About Me

 Name- Dilip Ranade

Description- Passionate about Hindu astronomy, astrology, and its history. Want to explore knowledge from the cosmos the way our ancestors did.

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Mail id- dilipdsr@gmail.com

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Popular Posts

The Zodiac Deception

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  Written in the stars... and the stars have moved. The Zodiac deception Prologue Anjali met her school friend, Meenakshi, at one of the school reunions. Anjali excitedly asked Meenakshi ‘How is Shekhar? I believe you are now married to him. How is he?..... Anjali let out a volley of questions. Meenakshi replied, her voice laced with a hint of apprehension, "Yes, everything seems fine on the surface, but there are moments when I can't shake the feeling that I’m being deceived." "Why do you feel that way?" Anjali inquired, her brow furrowing with concern. "You did conduct the zodiac compatibility check, didn’t you?" Meenakshi nodded, her mind drifting back to the astrological insights. "He was born on May 30, making him a Gemini. But honestly, he often behaves like a Taurus—stubborn and set in his ways. Aries and Gemini typically mesh so well together." Anjali raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "But you are a Libra, right?...
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Kumbh Mela :The Cosmic Misattribution.

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  Kumbh Mela: The Cosmic Misattribution The Kumbh Mela is a blend of पौराणिक कथा  and allegorical stories (रूपक-संबंधी ), historical events, and modern adaptations, reflecting the complex interplay of religious beliefs, colonial encounters, and national aspirations.  All religions have placed great emphasis on the sacredness of certain localities and have either enjoined or recommended pilgrimages to them with great insistence. Large rivers, mountains and forests have always been venerated as sacred places. The word Tirtha 1 , occurs frequently in the Rgved and other Vedic Samhitas. Tirtha, therefore, means a locality or spot or expanse of water which gives rise to the accumulation of righteousness (merit) owing to its own peculiar nature without any adventitious circumstance. Puranas 1 and ancient texts do describe the importance of places and rivers, as Tirtha, and bathing in such holy rivers, freed the person from Sins. These places are all over India. They ...
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Temple Astronomy -1

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  Temple Astronomy   This blog series explores the connection between temples and celestial events. Part 1 focuses on temples in general, while specific temples associated with unique celestial events will be the subject of future blogs . Temple, as we understand it, is a place of worship where it is easy to connect with the divine. Imagine standing before a towering Hindu temple, its spires piercing the sky like fingers pointing to the stars. For millennia, these sacred structures have stood as more than places of worship—they are cosmic compasses, meticulously aligned with the heavens. Ancient builders oriented them to the various astronomical phenomena and celestial bodies as recommended in the  स्थापत्यवेदः   and  वास्तुशास्त्र . These alignments served multiple sacred purposes.  First , they enabled precise ritual timing for a festival with a perfect astronomical combination. Second , they symbolised the profound harmony between the microcosm...
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Temple Astronomy-2

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Temple Astronomy 2 As we have seen, a temple is a place for a devotee to meet and pray to the representation of the Lord. It gives a sense of a direct connection with the lord to seek his blessings. Though this can be done anywhere also, a temple provides just the right environment for a perfect connection with the lord. As the aim is to build an environment which can harmonise the natural forces, along with the cosmos, which supposedly affects the individuals on earth. The idea is that the temple is in tune with the cosmic rhythm to create a perfect environment for a devotee to connect with his lord.
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The Forgotten Meridian of Ujjain

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  The Forgotten Meridian of Ujjain How Ancient India Built Its Own Prime Meridian Centuries Before Greenwich   Location Parallax Utpala calls up her friend Rohini from Gauhati. ‘We are moving into our new house next month. There will be Grah Pravesh Pooja on Saptami at…’ Rohini interrupted her and remarked, Saptami is not on that day and time, it is… Utpala corrected her, here in Gauhati it is correct, in Ahmedabad it will be later... I can see the moon low in the sky; Revati pointed at the Moon in her video call to Swati from Leh. No, it is high up in the sky here in Kanyakumari, Swati replied Our ancient astronomers did visualise this anomaly and found how to overcome it. Celestial orientation makes a location feel alive—defined not by abstract numbers but by its relationship to the zodiac. It tells you what the sky does there , which is far more intuitive for cultures that lived by the rhythms of stars and seas...
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