Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Teej / Tij / Teez Hartalika Teej Vrat
Tij / Teez Hartalika Teej Vrat
Hartalika Teej Vrat is an important ritual performed by Hindu women. The ritual is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and is observed in Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. In some places, the Vrat is a three day affair but nowadays many women only observe the Vrat on a single day. In 2008, Hartalika Teej Vrat is on September 2.
By observing the ritual, unmarried women believe that they will get a husband like Lord Shiva. Married women believe they will be blessed with a good family life.
According to Hindu Mythology, Shiva took no notice of the love of Parvati for very long time as he was haunted by the death of Sati. To get the attention of Shiva, Parvati performed severe austerities on the Himalayas for several years. Some Puranas indicate that Goddess Parvati did penance for 16 years and survived on grass and fruits. Finally, Shiva acknowledged Parvati’s devotion and love and agreed to marry her.
Hartalika Teej Vrat is an important ritual performed by Hindu women. The ritual is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and is observed in Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. In some places, the Vrat is a three day affair but nowadays many women only observe the Vrat on a single day. In 2008, Hartalika Teej Vrat is on September 2.
By observing the ritual, unmarried women believe that they will get a husband like Lord Shiva. Married women believe they will be blessed with a good family life.
According to Hindu Mythology, Shiva took no notice of the love of Parvati for very long time as he was haunted by the death of Sati. To get the attention of Shiva, Parvati performed severe austerities on the Himalayas for several years. Some Puranas indicate that Goddess Parvati did penance for 16 years and survived on grass and fruits. Finally, Shiva acknowledged Parvati’s devotion and love and agreed to marry her.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Chhath / Chath 2008
Chhath November 4 (11/04/2008)
Chhath or Dala Chhath is a Hindu festival, unique to Bihar state, India and Terai, Nepal. This festival is also celebrated in the northeast region of India, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Chhattisgarh.
Etymology
The word chhath denotes the number 6 in Hindi and the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik, which corresponds to months of October-November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival of Chhath begins a week after Diwali. Chhath is the holiest Hindu festival of Bihar and extends to four days. This festival has particular significance in Bihar, but it is also celebrated in Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas. Even in Mumbai, the migrants from the north celebrate Chhath beside the sea beach.
Chhath is a festival dedicated to the Sun God, considered to be a means to thank the sun for bestowing the bounties of life in earth and fulfilling particular wishes. Worship of the sun has been practiced in different parts of India, and the world from time immemorial. Worship of sun has been described in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu scriptures, and hymns praying to the sun in the Vedas are found.
In the ancient epic Mahabharata, references to worshipping of the sun by Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, are found. It was believed that worshipping of the sun would help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and also ensure longevity and prosperity of the family members, friends, and elders. It is also believed that Chhath was started by the great Danveer (alms giver) Karna, sired by the Sun God, who became a great warrior and fought against the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war.
Also called Dala Chhath - it is an ancient and major festival. It is celebrated twice a year: once in the summers (May-July), called the Chaiti Chhath, and once in the winters (September-November)around a week after Deepawali, called the Kartik Chhath. The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India, and Chhath being an arduous observance, requiring the worshippers to fast without water for more than 24 hours, is easier to undertake in the Indian winters.
Chhath being mainly a Bihari festival, wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them the tradition of Chhath. This is a ritual bathing festival that follows a period of abstinence and ritual segregation of the worshiper from the main household for four days. During this period, the worshiper observes ritual purity, and sleeps on the floor on a single blanket. The main worshipers, called Parvaitin (from Sanskrit parv, meaning 'occasion' or 'festival'), are usually women. However, a large number of men also are the main worshiper. The parvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, for prosperity and offspring. They usually can perform Chhath only if it is passed on to them from their older generation. However, once they decide to do it, it becomes their duty to perform it every year, the festival being skipped only if there happens to be a death in the family that year.
On the eve of Chhath, houses are scrupulously cleaned and so are the surroundings. One the first day of the festival, the worshiper cooks a traditional vegetarian meal and offers it to the Sun God. This day is called Naha-Kha (literally, 'Bathe and eat'!). The worshiper allows herself/himself only one meal on this day from the preparation.
On the second day, a special ritual, called Kharna, is performed in the evening after Sun down. On this day also, the worshiper eats his/her only meal from the offerings(Prashad)made to the Sun God in this ritual. Friends and family are invited to the household on this day to share the prashad of the ritual. From this day onwards, for the next 36 hours, the worshiper goes on a fast without water.
The evening of the next day, the entire household accompanies the worshiper to a ritual bathing and worship of the Sun God, usually on the bank of a river or a common large water body. The occasion is almost a carnival. Besides the main worshiper, there are friends and family, and numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshipper. Ritual rendition of regional folk songs, carried on through oral transmission from mothers and mothers-in-law to daughters and daughters-in-law, are sung on this occasion. The same bathing ritual is repeated on the following day at the crack of dawn. This is when the worshipper breaks his/her fast and finishes the ritual.Chhath being celebrated at the crack of the dawn on a river bank is a beautiful, elating spiritual experience connecting the modern Indian to his ancient cultural roots.
The folk songs sung on the eve of Chhath mirror the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Nowadays, modern Chhath songs, largely Bollywood filmy remixes have caught on, but the old tradition still goes strong with a great degree of sanctity. The three main linguistic regions of Bihar: the Maithili, the Magadhi, and the Bhojpuri, and all the various dialects associated with these, have different folk songs; but all dedicated to Chhath, they have an underlying unity. The minor nuances of the Chhath rituals, such as in the Kharna ritual, vary from region to region, and also across families, but still there is a fundamental similarity.
Hindu Festival List 2008
Hindu festivals
| Date of Observance (2008 Gregorian calendar) | |||
| Makar Sankranti (also known by other various names) is the only Hindu festival which is based on the Solar calendar rather than the Lunar calendar. The festival is celebrated by taking dips in the Ganges river or any river and offering water to the Sun god. | |||
| First day of Thai (Tamil calendar) | Pongal (meaning "boiling over") is a Hindu festival to give thanks for the harvest. The festival is celebrated only in Tamil Nadu. | ||
| Fifth day of waxing moon of Magh (Hindu Calendar) | Vasant Panchami (also called Saraswati Puja by Bengalis) is celebrated for the blessing of Saraswati, goddess of wisdom and fine arts.[1] | ||
| Thirteenth night of the waning moon of Magh (Hindu Calendar) | Maha Shivaratri is the great night of Shiva, followers of Shiva observe religious fasting and the offering of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Shiva.[2] | ||
| Full moon of Phalgun (Hindu Calendar) | Holi or Phagwah is a popular spring festival. | ||
| | Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshiped. | ||
| | Rama Navami is the celebration of the birth of Rama. | ||
| First Day of waxing moon of Chaitra (Hindu Calendar) | Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Years day by Marathis. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world. | ||
| | Ugadi (meaning "the start of an era" in Kannada) is the New Years day for the Deccans. It takes place on the same day as Gudi Padwa.[3] | ||
| | Tamil New Year The Tamil New Year follows the nirayan vernal equinox and generally falls around April 14 of the Gregorian year. | ||
| | Shigmo is celebrated in Goa as one of the prominent festivals of the Konkani Hindu community there. | ||
| | Hanuman Jayanti is the celebration of the birth of Hanuman; Rama's loyal devotee. | ||
| Full moon of Jeshtha (Hindu Calendar) | Vat Pournima is observed in Maharashtra. Pournima means "full moon." Women pray for the prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree. | ||
| | August | Bonalu is a celebration of Mother Goddess, and is celebrated in Telangana Region. | |
| | |||
| Full moon of Ashadh (Hindu Calendar) | Guru Purnima is the day devotees offer puja (worship) to their Guru. This was the day when Vyasa; author of the Mahabharata was born. | ||
| | Mahalakshmi Vrata is a puja performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of Mahalakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.[4] | ||
| | Onam is a harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. Like many other religious festivals in | ||
| Full moon of Shravana (Hindu Calendar) | Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrated mainly in northern Indian states. Rakhi is a special occasion to celebrate the chaste bond of love between a brother and a sister. | ||
| Eighth day of waning moon of Shravana (Hindu Calendar) | Krishna Janmaashtami is the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna.[5] | ||
| | Gowri Habba is celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Gowri is worshipped for her ability to bestow courage to her devotees. Newly wed couples are invited to the house of the groom's parents and served with varieties of food. | ||
| Fourth day of the waxing moon of Bhadrapada (Hindu Calendar) | Ganesh Chaturthi is the celebration of the birth of Ganesh.[6] | ||
| First nine nights of the waxing moon of Ashwin | Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshiped. | ||
| Tenth day of waxing moon of Ashwin (Hindu Calendar) | Vijayadashami is the Hindu celebration of good over evil. | ||
| New moon of Ashwin (Hindu Calendar) | Diwali is the abbreviation of the Sanskrit word "Deepavwali", which means "row of lights". The festival is celebrated on the occasion of Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama killing a demon Narakasura. Another story says the festival is celebrated for the return of Rama and Sita to the kingdom Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile.[7] | ||
| Second day of the waxing moon of Kartik (Hindu Calendar) | Bhaubeej, also referred to as Bhai dooj, is the ceremony performed by Hindus, generally, on the second day of Diwali. It is celebrated among brothers and sisters and is similar to Raksha Bandhan, except there is no tying of rakhi involved. | ||
| November 13 | A unique festival is celebrated in | ||
| | Chhath is unique to Bihar and Terai, but is also celebrated elsewhere. It is a festival dedicated to the Sun God for bestowing the bounties of life and fulfilling wishes.[8] | ||
| | Prathamastami is a festival that originated in Oriya. It is held on the eighth day of the month of Agrahayana, when older female relatives pray for the prosperity of the eldest child. The festival is followed by rituals and recitations of the Glory of Mahalakshmi. | ||
| | Zatra (also yatra and jatra) refers to the pilgrimage festivals celebrated at Hindu temples. Idols and murtis are taken out on special procession in a palkhi (a palanquin) or a chariot called the rath. Every temple observes this festival once a year on the traditional day. |
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Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi in 2008 is on Wednesday, the 3rd of September.
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Ganesh Chaturthi is one festival celebrated with great fervour in south –
This festival is celebrated on the fourth day of August-September, in religious terms this period is known as the phase of Bhadhrapada.
Ganesh Chaturthi wil be celebrated on September 3rd, 2008, as per the predictions.
Lord Ganesh is known by various terms – "Vignaharta" , "Vigneshwar", "Gajananeti", "Gajavaktra", "Nandana", "Varaganapati"," Vinayaka" and the list extends to108 names.
Lord Ganesh is worshipped for several reasons, he is considered to be the god of knowledge, music, wisdom and the remover of obstacles.At the beginning of every venture or project his blessings are always sought and are considered to be very auspicious.
A clay or a metal image of Lord Ganesh is made in all possible sizes. Sometimes their length extends up to 20 feet. People buy these images and install them in their house during the festival which lasts for 10-12 days.
What Is Done During the Ten Day Ritual?
During the ten day ritual, Aarthis are performed everyday. Kumkum is thrown over the idol denoting the importance of its holiness.
Also "Naivedya" which means offerings, 21 blades of grass, a lotus flower, fruits, sweets, special prasadam of rice and jaggery mixed together in the form of 21 "modaks" are offered before Lord Ganesha. These modaks are then offered as "prasadam" (sacred food).
After the period of 10 days, Lord Ganesh's image is taken out in a procession and immersed in the water. This day is known as the day of "Visarjan" or immersion.
It is considered unholy to keep the image of lord Ganesh after this day. This is the reason why we see so many images of Lord Ganesh, both big and small being led towards the water source for immersion.
Legend behind Lord Ganesh's Origin.
Ganesh Chaturthi is known to be Lord Ganesha's birthday. The Shiv Puranas state that , Goddess Parvathi breathed life into a image of clay called Ganesh, whom she considered to be more like her son. This image was placed so as to guard her while she bathed. At that time, her husband Lord Shiva, came to visit her. But, Lord Ganesh wouldn't let him in. This infuriated Lord Shiva and in his anger he slayed Ganesh's head off his body.
Parvathii was sad at this incident, so in order to make amends to his wife, Lord Shiva asked his servant to get him the head of the first living being he saw on earth.
The servant then brought him the head of a elephant. Lord Shiva placed the animals head on Ganesh's headless body. This is how Lord Ganesh came into being.
Symbolic Meaning Of Ganesh's Body Structure.
Lord Ganesh is described as the Lord who has a huge tummy, with a snake tied around it.He is said to travel on a mouse.
Lord Ganesh's belly is said to encompass the entire universe and cosmos. The seven oceans, and the seven worlds above and below the earth are said to be placed in Lord Ganesh's stomach.
The mouse symbolizes an individual's ego. It means that no matter how rich or how famous we become we should be humble.
What To Do On The Day Of Ganesh Chaturthi
Pray fervently to Lord Ganesh and ask him to remove any kinds of obstacles in your path.
Make your offerings to the priest
Spend the day reading the scriptures and meditate on them.
Wish you all a happy and blessed festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.
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