Allah and Ganesh Comes Together - Why Can't We ?

            299th BLOG -->>

        WOW !!! It feels so great while typing 2..9..9.. This reflected that one more phase of the blog gets over. The series of 200th century of my blogs get over here with this blog. It takes so much effort and brain to write blogs daily and I love writing them. I am so much excited for my next blog - 300th BLOG. I will take a break of one week after posting my 300th blog post so that it will make easier for everyone to go through my 300th blog post and it will be easier for me too as I'll get many comments which will help me to know how my journey have been from 1st blog to 300th blog. I am in great tense and pressure about how to make my 300th blog post something special and different from others. My 199th Blog was about Sai Baba, Muslims and Hindu. I am happy that I am writing again about Muslims and Hindu (No Sai Baba this time) in my 299th blog post. Thank God for making this possible and intersecting both the periods of festivals and my 299th blog at the same day. ;-) 

Eid Mubarak to everyone

            Today, we are celebrating 4 festivals. Eid, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dabangg and ARB's 300th Blog Post (Please don't abuse me for the last festival. Hahaha). Let's talk about Eid first. Eid is a Muslim Holiday that marks the end of Ramzaan - The Islamic holy month of fasting (Roza). Muslims are encouraged to forgive and forget all the discrepancies and animosity they had with anyone in the last one year. Hope my ex-gf will forgive me. ;-) Typically, Muslims wake up relatively early in the morning, generally before sunrise, offer Salatu Fajr, and keeping the Sunnah, clean one's teeth, take a shower, put on new clothes and apply perfume. It is haraam or forbidden to fast on the day of Eid. So it is recommended to have a small breakfast as a sign of not being on a fast by eating sweet dish before attending the special Eid prayer called Salah.

           After the prayers, Khutbah takes place. Listening to the Khutbah of Eid is an indispensable wajib - requirement. It is haraam to talk, walk about or offer prayer while the sermon is being delivered. After the prayers, Muslims visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances or hold large communal celebrations in homes, community centers or rented halls. Eedis (Eid gifts) are frequently given to children and immediate relatives; it is also common in some cultures for children to be given small sums of money (Eidis) by adult relatives or friends. Wow. What a festival and what a kindness. I can't believe that some people call these peoples as terrorists and criminals. Shame on them. I want to wish all the Muslims brethren of India a very Happy Eid. A hug to all of you and Eid Mubarak. May Allah keep you and your family happy forever. May Allah bless all of you with Jannat. I love you all. All the Muslims, please invite me for sevai. I love it. Thanks.

Ganapati Bappa Mourya

           Now, its time to talk about Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati. Lord Ganesha is worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. The festival appears in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada. The date usually falls between 20 Aug and 15 Sept. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi. Before 1893, Ganesh Chaturthi used to be an important family festival during the Peshwa rule in Maharashtra, but that year, Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual festival into a large, well-organized public event. Tilak recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesh as "the god for everybody", and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi as a national festival in order "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins' and find a context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them", and generate nationalistic fervor among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule.

            The main dish during the festival is the Modak. Another popular dish is the karanji which is similar to the modak in composition and taste but has a semicircular shape. Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue & the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc. I have always loved this festival. This 10 days are the real celebrations and I love attending all the pandals in my area. I pray to all the Ganpati statues located in my way to college. I and my mummy always roam in our area to find all the Ganapatis idol and we worship them. Superb festival. I would like to wish all my Hindu friends a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.

             It is so wonderful to experience two festivals of two different religions on the same day. Today itself, in 2001, 9/11 - The biggest terrorist attack took place in USA. I would also like to pay my condolences to all the people who lost their life and their relatives who are suffering the pain even today. Hope both the Gods of Hindus and Muslims will bring everything in order. Keep faith and be happy. Once again - Eid Mubarak to everyone and Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. Tomorrow, my 300th Blog post will be published on ARB so don't forget to leave a comment to make it the biggest blog of ARB.


            Thanks.


ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU