Year: 2016

Sankranti means the movement of the sun from one rashi or constellation according to Hindu astronomy to another.  According to this theory there are 12 sankrantis in total in an entire year.

Each sankranti is marked at the beginning of a month according to the calendars followed in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, and Gujarat among other places.

However, in some places according to the local calendars, Sankranti marks the end of a month and the beginning of another, as in West Bengal and Assam.

Thus the Karka sankranti marks the sun moving into the Karka rashi.  In 2019, Karka Sankranti will begin on the 16^th of July. The punya kal Muhurta on this day will stay for six hours and forty-nine minutes and the most auspicious Maha Punya Kal Muhurta will last for two hours and sixteen minutes

• Legend regarding Karka Sankranti

 

Legend has it that Gods go to sleep for 6 months. It is believed that they go to sleep during the Dakshinayana period. Dakshinayana begins from the time the sun enters the Karka Rashi or from the Karka Sankranti. It lasts for 6 month and ends with the Uttarayana of the sun which begins with Makar Sankranti in the month of January according to Gregorian calendar.

 

It is believed that during Dakshinayana period the Gods go to sleep, so Lord Vishnu too goes to sleep.

 

• Rituals of Karka Sankranti

 

Chaturmasam a four month period from Sravana to Karthika month as per Hindu calendar falls during the Dakshinayana period and is considered to be auspicious and a time for celebration. Lord Vishnu is worshipped during this auspicious period.

 

Devotees during this period take a religious or a holy bath and perform Pitra Tarpan for departed souls of their family, ie forefathers. According to Hindu mythology, this phase is the best to perform Shraddh ceremony for departed souls as it gives them peace. Satvik or vegetarian food is also taken by the devotee.

 

Varaha Swami is regarded to be anincarnation of Lord Vishnu and is worshipped during this period. Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthothram is chanted by the devotees the whole day and blessings are sought.

 

This day is also called Deva Sayani Ekadashi and is said to be the most auspicious one for charity as it is said to be extremely beneficial on this day. It is fulfilling to be donating food and clothes on this day.

 

• Significance of Karka Sankranti

 

Karka Sankranti also starts the beginning of the agricultural seasons as it is the beginning of the monsoon. This Dakshinayana phase is considered to be an auspicious one as some of the major festivals occur during this period, as the Ganesh Chaturthi, the Deepavali, The Vijaya Dasami etc. nights in this phase are longer than the day as the Sun moves from the Karka Rashi to the Dhanu Rashi during this period.

Andal Jayanthi is one of the major and most important festivals amongst the Tamilians. This festival is a dedication to Goddess Andal, who is a consort of Lord Vishnu and an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Andal Jayanthi is also known as Aadi Pooram as it is celebrated in the month of Aadi according to traditional Tamil calendar, which is the month of July August as per the Gregorian calendar.

Andal Jayanthi is the birthday of the Goddess Andal and it is believed that she appeared on earth on this auspicious day and thus devotees on this day worship her to be blessed by Shakti.

 

Legend of Andal

Andal was a great poet and a saint.  Born in the 10^th century she resided in the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. Since her childhood she was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and kept singing in his praise. Her literary works in Tamil called Thiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi are both renowned for showing ardent love and devotion towards Lord Vishnu. The verses all sing praise of Vishnu and address him as her beloved. In fact so relentless and deep was her love and such consistent was her devotion towards Lord Vishnu, that she won a place next to Lord Vishnu as his consort. Andal herself due to her relentless devotion and love was elevated to the status of a Devi and numerous places in Tamil Nadu have shrines in her name. she is recognized as the reincarnation of the Goddess Bhudevi, who is the Vedic equivalent of  what is known as the Earth goddess known as Gaia.

Andal’s birth star was Purva Falguni and it is associated with arts and pleasure and is capable of giving rise to tremendous dedication and devotion. Andal worshipped Ranganatha, who is the form of Vishnu in a reclining form and found her own life’s purpose in love and devotion.

 

Rituals of Andal Jayanthi

Aadi pooram or the Andal Jayanthi is a ten day festival which is observed with lot of devotion and fanfare. The last day is observed as the Jayanthi or the Aadi Pooram and an event is organized called Thirukalyanam, which is the wedding between Goddess Andal and Sri Ranganathaswamy, who is Lord Vishnu.

• On the morning of the Andal Jayanthi women wake early take a ritual bath and decorate their house beautifully with a kolam. As the Goddess Andal is known to be fond of the tred , alotus is kept for worshipping her.
• Goddess Andal idols in the temples arebeautified with bright red silk sarees, glittering jewelleries and garlands.
• An extensive feast is offered to the Goddess, where every household participates and contributes in the cooking.
• Special puja is conducted and the marriage ceremony is witnessed by thousands of devotees.
• After the puja an arati is done and then the Prasad is distributed amongst the devotees
• The disciples and devotees should also read Thiruppavai’ and ‘Lalitha Sahasranamam’ for further blessings.

The Andal Jayanthi is celebrated with great fanfare at Srivalliputtur in the Goddess Andal temple. This is the birth place of Andal. It is also celebrated with pomp and splendor in Srirangam Sri Ranganath Temple.

It is believed that if unmarried girls observe this vrat or ritual they will be very soon married to a good husband. If the vrat falls on a Friday it attains special significance.

Hariyali Teej is the fun filled and colorful festival celebrated by women, married and unmarried both, in green colored clothes.

This festival is mostly observed in the north Indian states such as- Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. It is a day when Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are worshipped, either for happy conjugal life or for a good marriage for unmarried women.

The Hariyali Teej falls on the 3^rd day of the shukla paksha of the month of Shravan as per Hindu traditional calendar. As per Gregorian calendar, this occurs on the 3^rd day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of August.

It is a festival where the bond of marriage is given special respect and attention. In 2019, this festival falls on the 3^rd of August, Saturday.

 

Legend of Hariyali Teej

The legend behind this festival is all about the trials Goddess Parvati went through to marry Lord Shiva. It is believed that Goddess Parvati in order to marry Lord Shiva had to do severe penance and give him evidence of his devotion for him. She was born and reborn at least 108 times before he could accept her as his wife. The day when he finally agreed to take her as his wife was the month of Shravan and the day was the day of the Teej, and Devi Parvati had promised that any woman who invoked her on this day will be blessed with immortal matrimonial happiness.

 

Rituals of Hariyali Teej

• Shringara- Shringara is a beautiful ritual which is a token of being appreciated by parent in laws. The Shringara items given to  a newlywed wife consists of the following items like Henna, bangles, traditional dress known as Leharia, sweets, Sindoor (vermilion), etc.  Shringara is an acknowledgement of being married and it is considered t be auspicious for the husband if the bride wears all the 16 items and adornments.

 

• Mehndi – the ritual of Hariyali Teej is incomplete without the tradition of applying Mehndi in hand. Women on this day put Mehndi on their hand and feet and the darker is the color she is believed to be more loved by her husband or fiancée. Women also tend to put the initials of her husbands or fiancées initials in the mehndi designs.

 

• Vat Vriksha- the branches of the Vat Vriksha signifies knowledge, and thus worshipping the tree is auspicious on this day. Swings are hung from the Banyan tree or the Vat Vriksha where women enjoy swinging and merry making on this day. Swings are also hung in houses where women can enjoy swinging amidst the showers of rain.

 

• Fasting – women on this day keep a fast for 24 hours to show penance for their husbands well being. Some women observe a Nirjala Vrat or where water cannot be consumed.

 

• Festivities – Since on this day Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Teej Mata, a variety of songs and dance performances are performed. Houses are decorated beautifully and feasts cooked.

 

Significance of the Hariyali Teej

Hariyali Teej, as the name suggests is a festival mainly upholding greenery. Women wear green bangles and lot of women wear green colored sarees too. It is going back to nature as in celebrating good harvests.

Women celebrate this vrat to wish for the long life of their husbands, to seek blessings for the peace and prosperity of their marital lives. The unmarried women like Parvati observe this vrat to get a husband of their choice and divine blessings on their marriage.

 

Hariyali Teej celebration in various places

In Maharashtra, women wear ornate green bangles, green clothes, kajal and golden bindi for luck and prosperity. They also gift decorated beautiful coconut to all their female relatives. To the Goddess they offer fresh flowers and fruits for expressing their gratitude.

In Gujarat special Garba dances are organized in praise of Goddess parvati and women wear their traditional clothes carrying pots on their heads.

Lord Krishna devotees in Vrindavan enjoy Hariyali Teej with great enthusiasm and construct swings to celebrate this. It is this auspicious day when the idols of Radha and Krishna come out of their place in the temple to give a darshan or sight to the devotees. The idols are also greatly decked up for this day. One of the main attractions of Hariyali Teej in Vrindavan is the gold and decorated swing of Lord Krishna which is only brought out at this time of the year. Devotees from all over the world come to see this.

In Rajasthan Teej Mata or Parvati is worshipped with great devotion. Special processions are brought out in honor of Teej Mata, songs and dances accompany this. Tourists congregate to watch this procession.

Kamika Ekadashi is one of the most important ekadashis to be observed in the month of Shravan. It is celebrated on the Krishna paksha ekadashi or the month of shravan as per the traditional Hindu calendar.

According t the Gregorian calendar, this falls on the month of July August and in the waning phase of the moon. Kamika Ekadashi is considered to be the most auspicious time that Lord Vishnu can be worshipped and beneficial blessings can be sought.

It is further believed that an observance of kamika Ekadashi frees the devotees of all problems and blesses him with prosperity. In 2019 the date for Karmika Ekadashi is on 28th of July.

Legend of Kamika Ekadashi

Long ago, there lived a landlord in a small village. This landlord once had a major fight with a Brahman, and in a fit of rage killed him. The landlord realized the extent of his crime and wanted to be a part of the murdered man’s last rites and cremations. However, the Brahman’s family members disagreed and thus he remained cursed for killing a Brahman. Then he met a saint, to whom he sought the advice for the remittance of his sins of killing a Brahman. The sage suggested that he needed to observe Kamika Ekadashi and keep a fast on that day. The landlord observed the vrat or the ritual and at night had the vision that Lord Vishnu had arrived and had freed him from his offence and sin of killing the Brahman.

Observance of Kamika Ekadashi

On the day of the Kamika Ekadashi, holy bath should be taken in rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Sindhu, Cauvery, Godavari etc for a cleansing ritual bath. Then a prayer should be made to Lord Vishnu. The devotee must not have any intake of water throughout the day. Flowers, fruits, milk, panchamrit, sesame etc should be offered to the Lord. Lamps of ghee or sesame oil can also be lit in the Krishna temples as part of the ritual. Lord Vishnu should be particularly worshipped with Tulsi leaves on this day as it is believed to wash away all the sins of the devotees. It is also believed to be extremely beneficial to feed Brahmans and do charity on this auspicious day for the fulfillment of wishes.

Merits of Kamika Ekadashi

The importance and merits of the Kamika Ekadashi was narrated by Lord Krishna to the eldest Pandava, Yudhisthira. However this was originally narrated to the Maharishi Narada by Lord Brahma. It is believed that observing kamika Ekadashi  is equivalent to chanting of all the scriptures written for Lord Vishnu. The greatest merit of observing the Kamika Ekadashi is probably achieving salvation by being promised Vaikunthalok, or the abode of Lord Vishnu post death. Observing Kamika Ekadashi also gives equivalent results to bathing in all the sacred rivers and it is also equivalent to having performed various Yajnas.

The month of Shravan is completely dedicated to the Lord Shiva. It is considered to be a month when worshipping Lord Shiva is guaranteed to yield excellent result.

The somvar or the Mondays during the course of the month of Shravan according to traditional Hindu calendar is considered to be extremely auspicious.  In fact it is firmly believed that it is so auspicious, that it is actually 108 times more auspicious than worshipping in the normal days. 

There are millions of Hindu devotees who keep a fast during the Mondays or the Somvars of the Shravan month. There are many who keep a fast of the solah somvar or the 16 somvar fast from the first Monday of the month of Shravan. As per the Gregorian calendar, Shravan typically falls in the month of July August.

 

Auspicious Somvar to start the Shravan Somvar Vrat

It is firmly believed that it will be very beneficial to start the vrat from the first Monday of the shukla paksha, or the waning phase of the moon of the Shravan month. The observance of the Shravan Somvars can continue till the shukla paksha or the waxing pahse of the moon of Shravan.

 

Legend behind the Shravan Somvars

Long ago there lived a money lender who was affluent but did not have any children to carry his family forward, he and his wife kept praying to Goddess Parvati and lord Shiva for a child. Finally taking pity on their distraught state and appeared in the money lender’s dream and told him that they will be blessed with a son, but he will die when he will be 12 years of age.

Soon enough they were blessed with a son. The money lender used to always be involved with bhajan and pujan and worshipping of Lord Shiva. The son gre up and when he was 11 years of age, the money lender sent him away to his maternal uncle’s house in Kashi. While enroute, they kept praying, giving alms to all the temples and Brahmins that they came across. They also encountered a wedding ceremony, where because the groom was blind in one eye, the boy got married instead. Finally they reached kasha and when one day they were having an auspicious occasion, the boy fell ill and finally succumbed to death. When the uncle saw him dead he still thought of going ahead with the ceremony as it was meant for Lord Shiva. However, Lord Shiva passing by saw the grief at the boy’s death and gave back his life. Thus it was Lord Shiva‘s blessings which finally made the son alive and let him live a happy, prosperous and longer life.

Thus from then onwards, the Shravan Somvars were obvserved to gain the blessings of Lord Mahadeva.

 

Procedure of observing the Shravan Somvar

The devotee should have a ritualistic cleansing bath and then first observe Lord Ganesha. After that Lord Shiva should be worshipped by chanting of the Om Namah Shivaya mantra. The Shiva Linga should be worshipped with milk, honey and water and then bilva leaves, white flowers, dhutura, curd, camphor, water honey or milk should be offered to Lord Shiva. The shivalinga should face the north. Thos ewho cannot keep fast for the whole day can eat fruits and the fast should be broken in the evening or the next day. There are some regions where the devotees wear white clothes. Maha Mrityunjay Mantra and Om Namah Shivaya is chanted throughout the day. Red kumkum is never offered to Lord Shiva, thus the devotees should remember never to offer it to Lord Shiva.  After breaking the fast of the Somvar itself, a sweet meal is to have without any salt. Some devotees also visit the nearby Shiva temples to offer worship.

 

Benefits of Shravan Somvars

Those who devoutly observe the Shravan Somvars, get blessings from Lord Shiva to have all their desires fulfilled and are blessed with immense wisdom. It is also believed according to some, that fasting and observing these Mondays are beneficial to get a good husband for all unmarried women.

Guru Purnima or the day when homage is paid to one’s spiritual Gurus is also known as Vyasa Puja. The Guru Purnima is a festival mostly celebrated amongst the Hindus and the Nepalese to commemorate their teachers, pay respect to them and acknowledge their contribution.

This is mostly celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. This unique day is celebrated in the month of Ashada, according to traditional Hindu calendar on the full moon day.

According to Gregorian calendar this falls in the month of June July. This day marks the beautiful surrender of the devotee and the follower to their Gurus unconditionally and respecting their contribution towards their lives. It may not be done elaborately, but recognition of the fact makes the occasion important.

 

Observance of Guru Puja

It is believed that on the day of the Guru Purnima, the Guru principle is the most active. The word Guru is derived from Sanskrit. It can be traced back to two words- Gu in Sanskrit means darkness or ignorance and the word Ru means the one who removes that darkness of ignorance. On this auspicious day disciples and devotees pay respect to their guides and mentors who have brought them out of the spiritual darkness.

Lord Buddha on this day had given his first sermon at Sarnath.in the Hindu tradition and in the Yogic tradition it is believed that Shiva became the first Guru as he began to transfer his yogic knowledge on this day to the Saptarshis. There are many Hindus who observe and celebrate this day in the name of the great sage Vyasa. It is believed that Vyasa started composing his elaborate   Brahma Sutras on this day. The Hindu ascetics as well as the Jain monks also observe this day devoutly and offer puja to their spiritual leader. During the period of Chaturmas, a four month period during the monsoon; when they choose a place and stay on that particular place to immerse themselves in meditation. Some of these ascetics give discourses too during this period.

 

Yogic legend of Guru Purnima

It is said that about 15,000 years ago a yogi arrived at the Himalayas, who neither moved, nor spoke. Sometimes from his eyes tears would fall, and this was the only reaction ever seen from him. Onlookers came and went away but seven men stayed on. When he would open his eyes, the 7 men would request him to share their experiences with them, but the yogi did not relent. However the 7 men stayed on. Seeing their perseverance the Yogi asked them to do a simple step and then closed his eyes again.

84 years went before the Yogi finally opened his eyes again.  It was the summer solstice and the advent of the Dakshinayana of the sun. The Adi Yogi turned south and sat with these 7 men and started explaining to them the intricacies and mechanics of life. These 7 disciples became the Saptarshis and the Yogi is the Adi Guru.

 

Celebration of Vyasa Puja

The life and teaching of the Hindu spiritual teachers are celebrated on this auspicious day. Vyasa Puja is held at many temples, where Vyasa is worshipped symbolically for all the Satgurus or true Gurus.  The Guru is offered worship with flowers and symbolic gifts, following which Prasad is offered, Charanamrita or water gathered from washing the feet of Guru is symbolic nectar which is served to the disciples. A special chanting of the Guru Gita composed by Vyasa himself is done in all the temples. Bhajan kirtan etc are also conducted on this day. A mantra chanted many-a-times on this day is ‘Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshwara, Guru Sakshat Parabrahmah Tasmai Shree Guru Veh Namah’, meaning the Guru is Bramha, Guru is Vishnu, Guru is equivalent to Dev Maheshwara and Guru is the epitome of Param Bramha and I worship at the feet of the Guru. This is also a day when Guru Bhai or brethren of the same Guru wish each other and exchange notes of their religious journey so far.

Kokila Vrat is a unique vrat or ritual observed by the married women as well as the unmarried women in India. It is mostly observed in Northern part of India and in some nooks of the southern and western parts of the country.

This is a ritual which is dedicated to Goddess Sati and to Lord Shiva. This unique vrat is observed for a period of one month. As per north Indian calendar, it happens in the Adhika Mas based on Ashada.

In the other parts of India this vrat is celebrated on the Ashada Purnima.  Kokila Vrat is observed from Ashada Shukla Purnima till Shravan Shukla Purnima. In 2019, Kokila Vrat will begin on the 16^th of July. Kokila or the bird Cuckoo is associated with Goddess Sati and it is believed that she had to serve a penance by taking birth on Earth as the Kokila bird for a wrong she had committed before she regained her lost glory.

 

• Legend of Kokila Vrat

There is a legend which associated Goddess Sati with the Cuckoo or Kokila. When Sati’s father Daksha was having a great Yajna (fire sacrifice ritual), Lord Shiva and Sati were excluded from the invitee list. Sati appeared at the ceremony site and after getting into a heated argument as to why Shiva was not invited, enraged jumped into the sacrificial fire and killed herself.  Suicide or killing by self is considered to be a sin and thus had to return to life and take a birth as a kokila or a cuckoo and had to spend almost a 1000 celestial years before she could get back into her shape. Thus on this auspicious day, Goddess Sati along with Lord Shiva is worshipped.

 

• Religious observances

The main observance in this vrat is waking up early and having a cleansing and religious bath. Then the devotee should ideally make an idol out of clay or get a picture of cuckoo and worship it. The devotees should also eat one meal during this one month of the vrat.

It is widely believed that women who observe Kokila Vrat, has their husband’s welfare secured and unmarried women observing this vrat gets a handsome husband by religiously observing this vrat for a period of one month.

Jayaparvati Vrat is a fairly significant fast observed by unmarried girls and also by married women. This vrat is observed mostly in Gujarat area and certain other parts of western India.

This vrat or ritual is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This is observed by the women folk for peace, prosperity and well being of their husbands and family at large or for a good husband.

This is a vrat or ritual which is to be observed for a prolonged period of 5, 7, 9 or probably 11 years. Every year the devotees have to keep a vrat for 5 days during the month of Ashada.

It starts from the Shukla Paksha Trayodashi and lasts till the Krishna Paksha Tritiya in the month of Ashada as per traditional Hindu calendar. This corresponds to sometime in the month of July as per the Gregorian calendar.  In 2019, this vrat will be observed from 14^th of July, Sunday.

 

• Legend behind the Jayaparvati Vrat

 

There is an interesting legend behind the Jayaparvati Vrat. Long ago there lived a Brahmin couple who did not have a child. They were devout devotees of Lord Shiva and used to worship him on every single day. One day Lord Shiva appeared in their dreams and asked them to go to a forest and uncover his Shiva Linga and worship it there. The couple went to the forest and managed to find it out. The husband went to fetch flowers, where a snake bit him and he fell unconscious. Seeing her husband’s delay, the wife went to look for him and found him unconscious. She started praying deeply and intensely for her husband’s welfare and impressed by her penance, Lord Shiva brought him back to consciousness. Then they prayed to the Shiva Linga and were later blessed with a son.

 

There is another legend prevalent with this ritual, where a poor Brahmin couple were bereft of a child and made intense prayers to lord Shiva. The wife was ironically and wrongly cursed that she would never be able to have a child; the wife asked for pity and was told that the situation can be remedied if only the husband went away and did severe penance. The husband did severe penance and was given a glimpse of Mata Parvati. Parvati mata told him that he can have a son who will live for 19 years or a daughter who will become a widow. He asked for a son. The son grew up and when he was 17 was married off to a girl called Shanta who performed Gauri Vrat. Shanta, had a dream from Gauri ma that a snake will bite her husband. As a precautionary measure she was instructed to keep out 2 cups. One cup should be filled with milk and sugar and the other cup should be empty. Shanta after the night sees the snake in the other cup and gives it to her mother-in-law to be thrown away. Thus with her immense faith and dedication, she was able to save her husband and got him a new lease of life.

 

Thus the Jayaparvati Vrat is observed to remember the tireless and courageous wife who saved her husband. It is believed that women who observe this vrat would be able to keep their husband safe from any kind of obstacles in their life and also ensure his longevity.

 

 

• The rituals and the fast

 

This is a vrat where one cannot eat anything with salt in it. The salt is to be absolutely avoided during this period, as is wheat or other vegetables.

 

On the first day of the vrat the devotees plant whaet trees or Javara in small bowls or earthen pots and kept near God in the house. Then the puja is conducted with a Nagla or a neckpiece made from cotton wool and decorated with kumkum or vermillion. This is placed around the pot. This ritual is carried out on all the days and the plants are watered.

 

Women stay awake or participate in a jagran on the fifth day as it is considered to be auspicious.

 

On the final day a puja is conducted for Parvati Mata in the nearby temples. The Javara which was in the pot is taken out and planted in the garden or immersed in holy waters. A full meal can be have on this day with chapatti, vegetables and salt.

Sanskrit Diwas every year is celebrated to commemorate the importance of the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is the mother of all Indian language.

It is the sacred language of Hindiusm and also the language used for philosophical discourses of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism as well as Hinduism.

It was the Lingua Franca of India at a point of time. Sanskrit Diwas is observed on the Purnima of the month if Shravan as per the traditional Hindu calendar. In 2019, Sanskrit Diwas is going to be celebrated in the month of August, on the 15^th, Thursday.

• Why Sanskrit Divas?

 

The idea to celebrate Sanskrit Diwas is a unique one, as this language because of its purity and essential difficulty to be spoken as a common language was slowly dying a natural death. Its importance however was phenomenal, as it is the mother of all Indian languages and the very first of the ancient languages whose trait is found in India. The main idea of celebrating the Sanskrit Diwas is to spread general awareness about the importance of Sanskrit amongst common people.  To let common people and the younger generation know about the rich cultural heritage and tradition of Sanskrit , the language which can give people a chance to read the original Vedas as well as so many other texts of importance in the original Devnagari or Sanskrit language in which it is written.

 

Sanskrit is also called Devnagari which literally means the language spoken by the Devas. It is one of the oldest Indo- European languages found and which has a body of work substantiating its importance.  The present form in which Sanskrit is found can be traced back to the 2^nd millennium BC.

 

• What is the meaning of the word Sanskrit?

 

The word sáṃskṛta can be loosely translated as constructed, refined or highly elaborate. From the meaning only it can be gathered that it is a language used by the cultured sophisticated and discerning people. Researchers have classified Sanskrit into two segments – the Vedic Sanskrit and the classical Sanskrit.

 

 

• Usage of Sanskrit

 

As per the census of 2001, 14, 135 people registered Sanskrit as their native language or vernacular. Efforts are being made to increase this number effectively be reaching out to people to explain the richness of this language. Sanskrit in terms of usage in music is mostly used in Hindusthani and Carnatic classical music.

 

In this context, Sir William Jones, who had translated Abhijnana Shakuntala” ”Ritu Samhara, Gita Gobindam and Manusmriti in English must be mentioned. Max Mueller, the German philosopher translated Hitopodesha in German for his countrymen to read.

 

 

• Celebration of Sanskrit Diwas

 

In the context of the Sanskrit Diwas celebration, camps distributing various booklets containing writing in Sanskrit are set up. Various Television channel programs commissioned in Sanskrit are also telecasted and a time slot for Sanskrit programs are allotted. Public Broadcaster Doordarshan  News launched a Facebook and Twitter handle for the auspicious occasion of Sanskrit Diwas.  There is a program held in Television on Sanskrit called ‘Vaartavali’ which is telecasted on Saturday s and Sundays. Thus the day which was first observed in 1969, still continues to be celebrated in order to commemorate the richness of this Mother of all Indian languages.

Narali Purnima occurs in the month of Sharavan according to traditional Hindu calendar. It is the Purnima in the month of Shravan and is considered to be extremely auspicious according to the Hindu religion.

Narali Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of August according to Gregorian calendar. It is mostly observed in Maharashtra and the coastal areas of Kerala and some parts of Gujarat.

It is mostly an observance by the fisherman community of these regions. It is an observance which is aimed at seeking the blessing of the sea God Varuna to protect them always.  In 2019 , this ritual will be observed on 15^th of August.

In various other parts of the country this auspicious occasion coincides with Raksha Bandhan, the Kajari Purnima and the Shravani Purnima.

Meaning of the name Narali Purnima

Narali is derived from the word Nariyal, meaning coconut. The Narali Purnima is also known as coconut day for this reason.

Rituals of the Narali Purnima

• Hindu devotees residing at the coastal districts mostly worship Lord varuna on this auspicious occasion.
• A Nariyal or coconut is offered to the sea God Varuna to seek his blessing and protection.
• The entire Shravana month is considered to be beneficial for worshipping Lord Shiva, and coconut is believed to be extremely auspicious for offering to Gods, as the three eyes of coconut is considered to be the three eyes of Lord Shiva.
• If the sea happens to be in a distance, devotees on this day go to a nearby lake, river etc and offer their worship to the Sea God and Mother Nature.
• In Maharashtra, the fishermen worship Samudra, the sea and Varuna, the Rain God  for protection and prosperity.
• The upanayana and the change of the holy thread or the Yajnapavit are important observances carried out on this day.
• Brahmins in Maharashtra keep a fast of Shravani Upakarma on this day and only eats coconut.
• After the puja is over, the fishermen sail into the sea with their beautiful and decorated boats for taking a short trip.
• Singing and dancing are the main attractions of this day and everyone makes merry together.
• People prepare a swet rice with coconut which is offered as a prasad and later on consumed. Devoteed mostly have food containing coconut in some form or the other.

Significance of the Narali Purnima

As mentioned earlier Narali Purnima is mostly celebrated in the coastal regions of Maharashtram Gujarat and Kerala. The Konkan district of Maharashtra is famous for its celebrations. It is mostly celebrated by people whose livelihood is intrinsically connected with the sea. It is also the end of monsoon, thus the fishermen pray to the Mother Nature and Sea God to save them from turbulent weather and protect them as the fishing season approaches. The fishermen deck up their boats with colorful garlands and paper cuttings in order to celebrate the festivities and there is a lot of dance, songs and over all merriment. It is also the day from when fishing is resumed, as till this time fishing is not done as in the month of Shravana, fishes are left alone to mate to increase their numbers.