Festivals Why to Observe Them

7/31/2019 Festivals Why to Observe Them

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FESTIVALS WHY DO WE OBSERVE THEM

Let me make it very clear at the outset I am just placing

my observations not judgments or criticisms.

1] First we need to be clear whether we want to celebrate

festivals purely as social entertainments and/or as social

entertainments rationalized and justified by religious,

traditional, cultural or some other ethnocentric

vindication. If this is the case then we can celebrate

anything on any day.

2] If we are running a commercial enterprise selling someitems then we can always discover and assign some

significance which has an appealing USP and could be

easily marketed.

3] This is where this AADI or AUDI month significance

comes in where in the women folk want a long holiday

from sex and also engage in nostalgic reunion with their

parents. It is fine and there is nothing wrong in that butwhy to cut off so many healthy Neem tree branches and

make life very noisy in and around all Amman Temples

4] If they are based on some astronomical phenomenon or

astrological significance or astrophysical factors then we

need to be very seriously working on all these factors to

perfection.5] As everything in nature these too have undergone a sea

change and also we as human beings have discovered

scientifically some hitherto unknown facts or unraveled


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mysteries. These are the inevitable positive elements of

growth based on observation, enquiry, exploration etc.

6] We all know that the earths magnetic pole reversals

though it is neither a daily nor a frequent occurrence but agradual variations, though probably minuscule but can

have their own impacts refer

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-

poleReversal.html and

http://www.naturalnews.com/030996_bird_deaths_pole_shi

ft.html

7] In the recently conducted Space Festival jointly

conducted by NASA, ISRO, DRDO, TATA ATOMIC

RESEARCH CENTER etc at Coimbatore which attended

along with my daughter last week, we attended two

interesting and informative lectures by scientists from

NASA as to a] Why we spend so much of money and time

on Space Travels and space research and b] The Sun and

us wherein he gave they spoke about the impact and

importance of changes in Solar magnetic fields every 11

years causing cycles of extreme drought and floods . In

fact this as well as greater number of air accidents have

been observed , attributed and documented with

astrological justifications to the Jupiters transition to a

particular Zodiac sign .

8] In fact, our traditional knowledge of astrology is

something much deeper and more reasonable than

traditionally promoted rituals where the importance is
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/030996_bird_deaths_pole_shift.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/030996_bird_deaths_pole_shift.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/030996_bird_deaths_pole_shift.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/030996_bird_deaths_pole_shift.html


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more towards marketing and maintaining priesthood as a

profession. This may be a bit harsh but inevitable survival

fact, otherwise how else can anyone explain all of a

sudden one particular year Jayendra Saraswathi swamysays that if women wear green colored dress that year

they will be prosperous and the green sarees and

churidhars sold in that year outnumbered the total of the

same two dresses of all other colors put together.

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2009/08/astrology.html

9] This is why the celebration of Shankaranthi is important

and excellent and there is nothing religious about it

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2010/12/pongal-virginal-

universal-festival-of.html

10] Everything done with complete seriousness and

sincerity with the rider that all the concomitant factors

both internal and external are also in tune then the

desired impact can or may b expected as per the situation,context or circumstance otherwise any festival is just a

celebration of some local tradition , ritual etc without any

sound reason and therefore likely to fade in its importance

as it has happened with our poonal and its associated

activities. Former director of cotton research institute and

internationally renowned entomologist [ not a brahmin]

once explained how great and good is just wearing thepoonal made of a particular cotton with a small piece of

dead deer skin held tightly near the heart and ashes made

of burnt cow dung and some other materials applied as

vibhuthi and standing in the sunlight at dawn and dusk,
http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2009/08/astrology.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2010/12/pongal-virginal-universal-festival-of.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2010/12/pongal-virginal-universal-festival-of.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2009/08/astrology.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2010/12/pongal-virginal-universal-festival-of.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2010/12/pongal-virginal-universal-festival-of.html


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these as they are without any dilution in the process or

quality of any of these along with serene and unpolluted

atmosphere accompanied by calmed mind. Are all these

possible then , naturally you will not get proper result , it islike preparing veg biriyani without onion and garlic , it can

at best be rice mixed with some vegetable you cannot call

it veg biriyani. Besides the very important and interesting

aspect of Sanathana Dharma [otherwise labeled as

Hinduism] is the higher level of freedom and priority given

to individual importance rather than collective folly.

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/12/gather-knowledge-from-as-many-sources.html

11] Let us not blindly follow anyone or any authorityhowever great or good it may be because that would bedoing a disservice to Sanathana Dharma instead let usthese in whatever we do . There must be intrinsicallyimportant value addition to either the physical body like

yoga and many other rituals.Intrinsic value for the human mind like the philosophicaland esoteric concepts available aplenty in VEDAS,UPANISHEDS, BHAGAWATH GEETHA etc some of the most

popular and known text there are many more inHINDUISM, there must be intrinsic value addition to thespiritual aspect of the human being especially its soul and

the many methods to realize and relinkit ,i.e.relink theATMA with the PARAMATMA [ in fact this is what themeaning of the word RELIGION itself etymologically, it isfrom the LATIN re+ligere , where're' as a prefix alwaysmeans again as in redo ,return, re pair etc and 'ligre'means 'to link'] through multiple means depending on the
http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/12/gather-knowledge-from-as-many-sources.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/12/gather-knowledge-from-as-many-sources.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/12/gather-knowledge-from-as-many-sources.htmlhttp://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/12/gather-knowledge-from-as-many-sources.html


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level of perception, inspiration, inclination, impulse,interest and/or capabilities, conviction and so on.Sanathana dharma as it is a science evolved throughexperiences of observations made with total intensity and

intense totality by many souls it has taken into accountthe various frequencies at which the same thing canappeal, appear or perceived differently by different

people. So it has incorporated the various methods likeManthras, Bhakthi[ manifested in various ways like songs,dances ,pujas etc] philosophical enquiry, doubting thescriptures and even denouncing the scripture or evenatheistic approaches to enlighten the soul and spirit. So

there are multiple forms of worships and multiple godsbecause all souls are not alike nor can they be assumed ortreated to be alike but every soul has a right to make itsspiritual journey the way it wants [It is not often our

perception but the scale of observation and frames ofreference which creates the phenomenon. The scale ofobservation depends on man; it is he who creates it. Innature, different scales of observation do not exist. There

is only one immense, harmonious phenomenon on a scalewhich, in general, escapes man. The structure of man'sbrain necessitates dividing into arbitrary compartmentsand cutting up into isolated pieces. With the aid of severalinstruments science creates more phantasmagoria: "onour scale of human observation, as pointed out before, theedge of a razor-blade is a continuous line. On themicroscopic scale, it is a broken but solid line. On the

chemic scale we have atoms of iron and carbon. On thesub-atomic scale we have electrons in perpetual motionwhich travel at the rate of several thousand miles persecond. All these phenomena are in reality themanifestations of the same basic phenomenon, themotions of the electrons. The only difference which exists


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between them is the scale of observation" [HumanDestiny, Lecomte du Nuoy- a marvelous book thateveryone must read if I remember correctly this comesin 34th page I have read that book at least 8 times-

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.com/2010/02/real-perception.html].

12] There must be intrinsic value addition to theenvironment as is manifested in not only the care andconcern of all the elements but worship of all forms liveslike worshiping animals and trees etc and conducting

festivals to welcome the oncoming of different seasonsand celebrating thanking nature as in the celebration ofPONGAL There must be intrinsic value addition to socialwell being and social interaction with joy, greeting andkindness as is manifested in the form of many festivalsand sathsanga [ gathering of individuals from variouswalks of life for a common prayer].13] There must be inherent freedom for individual

improvisation and aesthetic appeal in whatever you do beit art, architecture, music, dance etc. Thats why ourclassical music the same song can be rendered differentlyby different artist with multiple ways of rendering the ragaalapana, kalpana swaras , sangathies etc.So, in brief the very essence of Sanathan Dharma ishumane life style with concern for all others, theenvironment and nature leading to a smooth, pleasant and

enjoyable journey of the soul [atma] to seek its ultimategoal of spiritual enlightenment [reaching theparamathma].

14] Therefore, Sanathana dhama teaches us to lead lifelooking for intrinsic value in whatever we do; it teaches us
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to see the underlying concepts beneath every ritual; itwants us to grasp and give out substance and not gas andsuperficiality; it helps us to seek essence in whatever wedo rather than the extraneous paraphernalia; it wants us

to take cognizance of facts, however unpleasant they maybe , rather than pander to hypocritical preaching of socialmoralistic theories or performing mumbo jumbos; it wantsus to incorporate noble, important and laudable humanevalue like LOVE, FORGIVENESS, THANKSGIVING etc in ourdaily lives rather than making them into commercialshows of Calendared rituals like Forgiveness weeks, Loversday or Thanksgiving day etc.

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Festivals Why to Observe Them