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Our Virtual Ashram
- Thread starter Maya3
- Start date
And today is your birth anniversary (at least on a certain calendar). I hope it’s a pleasant one. You are someone who I appreciate here.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Thanks for appreciation, Mangalavara. I use only the Gregorian calendar, easier than the traditional Vikram calendar. However, we have two birthday dates for my wife, one by the Gregorian calendar (December 23) and the other by the traditional calendar. But what makes that easy to remember is that she was born on a religiously important date for my community, Kedigree New Moon (Khichri Amavasya). That is a salute to mid-winter. We worship the local Kashmir deity for protection from winters, Yaksha, who wears a swab of cotton for a hat to indicate snow. So what, if we now live in hot Delhi? It is customary, not to go out of the house after this Puja.
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Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Shrāddha Paksha : September 17 to October 2.
Remebrance of ancestors, Pitri Paksha. 'Pitri' (Paters) is not limited to males only. We remember the female ancestors also.
My wife keeps the record of dates.
I cannot perform the shrāddha of her parents because they are not my ancestors, but my son can. They are his ancestors.
I perform the shrāddha of my maternal grand parents, but not of my maternal uncle (He is not among my ancestors).
If he did not have any progeny, then I would have been eligible to perform his shrāddha.
Some one has to do it to give peace to his soul. Otherwise, he turns into a dissatisfied ghost. That is the tradition.
It does not matter if I am an atheist and non-believer in existence of soul. I would not need any consolation after my death.
Remebrance of ancestors, Pitri Paksha. 'Pitri' (Paters) is not limited to males only. We remember the female ancestors also.
My wife keeps the record of dates.
I cannot perform the shrāddha of her parents because they are not my ancestors, but my son can. They are his ancestors.
I perform the shrāddha of my maternal grand parents, but not of my maternal uncle (He is not among my ancestors).
If he did not have any progeny, then I would have been eligible to perform his shrāddha.
Some one has to do it to give peace to his soul. Otherwise, he turns into a dissatisfied ghost. That is the tradition.
It does not matter if I am an atheist and non-believer in existence of soul. I would not need any consolation after my death.
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Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Edit: Dissatisfied ghosts does not mean malevolent ghosts, dissatisfied only, like most people in the world are for various things. Souls of good people do not turn malevolent, generally. 'Ha, nobody to remember me'. That is why 'Shrāddha' from 'Shraddhā' (reverance).
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Navaratras begin. Have to take bath early. Wear washed clothes, before I take a bow to the deities and then have breakfast. No non-veg., onion, for these nine days. Garlic, otherwise also we do not use.
Muslim fundamentalists in the new Bangladesh regime. Hindus being openly threatened. 5,000 puja pandals stopped because of threats. 13 million people making 8% of the Bangladesh population.
Muslim fundamentalists in the new Bangladesh regime. Hindus being openly threatened. 5,000 puja pandals stopped because of threats. 13 million people making 8% of the Bangladesh population.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Lost my younger brother two days ago.
After long illness, parkinsonism. Was being fed by a tube to the stomach. Was immobile. And he was once the strongest of the family and handsome as well, very blue eyes, mine take a greenish tinge. He was a doctor (Public Health), and at one time in-charge of New Delhi region health services.
Relief for him and his family. We lived together for 50 years. Our sons have gone to Haridwar (125 m.) to immerse the ashes.
I won't want that. Perhaps immersion (of my ashes) in a nearly Ganges bank (Garh Mukteshwar, 57 m away) will be enough for me.
After long illness, parkinsonism. Was being fed by a tube to the stomach. Was immobile. And he was once the strongest of the family and handsome as well, very blue eyes, mine take a greenish tinge. He was a doctor (Public Health), and at one time in-charge of New Delhi region health services.
Relief for him and his family. We lived together for 50 years. Our sons have gone to Haridwar (125 m.) to immerse the ashes.
I won't want that. Perhaps immersion (of my ashes) in a nearly Ganges bank (Garh Mukteshwar, 57 m away) will be enough for me.
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oṃ śāntiḥ
My condolences. I'm sure that your younger brother was a wonderful man and that he helped countless people by doing his peculiar duties.
I had to look up Garh Mukteshwar. Some webpages say that it was constructed during the time of the 'Hastinapur Kingdom,' but I cannot find anything online about a Hastinapur Kingdom.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
It is a legendary city, not much of archaeology remains till a strong search is made. Garh Mukteshwar has a Shiva temple near the bank of River Ganges and has come to signify a place where worship can remove the effects of karmas to give release from the cycle of birth and death. Many places like that, many on the banks of River Ganges, like Haridwar or Gangasagar in Bengal where Ganges empties into the Bay of Bengal.
My choice for immersion of my ashes, closest place to Ganges from Delhi, just 57 miles. Why make my children travel 125 miles to Haridwar? River Yamuna too would have been OK, but it is too polluted. Of course, the community priest (Panda) in Haridwar will be looking for my demise so that he gets some money if my children visit at that time.