A Lotus In The Mud

11/27/2025

Thank you, readers, friends, supporters, donors, and the media, for helping usher A Lotus In The Mud into its 4th year of curating content for our readers to be happy, healthy and centered.

10/20/2025

Happy Diwali, friends. At ALotusInTheMud.com, we go beyond the usual 'Light over Darkness', and '5 days of Diwali' articles that other media publishes around ths time. Here are a couple of Diwali Special stories we have for you.
* https://alotusinthemud.com/diwali-universal-message.../
Reflections from writers and thought leaders in a 2-part post).
* https://alotusinthemud.com/diwali-and-the-psychology-of.../
Why do we crave illumination, and what is the link between light and consciousness?

Explore the deeper psychology of Diwali—how light, ritual, and consciousness mirror our timeless human quest for clarity, balance, and inner illumination.

10/05/2025

Dear Friends
This is the third Diwali since Lotus was launched at the end of 2022.
With fire in our belly and light under our wings, we are feeling lighter and flying high already.
We welcome you to join us in celebrating the festival that is our Christmas and New Year rolled into one.
Here is how you can participate in our Diwali Special, to be posted on ALotusInTheMud.com a couple of days before the festival, which falls on October 20.
🪔 Share a short write-up on ‘My most memorable Diwali’, with pictures
🪔 Send us your comment on: 'The Diwali of tomorrow: How festivals can heal a fractured world'. In 300 words with your headshot.
🪔 Promote your company, service, or institution through a low-cost banner ad, thus supporting Lotus.
🪔 Write to us by October 13: lotus4usa@gmail.com, WhatsApp: +1 516 710 0508
🪔 Lead Diwali Feature you’ll enjoy: Diwali and the psychology of why we crave illumination.
Thank you,
warmly,

Parveen Chopra
Founding Editor
ALotusInTheMud.com
Premier Wellness & Spirituality Web Magazine

09/30/2025

Do we Hindus worship 9 or 10 goddesses? I was confused when my colleague in India wrote this article we published today: https://alotusinthemud.com/mahavidyas-sadhana-daily-life/
It turns out the 10 Mahavidya goddesses are distinct from NavDurga or 9 forms of Durga, which are better known in north India, as worshipped during Navratri ending tomorrow.

The Ten Mahavidyas—fierce and tender goddesses—are doorways to deeper consciousness. Discover how to practice their powerful sadhanas and embody their wisdom in your ordinary, everyday life.

09/26/2025

For close to 4 decades, perhaps the biggest Diwali celebration outside India was organized by the Association of Indians in America at South Street Seaport in Manhattan. It is relocating. For new venue and other details of the Deepavali Festival on October 11, read on:

The annual Deepavali Festival organized by the Association of Indians in America, moves to Overlook Beach in Babylon, Long Island. Discover the spiritual significance of this vibrant festival of light. A report by ALotusinthemud.com.

09/26/2025

✨ Kavita Malhotra: Unleashing a quality life with love & balance.
Guided by surrender and divine vision, this gentle healer empowers women to heal, grow, and live fully. 🌸💫

Read her inspiring story at alotusinthemud.com – https://alotusinthemud.com/kavita-malhotra-unleashing-quality-life-with-love-and-balance/

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🌿
💫
🌸

09/16/2025

In her book, ‘Home At Last’, Sarada Chiruvolu shares her spiritual experiences and offers some simple tips for your progress on the path. Sarada will meet Lotus readers in Edison, NJ, on Sept 20, after a successful webinar on Sept 13.
Read an extract from her book here: https://alotusinthemud.com/sarada-chiruvolo-enlightenment/

09/12/2025

Last chance to join a free webinar to interact with Sarada Chiruvolu, author of 'Home at Last' who has had the experience of Self-realization through meditation. Brought to you by A Lotus In The Mud. To join on Zoom Sept 13, EST: 10 am, India time 7.30 pm: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84533943222?pwd=BgElwvIYaw2Ed3W65TBdaJtDEMAbXo.1 /
To register, https://tinyurl.com/4f668e8n

09/05/2025

Indian/Vedic astrology, known as Jyotish shastra, was always intended to guide individuals toward self-realization and alignment with the cosmic order by interpreting planetary patterns at the time of birth. Of course, these days, astrologers only get such queries - "when will my daughter get married", "when will I get a promotion in my job'.
Western astrology, I don't know much about. However, here comes an interesting article by Lotus' writer-at-large, Ashish Virmani, introducing the evolutionary astrology school. In an accompanying piece, he even interviewed Steven Forrest, the key figure in developing this paradigm that incorporates Eastern concepts of karma and reincarnation.

Explore Evolutionary Astrology with insights from Steven Forrest and Jeffrey Wolf Green. Learn how past lives, karma, and Pluto’s influence shape your soul’s journey toward healing and spiritual growth.

09/01/2025

In Sikhism, the clergy are householders. Among groups like the Nirankaris and Radha Soamis, their spiritual head is usually a married male. The spouse will then have a limited role, apart from accompanying the guru at public events.
So it was interesting to note that the current Satguru of the Sant Nirankari Mission is the young Mata Sudiksha Ji. And her husband, Nirankari Rajpita Ramit ji travels the world to give discourses. In his lucid talk at Hofstra University on Long Island the other day, he stated that many of the world's problems stem from righteous individuals and communities attempting to impose their own belief systems on others. Read on for more

In this profound discourse he gave in New York recently, Nirankari Rajpita Ramit Ji explores how we have become numb to the pain we cause others and what true spirituality means beyond a quest for a future reward.

08/21/2025

In Herman Hesse’s novel ‘Siddhartha’, the title character attempts the path of denial, similar to Gautama Buddha before his enlightenment. Desolate, he comes across a ferryman named Vasudeva, who advises him to learn from the river. Not to try to force his life along specific paths. Just Be.