Vaishaakham ----------------- This year Vaishakha maasam started on April 27th and last day is May 25th. This month is all the more auspicious to worship Vishnu Bhagavan because four of the Dasha Avatars happened in this month- Koorma, Narasimha, Parashurama and Balarama. It is a month for daana (charities), yajna, vratha and punyasnaanam. Annadaanam or giving food to the needy is the most important of all the daanams. There is a story in Padmapurana illustrating the greatness of Vaishakham . There was an Ayurveda physician in the village of Bhadravathi who had five children. Name of the fifth son was Dhrushtabuddhi meaning one who derived pleasure in doing adharmam and hurting people. He was very evil minded. His family members and the villagers put up with him for sometime and when they were fed up with his evil deeds and they sent him to a nearby forest to live there by himself. He lived in the thick forest for a while and bec...