Year: 2016

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday on the 14^th of November is celebrated as Nehru Jayanti. Jawaharlal Nehru was an ardent freedom fighter while India was under the subjugation of the British Empire.

He went on to become one of the major leaders in the Indian Independence Movement and when India attained freedom finally, he became the first Prime Minister of India.

He is considered to be the architect of the modern India which emerged as the sovereign, socialist, secular democratic nation. His birthday is also celebrated as Children’s’ Day or Bal Divas in India because of his extreme affection for children.

 

• Life of Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was born to the prominent lawyer and nationalist leader Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani in 14^th of November 1889. He was educated to be a barrister and trained in Trinity College, Cambridge and the Inner Temple. He was since childhood deeply ingrained in the cultural heritage of India and had studied Buddhist and Hindu scriptures in detail. In 1910, Nehru passed with an honors degree in Natural Science from Trinity College.  Nehru then studied law in Inner Temple and passed his Bar Examinations in 1912. When he returned to India, he enrolled in Allahabad High Court to practice law. However, he took a keen interest in the Indian Independence movement and emerged as a major leader of caliber. He became a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress in the 1920.  Nehru led the Non-Cooperation movement from United Province or the current Uttar Pradesh and was arrested for the same. He was mentored by Mahatma Gandhi and in 1929; he called for Complete Independence or Sampurna Swaraj from the British Government.

Under his leadership Congress did exceptionally well and formed provincial government in 1937 in the Provincial Elections, but failed miserably in the aftermath of the Quit India movement of 1942. Nehru served a prolonged Jail term and when he came out the political scenario had changed. Mohammad Ali Jinnah had emerged as the leader of the Muslim community via the Muslim League and when the discussion of a power sharing failed; India was divided into India and Pakistan, based on religious affinity. The partition of India in 1947 however was a bloody and heart wrenching phenomena.

Nehru was probably amongst the first few to realize the sufferings of the common people in the princely states. Till now the nationalist movements were confined to the areas which were directly under the British rule, but Nehru was the person who helped spread this in the princely states too, thus it became a unanimous and united struggle.

Nehru was unanimously selected as the Prime Minister of India in 1947 and he immediately set out to implement his visions of modern India. The constitution on India came into being in 1950, where India was declared as the sovereign, socialist, secular democracy. He also set to bring in reforms in the economic, social and political arena. Despite having trouble sin the later part of his leadership and the Sino-India war, Nehru remained an extremely popular and suave leader till his last day. There were four known assassination attempts on his life. But Nehru never liked having security on him as he felt that the disrupted public life. He passed away on the 27^th of May, 1964. He was survived by his daughter Indira Gandhi, who later went on to become the first female Prime Minister of any country and successfully steered India for quite some time.

Nehru propagated policies based on industrialization, import, Substitution and called for a mixed economy. He managed to wean help from both the power blocks for the advancement of India. He was passionate about the development of the children and the youth of India, considering them to be the future of the state. He made an outline of his commitment in the five-year planning to provide free and compulsory primary education to all the children of India. He authored books such as Glimpses of World History, Discover of India and Letters from a Father to a Daughter, which remain important books for the growing up years. He also made provisions for free milk and free meal for all the children suffering from malnutrition. Nehru also made changes in the legal systems for the betterment of the judiciary.

 

• Celebration of Nehru Jayanti

As a tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, his birthday is celebrated as Children’s Day in India. It is celebrated to reiterate and increase the awareness of the common people towards the rights, care and importance of education of children. Nehru was a great champion for the children’s cause and thus this day is a reminder of his contribution towards the children and youth of India. Nehru was the first person who had setup the essential machineries to ensure that education was free and compulsory for all children at least up to the primary level. He had also set up projects where milk and food was supplied free to those suffering from malnutrition. Apart from this Nehru had set up numerous educational institutes and is also the founder of the top most learning seats of the country in matters of technology – the Indian Institute of Technology or the IIT s.

Children’s day is celebrated by all the schools of the country through various activities like art, craft, music or sports. There are discourses on this day on the life on Chacha Nehru, as he was fondly called by the children. The school authorities distribute chocolates and other small gifts to all its children, various organizations make donations of books and other essential things to numerous orphanages and other non-governmental organizations for the betterment of under privileged children.

Apart from this prayer meetings are held in Shanti Ban, where he was cremated and Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram is played as his favorite song. Leaders and common people visit this place and also the Teen Murti Bhavan, where he resided, and which has now been turned into a museum to pay homage to him. There are various discourses held in his memory also on this day.

This day is a reminder of the renewal of our commitments to the welfare of the children as well as our country and to live life according to the principles of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Manikarnika Ghat is one of the most popular bathing ghats in Varanasi. Not only is it popular as a bathing ghat, it is also one of the most preferred Burning ghats or place where cremation takes place.

It is one of the oldest ghats of Varanasi and is also a shakti peeth according to Hindu religion and mythology. The ritualistic bathing that takes place in the Manikarnika Ghat is known as Manikarnika Snan.

The Manikarnika Snan takes place on the chaturdashi of the shukla paksha of the month of Kartick as per traditional Hindu calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, this ritual bathing takes place in the waxing phase of the moon in the month of November. In 2019 the ritual bathing will be held on 11^th of November.

 

• Legend of Manikarnika Ghat

It is believed as per the Hindu mythology that Mata Sati had given up herself, that is set herself ablaze when she could not bear Raja Daksh Prajapati’s taunts about Lord Shiva her husband. It was a yajna by Daksh where she had to face this humiliation and in rage she set herself ablaze.  Agonized, Lord Shiva took her body to the Himalayas, but while en route, parts of her body parts fell on various places. Wherever Mata’s body parts fell, Lord Shiva established Shakti Peeth in those places. Mata’s ear ornaments fell in the Manikarnika Ghat. Thus it is a famous Shakti Peeth.

It is also believed that a jewel or Mani fell from his ear to the well or kund that Vishnu had dug for the bathing of Parvati and Shiva. Thus the name Mani Karnika, or a jewel of the ear as Karna means ear. There is another myth that the ear jewel of Shiva fell down from his ears, while he was dancing angrily.

 

• Rituals of the Manikarnika Snan

 

• Thousands of devotees arrive for this auspicious bathing.
• The bathing has to be done during the last quarter of the night.
• On the day of the Manikarnika Snan, the devotees need to wake up early and needs to worship and meditate about the great Lord Shiva.
• The devotees worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
• The devotees also seek forgiveness from Shiva and Parvati for all the sins they had committed in this life and in their previous lives too.
• It is believed to be auspicious to chant Vedic mantras and to read religious scriptures.
• Performing charity is considered to be extremely auspicious on this day.
• Giving away clothes, money or food to the Brahmins after the Snan is over is considered to be highly propitious.

 

• Significance of the Manikarnika Snan

It is deemed to be very auspicious to have this ritualistic bath on the Kartick chaturdashi on the ghats of the Manikarnika. This ritual bathing is considered to highly meritorious. it is believed that  such is the power of this ritualistic bathing that  a devotee who performs or takes part in this ritualistic bathing  is sure to attain Moksha. The devotee gets complete freedom from this eternal cycle of birth, death and re-birth.  Thus this ritualistic bath on Manikarnika Ghat is believed to surely grant salvation to the devotees.

Tulasi Vivah is the ceremonial marriage between the Tulsi plant, known as basil and the Hindu God Sri Krishna.

It is a mythical marriage and a ritual observed on the ekadashi of the shukla paksha of Kartick as per traditional Hindu calendar.

As per Gregorian calendar, the marriage is solemnized on the waxing phase of the moon during the month of November. In 2019, this will be observed on the 9^th of November, Saturday.

 

• Legend behind Tulasi Vivah

 

• Tale of Jalandhar and Vrinda

 

The legend behind the Tulasi Vivah is found mention in the Hindu scripture called Padma Purana. According to the Padma Purana, long ago there was a demon king called Jalandhara.  Jalandhara had a beautiful wife called Vrinda who due to her piety and dedication to Lord Vishnu was invincible. With her power, Jalandhar too became invincible and nobody could control his tyranny. Finally Lord Shiva approached Lord Vishnu to address the issue. Lord Vishnu, after thinking long decided to trick Vrinda into believing that her husband was dead. He sent the dead head and trunk of a monkey dressed as the King.  Vishnu himself took the form of a sage and pretended to help bring back Vrinda’s husband back to life. He himself took the form of Jalandhar and stood in front of Vrinda. Vrinda was relieved to see her husband and embraced him with passion and happiness, soon realizing it was not her husband but Vishnu.

 

Unfortunately Vrinda lost her piety and her power and Jalandhar was killed in a battle. Vrinda however, deeply enraged cursed Vishnu that he too will lose his wife and will have to take the help of monkeys to bring her back. Lord Vishnu did suffer from the curse when he was born as Rama and had lost Sita as his wife and had to take help of the Banar sena to get her back. However, Vrinda chose saha maran or she died in the pyre with her husband. Lord Vishnu was deeply disturbed by this turn of incidents as it was really his deceit which caused this death and the loss of a powerful woman.

 

Vishnu transferred the soul of Vrinda to a Tulsi plant. Because for a while Vrinda had believed Vishnu t be her husband, Vishnu in the form of a Shaligram Shila married Tulsi on the day of the Prabodhini Ekadashi.

 

• Tale of Rukmini and Krishna

 

Satybhama and Rukmini, the earthly wives of Krishna were deeply sorrowed by their husband’s departure to Heaven and requested Narada to bring him back. Narada asked them that what can they offer which will be equivalent to Lord Krishna. Satyabhama, befitting a queen and egocentric too, gave away all her ornaments on one side of the weighing scale. Still it was not equivalent to Krishna. Depressed she asked the other wife Rukmini to see if she could do anything. Rukmini took away all the ornaments and placed a few tulsi leaves on one side of the scale with all her love and devotion. The scale tilted in favor of the Tulsi leaves and Krishna returned on earth to be with his wives. Since that time onwards Tulsi leaves are added to all auspicious things.

 

• Rituals of Tulsi Vivah

The wedding rituals are exactly that of a Hindu marriage as done according to traditions and rituals. This ceremony is conducted at temples as well as homes. From the morning the devotee keeps a fast till evening when the marriage takes place. A mandap or a pandal is built around the place where the tulsi plant is kept. The Tulsi plant is kept in a pot painted white as white attracts divinity. A rangoli around the Tulsi plant is drawn. The Tulsi is decorated as a wife with sari  and jewelry.  Marigold flowers and sugarcane are offered and tamarind and amla are kept at the base of the pot holding the Tulsi. The groom is an image pf Sri Krishna or the Shaligram stone, which is the symbol of Vishnu. Both the Tulsi and the Shaligram are bathed and then worshipped. The wedding is solemnized after the worship and is linked with a mala or a garland.

In Maharashtra, a white cloth is held atop the Tulsi and the Shaligram and the priest recites the Mangal Ashtaka mantras to wed them. Vermillion or sindur mixed with rice is showered on the devotees on this auspicious occasion. Sweets and other food items are cooked for this symbolic wedding too and offered to the Gods and the devotees. Mostly women perform this ritual. The bride is given away by childless couple and fruits, coconut, ground nuts, sugarcane etc are offered as prasads.

In saurashtra this ritual is more elaborate and performed with much pomp. An invitation card reaches from the bride’s temple to the groom’s temple. On the Prabodhini Ekadashi , Lalji or a procession with the idol or image of Vishnu sets out for the bride’s temple. Childless couple desirous of giving away a daughter in marriage gives away Tulsi in marriage to Vishnu. Bhajan and kirtans are sung throughout the night and in the morning like a normal marriage the Barati, or the Groom’s side returns to their temple along with the bride, Tulsi.

 

• Significance of Tulsi Vivah

Tulsi is a symbol of purity and the marriage or union between Tulsi and Krishna indicates that God uphold piety and purity.  Krishna always wears a Vaijaanti bead garland in his neck. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi herself appears as Tulsi on this day to earth. Thus welcoming Lakshmi and giving her away in a marriage is considered to be extremely auspicious.

Kansa has been the epitome of an autocratic, selfish and cruel despot. He was the maternal uncle and the king of Mathura, who was in a course of time killed in the hands of his own nephew, Krishna.

It was a prophecy that Kansa would be killed by his nephew, the eighth child born to his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudev. He thus used to kill all the children born to them.

However, he indeed was killed by the 8^th son. The day of Kansa Vadh is a celebration of freedom from tyranny and autocracy. The day is celebrated on the dashami of shukla paksha on the month of  Kartik as per traditional Hindu calendar.

According to the Gregorian calendar, this auspicious day is celebrated on the waxing phase of the moon in the month of November. In 2019, this day will be celebrated on the 7^th of November.

 

Legend of Kansa and Krishna

Kansa was born to King Ugrasena and queen Padmavati. However, out of ambition and with the advice of his trusted aides like Chanur and Banasura, he decided on a coup against his own father. Thus he overthrew him and became the king. For strategic alliances, he married Asti and Prapti, the daughters of Jarasandha, the ruler of Magadha.

However, according to a prophecy by a heavenly voice that the 8^th son of his sister Devaki will kill him, he decided to keep Devaki and her husband Basudev imprisoned. In fact Kansa wanted to kill Devaki herself, but Vasudeva intervened and promised to hand over their children to Kansa. Thus in the prison Devaki conceived and gave birth to six children, all of whom were duly killed by Kansa.

However, while Devaki was pregnant the sevent time, Lord Sri Vishnu called Yogamaya, another form of Durga and asked her to transfer the embryo of Shesh Nag from Devaki to the other wife of Vasudeva, called Rohini  in Gokul.  This was Balaram, the seventh child of Devaki and Vasudev.  Lord Vishnu meant to incarnate as the eighth child himself. Thus when the young Krishna was born, upon Lord Vishnu’s instruction, Vasudeva crossed the river Yamuna on a stormy night to take him to safety in the house of Nand  and Yashoda’s house in Braj and bringing back their baby girl child. Kansa thinking that it was this eighth child who was a threat was about to kill her, when she slipped out of his grip and rose up to the sky in his celestial form and declared, that the one about to kill him was born and was being brought up in Gokul.

Kansa made numerous attempts to kill Kansa. He sent his aides such as Putana, Keshi, Kootaka, the mad elephant Kuvalayapida, Bakasura, Aghsura, the demonic Mushtika , Chanura etc to kill Krishna. But Krishna managed to escape unharmed on all occasions, before finally killing Kansa.

 

Kansa Vadh

When all Kansa’s plans of killing Krishna failed, he decided to invite them to Mathura through an emissary called Akrur. Akrur however was a devotee of Krishna and warned him of the demonic plans of Kansa.  Krishna and Balaram, the two brothers, undeterred, arrived in Mathura, when a rampant mad elephant called Kuvalayapida was let free upon them. However, Krishna cut off Kuvalayapida’s trunk and the mammoth beast died. Enraged then Kansa thought and called  the two demonic brothers called Mushtika and Chanura to wrestle with the two brothers; Krishna and Balaram. However, both were defeated and killed by Krishna and Balaram. Not knowing this Kansa himself came to the arena to see what was happening. Krishna caught him and killed him for all his sins, which included throwing the rightful king Ugrasena in the dungeon to imprisoning his parents and killing the six other children and also of mistreating the subjects of Mathura.  After killing him Lord Krishna freed his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva from the prison. Lord Krishna also freed his grandfather King Ugrasena from the dungeons. He then reinstated King Ugrasena as the ruler of Mathura. This is a day of great celebration in Mathura.

 

Celebration of Kansa Vadh

The auspicious day of Kansa Vadh is celebrated by the people of Mathura and other places with great fervor. It is a symbolic victory of good over evil and a reminder that all tyrannical rulers have to perish.  Effigies of Kansa are made and people thrash on it relentlessly in memory of Krishna killing Kansa. Numerous eminent performers enact portions of Krishna’s life through various art forms.  Music, dance and other dance forms fill up the town of Mathura on this day reminding them about the victory of good over evil and their freedom from tyranny.

Jagaddhatri Puja is one of the most important pujas celebrated in West Bengal. Jagaddhatri literally means the one who holds and protects the world.

Thus Jagaddhatri is the protector of the world and is an incarnation of Ma Durga. Jagaddhatri‘s cult is directly derived from Tantra. She is also known as Trisandhya Vyapini as it is believed that she is present at all three times of the day.

She too is alike Ma Durga four-handed and holds various weapons in her hand. Jagaddhatri is worshipped on the in the shukla navami of the month of Ashwin according to the traditional Bengali month, and as per Gregorian calendar, this is observed in the month of November in the waxing phase of the moon. In 2016 Jagaddhatri Puja will be celebrated on the 5^th of November, Tuesday.

 

• Appearance of Jagaddhatri

Jagaddhatri is the pleasant form of Ma Durga. Her complexion is of the color of the morning sun. She has 3 eyes and 4 hands. In thos e4 arms, Jagaddhatri holds conch, chakra, bow and arrows. She drapes a red saree and is decked up in bright jewelries.  The unique thing that she adorns is the nagajangopaveeta, which is actually a serpent worn as a sacred thread. This is actually a symbol of both Yoga and Brahman. Ma Jagaddhatri rides on a lion and stands on the dead elephant demon called Karindrasura.

 

• Legend of Jagaddhatri Puja

According to legends found from the Hindu scriptures,after the Mahisashura was vanquished by Devi Durga, all the Gods had become extremely complacent. They even became egoistic and thought that the Ashura was defeated because they had all lent their weapons. Shiva thought it was important that they all realized that it was all because of the primordial power present in the universe that the Ashura was vanquished and not because of the weapons.

Shiva thus took the form of a Yaksha and appeared in front of the Gods. All the Gods appeared in front of him and the Yaksha asked them that what they did. First to approach the Yaksha was Vayu. Shiva asked him what he could do, and Vayu replied that he was capable of tumbling mountains and uprooting trees.  The Yaksha placed a small grass in front of Vayu and asked him to move it. As much power as he could, Vayu put into it, yet he couldn’t move the grass even an inch. After Vayu came Agni, the fire God and faced the same consequences. One by one all the Gods failed. It was then that they all realized that the powers that they all boasted of was not really their own but of the supreme mother who held and protected the nature as her own. She was Jagaddhatri. Thus it is believed that the devotees of Jagaddhatri are completely egoless.

 

• History of Jagaddhatri Puja

It is historically recorded that Jagaddhatri Puja was first started by Maharaja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagar. According to some sources Jagaddhatri Puja was initiated by Sarada Ma, wife of Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dev. The Jagaddhatri Puja of the Bose family of Palpara, is stated to have started from 1640, according to family records.

 

• Celebration of Jagaddhatri Puja

It is believed that Indranarayan Choudhury in 1750 introduced Jagaddhatri puja in Chandan Nagar. It is the biggest festival in this part of the state of west Bengal. The main attraction of the Jagaddhatri idol of Chandan Nagar is her traditional and ornamental decoration made out of shoal or thermocol. It is believed that Jagaddhatri puja was asked to be observed at this period by Acharyachuramani in the 15^th 16^th century. The places are decorated by beautiful and ornately decorated glittering lights and the pandals are all textural wonders.

In Odisha, after the Ratha Yatra, the Jagaddhatri Puja mela at Bhanjpur, Baripada, Odisha, is the biggest. It is celebrated at Goshtashtami and is called another Durga Puja.

Gopashtami is an important festival not only for the devotees of Lord Krishna, but for all Hindus. Gopa means cowherd or cow and ashtami is the day when it is celebrated.

Gopashtami is celebrated on the ashtami of the Kartick shukla paksha as per the traditional Hindu calendar.

According to Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on the waxing phase of the moon in the month of November.

 

• Legend behind   Gopashtami

It is believed that on this auspicious day, Lord Krishna had gained the status of a full cowherd from the care taker of cows. Previously his father Nanda had not allowed him to look after the cows by himself and he was known as a Batsapal’, which meant one who takes care of the calves. This was the day when his father deemed him fir to take care of cows, and thus he became a Gopala or a Cowherd.

According to Hindu Mythology, Krishna also saved the entire Braj region from the wrath of Lord Indra.  Previously the people of Braj used to worship Lord Indra, however Lord Krishna told them to only worship nature and the cows which protected them and were their source of sustenance. Lord Indra was terribly angry and sent thunderous clouds and heavy rain to the Braj region. Everything was flooded, when Krishna held up the Gowardhan Mountain on his little finger and everything took shelter underneath. Thus Lord Krishna had saved everyone from the wrath of Lord Indra. It is on this Ashtami day, that Lord Indra came to accept defeat and beg forgiveness form Lord Indra. Gopashtami is the eighth day or the ashtami.

According to some people this is also the day when the Divine Mother Surabhi rained milk on Lord Krishna and gave him the title of Govinda, meaning, ‘The Lord Of the Cows”.

 

• Celebration of Gopashtami

Because Lord Krishna was fond of cows, the traditional way of celebrating the Gopashtami is by decorating, bathing, taking care of the cows and worshipping them. The rituals followed are somewhat similar to the rituals followed for Go Vatsa Dwadashi in Maharshtra. The rituals are as follows –

 

• Clean, bathe and decorate the cows in the morning
• Worship the calves along with the cows
• Offer the cows Jaggery (gudd), rice and water
• Decorate the cows and calves with flowers, ornaments and putting on Tilak on them
• Take a parikrama around the cows
• Take the dust of the cow’s feet, or Gaudhuli on your forehead. It is said to bring great prosperity and happiness.
• When in the evening the cows return after grazing for the whole day, the cows and the calves should be worshipped once again. An aarti should be done of the cows and the calves.
• If there is any difficulty in worshipping cows, then money or food can be donated to the cattle farms.

 

• Significance of Gopashtami

Gopashtami is extremely meritorious as per the Hindu rituals and traditions. Gopashtami is celebrated by Hindus with a lot of devotion and fanfare.  Cows are owners of divine qualities and those are remembered and pledge is taken to protect them. This festival is mostly celebrated in the Braj, Mathura, Vrindavan and Nathdwara areas and temples in and around it. In Nathdwara, hundreds of beautifully decorated cows are brought to the temples by the cow herders. Important seminars of cow preservation are held on this day.

Lord Murugan is the reigning deity who is worshipped in the Skanda Sashthi. Skanda Shasthi is celebrated and according to the Gregorian calendar is observed in October- November.

It is celebrated by all the Saivites with fervor all over Tamil Nadu, in the temples of Subramanya, or Murugan.

Soora Samharam is celebrated on the last day of the Skanda sashthi. In fact it is the most important day of the entire 6 day long Skanda Sashthi celevration. It is observed on the 6^th day of the Karthika Masam and in 2019, the Soora Samharam will be observed on the 2nd of November, Saturday.

 

• Legend of Soora Samharam

Long ago, when the Gods were harassed by the demon Tarakasura, Lord Brahma, proclaimed that only a spark of Lord Shiva can defeat Tarakasura as the Gods have been unable to fight him. Lord Shiva was in deep meditation and no one dared to disturb him.  Gods then took the help of Parvati and Kama – the Lord of Love.  Parvati, engaged herself in penance to arouse Lord Shiva from his meditation and Kama, shot his arrows of Love at Lord Shiva. Shiva woke, and the fire of his wrath burnt down Kama to ashes.

No one could bear the terribly angry seeds of Shivas fiery energy . he directed  it towards the mouth of Agni. Agni later gave it to Ganges, who took it to the Sara Vana, or the forest of grasses like arrows. The six sparks were six babies on six red lotus flowers. Parvati hugged them together and made them into one.  Saravanabha was born in this way.  Lord Murugan and Saravanabha are the one and the same.

 

• Fight between good and evil

Indra, his son Sayantan and his commander in chief Veerabahu lost the battle against the demon Soorapadman. Soorapadman not only defeated them but also held the other Gods captive along with them.

Lord Shiva knew that he had to send someone fit to take on Soorapadman. Thus he sent Lord Murugan to fight the battle with him. He also sent 11 rudras with 11 weapons and Parvati gave the Vel or the lance to Murugan for the upcoming battle.

Lord Murugan and his army stayed in Thiruchendur.  He killed Tarakasur and the son of Soorapadman too in the battle. Soorapadman took the form of a huge mango tree to defeat Lord Murugan. However he cut the tree in two with his vel and finally on the 6^th day defeated the demon Soorapadman.  Thus this day has come to be known as Soora Samharam. It is the day which is celebrated to rejoice at the win over the Asuras by God.

 

• Celebration of Soora Samharam

Tamil devotees observe this day with utmost devotion by keeping a fast. They observe and rejoice at the win of Lord Murugan for freeing the world from a tyrant. Special pujas are conducted on this day at all the Murugan temples. Lord Murugans’s deity is anointed or an abhishekam done before the pujas. A procession called Palani is taken out from the hill temple and then throughout the city before the Sooranporu.

The next day is celebrated grandly. It is known as Thirukalyanam. This is the day when the marriage between Lord Murugan and Devasena took place.

The Soora Samharam festival is the most grandly celebrated in the Tiruchendur Murgan Temple. The godly act of Soora Samharam is symbolic because of its win over evil and darkness.

Labh Panchami is the grand finale of Diwali. It is the last day of the five day long Diwali celebrations and is also known as Saubhagya Panchami and Labh Pancham in Gujarat as well as ‘Laakheni Panchmi’ in some other states.

It is a day immensely auspicious and lucky as the name suggests. Saubhagya means luck. This is the panchami day of shukla paksha of the month of Kartick.

In 2019, ‘Laakheni Panchmi’ or Labh Panchami will be celebrated on the 1^st of November.

 

• Rituals of Labh panchami

Labh Panchami as mentioned earlier is an extremely auspicious day.  The Panchami tithi is in itself propitious to initiate new things. Thus it is auspicious to start business or any kind of new ventures. In Gujarat most of the business owners start restart their work and accounting on this auspicious day. Thus for the Gujaratis, Labh Panchami is the first day of the New Year. The business community start their new books or ledgers called Khatu on this day, and write Shubh Labh on each of the first pages.

Those devotees who had missed on performing Sharda Pujan during the course of Diwali can do that during this day. Shops can be reopened on this day and businesses to commence as usual after a period of holiday. Prayers are offered by the devotees to Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesh Ji.

According to the jains too the Labh Panchami is an important day as they worships their books and prays for more knowledge.

People on this day visit friends and relatives with sweets and other savories. Sweets are specifically offered to sweeten the relationships with near and dear ones. The scriptures however teach us to move towards the biggest labh or profit – self realization.

Gambling or ritualistic gambling is something which has been known to the Hindu religion since time immemorial. Mention of gambling has been found since the Vedic period in fact.

The gambling was known as Dyuta and playing or game of it was known as Dyuta krida. This game is played on a  board and dice. The board is known as Chaupar and the dice is known as Pasha.

It indeed is a taboo to play Jua or gamble in the Indian society; however it is permitted to gamble for religious purposes.

Thus gambling on Diwali is permitted in Indian society as most of the families do it for the sake of religion. The day of Dyuta Krida in 2019 is on the 28^st of October, Monday.

 

• Legend of Dyuta Krida

 

According to legends, the game of dice was invented by Lord Shiva himself. The first game was played between Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati. It was the auspicious day of pratipada of the month of Kartick, when the first game was played.   The day is also known as Bali Pratipada or Gowardhan Puja. First Devi Parvati defeated Lord Shiva. After having defeated Shiva, Devi Parvati then played the game of Dyuta Krida with her son Kartickeya, however he defeated Devi Parvati. Kartickeya then was defeated in this game by Lord Ganesha. Thus it is a game to be played amidst family on this auspicious day. Lord Shiva had supposedly said that he had invented this game for those who had time to while away and those who wanted to accrue some wealth and destroy the wealth of others.

 

• Rituals of the Dyuta Krida

 

Dyuta Krida is a must in the Kartick Pratipada. The devotees should awake early in the morning and have a Abhyang Snan using ubtans and special scented oil followed by Shikakai. Then they should wear new clothes and take mangal aarti. The best time to engage in the Dyuta Krida is the pratahkal or early morning.

 

• Significance of Dyuta Krida

 

The significance of gambling in the pratipada or on the night of gambling is that people who gamble together with family on this day is blessed by Goddess Parvati. It was believed that if someone won a game of Dyuta then the coming year for them would be favorable. Thus it was more of a forecast of the coming year.

Bali Pratipada is the third day of the Diwali celebrations. It is a day when the demon King Bali traditionally or notionally returns to seek and see how his subjects are on the earth.

In a year where there are three and a half most auspicious Muhurta or moment present the Bali Pratipada is considered one such half a muhurta, such is the auspiciousness of the day. Bali, following his return to earth from patal lok is worshipped on this day.

The Bali Pratipada is observed on the first day of the Kartick Pratipada, falling on the next day of the Diwali celebrations.  Bali puja and Gowardhann puja and Annakoot fall on the same day. In the year 2019, the Bali Pratipada will be celebrated on the 28^th of October, Monday.

 

• Legend of   Bali Pratipada

Bali Pratipada has its root in the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as the Vamana Avatar. Bali was the Dwaitwa or the demon king, who was magnanimous and well known for charitable work. However, Bali was extremely vain and was invincible as he had a boon from the Vishnu himself.  He was on the verge of performing 100 Ashwamedha Yajnas, post which there would be no one to stop him and he would become the King of the Heaven too.

Thus threatened, the Gods, constantly defeated and harassed, approached Vishnu to rid them of Bali. However, Lord Vishnu told Indra that since King Bali was an extremely pious ruler, he will not kill him, but would take measures to curb his extreme growth.

Thus Lord Vishnu was born as Vamana to sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi .  The Gods gifted Vamana with variety of objects. Vamana then reached where King Bali was performing his Ashwamedha Yajna. The guru of the demons, Shukracharya recognized Lord Vishnu and advised King Bali not to give anything to the Vamana. But being magnanimous, King Bali felt that if it was Lord Vishnu, who had come to kill him, then it would be his honor to be killed in his hands. So King Bali asked what Vamana wanted from him. Vamana said that he wants three steps of land only which is measured by his foot. Bali agrees and Vamana grew huge in size and covered the world in one step. With his next step covered the other worlds and asked Bali where he should put his third step. Bali bended down and showed his own head. Vamana put his foot on Bali’s head and this is how King Bali was vanquished and sent to Patala Loka, but because of his good deeds, Lord Vamana pleased with Bali invited him to visit his kingdom once every year. That day will be celebrated with lot of lights and the darkness of ignorance will be dispelled with the love of light.

 

• Rituals of Bali Pratipada

An early morning cleansing bath is mandated on this day. The bath is had with with an oil massage or abhyangasnan and then washed off with Shikakai. Women then do an aarti or  move lit lamps in front of their husbands’ faces. Gifts are exchanged and new clothes are worn on this day.

Houses are decorated with Rangoli or Kolam made with colored powdered rice and  then Bali and his wife Vindhyavali are worshipped.  Every house and temples in the evening are adorned with lighted lamps.

People also engage in gambling called pachikaluwhich is a kind of dice game and is linked to the legend that Parvati was playing the same game with Lord Shiva. When Parvati won, her son Kartikeya too played with Parvati and defeated her. However then Lord Ganesha played with Kartikeya and defeated him. Thus it is a ritual to gamble on this day along with family members.

The farming people celebrate this auspicious day by worshipping the cows and the calves. Gopuja (worship of cow), and Gouramma puja are done. The Goshala or cow sheds are cleaned and then only is the worshipping done.  An idol of Bali made with cow dung is adorned with garlands is worshipped.