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Thursday, January 15, 2015

<><>Good Morning<><>

<><>Good Morning<><>



  Temper is what gets most
of us into trouble.
Pride is what keeps us there.
THE UNFILLABLE BOWL OF GREED

There is a popular story about greed from Sufi literature. The king was walking around town when a beggar asked him for alms. The king asked him to go away saying: “Please do not disturb my peace of mind.” The beggar laughed heartily. Then he explained: “Oh, king! If your peace of mind is in pieces, then it is no peace at all.”
The king then realized that the beggar was actually a sage. At once, the king bowed to the sage and said: “Oh, sage. Please ask what you want and I shall give it to you.”
The sage laughed again: “Do not promise something that you cannot give.”
At this the king was annoyed. He stopped his rounds abruptly and took the sage to his palace. The sage showed the begging bowl and said: “Alright. Fill this bowl with gold coins.”
The king smiled and beckoned for gold. His attendant brought a plateful of gold coins. As the king put them into the bowl, the bowl seemed to swallow them up. Even when all the gold coins from the kingdom’s treasury were poured into the bowl, it was not full. Finally, the king was humbled and fell at the feet of the sage.
At that time, the sage said: “Oh, king! This begging bowl cannot be filled by anyone. Not just you; even the richest of the rich cannot fill this. This is not an ordinary begging bowl. This is the skull of the man who had lived and died with a lot of greed.”
Stop your frustration; do not look at your neighbor with envy. Start to live by fulfilling your needs well within your means. More than half the quarrels in your family would disappear. You too can climb the peak of happiness.
On no count, should permit relatives, friends and others to induce or tempt your family with greed. Greed is something that we should be wary of, in all walks of life
Enjoy Your Day

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

HAPPY MAKARSANKRATI

HAPPY MAKARSANKRATI
 
MakarsakrantiHindu Festival Makar SankrantiMakarsakranti FestivalMakarsakranti Celebration

[makar-sankranti-surya.jpg] 

 

!*!~* Makar Sankranti In Various Parts Of India*~!*!


The great diversity of Indian religious beliefs is projected throughthe various festivals that are celebrated in our country. They arise from the innate desire of man to seek diversion from humdrum activities and they help in symbolising, reflecting and enriching social life in a specific cultural setting.

The festival of Makar Sankrant traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun"s northward journey (the UTTARAYAN) when it enters the sign of Makar (the CAPRICORN). It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. This day has a very special significance because the day and night on Makar Sankrant are of exactly of equal hours. This day is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus.
The evidence of this festival being lucky is found in our great epic Mahabharat wherein it is told that the great warrior-hero, Bhishma Pitamah  even after being wounded and lying on the bed of arrows, lingered on till Uttarayan set in, to breathe his last. It is believed that the person who dies on this auspicious day of Sankrant escapes the cycle of birth and re-birth and that his soul mingles with the Almighty.
This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the country yet the use of til that is sesame is found everywhere. Til or sesame seed contain lot of oil and they therefore have a quality of softness in them. Therefore, firstly the use of til in sweets is good for health and secondly being soft their exchange means exchange of love and tender feelings.
In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-coloured tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch and these are specialities of Maharashtra. Maharashtrian women are proud of their excellence in preparing these delicacies. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying - "til-gul ghya, god god bola" meaning "accept these tilguls and speak sweet words". The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends. This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called "Haldi-Kumkoo" and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.
 

In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus help the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.


Makar Sankranti Kite Festival 
In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year  huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated as "LOHARI". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. Thefollowing day, which is Sankrant is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi"s dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the samptions food that is specially prepared for the occasion.
 
In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh this festival of Sankrant is known by the name "SUKARAT" or "SAKARAT" and is celebrated with great pomp merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.

 
In South Sankrant is known by the name of "PONGAL", which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a"Puja" (worship) for the Sun God.

 
 
 
In Uttar Pradesh, Sankrant is called "KICHERI".Having bath on this day is regarded as most important. A mass of humanity can be seenbathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj where the rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi flow together. At the confluence of these holy rivers every year Kumbh Mela is held for full one month.

Makar-sankranti
 
In Bengal every year a Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from East India.

 
The tribals in our country start their New Year from the day of Sankrant by lighting bonfires, dancing and eating their particular dishes sitting together.The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.
There is also a fair in the Western Ghats at a place called Shabari Mala, where the temple of the Community Goddess is decorated with dazzling lights. The Goddess is worshipped by touchables and un-touchables both and the "bhog" to the Goddess is cooked in the touchables and un-touchables both. These tribals participate in the Mela and enjoy all together as if they belong to one single family. May be therefore, the experts pine that this festival of Makar Sankrant comes to us from those olden times when the caste system did not exist in India as it emphasises or communal harmony.
  
 

In Karnataka, the festival is marked by visiting one's friends and relatives to exchange greetings, and by the preparation of a dish called Ellu (made with sesame seeds, coconuts, sugar blocks, etc). A common custom found across Karnataka is the exchange of sugarcane pieces and Ellu with one's neighbors, friends and relatives. In Karnataka, Pongal is known as 'Sankranti', and cows and bullocks are gaily decorated and fed 'Pongal'- a sweet preparation of rice. Special prayers are offered. In the evening, the cattle are led out in procession to the beat of drums and music. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire.
Makar Sankranti is marked by men, women and children wearing colorful clothing; visiting near and dear ones; and exchanging pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. On this auspicious day, people in Karnataka distribute Yellu and bella (Sesame seeds and Jaggery) and greet with the words " “Ellu bella thindu, Olle Maathu Aadu” (Eat sesame seeds and speak only good). The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings
File:Ellu bella.jpg
 


In Andhra Pradesh, Makar Sankranti holds a special importance too. Makar Sankranti here is a 3-day festival. On this day, pulagam, a dish made of rice, green gram and pepper is a unique fare in every Telegu kitchen. In the Telengana districts of Andhra Pradesh, in addition to the harvest festival, Makar Sankranti is also marked by kite flying. 



Thus we see that this festival occupies a significant place in the cultural history of our country and symbolises the victory of ORDER over CHAOS and of Love over Hate.




Hi,Til gud ghya, god god bola
 
Wish you all a very
 
happy and prosperous
 
MAKARSANKRATI 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Pongal Puja – How to do Thai Pongal Pooja?

Pongal Puja – How to do Thai Pongal Pooja?


Talk about Pongal festival and the first thing that comes to mind is the boiling over of the cooking rice and lentils, known as pongal dish. This pongal dish is offered to Lord Surya, who is Pratyaksha Brahman – the visible God. For a prosperous and peaceful year, on the Pongal day, Lord Surya (the Sun God) is worshipped after the birth of Thai Month. Pujas and rituals on the day are dedicated to the Sun God.

How to Perform Pongal Puja?

Surya Puja is performed outside the house after sunrise on the Pongal day. Some people invite priests to perform Surya Narayana Puja on the day.

All pujas are performed after sunrise on the first day of Thai month.

Drawing of Pongal Kolam

The place chosen to perform the puja is thoroughly cleaned and a Surya Kolam is drawn - a Kolam with the face of Lord Surya. People also draw sugarcane, peacock, boiling pongal pot etc in or around the Surya Kolam.

The Pongal Puja

The pongal and other dishes specially prepared for the day are offered to Surya.

For many people, cooking of pongal itself is an offering and they perform it outside with a tripod of sugarcane – three sugarcane sticks erected like an uncovered tent.

The pongal pot is tied w
ith
 turmeric plant.

Apart from the pongal and other dishes, some people also offer fruits, vegetables, produce from recent harvest, sugarcane, coconut, betel leaves, betel nut and flowers.

All the fruits, vegetables, flowers and pongal dish are kept on the Surya kolam and a lamp is lit and prayers are offered to Surya.

Prayers Chanted on Pongal

Aditya Hridayam or Surya Ashtotaram or Gayatri mantra is recited. Or you can simply mediate and say some simple prayers.

After The Pongal Puja

After the prayers, some water and flowers are sprinkled on the kolam and pongal dish. You can also sprinkle some uncooked rice mixed with turmeric (akshata).

After final prayers, the pongal, other dishes and fruits are distributed.

Looking at Sun’s reflection in water

In some regions, there is a ritual to look at the Sun’s reflection in a vessel filled with water. Some communities add turmeric and kumkum to the water and look at this reflection. Another unique ritual is to look at sun through the gaps of fingers.

Puja After Sunset

After sunset special prayers are offered to Lord Surya. This includes chanting of any shloka dedicated to the sun god.

Significance of Sugarcane in Pongal : -

Ever wondered why is sugarcane an indispensable part of Pongal? Sugarcane symbolizes sweetness and happiness. But there is also a myth associated with the widespread use of Sugarcane during Pongal. 
It is said that on a Perum Pongal day, Lord Shiva performed the miracle of feeding sugarcane to a stone image of an elephant in the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Lord Shiva is known as Lord Sundareshwar in Meenakshi temple and there is a stone carving based on the event in the temple.
Apart from Sugarcane some of the other essentials during Pongal are Turmeric tufts, koorai poo, Aavaram poo, banana leaves and mango leaves. Koorai poo is believed to keep evil away and so it is placed in front of houses.
The neck of the Ponga panai (the vessel in which Pongal is prepared) is tied with fresh turmeric leaves. In some places, fresh tender green leaves of ginger are also used. The green leaves symbolize prosperity.

How to observe Bhogi Pongal?

Bhogi marks the preparation for Pongal festival and Uttarayana, the auspicious half of the year. Bhogi is specially marked for physical and spiritual cleaning and falls on the last day of Tamil month Margazhi. Cleaning and removing unwanted stuff and damaged things is the main activity on the day. In the evening, people burn all the unwanted things (Bhogi Bonfire). Bhogi falls on the day before Pongal day. It is also the first day of Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh. Here is a brief look at what to do on Bhogi Pongal?

Traditional Bath

An elaborate oil bath is done at early morning on the Bhogi day.

Drawing of Kolams 

After morning bath and rituals, women make beautiful kolams (rangoli). 

There is sometimes a healthy competition among neighbors on design and size of the kolams. Large kolams are preferred during Pongal.

Some communities place a pumpkin flower in the middle of the kolam.
Cleaning and Burning debris on Bhogi Pongal

The most important activity on Bhogi Pongal is to clean the house, office, surroundings, courtyard and other places. All the broken and unwanted things are removed. The reason for this massive cleaning exercise is to bring new energy into life. It is believed that Uttarayana marks the daytime of the Devas and all auspicious things happen during this period. So all the unwanted things are removed and burned to ashes. Bhogi bonfire is a major activity in the evening.

Caution: Bhogi Pongal and Pollution: In the name of cleaning, people burn plastic, rubber, tyres and non-degradable material causing environmental pollution. Such practices should not be encouraged.

Bhogi Pongal Puja
There is no special puja. Daily poojas and prayers are performed. Farmers do have some rituals like consecrating their tools and doing harvest of paddy and sugarcane.

Purchase for Pongal and coming Four Year Stronghere is a tradition to purchase new clothes, sugarcane and new vessel to cook pongal on Bhogi day. Some of the old things are replaced. Many people buy new broom, dustpan and other kitchen items on this day.

Food on Bhogi Pongal

A traditional home meal with Mor Kozhambu is prepared in most homes. Some people also prepare kadala parippu poli, Bhogi ama vadai etc. Sweets are also prepared in some houses.
Preparation for Pongal
In most regions, Bhogi day is used to prepare for Pongal, which happens on the next day. It is also the first day in Thai Month. From 2009, Pongal will also be the Tamil New Year day.

Significance of Mattu Pongal

Mattu Pongal is the third day of Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. Mattu or Mathu means cattle or bull and the day is also known as Pongal of the cattle. In 2014, Mattu Pongal date is January 15. Mattu Pongal is today famous for the bull fight known Jallikettu or Manji Virattu. 

Mattu Pongal is a sort of thanksgiving to cow, which provides milk and organic manure or fertilizer, and bull, which draws the plough. Cows and bulls are an indispensable to the rural economy of India.

On the morning of Mattu Pongal, the cattle are herded to the pool, where they are bathed and decorated. Horns are painted and are capped with special metal caps. The bulls are also adorned with garlands, trinkets and tinkling bells. They are given specially prepared Pongal and other goodies to eat. Special prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati and pongal dish is prepared and offered as ‘prasad’.

In the first half of the Mattu Pongal day, bulls are pampered and fed and in the next half, they are tortured in the name of Jallikettu and Manji Virattu – a sort of bull fighting. Ferocious bulls are specially handpicked and bags of coins are tied to the sharpened horns and they are let loose in an open ground. Young men try to subdue the bull barehanded and in the process hurt themselves and the bulls.

The sport is highly popular in rural Tamil Nadu and in spite of protests from animal activists the sport thrives in the name of tradition.

Kanuma Festival held in Andhra Pradesh during Sankranthi is quite similar to the Mattu Pongal.

Kaanum Pongal – the fourth day of Pongal


Kaanum literally means ‘to see’ and is the fourth day of the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. As the name indicates, Kaanum Pongal is essentially a day of relaxation and socializing and people either visit relatives or go out on a picnic.

One of the most important events on the day is the visit to the banks of Kaveri River. Many people pack their lunch and a have a picnic lunch on the riverbank. In many places special prayers are offered to Mother Kaveri.

In certain parts of rural Tamil Nadu, people use the opportunity provided by Kaanum Pongal to perform the ritual ‘Kummippatu’ or ‘kumi patu.’ This is a ritual performed for the speedy marriage of girls whose marriages are unduly delayed. The girl whose marriage is delayed is made to sit in the center of a circle formed by women dancing to the tune of ‘Kummi pattu.’

There is lot of revelry and merry making on the day. People mingle freely and this gives opportunities to initiate new relationships and several marriage proposals are made on this day.

A sumptuous meal is prepared on the day and youngsters pay respect to the elders and the elders give them money or presents. In some regions, food is left out on banana leaves for birds.

Movies Theaters, Zoos, Parks, Tourist destinations, wildlife sanctuaries, beaches, especially the Marina Beach in Chennai, witness heavy rush on Kaanum Pongal.

WISH YOU ALL 

HAPPY&PROSPEROUS

MAKARSANKRATI ,PONGAL

MAY THIS BRING 

SUCCESS,PROSPERITY AND 

HAPPINESS IN OUR LIFE

Happy Lohri to all

Happy Lohri













What is the significance of this  festival 

The astronomical significance of the festival is that it marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the sun’s movement northward for a six-month period. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn). While Pongal is predominantly a Tamil festival, similar festivals are also celebrated in several other Indian States under different names. In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, the harvest festival Sankranthi is celebrated. In northern India, it is called Makara Sankranti. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, it is celebrated on the date of the annual kite flying day, Uttarayan. It also coincides with the bonfire and harvest festival in Punjab and Haryana, known as Lohri. Similar harvest festivals in the same time frame are also celebrated by farmers in in Burma, Cambodia, and Korea.


Lohri Song for Boys

  
Sunder mundriye ho!
Tera kaun vicaharaa ho!
Dullah bhatti walla ho!
Dullhe di dhee vyayae ho!
Ser shakkar payee ho!
Kudi da laal pathaka ho!
Kudi da saalu paatta ho!
Salu kaun samete!
Chache choori
kutti! zamidara lutti!

Zamindaar sudhaye!
bade bhole aaye!
Ek bhola reh gaya!
Sipahee pakad ke lai gaya!
Sipahee ne mari eet!
Sanoo de de lohri
te teri jeeve jodi! (Cry or howl!)

Paheenve ro te phannve pit! "

Translation
"The ‘ho’s are in chorus Who do you have
The  groom with the tandoor
The groom's daughter got married
He gave 1 kg sugar!
The girl is wearing a red suit!
But her shawl is torn!
Who will stitch her shawl?!
The uncle made choori!
The landlords ate it!
He made the landlords eat a lot!
Lots of innocent guys came
One innocent boy got  left behind
The police arrested him!
The policeman hit him with a
brick!
Cry or howl!
Give us lohri ..long live your jodi!"

Lohri Song for Girls

Happy Lohri Celebrate With Desi Style Animated Picture Comment
 

"Hulle
nee maiyee hulle

do beri patte jhulle
do jhul payeaan  kahjurran
khajurran suttya meva
es munde de ghar mangeva
es munde di
voti nikdi

oh! khandi choori, kutdi
Kut! Kut! Bharaya thaal woti bave
nananaa nal

Ninaan te wadi parjaee
So kudma de ghar aayee!
mein lohri  lain aayee!"
Translation
"Two berry leaves are  hanging
Two date leaves are also hanging
The tree shed the  fruit
There's an engagement in this boy's house
This boy's wife is short
She eats and grinds choori(a punjabi dish)
She grinds and grinds and
fills the plate?.the wife sits with her sisters in law

Sister in law and the elder son's wife
Are in their in-laws house
Happy Lohri to all

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