clouds of legends, has
yet a simple and grand religion, like a queenly
countenance seen through a rich veil. It teaches to speak
truth, love others, and to dispose trifles. The East is
grant -- and makes Europe appear the land of trifles.
all is soul and the soul is Vishnu ...cheerful and
noble is the genius of this cosmogony. Hari is always
gentle and serene - he translates to heaven the hunter
who has accidentally shot him in his human form, he
pursues his sport with boors and milkmaids at the cow
pens; all his games are benevolent and he enters into
flesh to relieve the burdens of the world."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no
touch of sectarianism. It is of all ages, climes and
nationalities and is the royal road for the attainment of
the Great Knowledge."
- Henry David Thoreau

"The Indian teaching, through its clouds of legends, has
yet a simple and grand religion, like a queenly
countenance seen through a rich veil. It teaches to speak
truth, love others, and to dispose trifles. The East is
grant -- and makes Europe appear the land of trifles.
all is soul and the soul is Vishnu ...cheerful and
noble is the genius of this cosmogony. Hari is always
gentle and serene - he translates to heaven the hunter
who has accidentally shot him in his human form, he
pursues his sport with boors and milkmaids at the cow
pens; all his games are benevolent and he enters into
flesh to relieve the burdens of the world."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a
Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if
it is not to end in self-destruction of the human race.
At this supremely dangerous moment in human history , the
only way of salvation is the ancient Hindu way. Here we
have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible
for the human race to grow together in to a single
family."
- Arnold Joseph Toynbee

TEARING THE VEIL OF HINDUISM
We understand from the Mahabharata legend that the country between the Ganga and Yamuna was ruled by a powerful Aryan tribe known as the Bharatas. There were several small kingdoms ruled by Aryan kings. In the Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra all the Aryan kings participated and were ranged either on one side or the other.. The Pandavas were determined to get back the kingdom, although legally they had no claim after Yudhisthra lost everything in the game of dice. The Pandavas wanted a war and approached Krishna and Virat for help. Arjun and his brothers provoked a war. Krishna, the ruler of Yadav and Virat, the king of Matsya supported the Pandavas. The Kauravas were also supported by other Aryan kings. But they were in a weak position after two powerful kings, Krishna and Virat, extended their support to the Pandavas out jealousy at the growing power of the Kauravas. It is clear from this incident that the Bhagwad Gita was introduced later as an appendix to the Mahabharata to project Krishna as a God and to mask the mythological nature of the Mahabharata. It is only in another section of the Mahabharata the Gita is shown as a battlefield dialogue between Arjun and Krishnan. Arjun and his brothers wanted the war and, therefore, it was a deliberate lie to state that Arjun was not prepared to kill his relatives. It is quite transparent that this scenario was deliberately created at a later stage as an interpolation in the Bhagavd Gita. All the kings had appeared at the Kurukshetra after elaborate preparation in the previous night and were waiting for the war to start. It is quite clear as day light that at the zero hour the so-called Bhagavd-Gita (song of the lord) or the battlefield dialogue of Krishna does not blend into the scenery. Various philosophical concepts ad Yoga doctrines emanating from the Gita are all copied from Buddhism and Christianity. The date of the Mahabharata is also 2nd century AD. It is a question of common sense: how ethical doctrines can be attributed to a person like Krishna who was violent, immoral and unscrupulous? Hindu scriptures tell us that Krishna married for the first time Rukmini, daughter of Bhismaa, king of Vidarbah. Bhagavata Purana says that Krishna had sixteen thousand one hundred and eight concubines. Krishna???s children numbered one lakh and eighty-thousand. Krishna???s chief wives were Rukmini, Satyabjama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitrabhinda, Satya, Bhadra and Laksmana. The remaining sixteen thousand and one hundres were married to Krishna on the same day. These wives of Krishna originally belonged to the harem of King Naraka of Pragiyotish whom Krishna defeated and killed at the invitation of Indra, whose mother???s ear-rings had been carried away. And Krishna marries women who had already slept with Pragiyotish. How funny it is to consider such a person as God? The mask of "Grand Religion" which misleads the gullible should be torn off.

TEARING THE VEIL OF HINDUISM
We understand from the Mahabharata legend that the country between the Ganga and Yamuna was ruled by a powerful Aryan tribe known as the Bharatas. There were several small kingdoms ruled by Aryan kings. In the Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra all the Aryan kings participated and were ranged either on one side or the other.. The Pandavas were determined to get back the kingdom, although legally they had no claim after Yudhisthra lost everything in the game of dice. The Pandavas wanted a war and approached Krishna and Virat for help. Arjun and his brothers provoked a war. Krishna, the ruler of Yadav and Virat, the king of Matsya supported the Pandavas. The Kauravas were also supported by other Aryan kings. But they were in a weak position after two powerful kings, Krishna and Virat, extended their support to the Pandavas out jealousy at the growing power of the Kauravas. It is clear from this incident that the Bhagwad Gita was introduced later as an appendix to the Mahabharata to project Krishna as a God and to mask the mythological nature of the Mahabharata. It is only in another section of the Mahabharata the Gita is shown as a battlefield dialogue between Arjun and Krishnan. Arjun and his brothers wanted the war and, therefore, it was a deliberate lie to state that Arjun was not prepared to kill his relatives. It is quite transparent that this scenario was deliberately created at a later stage as an interpolation in the Bhagavd Gita. All the kings had appeared at the Kurukshetra after elaborate preparation in the previous night and were waiting for the war to start. It is quite clear as day light that at the zero hour the so-called Bhagavd-Gita (song of the lord) or the battlefield dialogue of Krishna does not blend into the scenery. Various philosophical concepts ad Yoga doctrines emanating from the Gita are all copied from Buddhism and Christianity. The date of the Mahabharata is also 2nd century AD. It is a question of common sense: how ethical doctrines can be attributed to a person like Krishna who was violent, immoral and unscrupulous? Hindu scriptures tell us that Krishna married for the first time Rukmini, daughter of Bhismaa, king of Vidarbah. Bhagavata Purana says that Krishna had sixteen thousand one hundred and eight concubines. Krishna's children numbered one lakh and eighty-thousand. Krishna's chief wives were Rukmini, Satyabjama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitrabhinda, Satya, Bhadra and Laksmana. The remaining sixteen thousand and one hundres were married to Krishna on the same day. These wives of Krishna originally belonged to the harem of King Naraka of Pragiyotish whom Krishna defeated and killed at the invitation of Indra, whose mother's ear-rings had been carried away. And Krishna marries women who had already slept with Pragiyotish. How funny it is to consider such a person as God? The mask of "Grand Religion" which misleads the gullible should be torn off.

Emerson, Thoraeu, Toynbee and others have admred the religious beliefs of the Aztecs, Mayas, Zulus as ell as the ancient Egyptian and Chines. What audiq7 has to remember is that Toynbee, Emerson and Thoraeau did not become Hindus. They never wanted to become Hindus.

Ah Ha Another Son of Nomad without lineage Yeshu

Cristians are of nomadic lineage. They are so mixed up that they believe virgin gives birth to babies. yeshu2004@yahoo.com might as well be output of virgin... Sperm of unknown nomad and ova of unknown female born in test tube. His plight is so understandable. He will spend his life experimenting ith virgin birth

LONG LIVE JESUS!!!!!!! LONG LIVE HIS MOTHER MARY!!!!!!!! THE DEVIL IS ALL OVER THIS BLOG TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO FORSAKE THE ONLY NAME THAT SAVES...JESUS IS THE ONLY NAME THAT SAVES, JESUS IS THE NAME AND THE BEAUTIFUL IMAGE OF GOD THAT YOU MUST HOLD ONTO IN THE FACE OF OVERWHELMING PAIN AND SORROW....WHEN I WAS AT THE POINT OF ENDING IT ALL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BECAUSE LIFE HADNT GONE MY WAY FOR YEARS AND BECAUSE I FELT NO LOVE FROM ANYONE AROUND ME, I BELIEVED IN AN IMPERSONAL GOD OR SPIRIT, MUCH LIKE AGNOSTICS AND OTHERS INFLUENCED BY NEW AGE BELIEFS, BUT THAT WAS SMALL COMFORT TO ME IN THE FACE OF THE INTERNAL SUFFERING I WAS EXPERIENCING....DONT BE DECEIVED ANYONE!!!!....I SWEAR TO GOD TO YOU THAT THE DEVIL IS PERSONALLY TAKING PART IN THIS BLOG AND MINISTERING DIRECTLY THROUGH CERTAIN BLOGGERS!!...HE IS TRYING TO TRICK PEOPLE INTO THINKING THEY DONT NEED HIM, SO IN THEIR HOUR OF NEED THEY WILL HAVE NOTHING TO FALL BACK ON!....HE IS TRYING TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT JESUS SAID, AND TURN IT INTO SOME INTELLECTUAL MUMBO-JUMBO THAT IS EMPTY OF JESUS HEART....I AM NOT CRAZY, I JUST HAVE BEEN THROUGH A HORRIBLE ORDEAL RELATING TO THE DEVIL, JESUS MADE AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT TO SAVE MY SOUL AFTER I HAD GIVEN IT AWAY IN THE HOPES THAT I MIGHT OBTAIN THE VAIN THINGS I DESIRED...THE MINUTE I TRIED TO TURN AWAY FROM HIM, THE DEVIL USED ALL THE ANGER AND PAIN IN MY HEART TO TRY AND GET ME TO TURN IT AGAINST MYSELF...PLEASE ANYONE IF YOU ARE AT ALL IN A PRECARIOUS OR TROUBLED SITUATION, STAY AWAY FROM THIS BLOG...JESUS LOVES YOU, HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ON EARTH, ITS SWEETER THAN THE BEST WINE, ONCE YOU TASTE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF IT AGAIN, YOU WILL BELIEVE AGAIN...HE CAN TAKE AWAY THE PAIN INSTANTLY, SO YOULL FEEL FREE AGAIN...LET ALL THE TEARS FLOW!!...OTHERS MIGHT TELL YOU THAT YOU MUST PAY SOME KARMIC DEBT, WITH MANY LONG HOURS OF ATONEMENT OR MEDITATION OR NONSENSE LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS UNTRUE, AS SOON AS YOU COME BACK TO JESUS, HE WILL FORGIVE YOU AND HOLD YOU IN HIS LOVING ARMS FOREVER, AND NEVER LET YOU GO, HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN ANYONE'S, IT LASTS TILL THE END...HE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOUR HEART DESIRES AND MORE...HE LOVES YOU, IF HE WAS ABLE TO LOVE ME, THEN HE IS ABLE TO LOVE ANYONE NO MATTER WHAT...YOU MUST BELIEVE, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN HIS NAME, BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!I FELT COMPELLED TO WRITE THIS BECAUSE OF A HEAVINESS IN MY HEART FOR SOMEONE....JESUS WOULD GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO SAVE ONE LOST SOUL AND WOULD CONSENT TO BE SACRFICED ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THAT PERSON, THAT IS HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU!...HES RIGHT BESIDE YOU, YOU JUST HAVE TO TURN AND LOOK, HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE PAIN INSIDE, AND HE WANTS TO TAKE IT FROM YOU!!!!!!

That is the best thing you can do. Obviously you are not equipped to debate. All you can do is cut and paste. No reasoning - just like your culture and religion.

Hence the personalized Gods in Hinduism and Hinduism is nothing but secular spiritualism

My foot. - again!

Does Hell Really Exist? Is There a Satan?
There is no eternal hell, nor is there a Satan. However, there are hellish states of mind and woeful births for those who think and act wrongfully--temporary tormenting conditions that lift the fiery forces within. Aum.
Bhashya
Hell, termed Naraka, is the lower astral realm of the seven chakras below the muladhara. It is a place of fire and heat, anguish and dismay, of confusion, despair and depression. Here anger, jealousy, argument, mental conflict and tormenting moods plague the mind. Access to hell is brought about by our own thoughts, words, deeds and emotions--suppressed, antagonistic feelings that court demons and their aggressive forces. Hell is not eternal. Nor is there a Satan who tempts man and opposes God's power, though there are devilish beings called asuras, immature souls caught in the abyss of deception and hurtfulness. We do not have to die to suffer the Naraka regions, for hellish states of mind are also experienced in the physical world. If we do die in a hellish state of consciousness--burdened by unresolved hatred, remorse, resentment, fear and distorted patterns of thought--we arrive in Naraka fully equipped to join others in this temporary astral purgatory. The Vedas say, "Sunless and demonic, verily, are those worlds, and enveloped in blinding darkness, to which all those people who are enemies of their own souls go after death." Aum Namah Sivaya.
Aging With Dignity
Siva's ardent souls grow old gracefully, without fear, knowing that the soul is immortal and the mental body does not age, but becomes stronger and more mature, as do the emotions, if regulated stage by stage. Aum.

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/study/mc/todays_lesson.shtml

Adick,
where did you see little children saying, "Lord I sin everyday".! Do you think it is the euivalent of saying "forgive me my tresspasses as I forgive those who resspass against me?". You keep writing nonsense like the "sum total of everything should be neutral".. , who said so? Does it mean if 50 percent says earth is round, the other 50 should be saying it is flat? Is in't there only one truth?
Are you sure your schools dictum was "truth is God?', what was it really in Indian language? you don't remember obviously, because you are not sticking to that principle.