Retrospection & Concinnate of 2019 , as we atiptoe into 2020 !

Glimpses , Photographs that make for perfect memories ( so , a google album was created ) . A year with many a first , a year with many a loved ones leaving us & maybe a few souls that have come back as new borns of this year. Many of you will be a part of this album , a few are a part without being here - almost all pictures have a caption.

The year capitulate's into the year that it is , because of our Choices , our strength , our focus & the company we keep. Our lives are entwined, with our karmic & cosmic soul connects - what would we do without you !

2019 , is enshrined with special memories of each departed soul. An appreciation for each individual who is such an enteral part of our lives. Life is short , give it your very best, make each moment special ! Wish you all , a peaceful , healthy & ebullient, 2020 ! Love - RRR

"As long as you feel pain, you're still alive. As long as you make mistakes, you're still human. And as long as you keep trying, there's still hope. Never give up on yourself and never abandon your dreams." -Susan Gale

In Peace : Jayesh's mom , Shashi's mom , Chhaya's ( Chandel) mom, Nancy Donner , Heena Aunty , Hema Mausi , Sanjay Huria's dad, Mala's Mom , Puneet, his grandson Nav, daughter Palak & her husband Palkesh.

A Dog at our Door on Diwali Night ??? Really ?

A festive Diwali evening makes a steady progress towards midnight. Puja , Chants , Dinner & some interesting conversations, comes to an end. Farewell time & we see a surprise visitor sitting outside our home. 

A Dog guarding our door ! He is one of the few stray dogs who belongs to our street. Another look at his soulful eyes & we see his very anxious expression , saying , " please let me stay , do not ask me to go  ! " 

How he has managed to slip past the night watchman is beyond us &  find our corridor , as his safe haven , away from the frightening crackers. 

Is he here because he is unnerved with the crackers bursting or is he here as our acclamatory omen? Or Both ? We shall just acknowledge him as a sign of a positive harbinger ! 

Did you know ,In the pre-Vedic era, dogs were regarded as auspicious. It was believed that deities assumed the form of dogs.

Dogs can be either wild or tame, thereby representing the qualities of fidelity, devotion & courage. They have a sharp auditory capability , a capacity of great love and compassion, which at most times is  beyond the comprehension of us , mere mortals . Cultivating these qualities , according to the Vedic belief , helps human go beyond their physical and bodily limitations to realising the Absolute Truth! 

As a few legends go :

*** A dog was always seen with Saibaba. The dog acts as his emissary. 

*** In guise of a Dog , God of Dharma ,went to Heavens with Yudhisthira ( the eldest Pandava ).

*** There is also the four Dogs that accompany Lord Dattatreya ( a combination of the Holy Trinity , of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva ). Since He is a form of Shiva , the Adi Guru , Dogs symbolise the virtue of a perfect student , due to their power to Listen, being alert & orientation to the sound of Silence ! 

These 4 dogs represent : 

The 4 Vedas: - Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yayur Veda and Atharva Veda 

The 4 Yugas: Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. 

The 4 States of Sound : Para (beyond), Pasyanti (perception); Madhyama (conception), Vaikhari (vocal) 

And a Fact :

In Nepal & Assam, the 5 days of Tihar aka Diwali ,shows reverence to not just elders and gods, but also to animals namely crows, dogs, and cows , who have a strong connect with humans. Kukur Tihar is a day when the Dogs are worshipped & they are treated with full respect , honour & pampered ! 

A Dog is unique & the Human bond, special since forever ! 

"The Spiritual attitude of Man depends on his Attitude towards a Dog"! 

Significance of the Aapta/Sona leaf on Dusherra.

Every festival is an amalgamation of impressive Ritual's & Tradition's . Distinctive Symbolization guided by the spiritual, religious & practical significance, many being peculiar to the State where its celebrated!

Typical of Maharashtra, our first exposure to the exchanging of Sona (Gold) leaves, on Dusherra, was, while in school. Since then, I continue to look forward to this offering & receiving of Sona, amongst family & friends. If we did visit a temple, the Priest too would give us a few leaves! The childish happiness at counting the number of leaves we had received, if the leaves are conjoined, not damaged ….. somewhere, even then, we were hoping that the simple Leaves would be converted into real thing or maybe someday, we would receive the real Gold leaves!
To add some weightage to this absurdity, one of my Blessings this year was – May you Prosper with Health, Happiness & next year, make sure give me a real Gold Leaf! The immediate response (expected in a way), was," You are thinking about yourself " …. To which my simple answer was," I am thinking of you, if you don't prosper, how will you manage to get me the gold leaf"!  Age and experience, give’s absurdity, a conscious insight!
However, with the passage of time, I do feel, this exchange has declined, the excitement missing (mostly in cities, is my presumption)! And for the first time in so many years, I wanted to know the significance behind this tradition.
So, here goes …..
Ritual
On Dusherra day, people worship the Aapta tree or sona-tree (Bauhinia recemosa) and exchanging its leaves. The leaves symbolize gold (as the name Sona, suggests).
The tree is also worshipped with the following mantra, for a prosperous future.
Ashmantak Mahavruksha MahadoshnivaranI
Istana darshanm dehi kuru shtruvinashnamII
Roughly translated : O great Aapta (Ashmantak) tree, you are the one who overcomes great defects. Unite me with my friends and destroy my foes
Tradition & Legend
**As per one tradition, on winning a war, the victorious Maratha's , returned home with good deal of gold. These soldiers were welcomed home by their wives and sisters with Aarti. In return, the soldiers gave them some gold ornaments & the rest was given as offerings at the temple, seeking, blessing of the Deities and Elder.
**This other tradition, is based on a mythological legend. Kautsa, the son of a Brahmin, insists on paying Guru Dakshina to his guru, Rishi Varatantu, after completing his education. The rishi refuses to accept dakshina, but on Kautsa's insistence, asks him to give him 140 million gold coins. Kautsa requests King Raghu of Ayodhya, for the gold coins, who prays to Lord Indra, asking for a solution. Indra instruct's Kuber, the god of wealth, to shower gold coins on the Aapta tree's of Ayodhya. These coins are then collected by Kautsa and offered to his Guru and remaining to the poor people of Ayodhya. This is why the leaves of this tree are referred to as gold.
Commercial & Medicinal Use's
~~~~These leaves are also called Bidi leaves because the leaves are used for making bidis. But what many don't know is the medicinal uses of these leaves. Here are some scientific research studies that elaborate on the same:
~~~~They help fight bacterial and fungal infection's. They help fight asthma .They help fight diabetes.
A few Details
Martha's - people of Maharashtra
Aarti - a prayer sung with the waving of a lamp
Aapta tree : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhinia_racemosa
Google, in case ! : https://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/vijayadashmi-triumph-righteousness