Our country is known for its incredible cultural diversity. This gets reflected nowhere better than in the joy and enthusiasm with which we celebrate all our festivals.
Many of us may not know much about Shravani Parv, which is traditionally celebrated in the month of Shravan of the Hindi calendar. In the ancient times, new students were admitted to the gurukuls and the ashrams of sages and seers on this occasion. It was a festival that celebrated the change of seasons from the scorching hot summers to the most welcome, cool showers of the rainy season.
The word ‘Saavan’ derives its origin from the Sanskrit word ‘Shravana’, which means to hear, to listen. In the ancient times, the celebration of the festival was essentially marked by the study of the Vedas, the Shrutis and listening to the discourses given by learned spiritual masters. Agnihotra yagyas were also performed. Continuing this tradition of yore, Arya Samaj, Vasant Vihar, celebrated the Shravani Parv from the 1st to the 3rd of September this year. The Samaj was brilliantly illuminated by multi-coloured lights and also adorned with garlands of marigold. Posters and saffron flags emblazoned with the symbol of ‘Aum’, swaying gently in the breeze, infused the precincts of the Arya Samaj with great spiritual fervour.
During the three day festival, celebrations were held in the mornings as well as the evenings. In the morning, Agnihotra yajna was performed in the sacred yajnashala by our most revered Pandit Kamal ji. He chanted Vedic mantras from all the four Vedas. Every day a hundred mantras were recited. On Sunday, the 3rd September, the yajna concluded with Poorna Aahuti. For those who participated in the havan, it was a deeply spiritual experience.
In the evenings, the programme started with a session of bhajans. Beautiful meaningful bhajans were sung by various members of the Samaj on the first day. Thereafter, on the 2nd and the 3rd of September, Acharya Dev Arya ji filled the audience with devotion by singing bhajans in his sweet, mellifluous voice.
The highlight of the event was an excellent presentation on various aspects of Shravani Parv by the students of Mahatma Anand Swami Arya Primary School, run by Arya Samaj Vasant Vihar for the disadvantaged sections of society. Mrs Minnie Gupta, Hon’ble President of Arya Samaj, lauded the efforts of the Principal, Mrs Kusum Duggal, teachers and most of all, the students, for explaining the significance of the three facets of Shravni Parv – Swadhyay, Chintan-Manan and Prachar through songs, dance, drama, recitation of Mantras and meaningful discussion weaved seamlessly in their performance. The two short skits left the audience in splits and asking for more. The students logically explained the need for Prachar, in order to create a better and peaceful world, alluding to the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakkam’ enshrined in the Vedas. Mrs Santosh Kapur, the convenor of the school, highly appreciated the spellbinding show put up by children and announced prizes for all of the 39 participants which were duly given and sponsored by her.
The Chief Guest Dr Sudhir Kumar Arya ji, a renowned scholar and Head of the Sanskrit Department of JNU, was the speaker on all three days and impressed everyone by his erudition and amazing oratory. His discourses were marked by a great simplicity even as he expounded deeply philosophical mantras from the Vedas. He emphasised the great power of the Vedic mantras and said that in difficult times the recitation of the mantra, ‘Aum vishwani Deva…..’ would impart calm and serenity to the heart. He urged the Samaj members as well as the Managing Committee to encourage the learning of Sanskrit and the reading of the Vedas for which he promised his help in every way possible. The Managing Committee took him up on his offer and announced the starting of classes for the learning of Sanskrit. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Mrs Suman Sapra and recitation of ved mantra and Shanti path by Mrs Minnie Gupta.
On all three days the programme went off smoothly with clockwork precision and was very well attended. How can a celebration be complete without feasting and rejoicing? In the true spirit of festival celebrations, a delicious sumptuous lunch was provided to the big gathering at the end of all the programmes.
