Happy New Year to all

Here I am posting a beautiful red flower for all my friends for a prosperous new year. Happy New Year to all my friends. Enjoy......

Gudhi Padwa festival in India

Gudhi padwa is a very important festival celebrated by Hindu religion in all over India. Hindu religion is one of world’s oldest and well distributed religions across India and Asian countries. In Hindu religion, all the festivals are celebrated as per decided by the ‘Shastra’ means decided by the ancient Sadhu and Saints. These festivals are distributed all over the year taking in to account, the environmental conditions, social conditions and the human anatomy.

 

            Gudhi padwa is 1^st day of Hindu calendar celebrated all across India. This festival comes in March/April month as per English calendar. During this time most of the trees in India started growing the new leafs after fall of the old ones. There are lot more ancient stories behind the celebration of Gudhi padwa, one of the story is, when ‘Shri Ram’ comes back after winning the battle against Ravan (a symbol of bad or demon) the people all around the villages celebrates the victory by installing a Gudhi on their top of the houses and hence the name Gudhi padwa. Gudhi is made up of a bamboo stick. The bamboo stick is first washed with water then a high grade cloth is attached on the upper part of the bamboo. A Gold or silver pot is attached on the top of the bamboo and a garland of sugar sweet along with leaves of Neem tree. Then a Swastika is drawn on the bamboo which is a symbol of fortune and blessings, with help of red powder (Kumkum).

            On this day, family, their relatives shares good wishes across each other. All celebrates victory of good against bad. All the family members wake up early in the morning before sun rise and get ready in early morning. On this occasion, people wear new dresses and wish that entire year will be passed with good things. All the people visited nearby temples to take good blessings from God. Many of them decides some aim for this new year, many of them decide to stay away from bad habits, many of them decides to do some social works, doing good study, controlling the anger and so on.

            There are 3 ½ days treated as very good days for starting any new thing. Gudhi padwa is one of that good day. Many people started their new carrier, business and study on this day. As per Indian astrology, planets across the sky are contributing their powers in the daily activities happen in nature and hence before starting any work we have to look or study the positions and movement of the stars in sky but on those 3 ½ days, all the stars are giving good power to us and hence no need to see their positions in sky on those particular days to start any new business. There is a strong scientific background behind the celebration of Gudhi padwa, it is as below,

 1) In these days across all over Asia, nature starts a new cycle as almost all trees starts growing new leaves.

2) Many birds start building their nest and ready to lay eggs.

3) After some months, Mansoon (rainy season) will arrived.

4) All the work in farms is over and farmers are ready for the next season of farming.

5) Along with nature, human also start his new carrier or New Year to join the celebration of nature.

6) Sauce made up of Neem leaves are eaten which is test like bitter and is one of the very good medicine of ‘Aayurveda’. Hence by eating such medicines, we will stay away from diseases in the entire year.

So enjoy the fun and join the nature. Happy Gudhi Padwa.

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 Thanks,

 

Swapnil

Nag Panchami Festival in India

 

Tomorrow we will celebrate another important Indian festival named as “Nag Panchami” which is related with worship of Nag (Cobra). In India, Snakes are considered as a God. On this occasion all Indians worship snakes (Cobra). Traditionally, married young women visit their premarital households to celebrate the festival. Especially in villages, an aspect of the celebration involves women swinging on swings hung on the tree branches and the parent of the young married lady gifts her bangles and ornaments.

According to Puranic scriptures, Brahma's son Kashyapa had four wives. The first wife gave birth to Devas; the second to Garudas; the third to Nāgas; and the fourth to Daityas. Nāgas were the rulers of Pātāl-Loka.

The names of the Nine Great Nāgas are Ananta, Vāsuki, Shesha, Padmanābha, Kambala, Shankhapāla, Dhārtarāshtra, Takshaka, and Kaliya

In Indian Puran, it is considered that God Vishnu rests over the bed of coils of Shesha Nag during the intervals of creation. The Nag has three kings, Vassuki, Takshak and Shesha Nag. Shesha nag is said to represent the ‘reminder’ when the universe is destroyed and the power of creation (Lord Vishnu) rests on its coils. The Nagas are dwelling in an underworld, called Nag Lok, which is an immense domain crowed with palaces, houses, towers and pleasure gardens.

According to Indian Puran, Lord Shiva wounds the Cobra or snake around their neck to get cooling against the adverse effect of poison stored in their neck.

On this day of Nag Panchami, cutting of vegetables, making chapatti, frying on the stove, digging the soil etc were prohibited. Hence in many families, women cook the food items only with the help of steam. Early in the morning almost all the women visit the ant hills to worship the god Nag, because in many cases the Nag (Cobra) lives inside the house of ants and at the evening women visit the local temple of Nag or Lord Mahadev and play many types of games. On this day young boys plays kite competition and enjoys the festivals as in many schools and colleges holiday is given on Nag Panchami.

When we look deeply inside this tradition we will find many scientific reasons behind celebrating this festival of Snakes. Snakes are the important part of food chain. A snake helps the farmers by eating the rats and insects from the fields and increases the productivity of the crops. Snakes do not harm or bite any individual unless snake feels unsafe or it is disturbed by human from its natural habitat.

Not only on the day of the Nag Panchami but on everyday it is our duty to protect the Snakes and Cobras. Snakes are part of our Nature and we should live together with harmony.

“Happy Nag Panchami”.