YUGA

 Yuga means the age or the aeon of the universe. Yugas are described in different ways under various beliefs. In Hindu religious text the time of the universe is divided into Yugas, Mahayugas and Kalpas. There are four Yugas namely, Krita Yuga or Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga. How long are all those a eons? It is incredibly a huge calculation for a human mind. Here goes the lengths of all four Yugas as described in Hindu mythologies. The years are calculated in terms of our years and the years of the gods which have different connotations. Each year of the gods is equivalent to 360 years of men. Hence,

Krita Yuga  has 4800 years of gods x 360 equals to  1,728,000 years of ours

Treta  Yuga has 3600  years of gods x 360 equals to 1,296,000 years of ours

Dwapar Yuga has 2400 years of gods x 360 equals to 864,000 years of ours. Kali Yuga  has 1200 years of gods x 360 equals to   432,000 years of ours

Total  number of years of all four Yugas is  4,320,000 years of ours. Total period of all four Yugas becomes one Mahayuga. i. e.,  4,320,000 years

Two thousand Mahayugas makes one Kalpa.

One Kalpa is just a day and night for Bramha, the creator. Every time he goes for retiring, he destroys the whole creations except gods, sages and elements. Next day of his, as soon as he gets awake, he again starts his creations for another day of ‘His’ which is equivalent to 2,160,000,000 years of ours.

It is believed that this process goes on for 100 years of Bramha.  

YONI

 Yoni is often found in combination with Lingam which makes the wheel of creation complete. Linga or Lingam is a  form of Lord Shiva. The phallic symbol of lord Shiva united with Yoni, the female organ is to symbolize the supreme Brahmah or the Absoluteness. Such a combination of the Yoni and the Linga represent the non-stop creative action.. 

YOMADHI POONHI

 This is the name of the particular full moon day when a special type of rice bread is made and served among Newar communities to celeberate the harvesting season. Yomadhi is prepared from the dough made of rice flour to look like a small chaitya. Inside portion of this bread is made empty so a to fill it with liquefied molasses, sesame or other delicacies as per intended taste. The celebration is to express joys and to thank god for the good harvest which is mainly rice in case of Kathmandu valley.  This Poonhi usually falls in the month of November.

YETI

Yeti is the local word for abominable snowman who is supposed to be living in the Himalayas. This mysterious species or man is still a subject for exploration, See Abominable snowman for details.  

YANTRA

 Literal meaning of Yantra is a machine or a mechanical process. For the management of abstract concepts, it also require a mechanism. Such a mechanism is an abstract form of machine. Yantra is a nucleus of everything visible and conceivable which may be grasped and understood. Depicted by a linked diagram of lines through which visualized energies are realized and concentrated, several such Yantras are described in religious texts.  Sri Yantras is one of the most famous one. People consider it as the Great Yantra. Other lesser yantras like Om yantra, Kali yantra are obviously segments out of the all embracing Sri yantra. It is presumed that Yantras may be formed or created out of several permanent forms and substances. The most important substance is the rock crystal. The philosophical and symbolic significance of this material is particularly because of its being clear, colourless and crystal. It can be shaped so as to focus light at its apex enabling it to become a very good emblem for the all inclusive substance of fundamental reality.  Just as the bright and colourless sunlight is inclusive of all the colours of the spectrum, crystal can also serve as the analogy for the inclusive substance.

YAMARAJ

 He is the king of death who keeps all accounts of good and bad deeds of all the creatures. He is responsible for fixing the life span of all and to mark up the date for the end of life in the world. There are innumerable stories woven around him. He has all the departments, associates and systems to keep record of the dharma or the noble deeds and Papa or the sin of all the creatures. He also has the systems, areas and devices of rewarding and penalizing them accordingly.  

YAMANTAKA

 Yamantaka is the composition of two words Yama and Antaka both of which denote the name of the king of death. Hence it is another name of Yama or Antaka.  However, some Buddhist text consider him as the conqueror of the king of Death or Yama. He is projected as the ferocious emanation of Bodhisattwa Manjushree. The form and features of Manjushree when he conquered the demon king of Death or Yama resembles very much like that of Yama himself.  The simplest form of Yamantaka also has a bull’s head, two arms, a crown of skulls and the third eye. In his right hand, he holds a chopper and a skull cup in the left hand. His belt is consisting of human heads. In paintings, he may be seen with sixteen feet, thirty four arms holding all the Tantra symbols and with nine heads.

YALAMBAR

Yalambar is the legendary Kirat king who ruled two and half millennium years ago in Kathmandu Valley. It is believed that Kirat dynasties ruled in Kathmandu valley for approximately 1000 years and that altogether 28 kings took turns to rule during that period. The first and the best-remembered king was, of course, Yalambar. Legends are woven around him to demonstrate his greatness and his performances. He is believed to have met  Indra, the king of heaven when the later showed up in the Valley in human guise. Some people believe that King Yalambar was killed in the epic battle of the Mahabharata. 

Present-day Patan or Lalitpur is the capital of Yalambar from where he ruled over Kathmandu valley. The remnants of the palace of King Yalambar still remain there as a place of interest for all including historians and researchers. 

WHITE TARA

 Tara is the female deity of the Buddhist pantheon. White Tara was born from a tear of Avalokiteswora, the Boddhisatwa of  compassion.. She holds a very prominent position among the ritual, cultural and religious celebrities in Tibet and Nepal. Tara is believed to protect all human beings while they are in the process of crossing the ocean of existence. This means she is always there to protect all while they are undergoing the process of living. 

Out of the two forms of Tara, White Tara is regarded as the consort of Avalokiteswara or some times of Vairochana. She is portrayed usually seated, dressed and crowned like a Boddhisatwa. And sometimes she is regarded as Saptalochana or seven eyed Tara.  With extra eyes on her forehead, palm and feet, and lotus flower on one or both of her shoulders, she is seated in full Vajra posture having her right hand in boon conferring posture. Her left hand holding the stem of ornaments, she looks beautiful and in charming gesture . The ritual practice of white Tara is basically performed for prolonging life as well as for healing purpose. 

VISWA BAJRA

 When two thunderbolts are crossed it is called a Viswa Bajra. It is the emblem of Buddha Amoghasiddhi, one of the five Buddha’s in the Pancha Buddha structure. In Buddhist Tantra the word generally denotes Sunya or Void which cannot be cut into pieces or destroyed by any means whereas it is potential of destroying all evils.