chaandramaana yugaadi.

[T Swaminarayan]

Dear Lathaji,

Many thanks for your enlightening passage on the
importance of the rituals followed on Chandramaana
Uugaadi celebrated widely in Karnataka ,Andhra and
Maharashtra.

With warm reagards,

Swaminarayan.

--- elmec <elmec at GIASBG01.VSNL.NET.IN> wrote:
> Hari Om,
>
> chaandramaana yugaadi is the Hindu New year's day
> according to the lunar
> calender. This falls on the chaitra shukla pratipad,
> ie, the first day
> of the bright fortnight of chaitra month. ( the
> first month of Hindu
> calender ) Brahma, the creator , is said to have
> created the world on
> this day ! Hence the name " yugaadi ", the beginning
> of the era or
> epoch.
>
> People take bath after anointing the body with oil (
> abhyanjanasnaana or
> oil bath ) and then wear new clothes, decorate the
> front door of the
> house with fresh neem leaves and mango leaves. Since
> this is the
> beginning of summer, the oil bath helps to cool the
> body and the fresh
> neem leaves ward off infections entering the house.
> People worship their
> family diety, pray for the welfare of all, eat a
> mixture of tender neem
> leaves with jaggery. This has medicinal value, acts
> as an antidote for
> many of the illnesses that are common in this summer
> season.. Eeating
> the mixture also signifies our mental preparedness
> to face the pleasures
> and pains of the coming new year with equanimity !
> While eating it we
> should chant the shloka
> " shataayurvajradhaaya sarva sampat karaaya cha
>   sarvaarishta vinaashaaya nimbaka.M dala bhakshaNam
> "
>
> The meaning -  The neem leaves are eaten ( in this
> shloka there is no
> mention of jaggery. Perhaps it was a later addition
> to camouflage the
> bitterness of neem leaves ) for the sake of a body
> which has a longevity
> of hundred years, and which is as strong as diamond,
> for bestowing all
> prosperity and for annihilating all the evil things.
>
> Yugaadi also ushers in vasanta navaraatri ( because
> it is Vasanta Ritu -
> March-
> April ) when the Divine Mother is worshipped for
> nine nights or ten
> days. There is also one more navaratri celebration
> during the Sharat
> Ritu - the Sharannavaraatri, which is more popular
> and more widely
> celebrated during September-October.
> (These two navaratris may signify the harvesting of
> spring crops and
> autumn crops).
>
> Worshipping the almanac or Panchaanga is a very
> important ritual on this
> day. And after the sumptuous feast in the afternoon,
> in the evening the
> whole family assembles together ( now a days people
> also gather at some
> fixed venue ) to listen to the forecast from the
> panchaanga, which is
> read out by a family priest or an aachaarya. This "
> Panchaanga ShravaNa
> " is supposed to be very auspicious on this day.
> This forecast also
> helps one to be prepared to face any untoward
> incident or circumstances
> that is spelled out by the astrologer who has
> composed this almanac.
> After the panchaanga shravana, a liberal dakshinaa
> or kaanike is given
> to the aacharya and his blessings are received.
>
> Chaandramaana yugaadi is observed widely in
> Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
> and Maharashtra. Since the Raama navami falls on the
> nineth day from
> this yugaadi, ( chaitra shukla navami ) people also
> read the Raamaayana
> Grantha these nine days, suitably dividing the
> portion of the epic  for
> each day which culminates on the navami day. Then
> they celebrate the
> Raama pattaabhisheka on that day. Some people start
> the Paaraayana ( the
> ceremonial recitation ) on navami day and do it for
> nine days.
>
> The new year according to the solar calender -
> souramaana yugaadi - is
> observed mostly in Tamil Naadu and Kerala on 14th of
> April ( the first
> day of chittirai ).
>
> May the New Year usher in happiness and prosperity
> to one and all. May
> peace prevail everywhere. May we progress further in
> the path of jnaana.
>
> Regards and good wishes,
> Hari Om,
> Latha Vidyaranya
>
> --
> bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam
>
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