Eid Ul Fitr: The moon and more
What is Eid?
Eid literally means (festival or feast) in Arabic. There are two major Eids per year in the Islamic calendar (Eid ul Fitr at the beginning of the year and Eid al-Adha at the middle of the year.)
Eid ul Fitr or Fitr is a three day long festival and it is known as (short or short Eid) while Eid al half is four days long and is known as (Greater Eid).
Why is Eid celebrated twice a year?
Both Eids recognize, celebrate and commemorate two different events that are important to the story of Islam. Eid ul Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar.
The grace of this festival based on the beauty and shape of the moon, this is really in the hands of nature. The day of Eid may be different in your country or in the world. If you are not sure when this day will happen, please contact the nearest mosque or Muslim community center. From this day onwards, Ramadan will be over and the last Iftar of this year will be observed a day earlier.
The Eid couplet
Oh Moon
Which belief do you come from?
Eid is also yours and Karwachauth also yours.
Significance of Moon in festival
How beautifully this portrays the beauty of the moon, its universality, and importance upon every creature on this planet. Be it the Hindu Sanatan festival of "Teej" or Karwachauth or be it "Eid", the same moon alarms the festival and commemoration. The shape of the moon is very important in determining "EID". Therefore, according to Islamic custom, everyone looks at the moon on the evening of the last day of Ramadan, and only when the crescent moon is visible in the sky, the difficult fast of Ramadan ends and Rid-ul-Fitr begins.
It is a festival of excitement, victory, and equality where every member of the family and community is rich and the poor are filled with smiles and good wishes of virtue, and these good wishes of virtue are exchanged in each other's arms. The prophet of Islam, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, is believed to have revealed the ideas of the Holy Quran during this month of Ramadan. It is said that all the gates of Hell will be closed during this month and all the gates of Paradise will be open, which is why this month is also called the month of Allah.
The followers of Islam bathe and put on new clothes, otherwise wearing the best clothes they have, they gather at a nearby mosque for special prayers and give thanks to Allah. In this way, when they go to the mosque or prayer meeting, they reach the place by chanting Takbir, i.e. the glory of Allah, from home and exchanging good wishes with everyone they meet on the way.
It is customary to use as many different ways as possible when going to and returning from prayer. After the prayers, the families gather in one place and have a feast in a group, welcoming the Eid ul-Fitr is a joyous and exhilarating atmosphere.
EID for children
For children, the celebration is even more special because the older ones give them a variety of food, clothes, toys, and sweets, their gifts are called "Edhi". To make the fun even more colorful, in some places children decorate the house with flags and pylons made of different colors and shiny fabrics and paper. A special type of hymn performed on the day of Eid is called Salat which has two parts. These hymns are sung collectively in an open psalm or place.
In doing so, the six special takbirs are also dedicated to Allah by bringing the hand up to the ear saying Allah hu Akbar. Allah Hu Akbar means that Allah is the most important. In Nepal today, the government, various associations, institutions, and political parties are issuing a formal message to wish Muslim brothers and sisters a happy Eid.
EID activities in Nepal
Today, special prayers are offered at the Nepali Jame Masjid Ghantaghar Kathmandu and the process of receiving blessings from the elders begins. Another notable aspect of the festival is giving to the poor. Similarly, prayers are offered in mosques and idgahs across the country, including the Kashmiri Mosque in Ghantaghar.
Islam has a special affinity with society and equality. Islamic rituals are specially designed to ensure that all, rich and poor alike, celebrate the festival and remember Allah.
The festival encourages the exchange of brotherhood, peace and good wishes, and also hosts a variety of feasts for poor families to celebrate with respect. Happy Eid-ul-Fitr to all of you in this festival of brotherhood and enthusiasm.
Akshaya Tritiya: The Sattu Day
What is Akshaya Tritiya?
Akshaya Tritiya falls in the Tritiya Tithi of Sukla Paksha of Baishakha month, Baisakha translates to a churning stick, every festival which falls in this month advocates for the purity and spiritual awakening. Akshaya means something that is beyond the process of eroding, which cannot be destructed, results of the activities performed in this day do not diminish, and good works commenced on this day will summon manifold divine results.
Importance of Akshaya Tritiya?
It's an auspicious day for the Hindu and Jain community. Utmost wishes that everyone may cultivate spiritual strength on this auspicious day, this day is also commemorated by the reading of scriptures, special pujas, the family deity worship (Ishta Deb), charities, offering homage to one's ancestors, associated with devotees, feeding Brahmins and poor by organizing Bhandara (Community fiesta) and watering and planting trees. All these activities result in the endurance of material opulence and spiritual awakening.
Akshaya Tritiya as a Sattu day.
Normally Akshaya Tritiya also marks the birthday of Lord Parshuram as Chiranjeevi Tritiya. Akshaya Tritiya has a peculiar tradition in Nepal, this is called a Sattu day too. Well, let me explain this ancient beverage today, this is a nutritious mix of ground pulses and cereals. Literally, anything roasted and ground into a fine powder is called Sattu, this typical Sattu is made of barley, chickpea, and other grains and mixed with sugar and water. This is an easy to carry, easy to digest and sturdy food, from the context of Krishna and Sudama to the ancient times and various stages of human civilization, it has been customary to take Sattu on a journey.
Importance of this Tithi
The Satya Yuga was formally started from today's Tithi, while the Dwapar Yuga ended immediately after the end of the Mahabharata Yuga and the Treta Yuga also began in this Tithi. This is such an auspicious day that Lord Mahadeva and mother Parwati also got married in this holy day, writer VedaVyas also started to write "Mahabharata" from this day, if you also have any plans to start with, manifest an eternal commitment and give a power punch starting to it.
Inexhaustible love of Patro Patro to its users in Akshay Tritiya.
Who is Lord Parshuram?
Hindu mythology defines Lord Parshuram as the sixth avatar of Vishnu upon this planet. Parshuram Jayanti is commemorated to honor the birth anniversary of Lord Parshuram. Lord Parshuram was born in the Tritiya tithi of Baisakh Shukla paksha, he was the son of Raja Prasenjit's daughter Renuka and Bhrigu's dynasty's Jamadagni. Parshuram is known for his indisputable devotion towards lord Shiva, Parashurama is also recognized for his immense knowledge and artillery making skills.
According to legends, he fought big wars 21 times in favor of the truth to establish righteousness. Even before Lord Rama arrived on the planet, immortal Parshuram arrived on this planet as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Because immortal parshuram was born in this tithi, this Tritiya tithi is also called "Chiranjivi Tithi", Chiranjivi translates immortal. A true follower of patriarchy, Parshuram is the only ancient character who is beyond the circle of life and death according to Srimad Bhagwat Geeta. Parshuram is the engineer of ancient times, the architect of the artistic and physical infrastructure.
All the ancient villages and towns of the Indian subcontinent are built according to his plan and art.
The present-day remains of the ancient city of Dwarika found in the middle of the sea during excavations, and its relevant and scientific structure also explains Parashuram's contribution to scientific development since ancient times. By the grace of this immortal Parashuram, May truth and art skills are firmly developed in the lives of all of us, best wishes to all.
World Press Freedom day
Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark on media pluralism and independence.
At the core of UNESCO's mandate is freedom of the press and freedom of expression. UNESCO believes that these freedoms allow for mutual understanding to build a sustainable peace.
On 2-5 May 2022, UNESCO and the Republic of Uruguay will host the annual World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in a hybrid format in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Under the theme “Journalism under Digital Siege”, the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information and privacy will be discussed.
World Press Freedom Day 2022 will reunite relevant stakeholders such as policymakers, journalists, media representatives, activists, cybersecurity managers and legal experts to explore these issues and develop concrete solutions to address the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy.
Best wishes on this day
Suyog Dhakal
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