Every mantra begins with the word à¥ (Aum/Om). (Ex. Aum Namho Bhagwate Vasudevaya Namah etc.) à¥ itself is considered a mantra in Ayurveda. My Questions: What is the meaning of à¥? Why is it given the first place in all (or most) mantras (at least to my knowledge)? What other significance does it have, if any, in Hinduism? Why this specific word?
Alabama is one of the few states that does not exempt groceries and food from the state sales tax. Cities and counties may enact their own sales tax on top of Alabama's - for example, Montgomery has a city sales tax of 3.5% and Birmingham has a local sales tax of 4%.
Most goods sold in Alabama will be subject to both state and local sales taxes. The state sales tax rate is 4%. Additional taxes are levied at the city level. The table below shows the total rates (including both state and city) for the 100 largest cities in Alabama.