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Basic
Study of Hindu Religion | |
| Festivals
and Science |
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Hindu
Heritage Study Program Festivals
and Celebrations in Hindu Religion |
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Sri
Saraswathyai Namaha Namaha
Paramarishibhyo -- -- Sri
Gurubyo Namaha Prasad
S. Kidambi [Poorna Pragna] | |
| VIJAYA
DASAMI - - DASARA - - Devi Navarathri |
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Vijaya
Dasami is the most important festival of the Bharath. This is celebrated
in the Aswayuja maasa from the Sukla Paksha Prathama onwards (The next of the
New moon day) to the Dasami or the tenth day of the Moon accession. This festival
is celebrated not only in India but in almost all eastern countries as far as
Java, Sumathra and Japan too. This festival is also called a DASARÃ, from
the Sanskrit word Dasa Harã or removing the ten(10). This is the most auspicious
festival in the Dakshinaayana or in the Southern hemisphere motion of the Sun.
These are also called as the Devi Navarãthtri, as in these days the Divine
Mother is invoked in different manifestations of her Sakthi. This festival is
synthesized from the Sãkthe'ya Ãgamãs which deals with the
Uthchãtana and Aakarshana part of the mantrãs of Tantra Sastrã.
The predominant principle of this festival is to worship feminine principle of
the cosmos in the form of the divine mother to remind the teachings of the Taithareeya
Upanishad, "Maathru Devo Bhava." The whole essence of the navaraathri
celebration at social level is to remind all the women, who are the guardians
of the family, culture, and national integrity, to take lead in times of crisis
to guide the humanity towards the path of social justice, righteousness, equality,
love, and divinity. | |
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The
first day of the festival is called as Bali Paadyami.
Actually on this day the Sun will enter in the Tulã Rãsi or the
constellation of Libra. Actually in Asian countries the harvest season begins
in this time and as mother earth is the source of all food the mood of celebrity
is invoked in all folks to start afresh the harvests and in that process to reactivate
the vigor and fertility of the soil by doing certain performances and rituals
which invoke cosmic forces for the rejuvenation off the soil. The culmination
of the festival is done in the form of sub-merging the huge vigrahas of the Mother
Bhavani (Durga) in the river waters. These vigrahas are made with the clay and
the pooja is done with turmeric and other poojã materials which are powerful
disinfectants and are mixed in the river waters, which are afresh in monsoon season
with rain seeping into the rivers after imbibing the mineral sediments in different
brooks and under water channels. This water cannot be directly used for the irrigation
purposes directly when the agriculture is started afresh in the months of October
and November. So the purification of river waters is done as a collective community
event in the form of Navaraathri celebrations. | |
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The
second important celebration during these 10 days is celebration of Ram Lila,
victory of Lord Rama over King Ravana. Huge idols of Ravana Kumbha karna and Meegha
Naatha are errected and are set in fire by the enthusiastic youth. From the time
of the Navarathri, the hot weather of the summer season ends, especially in North
India. As the cold weather starts, it is the breeding ground for many kinds of
infections in winter months. This is the reason for the huge Ravana idols are
lit in the crackers (which contain phosphorous) as a community festival to act
as the purifier of the atmosphere. At the same time the temples used to perform
Chandi Homam or Durgã Homam which also helps in purifying the amosphere
surrounding them. All house holds used to perform Aditya Homa as a Santhi Yagna
and recite Sundara Kaanda of Srimad Raamaayana for 9 days. All these Yagna Performances
is to create a powerfull agents into the atmosphere surrounding the house so as
to keep the household environment clean. Usually
all house holds (yajamaanaas) used to perform yagnas 3 times daily along with
sandhya vandana, called as Aahavaneeya Agni, Gaarhapathya Agni, Dakshina Agni.
In addition to this, the Aditya Homa is performed with the Maha Soura Mantras
and the Aruna Prapaathhaka of the Yajur Veda. The effects of these mantras is
to keep the heart, brain and digestive functions of the body in balance. The imbalances
in these occur in the absence of adequate sunlight in the winter months. | |
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Sarve
janaha sukhino bhavanthu Let
every one be happy Bhadram
karnebhihi Srunuyama Let
noble thoughts come from all directions | |
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and Practice of Hindu Religion | |
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