JnaanaSudha

Mother

2013-05-12T21:24:00.000+05:30

The synonym for love,The synonym for care.
The angel to whom we can always adhere
blessed with warmth,sympathy,touch and flair
Like mother there is nobody else anywhere

A friend, with whom we can always share
A mentor who mends life in a way bizarre
A deity, who for her child is always there.
Like mother there is nobody else anywhere.

Her emotions, her thoughts remain up in the air
Her intuition for her child goes wrong very rare
Her decisions for her child are always fair
Like mother there is nobody else anywhere.

There is no pain of her child's, which she cannot bear.
There is no feeling of her child's, which she cannot be aware.
For her child's happiness she can move mountains better be beware!
Like mother there is nobody else anywhere.

Happy Mother's Day

Dal fry

2013-03-07T09:56:00.001+05:30

I would like to share recipes of dal fry, alu matar and channa masala which are given by my elder sister.

I have tried these many times and felt its worth sharing because of its mouth watering taste.

Ingredients:

Oil - 4-5 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion -1 (big sized, chopped)

Green Chillies - 2-3 ( splitted)

Tomato-1(medium sized chopped)

Coriander powder -1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Cooked toor dal - 2 cup

Coriander leaves - 3 tsp (chopped)

Kasuri methi leaves - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt to taste

Procedure :

1. Pressure cook toor dal after washing it well with water and mash the cooked dal if you like it mashed.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.

3. After cumin seeds crack, Add chopped onion and chillies and fry till the onions turn light brown.

4. Next, Add chopped tomato and after frying for two minutes, sprinkle coriander powder and garam masala.

5. Mix well and add cooked dal and a pinch of turmeric.

6. Add salt to taste and add water to get the desired consistency

7. Bring to boil and simmer for few minutes.

8. Garnish with coriander and kasuri methi leaves and serve hot with rotis / chapatis / pulkas / rice.

Alu Matar Recipe

2013-03-07T09:53:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Oil- 4-5 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Potatoes - 4-5

Frozen peas - 1/2 cup

Onions - 2 small / 1 big (chopped)

Tomatoes - 4 (chopped)

Byadgi/Red chillies - 3

Ginger - 1 inch

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash fresh frozen peas and keep aside.

2. Cut the potatoes and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

3. Meanwhile, put cut tomatoes, red chillies and ginger in a mixer and make a paste

4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.

5. When cumin seeds crack, add onions and simmer till they turn golden brown to brown.

6. Add garam masala, coriander powder and red chilli powder and mix well.

7. Next, Add cooked potatoes, peas and the paste from the mixer and mix well.

8. Add a spoon of sugar and add salt to taste.

9. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Serve hot with roti/pulka/chapati.

Channa Masala Recipe

2013-03-07T09:49:00.000+05:30

Ingredients :

Oil - 4-5 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa - 1 and half cup (Soak overnight)

Onions - 2 (chopped)

Tomatoes- 3-4(chopped)

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Channa masala - 2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Cooriander powder - 1 tsp

Kasuri methi leaves- 3 tsp

A pinch of Turmeric and

Salt to taste.

Procedure :

1. Remove water from the soaked channa and add fresh water and salt to it.

2. Pressure cook the soaked channa with fresh water for 5- 6 whistles and allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.

3. After opening the lid, take 1/2 cup of cooked channa from the cooker and put it in mixer and make a paste.

3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.

4. After the cumin seeds crack, add onions and fry till it turns brown.

5. Add garam masala, channa masala, red chilli powder, coriander powder and a pinch of turmeric and mix well

6. Next, Add chopped tomatoes and add the cooked channa along with the water .

7. Add the paste from the mixer and add salt to taste.

8. Add kasuri methi and sprinkle channa masala and garam masala once again and pressure cook the contents for 1 whistle.

9. After 1 whistle, allow the steam to escape and enjoy hot and delicious channa masala with roti/chapati/pulka.

Prayer of Tiger Lover

2013-03-03T00:27:00.001+05:30

Slow and strong moves the tiger,
with no match to its power and vigor.
crouching and roaring loud and clear,
walks the forest king,the forest savior.

Tell me a place where men does not interfere?
He wants to kill tiger and prove he is superior.
He comes to forest and pulls the gun trigger,
Tiger then dies and loses its rigor.

The forest is losing its worthy wild figure.
This incident is increasing year after year.
Now it has become a problem severe.
Every tiger lover is shedding a tear.

They are all having a constant fear.
That the day tiger may get extinct is coming near.
"Save tiger , Save forest" is their only prayer.
Pass this prayer and see its power.
Do this if you are real tiger lover.

Vowels of life

2013-03-02T16:23:00.001+05:30

A- Accept yourself

Each one in this world is different, that's what makes each person special. Every person has some positives and negatives, which needs to be identified and accepted. When one accepts his/her own strengths and weaknesses he/she can become a better person by turning their weaknesses into strength. Accept and Love yourself irrespective of your appearance for who you are, what you are and it shows and you will get back the same from others.

Time never comes back and if you want the same you of yours years later to come back again, its not possible. So, make the best of your time accepting and believing in yourself and make this beautiful life more beautiful.

E- Engage yourself

Idle mind is devil's workshop. So never be idle. Get involved in one or the other work. While working, avoid distractions and get into work mode. It does not matter if the task is small or big , if you are working at home or at office , what matters is how correctly you do the task you are supposed to do.

Halfhearted effort gives null results .Therefore, dedicate all your senses even when doing a simple small task. If you do that you will not only feel happy when the task gets accomplished perfectly but also will feel motivated and confident enough to take up and accomplish bigger tasks.

I- Ignore and avoid assumptions , small talks and negative people.

In life, you come across some people who speak negative all the time and are in person negative. When you come in such negative influences, you will just be wasting your time listening to their negative talks. Therefore you must ignore and avoid people who are negative and make yourself surrounded by positive people and positive talks.

Do it by looking for the best in people and things. Smile warmly, spread good cheer and enliven the life of others. Look for the lessons to be learned in every situation. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself when things do not turn your way, Do what you can to make the best of it.

O- Organize and plan things.

Ask yourself the below questions everyday.

What tasks you have to complete today?

What tasks you have been procrastinating?

What tasks you would like to do today?

Next you must make a list of tasks to be done and must prioritize the tasks as necessary and possible tasks and then must plan your every hour with the necessary task you need to do for that day and should do it accordingly.

Doing what is necessary is more important than doing what is possible . You must do what is possible only when you get time after doing what is necessary. You must visualize successfully completing the task and enjoying while doing it before you start doing any task. It makes you subconsciously prepared and inspires you to finish it on time.You will not only become time conscious and make the best use of time by doing so but also will become an organized and good planner.

U- Understand others.

Understanding is very important in every relationship.We must give as much importance to others as we give to our self. We must always put ourselves in others shoes, look from their perspective and understand their feelings. Then only we can touch their lives and their hearts.Therefore, understand your near and dear ones and have a healthy and positive relationship.

Vowels are critical part of language, without which we cannot frame words. In the same way, the above "vowels of life" which defines 5 positive aspects are of critical importance to life without which we may not be able to lead a quality life.

Dhideer Dosa or Instant Dosa Recipe

2013-02-27T16:06:00.000+05:30

Today I am posting my favorite recipe of dhidheer dosa which I got from my mother in law.

Its easy to prepare and tasty to eat. Try once and I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 and a half cup
Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Curd - 3/4 cup
jeera - 1 tsp(optional)
Salt according to taste
Finely chopped curry leaves,coriander leaves,onion, and chillies

Preparation method :

1. Add enough water to wheat flour to make a soft , lump free paste.
2. Add rice flour and curd to the paste and mix well to form dosa batter.
3. Add finely chopped curry leaves,coriander leaves, onion and chillies to the batter.
4. Add salt according to taste.
5. Leave for few minutes so that the batter becomes ready to try .
6. After few minutes put the batter on the heated frying pan without spreading it.
7. Add a teaspoon of oil on the edges of the dosa and also over it .
8. Roast it until golden brown and flip the dosa and roast for a minute and serve hot with or without chutney.

Listening, a gifted role

2012-11-15T17:28:00.000+05:30

L - LOOK INTO THE EYE

I - INSPIRE THE OTHER PERSON TO SPEAK

S - STAY FOCUSED TO EACH AND EVERY WORD

T - TRY NOT TO INTERRUPT

E - EMPATHETICALLY DEAL WITH THE OTHER PERSON

N - NULLIFY YOUR FEELINGS.

There is a saying " The first law of love is to listen" . It is definitely true because when we listen, it makes the other person feel cared and more we listen, more the other person shares. When we take time to listen thoughtfully to each and every word and the unsaid word without phrasing our own response, we knowingly or unknowingly offer unconditional love and acceptance by acknowledging "you" are as important and valuable as "me".

Leaving back our ego which says we and our ideas are somehow right and being willing to give attention to others requires effort. This extra effort gives us rewards as we give others an opportunity to be heard. When we feel down or when we are excited we express ourselves with those who really listen to us without interrupting or judging us not with the practical bossy ones. Many a times there are cases where people go to psychologists just to get an opportunity to be heard . They pay and make sure that they are listened. More than the advise they get, they get a feeling of well being when they feel they are listened . They go home lighthearted and refreshed. It is because when we pour out our problem to someone, we will know what to do about it our self.

How can one become a better listener? It is hard yet worth to be. Willing to listen is not just enough . One must really listen. Only then the magic begins. True listeners are those who allow you to be yourself no matter what , even at your very worst. They laugh and get delighted with any manifestation of yourself may be good or bad because they know if you are bad tempered you are not always so .They do not love you just when you are nice, they love all of you. When a person is angry , they listen to his ache .When a person is sad , they listen to his pain and this true listener becomes much more beloved.

Listening is gifted and a great role, but not talking. When we try to listen to people we love and to people whom we do not, miracles do happen. It is because of listening we love people at once and are loved by them.

Visit to Paajaka

2012-10-24T10:30:00.000+05:30

Recently we had been to a holy place near udupi named "Paajaka". The name unfolds its meaning as the land of holy ponds(teerthas) created by Lord Parashurama.

When we started our journey we got to know about the meaning hidden in each letter of 'Paajaka' by my father in law. Let me share it with you readers too.
'pa' means jagatpalaka (protector of the world)

'aja' means the one who has no birth (janana) or death (marana ) and

'ka' means holy water.

Thus within the name lies its meaning.

After knowing this we decided to visit the holy teerthas too in addition to visiting the place 'Paajaka'.

One might have seen Paajaka but would have rarely been to all the four teerthas as they are located amidst lush green forests and rocky hilltops in 4 different directions around Paajaka.

We also got to know that these 4 teerthas were created by Lord Parashurama particularly in this place as there was no water in this hilly green terrain. To brief you , Lord Parashurama with his 4 ayudhas(weapons) parashu, dhanus, gadaa and ardachandrakruti baana created Parashuteertha, Dhanusteertha, Gadaateertha and Baanateertha respectively and each teertha resemble the shape of the weapon with which it is created. It is believed that taking holy bath in each of these teerthas has some positive effects.

Though we dint take bath in it and did 'prokshane' we were able to feel the sacredness of the divine teerthas. We were amazed by the sereneness of the placid atmosphere around and dint miss the chance of taking snaps . Below are the snaps of the four teerthas.

1. Parashuteertha

2. Dhanusteertha

3.Gadaateertha

4.Baanateertha

The antiquity here will make one feel solace. One who is spiritual will surely feel enduring devotion and piety and the rest will carry an everlasting memory of this hushed place.

Another place of prominance here is kunjarugiri or vimaanagiri. It seems that Goddess Durga in kunjarugiri is beautified with four teerthas.

kunjarugiri or vimaanagiri

It is believed that after creating the four teerthas, Lord Parashurama installed Goddess Laxmi as Durga devi on top of the hill in kunjarugiri and has taken abode on the hill opposite to it. Hence paajaka is also known as "Kshetra of LaxmiNarayana"

When we visited hillocks of kunjarugiri, ,abodes of Shri Durga and Lord Parashurama, we could feel the existence of God. My father in law told, as the hill appears like "kunjara" (Elephant) this place is referred as "Kunjarugiri" . Also it is believed that all the gods and goddesses came by "Pushpaka vimaana" to shower flowers when Mother Durga was consecrated on the hill by Lord Parashurama.Hence the place is also known as "Vimanagiri" or "Durga betta". One can reach here by car or auto as there is a motarable road apart from steps. We can also find the "Parashurama Cave" on this hill which is said to represent the divine presence of Lord Prashurama even today.

One more influencial place of Lord Parashurama here is the parashurama mandira situated on a single stone hill,opposite to Durga betta. It is said that this temple is the one and only temple of Lord parashurama. Below are its snaps

Paajaka kshetra , bestowed with nature's beauty is also famous as "Kulaguru Kshetra". since Jagatguru Sriman Madwacharya was born here on vijayadashami day of 1238 AD,770 years in the past.

The sacred association of madwacharyaru to this place makes Paajaka an important place in the religious orb.We can find supernal miracles of madwacharyaru in this place.

According to traditional narrations, Sri Madwacharyaru was born after 12 years of rigorous prayer to Lord Ananteshwara by his parents Madhyageha bhattaru and vedavati . It is said that a mentally challenged person had climbed dwajastambha in udupi and danced announcing Vayudevaru will take his 3rd incarnation as Sriman Madwacharya in Paajaka and astonishingly Madhwacharyaru took birth after this incident and have showed many miracles.If I start to explain about the miracles of the life and times of Madwacharayaru this blog will not be enough.One has to visit this place in order to know more.

We visited the place where Madwacharyaru lived. Their family deity is worshipped here. It is now called "Sri Anantapadmanabha Mandira" as Sri Ananthasana Utsavamurthy of Udupi is placed in this temple. Below is the pic of the temple which was taken and also the pic of Lord Ananthapadmanabha given to us by aacharis.

We were awestruck to see the historical evidences like the Aksharabyasa stone, Stone slabs to cover the vessels of milk and curd, the Tintrini vriskha, Banyan tree , Mark of child Madwa's toe where serpent Manimantha was slain etc. In the place of each and every archaeological evidence we can find a board which describes the story behind. We read the stories and had a talk with the aacharis there and got to know more information.

Inside the temple there is "Vasudevateertha", The holy pond created by Sriman Madwacharyaru with His Danda. This pond is believed to possess the sanctity of all the four teerthas.

Vasudevateertha

Near to this temple in the south west direction there is "Sriman Madwa Mandira" where we can find the footprint and idol of Madhwacharayaru. This idol was installed by Sri Vadiraja Swami

Sriman Madwa Mandira

Paajaka is a place of eternal inspiration to devotees. It is a place where one can find potent protection of Lord Parashurama, Goddess Durga and Sriman Madwacharyaru and also one can feel the divinity of the holy teerthas.

The shrine's divine atmosphere, green hillocks , sacred teerthas , Parashurama Cave , abodes of Lord Parashurama and Goddess Durga in kunjarugiri plus the concatenation of Sriman Madwacharyaru with this place distinguishes Paajaka from other holy places.

Please note that :

Paajaka is around 15 kms away from udupi. We reached there by catching a bus to subhashnagara from udupi main bus stand. It takes around 15-20 minutes to reach subhashnagara. From subhashnagara one can go to paajaka by rickshaw.

One can visit the 4 teerthas around paajaka by hiring a rickshaw from paajaka if there is no vehicle.

Apart from festival days, ekadashi, dwadashi and other vratha days, we can put 'Hastodaka' for lunch on or before 12:30 pm within the temple premises. However the time may vary a bit depending on the number of people over there.

At present construction work is going on in kunjarugiri so devi darshana may not be possible as they will open 'garbhagudi' for just few minutes in the morning for pooja . We got to know that by mid of Feb 2013 construction work will complete. Please contact 0820-2559444,0820-2009009 for timings and other details.

Paajaka is now in control of Kaniyuru Mutt . Sri Vidya Vallabha Teertharu has taken the incharge of Kaniyuru Mutt.

For more information, Please contact the below address:

Sri pajaka kshetra, kunjarugiri
Udupi 574105
Contact Numbers: 0820 - 2559013, 0820 - 2009013
Mob : 9448952913

Route map for Paajaka Kshetra:

A-> Paajaka Kshetra
B-> Sri Durga Devi Temple

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