Just a quick note to inform you all that the next 2 weeks, that is 1st and 9th November we will not be having classes due to the Auditions for the forthcoming Children's Diwali Show.
The Date n Time of Auditions are:
Thursday 30th October 2008 @ 7pm, Audition for children below 10 years
Saturday 1st November 2008 @ 12 pm, Audition for children above 10 years
At the ICC.
And next week:
Friday 7th November 2008 @6pm, Audition for ALL at Centro Cultural Adeje
Saturday 8th November 2008, LAST STAGE PRACTICE at@ Centro Cultural Adeje. Time will be given to each group
Sunday 9th November 2008THE GRAND FUSION CONFUSION CHILDREN'S DIWALI SHOW
So Remember, Our next class will be on Saturday 15th November @ 6.45pm
How many times have you done the Diwali Pooja and didn't know what was the next step until Mum or Granny told you? And what about the meaning of all the things we do? Well, this year it's your turn to surprise your elders by knowing what to do exactly and why do we do what we do... The ICC Kids Camp Team have done a nice document of the Procedure of a Sindhi Diwali Pooja :) This way you can help at home on this lovely festival of lights!!! Do you do the Diwali prayers this way? Or you change things? Don't feel shy and let us kno in the comments!!!
Firstly, you have to keep your house clean and draw a Rangoli at your doorstep to welcome Goddess Laxmi.
Before starting the Pooja it's important to have all thing ready... Here is a list of things you will need:
Now first visualize Lord Ganesh. Welcome Him to your pooja. Chant Om Ganeshaya Namah
Pray to Shivji the same way. Chant: Om Namah Shivaya
Sprinkle water on the lota, apply kumkum, shower rice and flowers, offer mithaai, and dry fruit and accord the same treatment that you would to an esteemed guest. Follow the same procedure with the 9 planets. Sprinkle water towards the North, South, East and West.
Bathe the icons first in panchamrita and then in rose water.
Apply kumkum, shower flowers, offer mithai and dry fruit to the different icons of gods.
Draw a Swastika, apply kumkum, shower rice and flowers, offer mithaai and dry fruit to the Laxmi Patro and note-book.
In the milk bowl, add water, gulaal, flower petals and mithaai. Then put the silver and gold coins in. It is said if you make the coins jingle, it would attract Laxmi Maa to come to you. Visualize MahaLaxmi and say: OmShreem MahaLakshmaye Namah. In some families, it is tradition to tap a coin to your teeth and to your eyes. Tapping the coin to one’s teeth is that though we pray for wealth, we acknowledge that we will not take our material wealth with us; and tapping them to one’s eyes symbolizes one’s request of intellectual stimulus.
Now you are ready for the Mahalaxmi Aarti. Make a mound of rice and place camphor in a thali or an aarti container. After the aarti is over, rotate the lighted aarti container before all gods and the whole house. Place your hands over the lighted camphor and then over yourselves. At the end of the post, you have a video and the words for the Aarti :)
Do the above with faith and devotion and don't worry too much if you do not do it very correctly. Say 'Haraye Namaha' 3 times. That takes care of all the mistakes that you may have committed knowingly or unknowingly during the ritual. What is most important is your faith and love.
After the Aarti, the ‘Palau’ is traditionally recited, followed by the ‘Bhog’. Now, what exactly is the Palau? Why do we do it? What are we doing when we do Bhog? Keep reading ;)
The Palauceremony is said after songs of worship or the aati. We end our prayer with a request to the Lord to fill up the ‘jholee’ or the palau which they hold in their hand in a symbolic attempt to fill it with the goodies that they prayed for and which they expect to drop from Heaven at the end of their ritual. This is done by holding the lower part of the shirt stretched out to beg from the Lord the good and welfare of all. One should also pray for the well being of others before one asks anything for oneself.
The Bhog ceremony is the offering of the ‘prasad’ or the sweets and food to the deities for blessing. Some people recite a specific mantra during this ritual while some others say a few personal words of appreciation. Either way, it is one’s personal way of making offerings and securing blessings for what they are about to consume. The items offered are gathered in small amounts on a plate or a ‘thaali’ – then placed in front of the altar. Once offered, the items are returned to the pots or serving trays from which they were taken – an action that symbolically spreads the blessings of the food into everything that is prepared / served.
And as promised, here is the Aarti...
MAHALAXMI AARTI
Om Jai Laxmi Mata, Maiya Jai Laxmi Mata, Tumko nis din sevat, Maiya ji ko nis din sevat Hari Vishnu Data Om Jai Laxmi Mata (Repeat above verse)
Uma Ramaa Brahmaani, Tum hi Jag Mata,Maiya Tum hi Jag Mata, Surya Chandra Ma dhyaavat, Surya Chandra Ma dhyaavat Naarad Rishi gaata. Om Jai Laxmi Mata.
Durga Roop Niranjani, Sukh Sampati Data, Maiya Sukh Sampati Data Jo koyee tumko dhyaavat, Jo koyee tumko dhyaavat Ridhi Sidhi dhan paataa Om Jai Laxmi Mata.
Tum Pataalani Nivasini, Tum hi Shubh Data, Maiya tum hi Shubh Data Karma Prabhaav Prakaashini, Karma Prabhaav Prakaashini Bhuv Niddhi ke praata Om Jai Laxmi Mata
Jis ghar tum rehti teh, sab sath goon aataa, Maiya sab sath goon aataa, Saab sambhav hojata jataa, Saab sambhav hojata jataa Man naheen ghabraataa. Om Jai Laxmi Mata
Tum Bin Yaghya na hote, vaastra na ho paata, Maiya vaastra na ho paata, Khana paan ka vaibhav, Khana paan ka vaibhav Sab tumse aata Om Jai Laxmi Mata
Shubh Goon Mandir sunder, shero da di jaata, Maiya shero da di jaata Ratna chaturdashi tum bin, Ratna chaturdashi tum bin Koi nahi paata Om Jai Laxmi Mata.
Maha Laxmiji ki Aarti, jo koi nar gaata, Maiya jo koi nar gaata, Pur aananda samata, Pur aananda samata, Paap utar jaata Om Jai Laxmi Mata.
Om Jai Laxmi Mata, Maiya Jai Laxmi Mata, Tumko nis din sevat, maiya ji ko nis din sevat Hari Vishnu Data Om Jai Laxmi Mata (Repeat above verse)
Hi Friends, What is the first thing that comes in your mind when we say DIWALI... Our Festival of Light? Loads of Lights, Candles, n of course, the traditional Diyas... Yes Friends, so these 3 weeks we are going to teach you all to make the Traditional n Typical Clay Diyas. Take a look at the lovely example:
So friends just make a note in your calender:
Dates:
Part 1: Saturday 11th October 2008 from6.45 to 8.30 pm
Part 2: Saturday 18th October 2008 from6.30 to 8.15 pm
Part 3: Saturday 25th October 2008 from6.45 to 8.30 pm
Place: ICC Pineda
Price: 2 Euros per child per week
Children will also be taught meditation, aarti, small Havan to burn our bad habits, the Significance of Diwali, story about diwali, a significance of the Diwali Pooja, and on the last week we will be doing the Pooja with all of you and loads more...
So do join us these 3 weeks, and Please be Punctual...Be there by 6.30 pm! Mothers please be punctual to pick up your kids!
Hi Friends! Do you all know what is the next Big & Important Indian Festival?... I am sure you all have started preparing for it in many ways... Any guesses... Yes YOU are right... DIWALI. This Year Diwali is on 28th October, so for this occasion, one of the activities we have prepared for you is the making of some beautiful n unique DIWALI GREETING CARDS, so that you all can send them to all your Dear n Near ones. Take a look at some examples:
Our journey begins in the summer of 2007 with activities for the little ones. These activities are meant to teach children the marvellous Indian culture in a creative and entertaining way. Handicrafts, paintings, sculptures, dances, films, quizzes and games are just a few of things we do.
Posts
