Janmashtami : A festival celebrated in most parts of India to mark the birth of Lord Shree Krishna who is considered to be the  eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Janam/Janm जन्म meaning Birth, Ashtami-अष्टमी  meaning Eighth day (of Bhadrapad), On this day Lord Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki, who were kept captive in a prison cell by Kans (Sanskrit:कंस- The ruler of Vrishni kingdom) in the city of Mathura. Krishna was born in the midnight and vasudev had to securely take Krishna away to his forster parents (baba Nand and Maa Yashoda). Its believed that Krishna was escaped miraculously as all the guards fell asleep at the time of his birth. The chains that Vasudev and Devaki were tied to were broken and the barred doors gently opened hence Krishna was safely escaped and grew up Gokul. Later on Krishna imparted knowledge of Bhagvad Gita to Arjun during the battle between Kaurav and Pandav as mentioned in the epic Mahabharat.

I might describe about Bhagvadgita someother time, but coming back to Janmashtami, I had read a beautiful interpretation of Janmashtami which I am sharing here . Analogy of this festival is that as soon as Krishna (The chetna – चेतना or awareness) takes birth in our mind , all the darkness अंधकार -negativity fades away just like when Krishna was born the whole prison was lit . All the chains जंजीर – Ego (I , me, myself) are broken away, and all the doors of prison-काल कोठरी  -thoughts or opinions that we are confined in- of caste, religion, relation etc) are opened up.

The idea or essence of the festival lies in self awakening so as you can get away from all the negativitiess and understand the true essence of blessing the LIFE is.

Mathura ka peda,Gokul ka haar,
Vrindavan ki khushboo,Brij ki ras-fuhaar,
Meera sa deewanapan aur radha sa pyaar,
Mubarak ho aap sabko ye janmastami ka tyohaar.

मथुरा का पेड़ा ,गोकुल का हार
वृन्दावन की खुशबू ,ब्रिज की रस फुहार
मीरा सा दीवानापन और राधा सा प्यार
मुबारक हो आप सबको जन्माष्टमी का यह त्योहार

Today is Mahashivrartri, the most auspicious day for the Lord Shiv(Shiva) devotees. Shiva the undisputed most respected and at the same time the most fearsome god in Indian culture.

There are lots of legends about the significance of Mahashivratri like the marriage of lord shiv and goddess Parvati, the day when he saved the earth by consuming the poison etc.

I was brainstorming how I should explain Shiv to my kids ( A daunting task I know , because people spend  their lives to understand the essence of it, I know I am not going to divulge in to philosophical aspects or dig in to the religious fundamentals). My aim is simple how to make the little mind understand what we worship and how to relate it to the real world.

SHIV (शिव ) can be explained as combination of 3 hindi letters : sh (श) + i (इ )+ v (व)

Sh denotes “Shareer”  (शरीर ) body our physical self, I denotes “Eeshwar” (ईश्वर ) the God , the supreme or the power and V denotes “Vaayu” ( वायु ) literal meaning of Vaayu is air ,the life or the movement. So basically Shiv is the God , the knowledge or the power within us .

The day this knowledge or conscience within us stops working meaning the I or (इ ) is no more the SHIV becomes the Shav(शव ) a Hindi word for death body, meaning the body becomes life less. Thus to be alive keep growing your knowledge and feed your conscience it will help you lead to be the Shiv and not turn in to Shav.

Shiv is depicted with loads of adornments and each of them to my understanding has its own significance (Note : This is how I perceive through what I have read and relate to teach my kids)

1) Ganga River : Shiv is shown holding River ganga on his head (there is story related to it you can find on internet). Ganga or Ganges is supposed to be one of the most Holy river in Indian culture. Ganga represents knowledge , try to grasp as much knowledge as you can from everywhere (nature,books,tv,plays,movies,games). Yes, you can learn from any and everything if you keep your mind open and have willingness to learn. The most basic characteristic of a river is that it flows continuously, similarly try to learn throughout your life just like the flow of the river try to pass the knowledge to the next generation , to others basically if you know something don’t keep it to yourself share with others and help everyone grow.

2) Moon : Shiv adorns Crescent shaped moon on his head.Indian calendars have always been based on the positioning of moon.Hence moon signifies time . Always keep time in mind , be conscious about the importance of time and work accordingly. Once a time gone its gone forever so give your best to each and every moment. When having fun enjoy it to the fullest, when studying give your best ,basically live every moment to its fullest because time will never be the same.

3) Trishul/Trident : Shiv is always depicted with trishul or trident as his weapon. The three prongs of trident depicts Knowledge (ज्ञान) , Action (कार्य) and Will(शक्ति /इच्छा ). This means that as an individual you should use your knowledge to direct your will in performing the best of actions. Meaning you can accomplish any action or task by nurturing your will with the knowledge you gain. You can use your knowledge as your weapon by performing the right actions.

4) Third Eye : Shiv has a unique feature – his third eye on the forehead. The basic function of eyes are to see , We see the physical stuff around us through our eyes, physical meaning like trees , mountains, river,lakes, a person through his outer appearance, but one needs to use the mind’s eye meaning conscience , meaning learn to observer beyond what is physical. Don’t just rely on what you see but learn to use your conscience too.

5) Damroo/The Drum : Shiv holds damroo (डमरू ) an hourglass shaped drum in his hand. The way you create sound through it is by shaking it and its done in a unique style the top becomes bottom and then vice-versa. This means nothing in this world is going to remain as is , change is inevitable. Learn to accept it ,  just like how Himalyas were once within the sea and then came out similarly change is bound to happen that’s the rule of life. Learn to adapt yourself to changes and also not to be proud of your achievements as everything changes.

6) Snake : Snake means always be vigilant be aware of what goes around you .Snakes don’t have external ears (again not going in the biological details) but still they can feel the vibrations and watch the movements hence just like them be aware and alert of what goes around you.It can also be represented as ego, meaning tame your ego in such a way that it becomes your adornment.A humble soul is always respected and appears beautiful than a loud mouth.

7) Tiger skin : The tiger skin represents power, lust or our desires. Shiv sits on tiger skin hence signifies that one should always have control on their desires and power. The path to success is through self control.

9) Blue Throat: The legend is that Shiv held poison in his throat to save the whole world . Holding the poison in his throat turned his throat blue hence the name “NeelKantheshwar”(Lord with the blue throat). Just like shiv try to control your anger in throat. When we get angry knowingly or unknowingly we start using words which we might regret later. Words spoken in anger can act as poison for the one whom they are spoken to, it can spoil your relations forever. Hence learn to control your anger , learn to hold your words in your throat.

Hope we can all inculcate these qualities not only in us but in our kids and make this world a happy place.

Happy Mahashivratri

Basant Panchami or  Vasant Panchami :

An Indian Festival dedicated to Maa Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, music, arts and culture. Vasant or Basant means Spring basically representing the spring season whereas Panchami means the fifth day so Vasant Panchami basically is a festival that falls on the fifth day of spring (Magh month)per hindu calendar.

Lord Ganesh or The Elephant God as known in the western world (due to his elephant head) is the god of removal of Obstacles.Easy to please and hence the first one to be worshiped in any and every kind of pooja or beginning of a new good venture/task.

Lord Ganesh is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.There are several stories of his birth or how he got his elephant head. I won’t go in the details of it, but if you need the info do post the comment and I will be happy to explain.

Like every Indian rituals that have some scientific base to it similarly every Indian deity represents something. Lord Ganesh not only is the removal of all obstacles, but also teaches many lessons through his idol. One of the first few lessons that we teach our little ones is body parts , Have you ever wondered when they grow up a little bit and are able to understand basics you can include it and teach them some of the basics of life. Here are few things that can be taught through Lord Ganesh’s body parts :

Head : The big head of Lord Ganesh teaches to think big. Have good thoughts in the mind. Rather than entangling your mind in worldly affair ,think up and beyond that. It can also be interpreted as think out of the box.

Mouth : Mouth of Ganesh is small and in worldly affair it teaches individuals to think more use the brain more but speak less, meaning to use your words wisely.Talking less and after thoughtful thinking will land you in less troubles and also take you towards the path of success and calmness.

Large Ears : The large ears of Ganesh symbolizes to be alert in life. Pay attention to the details and always be open to grasp knowledge from whatever source you can.It also means get opinions from all and then pick the best ones.This might give you a chance to ponder upon some of the aspects that you might have never registered.

Little eyes : The head of Ganesh is so big yet he has so small eyes. The reason for this is that even though one has to utilize maximum efficiency of his or her brain and think out of box, but once you have taken a task in the hand never loose focus from it. Focus is the basis for success in life , one can be good in so many things but concentrate on what you can do best and then focus all your energy in the same direction.

One tusk : One tusk of Ganesh has also given him the name “Ek Dant”. Elephant tusk is very strong in nature. We all go through many good and bad experiences in life be it people or be it incidents, hence it teaches one to be strong enough to make wise judgments and retain the good and leave the bad behind. There is no point in wasting your energy and sulking over the wrongs but to be strong and hold on to good and move on.

Trunk: Trunk represents strength, flexibility and adaptability of mind. The Ganesh’s trunk is sometime turned left which symbolizes the moon energy of the body (Ida nadi) which denotes calmness,tolerance,patience. When the trunk is twisted on the right side it represents sun energy of body (Pingala nadi) which in turn symbolizes masculinity and fierceness with which one can attain worldly happiness. The other name for right sided trunk Ganesh is “Siddhi Vinayak”. Most of the temples have right sided trunk idols of Ganesh, but in homes its suggested to always keep idol in a sitting pose and with left sided trunk. The way to find if the trunk is right or left sided is not from the end turning of trunk but in what direction the trunk is turned at the very beginning.Very rarely you will find a straight trunk Ganesh which signifies Sushumna Nadi and represents ultimate happiness or destination.

Big Belly : Lord Ganesh is also always shown with big belly. The big stomach means one should know how to digest the good and bads. People may say favorable things to you and they may also say things that might hurt you. Giving some one “piece of mind” should not be your ultimate aim, but to take the negative in without it bothering you and moving on is what is the sign of intelligence. It also tells you not to get involved in the gossips or tattle tale.

Mouse : Mouse by nature is very restless and it represents our mind or desires.If desires are not controlled properly they can lead you to wrong path. You need to make wise judgments in life  so as not to land in any troubles.The way you can tame your mind or desires is by always using your brain. Hence Lord Ganesh is seen riding the mouse indicating how our desires are have very little significance if we know how to control them and lead in the right direction.

Happy teaching and Happy learning !!!

Om Ganeshay Namah !!

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi , personally one of my favourite Indian festivals. It makes me all nostalgic ,remembering my childhood days. They say to experience the beauty of certain things , you need to experience them personally . This holds true for this beautiful bond. You need to have that beautiful relationship to share (whether biological or made by choice) to experience this beautiful bond of brother and sister. I don’t think there is any other culture in the world that celebrates this beautiful bond.

I have been  lucky enough to be blessed to celebrate this beautiful relationship year after year. To this day I remember the first time I got to celebrate this festival. My little heart was full of joy and excitement. When I realized that I will be getting a sibling soon..I remember singing the song “kali re kali re tu to kali kali hai, gora sa ek bhayia maa dilane wali hai , laane wali hai ” . I used to sing it so often, I still remember one of our neighbouring aunt who was expecting around the same time too..her hubby called me and recorded my song in their tape recorder :-). I remembered the whole song. So lucky I was that I was blessed with a baby brother exactly 6 days before rakhi. That year rakhi was on 4th august. I remember getting mehendi done on my tiny little palms by my masi. I woke up so early to see the color of my mehendi and then getting the mustard oil and heat massage on my palm from my dad to get the color of mehendi dark :-). I still remeber the first rakhi I got and tied on those chubby lttle wrists. It was a small silver rakhi. I wonder where it is now, if its still safe with my mom. I need to ask her. I still remember cuddling him tight, holding him on my lap and covering him and myself both in a warm shawl in the cold winter days. We fought ,we loved , we argued with each other , we defended each other.We fought for the same pen,pencil but when time required we shared our savings for each other.

Coming back to the festival Raksha Bandhan : combination of two words “Raksha” meaning “Protection” , “bandhan” meaning “Bond”. Hence, raksha bandhan is also called Bond of Protection. The sister ties the raksha thread on the brother’s wrist wishing for his long life , success ,protection from all evils and in return the brother promises safety and security of his sister.

You will find many historical stories on raksha bandhan/rakhi. I won’t go in to the details of that but will shed light on how rakhi was celebrated in vedic culture.During that time it was not limited to the bond of brother and sister, there are example Lord Krishna’s mom tying the Raksha sutra to Krishna. A guru tying raksha sutra to his disciples etc.

At that time Rakhi was made of below given following 5 items tied together in a small silk cloth and then the cloth along with the sacred thread called Mauli or kalwa is tied on the wrist of an individual.

1) Durva ( a type of grass) : Durva the sanskrit word for Bermuda grass is considered sacred. While Tulsi is considered sacred to krishna , durva is considered sacred for Lord Ganesha. Significance: The way bermuda grass grows quicky and spreads around faster and a single seed of it can propagate in to thousands of seeds similarly its wished that your family line flourishes and prospers. The way the “Durva” grass spreads quickly similarly I wish your good qualities and fame spread in all directions.Since the Durva is sacred to Lord Ganesha (the god of removal of all obstacles) may he remove all the obstacles from your life.

2)Akshat (The whole grain rice mixed with turmeric).Akshat means the one thats is not broken, akshat in Pooja rituals is referred to the whole grains of rice mixed with turmeric.Just like Akshat may you remain unharmed.

3)Kesar(Saffron) : Saffron is strong in nature . It assimilates and brings its properties in to milk/water whatever it is added to.May you be as lusturous as saffron and may with your good qualities inculcate the same goodness in everyone around you.

4)Chandan(Sandal): The basic quality of sandal is to provide fragrance and provide coolness and freshness.Just like sandal may there be calmness in your life and may your good qualities spread around just like the fragrance of sandal.

5)Sarson ke daane(Mustard seeds) ; Mustard seeds are tiny but they are strong in flavor. May you become as strong as to be able to remove all the problems of society.

The Resham or silk thread has got its own significance, its lusturous, it provides warmth and even though its very fine, it is very strong.Hence Rakhi’s were mostly made of silk thread, signifying the love and warmth and the strong bond shared by the two individuals.With the marketing bursts and companies trying to come up with new ideas the rakhi’s are undergoing lots of changes, but a simple resham rakhi is still the best per me 🙂

.Its believed that the first rakhi was tied to King Bali by goddess Lakshmi.The Shlok generally recited during tying rakhi (also called Raksha sutra is )

The meaning of Raksha Mantra is as following –
“I tie you with the same Raksha thread which tied the most powerful, the king of courage, the king of demons, Bali. O Raksha (Raksha Sutra), please don’t move and keep fixed throughout the year

It has alreday been a long post hence I might some day post the story related to raksha sutra some other day .

One thing is change has to be part of customs in order for them to be carried on for generations, Olden times families used to be large hence more or less all were fortunate to be blessed with sibling bonds of brothers and sisters. With time the families becoming smaller in size and going nuclear way, it is must that we do not limit this festival as a bond between just brothers and sisters but celebrate it more as BOND OF PROTECTION and LOVE between SIBLINGS.

May all the siblings in world admire,love and respect each other. May they appreciate the beautiful bond in which the almighty has tied them and value it .

Best wishes to all.

“Namaste” – what does it mean ? Why is it said? What is the significance? These questions must have came in your mind sometime, especially If you are an Indian or have been around an Indian , you must have surely heard the word “Namaste”. It’s the Indian Hello 🙂 . On a serious note it is an Indian way to greet when you meet someone. You bring your both palms together in the way that fingers of each palm touch each other pointing upwards , thumbs closer to your chest and you gently bow down your head a little bit.

Why I decided to write about “Namaste”? Well, my kids were lucky enough to go to a school that has very varied diaspora. Quiet obvious when you are part of such varied community, as much as you learn about other cultures, you are answerable to your own culture too :-). When I had to tell what “Namaste” truly stands for I decided why not to share it with all .

The word “Namaste” (नमस्ते ) is combination of two Sanskrit words “Namah” (नमः ) and “Te” (ते ). “Namah” means Salute or Bow or Adore. Literal meaning of “Te” in sanskrit is “They”  , but in here it’s used as You or You all. Hence, Namaste means “I Bow to you” or ” I Salute You”. In Vedic culture it was believed that there is GOD(supreme power) within every living oraganis/zm. Namaste meant I Bow to the God within you.Another way to explain it is ,and which I personally believe, is better way to explain is : Let’s discuss a situation, you go to a party and start greeting people, what are the first few thoughts in your minds …. (The looks of the other fellow, the kind of dress/clothes the person is wearing, how they are carrying themselves, the way they are talking/eating etc.) The point is that we immediately try to analys/ze a person and start being judgemental, before even trying to know the person. When you say “Namaste” it means “I bow/salute the Supreme power within you“. Not judging you as an individual , I am keeping my mind open and ready to welcome you.

The word “Namah” can further be segregated in to “Na” and “Ma”. Na –  meaning no/not/negating and Ma – meaning Mine. Hence meaning, its not mine. It negates the feeling of supremacy or the ego of an individual. Thus, making the person humble enough to accept /welcome the other individual.Joining the palms together signifies we all are one.

Another word quiet commonly exchanged with “Namaste” is “Namaskar”. Namaskar (नमस्कार) is again made of two Sanskrit words “Namah” ( नमः )  and “Sanskar”(संस्कार) .Namah – I already mentioned above and Sanskar – The words literal meaning is hard to find but its a process of transforming a person in to outstanding personality by guiding/developing good conscious, good thoughts, good conducts in him/her. Namaskar hence meaning I bow to all the good qualities within you.

When you greet a person by saying “Namaste” not only it enriches the environment with positivity but also the  danger of passing germs is reduced significantly. It certainly is not just a gesture of respect but a sign of gratitude too. When greeted with its true essence it surely brings positivity between the two individuals.

Hope the next time you greet some one it is in the true essence and when some one asks you about Namaste , you are ready with a detailed answer 🙂