1. GOKULASHTAMI AND SRI JAYANTHI
GOKULASHTAMI and SRI JAYANTHI fall during the Tamil month of Avani covering mid-August to mid-September. Both may fall in August or in different months. They are not the same. There are two different schools of thought.
The former is based on the ASHTAMI thithi and the latter is based on the ROHINI STAR. Vaishnavaites celebrate on the day Rohini, the birth star of Lord Krishna falls and Saivaites celebrate on the day Ashtami, the birth thithi of the Lord falls. Both the star and thithi rarely occur on the same day.
People are supposed to observe Upavaasam [complete starvation] for the whole day if they follow the Thithi. They can prepare different sweets and snacks and offer it to the Lord if they follow the star.
Those who are in foreign countries should not follow the Almanac that is followed in India. There is a website "My Panchang" where they can get the Almanac applicable for their place by giving details of their location. Whenever I go to the US, I follow this Almanac for performing my rituals.
2. Sri Rama Navami
Today is Sri Rama Navami the birthday of Lord Rama. All Hindu festivals are celebrated with great fanfare excepting Sri Rama Navami. I wish to narrate my experience as a boy of 15 when it was celebrated in my village about 60 years back.
There was a PERUMAL temple for the Vaishnavites and a SIVAN temple for Saivites in the village. Everyone worshiped in both the temples. On this day, all elders in the village, both men and women, assembled at 4 PM in the Perumal temple which was in the center of the village.
The new Almanac was distributed to all the people free of cost by a senior member of the village who had agreed to celebrate the festival. Another elder person who was well versed in reading the Almanac would explain the forecasts regarding rain, harvesting, eclipses, benefits, and drawbacks, etc.
Then puja was conducted to the portrait of Lord Rama with the chanting of slokas, carnatic songs etc. Then sundal made of moong dhall, panagam [a drink made of jaggery,dry ginger etc,] and buttermilk were offered to the Lord and distributed as prasadam to all the devotees assembled.
3. What is the major difference between the Indian and American judiciary?
1. In the US, the judicial system treats you innocent until proven guilty. The onus is on the accuser to prove that you committed the crime.
N.B. In the US everybody is equal before the law. President George Bush’s daughters were arrested for DUI - Driving Under Influence (of alcohol) when he was still the President. Will such a thing ever happen in India?
2. In India, you are guilty until proven innocence. meaning it is the duty of the accused to prove that he is innocent.
N.B. This where poor people get caught and the rich people get out by bribing, engaging fancy costly lawyers who in comparison to the public defenders get a better success rate. Don't know if it is because of their talents or money power or both.
GOKULASHTAMI and SRI JAYANTHI fall during the Tamil month of Avani covering mid-August to mid-September. Both may fall in August or in different months. They are not the same. There are two different schools of thought.
The former is based on the ASHTAMI thithi and the latter is based on the ROHINI STAR. Vaishnavaites celebrate on the day Rohini, the birth star of Lord Krishna falls and Saivaites celebrate on the day Ashtami, the birth thithi of the Lord falls. Both the star and thithi rarely occur on the same day.
People are supposed to observe Upavaasam [complete starvation] for the whole day if they follow the Thithi. They can prepare different sweets and snacks and offer it to the Lord if they follow the star.
Those who are in foreign countries should not follow the Almanac that is followed in India. There is a website "My Panchang" where they can get the Almanac applicable for their place by giving details of their location. Whenever I go to the US, I follow this Almanac for performing my rituals.
2. Sri Rama Navami
Today is Sri Rama Navami the birthday of Lord Rama. All Hindu festivals are celebrated with great fanfare excepting Sri Rama Navami. I wish to narrate my experience as a boy of 15 when it was celebrated in my village about 60 years back.
There was a PERUMAL temple for the Vaishnavites and a SIVAN temple for Saivites in the village. Everyone worshiped in both the temples. On this day, all elders in the village, both men and women, assembled at 4 PM in the Perumal temple which was in the center of the village.
The new Almanac was distributed to all the people free of cost by a senior member of the village who had agreed to celebrate the festival. Another elder person who was well versed in reading the Almanac would explain the forecasts regarding rain, harvesting, eclipses, benefits, and drawbacks, etc.
Then puja was conducted to the portrait of Lord Rama with the chanting of slokas, carnatic songs etc. Then sundal made of moong dhall, panagam [a drink made of jaggery,dry ginger etc,] and buttermilk were offered to the Lord and distributed as prasadam to all the devotees assembled.
3. What is the major difference between the Indian and American judiciary?
1. In the US, the judicial system treats you innocent until proven guilty. The onus is on the accuser to prove that you committed the crime.
N.B. In the US everybody is equal before the law. President George Bush’s daughters were arrested for DUI - Driving Under Influence (of alcohol) when he was still the President. Will such a thing ever happen in India?
2. In India, you are guilty until proven innocence. meaning it is the duty of the accused to prove that he is innocent.
N.B. This where poor people get caught and the rich people get out by bribing, engaging fancy costly lawyers who in comparison to the public defenders get a better success rate. Don't know if it is because of their talents or money power or both.
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