Page 2 - Newsletter Feb 2019

From The Editor’s Desk
Dear Members,
Around the globe, especially in the Northern
hemisphere, where most of the land masses
lie, we wait for the cold winter months to
finally give way to warmer and sunnier
days. After our Sankranti festival, which
marks the official transition of the Sun into
Makara or Capricorn, the days get longer
and supposedly warmer, and it is time to
get prepared for the advent of the spring
and its myriad of lush colors and bursts of
vibrant blooms. Marked by Vasantha Pan-
chami, and Ratha Sapthami, which recently
fell respectively, in the shukla paksha peri-
od, on the 5th and the 7th day of the lunar
month of Magha, it signifies the arrival of
the spring season, and with it, the
celebration of the season and the worship of
Surya, the Sun God.
Vasantha Panchami is considered to be the
5th day of the Magha Navarathri, which
typically falls in the January-February time
frame. The festival is associated with the
color yellow, as flowers and budding
blossoms of this color are related to spring.
The day also celebrates Goddess Saraswati,
who is adorned in a yellow saree, followed
by worship of knowledge and fine arts,
much like the Maha Navaratri festivities on
the Navami day. Ratha Sapthami is dedicat-
ed to Surya the Sun God, who rides his ce-
lestial chariot drawn by seven horses, now
steered towards the Northern hemisphere,
signifying warmer days.
(arghyam) are offered to the Sun God,
followed by chanting of slokas. In all, we
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have four navaratris, each associated with
the particular season: Magha Navaratri –
January-February (Winter to Spring),
Vasantha Navaratri - March-April (Spring to
Summer), Ashada Navarathri - June-July
(monsoon), and Maha Navaratri or Sharad
Navaratri – September-October (autumn).
We are indeed blessed to be able to enjoy so
many festivals that celebrate nature and its
multi-faceted forms!
Our world revolves around the nature that
we live in – sun, rivers, clouds, mountains,
trees, and so on. Being respectful of our
nature is a way of keeping the energy
balanced. It also balances our ‘Dharmic’
and ‘Karmic’ laws, and is in perfect sync
with the modern day Go-Green concept. The
Vedas have long professed this idea, and
our Hindu religion has always abided by it.
So, when the next festivity rolls in, enjoy its
simple yet natural celebration, for our
ancestors may have had a good reason in
place for the ritual, be it feeding beasts and
birds, or worshipping rivers and rain
clouds! Sarvejana Sukhinobhavanthu.
Oblations