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%.
The Tax Foundation's latest look at sales tax rates around the country shows that Alabama has the third-highest combined state and local tax rate in the country. The average sales tax is 8.91 percent, behind only Tennessee (9.45 percent) and Arkansas (9.26 percent). The report looks only at tax rates, not what the levy applies to. Unlike most states, Alabama applies the full sales tax rate to groceries and over-the-counter medicine.