Known among the devout as the Panchakshara or five-syllable mantra, this is also venerated as the mantra for redemption. The five syllables na, ma, shi, va, ya are said to represent the pancha bhoota or five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. Chanting of this mantra with intense devotion can bring before us the vision of Kailashnath.

And what a magnificent form it is! The puranas tell us that when Shiva came in the traditional baaraat to wed Parvati, the daughter of King Himawaan, Parvati’s mother wept in anger and disappointment to see the ascetic figure smeared in........

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