Eight Tips for boost your confidence

Here are eight tips to build your competence and boost your confidence:

# 1 Building competence requires courage...courage to face the facts. Seek feedback about your performance. Be ready for what you might hear and be prepared to make changes that might feel uncomfortable but will build your competence.

# 2 Take baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is our competence. Start with just one new skill, one tool or one new area of knowledge. Use it until it becomes a habit. First you form your habits, and then your habits form you.

# 3 Listen more than you talk. Remember what Mark Twain said, "If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one ear." When you listen, you learn and also prevent "blind spots" — weaknesses that are apparent to others but not to you. The higher your rise in an organization, the more you must listen.

# 4 Build your BEST team — Buddies who Ensure Success and Truth. Choose your team wisely. Ensure each member offers the energy, truth and positive perspective you need to succeed. Connect with your BEST team, individually or as a group, on a consistent basis. Learn from them and help them — it goes both ways.

# 5 Create it once, use it many times. If you know you will perform a task more than once, create a checklist, form or template to save time and improve your consistency over the long haul. No need to reinvent the wheel every time you conduct or coordinate an off-site meeting, prepare a proposal, send out a mailing, plan a new project time line, etc.

# 6 Learn along the way. After you complete each task, ask yourself, "What should I Stop, Start and Keep?" Identify those things that did not go so well (Stop), those you did not do that would have helped (Start) and those that went well (Keep). Continually improving your performance is a powerful way to build competence — it turns good to great!

# 7 Ask the right questions. The fastest way to change the answers you receive — from yourself and others — is to change the questions you ask. Asking the right questions will get you better answers whether you are asking it of yourself or of others. The questions you ask will either limit or expand the possible responses.

# 8 Be decisive! Get 80% of the information you need, then make the best decision you can. Don't let being perfect stop you from doing something good. Remember, good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

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Improve your Memory power

Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a ‘cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age.

1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve.

Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.

2. Keep your brain active.

The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising” the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

3. Exercise daily.

Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures.”

4. Reduce stress.

Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.

5. Eat well and eat right.

There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine) . A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants— broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.

6. Take better pictures.

Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

7. Give yourself time to form a memory.

Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.

8. Create vivid, memorable images.

You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.

9. Repeat things you need to learn.

The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.

10. Group things you need to remember.

Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.

11. Organize your life.

Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn't improve your memory, you'll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won't have to search for your keys anymore).

12. Try meditation.

Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness” meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.

13. Sleep well.

The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.

14. Build your memorization arsenal.

Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.

15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes.

Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

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Calling it Quits! Why I Started Really Caring About What We Eat.

Salmonella, e-coli, PBC's, mercury, antibiotics, injected artificial hormones, ammonia based fillers, nitrates, additives and preservatives, pollution, environmentally destructive, fossil fuel hoarders, Chicken and Cow "Farms" that make Federal Prison look like a Day Spa.


I'm trying to reason with myself. Tell myself I'm over-exaggerating. Make rationalizations. It's not working.

Maybe the vegans have it all figured out. Maybe the rest of us are being naive. Denial can be bliss. I consider myself more aware than the average person when it comes to health. Partly because I'm in the health profession, although you could easily argue that medicine and health don't always go hand in hand. Partly because I'm a mom and a worry wart and partly because I'm informed, I read a lot, obsessively almost when it comes to natural health. Maybe it's genetic. My mom is a true naturopath in every sense. You can't help but be affected when your mom lives with you and lives so naturally and healthy that she hasn't been sick in.... well since I've known her. Not to mention we are starting to look closer and closer to being the same age.

BTW, my mom has a great nutrition and herb/spice blog; Nutrition Queen you should really check out, she knows her stuff!

Most people, myself included are somewhat aware of the abuse and filth that goes on within the animal factories. It's been in the news more and more. However, when the subject of meat comes up, peoples attitudes vary widely. Most are aware of the health, environmental and humane benefits of vegetarianism but push it to the back of their minds in a what are you gonna do attitude. Some simply don't care. Some are meat-o-holics (those are the ones who refer to my everyday salad I have for lunch as " Lawn shavings". Some are in varying stages of denial with excuses galore. I myself float between "I can't afford it."  "What the heck am I going to make for dinner if it doesn't include meat?'" and  "It's to much work/effort." And my personal favorite, " My family would rebel, rebel Big Time."

I've never liked red meat or pork in the first place. As a matter of fact beef and pork churn my stomach at the mere sight and especially the smell of it. Chicken is in my house only to appease my husband and boys, a sort of compromise in my refusal to cook beef or pork. I could most definitely live without it. After the most recent "Egg Scare" and in viewing the utterly horrific conditions in which chickens are kept, I am somewhere in between banning all chicken then setting these "farms" into a bonfire, and maybe, possibly just buying an Organic, Free Range hen and eggs once every month or so...... maybe.

UPDATE..... Once a month chicken for dinner was absolutely do able. In fact, we eat it less than that now and don't miss it one single bit. 

"CAFOs house them as tightly as possible where they never see grass or sunlight. If you can envision one thousand chickens in your bathroom, in cages stacked to the ceiling, you're honestly getting the picture. (Actually a six-foot by eight room could house 1,152)." — Steven L. Hopp (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life)

Honestly, besides the fact that my family would rebel I really, truly am not now, not in the near future about ready to give up seafood. I love it. Luuhuuuuve it. I mean fish is good for you right? Right?......

Geeeesshh, even seafood has it's issues. PBC's, Farm raised, antibiotic, corn fed, genetically "enhanced", environmentally dangerous, mercury levels that would kill a small dog.... but it's o.k. to eat once a month fish. Urrrggggghhh!! Maybe I should wait to post this until I've regained some composure. Oh who am I kidding, what composure?

Is veganism really the answer to total health safety and well being? I mean even supposedly harmless things like spinach, lettuce, jalapenos, pistachios, peanut butter, apple juice, canned foods and baby food have been linked to many instances of food poisonings, not to mention genetically engineered seeds and toxic pesticides. Some of these are the result of the foul water runoffs from these
for mentioned animal factories, some are simply from poor hygiene and over handling. The average item on your grocery market shelf has traveled further than most people travel on vacation. This being a result of us wanting everything now. Forget about seasons and geographical planting zones, we have scientists who've figured out how to bypass the natural scheme of things, hooray.

"If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week." — Barbara Kingsolver and Steven Hopp (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life)

pictures from CBS and MSNBC news

P.S. I was going to post some pictures of the chicken, cow, pig "farms", but it was to upsetting.

I encourage you to do some research and see for yourself where the food your feeding yourself and your family comes from. Food Inc. was eye opening to say the least. I'm not an emotional person by nature, but this had me in tears.

What are your thoughts?

Do you eat meat? Do you buy anything Organic or Free Range?






some information gathered from: CNN.com

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Twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines in India

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Hindi: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam (pillar) of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_12_Jyotirlingas-Map.jpg

The following slogam explains the twelve points in India where the Jyotir Lingams are situated

Saurashtre Somanaatham Cha Sree Saile Mallikarjunam
Ujjayinyaam Mahaakaalam Omkaare Mamaleswaram
Himalaye to Kedaram Daakinyaam Bhimashankaram
Vaaranaasyaam cha Viswesam Trayambakam Gowtameethate
Paralyaam Vaidyanaatham cha Naagesam Daarukaavane
Setubandhe Ramesham Grushnesam cha Shivaalaye || 

Source:http://www.vedarahasya.net/jyotir.htm

The Dwadasa Jyotirlinga shrines or the 12 shrines enshrining Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlingam, have been held in reverence since time immemorial in the Indian system of beliefs. The southernmost of these is located at Rameswaram, while the northernmost is located in the snowy heights of the Himalayas at Kedarnath. These temples are closely linked with legends from the puranas and are rich in history and tradition.

1.Somnath is the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva, held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, traditions and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

2. Ujjain - Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga shrine The ancient and historic city of Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradesh  is home to the Jyotirlinga shrine ofMahakaleshwar.

3. Omkareshwar: an island in the course of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh  is home to theOmkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.

4. Kedarnath - the Northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only on foot, six months in a year.

5.Sree Sailam - Sree Sailam near Kurnool enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple rich in architectural and sculptural wealth. Aadi Sankaracharya composed his Sivanandalahiri here.

6.Bhimashankar - Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra, accessed from Pune.

7.Varanasi - The most celebrated pilgrimage site in India TheVishwanath temple in Benares in Uttar Pradesh  is the goal of the thousands of pilgrims that visit this ancient city. The Vishwanath shrine is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

8.Tryambakeshwar -  The origin of the river Godavari is intimately linked with thisJyotirlinga shrine near Nasik in Maharashtra.Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrineis a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.

9.Vaidyanath temple at DeogarhThe ancient pilgrimage town ofDeogarh in the Santal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

10.Nageshwar near Dwarka in Gujarat  is one of the 12Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

11.Rameswaram: This vast temple in the island of Rameswaram, in Southern Tamilnadu enshrines Ramalingeswarar, and is revered as the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of India.

12.Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrineis a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.

Source:http://www.templenet.com/jyotir.html

Other links:http://www.jyotirlingatemples.com/

http://www.nivalink.com/pilgrimage/jyotirlinga.html

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Few Facts of Human Body

1 - Scientists say the higher your I.Q. The more you dream. 2 - The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. 3 - You use 200 muscles to take one step. 4 - The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man. 5 - Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three. 6 - A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands. 7 - A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. 8 - The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. 9 - The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica. 10 - It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach. 11 - The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds. 12 - Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair. 13 - At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell. 14 - There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet. 15 - Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. 16 - The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body. 17 - Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. 18 - When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate. 19 - Your thumb is the same length of your nose. At this very moment I know well you are putting this last fact to the test... ...now remove your thumb from your nose and pass this on to the friends you think might be interested in comparing their thumbs to their noses as well. :)

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English Proverbs

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
A change is as good as a rest
A fool and his money are soon parted
A friend in need is a friend indeed
A good beginning makes a good ending
A good man is hard to find
A house divided against itself cannot stand
A house is not a home
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
A leopard cannot change its spots
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
A little of what you fancy does you good
A miss is as good as a mile
A new broom sweeps clean
A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
A penny saved is a penny earned
A person is known by the company he keeps
A picture paints a thousand words
A place for everything and everything in its place
A problem shared is a problem halved
A prophet is not recognized in his own land
A rolling stone gathers no moss
A stitch in time saves nine
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
A watched pot never boils
A woman's place is in the home
A woman's work is never done
Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Actions speak louder than words
All good things come to he who waits
All that glisters is not gold
All the world loves a lover
All things must pass
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All you need is love
All's fair in love and war
An Englishman's home is his castle
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
As you sow so shall you reap
Ask no questions and hear no lies
Attack is the best form of defence
Barking dogs seldom bite
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beauty is only skin deep
Beggars can't be choosers
Behind every great man there's a great woman
Better late than never
Better safe than sorry
Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
Birds of a feather flock together
Blood is thicker than water
Boys will be boys
Charity begins at home
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Cold hands, warm heart
Comparisons are odious
Count you blessings
Cut your coat to suit your cloth
Discretion is the better part of valour
Do as you would be done by
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Don't bite the hand that feeds you
Don't burn your bridges behind you
Don't change horses in midstream
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched
Don't cross the bridge till you come to it
Don't keep a dog and bark yourself
Don't let the bastards grind you down
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't put new wine into old bottles
Don't rock the boat
Don't spoil the ship for a ha'pworth of tar
Don't try to teach your Grandma to suck eggs
Don't try to walk before you can crawl
Don't upset the apple-cart
Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise
Easy come, easy go
Empty vessels make the most noise
Enough is as good as a feast
Enough is enough
Every dark cloud has a silver lining
Every dog has his day
Every man has his price
Every stick has two ends
Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Faint heart never won fair lady
Faith will move mountains
Familiarity breeds contempt
Finders keepers, losers weepers
First things first
Fish and guests smell after three days
Flattery will get you nowhere
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Forewarned is forearmed
Fortune favours the brave
God helps those who help themselves
Good fences make good neighbours
Good talk saves the food
Good things come to those who wait
Great minds think alike
Half a loaf is better than no bread
Handsome is as handsome does
Hard work never did anyone any harm
Haste makes waste
He who hesitates is lost
He who laughs last laughs longest
He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword
He who pays the piper calls the tune
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty
History repeats itself
Home is where the heart is
If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us wings
If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well
If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again
If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers
If life deals you lemons, make lemonade
If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain
If wishes were horses beggars would ride
If you can't be good, be careful.
If you can't beat em, join em
If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king
In the midst of life we are in death
Into every life a little rain must fall
It goes without saying
It never rains but it pours
It takes a thief to catch a thief
It takes one to know one
It's all grist to the mill
It's an ill wind that blows no one any good
It's better to give than to receive
It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness
It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive
It's never too late
It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted
It's not worth crying over spilt milk
It's the early bird that gets the worm
It's the empty can that makes the most noise
It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease
Jack of all trades, master of none
Keep your chin up
Keep your powder dry
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and, you weep alone
Laughter is the best medicine
Let bygones be bygones
Let not the sun go down on your wrath
Let sleeping dogs lie
Let the punishment fit the crime
Life begins at forty
Life is what you make it
Life's not all beer and skittles
Lightening never strikes twice in the same place
Like father, like son
Little pitchers have big ears
Live for today for tomorrow never comes
Look before you leap
Love is blind
Make love not war
Man does not live by bread alone
Many a little makes a mickle
Marry in haste, repent at leisure
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
Misery loves company
Money doesn't grow on trees
Money makes the world go round
Money talks
More haste, less speed
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast
Nature abhors a vacuum
Necessity is the mother of invention
Never judge a book by its cover
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
No man is an island
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
No rest for the wicked
Nothing is certain but death and taxes
Oil and water don't mix
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away
One good turn deserves another
Only fools and horses work
Opportunity only knocks once
Out of sight, out of mind
Pearls of wisdom
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
Possession is nine tenths of the law
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely
Practice makes perfect
Pride comes before a fall
Procrastination is the thief of time
Put your best foot forward
Red sky at night shepherds delight; red sky in the morning, shepherds warning
Revenge is a dish best served cold
Rome wasn't built in a day
Spare the rod and spoil the child
Speak softly and carry a big stick
Still waters run deep
Stupid is as stupid does
Talk is cheap
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
The Devil finds work for idle hands to do
The best defence is a good offence
The boy is father to the man
The cobbler always wears the worst shoes
The darkest hour is just before the dawn
The early bird catches the worm
The ends justify the means
The exception which proves the rule
The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
The longest journey starts with a single step
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The pen is mightier than sword
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach
There are none so blind as those, that will not see
There but for the grace of God, go I
There's always more fish in the sea
There's many a slip twixt cup and lip
There's more than one way to skin a cat
There's no fool like an old fool
There's no place like home
There's no smoke without fire
There's no such thing as a free lunch
There's no such thing as bad publicity
There's no time like the present
There's none so deaf as they that will not hear
There's one born every minute
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it
Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas
Time and tide wait for no man
Time is a great healer
To err is human, to forgive divine
To the victor go the spoils
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive
Tomorrow never comes
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Truth is stranger than fiction
Two heads are better then one
Two wrongs don't make a right
Walk softly but carry a big stick
Waste not want not
When the cat's away the mice will play
Where there's a will there's a way
Worrying never did anyone any good
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink
You can't get blood out of a stone
You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear
You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs
You can't make bricks without straw
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
You can't tell a book by looking at its cover
You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
Youth is wasted on the young

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Visit to Shirdi and other temples-Part 2

Original photo of Shridi Saibaba

In my post titled Visit to 'Shirdi and other temples-Part 1' I covered the details of our visit to Shirdi on the first day of our visit. 
I give below the link :
http://anayang95.blogspot.in/2014/08/visit-to-shirdi-and-other-temples-part-1.html

This article covers the details of the places visited by us on the second day.

Renuka Devi's Temple: 

On the second day of our visit on 23.8.14  after taking breakfast in HOTEL KUBER INN in Shirdi, we proceeded to  the temple of Renuka Devi. Renuka Devi is mother of Parshuram, an incarnation of Vishnu. On the way to the temple, we saw Sugarcane fields on both sides of the road and there were many Sugar cane juice stalls. The bus stopped in front of a stall and we had fresh sugar cane juice.

Entrance of the temple

Renuka Devi

This temple is about 15 minutes away from Shani Shingnapur, and was built by a local saint. The main temple has an image of Renuka Mata, with walls and pillars made of glass. Hence this temple is also locally known as the Glass temple. 

Glass Temple

Under this temple is the sanctum  approachable by steps, where the original image of the goddess worshiped by the saint is placed. The temple is currently being renovated, and we were unable to see some other idols in the temple. There is also a Samadhi of the saint.

Shani Shingnapur:

Our next stop  Shani Shingnapur was 35 kms away from Ahmednagar city and the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, no theft was reported in the village.Lord Shanishwara can be seen even today, in the open yard without any roof above.

Entrance to the temple

Lord Shanishwara's  idol (photo from Wikipedia)

Devotees returning from the temple 

We worshiped Shanishwara as per the rituals followed in the place. There was huge crowd in the temple, but we could manage to have the darshan of the deity peacefully. 

Dattatreya Temple,Devgad:

From Shingnapur we proceeded to Devgad  (70 kms from Ahmed Nagar) to visit  the temple of Dattatreya   Dattatreya is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The temple is located in a huge complex encompassing temples of other deities.

Entrance of the temple

Idol of Dattatreya (Photo from Wikipedia)

It was very hot climate when we visited the temple and when we walked on the stones without chapels it was unbearably hot. Our coordinator told us to walk on the white  path(probably coated with special paint to absorb the heat) alongside the stones. 

Surprisingly it was not hot when we walked on the white path. A lot of development works are taking place around the temple.

Lunch in Ahmednagar:

Then we proceeded to Ahmednagar for taking lunch.  We reached  hotel YASH GRAND in Ahmed Nagar around 3 pm. 

We had very good buffet lunch in the hotel.We took photograph of the group in front of the hotel.

Mahaganapathy temple in RANJANGAON:

After taking lunch, we proceeded to Ranjangaon. The coordinator asked the group members to share their experiences,miracles etc with reference to Shirdi Sai baba. Some of the group members also sang prayers songs of Baba. Later some of the members also participated in games and singing songs. All of us enjoyed the proceedings.

As per original programme of the tour  Mahaganapathy temple was the first place to be visited. But due to lack of time due to the delay in reaching Pune and the rush to Shirdi to have special darshan of Baba , the visit was postponed to second day.We reached Mahaganapathy temple in Ranjangaon village which is 50 kms from Pune .

Ranjangaon Ganpati is one among the Ashtavinayaks, celebrating eight instances of legends related to Ganesha.Shiva is believed to have worshiped Ganesha before fighting the demon Tripurasura here. Constructed so that the rays of the Sun fall directly on the idol (during the southward movement of the sun).Temple facing east has huge & beautiful entrance gate. Idols of two door keepers namely Jay & vijay are present near the gateway.

The idol of Lord Ganesha is self created i.e. “Swayambhu”. The Ganesha Idol facing east is in a crossed legged sitting position with broad forehead & the trunk turned towards the left. Riddhi & Siddhi are on the both the sides of Mahaganapathy. There are big paintings  on the walls inside the temples about the legendary story of Mahaganapathy which was explained by our coordinator.

After leaving Ranjangaon, we reached Pune. We were informed that the Spicejet flight to Chennai was postponed to 10.30 pm. We checked in the Airport in time and reached Chennai around 12.30.

I take this opportunity to thank Mr.S.Ananthaseshan, Proprietor of Akshayam Travels and Coordinator of the tour who has organised the tour very well and the way in which he explained about the importance of every place visited by us and his motivational/inspiring  speech on better way of living.

CONTACT DETAILS OF AKSHAYAM TRAVELS:

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