g o d s - o f - i n d i a GODS OF INDIA ---- Mahalaxmi, Goddess of Wealth and Power. Lakshmi, also called Laxmi, is the goddess of wealth,fortune, power, luxury, beauty, fertility, and auspiciousness. She holds the promise of material fulfillment and contentment. She is described as restless, whimsical yet maternal, with her arms raised to bless and to grant her blessings. Shri is the sacred name of Lakshmi. Shri is written atop most documents and spoken before addressing a god, teacher holy man or any revered individual. The word evokes grace, affluence abundance, auspiciousness and authority. When the word is spoken or written an aura of holiness is established. Whatever follows is imbued with divine blessing. Just as the word "Om" is associated with the mystical side of life, Shri is associated with the material side of existence. She is believed to be an incarnation of ・ｽAdishakti・ｽ-the supreme power and energy. This part of the land area of Mumbai was created with the construction of Breach Candy. A charming story tells of the engineer dreaming of a statue of Lakshmi buried in the Breach; finding it in the place revealed in the dream and establishing the temple of Maha Lakshmi which gives the area its name. MAHALAXMI TEMPLE ---- Mumbai. The Mahalaxmi Temple in Mumbai, is a popular holy site as Mahalaxmi is the goddess of wealth. It is situated at one end of Breach Candy -- a trendy residential and shopping area, now known as B. Desai Road. Named for Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and her consort Lord Vishnu, this shrine is the focus of Navratri celebrations (when devoted Hindus offer gifts to gods and goddesses). A closed-circuit TV network allows you to view the ceremonies without having to brave the throngs at the entry gate. KRISHNA'S NATURE ---- What Krishna is Really Like. Of course, Krishna is most famous for dancing in the moonlight with his swarm of captivated milkmaids (gopis. Krishna is completely independent, and we cannot comprehend him completely. He cannot be conquered by knowledge. But He can be conquered・ｽand seen directly・ｽthrough pure love. God has feelings: He is satisfied when someone offers Him a nice prayer. Even though He is great, He can be moved by our love. He responds to us according to how we approach Him. ISKCON ---- International Society for Krishna Consciousness. One of the foremost Krishna sects in modern times, the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), has a prominent temple complex at Raman Reti, 3 kms from Vrindavan. The society has been responsible for popularising Krishna・ｽs philosophy in the West, popularising the chant ・ｽhare rama, hare krishna・ｽ (which even made it on to an old George Harrison record in the 1970s!) The kadamb groves of Vrindavan, which severely depleted, are believed to be the spots where Krishna played his erotic love games. At the Seva Kunj, Krishna danced the Raaslila with the gopis. Through his divine powers, Krishna would create an optical illusion which made it seem like he was the dancing partner of every gopi (and thus providing perfect fodder for some innovative Bollywood special effects experiments!) Ganesha | Shiva | Kali | Vishwakarma | Krishna Contact the author Rob Sullivan at bunyarra@hotmail.com. Anticopyright February 2005.