Gita Jayanti or Bhagavad Geeta Jayanthi, 
the birthday of Bhagvad Gita, 

Namaste!

TODAY is Gita Jayanti !  On this very auspicious Gita Jayanti day,  by the grace of God we have an AUDIO version of the entire GITA MADHURYA in ENGLISH completed,  an excellent resource for English readers, and especially the YOUTH.  Please generously share with your friends and family.  Please click on link below.

GITA MADHURYA - AUDIO.
http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.net/Audio/Gita-Madhurya/Audio_Gita-Madhurya-Main.htm

Other resources that you must visit on this auspicious day -
The Bhagavad Gita - SADHAK SANJIVANI  in English
The FIVE DAILY GITA VERSES - AUDIO
Bhagavad Gita - AARTI  - AUDIO


Kindly share the divine gift of GITA from the Lord Himself, by enrolling your near and dear ones in the daily Sadhaka message at: sadhaka-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .  Or better yet,  send us their email ids.  We only make this request once a year on Gita Jayanti day.  BE GENEROUS !  

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY GITA JAYANTI !!!
http://www.sadhaksanjivani.com/

Gita Jayanti or Bhagavad Geeta Jayanthi, the birthday of Bhagvad Gita, is celebrated on Margasirsha Shukla Paksha Ekadashi (November – December). 

According to prominent Hindu scriptures, on this day, Lord Sri Krishna made the glorious teachings of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. Today, Bhagavad Gita is a world-famous scripture and also used as business and communications guide for modern world.

Bhagvad Gita was first told to Arjuna by Lord Krishna nearly six thousand years ago during Kurukshetra war. Gita Jaanthi is celebrated throughout India and the world with lot of gusto. In ISKCON temples, Geeta Jayanthi is celebrated with utmost devotion and enthusiasm. Special pujas and abhishekas are offered to the Lord on this day. Mass recital of Bhagvad Geeta is performed throughout the day.

Gita Jayanti is also celebrated as Mokshada Ekadashi. On this day, devotees observed fast and on Dwadashi day fast is broken by taking ritual bath and performing Krishna puja.

In some places, Kartik Amavasya is observed as Gita Jayanti.

Bhagavad Geeta Jayanthi  Messages - Think a little and send your creative and heart felt messages to all !!

'Yadã yadã hi dharmasya, glãnirbhavati Bhãratah, Abhiyutthãnam adharmasya, tadãtmãnam srijãmyaham| Paritrãnãya sãdhunãm, vinãshaya cha dushkritãm, Dharmasamsthãpanãrthãya, sambhavãmi yugè yugè||'' ~ Lord Krishna to Arjuna (Shrimat Bhagavat Geetã)

~ Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I,  Myself, appear, ages after ages.~

Glorification of Srimad Bhagavad Gita

To recite the Bhagavad Gita is very enlivening. Sri Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa has written this song “Gita Sastram Idam Punyam”. The official name of this song is Gita Mahatmya. This song is taken from the book Padma Purana. In this song, the benefits of reading Bhagavad Gita are elaborated.

(1)
gita-sastram idam punyam yah pathet prayatah puman
visnoh padam avapnoti bhaya-sokadi-varjitah

(2)
gitadhyayana-silasya pranayama-parasya ca
naiva santi hi papani purva-janma-krtani

(3)
maline mocanam pumsam jala-snanam dine dine
sakrd-gitambhasi snanam samsara-mala-nasanam

(4)
gita sugita kartavya kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih
ya svayam padmanabhasya mukha-padmad vinihsrta

(5)
bharatamrta-sarvasvam visnor vaktrad vinihsrtam
gita-gangodakam pitva punar-janma na vidyate

(6)
sarvopanisado gavo dogdha gopala-nandanah
partho vatsah sudhir bhokta dugdham gitamrtam mahat

(7)
ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam
eko devo devaki-putra eva
eko mantras tasya namani yani
karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva

(1) If one properly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, one can be freed from all the miseries and anxieties of life. One will be freed from all fears in this life, and one’s next life will be spiritual.

(2) If one reads Bhagavad-gita very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.

(3) One may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water of Bhagavad-gita, for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished.

(4) Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

(5) One who drinks the water of the Ganges attains salvation, so what to speak of one who drinks the nectar of Bhagavad-gita? Bhagavad-gita is the essential nectar of the Mahabharata, and it is spoken by Lord Krsna Himself, the original Visnu.

(6) This Gitopanisad, Bhagavad-gita, the essence of all the Upanisads, is just like a cow, and Lord Krsna, who is famous as a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned scholars and pure devotees are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gita.

(7) Let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world — Bhagavad-gita. Let there be one God for the whole world — Sri Krsna. Let there be only one hymn, one mantra, one prayer — the chanting of His name: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

ISKCON - Hare Krishna Temple, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Gita Dhyanam Om Parthaya Pratibodhitam 

(1)

pārthāya pratibodhitāḿ bhagavatā nārāyaṇena svayaḿ

vyāsena grathitāḿ purāṇa-muninā madhye mahābhārate

advaitāmṛta-varṣiṇīḿ bhagavatīm aṣṭādaśādhyāyinīḿ

amba tvām anusandadhāmi bhagavad-gīte bhava-dveṣiṇīm

(2)

namo'stu te vyāsa viśāla-buddhe

phullāravindāyātapatra-netre

yena tvayā bhārata-taila-pūrṇaḥ

prajvalito jñānamayaḥ pradīpaḥ

(3)

prapanna-parijātāya

totra-vetraika-pāṇaye

jñāna-mudrāya kṛṣṇāya

gītāmṛta-duhe namaḥ

(4)

sarvopaniṣado gāvo

dogdhā gopāla-nandanaḥ

pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīr bhoktā

dugdhaḿ gītāmṛtaḿ mahat

(5)

vasudeva-sutaḿ devaḿ

kaḿsa-cāṇūra-mardanam

devakī-paramānandaḿ

kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagad-gurum

(6)

bhīṣma-droṇa-taṭā jayadratha-jalā gāndhārī-nīlotpalā

śalya-grāhavatī kṛpeṇa vahinī karṇena velākula

aśvattāma-vikarṇa-ghora-makarā duryodhanāvartinī

sottīrṇā khalu pāṇḍavārṇava-nadī kaivartakaḥ keśvaḥ

(7)

pārāśarya-vacaḥ sarojam amalaḿ gītārtha-gandhotkaṭaḿ

nānākhyānaka-keśaraḿ hari-kathā-sambodhanābodhitam

loke sajjana-ṣaṭpadair aharahaḥ pepīyamānaḿ mudā

bhūyād bhārata-paṅkajaḿ kalimala-pradhvaḿsanaḿ śreyase

(8)

mūkaḿ karoti vācālaḿ

paṅguḿ laṅghāyate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaḿ vande

paramānanda-mādhavam

(9)

yaḿ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair

vedaiḥ sāṅga-pada-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaḿ sāma-gāḥ

dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaḿ yogino

yasyāntaḿ na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ

TRANSLATION

1) O Bhagavad-gita, thou hast been instructed to Arjuna, the son of Prtha by the Lord Himself and afterwards thee were included within the Mahabharata by the ancient sage Vyasa.  Thy eighteen divine chapters are a shower of the immortal nectar of the wisdom of the Absolute.  O mother, destroyer of man's rebirth into the darkness of this mortal world, upon thee I meditate.

2) Obeisances to thee, O Vyasa, thou art of mighty intellect, and thine eyes are large as the petals of the full-blown lotus.  It was by thee that the oil-filled lamp of knowledge of the Mahabharata was lit.

3) I offer obeisances unto Lord Krsna, the refuge of ocean-born Laksmi and all who take refuge at His lotus feet. His one hand holds a staff for driving cows, and the other hand is raised, the thumb touching the tip of the forefinger, indicating divine knowledge.  He is the milker of the immortal nectar of the Bhagavad-gita.

4) The Upanisads are as a herd of cows, Lord Krsna, son of a cowherd, is their mother, Arjuna is the calf, the supreme nectar of the Gita is the milk, and the wise man of purified intellect is the drinker.

5) I offer my obeisances to Lord Krsna, the beloved son of Vasudeva, destroyer of the demons Kamsa and Canura, the supreme bliss of Mother Devaki and the spiritual master of the universe.

6) Of the terrifying river of the battlefield of Kuruksetra over which the Pandavas victoriously crossed, Bhisma and Drona were it's high banks, Jayadratha was the river's water, the King ofGandhara, the blue water-lily: there were sharks such as salya, Krpa was the current, Karna, the mighty waves, Asvattham and Vikarna, the dreadful alligators, and Duryodhana, the very whirlpool, but Lord Krsna was the ferryman!

7) May the spotless lotus of the words of Vyasa that grows on the eternal waters of the words of Lord Hari, with its filaments of various tales of heroes and which is rightly endowed with the sweet fragrance of the explanations of the Bhagavad-gita, it's nectar beign quaffed with pleasure daily in this world by saintly persons who are compared to so many nectar-seeking bumble-bees and which destroys all the sins of the age of Kali - May this lotus of the Mahabharata bestow on us the highest good.

8) I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, the transcendentally blissful husband of the goddess of fortune, whose mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables to lame to cross mountains.

9) Let all obeisances be unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra, Rudra, the Maruts and all divine beings praise with the divine hymns of the Vedas and their supplementary parts such as the Upanisads, whom the followers of the Sama Veda glorify with song, whom great mystics see with their minds absorbed in perfect meditation and of whom all the hosts of demigods and demons know not the limitations.  To him the Supreme Lord, let there be all obeisances.

Namastte 2013. Exciting cultural event

 
Indian Cultural Association - Ibadan, NIGERIA.
Namastte 2013. Exciting cultural event-

Thiruvathira -

Participents-

Mrs. Raji Vinod, Mrs. Sunitha Viswanathan, Mrs. Lekha Anil Kumar, 

Mrs. Thenmozhi Satish, Mrs. Revathi G Nair And Miss. Advita Vinod.

Parvanendu Mukhee Lyrics

paarvanendhu mukhi paarvathii

gireeswarante chinthayil muzhuki valanju

paarvanendhu mukhi paarvathii

gireeswarante chinthayil muzhuki valanju

nidraneeigiallum pakalum maahesa roopam

sailaputhrikkullil thelinjoo...

nidraneeigiallum pakalum maahesa roopam

sailaputhrikkullil thelinjoo...

paarvanendhu mukhi paarvathii

gireeswarante chinthayil muzhuki valanju

sarpa naayaka bhooshayenthum

sambasivanude charugalathil(2)

vighnamozhinjoru naalithagathmaja

varanamaalikayumambodu charthi (paarva)

kaamya darsana devi pinne

kamaharanude punya sareeram(2)

paathiyumazhakil pakutheduthuma

pathimanasane vilayanamaakki (paarva)

Thiruvathira 

Thiruvathira is a Hindu festival celebrated in the South Indian state of Kerala and Tamil nadu on the full moon day of the month of Dhanu, TamilMargazhi (mid-December to mid-January). Ardradarshan celebrated in Tamil Nadu corresponds to Thiruvathira of Kerala since both are related to lord Shiva. At Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, the Sri Natarajar temple's annual Festival, Uthsav. is celebrated corresponding to this date. Literary and historical evidence in the form of stone inscriptions state that the festival has been celebrated on this day for more than 1500 years.

Tamil hymns of Manikkavacakar's Tiruvacakam (particularly the hymns Tiruvembavai and Tiruppalliezhuchi) are chanted in temples instead of Sanskrit mantras. On the very day of Thiruvathira the idols of Nataraj (Lord Shiva) and his consort Shivagami (Parvati) are taken out of the temple premises for a grand procession. It is one of the major events in almost all the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In Kerala, the festival is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shiva. Thiruvathira is the nakshatra or "star" as per the Malayalam calendar of Lord Shiva. Another belief is that the festival commemorates the death of Kamadeva, the Hindu god of erotic desire. It is believed that on this day, the Goddess Parvathi finally met Lord Shiva after her long penance and Lord Shiva took her as a saha-dharma chaarini (equal partner). Both Parvathi and Shiva present this ideal to devotees in the form of Ardha-Nareeshawara (half male, half female form).

In Kerala, Thirvathira is an important traditional festival along with the other popular festivals, Onam and Vishu. This has been celebrated by theNambuthiri, Kshatriya and Nair communities of Kerala from days of yore. It is largely a festival for women; unmarried women observe a partial fast on this day to get good husbands and married women take a fast from the preceding day (Makayiram nakshatra) and on the day of Thiruvathira for the well being of their husband and family. The first Thiruvathira of a newly wedded woman is her poothiruvathira.

The fast essentially involves abstaining from rice-based food. The typical meal includes cooked broken wheat and Thiruvathira puzhukku, a delightful mix of tuber vegetables: colocasia (chembu), yam (chena), Chinese potato (koorka), sweet potato (madhurakizhangu) with long beans (vanpayar) and rawplantain fruit (ethakaya), cooked with a thick paste of freshly ground coconut. The dessert is koova payasam, a sweet dish made of arrow root powder,jaggery and coconut milk.

Thiruvathirakali is a dance form performed by women on the day of Thiruvathira to the accompaniment of Thiruvathira paattu, folk songs telling tales of lovesick Parvati, her longing and penance for Lord Shiva's affection and Shiva's might and power. The sinuous movements executed by the group of dancers around a nilavilakku embody lasya or the amorous charm and grace of the feminine. The dance follows a circular, pirouetting pattern accompanied by clapping of the hands and singing. Today, Thiruvathirakali has become a popular dance form for all seasons.

In Tamil Nadu, the married women will fast during the day time. They will take food before sunrise and start their fasting. They will break the fast after witnessing the moon rise. There is special food called Thiruvadhirai kali and koottu, which is made out of seven vegetables, that is cooked and served on this day. The dancing form of Lord Shiva is taken out on procession from all Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. In Chidabaram, The night before the full moon, An abishekam, or holy shower, to the Lord Shiva is performed with the nine most precious gems (navarathnas), including diamonds, coral, pearls, jade and emerald, among others. On the day of full moon, the chariot procession takes place.

Thiruvathira means "sacred big wave", using which this universe was created by Lord Shiva about 132 trillion years ago.

References - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruvathira

GK NAIR.'s photos on Google+

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Indian Cultural Association, Ibadan Nigeria - Namaste 2013 (77 photos)
https://plus.google.com/photos/105927848936115853970/albums/5950680603804986193?authkey=CIny7NGtnaquWg

The Festival of Memories - Vishu 2013.

The Festival of Memories - Vishu 2013.

വിഷു നവ വത്സര ആശംസകൾ

Sunday, April 14^th 2013. 

We, the Krishna Family  wishes you, your family and friends a happy, healthy and prosperous Varsha Pratipada- New Year and Vishu.

SWEETO Family`s Vishu And New Year Celebrations, 
Vishu Kineetam And Vishu Sadiya.

Here's our Google+ Web Album Click below to watch Vishu And New Year Celebrations,

Vishu Kineetam And Vishu Sadiya.

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https://plus.google.com/photos/105927848936115853970/albums/5867038387467600209?authkey=CLbm0J2wiNavZA

Please feel free to leave comments there.

HQ Images available on request.

The Festival of Memories - Vishu 2013.

Vishu is a festival of nostalgic memories and they are invariably associated with our childhood . Those memories are as golden as the ‘Kani Konna flower’

'Vishu' in sanskrit  means 'equal' or when day becomes equal to night, possibly denoting the equinox when this festival originated. The Malayalam New year as per  solar calender is celebrated around 14th or 15th of April every year.  The first of day of  Malayalam year (as per older tradition) or Medam 1st  falls on one of these days when the sun transits to the zodiac sign Aries (Medam). Sun enters Mesha, which is the Lagna or the birth sign of Kaal Purusha, the personification of 'Time', which we experience due to the movement of sun (Now, it is the movement of earth!) and  its resultant effect of  "Dishas", four sides and division of space, Varna or colours painted on vegetations by sunlight, Rasas or the secretions or juices filled in plants (and animals feeding on them) due to climatic seasons ( Rithus). Sun is the source for the diversity of life and  cyclic nature of earthly processes. There is a belief that Lord Brahma chose ‘Vishu” day as the right day for creation. Incidentally Vishu concides with many other festivals in India like 'Gudi Padva', 'Bihu', 'Ugadhi', 'Baisakhi' etc. Vishu also marks the beginning of sowing season in Kerala.

Distance, time and era may have diminished the dazzle of festivities. But it has in no way diminished our spirit that soars  high on every Vishu. 

The Vishupakshi still heralds the arrival of a good day,  sitting in the dreary “sit-out” of the flat, one’s memory flies back to his native village  (with paddy fields and tall-standing coconut trees) where he as a small boy roamed free along with play-mates, in a world that had no fences or walls! Feeling sad about the children, who are denied of those pleasures of the past? Agriculture once the mainstay has become a thing of the past! People live as birds packed in a nest, and big wall arose between houses and hearts. Children reduced to pawns in the games elders play and with no time to play! 

It is presumed that the first sight one see on Vishu day will have its impact for the whole year that follows! To let the children see this 'Kani” (“ka” pronounced as in “cut” and “ni” as in “Pony”) elder ones especially mother blind fold their eyes and lea d them before the lamp, makes them to stand with folded hands and then only to open eyes! All sorts of fresh fruits and Sri Krishna clad in yellow clothes with his favourite flute close to his lips and decorated with all flowers mother could collect, presents a sight before the child which may last till the next Vishu!.  There is no God as glamorous as Krishna!!!!!

The sight of golden hues and silky softness of konnapoo continues to permeate peace and happiness. 
Surely, the melody of Vishu is not a vanishing one.