Narada Jayanti Narada Jayanti is the birth celebration of Devrishi Narada. Devrishi Narada is considered to be the divine messenger and informant amongst Gods. Narada Muni is considered to be founder and pioneer of communication. Narada Jayanti is observed on the pratipada tithi of the Krishna paksha of the Jyestha month according to the traditional Hindu calendar. According to The Gregorian calendar it is observed in the month of May. In 2019, this festival is going to be observed on the 19th of May Who is Narada? Narada literally means one, who spreads the name of the God, as in Sanskrit,naraa is equivalent to Narayana which means wisdom and daa stands for daan or giver. Narada is a sage who could easily transverse through the 3 lokas, of Akash that is Heaven, Prithwi that is Earth and Patal that is Hell. He is also a musician who carries a khartal and a veena in his hands and always sings praises in the name of Narayana that is Lord Vishnu. Narada has been described as a most wise but at the same time mischievous sage from the tales that have been told. In numerous Hindu scriptures, Narada has been described as a saktyavesa-avatara or a semi-manifestation or partial avatar of God. He is often believed to have been able to perform various miracles on behalf of Lord Vishnu. Narada is said to have appeared from the forehead of Lord Brahma, while in some other scriptures it is mentioned that he was the son of Sage Kashyapa. Attributes that are associated with Narada Narada was an extremely qualified musician. He was completely conversant with the Vedas, knew all about the 6 angas, which is Grammar, prosody, astrology, description of religious rites, pronunciation and astronomy. He is an expert in time cycles, nyaya or logic and possessed the knowledge of the entire universe. He was a master of judicial laws, the six sciences of treaty, war, maintenance of posts against enemies, strategies of ambush, reserves, military campaigns etc and also was a master of all branches of learning possible. He was a precursor of the modern day journalists, and was an ever-wandering communications person. It is believed that it was Narada who invented the Veena, he carried one along with him which is known as the Mahathi; and was the chief of the Gandhara musicians. In Mahabharata, it was the formula or the solution that Narada gave which sorted out the dilemma of Draupadi having 5 husbands. Some of the hymns of the Rig Veda are accredited to Narada Muni, or sage. As mentioned earlier, Narada is an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and as such Narayana is an embodiment of truth; thus when most of Narada’s untimely information causes panic, strife and dissent amongst all the three lokas, then it is believed that it is for the betterment and benefit of the universe. Celebration of Narada Jayanti In northern India meetings, seminars and other academic sessions are held in observance of the Narada Jayanti. There are a few temples which are solely dedicated to Narada, like the temple in Chigateri and Korva in Karnataka. Apart from the religious draws, the beautiful places bring in a lot of devotees.
Chinnamasta Jayanti Chinnamasta Jayanti is the worship of Devi Chinnamasta, who is the fifth of the Dasa Mahavidya. Chinnamasta literally means one whose head is severed. She is also known as Chinnamastika or Prachanda Chandika. Devotees all over the world acknowledge and revere Devi Chinnamasta as an incarnation of Devi Shakti or Kali. Chinnamasta Jayanti is celebrated in the month of Baisakh, on the Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi, according to traditional Hindu calendars. According to Gregorian calendar this is observed in the month of April or May. In 2019, Chinnamasta Jayanti is going to be celebrated on the 17th of May, Friday. It is believed that she had appeared on this very day on earth. Legend behind Chinnamastika Mata The legend behind Chinnamasta is that once Devi BHavani or Parvati was having a bath in the Mandakini River along with 2 of her aides. While having this bath, she lost all count of time and her aides started feeling hungry. Despite giving reminders, her 2 aides failed to draw her attention. Finally when Devi Parvati realized that she had kept her aides hungry, in shame she cut off her head with her own hand, which fell in her left hand. Three bloodstreams spewed out; of which her two aides drank her blood to satisfy their hunger. From this day this avatar of the devi was known as Chinnamasta and she came to be worshipped as such. According to the Markandeya Purana, however Devi took this form while killing the demons. According to Markandeya Purana and Shiva Purana Devi turned in to Chandika to demolish the demons. Chandika killed the demons and got victory for the Gods, however her 2 aides, Ajaya and Vijaya were not satiated and they wanted more blood. To quench their thirst for more blood, the Devi cut off her head and offered them her own blood. Ma Chinnamasta’s looks Chinnamasta Mata looks like no other goddess. The self beheaded Chinnamasta has her own severed head in her left hand and has a stout sword in the other hand. Three blood streams gush out of her severed neck. Two blood streams are drunk by the 2 aides – Dakini and Varnani. The other blood stream is drunk by herself. She is generally seen standing on top of a couple involved in conjugal activities, who are Kamdeo and Rati or Manmadhan & Rathi lying on lotus bed. Her avatar suggests and signifies that she is both a life-giver and a life-taker in one instance. Significance of Chinnamasta Jayanti Chinnamasta Mata is unique in her disposition. She is an incarnation of the Goddess Kali and as such can be both a life-giver and a life-taker. She is the fifth goddess amongst the Shakti Dasa Mahavidyas. It is believed that worshipping her can take her devotees out from all difficulties. She enhances sexual and spiritual energy in her devotees. She is believed to bring relief to her devotees from all problems such as sexual problems, debt, childlessness, and is believed to bless the devotees with financial prosperity, wish fulfillment, win over enemies etc. Rituals of Chinnamasta Jayanti On the auspicious day the place of worship is decorated with beautiful flowers and colorful lights. Devotes observe a strict fast on this day. While invoking her Durga Saptasati puja is done. Dasa Mahavidya and tantric mantra jaap is done. Then Chinnamasta Abhishekam and aarti is done to invoke the goddess. Prasad is then offered to the devotees. A famous Chinnamasta temple is in Jharkhand in the forest areas of Ramgad. Generally all Chinnamasta temples have Shiva temples surrounding them. Devotees from all over the world observe this day with great fervor as this is the day of the worship of the Devi or Shakti and it is a day dedicated to her puja. Benefits of Chinnamasta Jayanti Celebrating and worshipping the Chinnamasta Jayanti has manifold effects. It protects the devotees from the following misfortunes such as – Social, financial and physical hardship Unfortunate state Childlessness Poverty Misdirection Guards from untimely death Harmful effects of Rahu
Kurma Jayanti Kurma Jayanti or Kurma Dwadashi vrat is a ritual dedicated to the Kurma avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This vrat is celebrated on the Dwadashi of the Krishna paksha in the month of Pousha as per the traditional Hindu calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, this vrat is observed on the waxing phase of the moon in the month of December January. In 2019, this vrat will be observed on the May 18th. Legend of Kurma Avatar Long ago, the Devas were greatly weakened as Sage Durbasha, who is known for his volatile temperament, had cursed Lord Indra. Durbasha had once given a garland to Indra, who had carelessly thrown it away at his elephant. The elephant then had trampled all over it. Greatly humiliated and Annoyed, Durbasha had cursed Indra that he would be robbed of all his power. Seeing the opportunity where Indra was left almost without any power or prestige, the demons or Asuras started gaining power. The demon king, the great Bali took this opportunity and established his kingdom on all the three lokas. The Devas then took refuge in the abode of Lord Vishnu, Vaikuntha and sought his immediate help. Vishnu suggested that they churn out the ocean and get the Amrita or the nectar of immortality out of the sea, so that they can defeat the Asuras. Since the churning of the sea required a great deal of effort, he suggested enlisting the help of the Asuras too. Thus the mountain called Mandranchal Parbat was selected to be the center for churning the sea, with Vasuki as the rope. The sea was Kshir Sagar. As soon as the churning started, the Mandranchal parvat started sinking, as it did not have any kind of solid base. Seeing that the Parvat was almost sinking; Lord Vishnu took the shape of a Kurma or a tortoise. On the back of that tortoise, the mountain remained afloat and the churning continued. Thus it was the Kurma who saved the Gods, as else Amrita would not have been found which made the Gods immortal. Also the 14 sacred ratnas or divine gems would not have been found. Thus the Kurma avatar of Lord Vishnu was extremely important for the world. Rituals of Kurma Dwadashi Though the observations are on the Dwadashi or the twelfth day, preparations for the celebrations of this ritual starts on the tenth day itself. Devotees take a ritual bath to cleanse themselves in the morning. Devotees fast on the ekadashi day which is only broken on the Dwadashi day. Devotees sing various chants and hymns for Lord Vishnu and also visit various temples. Particular special puja and abhisekam are conducted on this day for the Kurma Avatar or Lord Vishnu. Devotees fast on this day without a drop of water. People who can’t observe the complete fast do a partial fasting with water and fruits to be consumed. People break the fast on the Dwadashi where they eat the Prasad dedicated to Lord Kurma. Significance of the Kurma Dwadashi It is believed that a person observing this vrat becomes absolved of all his past crimes. It is also believed that a devotee observing this attains salvation or moksha. It also helps devotees to lead a better life. The often visited and familiar temple dedicated to Kurma is the Srikurmamkurmanatha Swami temple in the Srikakulam district.
Mohini Ekadashi Mohini Ekadashi is an important ritual in the Hindu astrological calendar and is said to be a ritual,the observance of which washes away all the sins of the devotees. It is a ritual which had been performed by the great Lord Rama too after he was separated from his wife Sita. This ritual is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and occurs during the waxing phase of the moon or the shukla paksha in the month of Vaisakha according to traditional Hindu calendar; or in the month of April May according to the Gregorian calendar. This ritual according to some regional calendar falls in different other months, for example – Chithirai month according to the Tamilian calendar, Edava month according to the Malayalam calendar and in Jyeshto mash according to the Bengali calendar. The day for this Ekadashi fasting in 2019 is on the May 15th. Legend behind Mohini Ekadashi The legend behind Mohini Ekadashi is recounted by Lord Krishna to Yudhisthira. This was performed by Lord Rama upon his separation from Sita, as advised by the great sage Vashishtha. Lord Rama observed this Vrat to mitigate all his sins and distress upon being separated from his wife. The legend is originally recounted by Vashishtha to Lord Rama. Long ago, a beautiful city called Bhadravati, which was situated beside the river Saraswati, was ruled by a king called Dyutimana. Also in the town there resided a rich and pious Vishnu disciple called Dhanapala. He was always eager for all charitable causes, apart from building schools, wide roads, hospitals etc , he also made arrangements for distribution of food and water to the needy, set up beautiful gardens and shady trees for the pedestrians. This pious man had 5 sons namely, Saman, Dyutimnan, Medhavi, Sukriti and Dhristabuddhi. The youngest was the most sinful and crooked amongst all his children. He was always involved in evil activities, gambling and other shameful deeds. In fact such was his evil ways, that he soon became a disgrace to his family and finally had to be disowned and thrown out of the house by his father. Even after being thrown out of the house Dhristabuddhi continued with his wayward ways and when in need of money, sold off his personal belongings and ornaments. When those also got depleted, he started getting involved in robberies and killing animals to satiate his hunger. He was sent out of the kingdom and asked never to return. Dhristabuddhi then in the month of Vaisakha, wandering in the forest came across the ashrama or monastery of the great sage Kaundinya. The sage had then just returned from taking a bath in the Ganges. Some droplets of water fell on Dhristabuddhi, immediately relieving him off all his sins. Dhristabuddhi folded his hands and requested the sage to guide him so that he can get redemption from all his erstwhile sins. sage Kaundinya then advised him to follow the Mohini Ekadashi vrat. Dhristabuddhi observed the ritual with deep devotion and soon got rid of all his sins. He then assumed a divine body, by attaining Moksha or salvation and went to Heaven to Lord Vishnu along with Garuda. Mohini Ekadashi Vrat Maintaining a fast on Mohini Ekadashi is more beneficial than having a ritual bath or sacrifices done. It is also believed that those who read and those who listen to this vrat katha achieves the good merit of donating a thousand cows for charitable purpose. The devotee on this day wakes early in the morning and has a bath with Til and kush. A strict fast is to be maintained, and those who can’t are allowed to have fruits. Consuming any kinds of grain is strictly prohibited. A beautiful mandap for Lord Vishnu is prepared and idol of Vishnu is kept. Devotees worship Lord Vishnu with colorful flowers, sandalwood, and dhoop dip, that is incense and lamp. tulsi leaves are specially given to Lord Vishnu. Significance of Mohini Ekadashi Observing a strict fast on this day, helps to destroy all sins Brings prosperity to the devotees Ailments are cured Lord Vishnu blesses his devotees
Mahavir Swami’s Kewal Gyan Mahavir Swami’s Kewal Gyan is an extremely important way of life and thought process for those practicing the Jain religion. This tells us about the Tirthankaras achieving omniscience or Keval Gyan. Mahavira or Vardhamana as he was known earlier practiced austerities and deep meditation for a period of 12 and half years. During these periods of austerity, he used to stay in parks, jungles and other deserted places. He had to tolerate period of severe humiliation, face all obstacles with great patience and utmost bravery. The fasts that he used to keep increased from two days to gradually moving up to 6 months. While he was at it, Mahavira reached the village of Jarmbhika, near the river Rijuvaluka. During this time, Mahavira was observing a 2 days fast. In order to get over all remaining his bad Karmas, Mahavira sat on a cow-milking position, ignoring all discomforts and only concentrated on the ultimate goal. His mind was completely focused and absorbed in the highest level of meditation and finally after getting rid of all the bad Karmas, he attained what can be called the absolute knowledge. He attained this ultimate absolute knowledge on the bright half of the moon, on the 10th day in the month of Vaisakha. Thus this is the day famous for being when Mahavira had received his absolute knowledge. After receiving this absolute knowledge, Mahavira became omniscient and could see everything in the universe, and also the past, present as well as the future. Having received the Absolute Knowledge, he then became the Arihanta, or one who had defeated his enemies. Post this Mahavira delivered his first sermon which is recorded in the religious book called Agamass. Four qualities of Mahavira’s spiritual practices – There is couple of salient points which were observed during Mahavira’s spiritual practices of 12 years. These are as follows – Deep meditation without any disturbances Painstaking penance Enormous tolerance of pain Complete equanimity The attainment of absolute knowledge After a passage of 12 years and 5 months and 15 days, on the bright half on the month of Vaisakha, according to the traditional Hindu calendar, that Mahavira sat under a Saal tree in a squatting position. His knees touched his chest, and the scorching sun was at the top of his head. He sat in the garden which was at the back of the Rijubaluka River. The entire day he sat in the same position focusing his complete mind and will in deep meditation. When darkness descended, the darkness descended, the darkness of Karma from Mahavira left him and the sun of omniscience rose, and drove away all the darkness of the mind and soul. The tremendous endeavor had achieved the goal and Mahavira became all at once all the following together – Bhagavan or the God, Jina meaning the Victor, Sarvajna or the all knowing, and Sarvadarshi or the all perceiving. His omniscient stage lit up the three worlds and the earth was filled with a beautiful light for a few seconds. The First Ever Spiritual Discourse after attaining Kewal Gyan The hard penance of 12 and a half year had paid off, when finally Mahavira received the Ultimate Knowledge. It is the usual custom that the omniscient should address with his ultimate perception or Kewal Darshan, and ultimate knowledge or Kewal Gyan or omniscience. The Gods and Goddesses from Heaven had arrived to listen to Mahavira. They celebrated the attainment of the Ultimate Knowledge by doing a vandana, or eulogy of Mahavira. The divine Gods created a pavilion called Samavasaran on the banks of the Rijubaluka River, where Mahavira preached a religion based on Ahimsa or non-violence or equanimity. The gods all listened to him with avid interest. However, despite the engrossment, Gods cannot take vows to change their way of living or their thoughts. Thus, Mahavira Swami left the Rijubaluka River and moved towards Madhyam Pava, so that he may gain disciples who would practice his preached way of life and take vows. There was a huge pavilion created in the Mahasen jungle. Vaishak Som Shrama had organized a pilgrimage and a great Yajna for which 11 reputed scholars along with their 4400 disciples had come. There were thousands of other devotees who had come to see the yajna and be a part of it. Mahapandit Indrabhuti upon hearing about Mahavira went to confront him as Vaishak Som Shrama was worried about having his yajna. However Mahapandit Indrabhuti after meeting Mahavira became his disciple and took the vow. Teaching of Mahavira- Lord Mahavira, amongst many other things, taught the following – No soul is dependent on each other All souls are equal Every soul is absolutely omniscient human beings are miserable because of their own faults, an God does not exist separately God is neither the creator nor the destroyer they must overcome those faults Ahimsa or non-violence is the highest religion as all beings hate pain One should know oneself, recognize oneself and be immersed in oneself and only then can one attain divinity The biggest mistake is not recognizing oneself. Everyone must recognize the true self. Since God does not exist separately, everyone can make an effort to reach divinity by making supreme efforts.
Sita Navami Sita Navami is a vrat or ritual which is observed greatly by women all over India. It is the birth anniversary of Sita Mata, the consort of Lord Rama. Lord Rama and Sita are the ideal couple. This day is also known as Janaki Jayanti in some parts of India. Sita Navami is observed on the navami tithi of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Vaisakha in the Pushya nakshatra according to traditional Hindu calendar, and according to Gregorian calendar, this occasion falls in the month of May. In 2019, it will fall on 13th May, Monday. It is a coincidence that Sita Jayanti is observed exactly a month after Ram Navami, which is Lord Rama’s birthday. Legend of Sita It is generally believed that Goddess Lakshmi took birth as Sita mata in the Treta Yug, in the house of King Janaka, in Mithila. There are interesting stories around the birth of Sita. The most popular story says that one day while King Janaka, to perform a yagna was ploughing a field, suddenly he came across a golden casket under layers of dirt and earth. In that golden casket he saw a beautiful baby girl. He took her as a divine gift and adopted her giving his name as Janaki and as she was found while ploughing the field, she was christened Sita. The plough is also worshipped on Sita Navami as she had come out of the earth while ploughing. As per another legend, Sita is the rebirth of Vedavati, who was a beautiful woman, who renounced everything so that she could just worship Lord Vishnu. King Ravana sees her and enticed with her, tries to violate her. To save herself, Vedavati jumps into a fire and before death curses Ravana that in the next birth she will be the cause for his downfall. Rituals of Sita Navami Married women worship Sita with a lot of devotion and dedication. Lord Rama and Sita, despite facing numerous difficulties in their life, always were together through various upheavals. Sita was known for her absolute purity and sincerity of emotion. Married women after having a ritual bath create a four pillar puja mandap and decorate it with beautiful flowers. Women observing this ritual also fast on this day. In that mandap they install the idols of Lord Sri Rama, Maa Sita, King Janaka and Mata Sunayana. Goddess Earth and plough are also kept in the mandap and worshipped. Barley, rice and til or sesame are offered to the Gods during the puja. Maha Abhishek, Shringar Darshan and Arati are held in all the temples. A procession of Lord Rama, Mata Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman is also carried out with pomp. Bhajans and Kirtans are held along with chanting of the Ramayana. There are lot of temples where Sita Navami is held with lot of fanfare, like Ayodhya in UP, Sita Samahit Sthal in Bihar, Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. Significance of Sita Navami Sita is equated with fertility and purity and she is also worshipped so that women die while their husbands are still alive, or till they are married. Women seek blessings from Mata Sita for the long life of their husbands, and also worshipping Sita mata and Lord Rama together bring happiness and peace in marriage.
Vrishabha Sankranti Vrishabha Sankranti actually heralds the onset of the second month of the Hindu solar calendar. According to traditional Hindu calendar, the transit from Mesha rashi to Vrishabha rashi takes place during the Vrishabha Sankranti. This movement finds correspondence of the sun moving from Aries to Taurus. The Vrishabha Sankranti falls in the month of Vaisakh according to the traditional Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati and Telugu calendars; and according to the North Indian calendar it occurs in the month of Jaisthya. This day is also known as Vrishabha Sankraman in the southern part of the country. This auspicious day also announces the arrival of the months of, Vaigasi Masam in Tamil calendar, Jyeshto mash in the Bengali calendar and Edavam masam in Malayalam calendar. Brusha sankranti is how it is celebrated in Odisha. In 2019, the date for Vrishabha Sankranti is on May 15h, Wednesday. Legend behind Vrishabha Sankranti Vrishabha in Sanskrit means Bull. It can be generally observed that Nandi, Lord Shiva’s pet and carrier was a bull. The earlier religious scriptures have drawn analogy between the two and thus it has become an important ritual for Hindu devotees all over the world. Rituals of Vrishabha Sankranti It is considered to be extremely auspicious if someone gifts a cow or Godan in charity on Vrishabha Sankranti. Devotees after having an early ritual bath visit various Vishnu temples to pray to the Lord to grant them the wisdom so that they can choose between good and evil or the right and the wrong. Various holy places sees a surge of activities as having a Sankranti Snanam (holy dip bath) is said to be auspicious. Also on this day Pitra Tarpan (rituals to appease the departed ancestors) is also said to be very conducive. This day is also recommended for all kinds of Dan or Punya Karma (donations for charitable and philanthropic purposes). Celebration of Brusha Sankranti in Odisha Odisha celebrates the Vrishabha Sankranti day as the Brusha Sankranti. The day dawns with ritual baths taken in the sea or rivers. After this Sankraman Snan, which is carried out as a mark of respect to the departed elders of the house and out of respect to the Sun God, prayers are then offered to Lord Vishnu to seek his blessings. All the bathing ghats of Puri on the day of Sankraman are filled with people, who all later visit the Jagannath Temple to seek the divine blessings from Lord Vishnu. Significance of Vrishabha Sankranti Vrishabha Sankranti has great religious significance amongst the Hindus. It is a day meant for charity and punya activities. People seek the divine blessing from Lord Vishnu so that they become discerning to choose between the good and the evil and also so that they do not get trapped in the various entrapments of life. They pray to the God so that they can come out of the cycle of birth and death.
Bagalamukhi Jayanti Bagalamukhi Jayanti celebrates the appearance of Ma Bagalamukhi on this earth. Bagalamukhi is the eighth amongst the ten Mahavidyas, and thus worshipped with a lot of devotion and expectation by Hindus all over the world. She is named Bagalamukhi because of her immense beauty as Bagala came from Vagala in Sanskrit, meaning bride. The day Ma Bagalamukhi appeared on this earth Is said to be the ashtami of the shukla paksha of the month of Baisakh according to traditional Hindu calendar or the eighth day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of May according to the Gregorian calendar. She is also known as Pitambara. In 2019, Bagalamukhi Jayanti is on the 12th of May. Legend of Ma Bagalamukhi The legend around Ma Bagalamukhi is fascinating .it is believed that during the Satya Yuga there was a terrible destructive storm blowing around and the entire universe was under the threat of being blown over. Such was its velocity and ferocity that even Lord Vishnu was worried and started praying to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva appeared to tell him that only Maha Shakti will be able to stop this huge deluge. Hearing this, Lord Vishnu started paying penance and started praying near Haridra Sarovar. Mata Maha Shakti pleased with Vishnu’s devotion appeared through Mahapit Devi’s heart near Haridra Lake in the Saurashtra district. She appeared as Ma Bagalamukhi and blessed Lord Vishnu and then the terrible storm subsided. She is also known as Beer Rati as she is considered to be equivalent to the powers of Lord Brahma’s weapons. According to another legend, Ma Bagalamukhi appeared on this earth to protect Dharma, which was being targeted and challenged by a demon called Madan. The Goddess defeated him by pulling out his tongue. This is a symbolic representation of explaining that the biggest threat to Dharma is due to excessive irrelevant speech. Appearance of Ma Bagalamukhi Ma Bagalamukhi rides on a fiery chariot and sits on gem studded throne. She is a little yellow complexioned and loves the color yellow. She is easily pleased with the color yellow and with coconut. Thus even the lamp should be presented to her along with turmeric. She is fond of flowers in the shade of yellow. Rituals offered in Bagalamukhi Jayanti On the day of the bagalamukhi Puja, the devotee should wake early and have a ritual bath. Then while wearing yellow colored cloth, the devotee should pray to Ma Bagalamukhi. For worshipping Ma bagalamukhi one should sit on a platform which is covered with a yellow colored cloth. Onbe should also sit facing east and should have an idol or a photograph of Ma Bagalamukhi in front. Then after cleaning hands, one should light the lamps. In plate yellow rice, turmeric or haridra, yellow flowers or dakshina (mostly in the form of money) should be kept for offering to the Goddess. A puja yantra made of chickpeas should also be kept in a silver plate. One can also engage in charity on this auspicious day. Devotees pray during the day time and in the night Jagran is organized. Benefits of Bagalamukhi Puja Ma Bagalamukhi is believed to sort all problems of her devotees. Complete dedication and observances of all rituals of Bagalamukhi Jayanti is said to protect the devotees from all kinds of evil, ill effects, health problems and is said to guide the devotee to the correct path of devotion. It is believed that those performing the Bagalamukhi Puja emerges winner over their adversaries and they are bestowed with immense power to combat any situations by Mata Bagalamukhi.
Surdas Jayanti Surdas was famous philosopher, poet and musician of India, who was blind. His name Surdas, literally means, one who is a slave of music. He is remembered till posterity for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. Surdas Jayanti is a commemoration of his birth anniversary to remember his indescribable contribution towards Hindu religious music and poetry. In 2019 his birth anniversary will be celebrated on 9th of May, Thursday. All about Surdas There are some disagreements on the exact birth year of Surdas. Some believe it to be 1478, yet some claim it to be 1479. According to traditional Hindu calendar, Surdas was born in the Panchami tithi, shukla paksha of the month of Vaisakhi. As per Gregorian calendar it is the month of April or May. He was born in a Saraswat Brahmin family to Pandit Ramdas Sarswat, near Runakta, Mathura. As he was born blind, he was greatly neglected by his family, and for this he left home at the tender age of 6 and started praising and singing for Lord Krishna. He started living near the river Yamuna. It is believed that Lord Krishna appeared in his dreams and asked him to go and meet Vallabhacharya who would mentor him. Thus Surdas went and met Vallabhacharya, who was a connoisseur about Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. Vallabhacharya took him under his wings and taught Surdas everything about Lord Krishna, from his naughty childhood till his complete life. Surdas composed and sang in the sweet Brajbuli or the language which was spoken in and around Vrindavan. He composed bhajans, which constituted of moral lessons or philosophical guidelines. His most important and empirical work remain his magnum opus called Sur Sagar literally menaing ocean of melodies. Amongst all that he composed and sang, only about 8000 are extant. As the fame of Surdas’s melody and composition reached the court of Emperor Akbar, he summoned him to his court to listen to him. So moved was Akbar by Surdas’s lilting voice and beautiful moving compositions that he requested Surdas to stay on in his court. According to legend, once when Surdas had fallen inside a well, it is Lord Krishna who came and pulled him out. Contribution of Surdas The sartorial elegance and the lilting compositions about Lord Krishna by Surdas greatly enhanced the Bhakti movement then prevalent in the Northern part of India. The Bhakti movement was nothing but a grass root empowerment of every common man who wanted to invoke and worship God in their own simplicity. Surdas’s beautiful usage of the Braj buli or Braj language also brought the language in prominence as till then the most important languages used were Persian or Sanskrit. He is also considered the foremost of the Ashta Chhap, or the main eight imprints or disciples of Guru Govindacharya. He is also a noted propagator of the Shuddhvaita, which is also known as Pushti Marg. Celebrations of Surdas Jayanti The celebration of Surdas Jayanti is restricted to the Northern part of India mostly. Apart from normally fasting for a day and then worshipping Lord Krishna in temples, this day is celebrated with much reverence by the musical community for his huge contribution in the field of devotional music. In the Vrindavan area, where Surdas had mostly lived, and about which he wrote too, special programs are organized. Many special musical events and poetry readings are also held on this day, dedicated in his mane.
Shankaracharya Jayanti Shankaracharya is perhaps the greatest religious philosophers propounding theories that India has ever produced. He was the greatest exponent of the philosophy of the advaita Vedanta or non-dualism in Hindu religion. He appeared in the religious scene on India when various sects and clans were fast disintegrating the religious thread of the country. Shakaracharya brought out the Sanatan Dharma or the original religion from the various traps of ornamental rituals, and is thus known as Adiguru. Shakaracharya jayanti is observed to celebrate the birth anniversary of this brilliant mind. His birth anniversary falls on the shukla paksha, panchami tithi during the month of Vaisakha according to traditional Hindu calendar. It is generally observed on the months of April May. In the year 2019, this event will be commemorated on the 9th of May, Thursday. Birth and legend regarding Shankaracharya Adi Shankaracharya was born in the panchami tithi of shukla paksha of the month of Vaisakha, to the Nambudri Brahmin couple, Shivaguru and Aryamba in the small village of Kaladi, in Kerala. He is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The couple had long been childless and had kept praying to Lord Shiva, who is believed to have appeared in their dream. Shiva told them that he will be arriving as their son, who would be brilliant but would be shortlived. Shankara was born and upon attaining an age started looking for a worthy Guru or mentor, who would initiate him into sanyas and take his knowledge further. He came across Govinda Bhagavathpada, whom the incarnated Lord Shiva recognized as Patanjali from earlier life. Goudapada, an extremely knowledgeable mentor had trained Govinda Bhagavathpada. Thus Shankara was accepted by Govinda Bhagavathpada and was trained and initiated to an extremely high kind of renunciation of the materialistic world. He initiated Shankara in to the Advaita tenent which basically said that every being in this world is but a manifestation of God in some form or the other and that God and Atma are but the same thing. He then suggested that Shankara should propagate this theory across the country and Shankaracharya did just that. While Shankaracharya was travelling through Badrinath, Lord Vishnu appeared in his dreams and asked him to take out his idol from the Alakananda River and be kept in a newly built temple. The temple that was built is amongst one of the important temples now, and is known as the Badrinarayan Temple. Shankaracharya’s sermons on religion When he was only 12 years old, Shankaracharya wrote his most in depth analysis of Vyasa’s Vedanta Sutra. He wrote didactic analysis on Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras. Shankara’s theories were put to test by the most prominent religious gurus. Vyasa kept encouraging the Shankaracharya to keep discussing his views and also to keep on being engaged in the various debates and discourses on religion. Shankaracharya’s main disciples were namely Sureshwara, Padmapada, Hastamalaka, and Ananda Giri. Shankaracharya established pure seats of learning on all four corners of India, north west east and south. In north he assigned Totaka to look after Badrinath, in East he assigned Hastamalaka to look after the prestigious and historical Puri. In south Sureshwara looked after Sringeri and in west Padmapada was assigned to oversee Dwaraka. Shankaracharya assigned one of each Vedas out of the four of- Sama, Yajur, Atharva and Rig Vedas to every center. He did this so that each center could have deep studies on the same and propagate the same. Puri had Rig Veda, Dwaraka had Sama Veda, Badrinath had Atharvana Veda and Sringeri had Yajur Veda .all the heads of these four Mathas in India now hold tremendous power. Sankaracharya ascended the Sarvagnya Peetham at Kashmir after winning numerous debates and dissertations and upholding the triumph of Advaita Vedanta. He also composed beautiful hymns on Shiva, Vishnu, Subrahmanya, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Sharada, Saraswathi, Narasimha, etc. he was the first philosopher who in very simple language elucidated the concepts of Aatma or the soul, Paramathma or the divine soul, Vairagya or renunciation of everything and Moksha which means salvation. Shanakaracharya adopted many principles of Buddhism and considered Buddha to be an Avatar. Shakaracharya was only 32 when he left this physical world. Celebration of Shankaracharya Jayanti Shankaracharya Jayanti is celebrated with great devotion and fervor in all the Shakara Math or monasteries. A large number of devotees flock to the Shringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka, Kalady Shankara Temple situated in Kerala, the Shankara Math or monastery in Hyderabad, the Kanchi Kamkoti Peetham, the Puri Mandir are some of the places which boasts of devotional celebration of the Shakaracharya Birth anniversary. The day is spent in fasting, meditating and in discussing the great volumes of work left behind Shankaracharya. Prasad is given to all the devotees and charitable donations are given to the needy on this day. He will be forever remembered, as it is Shankaracharya who taught advaita Vedanta and saved the true religion of Hinduism, which was on the verge of being ravaged by sects and various meaningless rituals.
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