Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sankranti

Sankranti, Sankranthi, Makar Sankranti or Makar Sankranthi is a celebrated on January 14th.
Sankranti is a day of month when sun moves from one Zodiac sign to other.  It is derived from word - Sat + Kranti means good change or auspiciios movement. Sankranti also signify change. Sankranti is considered an auspicious day.  Makar means Capricorn.  On Makar Sankranti sun moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn.


Sankranti vs Makar Sankranti

Sankranti is once in a month.  Makar Sankranti is celeberated once in year.

Makar Sankranti in India


Makar Sankranti is celeberated in every parts of India. In local language hindi, Telgu, Marathi, Kannada, Assamese it is written as


Hindi: मकर संक्रान्ति
Telugu: మకర సంక్రాంతి
Marathi: मकर संक्रान्ति
Kannada: ಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ
Assamese: মকৰ সংক্রান্তি

Makar Sankranti in South India


Makar Sankranthi is very special for Anadhra Pradesh or AP.  It is also known as Pongal festival.  the festival is celeberated for 3 days.  People wear new cloth, exchange gift. Rangolis (colorful decoration) are made at each home.
In Karnataka and Tamil nadu too Makar Sankranti is celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Farmers celebrate the harvesting of Suger cane.


Makar Sankranti in Western India


In Western India - Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra Makar Sankranti is a very special festival.
In Rajasthan, Gujrat a kite festival is organized.  The kite season starts before Sankranti.  On Jan 14, kite festival is celeberated full day. It is an official Kite day.  Gujrat even organize international kite festival on this day.  People reach to open areas or roof of their home.  Colorful and various shape kites are flown. 

In Gujrat Makar Sankranti is also known as Uttarayan


Makar Sankranti in North India


In North India - Delhi, Punjab, Haryana , Himachal - people make Khicdi in morning. Kichdi is made of rice and dal.  Families first donate Khichdi to temple/priest and then eat it in breakfast. The cities where holy river ganga flows such Allahabad, Haridwar - people take bath in river. In Ahmedabad Magh Mela (a fair) starts on Jan 14 morning.

Northern India also celeberate Lohri on night of Jan 13. Lohri denote the end of winter.  People use bon fire and dance. People eat Jaggary sweets (called Gajak, Rewari), peanuts while seating near the fire.

Makar Sankranti in Eastern India

In Bengal people celebrate this on Holy river Ganga. A Mela called "Ganga Sagar" is held on bank of river Ganga. In Assam festival is called - Bhogali Bihu

Not only i Eastern India, the festival is celebrated in neighboring eastern countries such as Myanmar, Thialand.

There are different cultures in different states of India.  Sankranti brings joy for all states.

Farmers who grow suger cane in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab celebrate harvest of Sugar Cane. all states where River Gange is - people take holy bath.

Happy Makar Sankranti, Happy Pongal, Happy Lohri, Happy Bhogali Bihu!!
© 2010-2012 The Little Ganesha® All Rights Reserved.
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Top 10 Most Haunted Places In The World

1/The Myrtles Plantation-St. Francisville, Louisiana

The Myrtles Plantation is an antebellum plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the plantation is a bed and breakfast, and it offers historical and mystery tours.
Built in 1796 by General David Bradford, this stately old home on Myrtles Plantation is said to be haunted be several restless ghosts. Some researchers say as many as ten murders have been committed there, but others, such as Troy Taylor and David Wisehart, have only been able to confirm one murder at Myrtles.There are three ghosts that are seen over and over inside of the hotel. The first is a French woman that seems to wander from room to room in search of something. No one knows what it is that she is in search for. The second ghost sighting that is seen on a regular basis includes a ghost at the grand piano that practices one chord over and over again and the third ghost that is frequently seen, is a young girl who is only appears before the onset of a thunderstorm.
There are many other stories that go along with the plantation and the guests that have visited the hotel. Of course, these stories come with some level of skepticism but there have been documented pictures and videos of the ghosts that are said to haunt the hotel. If you are brave enough, you could simply book a night at the hotel, hope for a thunderstorm and do some investigating of your own!Via ghosteyes

2/The Tower of London- England

The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the kingdom. It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power. The Tower of London – an imposing fortress with many layers of history, which has become one of the symbols of royalty – was built around the White Tower.During her long and illustrious 900 years, The Tower of London has developed a reputation as being one of the most haunted places in Britain.
Thomas A. Becket is “the first reported sighting of a ghost at the Tower of London.”During the construction on the Inner Curtain Wall, Thomas appeared apparently unhappy about the construction, and it is said he reduced the wall to rubble with a strike of his cross. Henry III’s grandfather was responsible for the death of Thomas Becket, so Henry III wasted no time building a chapel in the Tower of London, naming it for the archbishop.This must have pleased Thomas’ ghost because there were no further interruptions during the construction of the wall.
The Bloody Tower was the scene of the infamous disappearance of the two princes; Edward V (12) and Richard Duke of York (10), who are thought to have been murdered in 1483 on the probable command of the Duke of Gloucestershire, who was to be crowned Richard the III.According to one story, guards in the late 15th century, who were passing the Bloody Tower, spotted the shadows of two small figures gliding down the stairs still wearing the white night shirts they had on the night they disappeared.They stood silently, hand in hand, before fading back into the stones of the Bloody Tower.These figures were identified as the ghosts of the two princes. In 1674 workmen found a chest that contained the skeletons of two young children, they were thought to be the remains of the princess, and were given a royal burial not long afterwards.The story of the little princes is still to this day a heartbreaking story. They are “among the most poignant ghosts” in the Tower of London.View more 

3/Eastern State Penitentiary-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Eastern State Penitentiary is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located on 2027 Fairmount Avenue between Corinthian Avenue and North 22nd Street in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia and was operational from 1829 until 1971.
One of its most famous inmates was none other than Al Capone, was was incarcerated there on illegal weapons possession in 1929. During his stay, it is said that Capone was tormented by the ghost of James Clark, one of the men Capone had murdered in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day massacre.According to those that are currently working at the prison, there is almost always evidence of paranormal activity. Both tourist and employees alike report they hear whispering, laughing and even weeping from inside the prison cells.

4/The Queen Mary-Long Beach, California

The most haunted area of the ship is the engine room where a 17-year-old sailor was crushed to death trying to escape a fire. Knocking and banging on the pipes around the door has been heard and recorded by numerous people. In what is now the front desk area of the hotel, visitors have seen the ghost of a “lady in white.”Those that have observed the ghosts of the Queen Mary often come in contact with male spirits. These spirits are said to wear various types of suits that resemble those that were common during the 1930s. These spirits are typically only seen in the area of the ship that once accommodated those that traveled first class. In another area of the immense ship, a female spirit has been observed.
There is one location on the ship that is considered to be exceptionally haunted. This is the location identified as ”Room B340″. According to the history of the ship, a terrible and violent murder occurred in the room. As a result, it is believed that the room has a heightened level of paranormal based activity. There are many spirits that are believed to haunt this ship. The greatest mystery lies in sheer amount of ghosts that are believed to be a part of the ”Gray Ghost”.

5/Waverly Hills Sanatorium-Louisville, Kentucky

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium (or Sanitarium) is a closed sanatorium located in southwestern Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky. It opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium like any other haunted hospital has a gruesome past and lots of horrifying stories. Waverly Hills is situated in south western Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky, it opened in 1910. The hospital was opened due to the outbreak of Tuberculosis in Jefferson County the hospital was just a small two story wooden building just enough to treat 50 patients. With increasing repairs needing to be done to the wooden buildings its was decided that a more durable and permanent building should be built. The new building was opened in March 1924.
The most known story about Waverly Hills is that of Room 502. A nurse, Mary Hillenburg, was found hanged in the door way of Room 502 in the year 1928, it is thought it was suicide as she had recently discovered she was pregnant out with wedlock. There is a story that Mary Hillenburg was impregnated by a doctor of Waverly Hills who was actually married. He tried an abortion which killed Mary Hillenburg in the process and to cover his back he made it look like a suicide.
Another nurse later took her own life in 1932 by throwing her self out of the window of the room that she worked in, Room 502. There are no reports of why she would have committed suicide but there was a rumour that someone did in fact push her. There are also reports that people have seen shadows move across the floor and walls in Room 502, so was this nurse pushed to her death by a ghostly spirit?Read more

6/The Whaley House-San Diego, California

In the 1960s, The Whaley House was designated as an official Haunted House by the United States Commerce Department. The only other official haunted house in California is theWinchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. According to the Travel Channel’s show America’s Most Haunted, out of all the haunted houses in the United States, the Whaley House is the number one most haunted. The Whaley House grounds was reportedly haunted even before the house was built and the family moved in. The first ghost to be reported was the ghost of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson who was hanged in 1852. He was hanged on the property that was the site of a gallows before Thomas Whaley purchased the property and built the house. According to the San Diego Union, after the Whaley family moved in, they heard the sound of heavy footsteps moving around the house and concluded that these footsteps were made by “Yankee Jim”. Years later, many visitors to the house said that they saw the ghost of Thomas Whaley. A former keeper of the house mentioned that a little girl waved to a man who was standing in the parlor, but others did not see the man.
Moreover, four members of the Whaley family died in the house, including Anna Whaley. The ghost of Anna Whaley has been reported by visitors in the garden or in the rooms located downstairs. Furthermore, some visitors claimed that they have seen an apparition of a woman in the courtroom, but the description of her did not fit any of the Whaleys. In the 1960s, psychic, Sybil Leek, felt a presence of a girl. She was described as the great grand-daughter of Thomas Whaley, Marion Reynolds, who ingested ant poison. She is known to grab people’s arms. Not only is the Whaley House a home for the family even after they had died, it is also a home for their dog. A spirit of a dog was captured; the apparition of the dog was caught running into the dining room in the house. The Whaley family used to own a terrier named Dolly Varden. The dog died of natural causes and is said to lick the bare legs of women and is mostly seen by children.

7/Raynham Hall-Norfolk, England

Raynham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. For 300 years it has been the seat of the Townshend family. This Norfolk Manor House is said to have been haunted for over 300 hundred years. The Brown Lady being the most prominent ghost at the Manor. In 1936 using a magnesium flare a picture of the Brown Lady was taken by Captain Provand and Indra shira as they were taking photographs of the interior of the house for Country Life magazine.
There has been many sightings and documentation of the spectre of The Brown Lady through out the years. A Captain Frederick Marryat who was an author of sea novels is said to have shot the ghost and the bullet passed straight through the apparition and was imbedded in a door.
In 1926 Lady Townshend was staying at the manor with her son and his friend. The two boys saw The Brown Lady they took it as another guest at the manor it was only later they realised they had greeted a ghost on the staircase when they recognised her in a portrait that was dated from 1600’s in one of the bed chambers.
The famous picture on the staircase taken in 1936 of The Brown Lady was investigated by experts and it was deemed there had been no trickery involved.Read more

8/The White House-Washington

There have been several stories about ghosts of former Presidents revisiting the White House. However, the most common and popular is that of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s Ghost, or to others as The White House Ghost, is said to have haunted the White House since his death. It is widely believed that when he was president, Lincoln might have known of his assassination before he died. Lyndon B. Johnson is supposed to have spoken with the ghost of Mr. Lincoln. Johnson, standing in the second floor room that had been Lincoln’s office (Lincoln had used the Oval Office as a library), asked “You had a war, you had a Civil Rights movement, you had protesters and critics, what can I do?” And the story goes, the response was “Don’t go to the theater.” This story is a humorous yarn originated by an anonymous humorist on the staff of Bob Hope.

9/Rolling Hills Asylum-E. Bethany, New York

The Rolling Hills Asylum is a research center for the paranormal in East Bethany, New York. It has a differing points in time been amall, and a museum. It opened its doors in 1827 in response to a New York state legislation requiring all counties to assume duties of taking care of individuals unable to care for themselves.The Rolling Hills Asylum is considered to be one of the most popular real haunted places in America. This particular structure was originally opened in the year of 1827. In its earliest days, this haunted building was used as a refuge for individuals that were not well off financially. Many have referred to it during this time as a “Poor Farm” based on this fact.
In the 1950s it became the Old County Home & Infirmary, and then in the 1990s was transformed into a set of shops and later an antiques mall. When the property owners, vendors and shoppers began to notice strange occurrences, a paranormal group was called into investigate and Rolling Hills’ spooky reputation was born. Reports include disembodied voices, doors mysteriously held shut, screams in the night, shadow people and more.

10/The Stanley Hotel-Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel is a 138-room neo-Georgian hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Located within sight of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley offers panoramic views of the Rockies.Many believe the Stanley Hotel is haunted, having reported a number of cases of ghostly activity, primarily in the ballroom. Kitchen staff have reported to have heard a party going on in the ballroom, only to find it empty. People in the lobby have allegedly heard someone playing the ballroom’s piano; employees investigating the music supposedly find nobody sitting at the piano. Employees believe that particular ghost is of Freelan O. Stanley’s wife, who used to be a piano player. In one guest room, people claim to have seen a man standing over the bed before running into the closet. This same apparition is allegedly responsible for stealing guests’ jewelry, watches, and luggage. Others reported to have seen ghosts in their rooms in the middle of the night, simply standing in their room before disappearing.
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