35th weekly posting of Saudi SAI activities-Oct 20

[Guest guest]

Sai-Satsang in 4 centers continued

(week ending 20th Oct, Saturday)

 

Sairam to all Children, Sisters and Sai Brothers

in all 4 Sai SatSanghs in Dammam, Jubail, Jeddah and

Riyadh.

 

We continue with the Thirty fifth (3) posting of the

activities of all 4 centers. Meanwhile, Apologies for

late posting this week.

 

Summary:

1) Total Attendance all over Saudi above 120

2) Navarthri/Durga Puja –

Note on celebrations in

different parts of India

 

Details:

In Dammam the weekly satsangh was held on the evening

of Wednesday 17th Oct at Bro. Ganesan’s residence in

Khobar. The high attendance of about 45 members was

due to Eid holiday coinciding with Navarathri. Aarthi

was taken by Bro. Ganesh. A number of devotees had

arranged in their home “Kolu” which means arranging

toys for display in steps. Bro Prem provided the

report. Thank you Prem.

 

Jubail center held the weekly Satsang on Thursday 18th

Oct (during Eid break) at 7.30 pm attended by about 15

members at Bro Gopal’s residence. Aarthi was taken by

Bro Swamy Mahadevan. Bro Wimal provided the report.

Thank you Wimal.

 

The Jeddah Sai Samithis members met Bro Ashok’s

residence on Thursday 18th Oct/2007 with an attendance

of about 22 members. Aarthi was taken by Brother K.P.

Rajan. Thought for the day was read out by Bro Ashok.

The report was provided by Bro. Ashok and Bro. Gopi.

Thanks you both.

 

Riyadh center held a Bhajan on Friday morning 9 am on

19th Oct, The Bhajan was attended by about 45 members.

Bro Jay Sekar took the aarthi.

 

Next day on Saturday 20th Oct, Saraswati Puja (9th day

of Narathri) was celebrated in the center at 7.30 pm

by reciting Saraswati shothram, and the regular Devi

Namavali (1000 names), Susthi and Mahishasura

Mardhini. The puja takes about 1.30 hrs. The

attendance was by about 45 members. Bro. Srinivas took

the aarthi. His family also sponsored the dinner

following the Bhajan as they are leaving on Exit and

going to Dubai. We wish them all well and SAI’s

blessings. Incidentally Srinivas is Alumni of Baba’s

management Institute at Puttaparthi.

 

The following is a brief note on how Navarathri and

Durga Pooja are celebrated in different parts of

India.

 

The ongoing festival of Navaratri (nine nights) and

Durga Puja/ Dasera is a celebration observed in

different part of the country but each with its own

local flavor. However the main purpose is to give

prominence to ladies and emphasize their role with

Mother Goddess being worshipped as supreme deity.

 

In 3 southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra and

Karanataka, it is essentially a Ladies festival for 9

nights with lot of social calls. This is facilitated

by some houses displaying “Kolu” and arrangement of

toys in steps, usually in odd numbers of 3-5-7-9 etc.

Sundal (form of boiled Lentil) is a must for this

prasadam. Usually ladies render some Carnatic music

during these visits. Most ladies take care to wear

different saris for each of the 9 nights and thus it

becomes a soft cultural pageant, if not a fashion

show. Naturally small girls are excited by this

festival as it involves a lot of house visits. One can

hear a lot of “Vara Veena” – the first geetham in

Carnatic music being sung these 9 nights. In a way, it

can be said to be equivalent of Hindu Ramadan although

a shortened version.

 

However in Maharashtra, western Karnataka and Kerala,

only Dasera is observed as “Tools/ Arms day” mostly by

Tradesmen and work-smiths downing the tools connected

with Arjuna in Mahabarath and they give the plant with

two leaves.

 

In Gujarat, it s observed all the 9 nights via ladies

and sometimes, men folk doing a social dance “Garba

and Dhandiya (using small drumsticks). This is more

like Tamil Nadu.

 

In Punjab and North India, the 9 nights mean war of

Ram with Ravana and Dasera is the “Victory” day when

Ravana is slain. So in Ramleela Ravana’s effigy is

burnt in front of a large public.

 

In Eastern Bengal and Orissa, it is mostly a 4/5 day

festival when Images of different Durgas created by

artists are displayed in different pandals. Also young

girls stil to atain puberty are fed treating them as

Godess.

 

In the web link

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/19slid1.htm

You can see pictures of different Durgas in Kolkatta

including one in Harry Potter Castle style.

 

The write up in Hindu newspaper of 19 Oct 07: KOLKATA:

Devotees on Friday thronged puja pandals across the

West Bengal state to offer obeisance to Goddess Durga

as part of the auspicious Mahastami day, the second of

the four-day festival.

 

With sky clearing up after showers considerably

dampened celebrations on Thursday, revellers chanted

hymns of the Goddess as lakhs of people from near and

afar made a beeline at pandals to offer anjali

(prayer).

 

The whole city virtually turned into a walk-in art

gallery as colourfully illuminated pandals , housing

idols of the Goddess, invoked the spirit of merriment.

Each pandal is a tribute to the consummate skill of

the artisans and artistry -- both in terms of

innovation in pandal -making and lighting.

 

At Belur Math on the banks of Ganga in neighbouring

Howrah district, 'Kumari Puja' was held as per the

custom -- started by Ramakrishna Paramahansha in the

late 19th century.

 

The puja , offered to a young girl as the mother

Goddess by the Ramakrishna Mission monks, was watched

by thousands of devotees at the Math before partaking

of the mahaprasad .

 

People spent time with friends and relatives during

the day and visited award-winning pandals like the

Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore and Badamtala in the

south of the city.

 

It is possible that I have left out some key states or

descriptions, if so my apologies. I request the

observant readers to send us the missing details

 

Pranams

P.B.V.Rajan