Janai Poornima: The thread of security and purity
Now the convoy of festivals has started to come to add more joy in the happy time after planting. It's time to sigh after planting, festivals adds a different color to life.
The festival of happiness, especially the colorful rachis has added sparkle to the shops. And if you are a sister, you bought it for your brothers? And what kind of gifts do the brothers have for their sisters today?
Every festival has its significance and context like some are festivals commemorating the importance of soil, the festival of water, and today it is a festival of thread and bondage in Janapurnima. The thread is bondage, a bond of holiness and security.
Yanjnopawit- its making and significance in Sanatana Philosophy
According to Hindu tradition, Brahmins and Kshatriya men have been wearing Yajnopavit, i.e. Janai. After chanting the Gayatri mantra in the ears of the boy (Batuk) by the Guru-Purohit after performing the ritual vratbandha karma, it is accepted that the Guru Purohit has prepared the mantra by placing it under the right hand on the left shoulder with a firm resolve to follow the path of
In this way, all the 6 raw threads (6 yarn threads) of the mantra is made by tying two separate knots and putting them all in one place.
A tradition of changing Janai annually to this day is accustomed from the ancient time. Of the six crests of the two crests in Janai, the three cords in one crest are considered to be Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar and the three cords in the other crest are considered to be the sum of karma, worship and knowledge.
The Mantra for today
"येन बद्धो वलीराजा दानवेन्द्रो महावलस् ।
तेन त्वां प्रतिबध्नामि रक्षे मा चल मा चल ।।"
The defense (raw thread) that bound the great king of demons, Vali, I will bind you with the same thread, this defense bond will protect you forever.
Rakshabandhan
The festival is made up of two words, namely "Raksha" and "Bandhan." As per the Sanskrit terminology, the occasion means "the tie or knot of protection" where "Raksha" stands for the protection and "Bandhan" signifies the verb to tie. Together, the festival symbolizes the eternal love of brother-sister relationship. Sisters tie colorful threads on their brothers' wrists and put dots of vermilion paste on their brothers' foreheads while praying for them to live a long life. Brothers, in turn, give their sisters gifts-usually a piece of jewelry or clothing, or perhaps some money-while promising to protect them throughout their lives. In families where there are only boys or only girls, a friend or relative is asked to act as a brother or sister during the festival. According to Hindu tradition, it is believed that doing so will bring goodness. Some of them go to the Guru Purohit themselves or go to the temple to tie the Rakshabandhan. It is also customary to take out the thread tied and wrap it around the tail of a cow, later if one feels like untying the thread.
On this day, sisters tie colorful threads and flowers on the right wrists of their brothers and wish them longevity and success. Rakhi is very popular in the Tarai region of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and other countries and the importance of this festival is very high.
Gatherings today
Nowadays, it is customary for the son-in-law to go to the in-laws and change Janai. Today, religious gatherings are being held at Pashupatinath of Kathmandu, Kumbheshwar Mahadev of Bhaktapur, Gosainkund of Rasuwa, Gangasagar, Dhanush Sagar of Janakpur, Dudhkund of Solukhumbu, Halesi of Khotang, Dansadhu of Jumla, Nagarkot and other Mahadevsthan and Trivenidhams.
Especially in the community of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, or any other Vedic religion followers, it is celebrated on the full moon by putting mantra integrated sacred Janai from the hands of Brahmin priests.
Remember that wearing the mantras of Yajnopavitas is believed to give direct energy to the Savitha, i.e. the Sun God, and to increase the physical, mental, and spiritual strength by chanting the Gayatri mantra. At the same time, after wearing the Yajna, one is qualified to become the doer and engineer of all eternal deeds. Nowadays, Vedic Sanatan Dharma is considered as an ethnic basis and untouchability, which is just a very narrow frustration.
Yajnopavit acts as a passport to the Brahmanpath, but Brahmanpath is not a path to birth but a path to karma. The Brahmanical path is the path of spiritual purity, goodness of the whole world, and study. Brahmins should not be seen only as caste, language, and creed. Regardless of one's religion or ethnic background, one can adhere to the Brahmanical path of study and spiritual purity. May we all be protected and stay positive.
Gaijatra: Acknowledgement of smiles in Nepali society.
Welcome to Gaijatra, a day of smiles that forgets these jatras of separation and destruction and transforms everything into simple happiness and harmony.
Importance of "Cow" in Sanatana Culture
Probably the first essay written by many of us in student life was about cows. Not only the Vedic Sanatan rites but also the Indus Valley Civilization and in Bharat Barsa, the cow is worshiped as a symbol of special respect and faith in religious and cultural occasions in daily life. The Gaijatra festival is also an example of such cultural significance. This pilgrimage is very important especially for the family members who lost their loved ones in the last year as it is a special place of remembrance, affection, and closeness of the deceased.
Saparu
In Nepal Bhasa, "Gaijatra" is called "Saparu". The streets are ablaze with cows, cow-disguises, and jhankis with various masks. In Gaijatra, various funny conversations, jokes, sarcasm, and even stand-up comedy are performed.
Background of Gaijatra
Considering the means of fun and laughter in the procession in memory of the deceased relatives, Gaijatra seems to call on the bereaved family of the deceased to move forward as a necessary process of life. Cow and Jatra i.e. this day is also the Jatra of cow revered in Hindu rites as mother and earth. According to legends written in the pages of history, the people of Kathmandu Valley worship Yama, the god of death, on this day. From BS 1641 to 1664, King Pratap Malla's queen was very much devastated by the death of her infant son.
Although the king tried to explain the fact that it was a moment that no one could control, the queen couldn't overcome the melancholy. Later, King came up with a plan which continues as Gaijatra even after hundreds of years. King Pratap Malla called upon the relatives of the citizens who had died in the state during the year in which he lost his minor son to take a procession from the front of the palace with cows.
On this day, the procession was displayed in the present Kathmandu Durbar Square and the new exhibition caught everyone's attention. Seeing many family members who lost their loved ones in her memory, the queen felt that she was not the only one to mourn the death. As the king encouraged the people to include various jokes, senses of humor and acts in the procession, the queen largely laughed after seeing all these things.
On the other hand, the people who came in the procession started to symbolically explain the pomp of the rich people of the society and the suffering of the poor through various exhibitions and tableaus. That is to say, Gaijatra is also a festival of artistically exposing the negative aspects of the current social, cultural, and political activities in society.
At that time, the people satirically presented to the king and queen the examples of oppression and injustice done by the society towards the poor and helpless. The practice of bang, which was started in Gaijatra, has been passed down from generation to generation and is still practiced today to target politicians, media persons, and other eminent persons of the society.
No one is allowed to hold a grudge against the bang made in Gaijatra. When the cow is taken out, the cow is brought forward and if there is no cow, the Kumar boy is brought forward like a cow. Gaijatra is celebrated across Nepal.
On the other hand, Gaijatra also indicates that the monsoon end and festivals are approaching. The setting sun, the bright days, the chilling wind, and the finished planting of the field. In this sense, Gaijatra is also an opportunity to laugh freely on a leisurely day. There will be performances and gatherings of national and local artists from all over the country including Kathmandu. Such Gaijatra special programs last for 10 to 15 days.
TV, radio, and newspapers have been Gai Jatra filled during this period. From the Gulf to the United States, Europe, and Japan, Gaijatra is celebrated in various forms and formats wherever Nepalis are.
May this year's Gaijatra bring laughter and happiness to the mountains, hills, and the Terai. Let the perversion and corruption be exposed, let the transparency be praised. Smiles, smiles, and just smiles.
Suyog Dhakal
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