OH18 -Independence Day to Ganesh Visarjan

Orchid harmony is now a living community of almost 1000 residents with more than 300 occupied flats. It's my 4th year here and I have seen lots of human emotions and characters here. It's like mini India and one can witness the similar kind of politics and other flavours as one comes across in national news. :)

Orchid Harmony is a cosmopolitan community with representation from different parts of the country. I have avoided the word "states" as it's feel is of a divided  country . The  belonging to state is highlighted  and does not show any  association with the country. Intellectuals and politicians prefer to divide the country and then rule the divided masses, the formula used by all those who have ruled India for a thousand years.

Independence day, the August 15th, 2018 was celebrated with routine flag hoisting and serving of hot bhajias and ladoos. As usual, the flag hoisting was witnessed mostly by few senior citizens and young children in the morning. The number of attendees increased four folds on free servings of  bhajia and ladoos counter. Ladoos were more preferred than bhajias, in-spite of the calories count , after all the life is happier with the calories. :)  I avoided both, though it was free and I also pay "maintenance" and it was served from the society fund. This thought is a big motivator to eat free meals and have been loudly shared on most of the public platforms.

No comments on right or wrong attitude. Just wondering if any body ever worried about the kind of offspring or society being created by throwing such thoughts to the children ? People in general are very unabashed about their "weight throwing" behaviour.

I remember an incident which happened in society almost an year ago. Few residents with their wives were shouting at the elected representatives of society in a way which in no way was a sign of civilized interaction. I am sure their young children would have hanged their heads in shame if they were shown the videos of that day.

Passing the baton to young ones!

Anyway, let's come back to Independence day celebrations in society. Flag hoisting by the Chairman of the society, followed by national anthem and few items by senior citizens with "bhashanbaazi" types messages from anyone who gets hold of mike. Time has come to change the way we celebrate the festivals of national importance at society level. To my mind, the better way to celebrate independence and republic day is to involve children in some society building activity like cleaning the dead corners of society or garden  to inculcate the sharing of social responsibilities rather than repeating the history umpteen times.

Getting acquainted with the colours of Indepenence

Evening has seen the children performances on theme "patriotic". How about having a long play incorporating all the entertaining elements to have a continuous story?  :)

Ganesh Chaturthi in mid September is also a community function and has seen an increased fervour and favours with society residents. This is mainly a Marathi festival and in earlier years, Marathi Manus of OH were in forefront in planning and celebrating the Ganesh Chaturathi. Things were different this year. I had come to know that they backed out to force some demands.

Anyway, Lord Ganesha's presence is so overwhelming that all these things become non-entities. Lord Ganesha stayed in the OH for three days. Lots of people participated and "chappan bhogs" were curated for all the three days of  "bhagwan's" stay with in the premises. Two times "aarti" every day and action filled evenings saw participation from some enthusiastic residents. Stalls were set up by vendors to provide food items were very popular with the crowd in the evening.

Ganesh Chaturathy is more about social interactions and activities than a religious

I  did not participated in the pooja and aarti as my dialogue with the Lord is very personal and I am not a ritualistic. Since my apartment is strategically located and I can see everything going on in the garden, which is the main venue of all the activities, it feels being there without going out.

Third day was the day of visarjan and time to bid farewell to Lord till He comes next year. Dhol, baja, sindoor khela and garba dancers accompanied lord Ganesha to Visarjan venue.

As He leaves OH to come next year, I wish He takes away all the negativity from the hearts of people and society so that residents live in harmony and peace. Amen!!!

Taking Lord Ganesha for Visarjan - View from my balcony.

Few people also bring in Ganesha home. A kitty party friend has invited to see his Ganesha idol and I along with 4 others have gone to visit her place. She has really made lots of effort and creativity in creating a beautiful look. Sharing the picture for all of you to rejoice!

OH 13 गणेश चतुर्थी

OH में आजकल बहुत धूमधाम हो रही है. कुछ चुनावी सरगर्मियां हैं और कुछ बप्पा के आने की. हाँ, और गरबा अभ्यास की धूम भी तो है. जगह जगह महिलाओं और कन्यायों के समूह अभ्यास करते दिखाई दे रहे हैं. गार्डन में, पार्किंग में और कभी तो टावर्स के पीछे भी. माहौल मस्त और खुशनुमा  है. 

अब ५ सितम्बर को गुन्नू भैया के आने का इंतज़ार है. आज कुछ धार्मिक वेबसाइट्स से गणेश चतुर्थी की पूजा और विधान की कुछ विधियां पढ़ी तो लगा यह में आपने पाठकों के साथ शेयर करूँ. 

मैं खुद भी गणेश जी को घर लातीं हूँ. मेरे यहां विनायक  दूसरी बार ठहरेंगे. OH में आने के बाद से मेरे मन में गणेश जी को घर लाने की इच्छा जागी. क्योंकि मैं बहुत कर्मकांड में विश्वास नहीं रखती, तो मुझे पूजा इत्यादि की विधि की कोई जानकारी नहीं थी.पिछले वर्ष मैंने अपनी सहेलियों के मार्गदर्शन में बप्पा की पूजा अर्चना  की. पर मेरा  ईश्वर के साथ संचार का एक अलग माध्यम है. मुझे अकेले में शान्ति से उन से बात करना अच्छा लगता है. मुझे पूजा के नाम पर चंदा इत्यादि भी देना बहुत सुहाता नहीं. उस भगवान् को हम क्या दे सकते हैं जो सारी सृष्टि का मालिक  है. पर कुछ बातें समाज में रहते हुए करनी भी पड़ती हैं. 

मैं खुद तो किसी भी तरह की पूजा पाठ  की विधि को नहीं मानती, पर आज नेटसर्फिंग करते हुए मुझे गणेश वंदना की प्रणाली के बारे में कुछ जानकारी प्राप्त हुई तो सोचा कि यह जानकारी  सभी के साथ बांटी जाए.

मैं तो सिर्फ भगवान् से साधारण संवाद करना चाह रहीं हूँ. सिर्फ मन की बात. यूँ तो विघ्नहर्ता को कुछ कहने की भी ज़रुरत नहीं है, पर फिर भी इंसानी मन है, बिना कहे मानता भी नहीं.

चलिए बातों का क्या है, यह तो होती रहेंगी.

आईये, अब गणेश चतुर्थी के बारे में कुछ जानकारी का आदान प्रादान हो जाए.

शुभ मुहुर्त

आपको बता दें कि भले ही गणेश चतुर्थी 5 सितंबर 2016 को है लेकिन इसका प्रारंभ 4 सितंबर, शाम 6.54 मिनट पर ही हो जाएगा और 5 सितंबर रात 9.10 मिनट पर यह शुभ मुहुर्त समाप्त हो जाएगा।

पूजन का समय

घर में गणेश स्थापित करने और पूजन का शुभ समय सुबह 11.10 मिनट से लेकर दोपहर 1.39 मिनट तक रहेगा।

विशेष सामग्रियां

गणेश चतुर्थी के दिन, गणेश पूजन पूरे विधि-विधान से ही किया जाना चाहिए और इसके लिए विशेष सामग्रियां जरूरी हैं।

मोदक

चौकी, जल कलश, पंचामृत, लाल कपड़ा, रोली-मोली, मोदक, जनेऊ गंगाजल, इलायची, नारियल, सिंदूर, चांदी का वर्क, सुपारी, लौंग, पंचमेवा घी, कपूर... आदि की आवश्यकता है।

भगवान गणेश की पूजा

सामग्री इकट्ठा करने के बाद अब पूजन विधि के बारे में जान लेते हैं। जानकारों के अनुसार भगवान गणेश की पूजा करने के लिए सबसे पहले सुबह जल्दी उठकर नहा लें।

लाल कपड़े पहनें

नहाने के बाद लाल कपड़े पहनें और फिर पूजा करने की तैयारी करें। पूजा करते हुए आपक मुंह पूर्व या उत्तर दिशा की ओर होना चाहिए।

पूजन की शुरुआत

पूजन की शुरुआत करने से पहले पंचामृत में गणेश जी का स्नान करवाएं और उसके बाद उन पर गंगा जल छिड़कें। एक चौकी पर लाल कपड़ा बिछाकर गणेश जी को उस पर स्थापित करें और ऋद्धि-सिद्धि के रूप में उनके साथ दो सुपारी रखें।

मंत्र

समस्त सामग्री अर्पित करने के बाद धूप, अगरबत्ती, दीपक से उनकी आरती करें और “वक्रतुंड महाकाय सूर्य कोटि समप्रभ, निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे दे सर्व कार्येषु सर्वदा” मंत्र का जाप करें।

चांद

गणेश चतुर्थी से जुड़ी एक मान्यता भी विद्यमान है कि गणेश चतुर्थी की रात चांद नहीं देखना चाहिए। ऐसा क्यों कहा जाता है उसके पीछे भी एक कहानी है, जिसका संबंध एक श्राप से है।

भगवान श्रीकृष्ण

ऐसा माना जाता है कि जो भी व्यक्ति गणेश चतुर्थी के चांद को देख लेता है, तो देखने वाले व्यक्ति पर चोरी का आरोप लगता है। भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने भी चतुर्थी का चांद देखा था और उन्हें भी मणि चोरी करने के झूठे आरोप का सामना करना पड़ा था।

चांद ना देखने का समय

चांद को ना देखने का निश्चित समय भी उपलब्ध है जो 4 सितंबर 2016 को शाम 6.50 से 8.36 तक है और 5 सितंबर को सुबह 9.21 से शाम 9.12 तक है।

समस्त खुशियां

यह सभी पूजा की विधियां और पूजन की सामग्री पूरी तरह शास्त्रीय मान्यताओं से जुड़े हैं। 

इसी उम्मीद के साथ आप से विदा लेती हूँ कि गणेश जी जब आएंगे तो वे आपके सभी विघ्नों को हरकर आपको और आपके परिवार को समस्त खुशियां प्रदान करेंगे।

( information collected from different sites)

OH9 : CHRISTMAS, LOHRI AND HOLI !

Much water has flown under OH bridge in last few months.

Christmas was celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm on 25th December 2015. A christmas carnival was organized with food stalls, game stalls and a small corner for product stalls to share the home business done by the residents of OH. It was very well organised. OH family participated in large numbers and enjoyed a lot. Though it ended with the intervention of  local police. The organizers were totally at fault to allow loud music after 10 PM. They should have shown some concern about the people who have to go to office early in the morning, senior citizens and students and all those people who have the right to a sound and peaceful sleep. I am really happy that some one has complained and the unwanted music stopped. My sincere thanks to that unknown samaritan, who saved my night's sleep and a bad day.

We went to visit the flower show on river front on 3rd January. As we were entering the society, there was a large crowd at the entry gate and a police van just behind us. There has been a very nasty episode which has happened in the society. Its beyond my comprehension, how can people show anger and muscle power to ruin young lives. I shudder to think about the kind of reactions cornered persons forced to do. Crime petrol , the TV programme is such an eye opener. It's my personal belief that one should not create hostile living conditions in and around living spaces.

February comes and brings in the final examination fever - boards, pre-boards, practicals, boards etc. Mothers are as tense as children. Its almost March end now. Most of the school exams are over. Some schools have declared the results too. The examination days were stressful for the mothers and children. Few enterprising mothers celebrated the occasion with a grand pot-luck lunch. It's heartening to see the happy faces. I personally feel very joyous when such happy memories are created. I love being surrounded by positive and happy people.

With holi festival, just after 3 days, some action is being seen in OH.
It has been long time when I am back to this blog.
The life has been very busy at the onset of the new year. I hope to write about OH more often as I want to record most of the moments .

OH 6 : NAVRATRI CELEBRATIONS in OH

Navratri celebration  OH started with a bang with participation of sizable number of residents in pooja aarti of "MATAJI". The whole garden was well decorated and shining with lights. After the aarti and prasaad was done, it was time for garba. Enthusiasts had great time dancing to the folk songs' beats.  

Ab thoda sa gyan! 

Navratri, Navaratri or Navarathri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रम्; Marathi: नवरात्र; Gujarati: નવરાત્રી; Hindi: नवरात्रि)  is a Hindu festival of worship of Shakti and dance & festivities. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti or Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami  or Dussehra.

Each day of the nine-day festival are dedicated to the worship of different forms of Goddess Durga, which unfolds the religious importance of the occasion. 

Navaratri is celebrated four times a year: 

1.Vasanta Navaratri, 

2. Ashadha Navaratri, 

3. Sharada Navaratri, 

4. Paush/Magha Navaratri. 

Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi (Sept - Oct) and the Vasanta Navaratri of the Vasanta kala  ( March - April) are very important.

This is the time for sharada navratri.  It is also called Maha Navratri (the Great Navratri) and is celebrated in the month of Ashvina. It is celebrated at the beginning of winter .

Navaratri this year starts from October 13 and ends on October 21 with Vijayadashami  on October 22. 

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India.

In North India, all  Navratris are celebrated with much fervour by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri ends in Durga Puja and Dussehra. 

The Dussehra of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North. 

Navratri festival  is one of the main festivals of Gujarat. Garba is done after the Durga Pooja with the groups and live orchestra or devotional songs. Since the past few years, the Government Of Gujarat has been organising the "Navratri Festival Celebrations" on a regular basis for the nine days of Navratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine days celebrations. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK and USA.

The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where it is celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

In Goa, zatra begins during Navratri, entire Antruz (Ponda) is highly ornated. The Saraswat Brahmin temples are beautifully decorated and the idols are taken out for worship. The idols are dressed and adorned with flowers, sandalwood paste, turmeric and kumkum.  The Dasha Maitrikas (the 10 sisters of Goa) of the Saraswat Brahmins are taken out to worship - namely, Shantadurga, Aryadurga, Mahalasa, Katyayani, Mahamaya, Kamakshi, Vijayadurga, Bhumika, Mahalakshmi and Navadurga.

In South India, people set up steps and place idols on them. This is known as golu.

In Kerala, three days: Ashtami, Navami, and Vijaya Dashami of Sharad Navaratri are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja in which books are worshipped.  On Vijaya Dashami day, the books are ceremoniously taken out for reading and writing after worshipping Sarasvati. Vijaya Dashami day is considered auspicious for initiating the children into writing and reading, which is called  Vidyarambham. Tens of thousands of children are initiated into the world of letters on this day in Kerala. 

First three days

The first three days of Navratri are devoted to the worship of the Goddess Durga. This is the period, when her energy and power are worshipped. Each day is dedicated to a different appearance of Durga.

First day: Kumari, which signifies the girl child. 

Second day: Goddess Parvati, who is the embodiment of a young woman.

Third Day:   Goddess Kali is worshipped, who represents the woman who has reached the stage of maturity. The destructive aspects of Goddess Durga symbolise the commitment to acquire triumph over all the evil tendencies.