Category : Religious

What is Gita Jayanti?

In present days, the word “jayanti” is loosely used for someone’s birthday. However, this word is not meant for mortal beings. What most people don’t know about Gita jayanti is, when Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, it was not the first time that He spoke it. Gita jayanti is not the birthday of Bhagavad Gita. It is the day when Bhagavad Gita was spoken the first time on this planet during this particular yuga cycle.

The most auspicious constellation of stars takes place during the
the appearance of the Lord in this material world, and it is specifically
called Jayanti, a word not to be abused for any other purposes.

>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 1.12.12

 

The traditional significance:

The first is the traditional and religious context of this day. It is believed, that on the Vaikunta Ekadashi day, which falls once in a year in the month of Margashirsha (called Margazhi masam in Tamil), in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna delivered the sermon called the Bhagavad Gita, the Song of God, to Arjuna. On this Vaikunta Ekadashi day, people undertake an important fast and worship Lord Vishnu. The Bhagavad Gita was born on the Vaikuntha Ekadashi day – that is the religious significance of the day.

The Gita as the manual for life:

Now let us try to look at the significance of the day from the perspective of everyday life. If you look at the Bhagavad Gita as a body of knowledge, it has a lot of insights to address the multitudinous problems and challenges that a human being faces in his life. And if you look at it from the context of the Mahabharata, there is this very well-prepared, extraordinarily capable, highly intelligent person by name Arjuna, who is facing the most difficult situation in his lifetime. He is losing his self-confidence and in that hour of crisis, the knowledge of the Gita is imparted to him by the Lord Himself. So in that way, the Gita has a very direct implication as a manual to face challenges and crises of life. These challenges and crises were not just unique to Arjuna, but are being faced by any human being in his lifetime. Therefore, the relevance is not lost just because the Gita is old. It is relevant even today because if you take a couple of shlokas from the Gita, you will see that all the gems of wisdom, that are needed by a person to live his life happily and successfully, are contained in it. There are a lot of important insights and pointers in the Gita, that address various aspects of life, such as – why it is important to be emotionally intelligent, why it is important not to lose one’s patience, what happens if one does not practice what is called delayed gratification, in modern terminology. Now a lot of people are talking about delayed gratification. What is meant by delayed gratification? All of us are human beings with sense organs and there are many sensory pleasures around. It is being found that individuals who are able to withhold themselves and delay the gratification of sensual pleasures seem to do well in their life. This was found through research by modern psychologists. Even management studies have found that great leaders practice this quality of delayed gratification. So why it this important? Why one should not get carried away by sensory pleasures and what happens if one indulges himself solely in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures? To all these, the Gita provides answers and powerful remedial actions to enrich one’s experience of life. The Gita is very powerful, as one can get a lot of insights for using them in day-to-day living situations.

Rituals of the Festival:

1) Lord Krishna temples celebrate this day with lots of enthusiasm and energy, pujas are performed with special prayers on Gita Jayanti.
2) Devotees from all over India and the world visit Kurukshetra on Gita Jayanti day, they take a holy bath in sacred ponds.
3) Other than the holy bath, Lord Krishna is worshipped with aarti at the end of Gita Jayanti.
4) As Gita Jayanti is celebrated on Ekadashi, devotees are required to fast on this day and do not consume grains like rice, wheat, and barley, from sunrise till sunset.
5) Also, during Gita Jayanti, organized celebrations are carried out, wherein the value of Dharma is taught to the youth through the explanation of Gita

 

Gita, The Crux Of Indian Spiritual Wisdom:

However, it is said that the Vedas are vast and not very direct in the import of their message. Several scholars believe that Bhagavad Gita is the crux of Vedic wisdom and the summary of Indian Spiritual Knowledge. In fact, Bhagavad Gita contains an ocean of wisdom, which has influenced Indian tradition for the last several millennia. Thus, reading Gita is like knowing a lot about Indian spiritual and philosophical wisdom

Bhagavad Gita – How to align with the present moment?

When we accept the present moment for what it is, without labeling it as, “Yech! This is bad”, “this is terrible” and so on, it helps us settle down within ourselves and be at ease. This is a very important and beautiful insight because of what it is the only reality. The past and the future is not real. It is only the present that is real. If we are able to accept that, then we have lived that moment completely. That is why it gives us a sense of being able to feel at ease. That is the deeper truth behind it because what is, is only the now. Now is the only Reality. The past and the future is not real, because even if we are talking or thinking about the past or the future, it is only in the now, therefore that is the beauty of that Reality. So, if we are able to be completely available to now, it gives us a lot of strength, it gives us a lot of inner space, which keeps us calm and composed. In another deeper sense, when there is alignment with the moment, the “me” the fictitious entity, the self can never operate. It can never operate in the now. And therefore, the Cosmic Intelligence can operate, so to put it very colloquially,” you” shut up for That to act. That is why we see people who have understood and who are living this Truth, they are all the time able to remain very peaceful. Even in the face of the so-called crisis, they are very composed, because they know that this little ego can’t really respond to the challenge, and that allows the Higher Intelligence to operate through the body and mind complex. And that is why their response, and not reaction, to the situation, is very different from the normal people. This insight is very important, it is something very powerful and fantastic. I would say that it is the greatest and most precious gift that a person can have.

How we celebrate Geeta Jayanti at the Gujrat Hindu Society?

We celebrate Gita Jayanti every year and this year we have religious programs scheduled on 07th December. The program will start at 7 PM with Aarti followed by Bhajan and prasad.

All are invited to be a part of this celebration. Please encourage your children to be part of the celebration. Jay Shree Krishna. May lord Krishna bless you.


Holi is a colorful and most fun-filled festival which is celebrated in the month of March, usually in the latter half of the month. It is a festival, with dancing, singing, and throwing of powder paint and colored water.

Numerous legends and stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. The most popular one is related to the killing of Holika. The story centers around an arrogant king who wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him. But his son Prahlad refused and worshipped Lord Vishnu instead. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king’s sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlada emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.

Great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when it is actually the time for the play of colours. People get all the time to get crazy and whacky. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies – applying colours and exchanging greetings. Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day. Parties are often organized where people dance to music and greet each other with colors.

 

The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.

Some families hold religious ceremonies, but for many Holi is more a time for fun than religious observance. After a fun filled and exciting day, they spent the evening in sobriety when people meet friends and relatives and exchange sweets and festive greetings.

Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated.

 


Navratri is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals. Navratri means “Nine Nights”, and celebration of Goddess Durga in her nine different forms on the scheduled nine days. The Navratri festival celebration is very colourful. People keep fast for these 9 days and enjoy with full enthusiasm.

Navdurga which means Nine Durga is the manifestation of Durga in nine different forms. The concept of Navdurga originates from Goddess Parvati. Conceptually Navdurga is the life phase of Goddess Parvati who is considered supreme power among all Goddesses. Navdurga are worshipped during all Four Navrati in the year.

List of Navdurga

  1. Devi Siddhidatri – In the beginning of the universe Lord Rudra worshipped Adi-Parashakti for creation. It is believed that Goddess Adi-Parashakti had no form. The supreme Goddess of Power, Adi-Parashakti, appeared in the form of Siddhidatri from the left half of Lord Shiva.

 

  1. Devi Kushmanda – After taking form of Siddhidatri, Goddess Parvati started living inside the center of the Sun so that He can liberate energy to the universe. Since then Goddess is known as Kushmanda. Kushmanda is the Goddess who has the power and capability to live inside the Sun. The glow and radiance of her body is as luminous as that of the Sun.

 

  1. Devi Brahmacharini – After Kushmanda form, Goddess Parvati took birth at the home of Daksha Prajapati. In this form the Goddess Parvati was a great Sati and her unmarried form is worshipped as Goddess Brahmacharini.

 

  1. Devi Shailputri – After the self-immolation as Goddess Sati, Goddess Parvati took birth as the daughter of Lord Himalaya. In Sanskrit Shail means the mountain and due to which Goddess was known as Shailputri, the daughter of the mountain.

 

  1. Devi Mahagauri – According to Hindu mythologies, the Goddess Shailputri at the age of sixteen was extremely beautiful and was blessed with fair complexion. Due to her extreme fair complexion she was known as Goddess Mahagauri.

 

  1. Devi Chandraghanta – Goddess Chandraghanta is the married form the Goddess Parvati. After getting married to Lord Shiva Goddess Mahagauri started adorning her forehead with half Chandra and due to which Goddess Parvati was known as Goddess Chandraghanta.

 

  1. Devi Skandamata – When Goddess became the mother of Lord Skanda (also known as Lord Kartikeya), Mata Parvati was known with the name of Goddess Skandamata.

 

  1. Devi Katyayani – To destroy demon Mahishasura, Goddess Parvati took the form of Goddess Katyayani. It was the most violent form of Goddess Parvati. In this form Goddess Parvati is also known as Warrior Goddess.

 

  1. Devi Kalaratri – When the Goddess Parvati removed outer golden skin to kill demons named Shumbha and Nishumbha, She was known as Goddess Kalaratri. Kalaratri is the fiercest and the most ferocious form of Goddess Parvati.

 

People follow different traditional norms and rituals during these auspicious 9 days to get the blessings of Goddess Durga. You would never want to miss even a single chance to be part of this auspicious and colourful festival. Here, in this article we are sharing the different colours and dress you can wear during the nine days to enjoy the spirit of the Navratri festival celebration.

 

 


Category : Religious

The Gujarat Hindu Society in Preston hosted a Raksha Bandhan event in partnership with the Armed Forces Hindu Network.

The traditional ceremony marks the tying of a thread between brother and sister signifying a bond between them. The mayor of Preston Councillor Trevor Hart was in attendance alongside invited guests from across the region.

There was also a preparation by the Armed Force o how they have embraced cultural values amongst different ethnic minorities with the UK.

Raksha Bandhan, also abbreviated to Rakhi is the Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. It is celebrated on the full moon in the month of Sravana in the lunar calendar.

The celebration of friendship article is also published in the Asian Image newspaper. Refer the snapshot of the newspaper.


Category : Activities

GHS Milestone project celebration

The project is to record the history and memories of Gujarat Hindu Society over a period of 50 years closely linked with cultural, traditions and their settlement in Preston and a huge success as a social enterprise recognized throughout the region.

GHS main hall was decorated with vibrant flowers and there were more than 20 huge panels with photographs given by various people from the year 1965 to 2015. Various workshops were held to capture life from the 1960s and 70s until present date. All the collected photo and information were captured in the panels displayed during the celebration.

Display of Indian culture, Hinduism, their gods, traditional cloths and musical instruments were eye catching.

 

After tasty Indian refreshments, President Ishwar Tailor invited VIPs including representatives from LCC, Lancashire constabulary, Media and other dignitaries who supported GHS to light up special lamp to start the celebration.

Celebration included special displays of Indian classical, Bollywood, fusion dancing and a very cute Balkung group dance where children from year 3-12 showcase traditional dance in local language.


Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and assistance from the Harris Museum the society has now traced and recorded its history.

Video captured for the Golden Milestone were also displayed during the celebration followed by demonstration of GHS Website, where all the information related to Golden Milestone is captured including Gallery, timeline etc.

Celebration ended by inspirational speeches from dignitaries, President, Secretary and cake cutting.

Project Sponsors:

Heritage lottery fund

Supported by –

  • Harries museum art gallery & library
  • Lancashire county council records office

Project initiator & Co-ordinator:

Mr Ishwer Tailor MBE JPDL

Project Manager:

Abhinandana Kodanda

Graphics designer and admin support:

Shreya Ghodke (Arteecraft)

Video support:

Nick Butterworth (Butterworth creative production)

Webdesign and development support:

Rakesh Ghodke (WebnMore Solutions)

Volunteers:

Joshi, Purnima, Hema, Shivam, Dev, Khushalbhai, Prahladbhai, Chandubhai

Many thanks to people who have shared their experiences, stories, and photographs

 


It certainly feels like winter has outstayed its visit. Take for instance our first ever crisp Holi or #Snoli…which, the GHS Preston celebrated grandly despite the icy floor. Thank you, to GHS Preston management committee for organising #Snoli2018! A Big thank you to the Hari-Bhakto/devotees, for embracing the chilly winds of the east and attending #PrestonSnoli.

 

But rest assured, the colorful fanfares and ringing bells have now commenced…..NavaDurga (Durga in nine forms) is here!

 

For Hinduism, the crisp spring welcomes celebration of Godess Durga for Chaitra Navratri (March-April).

 

As you know, the word “Navratri” is a conjunction of two words “nava” (meaning “nine”) and “ratri” (meaning “night”)..….but hang on a second…isn’t it abit early to get our Bangles, dangles and shimmery dresses out?

No! It certainly is not! Amongst the copious amounts of Easter eggs and the Easter bunnies we are also celebrating one of the most sacred festivals in Hinduism. Chaitra Navrati worships Goddess Durga or Shakti, which represents the feminine energy of the universe, in her 9 beautiful forms with great reverence.

 

That’s right, the main festival of Navratri occurs not once but twice every year!

 

The well-liked Ashwina Navratri falls in the month of Ashwina, (September – October). This one, is the most common and most popularly celebrated by the Hindus.

The other is named as Chaitra Navratri, observed in the month of Chaitra (March – April) not known to many.

 

Both Navratris occur during the interval of seasonal changes and the astronomical equinox. Throughout this period, our Durga Maa, (beautiful Mother-Nature), assumes a major change, shifting from one set of colours to another.

 

During both these Navratris, the length of the daytime is roughly equal to the length of the night-time, making it the perfect setting to embrace the festivities.

 

Chaitra Navratri is a lot quieter. Here, we crawl out of our winter cocoons and rejoice in the beauty of Spring, its fruits and colours.

 

In the UK, whilst the usual Navrati ‘dhoom-dham’ is not present at this time of year, being the quieter festival of the two, it gives us time to refresh, dust our minds and focus inward. A sort of spring-cleaning of the mind, ready for the festive season which will continue to roll forwards consecutively until the end of the year.

 

At the temple, there have been daily readings of the Ram-Charit Manas from 7pm – 9pm for the duration of the 9 days, which will conclude on Sunday with the epic birth of Shree Ram, Vishnus 7th Avatar, on Ramnavmi.

Ram + Charit (deeds or character) + Manas (Lake) =

  The Lake of Deeds of Ram

 

It is said by mentally visiting this auspicious ‘Manas’ ‘Lake’ rids one of sins and inspires good deeds to be taken by the reader. At the time of writing this blog, we are at the grand wedding of Princess Sita and Ram, Prince of Ayodhya.

 

Quietly, celebrating this epic wedding, whilst the stream of ancient words flow into the devotees ears, is a complete contrast to the celebrations that occur during Ashwina Navrati.

 

According to the Hindu Puranas and scriptures, Chaitra Navratri was the most important Navratri in which Goddess Shakti was worshipped, until Lord Rama worshipped Goddess Durga in the ‘Ashwin’ month during the Ramayana war.

 

Ashwin Navrati celebrates the homecoming of our Lord from exile…

 

But….

 

Chaitra Navarati celebrates the birth and appearance of our Dear Shree Ram.

 

On this holy occasion of Chaitra Navratri and Rama Navami, GHS Preston wishes the Blessings of Maa Durga and Shree Ram be with your and your family. May your heart and home be filled with happiness, peace and prosperity.

 

Jai Shree Ram

#Ramnavmi #ChaitraNavratri #GHSPreston #Preston

#BackpackAndChampals

 

Guest Author- Jagrutee Patel


On Friday 26th January about 50 people gathered in our main hall to salute the Indian Flag and sing some popular songs related to the flag and its colors. This is 43rd year we have raised the Indian Flag since we bought the center in 1975.

GHS has always been proud of its heritage and to celebrate, we had organized a Variety Cultural Show on Saturday 27th January 2018. We had invited the Mayor of Preston Cllr. Brian Rollo, MP Sir Mark Hendrick, and Chief Inspector Jonathan Clegg from Preston Police and Mrs. Linda Tompkins from UClan. The show was put together by our Manager Abhinandana and co-ordinated by our Activity Officer Shreya. The show was hosted by very able Jagruti & Dipesh Patel.

The evening started with prayers and lighting of lamps by the dignitaries. Ishwerbhai the President addressed the audience and asked the Mayor of Preston and other dignitaries to say a few words.

We started the evening with Shoka recitation by PurnaVidya group. Classical Dancing followed by a variety of different dances including a Ballet and Tap Dance by Sparkle Dance School.

Abhinandana Dance Academy presented a number of dances fusion between Classical and Bollywood, not forgetting Kuchipudi.

Our Balkunj team did us proud by getting youngsters to dance to My India song. They were so lively and so young and looked really cute. Karishma Parekh performed 2 super dances one classical Bharatnatyam and a Ghoomer Dance on popular Bollywood song.

Rakesh Ghodke And Jay Acharya gave tribute to soldiers by singing ‘Sandese aate hai’. Radhika Agarwal performed a Violin solo. Father and Son duo Mukund and Harshal Gosai did an instrumental item on Harmonium and synthesizer. GHS is very proud of all its members who put so much effort into bringing the show together.

The comments received from all the dignitaries were it was a mind-blowing show. On behalf of GHS management, I would like to express my sincere thank you to all the participants, trainers and our Manager Abhi & Shreya for once again putting on an excellent show. God bless you all and please continue to develop our young children. Well done everyone. Jai Hind. Bharat Mata ki Jai.


Category : Women Empowerment

A group has been formed where ladies get together and chat about a number of topics; this could be personal, job related or just interest and hobbies. The ladies feel free to be themselves and share their experiences.

I have been part of this group since it started back in January 2017, as a leader. I have attended these sessions and got involved, both my confidence and knowledge has increased.

As a group, we have already done many activities and have many more planned.

Events we have covered so far:

Jacob Joint – ladies bought in all types of food and we had a sing along and played musical chairs.

Games afternoon – where we played suduko and crosswords, we made it competitive which was fun.

Avenham Park Walk – one of the ladies organised a trip to walk around the park which was a great event and enjoyed by all.

 

Bolton Abbey trip – the ladies took themselves off to a trip where we had a long walk and picnic looked at historical buildings.

 

 

 

 

The most recent session was based around Dementia, our very own Joshi led the talk and explained in great detail of what happens and what to expect.

The above is just some of what we have covered. We are moving forward in the right direction with the help of you lovely ladies. Our group is going from strength to strength with new faces joining us each session. Our group has a wide range of experienced ladies whether this is a house wife a lecturer or a school teacher.

Please come along to the next session held at our very own Gujarat Hindu society. Keep your eyes and ear peeled for the next session and events.

 

Author- Bhavnita Parekh


Category : Religious

The Tulsi plant is a variety of the spice we know as basil. The story of Tulsi and the holiday known as Tusli Vivaha is wonderfully symbolic story that resonates even today. Tulsi Vivaha, is the mythical marriage of the tulsi plant and Krishna, is celebrated on the11th day of the bright half of the lunar month of Kartika. The festival is popular in all parts of India and particularly in the south.

In the Vedic tradition there is a rishi by the name of Narada who is the son of Brahma, the creator. He takes the role of cosmic instigator. He is always sneaking in and out of these stories, usually starting things off by making devious suggestions which his unsuspecting target eagerly agrees to. Of course there are all sorts of interesting consequences and they are what make up the core of these stories. During the time that Krishna was here on earth, the gods in heaven decided that he had been away long enough and that they missed him. They wanted him to come back to heaven. So with Narada, they hatched a plan to get Krishna to return.

 

While here on earth, Krishna had 2 wives; Satyabhama and Rukmini. Queen Satyabhaamaenquired of the Rishi Narada how she could ensure that she would have Krishna as her husband in her next life. Narada told the Queen, and truthfully so, that you receive in the next life that which you giveaway in this life as charity (Daan in Sanskrit). So Satyabhaama immediately gave Krishna away to Narada and they left immediately so that Krishna could go back to heaven.

 

But Krishna’s wives Rukmini and Satyabhama sorely missed their husband, and both requested Narada to bring Krishna back. Narada said that they would have to give the gods something equal to the weight of Krishna if he was to return from heaven. Proud of all the jewels and valuables that Krishna had given her, Satyabhama set up a large weighing balance scale. Krishna came and sat on one side. Satyabhama, who as befits a Queen, was rather arrogant and brought out all her jewels and gold and silver pots to weigh against Krishna. But the more she piled onto the balance scale, the lighter her side became. Krishna just became heavier and heavier. Reduced to angry tears, she finally gave up. Satyabhama asked Rukmini to do what she could. Rukmini removed all the gold and gems from the scale and plucked a few leaves of the wild tulsi plant growing nearby. She put them on the scale with all her love. The leaves proved to be far heavier than Krishna. With a smile, Krishna returned to earth to be with his wives.

 

Since that time, a tulsi leaf is added to any auspicious gift. A father also places a tulsi leaf in his daughter’s hand during the Kanaan – giving away of the daughter during a Hindu marriage ceremony. On Tulsi Vivaha the yoga tradition is for the tulsi plant to be dressed up as if it were a murti. The ceremony of Vishnu’s marriage is re-enacted in a uja called Kalyana Utsavam. A dainty wedding pavilion(mandap) is made of sugarcane stalks and the tulsi plant is decorated with a yellow bridal sari, miniature jewellery and red kumkum powder. Krishna wears a golden crown and the traditional bridegroom’s attire. The wedding is conducted with complete wedding puja and homa rites. The Tulsi plant is offered a feast of seasonal berries, new tamarind, turmeric, amla fruit and rice. Krishna is offered sweets made of milk.

 

You might ask why it was that Rukmini, who was really Lakshmi, offered the tulsi plant to Krishna in this story. As is frequently the case in Vedic stories, it begins with a demon that has gained too much power and is troubling the gods. Since the strength of the gods cannot always equal that of the demons, the gods have to win by some form of trickery. Of course ultimately it backfires and the gods have make amends.

 

In this case, there was a demon who was a famous warrior by the name of Jalandhar. By constantly annoying, fighting and defeating the gods he madehis fellow demons happy and more and more of the universe came under their control. Jalandhar had a wonderful wife by the name of Vrinda who was apure and spiritually dedicated soul and a powerful yogi in her own right. Because of her purity and spiritual strength, Jalandhar became invincible in all three worlds.

 

Desperately, the gods tried to find some way to defeat Jalandhar. Vishnu developed a plan and sent messengers to tell Vrinda that her husband had been killed in battle. The severed head and body of two monkeys were put in front of her, and after reciting some mantras, Vishnu, through his magical powers made her believe it was her husband’s dead body and she was plunged into grief.

 

Then Vishnu snuck away and took the form of sadhu and seemingly innocent, walked by Vrinda. Faking compassion, Vishnu recited some mantras and joined the head and the body together again. Vishnu quickly took the form of Vrinda’s husband who thought that her husband Jalandhar stood there in front of her. She embraced him with passion and relief. But quickly she realized her mistake and discovered that it was in fact, Vishnu. In that conservative era, she immediately lost her spiritual virtue and power for having touched the body of man who was not her husband. She was distraught at having been tricked, but it was of no use. AfterVrinda had lost her holiness and purity, Jalandhar lost the source of his power, and was killed in battle. When Vrinda came to know the full truth of her husband’s death, she was wild with anger and cursed Vishnu saying, “Your wife will be taken away from you and you will have to ask help from monkeys to recover her.” A rishi’s curse is powerful thing and not even the gods can escape intuit was after all, the result of Vishnu’s own actions coming back to him.

 

As we well know, this curse was realized when Vishnu took the form as Rama and Sita was taken from him only to be saved again by Hanuman, the monkey god.

 

After issuing her curse, Vrinda prepared the funeral pyre for her husband and jumped into the fire. Vishnu, whose job it is to protect everyone in creation, was very sorry because as a result of his deceit the poor widow had committed suicide. He remained sitting at the side of the pyre for many days, deep in depression. Worried about him because he was neglecting his cosmic duties, the gods planted three medicinal trees in the cremation ground; Tulsi, Amala, and Jasmine. Of these three trees the Tulsi was most dear to Vishnu and to this day is used in his worship rituals

 

Because Vrinda had for a while truly believed Vishnu to be her husband, when Vishnu appeared as Krishna, Vrinda came in the form of Rukmini and on the day which we celebrate as Tulsi Vivaha, they were married.

Importance: From this day the auspicious days begin. It is said that, this marriage is the symbol of the perfect marriage in Indian culture.

 

Significance of Tulsi Vivah:

The belief is that those who perform Tulsi Vivah ceremony giving away Tulsi considering them to be one’s daughters get the credit of Kanyadan which is an auspicious act in Hindu religion. Tulsi plant can help to vanish all the Architectural defects in a house. For Hindus, Tulsi is the most sacred plant. Puja offerings are considered incomplete without the Tulsi leaf. It also symbolizes Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. Women seek blessings for happy married life. The Tulsi leaf has great medicinal value as it cures various ailments, including the common cold. Performing one or four Parikramas of the plant removes the evil effects of the sins.

Guest Blog by BHARAT MARU.


Category : Religious

Shri Ganesh Mahotsav is a ten-day Hindu festival celebrated to honour the elephant-headed God Ganesha’s birthday. He is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

GHS_Ganesh-Murti_17

This year, August 25th marks the beginning of this festival which is also called as Vinayaka Chaturthi. Here are some details about the festival:

The festival begins on Shukla Chaturthi which is the fourth day of the waxing moon period, and ends on the 14th day of the waxing moon period known as Anant Chaturdashi. During the festival, colourful pandals (temporary shrines) are setup and the Lord is worshiped for ten days. Maharashtra is the state known for grand scale Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.

Ganesha is known by 108 different names and is the Lord of arts and sciences and the God of wisdom. He is honoured at the start of any ritual or ceremony as he’s considered the God of beginnings. He’s widely and dearly referred to as Ganapati Bappa.

There are two different versions about Ganesha’s birth. Out of all the stories that are linked with the history of this festival, the most relevant one is associated with his parents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is believed that Goddess Parvati created little Ganesh using the dirt off her body while having a bath and sent him to guard the door while she was bathing. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned at that time. Innocently, little Ganesh stopped him from entering. Angry Lord Shiva cut off the head of the little child after a heated argument. Looking at an angered and displeased Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva promised her to give Ganesh a new life. The followers were sent to search for a head; however all they could bring was a head of an elephant. Lord Shiva fixed the elephant’s head on the child and brought him back to life. That’s how he was named Gajanan.

The other legend has it that Ganesha was created by Shiva and Parvati on request of the Devas, to be a vighnakartaa (obstacle-creator) in the path of rakshasas (demonic beings), and a vighnahartaa (obstacle-averter) to help the Devas.

GHS will celebrate this auspicious festival from Friday 25 August till Tuesday 05 September2017. Please check our events calendar for details. https://www.ghspreston.co.uk/calendar/ganesh-utsav/


Badge of Honour for GHS

We are pleased to inform you that our blog has been selected as one of the TOP 20 HINDU blogs on the web by Feedspot.
We have received a badge of honour, which will be placed on our website. If you haven't been on the website and reading interesting blogs, Please visit now...