Shiva Dharma

As per Hindu religious scriptures, Lord Shiva is considered as eternal, infinite, unborn who neither has any beginning nor any end. He is one God who was never born and who never died. This is the reason why Lord Shiva is not considered to be any avatar of gods, but a God himself.

The ancient religious scriptures throw light on many instances where Lord Shiva pleased with their devotees, be it demons or Gods has showered his affection expressing many of his qualities and powers.

As per scriptures, Lord Shiva is believed to be Veda or a symbol of knowledge. In Shivapuran, service of Lord Shiva is considered as Shiva religion. Click on the next slide to know what is Shiva Dharma.

According to Shivapuran, there are three types of devotion –from mind, voice and body. The prayer done with all three together is believed to be Shiva Dharma. There are also five faces of Shiva Dharma that were followed by Gods and Demons to achieve the impossible.

Dhyan, Karma, Tap, Jap, Gyan are five different faces of Shiva Dharma, which when used for worshipping Shiva gives the impossible.

Lord Shiva is also worshipped in the form of Baidyanath. Worshipping this form of Shiva keeps one healthy always.  Shiva is also known as Sharva who removes all of your problems.  Shiva is believed to get pleased very easily.  Shiva is also worshipped in the form of Trilokesh. Worshipping this form of Shiva gives moksha.

Chandrama:  A half moon is enthroned on the head of Shiva. The brightness of the moon illuminates the character and mood of Shiva, which is clean, selfless gullible, prudent and holy.

Waghambar:  Lord Shiva sits on the skin of a Wagh (tiger). At some places he is also described to be sitting on the skin of an elephant. The message is clear to overcome the violence of a tiger and power of an elephant.

Nandi:  A symbol of dharma, artha, kaam and moksha.

Trinetra:  The third eye of Shiva is a symbol of knowledge.

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It is believed that Lakshman did not sleep for the entire period of the exile of 14 years in order to protect his brother and sister- in-law. Because of this he is called Gudakesh. When the goddess of sleep appeared before him at the first night of the their exile to the forests and when Rama and Sita were asleep, Lakshman requested the goddess to give him no sleep for the entire 14 years, so that he can be awake to protect his beloved brother and Sita.

The goddess was impressed by this and granted the boon on a condition that someone else has to bear his sleep. On Lakshman request the goddess visited his wife Urmila, sister of Sita. Urmila agreed to share her husband loss of sleep, and thus slept for entire 14 years. Hence the reason she is not much in the story, but a strong reason for helping Laksman to kill Ravana son Meghnadh in the war against to Ravana as Meghnadh could be killed only by a man who have not slept for 14 years.

World's Largest Water Wheel

The Great Laxey Wheel is the largest surviving working wheel of its kind in the world. Designed by the Victorian engineer, Robert Casement, the wheel was built in 1854 to pump water from Glen Mooar part of the ‘Great Laxey Mines’ industrial complex.

The impressive 22m (72.5 feet) diameter structure found immediate popularity and has remained one of the Island’s most dramatic tourist attractions for over 150 years. A climb to the top of the wheel is rewarded with breathtaking views across the valley, while the mines trail displays the remains of a once thriving mining complex and offers a pleasant walk through the Glen Mooar, together with the opportunity to enter a section of the mine.

Incredibeard of 29 year old Isaiah Webb

San Francisco-based facial hair enthusiast Isaiah Webb is Incredibeard, a simple man with an extraordinary mission to grow out his beard and shape it into unique designs. The 29-year-old creatively transforms his manly tuft of hair into some truly bizarre works of art. From constructing a bowl for his ramen to crafting five beer cup holders, all right under his chin, Incredibeard exhibits his creative prowess.

In an interview with Mashable, the man behind Incredibeard admits that he hasn't been clean-shaven in about 15 years, but only really began growing his beard out 18 months ago. The decorative and, at times, efficient displays are each designed by Webb himself and styled by his wife, Aphan. In fact, it was his wife who urged him to grow his beard and pursue this unusual undertaking. Now, Incredibeard reveals a new styled beard every other Monday—an event he dubs #Monbeardday.

Brazilian adopting tigers

A Brazilian family have taken the trend for exotic pets to new extremes. Not content with the standard pet dog, the Borges family have been sharing their home with a pack of seven terrifying tigers. Aryas Borges, began his love affair with tigers when he found two of the big cats living in a bad state at a circus, and decided to bring them home.

10 Most Dangerous Lakes on Earth

1. Karachi Lake

After being used as a dumping site for radioactive waste for decades, Lake Karachay, located in the
southern Ural mountains in western Russia, has become one of the most polluted spot in the world.
Spending just five minutes near the lake is enough to receive a deadly radioactive dosis, while spending
an hour there will probably kill you within the next few hours. In 1968, during drought conditions, the wind
carried radioactive dust away from the lake’s dried area, irradiating half a million people. The radiation
was comparable to the effect of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Another 7,000 people who lived
in the area were relocated.

2. Lake Rakshastal

Lake Rakshastal (left in the picture above) is a saltwater lake in Tibet, lying close to the
west of Lake Manasarovar. Named “lake of the demon”, Lake Rakshastal produces no waterweeds
or fish and the locals consider it poisonous. It is considered to be the home of the ten-headed
demon king of Lanka in Hindu myth. Lake Manasarovar, shaped like the sun, is regarded as
‘brightness’ in Buddhism, while Lake Rakshastal, shaped as a crescent, represents ‘darkness’.
However, despite its notoriety, the lake bears no less beauty than other Tibetan lakes.

3. Boiling lake

Boiling lake in Dominica is actually a flooded fumarole (a crack through which gases from molten
lava escape), filled with superheated bubbling water that is enveloped in a cloud of vapor.
Since the lake is the second largest hot spring on Earth with the water temperature of
82-91.5 Celsius (180-197 Fahrenheit) measured just at the edges, not only it would be uncomfortable
to swim in, it would kill you if you even got near it. So far, scientists haven’t measured the
temperature in the center of the lake where the water actually boils.

4. Lake Monoun

Lake Monoun, that lies in the Oku Volcanic Field in Cameroon, is the first of only three known
cases of lake overturn. In 1984, the lake exploded in a limnic eruption and released a cloud
of deadly carbon dioxide gas that killed 37 people. A truck carrying twelve people was in the
path of the gas and when the engine suddenly stopped working, the people got out of the truck
to see what was wrong and were all killed. The only survivers in this accident were two persons
riding on the top of the truck as they were above the gas and could still breathe. Two years
later a similar event occurred at Lake Nyos, about 100 km away.

5. Lake Kivu, Rwanda

Situated on the borderline of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Kivu is
one of the three known exploding lakes and is at serious risk of violent lake overturns. The
lake is considered deadly because there are enormous quantities of dangerous gases
dissolved in layers beneath its surface – carbon dioxide (which has bubbled up from the
volcanic rock), and methane (about 55 billion cubic metres of it) produced by bacteria on
the lake bed. If the volcanic activity triggered a methane explosion or release of suffocating
carbon dioxide, this could cause a disaster of monstrous proportions, since approximately
two million people live in the Lake Kivu’s basin.

6. Mount Rainier Crater Lake, Washington

Mount Rainier’s crater lake, the highest crater lake in North America, lies beneath the ice in
the west summit crater and it can only be reached by following a network of ice caves in the
craters. The water in the crater lake creates sulfuric acid (sulfur dioxide combined with the
water) that is eating into the volcanic rock of Mount Rainier. Most volcanic rocks you find
anywhere else in the world are strong, but in parts of this mountain it can easily crumble in
your hand. If the rock were to collapse in any area, it would cause a slurry of mud, rock
and ice, or so called “lahars,” that can be deadly because of their energy and speed,
causing catastrophic destruction in their path. The collapse of the rock would also breach
the crater lake, letting loose tons of water within it. Mount Rainier and it’s crater lake are
considered a serious threat to people in Seattle, which is only 87 km away from the mountain.

Heavenly Langkawi Bridge

The Langkawi Skybridge is world-class. Clinging to a 700 metre high mountain ridge, the 125 metre long pedestrian bridge offers incredible views of the Andaman Sea. The Langkawi Sky Bridge is located at the ‘end’ of the Cable Car ride. One of the island’s highlights, is a 410ft-long curved pedestrian bridge above Mount Mat Cinchang. Located 2,300ft above sea level, the Sky Bridge is easily accessible by the Langkawi Cable Car. The journey to the top starts out at the Oriental Village in the upper northwest of Langkawi Island, near Pantai Kok.