Raghuraman

I acknowledge with thanks the writer Thich Nhat Hanh for the following inspiring information

There is a practice evolved from Buddhism called “Touching the Earth”. This yogic procedure helps us to realize our wish to generate love, compassion, joy and equanimity. During the practice we touch the earth deeply 6 times. We touch the earth with our forehead, legs and hands. Our mind and body forms a perfect whole. We surrender our pride, notions of fear, resentments and even hopes and enter the world of things as they are. We thereby return to our own source of wisdom and we are no longer separate from the mother Earth.

We join our palms and bow in 10 directions: east, west, south, north, north east, north west, south east, south west, above, below and an eleventh direction- within.

During the 6 earth touching we follow a procedure. In the first we look deeply within. In the second we see the connection between ourselves and other living beings, including those who live around us. By the fifth earth touching we are able to feel true love for the people we have disliked. All hatred and anger will disappear and we only want the person whom we hated to enjoy happiness and peace.

We are able to reach that point because we are able to love ourselves. So touching the earth and involving ourselves in the six meditations generates in us deep love, affection and acceptance. When we are able to love a person who made us miserable we realize what a miracle love is.

The closer you lie against the Earth, melting in to the Earth, the better you become nothing in order to become everything.

After practicing touching the earth for two or three months, you will feel deeply refreshed, strong and healthy. You will love life and be able to smile because the energies of hatred and ill will in you will have greatly diminished to enrich and elevate yourself.

The tenets of the Hindu marriage, its conduct, procedures and styles are explicitly laid down in the Vedas. The Hindu wedding is a balanced blending of religion, morality, culture and joy, making it a memorable event. The Vedic rituals solemnise the marriage while indoctrinating the specified duties of the couple through life. The rituals are symbolic of beautiful and noble sentiments.

The following lines go some way to explaining the significance of this important ritual:

GANAPATHI POOJA: The God of initiation is invoked first to keep away all impediments and for a smooth conduct of proceedings. This is followed by Navagra pooja.

VRATHAM: This is performed with invocations to various Gods: Indra, Soma, Chandra, Agni, with a vow to uphold values. This is followed by Kasi yatra.

VAKKKU NICHAY MUHURTHAM: The bride’s father and groom’s father solemnize the final betrothal ceremony.

This is followed by exchanging of garlands to symbolize the union of bride and groom. Then there is OONJAL, PAALIKAI SEEDS SOWING CEREMONY, VARA PUJA and Kanya Dhanam (father gives the bride to the groom). The bride will now wear an exclusive KOORAI sari with a belt of reed grass. Mantras and thanks giving hymns are chanted to deities. The father gets a word of assurance from the groom three times!

MANGALYA DHARANAM: Timed to the auspicious hour, the tying of Managala sutra (also called thali), with a back ground of loud Nadaswaram (called ketty molam), ladies sing the popular GOWRI KALYANA VAIBHOVAMAY. Three knots are tied: one by the groom and the remaining two knots by his sister, thereby welcoming the bride to the family.

This is followed by Pani grahanam and sapthapathi. This is walking seven steps around the fire while mantras are chanted. It is a confirmation of friendship, love, strength and, taste to live together inseparable for rest of their lives.

PRADHANA HOMAM: Homage paid by the couple to Agni, the fire GOD, a prime witness to the marriage. Then comes a treading on the grind stone, showing the star arundhathi (embodiment of an ideal wife and chastity), next LAJJJA HOMAM (brides offering to sacrificial fire) followed by AARATHI.

SHOWERING OF AKSHADAI: All elders and invitees bless the couple for their health, wealth, peace, love, joy and happiness.

A train journey of about 42 hours, covering 5 states, took us north from Chennai to Haridwar. Rishikesh is one hour from Haridwar and further up is the Capital of Utterkand State: Dehradun. Delhi is a further 4 hour drive from Haridwar. Both Rishikesh and Haridwar are border areas and entry points for the famous Pilgrim yatra to Kedarnath and Badrinath. The river Ganga, originating from Gangaothri, flows through these towns which makes these places serene and much sought after tourist holy destinations. Ganga is worshipped as a provider, supporter and caring mother. The perennial flowing river calms down our agitated minds to elevate us to a state of peace and tranquility. The holy waters are carried back home and distributed to near and dear ones.

Many spiritual leaders have settled down here on the banks of the Ganga to establish centres of learning, Ashrams. There is Chinmaya ashram, Swami Sivanandha ashram, Swami Dyanandha Ashram, Pathajali Ashram and up to fifteen more. These are residential campuses wherein disciples of masters continue the great work. They are today centres of culture and tradition. Accommodation is offered to visitors but one needs to book in advance as there is a waiting list year round.

The towns are full of small narrow by lanes. Mostly three-wheelers run on these roads alongside cycle rickshaws. Everywhere we can witness a clean environment and simple lifestyles. Vegetarian food is available in road side eateries called Dhabas who offer fresh hot rotis, dhall and vegetables at unbelievable low prices (attracting every tourist). The local population is made of mostly shop keepers, traders and artisans. They sell products and wares to the tourists who come here almost every month excluding the rainy season. Being a tourist location there are many tourist/taxi operators and hotels on the river front catering to various budgets.

We had requested accommodation at Swami Dyanada Ashram and we were very happy to get our confirmation for a weeks stay. The Ashram is housed in an area of 5 acre of land in plenty of greenery with over 5 residential blocks and 250 rooms. There is a prayer/mediation hall, a beautiful temple on the banks of river, a dining room (to seat over 300) Visitors are treated with access to a very good library having an excellent collection of sacred old books in Sanskrit, Hindi and English which are available on CDs and DVDs. There is a lovely shop selling books written By Swami Dyanadha with lectures available on CDs and DVDs. There are also rudraksha malas, special chains rings made of 5 metals, wall hangings, useful items for a prayer room, wall decorations and a host of other unique items.

Our day starts at 4 am to go and attend temple pooja in the ashram temple right located in front of the river Ganga. Besides the main deity Siva, there are smaller temples for Ganapathy, Adisankaa, Hanuman and Jyothir lingams. It is a beautiful, white marble structure very clean and very well maintained with poojas and chanting performed in the traditional style.

We are given an early break fast so that we can attend the lectures and classes conducted by teachers in the ashram. After lunch we have free time for interactive sessions, library, reading or personal work. We then go for a river bath in Ganga (ice cold water flows even at 4 pm)- no soap, oil, or shampoo and all one needs is a towel and a change of clothes. The river is so pure and Divine, an ideal location for prayer and meditation, and generally reflect upon oneself in total silence. Many offer obeisance for departed souls in the family. We attend an evening prayers session by 6.30 pm and a special aarthi on the river front for matha Ganga. We participate with awe, admiration and total surrender. After an early simple dinner we retire, not before a stroll in the green woods and cool gardens full of flowering shrubs.

We made trips to the hill temple of Neelakanda Mahadev housing a beautiful swayamboo lingam of Siva. We are allowed to perform abisheham ourselves with milk and holy waters. It is said a visit to this temple is a cure for illness and a salvation for our misdeeds. We also visited the Ram and Lakshman Jula at Haridhwar for a feel of Haridwar which is known for temples and its markets. We also attended the famous Ganga Aathi at Triveni ghat, a great sight and a evening to remember all our lives. We  joined a special group and were allotted a priest to our aarthi, for our family, and received Prasad afterwards. A very satisfying experience.

Days quickly flew by and by Thursday evening we prepared for our next halting place, Haridwar, not before offering our grateful thank you and gratitude to members of the ashram. As customary we offered a donation to cover our stay and food and liberal tips to service staff (over 30 people) that made our stay a very pleasant experience.

We had booked our stay at Haridwar in Hotel Basera, which has a central location very close to the railway station. We had the the good fortune to get a car arranged through a contact of ours- Sekar from Delhi. Our driver knew all the local places and was very efficient in organizing smooth and hassle free visits to all locations. In addition to a repeat visit to Ram and lakshman jula areas, we went to the hill temples Manasa devi and Chandi devi. The route up is through cable cars, well organised by the management, a car comes every two minutes which can house four people  and takes 15 minutes to reach the top. Good Darsan and prayers to mother Kali, a little bit of shopping and we are back. The view all along was wonderful and we also witnessed the Aarthi at Hariki Pouri Ghat. We were fortunate to get in to the VIP darsan area through our drivers contacts! The view of 7 big Aartis being performed for the river Ganga was a thrilling sight to see with background chanting of Ganga matha slogas.

One afternoon we went for a bath in a very special ghat reserved for state VIPs, a very private and exclusive affair! As per our plan we spent an afternoon at Baba Ramdev centre, consulting doctors and getting tips and advice with general ayurvedic medicine.  It is a very well organised set up and the consultation was free.

We bade goodbye to our driver with farewell gifts and generous tips. A special gift and Prasad was packed and conveyed through our driver to our sponsor.

The third day was kept for local shopping and preparation for our final packing for our return trip next morning. We had three more bags full of gifts and ganga water for our friends back home! Our camera is full of photos and we transferred the pictures to CDs. The trip was extremely worthwhile with some of the experiences being beyond words to describe. We are grateful to the Almighty for his help, guidance and direction. A very special thank you is in order for our kind hearted and caring sons Vivek and Arjun, with whose support this trip was possible. An experience which will stay with us for a long time to come .

We boarded the train back to Chennai after 3 hectic days at Haridwar. The hotel people had packed us plenty of food to keep us going for one day and we relied on the dining car for the second day of the journey. We travelled home content with three more pieces of luggage full of giftsand ganga water for our friends together with two CDs full of photos and memories.

Murphy’s Law says if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Every time we solve one problem a new one springs up. This is a common, normal experience for all of us. Maybe no one can escape this or be free of problems. However, the least we can do is to ensure that we do not fret and worry about them. The pressure of life is so great that any stresses will affect us physically and emotionally.

The solution is not to succumb to our frustrations by fighting back or running away from them. Those reactions can create still more problems for us in our relationships. We therefore need to find an acceptable alternative solution to defuse tensions. Meditation is one way to counter stress, as it is a process by which we can experience higher spiritual realms. Meditation helps by bringing physical relaxation and it also puts us in a state where we are absorbed in an enjoyable, blissful experience and become oblivious to the problems of the outer world.

We select a pose in which we can remain calm and quiet. By focusing our attention on a point between and behind the two eye brows, we withdraw our attention from the outer body. The body then becomes as relaxed as it is in sleep and the mind is free to go in search of realms with in. With this inner support we can then face our problems with a clear mind and find solutions. We are able to make more rational decisions because we see life from a higher angle of vision. We feel less stressed as we remain calm, which in turn relaxes the body, and thus our chances of stress related illness decrease.

It is possible that as you sit in meditation all sorts of turbulent thoughts will come to your mind. This happens because of the deep rooted tendency of the mind to dwell up on worldly objects. To counteract this a point of focus will come to the rescue. The panchakshari Om Namah Shivaya mantra will induce seekers into deep meditation. The five syllables are the bij-aksharas or seed letters of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether of which our body is made. Constant repetition of these holy syllables, either verbally or mentally, generates powerful spiritual vibrations, that will render the mind pure and one pointed. This leads to awakening of the kundalini, the spiritual energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine, the muladar, in each individual.

As you progress in meditation you will come to experience a sublime state, which will lead you to realise your inner most self, the abode of eternal consciousness.

We can meditate at any time of the day. We can begin our day with meditation, also end the day with meditation, during travel, during office lunch breaks, or immediately after returning home from a hard day’s work. We can overcome life’s stresses and strains and discover the key to relaxation and tranquility.

“Every night as you go to sleep, your vision doesn’t sleep, your goals don’t sleep, your aspirations don’t sleep, your world doesn’t sleep. The power to make your dreams a reality is in your own hands. Make your move first and he will do the rest for you!”

Since January we had been thinking of going away for a long holiday for rest and quiet away from life’s routines. Considering the hot weather in Chennai from April to June, the preferred location was any nearby hill station with an elevation of over 4000 feet. Our inner mind also craved to complete the much aspired trips to family temples near Coimbatore. That settled it and Nilagiris was the choice.

With support and encouragement from Vivek, Vaishnavi, Arjuna and family friend Jaya, we planned an itinerary for two weeks. From then onwards the rest was only a question of preparation and execution which was fairly easy compared to earlier bridges we have had to cross!

We all have some favorite trains and mine happens to be the Nilagiri blue mountain train running between Chennai and Ooty. We instead drove from Mettupalayam as the hill train was cancelled (a small disappointment). However, the road trip was equally enjoyable with the comfort of breathing the wonderful smell of Eucalyptus as we started climbing through the hairpin bends, appreciating the special signals of our driver to other bus, car and lorry drivers- a very courteous lot!

We halted for an hour near a waterfall for breakfast and continued via Coonoor to reach Ooty. We stopped to buy some fresh vegetable and fruits from the city market enroute and then by lunchtime we checked in to the resort in the lovely Elk hills above the lake. A comfortable room with good furnishings facing the town, a small compact kitchen with all utilities: oven, fridge, utensils, shelves and wash basin. Geetha was quick to unpack and lost no time in busying herself in the kitchenette (as she had come well prepared from Chennai). A menu of Pongal, Sambar and Salad was ready in no time and was the first of very enjoyable meals.

In the early afternoon we went to the botanical gardens (formerly the Royal Botanical gardens) to see the galaxy of flowering plants and lovely decorations for the annual flower show which was scheduled in two days time. We saw vibrant salvia, asters, marygolds, dahlia, anthuriam, hoyhocks, roses, antirinum, sweetpeas, and button roses. We walked down to the Tibetan shops to buy sweaters and scarves (they sell good quality at reasonable prices) and on to commercial road to buy Amma’s favorite homemade chocolates and essential medicated oils. The air became cooler around 4 pm and so we enjoyed a hot cup of Nilagiri tea and biscuits.

During the following days we established a routine of morning walks, trips to Ramakrishna center for prayers and meditation and visits to selected tourist spots in the afternoon. We enjoyed the trips to the rose garden, wax museum, boat house near the lake, chellarams and flower shows. We also browsed and shopped in supermarkets, department stores, modern stores and the shops run by tribal-toddas. Lunch was had out in the Marwari hotel (good, simple food). We could watch the IPL 20 matches in our room and participated in games organised by resort people. We enjoyed a trip to a tea factory to see the process of tea manufacture, buy their special tea packets and joined in a group trip to viewpoints like the Pykkara hydro project. We regularly visited a nearby temple of Vinayaka, Durga, Amma, Navagraha and the hill God Muneeswarar to pray for the success of Arjuna’s Graduation, the winding up from Virginia, safe travel and settlement in Texas and the safe return of Vivek and Cathy to London. The regular feedback we received from Arjun kept us in a peaceful and happy frame of mind. God answered our prayers and we were proud of the role played by all members of the team. Good show!

We said good bye to Ooty on the morning of the seventh day and arrived in Coonor to check in to Hotel Vivek by midday. Here we had to evolve a different routine as there was no facility for cooking. The hotel was in upper Coonoor overlooking a tea estate, fairly close to Sims park and the market area, Bedford circle. The changes unfortunately gave a sore throat for myself and indigestion for Geetha. However with the help of a nice Lady doctor (Dr Chitra Devi originally from Coimbatore) we managed to get the correct diagnosis and medication.

Coonoor is a nice compact place, milder in climate compared to Ooty, a calm, quiet town surrounded by tea estates. It has many famous landmarks like the military academy, Madras regimental centre, needle factory, Ketty valley, Sims horticultural park, boarding schools and shopping malls selling hill products. We spent a lot of time walking around Bedford Circle and Sims park. We also managed a visit to Ketty valley to see a real-estate development covering over 30 acres, where a promoter from Bangalore was developing a layout and selling housing plots from 10 cents (one “cent” is 432 sq feet) to 20,30 and 50 cents. The site is 5 to 6 kilometres from Coonoor (midway between Coonoor and Ooty). The cost and registration of a 10 cent plot comes to 19 lacs and with the construction of a 1000 sq feet house it would come to 32 lacs! Unfortunately this costing does not fit with this writer’s dreams. The vision was to have nice big house in such a hill station in 4-5 acres of wooded land facing a valley. However, some day it will certainly happen!

After 5 lovely days in Coonoor we drove down to Coimbatore to check in at Hotel Sri Lakshmi at Gandhipuram. We had a 3 day plan here which included: a trip to Palakad Manapully Bagavathy temple, a trip to Marudamalai Muruga temple, Saibaba temple, Danavathri temple at Kottakal ayurvedic centre and a trip to Isayoga centre at Vellingiri hill. We managed all the trips very well with help from my friend at Coimbatore, Dr Raghunath, and concluded the visit by boarding the train to Chennai as per schedule. It was very satisfying to be able to thank God in our favorite temples for his support, help, directions and blessings to members of the family: TVR, Geetha, Penny and Bill.

Back at home we settled in immediately, but took a week to get adjusted to the weather! However, it’s a fact of life so no use complaining about it. We surprised our friends with gift packets and showed them the photos. They were happy for us and hoped and prayed that we get blessed with such holidays at least twice a year. For they say we deserve it, will it come true?

Chennai becomes a very special city for tourists and locals during the months of November, December, and January. A fusion [ called Sangamum in Tamil] happens. There is music in the air, Carnatic songs and clasical keerthanas are sung by exponents in concert halls accompanied by instrumental musicians on violin, Mirdangam and Ganjira. Dance presentations such as Bharat Natyam, Kutchupudi, and Odessy take place. So do drama and theatre festivals, craft, art expositions, book exhibitions, Pongal festival , magic shows and circus shows. You name it, its all there, reflecting our culture and heritage. The mild weather prevailing during these months encourage our participation and involvement.

These are special months for the deeply religious. The Tamil months of Kathigai and Margazhi are considered very auspicious. Devotees of Muruga and Ayyappa undertake their Padayathra trip to the hills after the austerity days. The fronts of houses are decorated with Ramgoli and lamps. Sisters pray for the welfare of their brothers and brothers in turn give presents and gifts!

The state sponsored Trade and Tourism fair takes place in the city with stalls of departments, industries, traders and special organizations. In addition there are eateries, fun games, special promotions of furniture, household and electrical items such as air-conditioners, TVs and cars all in the comfort of the trade centre. Expositions of exclusive handicraft items, village artisan’s products, clay products, leather and brass wares can also be found on show!

We have heard of the Dubai and Singapore shopping festivals and now we have a Chennai shopping festival too. During the last week of December and first week of January most of the department stores come out with unbelievable discount offers for all products of home use. It’s a great shopping phase for all middle class people and many save up during the year to avail these offers! They share information with friends and it is a fun time, a happy phase for all, as new products come home much to the merriment of all concerned. It is also a two sided coin as the benefit goes both to buyers and sellers.

Pongal is the harvest festival which is celebrated with prayers and thanksgiving to the Sun. This is followed by thanksgiving to the bulls and cows (our farmer’s friends). These are big annual events in the villages and smaller towns of Tamil Nadu.

We also have an annual cultural event conducted by students of IIT called Sarang. Music performances [Indian and western], dance shows, clay modeling, crosswords and plate painting are some of the events. Then there is the Mega Book Exhibition with over 150 stalls displaying the latest and most famous books in the market.

The annual conference of Theosophists is conducted in spacious premises in Adyar. Delegates come world over for the conference, discussions, groups and meetings. The Festival of Kalashetra gets underway with wonderful dance dramas and music performances, beautifully presented in open air and indoor auditoriums. We also have the Chennai Sangamam Shows wherein artists from rural South India come in groups to present at various events. These are a fascinating reflection of village arts, dances, music on drums and is a state promoted project to revive and help village artisans.

We get the opportunity to hear the lectures of well known speakers like Swami Dyanandha, Swami Boomanandha, Swami Paramarthananda, Nochur Venkatramanji, Swami Sudhananda and others. Specific chapters of the Bhagavad Gita are taken up for weeks of presentations in auditoriums. Each day’s session would be a maximum of two hours, and each are very useful teachings and rare opportunities to correct our living styles and attitudes.

In addition to all this many special events take place such as the Heritage Walks. Groups of people are taken around the historic places of Chennai escorted by a guide. Places to be seen include forts, palaces, ancient churches, temples, museums and Adyar Creek. There are tree walks in the Guindy National Park for schools students. Then there is the turtle walk which takes place on full moon days along the coast during the egg laying season, which all age groups participate in.

Rarely does one get such opportunities to witness as many events in three months! Chennai is very popular and is catching the eye of everyone in India as well as people from overseas. The festival has evolved and is run by local people for the benefit of everyone! This trend is likely to continue in the coming years on a much bigger scale and will invite tourist groups from all over to come to India and Chennai.

A Hindu style of living means festivals and celebrations all year round, with the full involvement of all members of family and our relatives and friends. These rituals have evolved over thousands of years. Many of these call for detailed advance planning; therefore, the fun is in planning as much as in execution, particularly if the family size is big. However, it calls for lot of give and take, understanding, and appreciation among brothers and sisters in the family. Besides this, our festivals have an ability to unite people, age old differences are forgotten, egos are suppressed and a great fellow feeling emerges in the process. Our women-folk are the back bone to our festivals, their enthusiasm and high voltage activity triggers the men-folk to join and give a helping hand in the function and organisation. In the process the ladies get a lions share of new purchases made in terms of jewelry and clothing besides the presents they also get during the occasions.

If I were to make a formal index, the following pattern would emerge:

April

• Tamil New Year and Vishu
• Akshaya Thrithiyai

August

• Pathinettam Perukku
• Varalakshmi Vratham
• Onam
• Avani Avittam
• Gayathri Japam

September

• Gokulashtami
• Vinayaka Chaturthi

October

• Saraswathi Pooja
• Vijay dashami

November

• Deepavali
• Ayyappa Festival

December

• Vaikunta Ekadasi

January

• Hanuman Jayanthi
• Bogi
• Pongal
• Maattu pongal
• Thaipusam

March

• Maha Shivaratri
• Karadai Nombu

Below, I have outlined the significance and celebrations involved for a few selected and more popular festivals.

Tamil New Year and Vishu

Tamil New Year is welcomed with joy and happiness; greetings and good wishes for the year are exchanged. Friends and relatives meet for a special lunch with a wide variety of vegetable dishes and sweets served over a banana leaf with rice. We also go to hear the reading of yearly forecasts done by Pundits in temples and community halls. The day starts with a visit to the nearby temple to seek the Lord’s directions and blessings year round.

On the other hand Vishu is celebrated among people with a Kerala background. Our day begins early morning before sunrise, when elders of the house escort us to see the Vishu kani arrangement kept the previous night in the house. We see in front of us a glittering and glorious sight with a backdrop of a mirror, an arrangement kept in the family pooja room. Small bowls of all grains used in daily cooking, major fruits and vegetables and flowers of the season, gold, silver, precious family heritage ornaments, jewelry, gold and silver coins and other Indian currency are all arranged neatly reflecting in the shine of lighted brass lamps! We pray to Goddess Lakshmi to bless us with needed wealth for us and a mind to offer to deserving causes and have-nots among us. We also pray to Goddess Annapurni, the provider of food, to continue to give us our daily bread. I recall that our forefathers did not eat their food without offering the same to an Aththi (guest or hungry) first.

A very interesting part of Vishu is the Kani neetam. Here the elders are required to offer a present of Rupee coins to the younger ones who come to greet them with Pranams/Namaskar. We start with our parents and the same is extended down the line. There is joy and happiness in the face of the giver and receiver. Being the youngest in the family I invariably ended up with the maximum collections and felt rich! This feeling would go on till the money was spent!

Akshaya Trithigai

It’s our belief that gold, silver, precious ornaments or coins purchased this day will bring prosperity during the rest of the year. In our puranas and epics we have writings to prove this. It would seem that it is this day when Lord Krishna gave Draupathi the Akshya pathram (vessel) which would give a never-ending supply of food till it is washed and kept inverted for the day! It is also on this day that Kuchela, who was suffering from poverty, went to meet his childhood friend Krishna, and even without his asking was endowed with riches by the all knowing Lord. So our women-folk will make good use of this opportunity to demand gold and silver ornaments from their men-folk and we cannot say no! The jewelry shops in town will entice the buyers with massive discount offers. A Gold rush season! Only God can save the poor husbands from getting a deep hole in their pockets.

Krishna Jayanthi or Gokulashtami

This is a day of reckoning, welcoming the birth of Krishna, an Avatar to destroy the devil Kamsa. Stories of Krishna’s childhood, the wonders he did to protect his followers, the devotion of Gopies and his music through the flute are legendary. Sri Krishna is welcomed in to each home on this evening, footsteps are drawn depicting his steps walking in, detailed poojas are arranged, with offerings of his choice (most favorite being butter) and little ones in the family are dressed like Sri Krishna. There are two famous temples for the Lord; one is at Udipi at Mangalore district in the border of Kerala and Karnataka, and the other being at Guruvayoor, near Trichur in Kerala state.

Sri Krishna, Gurivayurappa, Narayana, Madava and Govinda are some of the names he is addressed as. We have prolific spiritual leaders among us today who have offered their life, wealth and time to the spread of Sri Krishna’s message to humanity through Bhagavadam or Bagavat Gita, like Mata Amirthanandha Mayi and Professor Prema Pondurangan. Both have thousands of followers all over the world, and their Ashram is a great place for any religious minded to visit, stay and participate in the routines. A soul enriching experience!

Vinayaka Chaturthi

Many Ganesha idols can be seen in our houses in metal, ivory, wood, mud plaster or as paintings. He can be seen everywhere for there is no place without him, no function or ritual starts without offering poojas to him first. It’s our belief that he will guide and direct our every endeavor to success, so Hindus love him, respect him and take him where ever they go, the bare minimum being his picture in their wallets.

Sri Ganesha’s festival is celebrated as a community festival in Maharastra, giant sized images are made of mud plaster, and formally get installed with decorations in popular, central locations. People make it a point to visit as many as possible to pray and give their offerings. On the last day he is taken in procession through the main streets with music and dancing for immersion in the sea.

Ganesha is very easy to please. He accepts anything offered with a pure mind, even a grass garland. He has a thousand names and his favorite dish is Kolukkatai, a rice ball like dish cooked in a steam oven. In all our temples there is a special place for him and he is worshipped first as soon as we enter the temple. Need I say more about the respect we have for him?

Navarathri

A very important festival celebrated over a period of nine days, worshipping Sri Durga for the first three days, Sri Lakshmi for the next three days and Sri Saraswathi for the last three days praying for strength, wealth and knowledge respectively. Members of the house help create an arrangement of dolls in structured steps of 5-7-9 and the same is decorated with lights. Children also create a garden, or a zoo, or museum, or even a cricket match scene on the base as an added attraction. Ladies of the household take the lead in this function. Evenings are allotted to receiving invited friends and relatives who participate in the poojas, group or individual singing and aarathi. Every day a dish is made as Prasadam and, after offering to the presiding deity, is distributed to invitees in a pre made container or packet (Men usually do this job). One can witness colourful evenings with ladies wearing their best jewelry and clothing. We have to buy new silk saris (if possible nine, one for each day) for our lady wives, and daughters. Note that no excuses are allowed here as they would claim that it is an act done for the welfare of the family.

On the last day after the poojas we are expected to read some chapters of our important books which would earlier be kept in the pooja area. The next day is Vijaya Dasmami day, a day to teach basic writing skills to the young ones by the elders in the family. Many families admit their little ones to school this day.

Deepavali

Deepavali is a festival of lights, sounds, new clothing, new jewelry, great feasts and new account opening by traders. Happiness and joy prevails all around. A fitting celebration of good prevailing over evil. A lot of pre-planning and pre-budgeting is done for this festival. It is a major cash outflow festival with shopping involved for all members of the family, purchase of new dresses, firecrackers, sweets , houses cleaned and redecorated and in many cases decorative lights are placed in position. Business houses order gifts for their clients to be delivered on this day.

Typically the day starts early before sunrise, with a holy bath (we call it Ganga snan), the new dresses are handed over by the elders in the family to all, and we in turn seek the blessings of the Lord, and family deity for our health and happiness. We seek the blessings of our parents, elders and gurus and off we go in groups to burst firecrackers. For breakfast we are served many sweet items followed with traditional Idli, chutney, podies and steaming filter coffee. A great family feast is cooked for lunch, joined by friends and relatives. The day moves to evening for temple prayers, and another session of firecrackers. A very busy day for all.

Ayyappa season

Dharma Sastha, Manikanda, Kaliyuga Varadha. Saranam, saranam , saranam, Swamiyea Saranam Ayyappa will be the words in every Ayyappa devotees mind and lips from mid November to mid January, during which period the devotees, after taking a vow and wearing the symbolic mala, observe certain austerities and practices for 41 days before embarking on the journey to Sabari mala hills on the banks of river Pampa in Kerala. A very sacred journey done normally as a group will follow the longer route of 41 kms or shorter route of 12 kms through the forests and steep hills to get a Darsan of Lord Ayyappa ,the presiding Deity in Sabarimala. The pre-season preparation of 41 days prepares the body and mind to undertake the great journey on foot. Strict vegetarian, simple food, mala with saffron or black dress, prayers twice daily morning and evening after bath, a temple trip daily, attending group chantings are followed during this phase.

Gurusamy is the name given to the group leader who normally would have experienced the trip more than a dozen times As a friend and guide he would help other devotees (called Ayyappas) in the preparatory phase, actual trip and return. We carry offerings to the lord on our heads packed in Irumudi, a cloth packing with two compartments, one for the lord containing coconut shells filled with ghee, pooja items and rice, and the other for ourselves with other offerings. Dharma sastha accepts all without distinction and reaching Him at Sabarimala is a divine experience. As per last year’s count over 12 lakh devotees made the trip during this season. The temple with gold plating, is surrounded by 18 hills. Two important days are the Dec 25[Makara Vilaku] and Jan 15 [Jyothi] when millions of devotes seek His Dhrasan. The temple with its Holy 18 steps is also kept open on a selected few days every month which is announced in newspapers. I had the benefit of making over 4 trips to Sabarimala, and each trip is an experience. A great fellow feeling, simple living, acceptance, concentration, leaner bodies are some of the incidental benefits that one accrues during the process. No day goes without a Saranam to Ayyappa.

Maha Shivaratri

This is the day for Lord Siva, Parameswara, the starter and ender of all. The presiding deity in all Siva temples with his consort Ambigai/Easwari. Poojas and night long prayers are conducted with offerings of sandal paste, milk, coconut water and fruit mixes in honey. Many devotes observe fasting during this day. A very important day in the Hindu calendar.

Pongal

Celebrated as a three day festival mostly in Tamilnadu coinciding with the first harvest of rice, a farmer’s festival, when the family cooks the first grain in a new pot and offers the same as thanksgiving to the Sun God. The house is cleaned and decorated on the first day. Bogi, the second day, is the festival day of offerings, joint prayers and a good feast. The third day is allotted to the cows and cattle in the farmers shed. They are bathed, dressed and decorated and taken in ceremonial processions to temple, their favourite foods are given to them. They are given ample rest during this day, a way of saying thank you!

Festivals are our pacifier, preserver and path finder for our inner self which also needs reconditioning once in while like a well used engine. The more we try to relive and enjoy such events the more we stand to gain and in the process learn and live like a human being which is the least expected of us.