Quirky rakhi designs for Raksha Bandhan

Two weeks before Raksha Bandhan, vendors start selling rakhis for the festival. Some are the traditional simple threads, others are rakhis uniquely designed for kids, and yet others are rakhis with Lord Ganesha.

There are a few rakhis, though, which catch your eye not because of their uniqueness or beautiful motifs, but because they are so outlandish!

Images of Sachin on one side, Aamir on the other, 
with unknown cartoon characters in the center of the rakhi

A Donald Duck rakhi with image of Harry Potter next to it. What's the connection? 
Even Harry Potter's magic wand can't conjure it up! 

Fake coin with Queen Elizabeth II at the center of the rakhi. 
Difficult to unerstand why such a rakhi was designed at all!

Kids rakhi designs for Raksha Bandhan

Very young kids may not really understand the concept of Raksha Bandhan, but nevertheless get excited at the idea of celebrating the festival! Little brothers would prefer to have some interesting rakhi with a superhero or cartoon character or some other fun-type rakhi, instead of the rakhis one would tie for older brothers such as ones with the formal image of Ganesha. They would love, though to have a rakhi with Bal Ganesha, Bal Hanuman, Chhota Bheem and Baby Krishna. The latest craze is for Angry Birds Rakhis!! Rakhis for kids generally are plastic & have an ordinary cotton thread instead of a silky type one.

Lord Ganesha rakhi designs for Raksha Bandhan

Lord Ganesha, also known as Ganapati, is the God of good luck & prosperity. This lovable God is often depicted on silver & gold coins, wedding invitation cards, envelopes in which cash is gifted for a ceremony, etc. On Raksha Bandhan day, too, tying a rakhi with Lord Ganesha on it is considered to be an auspicious symbol to bring luck & prosperity to the brother.

Ganapati rakhi designs & styles

Nag Panchami pooja stotra

When offering sweets and performing aarti of the serpent God on Nag Panchami, you can say this stotra (it is a verse with rhythm which is said during the worship of a deity in praise of the deity):

Nag Panchami  Pooja Sloka / Stotra

नाग पंचमी पूजा स्लोका  / स्तोत्र

अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पध्मनाभ च कम्बलम |

शंखपालं धृतराष्ट्र तक्षकं कालियं तथा      ||१||

एतानि नव नामानि नागानां च महात्मनाम |

सायंकाले पठेन्नित्यं प्रात:काले विशेषत:     |

तस्य विषभयं नास्ति सर्वत्र विजयी भवेत्||२||

This Sanskrit stotra for Nag Panchami mentions the 9 names of the serpent dieties.

Rakhi with serpent and trident (Lord Shiva's weapon)

Anantam vasukim shesham padhmanabham cha kambalam |

Shankhapalam dhartarashhtram taksakam kaaliyam thatha || 1 ||

Aitani navnamaani naaganaan cha mahatmnaam |

Sayankaale pattenitya praatkaale visheshth |

Tasya vishbhay naastit sarvatra vijayee bhavet || 2 ||

How to do a simple Nag Panchami pooja at home

Nag Panchami is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar. 

Nag Panchami rituals and traditions

On the day of Nag Panchami, fields are not ploughed and no fried food is served. This is because, on this day, snakes should not be harmed in any way. 

- No ploughing the field with cattle to prevent the snake from getting crushed

- No cutting with farm equipment to prevent the snake's skin from getting scarred

- No frying to prevent the snake from getting charred

Nag Panchami festival origins and legends

On seeing a snake you’re likely to jump a foot in the air & break Usain Bolt’s record in trying to get away from the reptile as fast as possible! Not so with the devotees of Shesh Nag, the Lord of the Serpents. They consider the snake to be sacred and they worship Shesh Nag with great fervour. This fervour is at its peak during the festival of Nag Panchami. 

2011 Ganapati Festival Ahmedabad to Madgaon Special Trains

For the forthcoming Ganesh Festival, Western Railways is operating 30 special trains between Mumbai, Maharashtra and Madgaon, Goa as well as between Ahmedabad, Gujarat and Madgaon (via Vasai).

You can book tickets at Passenger Reservation Centers from 22^nd July, 2011.

Train I

• Name of Train: Ahmedabad – Madgaon Express
• Train Number: 09401
• Coach Berth Options: AC 3-tier, Sleeper class and II class general accommodation.
• Starting point: Ahmedabad
• Destination points: Vasai Road station and Madgoan
• Time of departure from Ahmedabad: 16.25 hrs
• Day & Dates of Departures: 27^th August and 3^rd & 10^th Sept, 2011.
• Time of arrival at Vasai Rd. station: 00.10 hrs next day and Madgaon at 16.30 hrs.

Return journey

• Name of Train: Madgaon – Ahmedabad Express
• Train Number: 09402
• Coach Berth Options: AC 3-tier, Sleeper class and II class general accommodation.
• Starting point: Madgoan
• Destination points: Vasai Road station and Ahmedabad
• Time of departure from Madgoan: 20.00 hrs
• Day & Dates of Departures: 28^th August and 4^th & 11^th Sept, 2011.
• Time of arrival at Vasai Rd. station: Vasai Rd at 11.20 hrs next day and reach Ahmedabad at 20.15 hrs.

Stations at which the train will halt coming and going:

Nadiad

Anand

Vadodara

Surat

Valsad

Vapi

Vasai Road

Panvel

Roha

Mangaon

Veer

Khed

Chiplun

Savarde

Aravali Road

Sangameshwar

Ratnagiri

Adavali

Vilawade

Rajapur

Vaibhavwadi

Nandgaon

Kankavali

Sindhudurg

Kudal

Sawantwadi Road

Madure

Pernem

Thivim

Karmali

Check Seat Availability

Train II

- Name of train: Ahmedabad – Madgaon Express

- Train No.: 09403

- Coach Berth options: AC 2-tier, AC 3-tier, Sleeper class and II class general accommodation

- Starting point station: Ahmedabad

- Destination station:Vasai Road / Madgaon

- Time of departure from Ahmedabad: 16.00 hrs

- Days & Dates of Departure: Friday & Sunday i.e. on 26^th & 28^th August and 2, 4, 9& 11^th Sept, 2011

- Time of arrival: Vasai Rd at 00.10 hrs next day and reach Madgaon at 16.30 hrs.

Return Journey

• Name of train: Madgaon – Ahmedabad Express
• Train No.: 09404
• Coach Berth options: AC 3-tier, Sleeper class and II class general accommodation.
• Starting point station: Madgaon
• Destination station: Vasai Road/Ahmedabad
• Time of departure from Madgaon: 20.00 hrs
• Days & Dates of Departure: Saturday & Monday i.e. on 27^th & 29^th August and 3, 5, 10 & 12^th Sept, 2011
• Time of arrival: Vasai Rd at 11.20 hrs next day and reach Ahmedabad at 20.15 hrs.

Stations at which the train will halt coming and going:

Nadiad

Anand

Vadodara

Surat

Valsad

Vapi

Vasai Road

Panvel

Roha

Mangaon

Veer

Khed

Chiplun

Savarde

Aravali Road

Sangameshwar

Ratnagiri

Adavali

Vilawade

Rajapur

Vaibhavwadi

Nandgaon

Kankavali

Sindhudurg

Kudal

Sawantwadi

Madure

Pernem

Thivim

Karmali 

Check Seat Availability