Year: 2016

Vamana Jayanti is dedicated to the Vamana Avatar who had appeared on the earth on this day. The Vamana Avatar is one of the Avatars that Lord Vishnu had taken to oust evil from the world.

He had taken ten incarnations out of which the Vamana Avatar is the fifth one. Vamana appeared in the Treta Yug. The Vamana Jayanti is observed on the dwadashi of the Shukla paksha of the Bhadrapada month as per the traditional Hindu calendar.

As per the Gregorian calendar, it falls on the 12^th day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of September.

King Bali was the grandson of the pious Prahlada. King Bali was an extremely brave king who kept performing his Ashwamedha Yajna. As per the scriptures after performing 100 Ashwamedha Yajna, the throne of Lord Indra could be claimed. He was so powerful that he defeated all the Devas. Alarmed, Indra sought the help of Lord Vishnu and requested for his intervention. However, Lord Vishnu told Indra that since King Bali was an extremely pious ruler, he will not kill him, but would devise some way to curb his growth.

Lord Vishnu then promised sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi that he will be born to them. Duly Lord Vishnu is born to them and grows up to the age of 7 promptly. He had an aura around him and as he was short in his height, he was named Vamana. His father Sage Kashyapa performed the Ogudu ceremony where all the Gods gifted Vamana with variety of objects. For example, Lord Brihaspati gave him the Yajna Pavit or the sacred thread, Kubera  gifted him with a Golden water pot called Kamandalam, the Sun god preached him the Gayathri mantra and his mother Aditi gave him a small piece of red cloth or the Kaupinam.

Thus armed with gifts, Vamana reached where King Bali was performing his Ashwamedha Yajna. The mentor of the demons, Shukracharya recognized Lord Vishnu in his incarnation and advised King Bali not to give anything to the Vamana. But being the decent king that he was, King Bali opined that if it was Lord Vishnu, who had come to kill him, then it would be his honour to die in his hands or give up something for him. So King Bali asks what Vamana wanted. Vamana says that he wants three steps of land only which is measured by his foot. King Bali agrees and gives a Kamandalam. Shukracharya tries to stop this by becoming a bee and blocking the flow of the water. Vamana, with a dhurva grass pokes it away to clear the mouth of the Kamandalam. Shukracharya since then lost his one eye.

After receiving the dana or charity, Vamana grew gigantic in size and covered the world in one step and with his next step covered the other worlds and asked Bali where he should put his third step. Bali shows Vamana his own head. Thus Bali was subjugated and the worlds were conquered. Bali was sent to the Patala Loka. Lord Vamana pleased with Bali invites him to visit his kingdom once every year, which is celebrated as Onam in Kerala.

Lord Vamana has a temple in Thrikkakkara near Kochi where the day is observed with a lot of fanfare and devotees worshipping Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Vamana. The original name of the place was Thiru-kal-kari meaning a place where the holy feet were placed.

Samvatsari is considered to be the holiest of all the Jain festivals. It can easily be summed up to be a festival of forgiveness.

It is observed on the last day of the Paryusana, which is the Jain festival lasting for 8 or 10 days. Paryusana is the main festival for both the sects of Jain – Swetamvaras and the Digamvaras.

The period of samvatsar arrives 50 days after and 70 days before the end of Chaturmas period that is strictly followed by the Jain monks. In 2019 this Samvatsari Parva will be observed on the 3rd of September, Tuesday.

 

What is Samvatsari

Samvatsari as mentioned earlier is the holiest day for the Jains.  Jains seek forgiveness from all the creatures of this world that they could have hurt knowingly or unknowingly. The hurt could have been caused by word, actions or thoughts. They then utter the phrase Michchami Dukkadam, Khamau Sa or Khamat Khamna.

It is a day when most of the Jain devotees keep a complete fast and much of the day is spent in prayers. A yearly penitential retreat is offered on this day known as samvatsati pratikramana. Afrer the Pratikramana, they seek the forgiveness from all.

Michchami Dukkadam is an absolutely old Prakrit phrase which loosely means I seek your forgiveness.

This whole day is spent in fasting and praying. Food is partaken on the next day which is called Parna.

As a ritual, the Jains on this day go to meet relatives or make a point of catching up with them uttering Michchami Dukkadam. People who are outstations are also conveyed this message and a vow made that whatever the grievance may be, they will not carry it forward to the next year.

 

What is the significance of Samvatsari

Samvatsari has a great significance in today’s world, as there are unresolved issues which gives rise to most of modern day problems. Thus this day teaches us that –

• Forgiveness is equivalent to tolerance
• Tolerance teaches us to overlook the negativity in anger and animosity
• The person who judges others  and doesn’t grant pardon is himself lowly

It takes complete lack of ego to grant forgiveness and pardon to people who have slipped and made mistakes. That is a man who is truly on the path of Nirvana.

Rishi Panchami is the day when the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages are traditionally worshipped. It is observed in the Panchami in the Shukla paksha in the Bhadra pada month according to traditional Hindu calendar.

As per the Gregorian calendar this observance falls in the month of August or September. The Rishi Panchami is observed a day after the Ganesh Chaturthi and 2 days after the Hartalika Teej and this day is the last day of the Teej. In 2019, the Rishi Panchami is going to be observed on the 3th of Sep, Tuesday.

 

Rishi Panchami – tribute to seven sages

The Sapta Rishis or the seven sages are Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadhvaja, Vishvamitra, Gauthama, Jamadagni and Vashishtha. These seven sages had given up their lives for the betterment of human kind and for garnering knowledge which would improve the human conditions. Thus through this vrat people pay their respect, gratitude to these seven saints and also remember them for their immense contribution.

 

Connection of Rishi Panchami with Rajaswala Dosha

However this fast is to be only observed by women as it is believed that observing this fast makes women get rid of their Rajaswala Dosha. Rajaswala Dosha. Is what women get by not observing the guidelines laid down by Hinduism. For example during menstrual cycle a woman is neither supposed to cook, nor touch any family members nor participate in any religious activities. When someone avoids these activities they are afflicted with the Rajaswala Dosha.. Thus the Rishi Panchami is the best way to get rid of this affliction. It is believed that in her previous birth the daughter had committed the crime of entering the kitchen on the day of menstruation.  On the first day of menstruation a woman is known as Candalini  or a demon, on the second day Brahmdhatini  or a wizard, on the third day a washer woman and on the fourth day only after a purifying bath does she become pure again. The Rishi Panchami fast ensures that a woman does not have to suffer from these attacks by worms and other difficulties.

 

Legend of Rishi Panchami

Brahma had recounted the virtue of Rishi Panchami to King Sitasale. He had narrated the tale of the Brahmin Utank of Vidharba region. He had a son and a daughter. The daughter was married off but very soon became a widow. The Brahmin and his wife made a hut near the Ganges and started staying there. However one day they saw their daughter’s body covered completely with ants.  The Brahmin kept praying and called sages to know the reason for his daughter’s plight. The sages determined that the daughter had committed sin by entering the kitchen during menstruation.

 

Observations on Rishi Panchami

Women observe fast on this day and worship Lord Shiva. They have a holy bath using a special herb called Datiwan, which is supposed to have a cleansing effect. Devotees also install pure and sanctified kalash in their homes and also visit Lord Shiva temples to pray to him. Lord Ganesha ,  Saptarshi, Navagraha and Arundhati are all worshipped. Women rub a special red mud on their body and have ritual bath. Then water is sprinkled over their head and teeth are brushed for 360 times.

Upakarma means the beginning or arambha of something auspicious. Generally it is associated with the beginning of the learning of the Veda.

But apart from that it is also associated with the changing of the Yajna pavit of the Brahmans or the changing of the sacred thread along with the Shrouta recitals.

The Yajur Veda Avani Avittam as it is called or the Yajur Veda Upakarma is practiced by the YajurVedi Brahmins of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Yajnapavita Dharanam is the major observance of that day. From this auspicious day the Yajurvedi Brahmins also start reading the Yajur Veda for the coming 6 months.

It is considered to be extremely auspicious as it is believed that on this day Lord Hayagriva, who is considered to be the Lord of Knowledge restored the Vedas to the Gods from the demons.

In 2019, the date for the Yajur Veda Upakarma is August 15^th, Thursday. The Yajurvedi Brahmins observe the Upakarma on the Shravan Purnima, which is full moon of the Sharavan month.

How is the Upakarma celebrated?

In Tamil Nadu this is known as Avani Avittam and in Andhra Pradesh this is known as Jandhyala Purnima. On this day, after offering oblations to The Devas, all the sages and the ancestors an offering of pazham, vetrilai, paakku is done. Then a dakshina is given to the Guru to seek blessings. The sacred thread is supposed to protect the devotees from all kinds of illness and enemies. A Mahasankalpam or a great vow is taken for the washing away of all the sins of the past year. After this the Brahmins, take a holy dip in a water body and wear the new yajna pavit or the sacred thread.

Those following the Yajur Veda Upakarma will do so on the month of Thiruvonam nakshatra.

What is the procedure of the Upakarma?

At the outset, the Rishi Tharpanam or the offering to the Rishis is done.  Brahmins bachelors then do a Samitha Daanam after the Mahasankalpam. After that with the aid of the family priest the Kanda Rishi Tharpanam is done. A light meal is had at dinner. The morning thereafter, the Gayathri Japam is done, which is the chanting of the Gayathri mantra of 108 to 1008 times.

Lord Vishnu has incarnated himself a number of times to bring an end of tyranny and lawlessness in this world.

Varaha Jayanti is the celebration of the appearance of the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Varaha or a boar in this world. As a huge boar he held up the world in his two tasks from under the deep ocean.

This day is observed with dedication and rituals are followed on the dwadashi tithi of the Shukla paksha. In 2019, Varaha Jayanti will be observed in the month of September, 1^st, Sunday.

Legend behind Varaha Jayanti

Diti had given birth to two robust sons called Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakshayapu, who possessed demonic powers. As they grew up they made severe penances and after pleasing Lord Brahma asked for unending and limitless power for both of them. Lord brahma granted the boon to them. However the tyranny and the oppression of the 2 demonic brothers kept increasing when finally they reached the Vibhaari Nagari, which was the kingdom of Varun Deva. Varun Deva got furious by listening to their demands of giving up on his kingdom and reminded them that may be they were powerful, but they could no way be more powerful than Lord Vishnu. Hearing this Hiranyakshayapu went in search of Lord Vishnu to find and fight him.

Meanwhile Lord Vishnu had incarnated as the Varaha and was holding the earth in his two trunks after pulling it out from the ocean, when Hiranyakshayapu approached him and started goading him to drop the earth and fight him. However Lord Vishnu carefully save dthe earth from immediate destruction and finally fought Hiranyakshayapu and killed him.

Symbolism behind the Varaha Jayanti

Symbolically the dragging out of the earth by the tasks of Varaha Avatar is extremely symbolic. It signifies the emergence of human being into light form the darkness of ego. Filled with ego man falls into the deep dark sea of misery and only self realization can bring respite and upliftment.

Rituals of Varaha Jayanti

• Varaha Jayanti is mainly observed in the southern states of India. Devout devotees wake up early in the morning, have a ritual holy bath and offer worship to the Lord.
• An idol of Lord Varaha is kept in a metal pot or a kalash. It is then filled with water and mango leaves along with a coconut is kept on top. Coconut is considered to be extremely auspicious. This is then donated to a Brahmin. There is a visarjan orimmersion of the kalash or the metal pots.
• After the puja is over, the devotees read Shrimad Bhagwad Gita and chant various other hymns to please the Lord and seek his blessings.
• Varaha Mantra such as Varahay Namah, Sookraya Namah, Dhritsookarrupkeshvaya Namah etc are religiously chanted by the devotees.
• Devotees observing this auspicious day by fasting should also do some dan dhyan or charity to gain more blessings from Lord Vishnu as it is considered to be auspicious to do so on this day.
• It is believed that worshipping Lord Varaha on this auspicious day is sure to bring happiness, wealth and fortune to the devotees.

Places of worship

In Mathura there is an old Varaha Avatar’s temple where devotees throng to observe this pious day. Varaha Swamy is the reigning deity in the temple called the Bhu Varaha Swamy temple in Tirumala where Varaha Swami is given a bath with butter, honey, milk, ghee and coconut water on this day and then worshipped with a lot of fanfare and devotion.

In Sanskrit Upakarma means the beginning. It is a Vedic ritual practiced by the Brahmins mostly in the southern part of India. Upakarma is observed once every year during the Shravana month.

The Upakarma is an auspicious day when the Brahmins change their Yajnapavit or their Upanayana thread with the accompaniment of the chanting of the mantras or the Srauta rituals.

This is followed by the entire Rig, Yajur and the Sama Vedic Brahmins. The next day of this observance is noted as Gayatri Japa Sankalpam. However, the procedure of this changing of the Yajna Pavit differs vastly from Rig and Yajur Vedic Brahmins to the Sama Vedic Brahmins.

Thus the Sama Veda Upakarma is completely different in procedure than the other two. The Sama Veda Upakarma in 2019 will be observed on Sep 1st, Sunday.

The Sama Veda Upakarma or the Sama Veda Avani Avittam is followed by all the Sama Vedic Brahmins in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Procedure of the Sama Veda Upakarma

As mentioned earlier, the procedure of the Sama Veda Upakarma vastly differs from those of the Rig and the Yajur Veda Upakarma.   This procedure is always followed on the Hastha Nakshatra of the Kanya Masa and consists of the following 10 steps. Chronologically the 10 steps are mentioned below –

1. The Panchagavya sammelanam
2. The Snana Mahasankalpam
3. The Brahmayagnam
4. The Punyaham
5. The Rishipooja(Uthsarjan Karma)
6. The Deva,rishi, Pithru Tharpanam (264+12)
7. The Ghata Poojai
8. The Yagnopaveethadhaaranam
9. The Vedarambam
10. The Kankanadharanam

 

These are the 10 extensive steps needed to be followed as per the scriptures, but since people are now scattered over various parts of the world, it has become extremely difficult to find a guru and complete all the procedures with complete diligence. The above mentioned steps are lengthy to the extreme and requires proper pronunciation, thus the entire procedure is shortened these days to the following steps –

1. The Snana maha Samkalpam
2. The Brahma Yagnam
3. The Yagnopaveetha dharanam

 

The Snana maha Samkalpam

For the Maha Samkalpam, one should do Achaman and wear the Pavithram. Do Shuklam baradharam, Om bhoo and then the Maha samkalpam. After the chanting of the Maha samkalpam mantra which begins as Apavithra pavithro vaa sarvaavasthaam gathopi vaa , ya smareth pundari kaksham, sabahyanthara suchi , manasam vaachikam  paapam  , karmanaa

Samuparjitham, sri Rama smaranenaiva vyopahathi na samsaya .Sree rama Rama rama; the devotee should have a bath again, wear a fresh set of clothes, put on their mandatory caste marks, perform the daily rituals and then do the Brahma Yagna.

The Brahma Yagnam

To perform the The Brahma Yagnam, one must perform the achaman and then face the eastern direction. Facing the eastern direction, the devotees do a Shuklam baradaram….” Followed by pranayamam “om Bhoo…”.  The mantras are chanted and then the devotee should wash their hands with water and chant the mantra beginning with – Vidhyudasi paapmanam vidhya me paapmanam amruthath Sathya mupaime; And then chant Om Bhorbavassuva.  After this, the devotee should sprinkle some waterround of his head and recite Sathyam Thapa sradhayam juhomi. He should then fold his hands in prayer and repeat thrice the mantra beginning with – Om namo brahmane namosthwagnaye. After this the Deva Tarpanam is done with the tip of the finger. After that the Rishi Tarpanam is done twice by wearing the Yajna Pavit like a garland across the neck  and pour water through the little finger and utter the mantra beginning with – Krishna dwaipayanaya ye rishaya thaan rishin tharpayami. Now the Yajna Pavit should be worn in the proper manner and water should be poured from the tip of the fingersand the following mantra should be chanted, which begins as – Rig vedam tharpayami

The Yagnopaveetha dharanam

The poonal should be worn during this and should be held with both hands.then achaman should be done, and taking off the old poonal it should be broken off one by one and then achaman should be done again. The Gayathri Japam should be done now by the devotee and the ceremony is finished with the Abhivaadaye and then complete with Kayena vacha.

Paryushana is one of the most important Jain festivals. Paryushana is what the occasion is referred to by the Svetamvaras.

The Digamvara sects of the Jains call it as Das Lakshana. Paryushana literally means coming together or abiding. According to the scriptures, Lord Mahavira used to follow Paryushana on the Shukla Panchami of the Bhadrapada month as per traditional Hindu calendar.

According to the Gregorian calendar, the Paryushana is observed on the 5th day of the bright phase of the moon in the month of August. In 2019 the Paryushana starts from August 27th, Tuesday.

Origin of the Paryushana

The origin of the practice of the Paryushana can be traced back to the custom of the monks staying in one place during the rainy season, which was called the Chaturmasa, as the rainy season was clubbed together as 4 consecutive months. If not the 4 months, the minimum duration of the Paryushana is at least of 70 days. To do an observance of the 70 days, the Paryushana must be started on the 5 th day of the Bhadrapada month.

Duration of the festival

The date for the Paryushana is generally the chaturthis of the Shukla paksha of the Bhadrapada month, but for the minimum duration it is observed from the Panchami of the Bhadrapada month. The last day of this observance is called the Somvatsari, which is an abbreviated version of Somvatsari Pratikramana.  It is between these periods, the Chaturmasa that the monks settle down at a place and there is an annual renewal of faith of the devotees by listening to the statements of the Dharma and Vratas. It is also believed that the heavenly being or the devas do an eight part worship or puja of the Tirthankaras, which are the 8 days that the Sweatamvaras take to observe the Paryushana.

Observance of the Paryushana

During the Paryushana, the Jains observe a fast. Devotees can fast for 30 days or more. The disciples of the Digamvara sect doesn’t not partake food more than once during the fasting period. The Swetamvara followers just consume boiled water between sunrise and sunset.

During all the 8 or 10 days of the Paryushana, the devotees start their days with pratikramana, which is a Jain meditation. They wake up early in the morning and pray for peace and universal brotherhood. Pratikramana literally means turning back, so it means this is an exercise which should make one reflect on his spiritual journey and also renew one’s faith in the almighty. The pratikramana includes or lays down rules for 6 avasyakas or essentials. These are as follows –

• The samayika – withdrawing to oneself to seek the inner bliss
• The Chauvisantho – prayers addressed to the Five Supremes, four mangalas and the 24 jinas. This also includes praying to the Dharma.
• The Vandana – praying to the supreme deity
• The Pratikramana – is a reflection of the past transgressions and the vrat
• The Kayotsarga – is the complete detachment of the body by controlling it
• The Pratyakhyana – is making strict resolutions or vows to be abided to

During these 8 days of festival, the Swetamvaras recite the Kalpa Sutra which has a portion on the birth of Mahavira on the 5th day. Some Swetamvaras devotees also recite the Antagada Sutra, which talks about all the venerable ancestors who had achieved moksha or salvation. The Digamvaras recite the Tattvartha Sutra, a compilation of the Jain principles. Anant Chaturdashi is the day when the day when the great Lord Vasupujya had attained Nirvana or moksha or salvation.

At the end of the observance the devotees ask forgiveness of each other for their past misdemeanors. It happens on the Paryusha day for the Swetambara and on the Pratipada day for the Digambara. The devotees tell each other Micchami Dukkadam” or “Uttam Kshama”; meaning I have hurt you unknowingly or I seek you divine forgiveness.

The Dasalakshana

• The dasalakshana or the 10 virtuous ways as directed in the scriptures are as follows –
• The Uttam Kshama or forbearance
• The Uttam Mardava or the supreme modesty
• The Uttam Aarjava or straightforwardness
• The Uttam Satya or the truth
• The Uttam Shauch or purity
• The Uttam Sanyam or the supreme restraint
• The Uttam Tap or an observance of austerity
• The Uttam Tyaga or renunciation
• The Uttam Aakinchanya or the non-attachment and
• The Uttam Brahmcharya or the supreme celibacy

These are all pre fixed by the word Uttam meaning superb or the best indicating that these are the Japas of the highest order as decided by the scriptures.

Let us take a look at the following –

The Uttam Kshama is the power to forgive all those who wronged us and also seek forgiveness from all those whom we had wronged. As per Jainism, forgiveness is sought not only from human beings, but from all the living things we may have abused. There is also a forgiveness which is directed to the self. Because of various karmas and emotions, we cause our own misery. Thus it is also prudent to seek forgiveness from one’s own self for having inflicted such pain.

The Uttam Mardava is the practice of supreme modesty. Modesty from the unnecessary pride of money, intelligence, appearance etc.all the things which makes one inordinately proud are the ones which are going to desert us at the end of the day. All of human beings are created equal and all the souls have a potential of attaining nirvana. With effort every soul can attain nirvana. Thus practice modesty.

The Uttam Aarjavais the trait of being straightforward and truthful. Itt seeks to have a harmony between one’s thoughts and actions. Every sould has the potential to achieve Kevalya Gyan, but only by the true practice of the Nischay Arjav Dharma.

The Uttam Shauch  or the contentment or purity of thought is derived when one is freed from the thoughts of attaining material gains. Material objects are causes of misery only thus the freedom from such practices are the uttam thought process leading to bliss.

The Uttam Satya or the ultimate truth is the basic meaning of existance.talking causes disruption when it is unnecessary. Thus speak only when there is a meaningful discussion to be had.to corroborates one lie uttered, a man becomes entangled in a wev of deception. Thus recorgnise the truth of the soul and speak only when required to speak truth.

The Uttam Sanyammeans practising extreme self restraint. The Jains take great care not to cause any injury to any lives.during the Paryushan the Jains also refrain from eating green vegetables so as to not hurt the lower sensory beings. Self restraint also indicates restraining self from causing injury to oneself by being desirous or passionate about something. The only way to free oneself from such is to think about salvation or nirvana.

The Uttam Tap means doing penance by not only fasting, but by also reducing the normal diet.it also indicates giving up on favoured and tasty foods for doing that penance. The first Tirthankara Rishavadeva is said to have fasted for 6 monthssss, thereby having achieved Uttam Tap.

The Uttam Tyaga is the renouncement of all worldly and materialistic possession. by renouncing these the soul get rid of the bad karma and earns the good karma. Also by renouncing emotions, which gives rise to misery is the supreme renunciation or Uttama Ttyaga.

The Uttam Aakinchanyameans complete detachment from all external possessions. Historically there are 10 possessions mentioned in the Jain scriptures, these are – male servants, garments, grain, female servants, land, house, silver, gold, wealth and utensils. These are the things which creates false attachments in us and is also the cause for internal attachments of false beliefs, pride, deceit, anger, sexual desires, disgust, greed etc.

The Uttam Brahmcharya means practicing supreme celibacy.this not only means abstainance from all sexual pleasures but alsotrfraining form all the pleasures such as cool breeze on a hot day etc. Btahmacharya means place for the soul to dwell, thus by residing in oneself to dwell on ones sould to attain salvation is what The Uttam Brahmcharya is all about. Residing outside your soul, your abode makes one a slave of the various desires.

Adya Kali is one of the Primordial Devis of the famed Dasha Mahavidya. The meaning behind the name Adya Shakti literally means a primal power or a primal energy.

Adya literally means primal and shakti means power or energy, which means not only Adya Kali is the epitome of the primal power; but she herself is the primal power.

Devotees recognize Adya Kali as Adya Ma and she is the representation of Durga, Kali and Parvati who creates as well as nurtures. She is the eternal power that creates and it is believed that all other Gods in the Hindu divinity are manifestations or representations of Adya Kali.

She is the force that created and she is the force that nurtures and she is the force in which everything will be sucked into.

Adya Kali is worshipped with great fanfare in many parts of India, particularly in West Bengal. In 2017 Adya Kali Jayanti will be celebrated on the August 14^th, Monday.

Though Adya Kali and Kali share the same core, the manifestations are different.

Who is Adya Kali?

Adya Kali is known and celebrated in various parts of India in various forms. In Tamil Nadu she is known as Meenakshi Amman, as Amba Devi in Gujarat, as Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, as Attuku lAmma in Kerala apart from Durga and Kali. Her other name Adya Kali is supremely symbolic. It means the primordial darkness. It is the relentless darkness from which light emanates, and from which everything is born.

Where is she worshipped?

Adya Kali has a famous temple dedicated to her in Dakshineswar, Adyapeeth, West Bengal. On the day of the Adya Kali Jayanti, the deity is beautified and worshipped. Devotees worship the Goddess with flowers, sweets, rice, incense sticks and lamp. Devotees chant the Adya Stotram to appease the Mother Goddess and seek her blessings. The Adya Stotram  it is said was composed by Annada Thakur in a dream. It is believed in lore that Adya Stotram was narrated by Adya Kali herself to Annada Thakur, when she came to see him under the disguise of his aunt. The Adya Stotra itself says that it is a part of the ancient Bramha Yamala Tantra which is a part of the very old Agama scriptures.

Randhan Chhath is basically a unique observance of a household ritual carried out by the women in Gujarat. It is unique in the sense the day is not an auspicious day to observe any fast or ritual, rather it is a preparatory day for another ritual, which is the Shitala Satam.

The Randhan Chhath is observed in Gujarat in the month of Shravan. The Randhan Chhath is celebrated on the sixth day of the Krishna Paksha of the Shravana month as per the traditional Hindu calendar. According to Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated in the month of August.

In 2019, the date for Randhan Chhath is 21^st of August, Wednesday. As the food is cooked on the sixth day, thus the name came into being Chath, or six, and thus the name Randhan Chhath, i.e. cooking done on the sixth day.

What is Randhan Chhath?

Randhan Chhath is a day dedicated to Goddess Shitala. It is a day when all the women of the household get together to prepare various delicacies for the ritual next day, Shitala Satam; as it is prohibited to cook food on Shitala Satam and also eat warm food. The foods prepared are all items included in the full Gjarati dinner including daar, sakh, rice, rotli etc. after the cooking is over, the earthen hearth is cleaned thoroughly by using cow dung and the ash remains in the hearth. Of course with modern times, the cooking place needs to be cleaned and made neat.

What is the legend behind Randhan Chhath?

According to popular legends, Ma Shitala does not like anyone cooking on the Shitala Satam day, a day when her vrat is observed; and thus goes around seeing which household is cooking on that day. Wherever she sees the hearth lighted up, she curses the food and the family too. Thus to seek her blessings, food is prepared one day ahead of the Shitala Sartam. This is the Randhan Chhath day.

What is the significance of Randhan Chhath?

The devout devotees assuming that food cannot be cooked on the Shitala Satam day, prepares various food items which can be preserved for 24 hours on the day of the Randhan Chhath. Some prepare spicy food, some not so spicy, but the act is on efull of fun and contentment as the next day there will be no cooking and only cold food will be served. Two of the food items that are mandatorily prepared during the Randhan Chhath are the kheer and the Thekua.

It is believed that an observation of the Randhan Chhath and the Shitala Satam brings in eternal happiness for married people and also blesses children with lot of success in their education and other ventires. In general these two days are observed to seek blessings from Shitala Mata to bless for peace, prosperity and well being for the devotees.

Balarama is the elder brother of Lord Krishna. He is also known as Balabhadra Baladeva or Halayudha and finds mention in Mahabharata and several other Hindu mythological scriptures too.

He is considered to be the 8^th incarnation of Lord Vishnu and an avatar of Adisesha, the serpent on whom Lord Vishnu rests. Balarama Jayanti is thus, the appearance day of the great Balarama on this earth.

Balaram finds mention in the Jain scriptures too, where he is known as Baladeva. His appearance day is considered to be the Krishna paksha shashthi of the Bhdrapada month according to the traditional Hindu calendar.

As per the Gregorian calendar, this day is observed in August, full moon day. In 2019 Balarama Jayanti will be observed on the 21^rd of August, Wednesday.

Legend of Balarama

Balarama was born to Vasudeva and was the 7^th child of Vasudeva and Devaki. Lord Vishnu impregnated Devaki with a white and a black strand of hair. Krishna was thus born dark complexioned and Balarama was fair. To ensure that both of them were born safe, Lord Vishnu had transferred the essence of these two to Rohini’s womb too, who was desirous of a child. Balarama’s early childhood was spent as a cow herd along with his brother Krishna. While growing up, he killed the demon Dhenuka, who had the manifestation of a donkey and who was sent by Kansa, the evil king and Pralamba and also the wrestlers sent by the king.

Balarama was the instructor for both the Pandavas as well as the Kauravas. This is the reason why he could never fight for any team and was deeply saddened to see numerous people being killed in the war. He was always someone who did not bow down to the pressure of choosing his sides. The Bhagwata Purana opines that seeing the destructive battle of the Mahabharata and following the disappearance of Lord Krishna, Balarama sat down for a deep meditation and a large white snake came out of his mouth; and that is how Balarama left this world.

Appearance of Balarama

Balarama has been depicted as fair skinned with weapons such as the plough and the gada or the mace. He is seen mostly in blue with a forest flowered garland around his neck. He wears his hair tied at the top of his head and wears earrings, bracelets etc and is deeply revered for his strength.

Rituals of Balarama Jayanti

Devotees should wake up early in the morning, have a cleansing bath and decorate the place of puja with various flowers etc and also Lord Krishna idol.

In various temples, housing the deities of Krishna and Balarama will keep a fast for this auspicious day till noon. The idols are also cleaned and given a bath with the Panchamitra. Various kinds of Bhogs are prepared on this auspicious day to be dedicated to the Gods and later to be distributed as prasads.

There are lot of Bhajan sankirtans done eulogizing the childhood stories of Lord Krishna and Balarama.

Various temples like the Baladevjew mandir, the Ananta Vasudeva mandir, the Baliyana mandir are all decorated on this day apart from all the other Krishna temples to celebrate this auspicious day.

The festival and observance of the Balarama Jayanti is also known as Baladeva Chatt, Hal Shasthi and the Lalahi Chatt.  In the Braj regions this auspicious day is known as Baladeva Chatt, while in Gujarat this observance is known as the Randhan Chhath.