Yogini Ekadashi/World Blood Donor Day

When is Yogini Ekadashi ?
Yogini Ekadashi falls in the Krishna paksha of Asaramas or the month of Asar.

What is done in Yogini Ekadashi ?
Today, an idol of Lord Narayan is installed by fasting, and is revered. Offering vog means offering food, fruits, Naivedh, etc. It is the broad spectrum of living; Sanatan people consider the idol as a living god and treats it with grain, devotion, and other offerings. People donate to needy people under the grace of that idol, they lighten the incense sticks and also perform Aaratis.

Worshiping Peepal tree on this Ekadashi destroys all sins and attains paradise after death. Peepal is the fairest plant, with its root reaching far, people won't prefer to plant it nearby houses, everyone worships the giant Peepal tree; however, no one fights for its fruit as Peepal fruit is not edible for human. Peepal's wood is not for household purpose, so Peepal brings lesser community greed and quarrel and more communal worship and gatherings underneath.

From the day of Dashmi, any tamasic food, including barley, wheat, or mung bean, is avoided. Apart from that, salt consumption refrained from fasting and one day in advance. Salt consumption accelerates the wandering characteristics of our mind, avoiding salt consumption means stabilizing the mind and bringing peace within.

Vrat Katha of Yogini Ekadashi
In the kingdom of Alkapuri, Shivaji's supreme devotee Kuber Raja's kingdom, he used flowers in worship. Thus, a gardener named Hemmali used to bring flowers for the worship of the king. One day, Hemamali forgets to bring the daily worship flowers as he was having fun with his wife in Mansarovar.

Angered by the delay in worshiping his beloved Lord Shiva for not bringing flowers on time, King Kuber angrily curses Hemmali for the deprivation of a woman and for being sick. Due to his devotion to Shiva, Hemmali did not lose his conscience. His pursuit is to liberate from the curse and gets advice from a Rishi/ sage.

The same sage tells Hemmali about the vow of Yogini Ekadashi, and Hemmali returns to her old life under the influence of this Ekadashi vow. This Ekadashi gives healthy life to Hemmali; we all need a normal life after this lockdown, don't we?
Let's do well, think well, speak well, and reserve good feelings in our hearts. Best wishes.

World Blood Donor day

Background:
June 14 of every year is celebrated all over the world as Blood Donor Day. Blood donors are giving a new height to humanity by voluntarily donating blood to many other people like Smriti, Hamro Patro today salutes all those blood donors. Blood Donor Day is being celebrated on June 14, the birthday of Carl Landsteiner, the scientist who discovered human blood groups. The celebration of this day was started in 2004 at the call of the World Health Organization. This day is also celebrated as Blood Donation Day.

On this day, awareness is created about the availability of clean blood, the importance of voluntary blood donors, and other life-sustaining elements related to blood. This day was started in 2004 to celebrate. The slogan for World Blood Donor Day 2023 is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”

A Heroic campaign
This day is celebrated as a heroic campaign to spread awareness about the importance of blood and to thank the blood donors for their contribution to saving human lives. This day promotes a sense of volunteerism to motivate young people as new blood donors and to honor regular blood donors. The first Blood Donor Conference was organized in Nepal on BS. 2070 (Jestha 30 and 31) in recognition of the blood donors who fulfilled the need for blood.

Facts on human blood
There are eight types of human blood groups and blood from matching groups according to their blood type is transfused into them. In this way, before donating blood, the blood of the donors is checked to see if there is an infection. In this way, donors are also informed about their medical history and health.

Generally, there is a difference of 3 months between donating blood once and donating blood again. While talking about blood donation, we may be wondering what it takes to donate blood, but some of us may already know these things. The minimum body weight for donating blood is 50 Kgs, a minimum of 18 years, and a maximum of 60 years. Blood donor boundaries may vary by country.

An ultimate donation
Blood donation is the ultimate donation. Blood is an indispensable substance in the body of every human being, delivering the necessary things to every tissue, balancing the body temperature, and protecting our vitality, blood is life.

Because we donate blood, a parent gets his child back, a family gets the life of a loved one, and society does not have to lose a member prematurely. Donating blood does not harm our bodies and provides a measure of freshness and self-satisfaction. There is no need to be a doctor to save someone's life, blood donors are God's idols. It is possible to save millions of lives every year by donating blood. Blood donation is even more important during epidemics, wars, and accidents. Even during corona infection, plasma therapy and many other blood donations have made life easier for patients.

In Nepal too, the number of voluntary organizations and networks for blood donation has been increasing in recent times. Today, Hamro Patro also wants to commemorate all those organizations and networks, Youth for Blood, Blood Pal, Healthy Citizen Nepal, Red Cross, and many other organizations and networks to facilitate blood donation and spread public awareness, this is commendable.
Some of us are afraid to donate blood because we are scared to be stabbed with a needle, which is very ridiculous. Blood donation is a very simple and common thing, what could be more proud than being able to donate life?

If you need blood to save the life of your brother or sister or family member, would you refrain from donating blood? Similarly, many brothers and sisters need blood, blood donors are life donors, don't hesitate to donate blood. All must unite to make Nepal free from blood shortage. Leaving a question to all of us who are above 18 years? Have you donated blood? 

Suyog Dhakal