The Sage of Kanchi – Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
June 26, 2009
The Sage of Kanchi is a wonderful video on Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati who was the 68th Shankaracharya in Kanchipuram from 1894 until his passing in 1994 at the age of 100. He was profoundly influential and this video captures both the simplicity and power of his presence. For those of us in the west, the video is a rare insight into the traditional life of a sanyasi in the vedic tradition.
Many of the priests who perform the yagyas for our puja.net group worked in the Shankar Mutt when Chandrashekharendra was there, and Seetharama Shastry in particular served him for quite a few years. Without exception everyone speaks of him with awe and admiration.
The video is presented in two parts. It can be viewed here or downloaded if you prefer.
Sage of Kanchi, Part 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Sage of kanchi, Part 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Varadaraja Abishekam
June 23, 2009
The Varadaraja temple, which is located about 1 block from our Kanchipuram yagya facility, is the 2nd largest Vishnu temple in all of India (after Srirangam). It is a magnificent place to visit and feeling inside the temple grounds is very soft and welcoming. This video (found on YouTube) shows the traditional tirumanjanam, or abishekam being performed. It is fairly rare to see these rituals on video.
Kanchipuram Temples
June 23, 2009
Over the course of my many visits to Kanchipuram, I have become very fond of the city. It is a fascinating place to visit and it has a rich spiritual and cultural history that is present everywhere you look. These two videos, which I found on YouTube, will give you sense of this delightfully charming place which contains some of the best temples that India has to offer.
The Temples of Kanchipuram, Part 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download The Temples of Kanchipuram, Part 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadTamil Nadu Temples
June 22, 2009
When I was searching for videos on Kanchipuram, I came across this video on YouTube. It is very well done and will give you a sense of the beauty to be found in Tamil Nadu. The section on the temples for each of the nine planets (Navagraha) is very nice. It appears about half way through the video.
Maha Rudra Yagya – Kanchipuram, 2006
January 30, 2009
A video presentation of the Maha Rudra Yagya as performed in February, 2006 in Kanchipuram, south India. The yagya is explained in detail along with video and photos from the event.
Sri Rudram
January 30, 2009
Sri Seetharama Sastry chanting Sri Rudram from the Krishna Yajur Veda accompanied by original photos from various Shiva yagyas and pujas sponsored by puja.net.
The recording was done while he was performing Rudra Abishekam so you can hear water, milk, etc being poured in the background, but it is a very authentic rendition of this great vedic hymn.
Navaratri Durga Mantras – Oct 08
October 24, 2008
We always sponsor a large scale yagya in Kanchipuram for the nine day festival called Navaratri. This video presents the 2008 yagya along with selections of the yagya mantras from each of the nine days.
Ganesha Puja
October 21, 2008
A simple and traditional Ganesha Puja is performed by Seetharama Shastry. As he performs the puja, the Sanskrit text is displayed and a closeup of the hand movements are shown in a video inset. If you’s like to view a copy of the text in pdf format, please click here.
Rahu and Ketu Yagyas – April 2008
September 9, 2008
In the vedic tradition the movements play a vital and central role in the understanding of events and the ability of the individual to live in harmony with the universe. One of the best times to perform yagyas to balance the influence of the planets is when they are changing signs. Rahu and Ketu do this every 18 months, and so this yagya was performed in Kanchipuram, South India for that purpose.
Star TV News – Varanasi Trip
October 26, 2007
This is the Star TV report on the yagyas that we performed in Varanasi in 2007. The yagya was for the ancestors of the puja.net participants and it took place on the banks of the Ganges.
