WHY IS LAKSHMI POOJAN DONE ON DIWALI?

Diwali is an important festival which is celebrated all over India, and by people of all religions in India. It is one of the only festivals, which transcends all religious beliefs. To many people, Diwali is a celebration and has become more of a custom, with the religion lost in the festivities and parties all over India.
To others, while also being a festival and a party, Diwali has a deep religious significance. Diwali, known as the festival of lights is a religious prayer or pooja to the Goddess Lakshmi, for her to bless the people who pray to her with wealth and prosperity.
Laxmi or Lakshmi Pooja is an involved process done just after sunset on Diwali, the 3rd day of the 5 day long Diwali celebration. (Some say that Diwali is actually 6 days long. This holds true in some areas of India).
It is done after sunset. The pooja is done to honor the goddess Lakshmi who is one of the most important Gods in the Hindu tradition. She is the Goddess of wealth, and prosperity, and eminates beauty, grace and charm. She is often seen seated on a human-sized lotus flower.
Lakshmi on this day, is revered in her three forms: the MahaLakshmi, the MahaSaraswati, and the MahaKali. The pooja or poojan translates to mean “worship”. It is the worship to the Goddess Lakshmi. In our world today and as it was thousands of years ago, most people want an ample amount of money in order to live a secure, safe and comfortable life. Hindus worship the Goddess Lakshmi, as she is the embodiment of wealth and prosperity in our lives.
The pooja as well as the preparation for the pooja is done to please the Goddess, and to invite her into the homes that are the cleanest and the most well lit. The idea is that she will visit only those homes and deliver her blessings of wealth, peace and prosperity to everyone in the household.
Many people go above and beyond, but buying new clothes for themselves, and painting their homes. They also will clean every nook and cranny of the home, and decorate the entire home with diyas or lanterns. This is an effort to invite the Goddess Lakshmi into their homes at night (after sunset), as it is thought and believed that she enters only at night. Many people will draw mehendi on their hands, which is the dye, henna in celebration. Other people draw Rangoli’s or colored sand art at the front entrance to their homes. This is another form of welcoming to the Goddess Lakshmi. Some families will even draw footprints from the entrance of their homes going to each and every room. This is an encouragement to the Goddess to follow the footsteps and to enter the home, blessing the home and each person as she passes by each one’s room.

VISHNU: History and Significance

In order to understand the Hindu Gods, and their history and significance in the world, one must first understand that Hinduism, as a religion, is a Monotheistic Polytheism. This means that all the Gods that are pervasive in the Hindu Religion are all manifestations of one single God.
There is a basic Trinity in Hinduism. This is called the TRIMURTI. The Trinity consists of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. All three are Gods, and are manifestations of the Supreme God. Brahma is known as the Creator; Shiva is the Destroyer; and Vishnu is the Preserver and Maintainer of Cosmic Order, also known as DHARMA.

"Vish" is the Sanskrit word meaning "to pervade". In the Sacred Texts of Hinduism, namely the Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu is called to bring good to earth and to ward off evil. He comes to earth in the form of avatars, or reincarnations of himself. It is said that Vishnu is not allowed to come as his true self.

He has nine most common reincarnations or avatars of himself; and one which has not manifested on earth yet. However, he is not limited to the number of avatars he can have. He has the ability to manifest himself through an infinite number of avatars.




Recently, in November of 2007, a girl was born to a family in India with 8 limbs. The girl was born on the day celebrating Vishnu. Her family took the malformed child as a gift from God and as a blessing. They believed that the child is an avatar of Vishnu. They named her Lakshmi; who is the wife of Vishnu.



They never-the-less had their child undergo an operation to remove the accessory limbs, which it turned out was actually a parasitic twin, born with another spinal cord and a kidney and only attached to the child at the hip. The operation took 27 hours to complete and the today the child is doing fine.

There are a group of Hindus called Vaishnavites who solely worship Vishnu. They worship him as the avatar, "Ishvara", the Supreme Being.


In the paintings most commonly drawn of Vishnu, he is represented as a man, the color of the sky (blue and white), indicating that he is omnipresent. He has a SRIVATSA, which is a curl of hair on his chest. This is important, as it signifies his immortality. Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi is usually in the painting as well, seated next to him, massaging his feet. He is usually drawn resting on a coiled serpent, "SHESHA"; and he holds 4 essential items.



1. "SANKHA" or the Conch. This represents "OM" which is the first sound of creation and the beginning of matter. OM signifies that sound and matter are one and the same.
2. "CAKRA" or the Disc is the reminent of the solar deity that Vishnu was derived from.
3. "GADA" or the Club which is the weapon Vishnu uses through which all of his physical and mental powers flow.
4. "PADMA" or the Lotus is associated with Vishnu and represents water, fertility and creation.

The 10 most common avatars of Vishnu are:
1. MATSYA THE FISH
Matsya is a golden fish who saved humanity from a flood. The story is very similar to Noah and the Ark, where a flood destroyed all the living creatures of the earth, and in this story a Sage was called upon to gather samples of living creatures, and plants and to wait on a boat. Matsya was the fish who pulled the boat through the water until the great flood ended, and Brahma created the present world.
2. RAMA
The heroic Rama who rescued his wife, Sita from the demon Ravana. Rama then went on to kill Ravana as well.
3. KRISHNA
4. BUDDHA
"The enlightened one", and the avatar which is said to have saved Hinduism from practices of excessive ritualism.
Other Avatars are

5. KURMA, The Turtle
6. VARAHA, The Boar
7. NARASIMHA, Half man, half lion
8. VAMANA, The Dwarf
9. PARASHURAMA, the Brahmin

And finally, the Avatar that has not yet come to earth is KALKI the horse. Kalki will come when the earth is ending; he will come to destroy the world and to recreate it.

Vishnu is a beloved Hindu God, and is called the Peaceful God or Shanti. He never sleeps, and he does not tolerate Ego. He will fight for the good of earth and its people. He is the preserver and maintainer of Earth.

HOLI

Holi is a popular Hindu festival, known as “the festival of colors”. Holi is also called Phagwah, derived from the word Phalgun, the month of the full moon. Holi is always celebrated on the day after the full moon in early February or early March. Holi is also known as “Vasant Mahotsava” and “Kama Mahotsava”.

Holi celebrates the bringing in of the new Harvest, and celebrates the fertility of the land. On the day of Holi, people have the opportunity to vent out their emotions and to physically relax. There is a type of “Shudra atmosphere” where people let loose, shout out their true feelings to each other and the next day, all is forgotten and forgiven. Anyone can get away with practically anything by just saying (Bura na Mano, Holi Hai!), “Don’t Mind, Its Holi!

Holi is one of the oldest celebrated holidays in history. In Vijayanagar, in a temple at Hampi there is a 16th c panel sculpted in a temple which shows a joyous scene depicting Holi where a prince and princecss are standing amidst maids waiting with syringes or pichkaris to drench the royal couple in colored water.

MYTHOLOGY:

There are many mythological stories associated with Holi. The most well known, is the story of Holika-Hiranyakashipu and Prahlad. This tale of Holi has to do with a demoness, Holika. Holika was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu. He ruled over the land and forced everyone to obey him. His son, Prahlad did not want to worship his father. He wanted to worship Lord Vishnu instead.
Hiranyakashipu was outraged and furious. He ordered his sister, Holika to kill Prahlad. Holika had a gift from birth. She could walk through fire untouched. So, she decided to kill Prahlad by walking into the fire with him, hoping to burn him. But Prahlad, believing in Lord Vishnu, prayed to Vishnu while Holika took him into the fire.

Prahlad was saved and Holika was burnt. Holika did not know that her gift only held true if she walked into the fire alone. If she walked into the fire with someone, she would be killed. The Gods saved Prahlad for worshiping them.

In celebration of the Gods powers, Holi is celebrated in 3 days.

THREE DAYS OF HOLI

1. FULL MOOM (HOLI PURNIMA)
On the first day, colored powders are placed on a thali or platter and a lota or small brass pot is brought with colored water. The eldest male member of the family begins the ceremony by sprinkling colorson each member of the family.

2. PUNO
On the second day, images of Hoika are burnt to keep with the Prahlad legend and his devotion to Vishnu. Huge bonfires are lighted and people gather near the fire and fill the air with song and dance. Mothers carry their babies five times in a clockwise direction around the fire, so that her children are blessed by Agni, the god of fire.

3. PARVA
Finally, on the third day, families and friends visit each others homes and color and gulal are thrown into the air and smeared on each other’s faces and bodies. Pichkaris and water balloons are filled with colors and squirted at people. Color is also smeared on the deities, especially Krishna and Radha.

While playing with colors during Holi make sure that the colors used are safe and nonhazardous to the skin and to the environment.

Most of the Holi colors sold are oxidized metals or dye mixed with engine oil.
Red: Mercury Sulphite (skin cancer)
Green: Copper sulfate(allergies, temporary blindness)
Purple: Chromium iodide (bronchial asthma, allergies)
Silver: Aluminum bromide (carcinogenic)
Black: Lead Oxide (Renal failure, learning disabilities)
Shiny colors: Powdered glass added to colors.

Any of these can result in skin allergies, eye irritation, and even blindness. After the colors are washed off they cause increased pollution in the environment.

Play holi safely. You can make colored water or colored powder at home, and with safe ingredients.

HOLI POWDER:
For dry powder, use red sandalwood powder, which has a beautiful red color, which is beneficial to the skin. Also, Red Hibiscus flowers has a vibrant color. Sinduria, is a fruit which has a bright brick color.

COLORED WATER:
For colored water, use two teaspoons of red sandalwood powder in 5 liters of boiling water. This can be diluted in 20 liters of water. The Peels of red Pomegranate can be boiled to yield a lovely red color. Red can be obtained from the juice of tomatoes and carrots, and then diluted with water.

MARCH 6, 2008: MAHASHIVRATRI

SHIVRATRI

Maha Shivratri is one of many Hindu festivals. It falls on the 14th night of the new moon during the month of February/March. This year, Shivratri falls on March 6, 2008. Shiva is the God of Destruction. “Shivratri” literally means “The night of the Lord Shiva”.
Shiva is one of the Gods in the Hindu Trinity, comprising of Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva, the Destroyer and Re-Producer of life.
Shiva has many names: Shankar, Mahesh, Bholenath, Neelakanth, Shambhu Kailasheshwar, Umanath, and Nataraj.

LEGEND OF SHIVARATRI

According to one Purana, or legend story, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The poison was capable of destroying the entire world. The Gods and demons ran to Shiva for help. Shiva drank the poison to protect the world, but he held it in his throat. This made his throat turn blue. Shivratri is a celebration of how Shiva saved the world.

After creation of the Universe, Shiva lived on top of Mount Kailash with Parvati, a Goddess and his wife. They are said to have been married on Shivratri.

The Goddess asked Shiva to pick his favorite day when Shiva’s devotees could perform rituals for him. Lord Shiva picked out the 14th night of the new moon, and this day is Shivrathri. He outlined how his devotees should worship him on that day.

Shiva asked his devotees to offer him Bael or Bilva leaves, which were more precious to him than jewels and flowers. It is said that the God Lakshmi resides in them. He outlined 4 periods of worship. These 4 periods are throughout the night, when he wanted the symbol of Shiva, the Shivalinga to be washed every 3 hours. He wanted to be bathed in milk during the first period and curd in the second; then in butter in the third and honey in the fourth and last period. During the bathing period, the devotees continue to chant the Panchakshara' Mantra, “Om Namah Shivaya”. On the next day, Shiva wanted his devotees to feed the Brahmins first, and only then could they break their fast.

Goddess Parvati was impressed in hearing Shiva outline his worship. She spoke to all her friends, and word quickly spread all over the universe. People all over began celebrating Shivrathri.

According to one myth, Parvati meditated on this day to ward off any evil that may befall her husband on the moonless night. Some devotees consider the Mahashivaratri to be an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons. Unmarried women pray for a husband like Shiva, who is considered to be an ideal husband.

Hindus observe a fast all day and night. A vigil is kept all night long. Devotees offer fruits, flowers and Bael leaves on Shivratri.

The morning of Shivratri begins early. A ritual sunrise bath is taken, and if possible in the Ganga River. Prayers are offered to the Sun God, Vishnu and Shiva. New clothes are then worn, and devotees visit a Shiva Temple. Women typically give a customary bath to the Shivalinga in the temple. Devotees walk around the Shivalinga three or seven times and then pour water or milk over the Shivalinga. Shouts of “Shankarji ki Jai” and bells resound through the temple walls.

According to the Shiva Purana, the Mahashivaratri worship must have 6 items:

1. Purifying the Soul by Bathing the Linga with water, milk and honey, and Wood apple or bel leaves added to it
2. Attainment of Virtue through the vermilion paste applied on the linga after bathing it
3. Longevity and Gratification of Desires by offering of fruits
4. Attainment of wealth by burning incense
5. Attainment of Knowledge by lighting of the lamp
6. Satisfaction with Worldly pleasures is attained by the Bael leaves

If these rituals are performed by one with attention to detail, strict devotion, and concentration, all sins will then be absolved and liberation from the wheel of birth and death can then occur.

In Nepal and North India, many people consume Bhang Lassi, which is believed to be Shiva’s favorite drink. Bhang is a liquid derivative of Cannabis, which has similar effects to forms of marijuana. It is legal in India, and mostly used for religious purposes. Lassi is originally from Punjab, and is make by blending Yogurt with water, salt and spices until it gets frothy. The Lassi is flavored with ground cumin. Some will top the lassi with malai or cream; others will add turmeric powder to it.

The Receipe for Bhang Lassi is as follows:
2 cups water
1 ounce marijuana (fresh leaves and flowers of a female plant preferred)
4 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds
1/8 teaspoon garam masala [a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon]
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosewater
1 cup sugar
Boil water in a teapot. Then, remove any seeds or twigs from the marijuana, add it to the teapot. Let this brew for about 7 minutes. Then strain the water and marijuana.

Collect the water and save. Take the leaves and flowers and squeeze between your hands to extract any liquid that remains. Add this to the water.

Place the leaves and flowers in a mortar and add 2 teaspoons warm milk. Slowly but firmly grind the milk and leaves together.

Gather up the marijuana and squeeze out as much milk as you can. Repeat this process until you have used about 1/2 cup of milk (about 4 to 5 times). Collect all the milk that has been extracted and place in a bowl. By this time the marijuana will have turned into a pulpy mass. Add the chopped almonds and some more warm milk. Grind this in the mortar until a fine paste is formed. Squeeze this paste and collect the extract as before. Repeat a few more times until all that is left are some fibers and nut meal. Discard the residue.

Combine all the liquids that have been collected, including the water the marijuana was brewed in. Add to this the garam masala, dried ginger and rosewater. Add the sugar and remaining milk. Chill, serve, and enjoy.

TANDAVA:

Maha Shivaratri is the night when Lord Shiva performed Tandava. Shiva’s Tandava is a dance performed by Shiva. Shiva’s Goddess Parvati also performs the dance, however her’s is called Lasya. The dance is of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. Shiva is also known as the Nataraj or the Dancing God. The Tandava is his depiction of his violent nature as the destroyer of the Universe.Many religious scholars describe his dance as Anandatandava which means “the dance of Bliss”. Its symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction as well as birth and death. The dance depicts the 5 principles of eternal energy: creation, destruction, preservation, salvation and illusion.

LASYA

This is the dance which the Goddess Parvati performs. Her dance is more gentle, graceful and erotic.

SHIVA LINGA

Shiva Linga is the symbol of Lord Shiva, which is sacred to the devotes of Shiva. Lingum is a Sanskrit word that means “symbol” and Shiva Lingum means the symbol of Shiva. “linga” is a Sanskrit word for the male reproductive organ. The Shiva Linga is found in all Shiva temples and is “rounded and elliptical”, and set on a circular base, the base representing the Yoni or the female reproductive organ. Devotees worship the Linga or the reproductive function. Scholars and historians believe that this symbol originated from the tribes of the Indus Valley, who saw the Shiva Linga as a source of energy, creation and enlightenment.

Other interpretations of the Shiva Linga exist. Some believe that it is an abstract symbol of God, and that God may be conceptualized in any convenient form. The form is irrelevant; only the power behind the form is what matters. Therefore, to these believers, the Shivalinga represents the formless Supreme Being or The “Nirguna Brahman”.

Hindus celebrate Shivratri in many different ways, usually using one or all of the above mentioned rituals.