Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Ganesh The Lord of Obstacles

Ganesh is one of the most iconic gods of Asia, probably because of his distinct physical attributes. His images are found throughout India, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Indonesia, and several other countries. The typical representation of Ganesha is a human body with a pot belly and an elephant head. There are many stories about how he acquired his elephant head; many insist that he was born with it, but the majority say he got it later on. One story says that Shiva beheaded Ganesh when he came between Shiva and Parvati (Hindu goddess of power) and that Shiva later replaced his head with an elephant head. My favorite explanation, and probably the most logical one is that Ganesha's mother was showing her new baby off to the other gods, but unfortunately the god Shani, who is said to have the 'evil eye', looked at the baby causing his head to burn to ashes. Then Vishnu came to the rescue and gave the baby a new head, which happened to be that of an elephant.


What's more important than the bizzare physical attributes of Ganesh is the worship and beliefs associated with him. He is worshiped mainly as a remover of obstacles. He also will give obstacles to those who need to be checked. Ganesh is also believed to personify the primal sound, aum.

 

Ganesh is said to reside in the first chakra, Muladhara. This is the main chakra at the base of the spine, where Ganesh supports the rest of the chakras, governing 'the wheel of life'. Besides his obvious role in Hinduism, Ganesh is also seen in some practices of Buddhism, where his image has five heads and rides a lion. The role of the god in Buddhism though, is very different than that of Hindu beliefs.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

VISA information

We understand the Visa process is tedius and time consuming.  Please feel free to call me if you need help at 303 947-2295.
Please be aware that it can take up to 3 weeks to obtain and Indian visa, so we encourage you to fill out the application  (https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage) and send in your passport ASAP. 

Your U.S. reference is anyone that doesn't live in your household that can vouch for you.


For contact in India you can use SITA's address and phone number Or any of the hotels listed under the Hotels tab on the left.

Sita Tour agency
Tower B, Delta Square
M.G. Road, Sector - 25
Gurgaon 122001, Haryana, India

M +91 9650400282
T +91 124 4703256
F +91 124 4563100

Monday, April 18, 2011

Get Your Visa ASAP!


Please be aware that it can take up to 3 weeks to obtain and Indian visa, so we encourage you to fill out the application  (https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage) and send in your passport ASAP.  In order to do this, you will need our address in India.  Please use the address below:
Sita
Tower B, Delta Square
M.G. Road, Sector - 25
Gurgaon 122001, Haryana, India

M +91 9650400282
T +91 124 4703256
F +91 124 4563100

Also, please find info about our trip and daily class lessons (India SEC) at www.daindia2011.blogspot.com

Finally, make sure you have scheduled an appointment with your doctor to discuss medications, recommendations, vaccines etc.  If you would rather go through a travel health company you can check out passport health USA at http://passporthealthusa2.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=1688440&cid=745520&tc=11041813430896924&rl_key=5a51249094230c620e6baa81c16f7967&kw=3094396&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=passporthealthusa18.reachlocal.net

Thanks,

Ramsey Brookhart
303 947-2295

Cheyenne Zurfluh
303 882-7537

Friday, April 15, 2011

Common Hindi Words and Phrases

  • Where are the belly dancers?- Jaham peta nartakiyom rahe haim?
  • Hi- namaste
  • Good Morning- Suprabhaat
  • Good Evening- Shubh sundhyaa
  • I'm lost- Hum kho gaye hain
  • Can you help me?- Kya aap meri madad kar saktey hain?
  • Where is the bathroom/pharmacy?- ´Saucaghara pharmacy kahaan hai?
  • Excuse me! (to pass by)- Kshama keejeeae.
  • Do you speak english?- Kyaa aap angrézee mein baat kar saktey hain?
  • What's your name?- Aapka naam kyaa hai?
  • My name is...- Meraa naam.... hai.
  • Thank you- shukriya
  • Come again?- phirse?

    Chakra

    Chakra is a concept originating from Hindu, which refers to spinning like vortices that are believed to exist on the etheric double of a man. The Chakras are said to be force centers of energy permeating the layers of a subtle body. There are seven chakras.


    Sahasrar: The Crown Chakra is considered to be the chakra of pure conscience. It can be compared to the pituitary gland which secretes hormones to communicate to the rest of the endocrine system and also connects to the CNS through the hypothalamus.


    Ajna: The Brow Chakra is symbolised by a lotus with two petals. Ajna is known as the third eye chakra and is linked to the pineal gland. The pineal gland is the gland that produces melatonin (sleep and awakening regulator). The key issues of Ajna involves balancing the higher and lower selves and trusting inner guidance.
    Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra is in relation to communication and growth through expression. This chakra is paralleled to the thyroid hormone, which is also located in the throat, that is responsible for growth and maturation. Vishuddha governs communication physically, it governs independence emotionally, it governs fluent thought mentally, and it governs a sense of security spiritually.


    Anahata: The Heart Chakra is related anatomically to the thymus, which is located in the chest. It is an element of the immune system and the endocrine system. It is the site of maturation of the T cells that are responsible for fending off disease. Key issues involving the Anahata chakra involve complex emotions, compassion, tenderness, unconditional love, equilibrium, rejection and well-being.


    Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra is related to the metabolic and digestive systems. Mentally, Manipura governs personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotion to complex. Physically, Manipura governs digestion.


    Swadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra is located in the sacrum and is considered to correspond to the testes or the ovaries that produce the sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle. It is also considered to be related to the genitourinary system and the adrenals. Key issues are relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotional needs, and pleasure. Physically it governs reproduction; mentally it governs joy; spiritually it governs enthusiasm.
    Muladhara: The Base Chakra, also known as the root chakra, is related to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. It is related anatomically to the gonads and the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight-or-flight response when survival is under threat.



    Trimurti

    The Trimurti (Eng: 3 forms) is a concept in Hinduism. The cosmic functions of creation, destruction, and maintenance are controlled by "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity": Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and ´Shiva the destroyer or transformer. Andrew discussed the basics of these 3 gods this week and explained the roles they have in Hindi beliefs.

    Brahma:
    While Brahma is one of the 3 major gods in Hinduism, not many Hindus actually worship him. India has very few temples dedicated to Brahma as opposed to Vishnu and Shiva who have thousands. Check out the highly credible wikipedia for more info! Brahma



    Vishnu:
    Vishnu is described as the All-prevading essence of all beings. Vishnu is know to have a universal form that is beyond the limits of human perception. Vishnu is the 'supreme god' of the Trimurti. Vishnu


    Shiva:
    Shiva is the destroyer and transformer of the Trimurti. Shiva is typically worshiped as the abstract form of Shiva linga. He is represented as a young man in deep meditation. Shiva is known for his third eye, the crescent moon on his head, and his distinct matted hair. Shiva