Hindu Festivals Presentation PDF

Hindu Festivals PRESENTATION TIME: 25 minutes Dear Presenter, Thank you for accepting the sevā of delivering this presentation. Below, you will find a list of reminders that will help you prepare for this presentation. Please read this page carefully before you begin preparing your presentation....

Hindu Festivals PRESENTATION TIME: 25 minutes Dear Presenter, Thank you for accepting the sevā of delivering this presentation. Below, you will find a list of reminders that will help you prepare for this presentation. Please read this page carefully before you begin preparing your presentation. Identify the through-line. Do not read the presentation while The through-line is the statement that presenting. serves as a roadmap for the entire Use the outline and your notes. Use the presentation. blank lines to notate your thoughts and ideas. Avoid using your mobile phone during delivery. Identify the allotted time and prepare Practice makes perfect. your delivery accordingly. Practice delivering the presentation a few Please adhere to the time provided at the days before the delivery date. Focus on top of this page. improving your tone, expression, and delivery. Read the presentation in its entirety as I want to please Swamishri. soon as you receive it. Most importantly, remember that By reading the presentation today, your delivering a presentation is a sevā. This subconscious mind will extract relevant sevā represents an opportunity to earn examples, anecdotes, references. Swamishri’s rājipo PRESENTATION SUMMARY THROUGH-LINE Introduction Note about Hindu Calendar Hindu festivals are recognizable around the world for their Holi and Pushpadolotsava festive colors, sounds, and feasting, but focusing solely on Diwali and Nutan Varsh the rituals can distract from understanding the spiritual Navarātri significance of why we celebrate in the first place. Conclusion YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 1|7 INTRODUCTION PRESENTER’S NOTES One of the most vibrant facets of Hinduism is its celebration of festivals. Many of these festivals are recognizable around the world because of their exuberant expressions of joy and their unique rituals. Indeed, the festive colors, sounds, and varieties of food have captured the intrigue of Hindus and non-Hindus alike. But while the rituals, merriment, dancing, and feasting all serve an important role, they can distract from the festival’s deeper significance when they become the focus of our celebration. As with every spiritual practice, the rituals are simply a means to attaining greater realization; and therefore, performing rituals without understanding what they represent is an exercise in futility. As we will learn today, each Hindu festival—and in fact, each individual ritual within a particular festival—is centered around a principal Hindu deity, providing the spiritual aspirant with an opportunity to engage his or her thoughts, emotions, and actions with God. By examining a few key Hindu festivals in greater detail, we will gain greater understanding how each festival is imbued with spiritual meaning. NOTE ABOUT HINDU CALENDAR Before we begin, just a brief introductory note about the Hindu calendar. Generally, India bases its secular activities—business, travel, social events, national holidays, etc.—on the universally applied Gregorian calendar. However, Hindus observe festivals in accordance with the Hindu calendar, which is based on lunar months. The Hindu calendar divides the solar year into twelve lunar months, based on the amount of time it takes the moon to revolve around the earth, which is almost one Gregorian calendar month. Each lunar month is divided into two halves—the bright half, in which the moon waxes; and the dark half, in which the moon wanes. The Hindu New Year begins on the first day of the first lunar month, Kārtika, which generally corresponds with October or November in the Gregorian calendar. This presentation will refer to Hindu calendar dates when referring to various festivals. YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 2|7 HOLI AND PUSHPADOLOTSAVA Holi and Pushpadolotsava are spring festivals celebrated with fire and color in the Hindu calendar month of Fālgun. The joy of lighting bonfires and sprinkling of colored powder and colored water make these festivals immensely popular and a vibrant sight to behold. During this time of year, social media becomes flooded with photos and videos of individuals celebrating in this way. We see photos of celebrations spilling out into the streets and individuals’ faces and clothes covered in colored powder and water. We may even partake in these celebrations ourselves. There is nothing wrong with celebrating in this manner. This is a time to celebrate the arrival of the spring season with joy. However, that is not the whole story, and those not paying attention may think that the celebration of spring itself is the sole purpose of this festival. That is not the case. The day of Holi represents the victory of the devout Bhakta Prahlāda over his evil father Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu tried to have Prahlāda killed many times because of the latter’s faith in God, but he failed each time. The story of his last attempt provides the origin for the Holi festival. Hiranyakashipu asked his sister Holikā (who was immune to fire) to take Prahlāda in her lap, sit in a pyre of wood, and set it on fire. Prahlāda, however, remained unscathed while Holikā burned to ashes. The bonfires traditionally lit on the evening of Holi commemorate this victory of good over evil. The next day, Hindus celebrate Pushpadolotsava, also called Fuldol. On this day, the gopis of Vrundāvan prepared a swing decorated with fragrant flowers for Lord Krishna, performed his pujā, and rocked him with intense joy and devotion. Devotees celebrate this day by decorating a swing with flowers and rocking the murti of God. Then, they spray colored water and throw colored powder on each other. As we can see, the fires and colors are only representations of the true celebration underlying Holi and Pushpadolotsava. The bonfires represent burning one’s evil natures; and the colored powder and water symbolize coloring one’s life with the hue of devotion. Indeed, Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj once celebrated Fuldol without colored water during a drought and explained that the ritual sprinkling of colored water was not the important part; the deeper purpose of this festival is to color the world with spirituality and devotion to God. YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 3|7  And even beyond these symbolic gestures of devotion, for members of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, the occasion of Pushpadolotsava holds even greater significance. On this day, Bhagwan Swaminarayan celebrated Fuldol in Sarangpur on a grand scale. Devotees from all across Gujarat gathered in Sarangpur for this festival. He sprinkled rose powder on all the devotees until everyone was covered in color. Then, the sādhus performed pujā of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. That evening, Bhagwan Swaminarayan played rās, a traditional folk dance with sticks (called dāndiyā), at Rathod Dhadhal’s house. While playing rās, Bhagwan Swaminarayan recited the following verse from Kabir’s poem: “Koti Krishna jode hath, Koti Vishnu name Nath, Koti Shankar dhare dhyān, Koti Brahma kare jnān; Sadguru Khele Vasant.” As he recited the verse, he struck the dāndiyā of Gunatitanand Swami with his own, revealing that he himself is Purushottam Narayan and that Gunatitanand Swami, Aksharbrahman incarnate, is the sadguru referenced in Kabir’s poem. On Fuldol, members of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya reaffirm their faith in the Akshar Purushottam Upasana and recall the glory of Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami. Also, during this Fuldol celebration, the women devotees of northern Gujarat expressed their profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan by singing a special prayer asking for his protection from māyā. This prayer, “Maha balwant māyā tamari…” was included in the Bhaktachintamani by Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami, and members of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya traditionally sing this prayer on Fuldol. DIWALI AND NUTAN VARSH Along with Holi and Pushpadolotsava, Diwali is among the most well- known and easily recognizable Hindu festivals. It is celebrated on the last day of the final lunar month of Ashwin. Children and adults celebrate the days of Diwali by wearing their finest clothing. Families adorn their homes by decorating their porches with colorful designs called rangoli. They also prepare sweets and savories and decorate their homes with divās (oil candles). Larger celebrations often include fireworks. During this time of year, as we open our homes and feast with loved ones, as we decorate our homes with divās and behold dazzling fireworks displays, it is important for us to remember what the Festival of Lights represents. As with the fires and colors of Holi and Pushpadolotsava, the light displays of Diwali are representations of YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 4|7  the triumph of good over evil, of knowledge over ignorance, of light over darkness. Diwali is most commonly associated with the story of Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after his 14-year exile and victory over the evil Ravana. This is a time for celebration, but it is also a time for self-reflection— on the past year and for the year to come. The divas represent devotees’ prayers asking God to expel ignorance and to enlighten their souls. This is further symbolized on the various days of Diwali such as: o Dhan Teras—devotees pray to the Goddess Lakshmi for ethical economic prosperity, success in their careers, and the benevolent use of wealth. o Kali Chaudasha—devotees worship Hanumanji for protection from evil. o Sharda (Chopda) Pujan—businessmen and students purify their accounting ledgers and academic books. The day after Diwali, Kartik Sud 1 in the Hindu calendar year, is the Hindu New Year. Devotees prepare an annakut (literally, a “mountain of food”) to offer to God. As with the fireworks displays of Diwali, the annakut truly is a sight to behold. But partaking in the celebratory feasting is only a small part of the story, and the annakut traces its origin to the story of King Bali’s devotion to Lord Vishnu. King Bali, the grandson of Bhakta Prahlada, was once approached by Lord Vishnu, in the form of a dwarf called Vamana. Lord Vishnu asked the King for a gift of land three strides in length. The guru of Bali, Shukracharya, and others warned the King against granting this gift, but the King did not listen. He took an oath to fulfill the wishes of Lord Vamana. As the king took the oath, Lord Vaman transformed himself into a colossus. In two strides he covered the earth and the heavens. Bali realized at once that God in person had come to test him. Vamana then asked Bali, “Where should I now place my third stride?” With humility, Bali replied, "O Lord, set your foot (third stride) on my head,” representing his complete devotion and total surrender to the Lord. Bali therefore fulfilled the wishes of the Lord by granting the three promised strides and won over the Lord’s favor. Likewise, the “mountain” of food reminds us of King Bali’s devotion and evokes a similar sentiment in our offering to God. YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 5|7 NAVARĀTRI Another well-known Hindu festival is Navarātri. Leading up to Diwali, as soon as the last month of the Hindu calendar year begins, the festivities signaling the beginning of the New Year begin. For the first nine days of the bright half of the month of Aso, Hindus celebrate Navarātri. This festival is most commonly associated with dancing. In Gujarat, the festival of Navarātri (literally, the festival of “nine nights”) is celebrated with the traditional dance forms of garbā and dāndiyā rās for nine nights. BAPS mandirs around the world host Navarātri festivities in a wholesome and religious environment to maintain purity in the observance of this festival while focusing on its deeper significance. However, as we have probably seen through social media, there is a growing trend of celebrating this festival by dancing to pop songs in a lounge/club environment, thereby completely robbing the festival of its underlying purpose. The purpose behind celebrating Navarātri lies in the victory of the goddess Durga, who was a form of the goddess Parvati, in a battle against the demon Mahishasura. The latter had appeased Lord Brahma by performing austerities and obtained a boon that he would never die at the hands of a human being. The demon subsequently started ravaging the world. To counter this evil, the goddess Durga engaged in a fierce battle with Mahishasura for nine days, eventually defeating him on the tenth day. The nine days of battle are celebrated during the nine nights of Navarātri. CONCLUSION There are numerous other important Hindu festivals which we did not cover today. Many of these festivals, including their individual rituals and traditions, vary from region to region, depending on local traditions and deities. However, they share a common purpose—they provide aspirants seeking inner purification and spiritual liberation with an opportunity to connect with the Divine. Therefore, these festivals serve the dual purpose of enhancing social harmony and unity and elevating one’s soul towards God-realization. When celebrated in the right spirit—and with the right company— they fortify one’s mind against negative influences. In fact, as we discussed today, the majority of Hindu festivals symbolize and celebrate the victory of good over evil, and of light over darkness. YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 6|7  These festivals are a part of our identity and connect us to our roots, if we celebrate them in the right way. And while the rituals themselves are important, and while we certainly can enjoy taking part in the festivities, it is important to represent what those rituals represent and why we are celebrating in the first place. Ultimately, celebrating festivals in this way will lead to a richer and more fulfilling experience. Let us pray to Maharaj and Swami that we keep the deeper spiritual significance always in mind as we resolve to celebrate festivals with the proper mindset in the coming year. YUVAK-YUVATI MANDAL SABHA SYLLABUS 7|7