Our Culture - Why are kids need to know about it!

You say Santa Claus and our tot will start singing `Jingle Bells’.

Ask them the months of the year and they can rattle off –January, Feb….

Ask them any contemporary western existence and I’m sure they know it.

So then where does that leave our culture! As we so proudly call ourselves Indian and Indian culture, which the West seem so crazy about? With yoga centres popping up in every corner of the world. We’ve taken fancy to it only once it became a rage overseas.

I’m not some social preacher here, but this thought came to my mind today… today being Aashadi Ekadashi.

As an adult I still fail to understand the importance of these days, though my parents and in-laws being God-Fearing and followers of the Hindu Calendar truly believe and religiously follow these days.

So the question arises why has this not been passed onto me.  - I grew up in a house where this was all followed and now that I’m married, its followed here too.   And if I don’t know anything about this… how will my children ever know the importance of these days and our Hindu Culture.. Forget only Hindu culture… holistic Indian culture.

Some thoughts’ are on my mind. Stay tuned in… working on some vishesh tipnis…

In the meanwhile a here’s a little note on Aashadi Ekadashi.. FYI

Celebrated at Pandharpur, Ashadhi Ekadashi is more of a religious procession festival and is also known as MahaEkadashi. This Mahaekadashi is also known as Shayani Ekadashi, because on this day Vishnu falls asleep to wake up four months later on Prabodhini Ekadashi in the Kartik month. This period is known as Chaturmas and coincides with the rainy season.

Ashadhi Ekadashi is the day of fast and on this day people go walking in huge processions to Pandharpur singing the Abhangas (chanting hymns) of Saint Tukaram and Saint Dnyaneshwar to see their God Vitthal. The yatra starts in Allandi and ends on Guru Poornima day at Pandharpur.