Victory


The sea water logging in Mumbai in non monsoon time, is a strange phenomena. Two lanes away this sea water was gushing in and we were completely unaware. I got the news through friends from Delhi who were suffering severe heat wave.  With 4.5 metre height of the waves, people could not stand the force, I shudder to think how the tsunami waves were.

Yesterday 12th June 2014, Vatt Purnima was celebrated in Maharashtra. On this day, married ladies pray to the Banyan tree and tie a white thread around it for the being 'sadaa suhaagan'. Sadaa Suhaagan means the husband is alive and the wife lives with him happily. Savitri prayed for the long life of her husband and got him back from the clutches of Yamraj, the God of death. 

Today is Jal Abhishek in Orissa of  Lord Jagannath at Puri.  As it is is very hot in summers in Orissa,  and then on Snaan Purnima which is the full moon day, the Lord spends a lot of time bathing. With the heat and long hours in the water, Lord Jagannath falls sick and catches cold. He is unwell for fifteen days called 'Anasara'. Which means , no Darshan of the Lord at the temple for a fortnight. Then the famous Jagannath Puri 'Rath Yatra' happens with a lot of festivity and the Lord goes to his Masi's house for nine days. These three days are celebration time in Orissa. Today, 13th June 2014 is the day for the eldest child in the family. The eldest wears new clothes, the parents and the family do Puja for the child. They give respect to the child. The message is that the eldest child is responsible for the younger ones in the family. It is like acknowledging the child and also making him/her aware of their responsibilities. Prayers for harvest and fertility, respecting Mother Earth and the nurturing mother in all of us.

11th June 2014 was the day of Rajya abhishek or coronation of Shivaji Maharaj. It is celebrated as Hindu Samarajya Diwas. NaMo gave a very powerful speech in the Parliament. It was the first time I heard the free voice of a person who was born and brought up in India with Indian value system. It was indeed a moment to be proud of our heritage and our scriptures when I heard him quoting and living those value systems. They were not mere words but a life spent living them.

A span of three days in the Hindu Lunar calendar and I learnt so much about our weather, religion, belief systems, nature and how all our customs, traditions follow the nature. Each festival or celebration in India comes with a learning for life. It is all not moral but practical too. This was just a little that I learnt from my friends today. Am sure there is a whole world to explore.

Each day we live is a victory. A victory over death, a victory over ills of the society, a victory for a new life, a victory for a new future, a victory for new learnings, a victory for appreciating our past, a victory as we drop the unwanted from our lives and a victory for our love for life.

Wait a minute, Did I count my blessings today?


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