The Jai Jais Blog

Every rendition of the Ramayana one theme that is so precious, is the loyalty and devotion of Hanuman to Rama and the bond they share. Talking of the Ramayana, one cannot ignore the relationship between Lord Rama and his able devotee Lord Hanuman. In fact, it will be fair to say that the battles that Lord Rama won effortlessly had a major role that was played by Lord Hanuman. Such was the dedication of Lord Hanuman towards his master that he would often put himself in trouble to protect the dignity of his master and his wife. Lets find out The Jai Jais Way how they met.

According to modern Ayurvedic sources, the origins of Ayurveda have been traced to around 6,000 BCE. Many herbs some now unknown and some still used in Ayurveda to this day, were originally described in the Vedas. Ayurveda was recorded in Sanskrit, in the Vedas: the Rig Veda (3000-2500 BCE), Yajur Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda (1200-1000 BCE). In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” 

I often get asked… How do you know so much, and where do you get your information from? Where do you learn from? How do you know what you write is correct? I even have a new title, “Jai Jais Masi”.

I am so blessed to have been brought up by my grandparents on my mother’s side, who I call Bapa and Ma.  My Bapa was my inspiration, when I was younger he would tell me stories of why Ganesh had an elephants head, why Hanuman could fly.  This was my initial introduction to our wonderful ancient stories.  My mum would tell me things growing up when we had festivals and fasting days, I was very inquisitive as a child… I guess that’s where my children get it from! I feel our generation tend to question things more, why do we pray to the cooker, why do we ring a bell? My grandparents would sit with family in the villages and share the stories, yet I feel they skipped a generation with my parents, they would not questions the rituals they would just join in!

Today is the international day of forests.  In Hinduism there seems to be the most wonderful deities for all parts of Human existence.  I was so surprised upon my research to find about we have a ‘forest goddess’. Did you know we actually have our own forest goddesses?  What a perfect way to introduce the beautiful goddess Arayani, the goddess of the forests, on international forest day.

Lord Shiva is the focus of the festival, who is part of the Hindu Trinity which also includes Brahma, who created the universe and Vishnu, who preserved it. Shiva is also known as the destroyer, and he is seen as someone who protects and transforms the universe.

Mahashivratri is celebrated on the day when Lord Shiva saved the world by drinking poison that emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan. This poison got stored in his throat thus making it blue which is the reason that Lord Shiva is also known as Neelkanth (blue throat). Read more fascinating stories on Lord Shiva in our Jai Jai blogs.

Picture of Lord Shiva would not be the same without a snake around his neck, the crescent moon, his drum, his magnificent Trishul and course his faithful bull Nandi.  Like everything in Hinduism all of these have symbols have a meaning.  Let’s find out The Jai Jais way.

In Vedic Sanskrit, Yoga means “to add,” and it can also mean connection and union. There are many stories surrounding the beginnings of Yoga, and the oldest known stories surround the Hindu Gods, including Lord Shiva. Four specific periods pertain to the origins of Yoga, and these are:

1. Vedic Period
2. Pre-Classical Period
3. Classical Period
4. Post-Classical Period

Understanding each period is essential, but it’s particularly important to get to grips on the Vedic Period and what happened before that time. Let’s explore this.

The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas.

Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. Hindus have developed their system of worship and beliefs from the scriptures.

There are two main categories of the Hindu scriptures:

Shruti-"That which is heard", consists of the four Vedas and Upanishads scriptures.

Smriti-"That which is remembered", composed of traditional texts, including the Dharma Shastras (legal and ethical texts), the Puranas, and the folk/historical legends known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Let's find out more The Jai Jais way.

Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion, is often considered a polytheistic faith, as the religion does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. However, the Hindu belief system includes a complex structure of deities that is not easily categorised.

Hinduism includes an abundance of deities, each one representing a certain aspect of the Supreme Absolute, which is known as Brahma, because they are all manifestations of the same divine spirit. There are deities represented in the family, the community, and the region of the country. There are deities recognised in the plants, the stars, the rivers, the mountains and the planets. We worship the divine in the form that each individual belief system supports, which are suitable and inspiring to the individual. Hindu Dharma recognises the divine is infinite. That embraces all creation, all of the worlds and something beyond. We honour the divine which is intimate to ourselves. Let's find out more in our blog.

Hinduism is a myriad of vibrant festivals with each having specific meaning and significance. Vasant Panchami is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, Vasant Panchami celebrates the arrival of Spring  in India. Saraswati is the Goddess of knowledge, music, learning and arts. Saraswati is the wife of Brahma, who created the universe. It is believed that without Saraswati the world would be shrouded in ignorance, as she is the one who represents enlightenment.

During Vasant Panchami people wear yellow coloured clothes and also eat food that is yellow like kitchri (rice and lentils). Goddess Saraswati’s idols are covered in yellow sarees as it is believed that it is one of her favourite colours. Yellow symbolises, joy, bliss and prosperity. Goddess Saraswati is the one who gives us wisdom. In India the mustard flowers bloom, and entire fields of mustard flowers resemble beds of yellow flowers when in full bloom. Find our more about the festival and why we pray to Goddess Saraswati...The Jai Jais Way.

15^th February we celebrate Ganesh Jayanti. Our beloved elephant god one of the most popular gods of Hinduism.  The mighty remover of obstacles. On Ganesh Jayanti we celebrate the arrival of Ganesh to Earth. Did you know how Ganesh came to be? Find out The Jai Jais way on our blog page.

All Hindu deities are extremely representational, with their various markings, colours, faces and objects surrounding them holding deep significance and sometimes abstract meaning. As Ganesh is all about protection and power, much of his symbolism is related to safeguarding us from life’s physical and subtle obstacles. Here are the symbols of Ganesh and their meaning.

With Ganesh Jayanti around the corner… It’s certainly time for stories on Ganesh our beloved elephant god... The Jai Jais Way. 

Oooopps he’s got a broken tusk…ouch we wonder how he did that? As he is super strong, how could anyone break his tusk? As always there is not only one story, here are two... The Jai Jais way.

Meditation and visualisation can help children and teens relieve their stress and anxiety and improve self-esteem. Simple meditation and visualisation can calm the mind, body and spirit and help develop a positive attitude in any situation.

This meditation is for calming, soothing, and feeling serenity within. Come and join The Jai Jais journey with our special visualisation. Let us relax and transport you to a special place.  Perfect to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day.