699th
Urs begins in Delhi
New
Delhi, June 19: The death anniversary of 12th
century Muslim Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
was observed with religious fervour at his mausoleum
in New Delhi on Thursday. The "Urs" or religious
fair this year marked his 699th death anniversary.
Celebrations mark the occasion as devotees consider
the saint's death as a communion with God. This
year also it began in the traditional style with
rendition of Qawwalis or devotional chorus songs.
"We love him (Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia) and that's
the reason we are here. There is no other intention
other than this," said Mohammad Riyasat, a devotee.
"I have been coming here for years. I come here
for prayers ...I believe in him (Hazrat Nizamuddin
Aulia)...people from all religions believe in him,"
added Rafat, another devotee. Sufism was a reform
movement of the 16th century against orthodox Hinduism
and Islam. It believed in mysticism and preached
the worship of God through devotional singing.
Sacred
bath ceremony of Lord Jagannath ahead of chariot
festival
Puri,
June 17: Thousands of devotees and tourists
thronged the coastal town of Puri in Orissa on Monday
to witness the sacred bath ceremony of Lord Jagannath
prior to the world famous Rath Yatra. The ten-day
chariot festival which begins on July 1 is being
celebrated since the last 10 centuries. Amid blowing
of conches and beating of the cymbals, the giant
limbless wooden images of three deities - Lord Jagannath,
his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra
- were taken out of the temple in traditional gear
and given bath by priests of the temple. The priests
performed the ceremonial bath consisting of one
hundred and eight pitchers of herbal aromatic water
on the three deities draped in colourful traditional
gear. Daitapati, the head priest of Lord Jagannath
temple, said that the auspicious ceremony brings
peace and blessings to devotees who participate
in the festival. "If you give a ceremonial bath
to the deities you get energy which you have always
been looking for. And according to Hindu mythology
by giving bath to the deities we will receive blessings
in abundance," said Daitapati.
After
the sacred bath ceremony, the three deities led
by Lord Jagannath and his sister Subhadra and brother
Balaram were taken out in a procession around the
town. Hundreds of foreign tourists also witnessed
the ceremony, one of India's biggest mass religious
events. Sakura Koabe, a Japanesse tourist, said
she came to witness the ritual and was overwhelmed
by the huge scale preparations. "It's my first visit
here (Puri). The scale is very big, it's on a huge
scale and then there are so many religious people
participating in the ceremony. So it makes me surprised
and fascinated," Said Sakura Koabe. People lined
along the streets and rooftops to watch the ceremony.
"This is the day when they allow Lord Jaganath to
have a bath. This is called the 'Jay purnima snan'
(ceremonial bath). And we are really lucky to have
an opportunity to see this," said Ajay Malhotra,
a devotee who took part in the festival.
The
main ceremony of the ten-day event is the pulling
of the three giant chariots by devotees. The journey
is a round trip from the main temple to another
nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest
for seven days before their return to the main temple.
At the termination of the ceremony, the chariots
are broken up and used to manufacture religious
relics. Every year, new chariots are made. The Jagannath
temple, about 60 kilometres from the state capital
Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for the
Hindus in India. According to Hindu believers, Lord
Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the
Preserver, one of the trinity of the Hindu pantheon.
The other two are Brahma, the Creator and Shiva,
the Destroyer.
Buddha
Purnima celebrated at Dharamshala
Dharamshala,
June 15: Tibetan Buddhists on Saturday celebrated
'Saka Dawa,' one of their most important festivals.
The festival has a special significance for the
followers of Lord Buddha as all three stages of
his life - birth, enlightenment and death - were
witnessed in the period known as Saka Dawa. These
three events form the key to Buddha's life and the
day therefore is of great significance to the followers
of the religion.
Buddhists
the world over celebrate the day as Buddha Jayanti
or Buddha Purnima (Full Moon Day). Hundreds of Tibetans,
including foreign tourists, converged at a monastery
in Dharamsala to offer prayers on the occasion.
Devotees lighted lamps, candles and incense sticks
before a huge statue of Lord Buddha. "Today is the
special ceremony of Saka Dawa here in Macleoganj.
It is a special prayer for today's event. This is
a good day for distribution (of food and money).
If we give money we get more (in return)," a Tibetan
devotee said. On the holy day devotees do pious
deeds and distribute food and alms to beggars. Buddha
was born a prince at Lumbini in Nepal over 2,600
years ago. He attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya
in Bihar.
