SRI SRI DURGA PUJA PROGRAMME 2009

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1 GLASGOW 2009

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4 SRI SRI DURGA PUJA PROGRAMME 2009 All events will take place at Couper Institute 86 Clarkston Rd, Glasgow G44 3DA (Tel: ) MAHALAYA SUNDAY, 20th September 2009 Shri Chandi Patth & Ananda Bhojon pm MAHA SASTHI THURSDAY, 24th SEPTEMBER 2009 Kalparambha, Bodhan, Amontran, Adhibas, Sandhya Arati, Preeti bhoj pm pm MAHA SAPTAMI FRIDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2009 Puja, Puspanjali, Prasad pm and Bhog Distribution pm MAHA NAVAMI SUNDAY 27th SEPTEMBER 2009 Puja, Puspanjali, Prasad, Bhog Distribution pm BIJOYA DASAMI MONDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 2009 Puja, Bisorjan, Santijal, Prasad, Mistanna Bitaran and Preeti Bhoj pm MAHA ASTHAMI SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 2009 Puja, Puspanjali, Prasad, Bhog Distribution pm Sandhi Puja pm MAHA LAKSHMI PUJA SATURDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2009 Puja, Arati, Puspanjali and Bhog Dristribution pm MAHA KALI PUJA SATURDAY 17th OCTOBER 2009 Puja, Puspanjali, Prasad and Bhog Distribution pm 2

5 CONTENTS Page Sri Sri Durga Puja Programme Editorial... 5 Executive Committee - Bangiya Sanskritik Parishad... 6 Social Calendar for the Year Message from: The President, Bangiya Sanskritik Parishad... 7 The Chairman, Durga Puja Committee... 9 Secretary of State for Scotland Consul General of India Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police Past Puja Memories Durga Puja Committee Past Puja Memories Mahalaya Mahalaya Message from the Lord Provost of Glasgow Message from the Minister for Community Safety Hinduism in India The Spiritual Significace of Navaratri Acknowledgements ADVERTISERS Page Kolkata West International City Pvt. Ltd... inside front cover Aditi Poddar and Deepak Poddar... 4 Royal Air Force... 4 Dalmellington Care Centre... 8 Thistle Healthcare Bank of India Strathclyde Police B. P. Agrawalla Bagaria Family Glasgow Caledonian University North Glasgow College Globrin UK Ltd Hutchesons Grammar School Daisy Travel New Cafe Punjab Hardware Cut Price Stores Fairline Coaches Ltd Kabana Ethnic Minority Enterprise Centre KRK...inside back cover 3

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7 EDITORIAL We have once again come together to celebrate Durga Puja for the 29 th year running, and its message of victory of good over evil, peace and unity amongst mankind. This year, the Durga Puja is even more special with the arrival of new Murtis from Kolkata. These celebrations enrich all our lives, both young and old, and serve to maintain and further our Bengali religious and cultural heritage. In addition, it is an opportunity for others in the wider community to experience our tolerant Hindu tradition, which forms part of the fabric of multi-cultural Scotland. Our appreciation and thanks go to the numerous public dignitaries who further endorse our Puja through their messages of support. Our thanks also go to Glasgow City Council for all their support and in particular providing a safe place to store our Murtis. This souvenir serves as a vehicle for raising funds that helps us considerably in celebrating the Durga Puja. We are therefore grateful to all the advertisers from the local business community, and other patrons who have contributed financially. As always, the Puja would not be possible without the tireless efforts of the numerous organisers and other members of our community. We hope you all enjoy this year s celebrations. Mrs Sheela Mukherjee Dr Satya Chakrabarti Editors & Souvenir Conveners 5

8 BANGIYA SANSKRITIK PARISHAD (Established 1971) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT...Dr. Pinaki Ghosh GENERAL SECRETARY...Dr. Mridula Chakraborty TREASURER...Mrs. Ira Das SOCIAL SECRETARY...Dr. Debjani Patra PUJA CONVENER...Mrs. Sheela Mukherjee AUDITOR...Mr. Mihir Mukherjee CO-OPTED MEMBERS... Dr. Sandip K. Ghosh, Dr. Arijit Mukherjee, Dr. Dilip Ganguly, Mr. Dilip Mukherjee, Mrs. Aditi Palchaudhuri, Mrs. Sraboni Bhattacharya, Mrs. Shruti Majumder & Mrs. Bharati Sain EX-OFFICIO...Dr. Haradhan Datta Social Calendar for the year Sunday 20th September Mahalaya Couper Institute Thurs-Monday 24th - 28th September Durga Puja Couper Institute Saturday 3rd October Lakshmi Puja Couper Institute Saturday 17th October Kali Puja Couper Institute Saturday 31st October Bijoya Sammelani Clarkston Hall Saturday 19th December Christmas Party Carmichael Hall Wednesday 20th January 2010 Saraswati Puja Couper Institute Saturday 17th April 2010 Naba Barsha Clarkston Hall Saturday 12th June 2010 Picnic TBA Saturday 19th June 2010 AGM Bearsden Hall BIJOYA SAMMELANI Will be held on Saturday 31st October 2009 at 6.30pm at the Clarkston Hall, Glasgow 6

9 BANGIYA SANSKRITIK PARISHAD (BENGALI CULTURAL ASSOCIATION) Estd MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT We welcome you all to the twenty ninth year of the only Durga Puja Celebration in Scotland. With the advent of Mahalaya the autumn sky gets filled with the fragrance of kash flowers that bloom as the precursor of Durga Puja. The worship of goddess Durga reminds the triumph of good over evil. This is the time to perceive that the struggle between the truth and lies the ultimate victory beckons on truism. Devi Durga is the universal mother of mankind. She is the consort of Lord Shiva and stays at Kailash in the Himalayas. With Shiva and children Kartikeya, Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati she visits her ancestral home in the Devi Paksha of Hindu Almanac. The mythological background of Durga Puja dates back to Puran days when the goddess vanquished and killed demon Mahishasur to save the heaven from the clutches of the devil. Now what is the background of this battle that caused tremendous shivers through the length and breadth of the Universe. The demon Mahishasur drove away the Gods from heaven by virtue of the boon of Brahma that meant that he could not be killed by a man made person. The displaced Gods accompanied by Brahma and Shiva went to Vishnu for saving them from demon Raj. Vishnu gave an advice to God to unite with their own wives and at the same time they should pray that a female person might be born out of their collective union. This spiritual woman would kill the Demon. Having heard Vishnu s advice the Gods practiced the method and out of their collective spiritual power the iconic image of woman was born. The Gods gave their own weapons to the Devi Durga to kill the demon Mahishasur. This mythological story is the backdrop of Durga Puja that is performed for 4 days. This Puja is not an annual ritual, but an occasion to bring people within the place of worship. It serves as a venue of mass communications where the people irrespective of caste and creed unite to invoke an aura of togetherness. The puja is open to all and sundry. It also devises a spirit of national integration exploring the good sense of people in the cause of humanities. In pandals anyone with eyes and ears can be made to feel how universal is the spirit of joy. Everybody becomes the part and parcel of the festivity and there is no hard and fast rule of joining the virtues of Puja. Assembled within the four corner of the religious venue, the young and old folks alike happily communicate with each other and more importantly can take part heartily in the ceremonial solemnity. Visitors to the Puja pandal are greeted as august guests along the lines of Basudhaiva Kutumbakam meaning the people of the world are relatives. On this spiritual occasion it is high time to pray to the Almighty Mother to evoke the aura of truism all over the world, to bring peace and tranquillity. Let us enjoy the eagerly awaited Durga Puja with pure heart and mind. I convey my sincere thanks to everybody. Dr. Pinaki Ghosh 7

10 We are pleased to be associated with this event With Best Wishes from Dalmellington Care Centre 9 Waterside Street, Dalmellington, East Ayrshire, KA6 7SW Tel:

11 DURGA PUJA COMMITTEE Bangiya Sanskritik Parishad Glasgow DURGA PUJA 2009 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Friends, Welcome to Durga Puja We are very proud to celebrate the 29th year of Durga Puja. This five day event lets us rejoice in the ultimate story of good versus evil. We have come a long way since Puja started many years ago and whilst there may have been changes, one thing remains steadfast - our devotion to Maa Durga. Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar and our aim is to spread the word and bring together people from all walks of life on a spiritual level. Maa Durga invokes in us strength, goodwill, love and hope, overpowering weakness, hatred, darkness and despair - impurities which cloud our mind. This is a time to offer prayer and seek blessings from Maa Durga. Not only is this a time for contemplation but a time for enjoyment and happiness between friends and family, who may only meet at this annual event. It is always a pleasure to see new faces at this glorious occasion and I hope that this event continues to play an integral part in all our lives. I would like to thank on behalf of the Durga Puja committee, Coupar Institute, Strathclyde Police, Educational Services, Glasgow City Council for all their help and support. And finally I would like to thank the many people that attend Durga Puja. This event would not be possible without the love and support of all our well wishers. We may be a long way from Kolkata but in these 5 days we have made Glasgow our own little Kolkata. I look forward to the many more fruitful years to follow. Come and let us pray Jai Maa Durga Dr Satya Ranjan Chakrabarti Chairman 9

12 Thistle Healthcare Ltd. Best Wishes to Durga Puja Glasgow 2009 From Mr & Mrs Dev Fowdar and Family 10

13 The Durga Puja is a great celebration of faith and culture. Its message of the triumph of good over evil is a powerful one and I wish you every success for this year s festival. Attracting people from communities throughout Scotland and beyond, this festival enriches and strengthens the multi-cultural and multi-faith nature of Scotland. Faith communities play a unique role in 21st century Scotland. I am in no doubt that faith is a great force for good and particularly when faith communities work together with shared understanding. Faith groups are often the first port of call for those who don t know where to turn. Faith groups know their community instinctively. And they know what works best for certain people and areas. The Government recognises that Churches and members of other faiths are at the heart of communities in the way that very few government agencies ever will be. Good people can do great things and I think it is important we all work together to help make Scotland all it aspires to be. It gives me great pleasure to offer my best wishes and the continued support of the Government to the event organisers and the whole Hindu Bengali community for a memorable and enjoyable Durga Puja celebration. RT. HON. JIM MURPHY MP Secretary of State for Scotland 11

14 The Global Player 2954 global outlets (2928 in India and 26 in foreign locations). Powered by the latest technology and a dedicated workforce, offering a touch of personal care and the choicest banking products! Relationships beyond banking. Bank of India 1, Somerset Place Glasgow G3 7JT 12

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17 Message from the Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police, Mr Stephen House QPM It gives me great pleasure to offer the best wishes and continuing support of Strathclyde Police at this time of Durga Puja celebration. Strathclyde s Hindu Bengali Community makes a substantial contribution to the prosperity, cultural diversity and vibrancy of our area, and I am very pleased that we continue to enjoy such a good relationship. In my message last year I mentioned my intention to have more Community Police Officers who were highly visible and known to their public, who could listen to problems and deal effectively with them. I am pleased to report that we have established 134 dedicated Community Policing Teams to deliver effective community policing for all. The Strathclyde Police website contains the contact details of your local Community Policing Team. Working together, building safer communities, we continue to focus our resources on the crimes and offences which cause the most harm particularly violent crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour. The celebration of festivals such as Durga Puja allow us to see the positive and valuable contribution that cultural diversity brings to the Strathclyde area, and I am delighted to be able to extend my warmest congratulations to all concerned. 15

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20 ARTWORK & DECORATIONS Jayanti Kundu Suvaj Mohanty Subhankar Sen SOUVENIR Sheela Mukherjee Satya Chakrabarti Gautam Patra MAHALAYA Nihar Banerjee Shyamal Majumdar RECEPTION SOCIAL ORGANISER Suchitra Mukherjee CHILDREN S ACTIVITIES Mohua Ray Indrani Mukherjee DURGA PUJA COMMITTEE 2009 CHAIRMAN SECRETARY TREASURER CONVENER AUDITOR Ruma Majumder Madhushri Burman Roy Swapna Roy Bharati Sain Sudakshina Kundu Monobina Chakraborty Samir Majumder Kamal Mondal Nirmal Dhar Satyen Mukherjee Ashis Mallik Ashok Chakraborty Shyamal Sengupta Robin Roy Mihir Mukherjee Dr Satya Chakrabarti Dr Sanjeet Bhattacharya & Dr Arijit Mukherjee Mr Gautam Patra Mrs Sheela Mukherjee Dr Haradhan Datta ADVISOR Dr Sandip Ghosh PUROHITS Mr. Dilip Chatterjee, Mr. Nihar Banerjee SUB-COMMITTEE PUJA PREPARATION & PROSAD DISTRIBUTION Asha Mallik Mridula Chakraborty Ira Das Jayanti Kundu Aditi Palchoudhuri Pratima Sengupta Baisali Sengupta Kalpana Sinha Anju Chatterjee Kamala Ray Reba Rakhit Swati Adhikari Kajal Chakrabarty Rashmi Routray Kalpana Mukherjee Leena Mukherjee Chhabi Majumdar Meena Dutta Madhuleka Banerjee Lily Roy Vimla Das Supriya Bhaduri Debjani Patra Kiron Ghosh Jaba Ganai Maitraye Ghosh Nripen Ganai Durga Rakhit 18

21 BHOG PREPARATION Anu Sarkar Suchitra Mukherjee Moni Mondal Uma Chakrabarti Tripti Sarkar Anita Dhar Kiron Ghosh Swapna Roy Madhulekha Banerjee Debjani Patra Usha Sengupta Jaba Ganai Rashmi Routray Meena Ray Mohua Ray Sumana Roy Indrani Mukherjee Shraboni Bhattacharya Arunima Mukhopadhyay Babulayeb Mukhopadhyay Tarapada Sain Gour Sarkar Sanjeet Bhattacharya Arijit Mukherjee Goutam Patra Jayanto Mitra Joydeep Dey Shanker Bhaduri BHOG DISTRIBUTION Arun Das Subhankar Sen Robin Bhattacharya Dhrubo Kundu Biswanath Sinha Parthapratim Ghosh-Biswas Siddhartha Adhikari Priyo Sengupta PHOTOGRAPHER Prasanta Roy GENERAL MANAGEMENT Gour Sarkar Dilip Ganguly Dilip Mukherjee Ashok Roy Purnendu Das Haradhan Datta Bishnu Routray Pinaki Ghosh Mihir Palchaudhuri Shankar Bhaduri Amit Datta Goutamananda Ray Saibal Sen HALL MAINTENANCE Helen & her team KITCHEN CARER Alexander (Alex) 19

22 20 All photographs taken by Prashanta Roy

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24 Mahalaya 2009 Narration: Nihar Banerjee Babulayab Mukhopadhyay Music: Shyamal Majumder Tabla: Goutamananda Ray Arunava Ghosh-Roy Violin: Arup Chakraborty Stage Decoration: Jayanti Kundu Vocal: Aditi Palchaudhuri Pratima Sengupta Kamala Ray Mridula Chakraborty Bani Bhattacharya Shraboni Bhattacharya Sumana Roy Supriya Bhaduri Uma Chakrabarti Debjani Patra Monobina Chakraborty Mohua Roy Anu Sarkar Sandip Ghosh Gautamananda Ray Sanjeet Bhattacharya Shankar Bhaduri Adaptation & Direction: Nihar Banerjee 22

25 MAHALAYA The traditional six day countdown to Mahasaptami starts from Mahalaya. Goddess Durga visits the earth for only four days but seven days prior to the Pujas, starts the Mahalaya. The enchanting chant of chandi patth fill up the predawn hours of the day thus marking the beginning of devipaksha and the countdown of Durga Puja. It s a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess to descend on earth - Jago Tumi Jago. This is down through chanting of mantras and singing devotional songs. The story element is captivating. It speaks of the increasing cruelty of the demon king Maheswara against the gods. Unable to tolerate his tyranny the gods plead with Vishnu to annihilate the demon. The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara (Shiva) come together to create a powerful female from with ten arms - Goddesss Durga or Mahamaya, the Mother of the Universe who embodies the primeval source of all power. The gods then bestow upon this Supreme creation their individual blessings and weapons. Armed like a warrior, the goddess rides a lion to battle with Mahisasra. After a fierce combat the Durgatinashini is able to slay the Asura king with her trident. Heaven and earth rejoice at her victory. Finally, the mantra narration ends with the refrain of mankind s supplication before this Supreme Power: Ya devi sarbabhuteshshu, sakti rupena sanksthita Namasteshwai Namasteshwai Namasteshwai namo namaha. This day bears immense significance for the Bengalis. It is according to the myths that Sree Rama hastily performed Durga Puja just before he set for Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana. According to Puranas, King Suratha, used to worship the goddess Durga in spring. Thus Durga Puja was also known as Basanti Puja. But Rama brought the Puja forward and worshiped Durga in autumn and that is why it is known as Akal Bodhon or untimely worship. It was considered untimely as it is in the myths that puja was performed when the Gods and Goddesses were awake i.e. Uttarayan and was not held when the Gods and Goddesses rested i.e. Dakshinayan. It was on the day of Mahalaya, the beginning of devipoksha, the Gods and Goddesses woke up to prepare themselves for Durga Puja. Autumn in its bloom, mingled with the festive spirit of Durga Puja reaches its pitch on the day of Mahalaya. From this day starts Devipaksha and marks the end of Pitri-paksha. It is the day when many throng to the banks of river Ganga, clad in dhotis to offer prayers to their dead relatives and forefathers. People in the pre-dawn hours pray for their demised relatives and take holy dips in the Ganges. This ritual is known as Tarpon. 23

26 With Compliments B. P. Agrawalla & Family GLASGOW Telephone: Fax: Greetings to Durga Puja Glasgow 2008 Dr & Mrs Bagaria and Family Edinburgh 24

27 The Rt Hon The Lord Provost of Glasgow Councillor Bob Winter I am honoured and pleased to offer my best wishes once again on behalf of the City of Glasgow to all involved in the Durga Puja festival As we all know, Glasgow will have the honour of hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This will make us more even aware of the City s great affinity with and contacts to the Commonwealth s great family of nations all over the world. This of course includes India, whose people and culture have had such a rich influence on the life and culture of Glasgow. The Durga Puja is a vibrant and spectacular manifestation of that culture, which brings India to the west of Scotland. At the same time, I know that it is a deeply religious occasion for Hindu individuals and communities, and as such it is an opportunity for others to gain a deeper insight into the tenets and practices of the Hindu religion. I am certain that this year s Festival will again be a great success, and that this will be due, as ever, to the hard work put in by a large number of people on your Committee and its sub-committees: their contributions will again ensure that the Durga Puja will be one of which the Hindu community and Glasgow will be proud. With best wishes, Councillor Bob Winter RT Hon the Lord Provost of Glasgow Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, Glasgow G2 1DU Telephone: / 4201 Facsimile: /

28 Best Wishes for the celebration of Durga Puja 2009 Last year the University was proud to welcome 320 Indian students on to campus to study programmes including MBA, Pharmacology, Wireless Networking, Mechanical Engineering, International Business. Congratulations to all of you who are graduating this year. We wish you all the best with your future career or studies. If you have friends or family interested in finding out more about studying at Glasgow Caledonian University, please contact Susan O Neill at the International Office: Tel: Susan.ONeill@gcal.ac.uk International Business is delighted to support the Durga Puja Festival 2009 Prospective students and their families are welcome to visit our new 21st century college campus situated in Springburn only 4 minutes from Glasgow City Centre by train. Come along and view the state of the art facilities and meet our teaching staff. For further details, please contact: Tricia Ditch, International Co-ordinator North Glasgow College, 123 Flemington Street, Springburn, Glasgow G21 4TD Telephone: T.Ditch@north-gla.ac.uk 26

29 Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing MSP T: E: I am delighted to be able to provide a message of support for this year s Durga Puja Festival. It is wonderful to be asked to be a part of a celebration which is so important to the Hindu community in Scotland. Faith, which underpins so many basic human values, has always played an important part in Scotland s history. In this our year of Homecoming, we are more aware than ever of the value of celebrating many different faiths and cultures which are part of our diverse and multi-cultural society. I would like to offer the event committee as well as all those attending my very best wishes for a successful and enjoyable festival. FERGUS EWING Minister for Community Safety 27

30 HINDUISM IN INDIA Tarapada Sain Hindu and Hinduism explained by foreign scholars on their own way and distorted it. To them Indian civilisation have proximity and relationship with Middle Eastern civilisation and with the Bible and Christianity. They defined the Caste System by colour of skin, as Brahmins were white, Kshatriyas red, Vaishyas yellow, and Shudras were black. Hence the Brahmins were white Aryans and the Dravidians are the dark Shudras (*1). They explain Hinduism: - a) Hinduism has no existence before modern times, although the sources of Hindu traditions are very ancient. b) Hinduism is not a single religion but a conglomerate of diverse belief and traditions. c) Hinduism has no definite starting point. The traditions into it go back several thousand years but some claim it s eternal. Actually the Aryans were migrated from Central Asia and Europe to the Indian sub-continent and became a dominant force. The dark original indigenous population of India must have assimilated with the white Indo-Europeans; the Aryan invaders of India live by the religious guidance of the Vedic scriptures and left their mark more on north India. There may be some continuity between the Indus Valley Civilisation and Hinduism. Religion in the Indus Valley seems to have involved with temple, rituals, ritual bathing and animal sacrifice (*2). Recent archaeological evidence from new excavation has shown that Indus Valley Civilisation was Vedic Hindu civilisation on the banks of The Rig Veda fame river Saraswati and its language was Sanskrit. The Harappan sites were along the banks of the river Saraswati in the Thar Desert area and on the east side of Indus, not on the west side. The largest concentrations of those sites were in an area of Punjab and Rajasthan. Mahenjo-Daro and Harappa, the first large sites found and these two major cities in the Indus Valley appear to be peripheral cities, the main sites were found in northwestern India. The Saraswati is regarded as a main river in the Hindu scriptures The Rig Veda (before 6,500 B.C) and is frequently mentioned in the text. Modern land studies reveals, Saraswati was the largest river in ancient India well before 3000B.C. And it dried up at the end of Hrappan culture and before so-called Aryan invasion or before 1500 B.C. The Indus Valley Civilisation had developed by about 2500B. C. Indeed the Saraswati region was fertile and green to maintain a civilisation as mentioned in The Rig Veda. So it shows that the river was there before Harappan culture. The physical existence of the Sarswati as a great river was unknown until recent land studies. Previously it was identified as a minor desert stream as a proof of invasion theory, and its real location must have been in Afghanistan. Now the Indian scholars have countered that evidence. If the river in Afghanistan have Vedic name it is more likely an overflow of Indian population there out of India, not the other way round. No river in Afghanistan has that size, location, or reaches the sea, as did the river Swaraswati in The Rig Veda. It s already noted that Harappan sites found in Afghanistan and that would explain the naming of Swaraswati there from larger Indian counterparts. Therefore today many Indian and Western scholars are proposing, that the Harappan or Indus Valley civilisation should be renamed as Saraswati civilisation or at least Indus-Saraswati civilisation. 28

31 There is no evidence that Aryan as a racial term ever used in the Hindu scriptures - The Rig Veda. The term Arya means noble or spiritual, and has been used by Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians as well as Hindus. Race was never a bar for anyone joining the Arya Dharma or teachings of noble people so as the teaching of the Hindus in the Vedic period (*1). Hinduism is a religion based on the scriptures - The Rig Veda that composed well before 6,500 B.C and must have been existed before 10,000B.C. The basic scriptures of Hinduism, which is collectively referred to Shastras, are essentially a collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different times in its long history. Hinduism based mainly on:- a) Dharma (ethics and duties) b) Samsara (rebirth) c) Karma (right action) d) Moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth) (*3). In colonial period the Western Vedic scholars did the cultural imperialism in the intellectual sphere and the ruling class did in the political sphere in India. Western scholars said that foreigners (Persians) introduced the word Hindu, which was not true. The word Hindu came from Indu (Soma-juice or Soma-nectar). Indu used as a drink offering to God in Vedic Yajnas (worships). After the Vedic Yajna (worship) for health, life, prosperity and offspring the people used to consume that drink offering, called Hindu. Muslims entering India for the first time and speaking Arabic or Persian languages having alphabets Sad and Sin etc. for S sounds, would not have substitute H for S in Sindhu to pronounce or use it in their own languages. The word Hindu was not specific to any particular region or area in India, it was already in use there before the foreigners arrived, and those foreigners did not have to invent it from Sindhu by accidentally or due to necessity. Caste System In Hinduism:- Hindu Caste System was neither related to heredity (by birth) nor by colour of skin as explained by foreign scholars, but it person s vocational option or professional choice. The ancient Vedic Hindu society did not restrict the cross-caste matrimonial and occupational choices for individuals. a) In the Mahabharata, Styavati who was a fisherman s daughter and a Shudra by caste married to a Kshatriya king Shantanu. b) In the Upanishad, Satyakama the illegitimate son of a Shudra women who did not even remember the name of her son s father, went on to be accepted and educated for Brahmin work. c) Valmiki started life as a robber and going from being a Chandaal became a great Bramhin after performing penance and hard study and afterwards he wrote the Ramayana. This proves that ancient Vedic Hindu society was humane and civilised by rehabilitating the criminals and sinners. d) It was written in the Ramayana that once Viswamitra have conducted a Yajna (worship) at which the officiating priest was a Kshatriya and the Yajamaan (worshipper) was a Chandaal. These examples show that in Vedic period the people had the choice of pursuing any occupation or caste in Hindu Caste System. In general, as indicated above and in the Vedic Hindu scriptures, the concept of untouchables did not exist in India on that period (*4). 29

32 The long and cruel Islamic assault on India through the northern side south became the land to protect, preserve and rear the Vedic Hindu culture. It is ironic that the best safe keeper of Hindu culture branded as non-aryan because the term Aryan fostered by Europeans. Foreigners ruled India for a thousand of years and they promoted religious and cultural divisions between Indians for their own benefit, and to rule the country. They promoted the ideas: - a) India is a land of two races the lighter skinned Aryans and darker skinned Dravidians. b) Hindu culture was in fact Dravidian, and borrowed by Aryans the North Indians who never gave the proper credit to the Dravidians for it to turn the people of South against North c) They also projected racism into the history of India, and accused the Hindus are very racist so the foreign rulers are trying to dominate them (*1). Footnote: - 1. The Myth of Aryan Invasion of India. By Dr. David Frawley. 2. Religion & Ethics-History: Introduction, Indus Valley Civilisation & Vedic Period. By B//B//C Home. 3. Hinduism for Beginners. By Subhamoy Das. 4. Hindu Caste System & Hinduism By Dr. Subhash C. Sharma. Staff and management of Globrin UK Ltd. and Global Technologies International Ltd. congratulate the Glasgow Durga Puja Committee on the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja celebrations for We wish the Indian community all the very best for the festive season. UK office: George House, George Square, Glasgow G1 2AD India office: 701, Signature Towers, Tower A, Gurgaon , Haryana 30

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34 The Spiritual Significance of Navaratri (From the lectures by Swami Tejomayananda) Let us first discuss the values of the Indian culture and the subject matter of the Vedas in terms of the Navaratri festival. Even though Hindus celebrates this festival every year, most have no idea of the significance of Navaratri. Ratri means night and nava means nine. At Navaratri (nine nights) the Goddess is worshipped in Her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Though the Goddess is one, She is represented and worshipped in three different aspects. On the first three nights of the festival, Durga is worshipped, Lakshmi is worshipped, and then Saraswathi Devi on the last three nights. The following day, the tenth day of the festival, is called Vijayadasami. Vijaya means victory, the victory over our own minds that can come only when we have worshipped these three Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Durga To gain noble virtues, all evil tendencies in the mind must be destroyed. Goddess Durga represents the destruction. Durga is durgati harini meaning She who removes our evil tendencies. This is why She is called Mahishasura Mardini, the destroyer of Mahisha (buffalo) asura (demon). The destroyer of animal tendencies in all of us. The buffalo stands for tamoguna, the quality of laziness, darkness, ignorance and inertia. We have all these qualities in us. We love to sleep. Although we may have a lot of energy and potential inside us, we prefer to do nothing just like the buffalo that loves only to lie in pools of water. In the Puranic story, Durga Devi s killing of this demon is, symbolically, the destruction of the tamoguna within us that is very difficult to destroy. In the Durga Devi Havana (sacrifice) we invoke that divine Power within us to destroy our animalistic tendencies. Lakshmi For knowledge to dawn within us, we have to prepare our minds. The mind must be pure, concentrated and single-pointed; this purification of the mind is obtained through worship of Lakshmi Devi. In our society today, however, when we think of Lakshmi, we think only of money and gold! This is why if one goes to a Lakshmi temple one will find a crowd. Everybody likes Lakshmi Puja (worship) because they think She represents material wealth. But what is real wealth? Even if we have material wealth but have no self-discipline or self-control, nor the values of love, kindness, respect, and sincerity, all our material wealth will be lost or destroyed. The real wealth is the inner wealth of spiral values that we practise in our lives, by which our minds become purified. Only when we have these noble values will we be able to preserve our material wealth and make good use of it. Otherwise, money itself becomes a problem. In the Upanishads, the rishis (sages) never asked for material wealth only. In the mantras of the Taittiriya Upanishad, they first asked to have all the noble virtues fully developed in them. Having gained the nobles virtues, thereafter Lord please bring wealth to us. The rishis express here that in the absence of right values and good qualities, all our money will be wasted. We know this is true because, for example, if we give money to a drug addict or an alcoholic, he will drink of smoke it away in no time. Our wealth of virtues is our true Lakshmi. Its importance is shown by the fact that Adi Shankaracharya himself, in Vivekachudamani describes the sat sampathi, or six forms of wealth (calmness of mind, selfcontrol, self-withdrawal, forbearance, faith and single-pointed ness) that are to be cultivated to attain wisdom. These virtues are important because our goal is victory over the mind a victory such that every change that takes place in our lives does not disturb us. This victory comes only when the mind is prepared, and this mental preparation is the symbolism of the Lakshmi Puja. 32

35 Saraswathi Victory over the mind can be gained only through knowledge, through understanding, and it is Goddess Saraswathi who represents this highest knowledge of the Self. Although thee are many kinds of knowledge in the Vedas phonetics, astronomy archery, architecture, economics and so on the real knowledge is spiritual knowledge. Lord Krishna Himself says in the Bhagavad Gita: The knowledge of the Self is the knowledge ; and He adds, it is My vibhuti, My glory. In other words, we may have knowledge of many other subjects and sciences, but if we do not know our own Self, then that is the greatest loss. Therefore, the supreme Knowledge is the knowledge of the Self that is represented by Goddess Saraswathi. Thus, at Navaratri, Goddess Durga is invoked first to remove impurities from the mind. Then Goddess Lakshmi is invoked to cultivate the noble values and qualities. Finally, Goddess Saraswathi is invoked for gaining the highest knowledge of the Self. This is the significance of the three set of three nights, and when all these three are gained subjectively, then there will be Vijayadasami the day of true victory! Why is the Navaratri festival celebrated at night rather than in the daytime? This is another interesting question. Night-time is generally the time when we go to sleep, so the spiritual message of night-time worship is: You have lived long enough in the sleepy ignorance of tamoguna. It is time to get up now. Please wake up! The importance of Ritual Not everyone, it is true, will be of the intellectual type to appreciate everything philosophically. Therefore, philosophy or spiritual truth must be demonstrated visually in some ritualistic form. In this way, when children are first introduced to it, they enjoy a dance or a festival, and then later on begin to question, what is this dance? Why are we doing this Puja? What is the meaning of Navaratri? So the purpose of the concretised ritual is fulfilled when these questions begin to arise in the minds of our children. Unfortunately, when we take our children to functions at the temples and they begin to ask questions about what they see, we cannot answer them. Yet when the children revolt later as teenagers, we say, what happened to the children? These kids are terrible. We never used to question our religion! We take pride in the fact that we never used to question anything, but it would have been better if we had asked questions and found out. Why did we not ask? Because of intellectual inertia. Inertia is of different kinds. Physical inertia is not as bad because it is usually temporary. There are also mental or emotional stupors that some people remain in, but the intellectual inertia is the worst kind because under its influence, we do not want to think at all. It is said that people can live without air for two minutes, without water for a few days, without food for a month or so, and without thinking for generations! Some people just do not want to think. This is our inner Mahisha that needs to be destroyed. As we can see, the theme of the entire Vedas is reflected in the Navaratri festival. Purify the mind and remove all negativities; cultivate positive virtues; gain spiritual knowledge and transcend limitations. This is the real victory the dance of joy, the dance of realisation Raas -, which Sri Krishna and the gopis performed. Sarva mangala mangalye Shive Sarvartha Sadhike Saranye Thrayambike Gowri Narayani Namo Sthuthe Sarve janaa Sukhino bhavantu Sarve janaa Sujano bhavantu Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi 33

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38 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Durga Puja Committee wishes to express their gratitude and thanks to the following for their kind support: Dr. Mridula Chakraborty & Family Strathclyde Police for assistance during the festival Education Services, Glasgow City Council John McLean, Development and Operations Officer, Glasgow City Council Tom McMenemy, Community Facility Officer, Glasgow City Council All the Staff at the Couper Institute, Glasgow The management and staff of Printing Glasgow for their co-operation and assistance in printing this souvenir We are very grateful to the many businesses and individuals who have helped our event become a success through their gracious sponsorship. We also wish to thank the many members of our local community - too numerous to name - who have given countless hours of service in helping to make our Puja a continued success. The Durga Puja Committee wishes to thanks all our friends who have helped to make the Puja a success through their tireless efforts 36

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