HAPPY PANCHA GANAPATHI!

[Guest guest]

Gam Ganeshaya namah!

 

Namaste to All!

 

Happy Pancha Ganapathi!

I wish happy time at this five day!

Let Sri Vinayagar will bless all of us and our dreams

will come truth!

 

Jay Ganapathi!

 

 

Sincerely Yours,Madan Mohan.

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Pancha Ganapati, a five-day festival celebrated from

December 21 through

25, has become a favorite in homes all over the world.

The winter solstice

has always been a festive time of year in all

countries, religions and

among Hindus especially, for it is a traditional

season for the worship

of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed lord of culture

and the arts.

 

In the Sri Lankan tradition, for example, thirty days

are dedicated

to Ganesha worship during December-January in the

festival called

Markali Pillaiyar. In Vedic astrology this time of

year marks the end

of the sun's southward movement and the beginning of

its movement north.

Pancha Ganapati is a Hindu _expression of this natural

season of worship,

gift-giving and celebration.

 

During each of the five days, a special sadhana,

spiritual discipline, is

focused upon by the entire family. Because of the

festival's importance

as a new beginning and mending of all past mistakes, a

festive shrine

is created in the main living room of the home. At the

center is placed

a large wooden or bronze five-faced statue of Lord

Pancha Ganapati. If

this is not available, any large picture or statue of

Lord Ganesha

will do. Each morning the children dress or decorate

Ganesha anew in a

different color: golden yellow on December 21, then

royal blue, ruby red,

emerald green and finally brilliant orange. These are

the colors of His

five powers, or shaktis.

 

Each day a tray of sweets, fruits and incense is

offered to Lord

Ganapati, often prepared and presented by the

children. Chants, songs

and bhajans are sung in His praise. After puja, the

abundant, diverse

sweets are shared by one and all as prasada. Each day

gifts are given

to the children, who place them before Pancha Ganapati

to open only on

the fifth day. Gifts need not be extravagent or

expensive; they should

be within the means of each family. Handmade presents

are by far the

most precious. Ganesha does not want gift-giving to

promote Western

commercialism but to further the great Hindu culture.

Clearly, killer

games should never be given. Greeting cards, ideally

made by the children,

offer Hindu art and wisdom, such as verses from the

Vedas. Here is how

the five-day celebration is observed.

 

December 21, yellow: The family sadhana for the first

day of Pancha

Ganapati is to create a vibration of love and harmony

among immediate

family members. The day begins early, and the entire

family works together

to design and decorate the shrine with traditional

symbols, rangoli,

lamps and more. Then a grand puja is performed

invoking the spirit

of Pancha Ganapati in the home. The sadhana of the day

now begins. The

family sits together for the purpose of easing any

strained relationships

that have arisen during the year. They make amends one

with another for

misdeeds performed, insults given, mental pain and

injuries caused and

suffered. When forgiveness is offered to all by one

and all, they speak of

each other's good qualities and resolve that in the

days ahead they will

remember the futility of trying to change others and

the practicality of

changing one's self to be the silent example for all

to witness. Gifts

are then exchanged and placed unopened before Pancha

Ganapati. As family

harmony is important to all Hindus, this sadhana must

be taken very,

very seriously.

 

December 22, blue: Day two is devoted to creating a

vibration of love and

harmony among neighbors, relatives and close friends

and presenting them

with heartfelt. The sadhana of the day is to offer

apologies and clear

up any misunderstandings that exist. Relatives and

friends in far-off

places are written to or called, forgiveness is

sought, apologies made

and tensions released. Gifts received are placed

unopened before Pancha

Ganapati.

 

December 23, red: The sadhana for the third day is to

create a vibration

of love and harmony among business associates, the

casual merchant and

the public at large. This is the day for presenting

gifts to fellow

workers and customers and to honor employers and

employees with gifts

and appreciation. The sadhana today is the settling

of all debts and

disputes. Gifts received are placed unopened before

the Deity.

 

December 24, green: The sadhana of day four is to draw

forth the vibration

of joy and harmony that comes from music, art, drama

and the dance.

Family, relatives and friends gather for satsang to

share and enjoy

their artistic gifts. Then all sit together before

Ganesha, Patron of

Arts and Guardian of Culture, discussing Hindu Dharma

and making plans

to bring more cultural refinements into the home. More

gifts are placed

before Pancha Ganapati.

 

December 25, orange: The family sadhana for the final

day is to bring

forth love and harmony within all three worlds.

Because of sadhanas well

performed during the first four days, the family is

now more open and

aware of Ganesha's grace, and their love for Him is

now overflowing. On

this day the entire family experiences an outpouring

of love and

tranquility from the great God Himself. His blessings

fill the home and

the hearts of everyone within it, inspiring them anew

for the coming year.

 

We can clearly see that religion and tradition are

interlocked in the

annals of time back many thousands of years, and how

tradition moves

forward from one generation to the next, setting the

patterns for

humanity. Every time-honored tradition loyally serves

mankind, and by

following it through the context of one of the great

religions of the

world, one cannot go astray. Jai Ganapati! May He lead

us always along

the right path.

 

from web.

 

 

 

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