Finding Nemo

In my last post on Pitra Paksha and another post on the Pind Daan , we spoke about the rites and rituals involved in the offerings made during this time. The Pind Daan ritual is followed by the prayer offering to Lord Vishnu and Yama. While Yama is a god of death and is the caretaker of the souls in the nether world, Vishnu is the God who manages the functions of all the worlds and provides ultimate sanctuary to those who worship him. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in form of the darbha grass, a gold image or Shaligram stone. The drab grass is known as Desmostachya Bipinnata scientifically. The drabha grass has been considered a sacred grass and has been used in religious rituals since Vedic times.  Darbha is also called Kusha and it is considered perhaps the second most sacred herb in the Vedas after Soma.  Darbha has very unique spiritual properties and is used in all religious rituals in the Hindu tradition.  Darbha helps to protect from toxic radiation and negative ene...

I could hear the morning hymns, I could hear the chirping of birds, I could hear the music of the rivers, I could hear the air descending from the mountains.                           I couldn't hear the snake hissing,                           I could not hear someone creeping,                           I could see a vulture hovering,                           I could see an owl staring. Someone moved ahead with me behind, I followed with my eyes blind, A wolf howled, and a dog cried, The vulture winked eyes and dived.                           I felt like in a prison,                   ...

Just a week after the Ganesha Chaturthi, the Pitra paksha has started as per the hindi calendar. This period of 15 days is associated with our ancestors. This period is meant for us to remember them and all they have done for us. This is the period to pay our homage to them before starting the journey of a whole new year of festivals. A similar concept exists in people across USA, however it has lost its meaning and is today reduced to a scary fancy dress show - Halloween. I have often wondered the meaning and the reasoning behind the fortnight dedicated to our forefathers. The curiosity piqued as this period is considered inauspicious and starting something new is not advised. I often wondered why shouldn't my forefathers be happy for me if I try to do something new? Its only later I realized that everyone is busy in praying to their ancestors and trying to strengthen their bonds for this life and afterlife, that starting something new is pushed off until later. This fortnight ...