Happy Dussehra

Dussehra, also known as VijayaDashami, is a big festival in Hinduism and followed by Hindus internationally. It is also known as the festival of good vs evil since it symbolizes the defeat of King Ravana by Lord Ram. Dusshera is celebrated more in Northern India as Lord Rama has a stronger following in that region. Dusshera is celebrated on the 10th day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin, or Ashwayuja which falls in September or October of the Western calendar, before Diwali celebrations. The first 9 days are celebrated as Navratri which celebrates Goddess Durga and culminates on the 10th day as Dusshera. Most Hindus observe Dussehra through social gatherings and food offerings to bhagawan (God) at their home temple and in temples throughout India and abroad.

The Ramleela is an enactment of the life of Lord Rama and most commonly performed as a play during the 9 days preceding Dussehra. On the 10th day (Dussehra or Vijay Dasami), larger effigies of Ravana, his son and brother – Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna are set to fire.

One derivation of the word Dussehra is from dashhara. ‘Dash’ means ten and ‘hara’ means defeated. Nine days before Dasera, in the nine days of Navaratri, all the ten directions are saturated with the female deity’s (devi’s-Shakti) energy. ‘Shakti’ has control over creation in all the ten directions (dikbhav), attendants (gan), etc. That is why this day is known as Dashhara, Dasera, Vijayadashami, etc. This is one amongst the three and a half auspicious moments (muhurts) of the year. This falls on the tenth day (dashami) of the bright fortnight of Ashvin. The immersion of the Navratri (female deity) is done on the ninth day (navami) or the tenth day. Four rituals namely crossing the territory (Simollanghan), worship of the Shami tree (Shamipujan), worship of the deity Aparajita (Aparajitapujan) and worship of instruments (Shastrapuja) should be performed on this day. Dussehra is the festival of Victory of Good over Evil. There are many variations to this feat, that are believed all across India. Dussehra is also referred to as the end of Navratri and Durgotsav, Dashahara, Dashain, Vijayadashami, Dashhara and Vijayadasami.

Dusshera can also be a time of sadness. In past years, many Dussehra celebrations in India have been attacked, vandalized and bombed by islamic extremists.

The Chakra team wishes everyone a happy and shubh Dussehra / VijayaDashami. Jai Sri Rama!

Here is a clip showing Dussehra celebrations in Delhi’s Red fort.

Happy Onam 2013

In the Indian state of Kerala the biggest festival is called Onam, which is also referred to Kerala’s harvest festival. Most commonly celebrated by Hindus and Malayalees based around the state of Kerala and signifies the home-coming of King Mahabali. Historically Onam was a Hindu festival, but over the years has become mainstream and celebrated by residents of Kerala of various cultures and religions.

Onam is also celebrated as the day of advent of Vamana and Bali in Hinduism. It marks the beginning of a new life. The festival is all about celebrating on the grand Onasadya (Onam feast), shopping, social reunions and welcoming King Mahabali by spreading good blessings. Onam is a 10 day festival and starts on Atham day, 10 days before Thiruvonam. The days days are broken down as the following: Day 1: Atham, Day 2:Chithira, Day 3: Chodhi, Day 4: Vishakam, Day 5: Anizham, Day 6: Thriketa, Day 7: Moolam, Day 8: Pooradam, Day 9: Uthradom and Day 10: Thiruvonam.

Onasadya is a great part of the Onam festival. Thiruvonam is the important day of Onam, where a feast of various dishes is organized in each household. Decorations can be seen everywhere in the form of ‘rangolis’ (with colored rice paste) and ‘pookkalams’ (with flowers) in front and inside of the homes. There is a tradition of bestowing Onakkodi (new clothes especially purchased for Onam) upon the younger members of family by the elder ones.

All the celebrations, traditions and rituals of Onam attract various people from all parts of the world to the southern state Kerala.

The Chakra News team and friends wishes all residents of Kerala and Malayalees abroad a happy Harvest Festival & Onam!

Lord Krishna

Krishna Janmashtami , Lord Krishna’s birthday, also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti,Sree Jayanti or sometimes just Janmashtami, is one of most important festivals for many Hindus celebrating the birth of Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. This year in 2012, Janmaashtami is celebrated on August 10th and has large celebrations all over India. Krishna was the 8th son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Based on scriptural details and astrological calculations the date of Krishna’s birth, known as Janmashtami, is 19 July 3228 BCE (Before Christian Era) and departed on 3102 BCE. Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.

Janmaashtami, popularly known in Mumbai and Pune as Dahi Handi, is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. The handi is a clay pot filled with buttermilk that is positioned at a convenient height prior to the event. The topmost person on the human pyramid tries to break the handi by hitting it with a blunt object. In Gujarat where the city Dwarka has Dwarkadhish temple celebrates it with pomp and joy.In Jammu,kite flying is an important part of the celebration on his day.

In the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where the lord was born in Mathura, his play ground Gokul and Vrindavan become more crowded and celebrations go up to a week. Many hindus and other spiritual devotees go to Mathura and Vrindavan in North India for Krishna birthday celebrations since these places are where Lord Krishna had spent his childhood.

Many celebrants of Janmashtami perform a fast on this day. At midnight, the Lord’s birth hour, arti is performed. The traditional prasad is ‘Panchajiri’ – made of five ingredients: powdered ginger, ‘suva’, coriander, sugar and ghee. Other ingredients include poppy seeds (khaskhas) and dessicated coconut shavings. After arti, devotees jubilantly sing and hail kirtans extolling the Lord’s incarnation: “Nand gher anand bhayo, Jai Kanaiyalal ki .. Hathi, ghoda, palkhi, jai Kanaiyalal ki …” “Bawa Nand tane darbar, nobat vaage re lol … Hari pragatya taaranhaar, nobat vaage re lol…”.

The Chakra team would like to wish everyone a Shubh Janmashtami / Happy Lord Krishna’s Birthday. JSK.

Happy Raksha Bandhan 2013

On August 20th it is a very auspicious day for people residing in India and Hindus all over the world. The Indian Hindu celebration is called Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi and referred to brother-sister day in the west.

Although Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) is celebrated by Hindus and Indians all around the world it is most common with Hindus originating from the Northern states of India. The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi (holy coloured thread) by the sister on her younger or older brothers wrist, therefore acquiring the name of brother and sister day. For people without brothers or sisters, they usually tie a rakhi on their sister cousin or brother cousin and sometimes even a friend. The brother then offers a present in the form of a gift or special gesture to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents indian sweets (also known as mithai) to her brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed one another mithai such as ladoo.

There are tales and folklores on how Raksha Bandhan began as a popular Indian festival and celebration such as the story from the ancient Mahabharat that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas where she had torn a strip of thread/fabric off her sari and tied it around Krishna’s finger to stop the flow of blood. Krishna was so touched by her action that He found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years showing devotion. Draupadi, in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch, trusted and depended wholly on Krishna. There is also much evidence of Raksha Bandhan during the medieval era, around the 15th century, there were many wars between the Rajputs and Islamic invaders. Is Rakhi is still relevant in modern society?

The Chakra team wishes everyone a Shubh Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) and blessings to all brothers and sisters out there. We also would like to greet everyone on Amitabha Buddha day!

Vyas Purnima – Spiritual Teacher Day

(CHAKRA) Guru Purnima is a festival most commonly celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists around the world, mainly in India. On July 22nd 2013, disciples and students offer worship and pay their respects to their spiritual teachers or educators, who are also referred as Gurus. It falls on the day of full moon, Purnima, which is usually in the month of Ashadh (June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar/Hindu calendar. Purnima is also known as Vyas Purnima. In Vyasa Jayanti 1000s of people worship Veda Vyas with Lord Sri Krishna and Guru Parampara. This is the day in which Guru Pooja is also celebrated.

For Buddhists, Guru Purnima is celebrated in the honor the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath, UP, India. While Hindus celebrate it in the honour of the great sage Vyasa, who is looked at as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions. The Guru Purnima festival is common to all spiritual traditions within Hinduism, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by their disciple/student.

Relationships between the Guru (teacher/educator) and the Disciple (student) is considered to be very sacred. This relationship is purely spiritual in nature and is independent of age of the two. It is based on maturity of Gyan (Spiritual Knowledge) and Shrada (Spiritual Practice).

This was the day, when Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa – author of the Mahabharata – was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman’s daughter Satyavati, thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima. Veda Vyasa, did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. As a day of remembrance towards all gurus, through whom God grants the grace of knowledge (Jnana) to the disciples,special recitations of the Hindu scriptures especially, the Guru Gita, a 216 verse ode to Guru, authored by the sage, Vyasa himself, are held all day; apart from singing of bhajans, religious hymns and organising of special kirtan session and havan at many places, where devotees from all over gather at the ashrams, matha or place where the seat of Guru, Guru Gaddi exists.

May guru’s blessings always shower on you a wish you a very Happy Guru purnima. The Chakra team wishes everyone a happy Guru Purnima.

Hanuman Jayanti 2013

Hanuman Jayanti is the date of birth of  Lord  Hanuman and is celebrated on the full moon (Purnima) day in the Lunar Hindu calendar month of Chaitra (March & April).  Shri Hanuman is also known as Bajrang Bali and Anjaneya and is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu religion. He is a Chiranjeevi which means the one blessed with immortality.

Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival to many followers of Hinduism. Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy. Hanuman is said to be able to assume any form at will, wield rocks, move mountains, dart through the air, seize the clouds and rival Garuda in swiftness of flight. He is worshipped in folk tradition as a deity with magical powers and the ability to conquer evil spirits.

In 2013 Hanuman Jayanti is on April 25th. The festival is celebrated all across India and other nations such as Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal and Fiji and even parts of North America where there is a large hindu population. In Maharashtra, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day (purnima) of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra. A special feature of Hanuman Jayanti is that according to some religious almanacs (panchings) the birthday of Hanuman falls on the 14th day (chaturdashi) in the dark fortnight of the month of Ashvin while according to others it falls on the full moon day in the bright fortnight of Chaitra. On this day, in a Shri Hanuman temple spiritual discourses are started at dawn. Hanumanji (the Vanara God) was born at sunrise. At that time the spiritual discourse is stopped and the offering of food (Prasad) is distributed to everyone. In the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in the month of Margazhi( normally comes between December 16 to January 14). There it is believed that Hanuman or Anjaneya was born on Moola Nakshatra,on the new moon day (amavasya) in the month of Margazhi. In Andhra, Hanuman Jayanthi is celebrated on tenth day of bahula paksham in the month of Vaishaka. It is good to parayan Hanuman Chalisa on this auspicious day.

What is Lord Hanuman’s relevance in today’s society?

In today’s society of convulsions, inertia, selfishness, moral and social, spiritual and ethical decay, Lord Hanuman has become the standard bearer and the embodiment of courage, self-control, power, selfless service, bravery, integrity and humility.

The Chakra Team wishes happiness and luck to  everyone on Hanuman Jayanti, Jai Shri Hanuman! Shubh Hanuman Jayanti!

Shubh & Happy Ram Navami

Ram Navami (also spelt as Ramnavmi) is the birthday of Lord Ram, one of the most followed deity’s in Hinduism and central figure in the epic Ramayana. In 2013 Ram Navami will be celebrated on April 20th. It is the 9th day of the Hindu calender and coincides with the last day of Navaratri.

The day begins with the prayers dedicated to Sun. It is celebrated with the procession of Ram Navami, in which people are dressed as Lord Ram, Sita, Laxman and Lord Hanuman whereas others follow them dressed like Ram’s soldiers. Lord Ram is seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is known as the God of peace and prosperity.

Many followers of Hinduism fast or restrict themselves to a specific diet in accordance to VedaDharma. Vedic temples are decorated and readings of the Ramayana take place. Along with SriRama, people also worship Sita, Rama’s wife; Lakshmana, Rama’s brother; and Hanuman, an ardent devotee of Rama and the leader of his army in the battle against the asura Ravana.

Lord Ram was born to the King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Sri Ram Navami also marks the beginning of summer because the sun starts moving nearer to the northern Hemisphere. Ram is also known as Raghupati, Raghunatha and the prefix ‘Raghu’ refers to Sun.

Sri Rama Navami is shared with Swaminarayan Jayanti, the birth of Swaminarayan, who was born in the village of Chhapaiya in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Chakra Team wished everyone a shubh Ram Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti.

Here is a Lord Ram Bhajan sung by Jagjit Singh.

Happy Vaisakhi 2013

(CHAKRA) Sikhs and (Indian) Punjabis all over the world celebrate vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi or Visakhi) annually. For many Punjabis, Baisakhi is a historic harvest festival based out of the Punjab and Haryana area which starts a new harvest season as well as marking a new solar year.

Vaisakhi for Sikhs

For Sikhs, Baisakhi is one of most significant festivals in the Sikh calendar and commemorates the beginning of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in year 1699. This was done by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the 10th Sikh Guru) where the first Sikhs were baptized using amrit (sweet nector juice). Therefore, Indian Punjabis and Sikhs reflect on the values taught by Sikh Gurus and celebrate the Khalsa’s birth.

In 1762 Ahmed Shah Abdali, with the sole purpose to destroy the entire Sikh nation, declared ‘Jihad’  against the Sikhs and all the Muslims in Punjab rallied under this slogan. The Sikhs were surrounded near the village Kup in Ludhiana District. Chronicles mention that approximately 20,000  Sikhs were killed in 1 day. This event is known in the history of the Sikhs as “Ghallughara” (Bloody Carnage). After this, Ahmed Shah Abdali thought that he had crushed the entire Sikh nation, but was greatly disillusioned when after a few months heard that the Sikhs in large number are celebrating Baisakhi at Amritsar. In due course of time Baisakhi reminds every Sikh of his cultural and religious heritage. On Baisakhi day many members from the Sikh community assembled at Amritsar and decide their problems relating to politics and religion. This tradition is still followed by some groups on Baisakhi.

History tells another story that in 1567, Guru Ram Das committed Baisakhi as one of the specialist days, when all Sikhs would assemble to seek the blessings from Guru at Goindwal. Many Sikhs believe that on the day of Baisakhi, martyred by the barbaric acts of the Muslim rulers. According to the legend, he was dumped into boiling oil, by the Muslim rulers.

Vaisakhi for Hindus

For Hindus in various states, it is the start of the New Year.  Some Hindus gather along the sacred Ganges River for ritual baths. The action is centered in some parts of North India, but mainly in South Indian states like Tamil Nadu. Hindus plant poles (wrapped in flags of gold-embroidered silk) in front of their homes, and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top.

In Kerala, the festival is called ‘Vishu’. It includes fireworks, shopping for new clothes and interesting displays called ‘Vishu Kani’. These are arrangements of flowers, grains, fruits, cloth, gold, and money are viewed early in the morning, to ensure a year of prosperity.

The branch of Hinduism called Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati on Vaisakhi, in 1875.

Baisakhi is usually celebrated around April 13, 14, in the different regions across the world as Punjabi Sikhs and

Vaisakhi for Buddhists

Often referred as Vesakha, Vaisakha, Vesak or Wesak – the day of Vaisakhi commemorates the Birth, Awakening and Enlightened Passing Away of Lord Buddha Gautama who was born as prince Siddharta.

Hindus migrated overseas. In 2013 it falls on April 14th.

The Chakra News team wishes everyone a blessed and happy Baisakhi on this special and important day.

Holi 2013

(CHAKRA) – Holi Hai!! Happy Holi! Also greeted in India as Shubh Holi and is the celebration of colours followed mainly in India, along with a presence in Nepal, US,  Canada and UK. Holi is being celebrated on March 27th, 2013 across the world by Hindus and Non-Hindus around the world. Holi is one of the biggest celebrations for the Indian diaspora. According to the Hindu calendar, Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun.

Holika Dahan is being celebrated on the eve of Holi. The tradition behind the holika dahan is, demon King Hiranyakashyap asked his sister Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap but Prahlad was saved by lord himself for his extreme devotion and evil minded Holika was burnt to ashes. People gather at streets, colonies, crossroads and light huge bonfires.

People of all ages celebrate Holi and paint  each other by  throwing colourful water with powder. This is why Holi is known as the ‘festival of colours’.

Many Hindus living in Islamic nations have called the ‘festival of colours’ as the ‘festival of fear’ as they refrain from celebrating any popular festival so local muslims do not find out that they are Hindu due to fear of segregation and attacks from extremists. The Daily Times published an article called the ‘Festival of colours or fear?’ highlighting the grave situation of Hindus in Pakistan and how they cannot celebrate Holi among other major hindu religious festivals.

The Chakra News team wishes everyone an auspicious and happy / shubh Holi as well as our prayers for Hindus living in fear during Holi due to religious bigots. Keep the world full of colour.

Happy Maha Shivaratri 2013

(CHAKRA) On March 10th, 2013 hundreds of millions of people around the world, mostly devotees of Lord Shiva and followers of Hinduism celebrate a spiritual and religious festival focused on Lord Shiva called Maha Shivaratri (also spelt as Sivaratri)

Maha Shivaratri means “The Night of Shiva”. The religious ceremonies mainly occur during the late evening and night. This is a celebration observed in honor of  Lord Shiva ji. Shiva ji was married to Parvati on this day. This is the night when Shiva ji is said to have performed the Tandava or the dance that symbolizes creation, preservation and destruction.

People repeat the popular Panchakshara Mantra ’om namah shivaya’ as it is said he who utters the Names of Shiva during Maha Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins and reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Most devotees of Shiva go to the places where there are temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually on the 13th and 14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha or Phalguna in the Hindu calendar.

Maha Shivaratri is not all fun and joy everywhere. In Pakistan and other Islamic nations, Hindus have complained that they celebrate Maha Shivaratri and other major hindu festivals in fear with little or no security from the government and encounter constant threats from muslim terrorist groups.

The Chakra News team wishes everyone a auspicious and blessed Shivaratri. Happy and Shubh Maha Shivaratri!