weblog

Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, serene and joyful Ganesh Chaturthi wishes (23/08/09).

Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu; as Chavath in Konkani and as Chathaa in Nepali. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the Shukla Chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period, a phase of the moon in which the face of the moon gets larger). The date usually falls between 20th August and 15th September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi, and is celebrated all over India, widely in Nepal, Sri Lanka and in many locations across the world.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of the Lord Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures, mantapas/pandals in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The mantapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, fruits and lights or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. The statues are worshiped with families and friends. For 10 days, from Bhadrapada Shudha Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. On the 11th day, the statue is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and fanfare to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees.

Ganesha or Gajanana, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. The term 'Ganesha' means 'Eesha - Head/Lord' of 'Ganas - Hosts/Troops/Followers of Lord Shiva'. Ganesha, also known as Vighnaraja, the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order, is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked. Devotees believe that if Ganesha is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity and celebrate his festival, Ganesh Chaturthi in a grand manner.

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.

Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, honoring and sovereign Independence/Indians Day wishes (15/08/09).

An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another state, more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Most countries honor their respective independence day as a national holiday.

India's Independence Day is celebrated on August 15th to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947. It is one of the three national holidays (Republic Day/Jan 26, Independence Day/Aug 15 and Gandhi Jayanti/Oct 2) in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in attendance. The main event takes place in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally televised speech from its ramparts. In his speech, he highlights the achievements of his government during the past year, raises important issues and gives a call for further development. The Prime Minister also pays his tribute to leaders of the freedom struggle. A colourful pageant showcasing India’s cultural diversity, symbolic depictions of the country’s advances in science and technology, and a joint display of India’s military capabilities by the armed forces are an essential part of the Independence Day celebrations.

On 3rd June 1947, Viscount (in Great Britain, the fourth rank of nobility - the order of Nobility is; Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron) Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Governor-General of India, announced the partitioning of the British Indian Empire into India and Pakistan, under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act 1947. At the stroke of midnight, on 14th August 1947 (00:00 hrs, Aug 15th), India became an independent nation. This was preceded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's (first Prime Minister of India) famous speech titled 'Tryst with Destiny'.

Happy Independence Day
Happy Independence Day
Happy Independence Day



---------------

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.

Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, serene and joyful Sri Krishna Ashtami wishes (14/08/09).

Krishna Janmashtami, also known as "Krishnashtami", "Gokulashtami", "Srikrishna Jayanti" or sometimes merely as "Janmashtami", is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an incarnation/avatar of God Vishnu. Janmashtami is observed on the eighth day, Ashtami tithi, of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhaadrapada (the sixth month) in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatra (western star name: Aldebaran) is ascendant.

The festival falls between August mid and September mid months of the Gregorian calendar. The ritual performed on this occasion is to fast the previous day (Saptami, seventh day), which is followed by a night-long vigil commemorating the birth of Krishna at midnight. At midnight, the deity of the infant Krishna is bathed, placed in a cradle and worshipped. The fast is completed after Aarti, a special prayer. In the early morning, women draw patterns of little children's feet outside the house with rice-flour paste, walking towards the house. This symbolizes the entry of the infant Krishna into his foster-home. This is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and commemorate his love for people.

Special programs and events are conducted in regions of Mathura and Vrindavan on this day. Mathura is reputed to be the birthplace of Krishna. While the Rasa Lila or dramatic enactments of the life of Krishna, recreates the youthful Krishna's day; Govinda, an event in which teams of young men form human pyramids to reach a pot, that is positioned at a convenient height, and break it. The topmost person on the human pyramid reaches and breaks the Dahi Handi (a clay pot filled with buttermilk) and when that happens, the buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. The festival is thus celebrated with great joy and communal togetherness by one and all.

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.

Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, honoring and joyful Friendship Day wishes (02/08/09).

Friendship Day celebrations take place on the first (1st) Sunday of August every year. The tradition of dedicating a day in honor of friends began in US in 1935. Gradually the festival gained popularity and today Friendship Day is celebrated in large number of countries including India. On this day people spend time with their friends and express love for them. Exchange of Friendship Day Gifts like flowers, cards and wrist bands is a popular tradition of this occasion.

The United States Congress, in 1935, proclaimed the first Sunday of August as National Friendship Day. Since then, celebration of National Friendship Day became an annual event. The noble idea of honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on with the people and soon Friendship Day became a hugely popular festival. Following the popularity and success of Friendship Day in US, several other countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. And now, International Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated by several countries across the world, however, some countries celebrate the "Friends Day" on July 20th. For this reason, on 17th July 2009, Facebook (a social networking website) launched a marketing campaign declaring "Friends Day" on 20th July. In 1997, the United Nations named 'Winnie the Pooh bear' as the world's Ambassador of Friendship.

There are numerous folktales and several instances in mythological legends which show that friends and friendship have been valued since the beginning of civilized world. As an intrinsically social creature, human loves to make friends to further this process of socialization. The Bible, the primary text of the western civilization, reflects upon friendship as the bond that forms the foundation to human faith, trust and companionship. Besides, there are several tales from the Old Testament and the New Testament about the value of friendship and how true friendship is a treasure to unearth. A noticeable point is that, both the versions make a difference between the two broad meanings of friendship- one is a mere acquaintance, the other is a more affectionate relation.

In the Old Testament, Abraham is called the “Friend of God” because of the intimacy of his relations. The Old Testament is replete with such interesting tales of friends and friendship. In the New Testament, the relationship between Jesus and his disciples clearly depicts how human friendship can constantly grow. From being teacher and disciple, to lord and servant their relationship finally grew to an unparalleled friendship. In the famous Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’, Lord Krishna demonstrates many colors of friendship - affection, romance, brotherhood, protection, guidance, intimacy and even teasing. Friendship is all about these and much more.

Lot many social and cultural organizations too celebrate the occasion and mark Friendship Day by hosting programs and get-togethers. It may be noted that some associations celebrate Friendship Day in an entirely different time of the year and with different customs. For instance, World Friendship Day is on the first Sunday in August every year; Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in September; International Friendship Month is February; National Friendship Week is the third week of May. However, what is remarkably same is the idea behind the celebration of the day. Everywhere, people express love for their friends and cherish their presence in life.

“Friendship has no survival value; but gives value to survival.”

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.