Au long du
Gange sacré : Varanasi - Bénarès
(21 septembre - 1er
décembre 2001 -- 15 janvier - mars 2002)
DURGA
PUJA ou NAVRATRI
A travers la Durga Puja la culture bengali, mais aussi le reste le Inde
hindoue vénère la déesse Durga qui a une place
particulière dans le panthéon des dieux. La puja commence
le jour qui suit la nuit sans lune d'Asvina pour les bengalis et la
nuit qui suit la nuit sans lune pour les hindous). Durga, la déesse
à dix bras est vénérée pour avoir vaincu
le démon à tête de buffle, Mahishasur (aussi représenté
par un lion rugissant) et est offerte à l'adoration ou à
la curiosité du public à partir du cinquième ou
du sixième jour après que les pandit (prêtres) les
aient bénies et leurs aient donnée vie et énergie.
Des musiciens battent des dhaak (tambours) sur un rythme obsédant.
Dans la nuit du neuvième jour, Durga quitte les statues qui redeviennent
objets. Les jours suivants, accompagnées d'une procession colorée,
précédées des explosions des pétards, et
de danseurs tenant souvent dans leurs mains des pots en terre cuite
où brûlent de la bourre de noix de coco et des parfum,
elles sont immergées dans des fleuves et les rivières
ou les pièces d'eau. Cette immersion s'appelle bishorjonne.
Ce sont des semaines à l'avance que les sculpteurs créent
les statues en paille, en terre battue, en poterie, en coton, en coquillages.
Elles sont ensuite peintes par des artistes qui ont appris cet art de
leurs ancêtres.
Navaraatri Durgaa
AASHWAYUJA SHUKLA DASHAMI
The Tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Aashwayuja
This is among the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar and comes
as the finale of the nine-day festival, Navaraatri. this festival of
victory is preceded by worship of Saraswati the Goddess of Learning
and of Durgaa the Goddess of Strength. Grand processions of all Gods
and goddesses are taken out in every town and village on this day, signifying
the victory of the forces of righteousness over those of wickedness.
Various have been the names of the Goddess of Strength - Durgaa, Mahaa
Kaali, Mahishasura Mardini etc., under which that supreme protectress
of the good and the holy put to rout, time and again, the demoniac forces
and established the supremacy of the righteous.
The story of how Mahishaasura Mardini took birth is striking for its
unique message. At one stage the Gods felt powerless against the onslaughts
of the demoniac forces headed by Mahishaasura. In answer to their prayers
for protection, they were ordered to part with a portion of their divine
powers to form into a new Goddess. It was thus that Mahishaasura Mardini
took on a physical form as the combined might of 33 crores of Gods.
The dreaded demon Mahishaasura was slain by Chaamundeshwari after a
ceaseless fight of nine days and nights.
The lesson of this legend is so beautifully clear. Even the good and
the righteous can succeed against the evil forces only when they come
together in an organized endeavour. Could there be a more telling message
to the present-day disorganized Hindu people - many of them individually
good and pious but who have remained incapable of overcoming the forces
inimical to them and their culture? Truly has it been said, 'Sanghe
shaktih kalau yuge' - Organization holds the key to strength in Kaliyuga.
And this is the one single, most important lesson which the Hindu people
have to learn today.
Every page of our past history bears testimony to the shocking phenomenon
of how the Hindus, though immensely superior in culture, wealth, armies,
territory and sheer numbers to the foreign aggressors, were defeated
and enslaved. And all this tragedy because of their fatal drawback of
disorganization. Now, it is high time the Hindus learnt the bitter lesson
of the past and realize that "Organization is life and disorganization
is death".
The unique concept of worship of strength in the Hindu tradition is
far, far removed from that of accumulation of aggressive power. This
strength is termed nigrahaanugraha shakti, i.e., while on the one hand
it destroys the wicked, on the other it protects the good and the holy.
That is how we find that the rise of Hindu power was never attended
by aggression and exploitation of other countries. Probably the only
nation on the face of the earth to display this rate restraint has been
the Hindu Nation.
The world history is replete with the blood curdling stories of nation
after nation, whenever they became powerful, embarking upon barbaric
invasions of other countries and liquidating whole native races. It
was given to the Hindu Nation alone to live up to the famous saying
of Jesus Christ, "I have come to fulfil, and not to destroy".
Vijaya Dashami is resplendent with many an inspiring episode reflecting
the victorious culmination of deeds of valour of our illustrious ancestors.
The tradition in southern parts depicts Sri Rama's triumphant return
to Ayodhya after fourteen years of banishment entailing endless hardships,
dangers and mental anguish like separation from Sita and finally the
slaying of Raavana, as coinciding with this day. Symbolic of the victorious
occasion, Raama-Leela is observed with great enthusiasm and eclat in
the northern parts.
Shree Raama, it is said, worshipped Shami tree before proceeding to
Ayodhya. On the same day, the Paandavas too, took out their arms hidden
in the Shami tree and revealed their identity after their one year of
Ajnaatavaasa (living incognito) after twelve years of exile to a forest.
That marked their preparation for the victorious war of Kurukshetra.
Invoking these inspiring memories the Shami is worshipped on this day
and the holy leaves are distributed by one another as an auspicious
omen for the coming year. The following couplet is repeated on the occasion :
Shamee shamayate paapam shamee shatruvinaashinee|
Arjunasya dhanurdhaaree Raamasya priyadarshinee||
(Shami, the remover of all sins, the destroyer of all enemies bore
witness to Arjuna taking his bow and Shree Raama coming back to his
near and dear ones.)
The Hindu kings and chieftains in the medieval period like Vijayanagar
kings and Maratha Peshwas continued this tradition of worshipping the
Shami tree and marching in royal procession. Many a time they would
sally forth against their foes - Seemollanghana - on this day. Even
to this day, amidst the heartrending ruins of Hampi in Karnataka - the
site of the once worldfamed Vijayanagar stands the Vijaya Dashami pedestal
on which Krishna Devaraya, the celebrated monarch, used to stand and
receive the salute of his half-a-million strong army.
Vijaya Dashami is preceded by the Aayudha Pooja on the Mahaanavami day,
when not only the weapons are worshipped by the warriors, but the blacksmith,
the potter, the carpenter, the tailor, the mason, the typist, the musician,
the artist and every type of technical worker - worships his instruments
and tools.
Buses, trucks and huge machines in factories are all decorated and worshipped
It is the Vishwakarma Divas - the National Labor Day of Bharat,. Can
there be a more telling way than this of investing sanctity in one's
allotted work? The motto `work is worship' is writ large in this ceremony.
Any work, Sri Krishna declared, done with a spirit of worship of God
leads to the highest spiritual realisation.
On this very day the Rashtreeya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded in 1925
in Nagpur for the rejuvenation and reorganization of the age-old Hindu
Nation and Hindu Dharma, and true to the tradition of Vijayadashami,
the Sangh too has been marching from success to success.
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