Childhood Pastimes of Lord Nityananda | Jai Nitai Jai Gaura !

Lord Nityananda (Nitai) had appeared at Ekachakra Dham (in Birbhum, Bengal), to assist Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, manifest His most magnanimous pastimes. In the battleground of Kurukshetra, Sri Krishna broke His pledge of not using any weapons, by pulling up a wheel and charging towards Bhishma Deva, who was then fighting valiantly against Arjuna. Bhishma was a great devotee of the Supreme Lord and seeing the Lord charge at him, he at once threw away his weapons and surrendered himself. He began singing Krishna’s glories, hearing which the Lord calmed down and threw away the wheel that He had picked up. This wheel is said to have flown all the way from Kurukshetra to land here in this small village of Bengal which came to be subsequently known as Ekachakra. ’Eka’ means one and ‘Chakra’ translates to wheel in Bengali.

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Shukto recipe | Traditional Bengali Cuisine

Overview of Shukto Recipe

Shukto is a bitter and pungent stew of vegetables cooked in mustard oil and spiced with paanch phoron, ginger paste and chillies. It is a starter and usually served with rice. Here is your Shukto recipe.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes
Taste : Sweet-Bitter
Additional note : Shukto is one of the favorite dishes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

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Indian Caste System and Hinduism – Origin, Significance & Relevance

The Indian caste system, which is often painted negatively and presented likewise even in school textbooks, is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted social hierarchies of the world. It is popularly accepted that the Indian caste system is at least 3000 years old, though an analysis of the Vedic literatures suggests that it is perhaps as old as Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) itself. This article attempts to exhibit the Indian caste system as it had been originally conceived and how it has gradually degenerated with time. The article also seeks to establish how the caste system is an integral part of any successful society and an indispensable tool to ensure its survival.

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