Ernakulam Gramajana Samooham

Ernakulam Gramajana Samooham Government Press Road, Ernakulam-682011.Ph: 0484-2361295. Email: mail@samooham.com. Web: www.samooham.com ekm.gramajanasamooham@gmail.com Dated 18th August 2012. On the eve of Avani 1 st (Chingappulari) which is the Malayalam New Year day, Ernakulam Grama Jana Samooham wishes one and all their members and well wishers all prosperity and happiness throughout the year ahead. As the part of the ongoing one year long celebrations commemorating the 140 years of dedicated and committed service to the community at large, the programme for this month is the one day long Akanda Nama Japam. The previous one was held in our Samooham about 30 years ago. The 24 hour long nama japam was started today, the 18 th of August 2012 by 6 AM. The Akhanda Nama Japam will conclude tomorrow after the Unchavrithi in the morning. Many members are participating and supporting the programme. Akhanda Nama Japam as the word meaning indicates is japam or chanting the manthra or sloka without any break for minimum of 12 hrs i.e. from dawn to desk. The is no stipulation for the maximum period. Akhanda Nama Japam is a Pracheena Sampradayam of worshiping God with devotion and concentration. Avahanam and pooja are performed on a decorated lamp. Thereafter the bhakthas ( devotees ) chant the earlier decided manthra or sloka and do pradhakshinam ( going round clockwisecircumambulate ) the decorated lamp with devotion and discipline. Akhanda Nama Japam was performed a few decades ago in almost every agraharam in the month of Karkitakam or Chingam or during mandalam. and the Manthra was traditionally Raghupathy Raghava Rajaram - Patheetha Pavana Seetharam. Hara Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishhna Hara Hare is also a widely opted manthra. Akhanda Nama Japam is being performed round the clock throughout the year at Abhedasramam at Panmana in Quilon district. On 24th Feb, 1955, Swamiji lit the Akhanda Deepam from the lamp of the Samadhi temple of Chattambi Swamigal at Panmana and started the Akhanda Nama Japam. The Thambooru lifted and held by Swamiji on that day has not touched the ground so far. Akhanda Nama Japam is being conducted at several places in Kerala and also many places across our Nation like Govindapuram, Kumbakonam, Poona, Pandharpur, Mumbai,etc. This Yajna is popular internationally

also and many places across the world has witnessed conduct of this event during the past. Dallas, Boston, Montreal, Houston (Texas), different locations in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia are some of the fortunate locations. Shri Muraleedhara Swamiji was the anchor personality and instrumental to organize this method of worship at many international locations through Namadwar. In Akhanda Nama Japam the choosen manthra or sloka is chanted repeatedly without any interruption for the specific period which will be 12 hrs or more with devotion all the circumambulating the divine lamp. While chanting it again and again one can hear it again and again and this induces in the individual ardent Bhakthi as the mind is absorbed in Bhagavan Nama. Because of their self discipline and total devotion some people even develop a transcended stage. In the past, everybody used to participate in the Japa irrespective of their social status upholding the Maha Tatwam that before God everybody is equal. Unknowingly a social mingling also takes place.the Ahmabhavam (ego) is gradually eroded. It is in this context that participation in such Yajnas will certainly help to develop self discipline and peace of mind to one and all humanity. At the outset the Managing Committee is happy to understand that the new venture taken up in communicating the events in and around the Samooham have been well received by the members spread over many parts of the world. The encouraging messages received from many among you is the real inspiration for us to improve this system and provide you with the best possible in the days to come. Our attempt to give the gateway for booking the Karkkidaka Bhagavathi Seva was utilized by many devotees. As desired by them bhagavathy seva was performed in the days of their booking and also prasadams were dispatched to those who could not be present physically. Our technical team is planning to introduce more such useful links in our website for the benefit of our members and well wishers shortly. As the next measure we propose to fecilitate the Kalyana Mandapam Booking details through our website. Once this is enabled, mandapam booking dates and details will become one mouse click away. We solicit the continued and unstinted support of all our well wishers and also wish to have feedback on the progress made by us in this direction. Auspecious days in AAVANI (Chingam)month 17-08-2012 Friday Simha Ravi Samkramam-3.50 am; Vishnupathy Punyakalam. Sarva Amavasya ` Tharpanam. 21-08-2012 Tuesday Vinayaka Chaturthi. Atha Chamayam(Tripunithura) 23-08-2012 Thursday Shashti Vratham 27-08-2012 Monday Sarva Ekadasi 28-08-2012 Tuesday First Onam 29-08-2012 Wednesday Thiruvonam. Mahapradosham 31-08-2012 Friday Pournami 04-09-2012 Tuesday Sankatahara Chaturthi 06-09-2012 Thrusday Krithika 08-09-2012 Saturday Sri Krisna Jayanthi(Temple) 12-09-2012 Wednesday Sarva Ekadasi 13-09-2012 Thrusday Mahapradosham 13-08-2012 Monday Sarva Ekadasi 15-09-2012 Wednesday Sarva Amavasya Tharpanam.

VINAYAKA CHATHURTHY 21.08.2012 Vinayaka Chaturthy falls on the Sukla paksha Chaturthy in of the Bhadrapada Month, corresponding to the Aavani month in Tamil calendar or chingam month in Malayalam calendar. This year we are celebrating the festival on 21 st August, 2012. Ganesha the elephant-deity riding a mouse has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses. The Lord of Success: The son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja. Significance of the Ganesha Form: Ganesha s head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha s left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties. The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The modakam (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. As Vinayaka s vehicle, the mouse signifies an object that leads man from darkness to light. Thus, the Vinayaka-principle means that which removes all the bad qualities, bad practices, and bad thoughts in men and inculcates good qualities, good conduct and good thoughts. How Ganesha Got His Head: The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy s head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name Ganapati. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect

and wisdom. He is honoured at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions. The annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesh Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival begins with the installation of idol of Ganesha on the chaturthy day, symbolising Ganesha s visit. The festival culminates on the day of Chaturdashi, when the idol of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water, while the people shout Ganapati Bappa Morya (Ganesh come back soon next year). In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha s wide appeal as the god for Everyman, Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai, Pune, and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples. This festival is also most popular in Goa and is celebrated for 1-1/2 day, 5 days and 7 days. Thiruvonam Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam, manusharellarum onnupole amodhathode vasikkum kalam, apathangarkku mottillathanum kallavum illa chathiyumilla, ellolamilla polivachanam kallapparayum cherunazhiyum, kallatharangal mattonnumilla adhikal vyadhikal onnumilla, bala maranangal kelppanilla Onam which is also known as Vamana Jayanthi, is the ancient festival which still survives in modern times. Kerala s rice harvest festival and the Festival of Rain Flowers, which fall on the Malayalam month of Chingam, commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali annually from Patala (the underworld). Onam is unique since Mahabali has been revered by the people of Kerala since time immemorial. While the older people bask in the nostalgic memories of the onam celebrations in their younger years, the younger generation is celebrating the Onam in their own modern style. However, the basic factors in the celebrations remain without any change. On Onam day people conduct special prayers in temples

The central feature of Onam is the grand feast called Onasadya, prepared on Thiruonam. It is a nine-course meal consisting of 11 to 13 essential dishes. Onasadya is served on banana leaves and people sit on a mat laid on the floor to have the meal. (Option is available for availing the facilities offered by star hotels for a hefty charge to avoid the drudgery of preparing the various items.) Another popular feature of Onam is Vallamkali, the Snake Boat Race, held on the Pamba River, in which decorative boats oared by hundreds of boatmen race amidst chanting of songs and cheering by spectators and viewers. Then there was the tradition to play games, collectively called Onakalikal, on Onam. Men go in for rigorous sports like Talappanthukali (played with a ball), Ambeyyal (Archery), Kutukutu and combats called Kayyankali and Attakalam. Women used to indulge in cultural activities. They would make intricately designed flower mats called, Pookalam in the front courtyard of the house to welcome King Mahabali. Kaikotti kali and Thumbi Thullal are two dances performed by women on Onam. Folk performances like Kummatti kali and Pulikali add to the zest of celebrations. Of course in this modern era these are still done, only on the stage by designated artists the whole celebrations being organised by the State. These festivities make Onam a unique festival on the earth which is embellished by most number of cultural elements and it can be undoubtedly said that these elements constitute the colorfulness, diversity and richness that no other festival can claim. A peep into the Legend The Bhagavata Purana reads He [Vishnu] will take the kingdom away from Purandara [Lord Indra] and give it to Bali Maharaja. The subjects under the Asura King Mahabli s reign were happy and prosperous and the king was highly regarded, so much so that even the gods under Indra became jealous of Mahabali as was intened by Vishnu, and they approached Vishnu claiming that Mahabali is now equivalent to an Indra. Once Vishnu was assured that Indra s pride has been contained and that a world with two Indras represents imbalance, Vishnu assumed the form of a dwarf: Vamana. Vamana requested three paces of land for him to live in. Given a promise of three steps of land by King Mahabali against the warning given by his Guru Sukracharya, Vamana, enlarged himself to such dimensions as to stride over the three worlds. He had grown so huge that he could step from heaven to earth, and earth to the lower worlds in two simple steps. King Mahabali unable to fulfill the promise of three paces of land to the Supreme God, offers his head for the third step. Thus, Vamana places his foot on King Mahabali s head and sends him down to the netherworld. Being worshipped however, by Mahabali, and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded to them the sovereignty of Pátála (netherworld). However, as Mahabali was equivalent to Indra, he has to wait until the next Yuga where he would be the Indra. In the meantime, with the grace of Vishnu, Mahabali visited his people on an annual basis. Vishnu served Mahabali as a gatekeeper in Patala as the Lord himself serves his greatest devotees. It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well. Samooham wishes all members a Happy Onam.

YAJUR VEDA UPAKARMAM Upakarma or Avani Avittam is one of the ancient Vedic rituals practiced to date. The event is conducted once a year, in the month of Shraavana (mid August - mid September) and all the Brahmins follow it. The main activity performed in an Upakarma is restarting the study of the Veda. Upakarma, in Sanskrit, means beginning and historically, the day was considered auspicious for beginning the Vedic studies. In preparation to this commencement of study, teachers and students of the Veda make offerings (Tarpanam) to Rishis who are the authors of the various khandas of the Veda and change the Yajnopavita (Yagnopavita) or the Holy Thread. The day and its subsequent day (Gayathri Japam)are of great significance to all brahmins. One Version of the Legend Upakarma is usually held on the full moon day of the month of Sravanacorresponding to the tamil month Aavani. It is on this day is that Lord Vishnu took the form of a horse and restored the Veda that was stolen from Lord Brahma by the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. As lord Vishnu took the form of a horse, this incarnation is called Hayagriva or horsehead. After Lord Vishnu created Lord Brahma, he taught Brahma the all eternal Vedas. Having mastered the Vedas, Lord Brahma was filled with pride that he was the only entity that had the knowledge of the all eternal and holy Vedas. In order to remove the ego of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu created demons Madhu and Kaitabha from two drops of water on the lotus supporting Brahma. He then instructed them to steal the Vedas from Lord Brahma and hide it. Thus, Lord Brahma was in a fix that he was not able to save the holy and all eternal Vedas from theft and prayed to Lord Vishnu to do the needy. Lord Vishnu took the form of Hayagriva and restored the all pervading Veda to safety, thus curbing the pride of Brahma. So the day of upakarma is also celebrated as Hayagriva utpatti. As the Vedas were restored on this day, Upakarma is performed on this day to mark a new beginning. This year the Upakarma was conducted in the samooham on 1 st August with large number of participents under the leader ship of Brahmasri Anand Vadyar. Starting with Mahasankalpam the steps of Panchagavya prasanam, Snanam(optional), Brahmayagnam, Rishi pooja, Deva rishi pithru tharpanam, Upakarma homam, yagnopaveetha Dharanam and concluded with Vedarambham. The following day being Gayathri Japam day, for those boys who were performing upakarmam for the first time after their upanayanam, arrangements were made for conducting Gayathri homam. The Rig Veda Upakarmam was conducted after the Gayathri Japam.