Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in United Kingdom
National Council of Hindu Temples, Leicester, United
Kingdom
Registered Office :
National Council of
Hindu Temples (UK)
C/o SHREE SANATAN
MANDIR, 84 WEYMOUTH STREET, OFF CATHERINE STREET, LEICESTER, LE4 6FQ, Tel:
07763178628
The NCHT UK also act
as a resource centre and is one of the main consultative & advisory bodies
on all matters relating to the British Hindu community, culture and religion
and regularly interacts with the following Government and Statutory
Departments:
Home Office, Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Education Authorities, Commission on Integration
& Cohesion, Dept for Communities & Local Government (DCLG), Dept for
International Development (DFID), Dept for Trade & Industry (DTI),
Equalities & Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Greater London Authority
(GLA), Dept for Works & Pensions (DWP), DEFRA, Food Standards Agency (FSA),
Metropolitan/West Midlands Police, Interfaith Network UK, The Faith Communities
Forum, RE Council for England & Wales, SACRE, Hindu Christian Forum,
Council of Dharmic Faiths UK, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Hindu Faith Bodies
Steering Group, National Association of the Chaplains to the Police (NACP),
Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy,Schools, Colleges, Universities,
Local Multi Faith Forums and Councils.
NCHT UK also advises
and consults on matters relating to interfaith dialogue, community
consultations and capacity building in Temples, and advises and challenges
legislation and policies that may affect the Hindu Community in the UK.
The main aims and
objectives of NCHT UK are:
To act as an Umbrella
organisation to Hindu Temples, Faith Organisations & Groups across the UK;
To support andassist
with Capacity Building within Hindu Temples, Faith Organisations & Groups;
To support Hindu
Temple’s applications to be added to the Home Office Borders and Immigration
Agency’s Register of Sponsors in order to approve individual Priests’ visa
applications to work in Hindu Places of Worship in the UK;
To assist Hindu
Temples in their search to find appropriate and registeredHindu Priests to work
intheir Temples;
To recommend and
provide contact details of Hindu Priests to conduct weddings, religious
functions and ceremonies;
To provide advice and
informationto Government Departments, Local Councils, Public Bodies and
Education Authorities;
To arrange Temple
visits for Schools, Colleges, Universities and other Organisations;
To work with other
faith groups for mutual appreciation of each others religion, interfaith
dialogueand community cohesion;
To promote the
advancement, achievements, consensus, cooperation and unity of Hindus in the UK;
To establish a
position for the Hindu community within UK that is fair and based on Human
Rights.
Upcoming Events
SANGAM 2014 -
National Conference of UK Hindu Temples
With so much happening in the MultiFaith/Interfaith Arena and with Religion Spirituality and Faith becoming a greater part of the UK scene - Hindu's have a huge contribution to make! As representatives of the "Mother of All Religions", the unique custodians of the concept and practice of Adhyatmic Saadhana's, our opportunity and responsibility is greater than all others. As the only Religion with Ahimsa as its cornerstone and with a history of adhering to Ahimsa, Hindus occupy a place of great importance and our voice can make a different.
With so much happening in the MultiFaith/Interfaith Arena and with Religion Spirituality and Faith becoming a greater part of the UK scene - Hindu's have a huge contribution to make! As representatives of the "Mother of All Religions", the unique custodians of the concept and practice of Adhyatmic Saadhana's, our opportunity and responsibility is greater than all others. As the only Religion with Ahimsa as its cornerstone and with a history of adhering to Ahimsa, Hindus occupy a place of great importance and our voice can make a different.
This conference will
give all Hindu Temples an opportunity to congregate and contribute their
experiences, their received wisdoms and to unite with a singular voice.
Workshops, Keynote Speakers, Spiritual Leaders, the movers and shakers in the
UK Hindu scene will be helping us to nurture and shape the Hindu contribution
to the UK. If you are interested, please contact us and lets make this an
extraordinary event. If we dont define our own contribution it will be defined for
us.
|| Arogyame Maha Bhagyam ||
“The absence of suffering is the highest blessing”
Spiritual Support and Care for Hindu Patients
“The absence of suffering is the highest blessing”
Spiritual Support and Care for Hindu Patients
An Initiative to help support the
Religious and
Spiritual needs of
Hindu Patients
Hindu Patients
in Hospital
For Further information please Contact:
Pt. Madhu V. Shastri
Project-Co-ordinator, Hindu Healthcare Chaplaincy (NCHTUK)
Mobile: 07763178628
E-Mail: communications@nchtuk.org
For Further information please Contact:
Pt. Madhu V. Shastri
Project-Co-ordinator, Hindu Healthcare Chaplaincy (NCHTUK)
Mobile: 07763178628
E-Mail: communications@nchtuk.org
All NHS Hospitals are
obliged to provide spiritual and cultural care
including prayer rooms and meals that suit the patient’s beliefs.
This year 2014, the NCHTUK's "Hindu HealthCare Chaplaincy" project will continue to
including prayer rooms and meals that suit the patient’s beliefs.
This year 2014, the NCHTUK's "Hindu HealthCare Chaplaincy" project will continue to
identify, train and
coordinate the work of Hindu Healthcare Chaplains.
Hindu Chaplains help
provide religious, spiritual and emotional support for Hindu patients.
whilst they are hospitalised and at their most vulnerable.
whilst they are hospitalised and at their most vulnerable.
The NCHT UK trains
our Priests to a level such that they can
provide these
services on a voluntary basis from within
the Hindu community.
***********
The Hindu HealthCare Chaplain can offer care & support to the patient,
his/her family and also to Hindu staff looking after the patient.
To help us in securing these services for Hindu Patients, please
always ask the hospital staff to record your religion (faith) as
Hindu.
This can be done at the same time when you give your contact
details for hospital records.
If you know of anyone who needs the service, please ask hospital staff for
the Hindu Healthcare Chaplain Service.
***********
The Hindu HealthCare Chaplain can offer care & support to the patient,
his/her family and also to Hindu staff looking after the patient.
To help us in securing these services for Hindu Patients, please
always ask the hospital staff to record your religion (faith) as
Hindu.
This can be done at the same time when you give your contact
details for hospital records.
If you know of anyone who needs the service, please ask hospital staff for
the Hindu Healthcare Chaplain Service.
Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niramayaah
Sarve Bhadrani Pasyantu
Maa Kaschid-Dukha-Bhag-Bhavet ||
Wea re always
actively seeking to develop more Hindu HealthCare Chaplains
so if you are aware
of anyone who fits the bill, or you would like more information
in the first instance
please Contact:
Pt. Madhu V. Shastri
Project-Co-ordinator, Hindu Healthcare Chaplaincy (NCHTUK)
Mobile: 07763178628
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih
Pt. Madhu V. Shastri
Project-Co-ordinator, Hindu Healthcare Chaplaincy (NCHTUK)
Mobile: 07763178628
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih
"Separating Yoga
from Hinduism,
is like trying to
separate Shiva from Shakti.
A fools errand
promoted by those who know of neither,
but intent on the
destruction of both"
For thousands of
years Hindus have been practising what the west calls "Yoga" and what
the west calls "Hinduism" and have enjoyed the peaceful exuberant
journey called Life as a result. Never invading any other nation, placing all
life on a pedestal and worthy of worship, never harming a flea as a result of
this synergistic philosophy. Millions of Hindu's have enjoyed health,
tranquility, wealth and even enlightenment and have sought merely to preserve
and share the blessings they received from their ancestors. Never to
"patent", to deny or to pollute or taint and always seeking to protect
this most humanist of cultures from infection with the disease of commerce,
rampant rapacious profiteering, always hoping to share and nurture, support and
bless.
Enter stage left the
Western urge to colonise and pillage. As Samuel P Huntingdon said “The West won
the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion, but rather
by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this
fact, non-Westerners never do.” Violence takes many forms and if you can
no longer colonise geographical continents, then colonising the Continents of
thought will do nicely. If you want to colonise the Continent of Hindu
Knowledge the oldest and deepest repository of wisdom and science known to
human beings, you need academic foot soldiers to perpetrate academic
atrocities. Academic violence uses the same colonial principles and the assault
on this continent is under way.
The Western corporate
mind, exporter of GM manipulation, subprime finance, and warfare unceasing now
has turned its attention to the gentle Yoga practices of the Hindus. The cry
has gone out "Yoga IS NOT Hinduism" and "Yoga IS Hinduism"
and the campaigns are afoot and gathering steam. When you want to exploit Yoga
or attack Hinduism, the battle cry is "Yoga is nothing to do with
Hinduism" and when you want to attack Yoga, the cry goes out that
"Yoga IS Hinduism". Academics, occidental and sadly oriental too, are
having a field day with the Yoga/Hinduism question and in the runaway train of
academic intellectual debate, a few simple questions are being conveniently and
quite deliberately overlooked and we are asking those questions. The questions
which every racist, white colonist just doesnt want to address are : -
"What in Gods
name has it got to do with non Hindus anyway?"
If it doesnt trouble
us Hindus, and it has never troubled Yogis and Hindus alike for millenia, why
are non Hindus getting into such a tizz over this question? There they are,
having their forums and their conclaves, producing academic research on the "Yoga
in the West" phenomenon but ask yourself WHY? It strikes me that the
Western corporate mind is only ever interested if there is an opportunity for
exploitation, whether it is of oil or knowledge doesnt matter, or perhaps if
its dominance is threatened. Do you hear Hindus huddling together and holding
conferences about the flaws in reasoning behind the "reason-averse"
rhetoric which has been spouted by the Church in its history and even today?
No, and since the reason why Hindu's dont do this seems to be beyond the
capacity of predominantly European "academics" to understand, lets
spell it out once and for all, ITS BAD MANNERS to nail a neighbour to the wall
and dissect away at his history, tradition, religious and spiritual practices
as though he were not quite human in the same way as our paler friends, or even
worse dead. And yet they do it without a second thought. The West spawned a
whole generation of Indologist's to study the Hindu's, the same barbaric mind
set studied and categorised the people of Africa for exploitation and although
it has become less strident, there is a definite sense that this mind set is
still there, naming and looking for differences to pounce upon, seeking
opportunities to criticise what it usually cant understand in the hope of convincing
itself of its own superiority. The Hindu mind set, developed and nurtured for
5,000 years with elevated ideas such as "Athithi devo bhav - the
guest is God" wouldnt dream of being so crude and insulting as to engage
in deeply personal poking and prodding, rummaging around in the psyche and
sensibilities of a living culture, whilst members of that culture were sitting
in the very same room.
Do Hindu's produce
academic papers and award each other degrees on the publishing of statistics of
the insane mind set, peculiar to the West, which can enslave whole races, rain
war upon weaker nations, whose religion has supported everything from genocide
against indigenous peoples all over the world, upto and beyond the Holocaust ?
Naom Chomsky has said that, "if judged against the principles set out at
the Nuremberg Trials, every postwar US leader would be found guilty of war
crimes" and what about the special friend to the US, Great Britain? Surely
here's a field of research worthy of Doctorate's! And then Hindu's too could
create forums, invite leading White academics and clergymen and then in front
of them dissect the very fabric of their personalities, their quaint
"culture" and rustic philosophies, their latent aggression and
immature self image - exploring and rummaging around in the deepest innards of
their darkest demons, just like with the poor rat above. Its the height of bad
manners and no self respecting Hindu would dream of being so uncultured.
Academics would do
well to recall the words of Swami Vivekananda...
"In regard to
the teacher, we must see that he knows the spirit of the scriptures. The whole
world reads Bibles, Vedas, and Korans; but they are all only words, syntax,
etymology, philology, the dry bones of religion. The teacher who deals too much
in words and allows the mind to be carried away by the force of words loses the
spirit. It is the knowledge of the spirit of the scriptures alone that
constitutes the true religious teacher. The network of the words of the
scriptures is like a huge forest in which the human mind often loses itself and
finds no way out."
Hindu's do not dissect the psyche of others and thats because Hindu's are practising Yogis and if there is one thing Yoga practice does, it brings refinement to the coarse mind, to bring genuine compassion to the hardened heart and the desire to serve to the grasping thief. It brings sensitivity to the feelings of other humans in particular and living things in general. And perhaps thats why the West fears Yoga so much - in Yoga lie the seeds of the Wests long overdue civilisation - the revelation of all lies and the final unavoidable recognition that the fears which lie at the heart of the Western minds aggression were the only true heathens. Like all fears, the fear of ones own flaws having to be faced and reconciled is the greatest fear of all and it drives them to attack verbally when not physically, anything which requires them to confront their own flaws. It turns out that the heathen natives the world over, have lived more in harmony with the earth and with themselves than any Western nation, and yet they have been deliberately consumed and digested by the unendingly consumptive psychosis which is generously referred to as Western civilisation. Thank God for Divinity, for as our most famous Yogi, the first to courageously minister to the West said, and the corporate Church promptly ignored, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth".
Hindu's do not dissect the psyche of others and thats because Hindu's are practising Yogis and if there is one thing Yoga practice does, it brings refinement to the coarse mind, to bring genuine compassion to the hardened heart and the desire to serve to the grasping thief. It brings sensitivity to the feelings of other humans in particular and living things in general. And perhaps thats why the West fears Yoga so much - in Yoga lie the seeds of the Wests long overdue civilisation - the revelation of all lies and the final unavoidable recognition that the fears which lie at the heart of the Western minds aggression were the only true heathens. Like all fears, the fear of ones own flaws having to be faced and reconciled is the greatest fear of all and it drives them to attack verbally when not physically, anything which requires them to confront their own flaws. It turns out that the heathen natives the world over, have lived more in harmony with the earth and with themselves than any Western nation, and yet they have been deliberately consumed and digested by the unendingly consumptive psychosis which is generously referred to as Western civilisation. Thank God for Divinity, for as our most famous Yogi, the first to courageously minister to the West said, and the corporate Church promptly ignored, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth".
Satyam Eva Jayate.
Hinduism is mankind's
oldest living religious tradition, which has practiced since time immemorial.
One English missionary in India, comparing Hinduism with other world
civilisations long since dead, paid tribute to its endurance “...but Hinduism
lives on. Age has not decayed it, rivals have not destroyed it."
The term ‘Hindu’ is related to the word Sindhu – the name of a river, which is known in English as the river Indus. Because of the difficulty in pronunciation by the Persians the river Sindhu became the river ‘Hindu’. And the inhabitants living across the river ‘Hindu’ became Hindus and the land became to be known as Hindustan. Hence, the major religion of India (Latin derivative of Hindu), became to be known as Hinduism.
The term ‘Hindu’ is related to the word Sindhu – the name of a river, which is known in English as the river Indus. Because of the difficulty in pronunciation by the Persians the river Sindhu became the river ‘Hindu’. And the inhabitants living across the river ‘Hindu’ became Hindus and the land became to be known as Hindustan. Hence, the major religion of India (Latin derivative of Hindu), became to be known as Hinduism.
Hinduism became an
umbrella description for the multitude of religious ideas in the Indian
sub-continent. Some of these ideas adhere closely to the original Vedic tradition,
while over the years many have incorporated local influences with regional,
linguistic and doctrinal variations. The proliferation of Hindu denominations
fall within three main groups: Vaishnavaism, worship of Krishna
and His incarnations; Shaivism, worship of Shiva; and the Shaktas who worship
Kali. The all-embracing nature of Hinduism often appears confusing for the
Western mind, but despite external variety, much philosophy is common for all
Hindus.
A notable feature of
Hinduism, referred to as Sanatana Dharma (the eternal religion) or Vedic Dharma
(pertaining to the Vedas), is that it does not originate from one prophet or
teacher. The earliest record of Hindu teaching is found in the Vedas (c. 3000
B.C.), but many authorities claim that Hinduism is as old as the universe,
being based upon eternal truths, which have no mortal source. Other great
religions - Jainism, Buddhism, and more recently Sikhism - appeared from the
Vedic tradition.
The architecture of
Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than 2,000 years and there is a
great variety in this architecture.
Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular, octagonal, semi circular – with different types of domes and gates. Temples in southern India have a different style than those in northern India. Although the architecture of Hindu temples is varied, they mainly have many things in common.
The 6 parts of a Hindu Temple:
1. The Dome and Steeple: The steeple of the dome is called ‘shikhara’ (summit) that represents the mythological ‘Meru’or the highest mountain peak. The shape of the dome varies from region to region and the steeple is often in the form of the trident of Shiva.
2. The Inner Chamber: The inner chamber of the temple called ‘garbhagriha’ or ‘womb-chamber’ is where the image or idol of the deity (‘murti’) is placed. In most temples, the visitors cannot enter the garbhagriha, and only the temple priests are allowed inside.
3. The Temple Hall: Most large temples have a hall meant for the audience to sit. This is also called the ‘nata-mandira’ (hall for temple-dancing) where, in days ofyore, women dancers or ‘devadasis’ used to perform dancerituals. Devotees use the hall to sit,meditate, pray, chant or watch thepriests perform the rituals. The hall is usually decorated with paintings of gods and goddesses.
4. The Front Porch: This area of the temples usually has a big metallic bell that hangs from the ceiling. Devotees entering and leaving the porch ring this bell to declare their arrival and departure.
5. The Reservoir: If the temple is not in the vicinity of a natural water body, a reservoir of fresh water is built on the temple premises. The water is used for rituals as well as to keep the temple floor clean or even for a ritual bath before entering the holy abode.
6. The Walkway: Most temples have a walkway around the walls of the inner chamber for circum-ambulation by devotees around the deity as a mark of respect to the temples god or goddess.
Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular, octagonal, semi circular – with different types of domes and gates. Temples in southern India have a different style than those in northern India. Although the architecture of Hindu temples is varied, they mainly have many things in common.
The 6 parts of a Hindu Temple:
1. The Dome and Steeple: The steeple of the dome is called ‘shikhara’ (summit) that represents the mythological ‘Meru’or the highest mountain peak. The shape of the dome varies from region to region and the steeple is often in the form of the trident of Shiva.
2. The Inner Chamber: The inner chamber of the temple called ‘garbhagriha’ or ‘womb-chamber’ is where the image or idol of the deity (‘murti’) is placed. In most temples, the visitors cannot enter the garbhagriha, and only the temple priests are allowed inside.
3. The Temple Hall: Most large temples have a hall meant for the audience to sit. This is also called the ‘nata-mandira’ (hall for temple-dancing) where, in days ofyore, women dancers or ‘devadasis’ used to perform dancerituals. Devotees use the hall to sit,meditate, pray, chant or watch thepriests perform the rituals. The hall is usually decorated with paintings of gods and goddesses.
4. The Front Porch: This area of the temples usually has a big metallic bell that hangs from the ceiling. Devotees entering and leaving the porch ring this bell to declare their arrival and departure.
5. The Reservoir: If the temple is not in the vicinity of a natural water body, a reservoir of fresh water is built on the temple premises. The water is used for rituals as well as to keep the temple floor clean or even for a ritual bath before entering the holy abode.
6. The Walkway: Most temples have a walkway around the walls of the inner chamber for circum-ambulation by devotees around the deity as a mark of respect to the temples god or goddess.
Yoga
This is everything,
it's all here. This is the moving image encyclopedia of yoga. Everything the
left side of the brain ever wanted to know about yoga is clearly expressed by
the world's leading experts and beautifully illustrated though images of
ancient texts and artifacts, archive film footage, the sights and sounds of
India and yoga practitioners from both the east and west.
Hindu Festivals are
celebrated:
Raksha Bandhan, Maha
Shiva Ratri and Diwali
Diwali
(Deepavali)
Diwali or Deepavali
meaning 'rows of lights' is one of the most popular festivals within the Hindu
calendar. The theme of the festival is derived from the epic Ramayana,
originally written by the sage Valmiki, but the festival also marks the Hindu
New Year's Eve. When His father was reluctantly forced to banish Him, Rama
entered the forest- exiled along with His brother Laxman, and wife Sita. There
Sita was captured and taken away by the demonic king Ravana to the island of
Lanka. Desperate to find His beloved wife, Lord Rama received the help of an
army of celestial monkeys and bears. The monkey race included the most
mystically endowed member - Shri Hanuman. Hanuman leaped over the ocean to
Lanka and met Sita languishing in the grove of trees within Ravana's palace
grounds. He returned the news to Rama, and together they built a bridge across
the sea.
The battle was long
and hard, but eventually Lord Rama personally met with Ravana. "You have
stolen my wife just like a dog steals food from the table in his master's
absence. Today, I whose attempt never fails, shall punish you!" After thus
rebuking Ravana, Lord Rama shot an arrow which pierced his heart like a
thunderbolt.
After defeating the
demonic king Ravana, Lord Rama, along with brother Laxman, his wife mother
Sita, Hanuman and all the monkey warriors triumphantly returned to the city of
Ayodhya so that Lord Rama could claim the throne. Whey they returned in a
splendid pushpak vimana (a flying chariot of flowers), it was the new moon
night: pitch black. All the citizens of Ayodhya, therefore, lit the way for the
return of Lord Rama by lighting millions of lamps along the route accompanied
with fireworks.
On Diwali people
visit their friends and relatives, wear new dresses and exchange gifts. Local
temples are also visited to pay respects to Lord Rama. Probably no aspect of
the Lord is ore universally known as Lord Ramachandra, 'the moon-like Rama'. In
the temple, we see Him with one hand lifted in blessing and the other holding
His bow of a warrior king. He came to demonstrate the justice, moral values and
heroic activities of a perfect Monarch. His activities are remembered by way of
enacting His pastimes and by singing devotional hymns. To finish the day
everyone treated to wonderful firework displays in which effigies of Ravana are
burnt to mark the victory of goodness over evil.
Coming of Diwali has
great significance in the life of people. It is from this day they pray to
follow the ideals exemplified by Lord Rama. They pray that the whole world can
live in peace and everyone can interact with each other just like members of a
big family, just as the scriptural injunction states ‘the whole world is a
family’ - all living entities are children of one God, who is known by various
names by different people. Prayers are said for the poor, homeless and the
underprivileged of the world. In this way Hindus celebrate this important day
and they wish that darkness of ignorance be dispelled in everyone’s life
by the ‘festival of lights’ and we can turn our face towards the Lord and
realise that we all are eternal servants God.
The day after Diwali
is the Hindu New Year. This day also marks the beginning of ‘Rama-rajya': the
first day of rule for Lord Rama. Also on this day is Go-Puja, a ceremony which
specially honours mother cow and 'annakut' which celebrates the worship of
Gorvardhan Hill. These festivities have been practiced for thousands of years.
Summary of the Epic
Ramayana
From Shrimad
Bhagavatam (9.10)
By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Lord Ramachandra
appeared in the dynasty of Maharaja Khatvanga. The son of Maharaja Khatvanga
was Dirghabahu, and his son was Raghu. The son of Raghu was Aja, the son of Aja
was Dasharatha, and the son of Dasharatha was Lord Ramachandra, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
Lord Ramachandra went
with Vishvamitra and killed Rakshashas like Maricha. After breaking the stout
and strong bow known as Haradhanu, the Lord married mother Sita and cut down
the prestige of Parashurama. To obey the order of His father, He entered the
forest, accompanied by Lakshmana and Sita. There He cut off the nose of
Shurpanakha and killed the associates of Ravana, headed by Khara and Dushana.
Ravana’s kidnapping of Sitadevi was the beginning of this demon’s misfortune.
When Maricha assumed the form of a golden deer, Lord Ramachandra went to bring
the deer to please Sitdevi, but in the meantime Ravaaa took advantage of the
Lord’s absence to kidnap her. When Sitadevi was kidnapped, Lord Ramachandra,
accompanied by Lakshmana, searched for her throughout the forest. In the course
of this search, They met Jatayu. Then the Lord killed the demon Kabandha and
the commander Vali and established a friendly relationship with Sugriva. After
organizing the military strength of the monkeys and going with them to the
shore of the sea, the Lord awaited the arrival of Samudra, the ocean
personified, but when Samudra did not come, the Lord, the master of Samudra,
became angry. Then Samudra came to the Lord with great haste and surrendered to
Him, wanting to help Him in every way. The Lord then attempted to bridge the
ocean, and, with the help of advice from Vibhishana, He attacked Ravana’s
capital, Lanka. Previously, Hanuman, the eternal servant of the Lord, had set
fire to Lanka, and now, with the help of Lakshmana, the forces of Lord
Ramachandra killed all the Rakshasha soldiers. Then Lord Ramachandra personally
killed Ravana. Mandodari and other wives lamented for Ravana, and in accordance
with Lord Ramachandra’s order, Vibhishana performed the funeral ceremonies for
all the dead in the family. Lord Ramachandra then gave Vibhishana the right to
rule Lanka and also granted him a long duration of life. The Lord delivered
Sitadevi from the Ashoka forest and carried her in a flower airplane to His
capital Ayodhya, where He was received by His brother Bharata. When Lord
Ramachandra entered Ayodhya, Bharata brought His wooden shoes, Vibhishanaa and
Sugriva held a whisk and fan, Hanuman carried an umbrella, Shatrughna carried
the Lord’s bow and two quivers, and Sitadevi carried a waterpot containing
water from holy places. Angada carried a sword, and Jambavan (Riksharaja)
carried a shield. After Lord Ramachandra, accompanied by Lord Lakshmana and
mother Sitadevi, met all His relatives, the great sage Vashishtha enthroned Him
as King.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Reasons for the
Appearance of Lord Rama
Lord Rama, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared hundreds of thousands of years ago at
a place called Ayodhya, north India. The reason for His advent are told
in the Bhagavad-gita, the essence of all the Vedic scriptures, where
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:
yada yada hi
dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham (4.7)
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham (4.7)
Whenever and wherever
there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a
predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.
paritranaya sadhunam
vinashaya cha dushkrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge (4.8)
vinashaya cha dushkrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge (4.8)
To deliver the pious
and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of
religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Lord Rama’s Qualities
From Shrimad Bhagavatam (9.10)
By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
People are very fond
of the pattern of Rama-rajya, and even today politicians sometimes form a party
called Rama-rajya, but unfortunately they have no obedience to Lord Rama. It is
sometimes said that people want the kingdom of God without God. Such an
aspiration, however, is never to be fulfilled. Good government can exist when
the relationship between the citizens and the government is like that
exemplified by Lord Ramachandra and His citizens. Lord Ramachandra ruled His
kingdom exactly as a father takes care of his children, and the citizens, being
obliged to the good government of Lord Ramachandra, accepted the Lord as their
father. Thus the relationship between the citizens and the government should be
exactly like that between father and son.
When Lord
Ramachandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was the King of this world,
all bodily and mental suffering, disease, old age, bereavement, lamentation,
distress, fear and fatigue were completely absent. There was even no death for
those who did not want it.
Lord Ramachandra took
a vow to accept only one wife and have no connection with any other women. He
was a saintly king, and everything in His character was good, untinged by
qualities like anger. He taught good behaviour for everyone, especially for
householders, in terms of varanashrama-dharma. Thus He taught the general
public by His personal activities.
Eka-patni-vrata,
accepting only one wife, was the glorious example set by Lord Ramachandra. One
should not accept more than one wife. Lord Ramachandra accepted only one wife
and manifested sublime character, thus setting an example for householders. A
householder should live according to the ideal of Lord Ramachandra, who showed
how to be a perfect person. As Lord Ramachandra is the ideal husband
(eka-patni-vrata), mother Sita is the ideal wife. Such a combination makes
family life very happy.
On return to His
Kingdom after killing Ravana and rescuing Sita, Lord Rama was joyously welcomed
by His people. The whole city was very nicely decorated with rows of lamps
being lit everywhere. ‘Being pleased by the full surrender and submission of
Lord Bharata, Lord Ramachandra then accepted the throne of the state. He cared
for the citizens exactly like a father, and the citizens, being fully engaged
in their occupational duties of varna and ashrama, accepted Him as their father.
_________________________________________________________________________________
The Diwali
Celebration
The festival of Diwali is celebrated over five days and falls in October/November each year.
Day One
This day is known as Dhan-Trayodashi or Dhan Teras, which falls on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. The word Dhan denotes wealth and the festival has a great importance for the mercantile community. Residences and business premises are renovated and decorated and their entrances are extensively decorated with traditional patterns of Rangoli designs to welcome Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. Small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermillion in the houses to show her long-awaited arrival. Lamps are kept burning throughout the night. New utensils and/or gold are purchased by the household. Goddess Laxmi is worshipped in the evening with great pomp and ceremony and traditional sweets are offered to her.
This day is also
known as Yamadeepdan and an offering to Yama, the superintendent of
death, is made. There is very nice story to illustrate this: a king’s son was
cursed to be bitten by a snake on the fourth day after his marriage. When that
day came his wife did not allow him to sleep but rather engaged him in hearing many
Puranic stories and sang bhajans. She also placed a lot of gold and silver
ornaments in a big pile at the entrance of the resting chamber and lighted many
lamps. When Yamaraj arrived in the form of the serpent, he was blinded by the
glare generated by the lights and the ornaments, which prevented him entering
the resting chambers. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and sat
there listening to the wife recounting stories. The next day Yamaraj quietly
went away and the power of the curse was over. Thus the young wife saved her
husband’s life from the clutches of death. Since then this day is also known as
Yamadeepdan. As an offering to Yama lamps are kept burning through out the
night in the direction of South.
______________________________________________________________________________
Day Two
This day is known as Narak Chaturdashi and falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. On this day Lord Krishna killed the demonic king Bhaumasura, who was also known as Narakasura, happened to be the son of the earth personified.
‘This demon,
Bhaumasura, having become very powerful, took by force the umbrella from the
throne of the demigod Varuna. He also took the earrings of Aditi, the mother of
the demigods. He conquered a portion of heavenly Mount Meru and occupied the
portion known as Mani-parvata, plaground of the demi-gods.
"Indra, the king
of the heavenly planets, went to Dvaraka and described the demons
transgressions to Lord Krishna. Together with Queen Satyabhama, the Lord
mounted His carrier Garuda and travelled to the capital of Narakasura’s
kingdom, Pragjyotisha-pura. On a field outside the city He decapitated
the demon Mura with His disc. Then He fought Mura’s seven sons and sent them
all to the abode of death, after which Narakasura himself entered the
battlefield on the back of an elephant. Naraka threw his shakti lance at Shri
Krishna, but the weapon proved ineffective, and the Lord cut the demon’s entire
army to pieces. Finally, with His sharp-edged disc Krishna cut off Narakasura’s
head.
The earth-goddess,
Prthivi, then approached Lord Krishna and gave Him the various items Narakasura
had stolen. She offered prayers to the Lord and presented Naraka’s frightened
son at Lord Krishna’s lotus feet. After pacifying the demon’s son, Krishna
entered Narakasura’s palace, where He found sixteen thousand one hundred young
women. As soon as they caught sight of the Lord, they all decided to accept Him
as their husband. The Lord sent them to Dvaraka along with a great quantity of
treasure and then went with Queen Satyabhama to the abode of Indra. There He
returned Aditi’s earrings, and Indra and his wife, Shachi-devi, worshiped
Him."
(Shrimad Bhagavatam 10.59.1 – purport by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami prabhupada)
(Shrimad Bhagavatam 10.59.1 – purport by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami prabhupada)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Day Three
From 'Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead – Worshipping Govardhana Hill' (Chapter 24 ) By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
This day falls on the 16th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. On thisGovardhan Puja takes place. This story is related in the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It tells how Lord Krishna advised His father, Nanda Maharaja, and other cowherd men of Vrindavan not to perform a special ceremony to satisfy Indra, the king of heaven, but to worship the Goverdhan Hill, in order to chastise Indra, who was very much puffed up at being the supreme controller of the heavenly planets.
‘Lord Krishna gave
them the following directions. “Prepare very nice foods of all descriptions
from the grains and ghee collected for the yajna. Prepare rice, dhal, then
halava, pakora, puri and all kinds of milk preparations, such as sweet rice,
rabri, sweetballs, sandesha, rasagulla and laddu, and invite the learned
brahmanas who can chant the Vedic hymns and offer oblations to the fire. The
brahmanas should be given all kinds of grains in charity. Then decorate all the
cows and feed them well. After performing this, give money in charity to the
brahmanas. As far as the lower animals are concerned, such as the dogs, and the
lower grades of people, such as the chandalas, or the fifth class of men, who
are considered untouchable, they also may be given sumptuous prashadam. After
nice grasses have been given to the cows, the sacrifice known as
Govardhana-puja may immediately begin. This sacrifice will very much satisfy
Me.”
They performed
Govardhana worship and circumambulation of the hill. According to the
instruction of Lord Krishna, Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men called in
learned brahmanas and began to worship Govardhana Hill by chanting Vedic hymns
and offering prashadam. The inhabitants of Vrindavana assembled together,
decorated their cows and gave them grass. Keeping the cows in front, they began
to circumambulate Govardhana Hill. The gopis dressed themselves very
luxuriantly and sat in bull-driven carts, chanting the glories of Krishna’s
pastimes. Assembled there to act as priests for Govardhana-puja, the brahmanas
offered their blessings to the cowherd men and their wives, the gopis.
When everything was
complete, Krishna assumed a great transcendental form and declared to the
inhabitants of Vrindavana that He was Himself Govardhana Hill in order to
convince the devotees that Govardhana Hill and Krishna Himself are identical.
Then Krishna began to eat all the food offered there. The identity of Krishna
and Govardhana Hill is still honoured, and great devotees take rocks from
Govardhana Hill and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Krishna
in the temples.
From that day,
Govardhana-puja has been going on and is known as Annakuta. In all
the temples of Vrindavana or outside of Vrindavana, huge quantities of food are
prepared in this ceremony and are very sumptuously distributed to the general
population. Sometimes the food is thrown to the crowds, and they enjoy
collecting it off the ground. The people, therefore, collect it and eat with
great satisfaction.
This day also known
as Varshapratipad, which marks the coronation of king Vikramaditiya. The most
popular calendar, vikram samvat, has it’s origins this coronation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Day Four
This day is known as Bhratra-Dwitiya (bhai Beej) and falls on the falls on the 17th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. The story related in the Puranas is as follows: Yamaraja, the superintendent of Death, visited his sister, Yamuna Devi. She put the tilak on his forehead, garlanded him and fed him sumptuously with variety of preparations. At the end they exchanged gifts and Yamaraj announced that ‘let every man dine at his sister’s house.’ From that day this day is known as Yama-Dwitiya and it is being observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers.
______________________________________________________________________________________
The Age of
Ramayana
The festival of Diwali is usually celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in Britain. The popularity and acceptance of this famous celebration has steadily grown over the years among the indigenous British population. From schools, where the festival forms part of the Religious Education syllabus; to the work place, where it is now common to have Diwali dinners; to coverage of the festival by the media; to the Royal Mail issuing press releases about the last day on which Diwali post can be posted; to the Prime Minister and other dignitaries attending Diwali functions; to diaries & calendars having entries about the festival; Diwali is now an established part of British Life.
When it comes to
being cognizant about the time when the story of Ramayana actually took
place one encounters many different theories. These ideas are nearly
always based on an individual’s research, personal opinions and even speculation.
Most of these notions postulate that events in the Ramayana occurred somewhere
between 200 BC to 7000 BC. Unfortunately none of them give an opportunity for
the tradition to speak for it self i.e. what do the Vedic (Hindu) scriptures
say about the date of Ramayana?
We will now look at
the evidence from the Vedas to calculate the date of the Ramayana.
kaushalyayam
dasharathan
nava-durva dala-dyutih
tretayam avirabhavach
chaturvimse chatur-yuge
bharatena sumitraya
nandanabhyam ca samyutah
(Laghu Bhagavatamrta Text 78)
nava-durva dala-dyutih
tretayam avirabhavach
chaturvimse chatur-yuge
bharatena sumitraya
nandanabhyam ca samyutah
(Laghu Bhagavatamrta Text 78)
‘Splendid as a new
blade of durva grass, and accompanied by Sumitra's two sons and by Bharata, He
appeared in the Treta-yuga of the 24th chatur-yuga as the son of Kaushalya and
Dasharatha.’
tretayuge chaturvishe
ravanastapasah kshayaata
raamam daasharathim praapya saganah kshayamiyavaan
(Vayu Purana 70.48)
raamam daasharathim praapya saganah kshayamiyavaan
(Vayu Purana 70.48)
‘Due to his lowly
behaviour Ravana was killed along with his friends and relatives
by Lord Rama, the son of Dasharatha, in the 24th chatur yuga.’
by Lord Rama, the son of Dasharatha, in the 24th chatur yuga.’
Present time
Kali Yuga in the 28th millennium of the 7th Manu in one particular day of Lord Brahma.
Kali Yuga in the 28th millennium of the 7th Manu in one particular day of Lord Brahma.
One Chatur-yuga
Satya yuga (1,728,000 years) + Treta yuga (1,296,000 years) + Dwapara yuga (864,000 years) + Kali yuga (432,000 years) = 4,320,000 years
Satya yuga (1,728,000 years) + Treta yuga (1,296,000 years) + Dwapara yuga (864,000 years) + Kali yuga (432,000 years) = 4,320,000 years
1 Kalpa = 1000
Chatur Yugas
1 Day of Lord Brahma =
1 Kalpa (NB 1 night of Brahma also = 1 kalpa)
Life of Brahma
= 100 years i.e. 7300 Kalpas =311 trillion and 40 billion years
Catur-yugas passed
24th part (roughly half) of Treta & full Kali, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th till part of Kali-yuga
24th part (roughly half) of Treta & full Kali, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th till part of Kali-yuga
Years passed (appx.)
432,000 + 432,000 + 4,320,000 + 4,320,000 + 4,320,000 + (4,320,000 – 427,000 left)
=17,717,000 years + or - 432,000
432,000 + 432,000 + 4,320,000 + 4,320,000 + 4,320,000 + (4,320,000 – 427,000 left)
=17,717,000 years + or - 432,000
(+ or - 432,000 years
is required because we don't exactly know in which period of Treta Yuga, He
appeared).
So according to the
tradition Lord Rama appeared over 17 million years ago at Ayodhya,
North India, to perform His pastimes as recorded by the sage Valmiki, the
original writer of the Ramayana.
Other important
historical events coinciding with Diwali
Other important historical events coinciding with Diwali
1.Goddess Lakshmi's Birthday: The Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi incarnated on
the new moon day (amaavasyaa) of the Kartik month during the churning of the
ocean (samudra-manthan), hence the association of Diwali with Lakshmi.
2.Lord Vishnu Rescued
Lakshmi: On this very day (Diwali day), Lord Vishnu in his
fifth incarnation as Vaman-avtaara rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King
Bali and this is another reason of worshipping Ma Larkshmi on Diwali.
fifth incarnation as Vaman-avtaara rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King
Bali and this is another reason of worshipping Ma Larkshmi on Diwali.
3. The Return of
the Pandavas: According to the great epic `Mahabharata', it was `Kartik
Amavashya' when the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a
result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice
(gambling). The subjects who loved the Pandavas celebrated the day by lighting
the earthen lamps.
4. Coronation of
Vikramaditya: One of the greatest Hindu King Vikramaditya was coronated on
the Diwali day.
Prayers and Puja:
Ganesh Puja, Diwali
and Lakshmi Devi Puja, Karva Chauth Vrat Katha and Shiva Chalisa
Om
Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great
devotees and Pilgrimage tourist guide
for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
0 comments:
Post a Comment