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Thaipusam – History and significance of this Hindu festival

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Thaipusam Festival is a well-known festival of cultural celebrations among Tamil people worldwide, not just in India. The devotees pay homage to Lord Kartikeya, also known as Lord Murugan, on Thaipusam. During the Thai month, this festival typically occurs on the full moon day; a time when the sky is dominated by the Pushya (Pusam) Nakshatra.

When is Thaipusam celebrated?

The Thaipusam Festival, also known as Thaipooyam or Thaipoosam, will be observed between January and February, according to the Tithi (date) of the traditional Hindu calendar. It would not be wrong to include it on the list of the best festivals in Tamil Nadu due to the mythological and traditional significance it carries. Palani Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple hosts this festival. Bramhotsav is another name for this festival, which lasts for ten days.

THAIPUSAM’S HISTORY

Thaipusam is a grand, colorful festival held to commemorate Lord Murugan’s victory over evil. The reason for this day’s significance is a fascinating tale. Soorapadman was an Asura, according to the Hindu mythological book Skanda Purana. Even with the combined efforts of all the devas, he gained such strength that they were unable to defeat him. They made a desperate attempt to save the universe and sought Lord Shiva’s assistance, who used his divine powers to give birth to Lord Murugan.

Lord Murugan’s mother, Parvathi, gave her son a Vel, a divine spear that could defeat evil. Soorapadman was defeated by Lord Murugan, who went to the battlefield and fought him with his Vel. He then rode a peacock and appeared to his followers. As a result, the devas brought about world peace by killing the Asura. Thaipusam was the first name given to this day by devotees.

Thaipusam preparations begin weeks or even months in advance. About a week before the festival, devotees fast and pray a lot to prepare their minds and bodies. The devotees would perform various acts of penance on Thaipusam, such as carrying a “kavadi,” or burden. Walking through burning coal, piercing skewers through the tongues, cheeks, and bodies of kavadi bearers, and other extreme acts of gratitude to Lord Murugan are examples. These devotional activities are viewed as a means by which devotees can purify themselves of their sins. They also believe that they will live a happy, prosperous, and healthy life.

Meaning of Thai Poosam or Thaipusam On this day, Mother Goddess Parvati gave him this divine weapon to safeguard the world. Lord Muruga used a symbol of light and wisdom called the “Vel” to get rid of all the bad guys and get the universe back to being peaceful and in balance. The evil forces that were afflicting humans and all of the sages in Trilok, or three different universes, were defeated by Lord Muruga. The ego, attachment, and hatred that plague humans are compared to the three Asuras.

Benefits of Thai Poosam and Thaipusam celebrations:

Muruga showers people with divine grace to assist them in overcoming challenges.

  1. This is a day of insight and wisdom. This day is observed as a day of prayer for intelligence and knowledge. In this day and age, knowledge and education are a great way to rise to great prominence and fame.
  2. The divine “Vel” is a powerful amulet. They receive tremendous protection against destruction and evil by opening to Lord Muruga’s Vel. Lord does a great job of eradicating negative spirits, allowing people to become more open-minded and consider everyone as part of their family.
  3. It brings tranquility and peace to life. Those who struggle with relationships with family members will be able to overcome these obstacles. They are assisted in reuniting with the family by Lord Muruga.
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Everything you have to know about Makar Sankrant and its Significance

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Makar( a) Sankranti the fests associated with Makar Sankranti are known by colorful names Magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi in Punjab, Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh, Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain( Uttarayana) in Jammu & Kashmir, Sakrat in Punjab & Haryana, Sakraat in Rajasthan, Sukarat in central regions of India, Pongal in pondicherry, Tamil Nadu & Andaman Nicobar island, Uttarayana in Uttar Pradesh & Gujarat, Dahi Chura in Bihar, Makar Sankranti in Odisha, Ghughuti in Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal( also called Poush Sankranti or Mokor Sonkranti), Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Maghe Sankranti( Nepal), Songkran( Thailand), Thingyan( Myanmar), Mohan Songkran( Cambodia), Til Sakraait in Mithila, Maghe Sankranti Nepal, and Shishur Senkrath( Kashmir). On Makar Sankranti, the Sun god is worshipped along with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi throughout India.

Makar Sankranti is observed with social fests similar as various decorations, pastoral children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas, melas( expositions), balls, vampire flight, backfires and feasts. The Magha Mela, according to Indologist DianaL. Eck, is mentioned in the Hindu grand Mahabharata. numerous spectators go to sacred gutters or lakes and bathe in a form of thanks to the sun. Every twelve times, the Hindus observe Makar Sankranti with Kumbha Mela – one of the world’s largest mass passage, with an estimated 60 to 100 million people attending the event. At this event, they say a prayer to the sun and bathe at the Prayagaraj convergence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna, a tradition attributed to Adi Shankaracharya.

Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana

Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the Sun’s ecliptic longitude becomes 270 ° measured from a fixed starting point which is in opposition to Spica, i.e. this is a sidereal measure. Uttarayana starts when the Sun’s ecliptic longitude becomes 270 ° estimated from the Vernal equinox, i.e. this is a tropical measure. While both concern a measure of 270 ° their starting points are different. Hence, Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana do on different days. On the Gregorian timetable, Makar Sankranti occurs on 14th/ 15 Jan; Uttarayana starts on Dec 21st.

Due to the precession of the equinoxes the tropical wheel( i.e. all the equinoxes and solstices) shifts by about 1 ° in 72 times. As a result, the December solstice( Uttarayana) is continuously but veritably sluggishly moving down from Makar Sankranti. Again, the December solstice( Uttarayana) and Makar Sankranti must have coincided at some time in the distant history. Such a coexistence last happed 1700 times back, in 291 announcement

Significance of Makar Sankrant

Every time Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the month of January. This jubilee is devoted to the Hindu religious sun god Surya. This significance of Surya is traceable to the Vedic textbooks, particularly the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred hymn of Hinduism set up in its Book named the Rigveda. According to the constitution of God, Our Holy Vedas and Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, if we take inauguration from a Complete practitioner/ Saint and worship Supreme God and attain liberation. By performing true Book- grounded way of deification, one’s life becomes blessed, and the Earth will come heaven.

Makara Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices and consequently, people take a holy dip in gutters, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The bathing is believed to affect in merit or forgiveness of once sins. They also supplicate to the sun and thank for their successes and substance. A participated artistic practices set up amongst Hindus of colorful corridor of India is making sticky, set sweets particularly from sesame( til) and a sugar base similar as jaggery( gud, gur, gul). This type of sweet is a symbolism for being together in peace and joyfulness, despite the oneness and differences between individualities. For utmost corridor of India, this period is a part of early stages of the Rabi crop and agrarian cycle, where crops have been sown and the hard work in the fields is substantially over. The time therefore signifies a period of socializing and families enjoying each other’s company, taking care of the cattle, and celebrating around backfires, in Gujarat the jubilee is celebrated by flying harpies.

Makara Sankranti is an importantpan-Indian solar jubilee, known by different names though observed on the same date, occasionally for multiple dates around the Makar Sankranti. It’s known as Pedda Panduga in Andhra Pradesh, Makara Sankranti in Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magh Bihu in Assam, Magha Mela in corridor of central and north India, as Makar Sankranti in the west, Makara Sankranti or Shankaranti in Kerala, and by other names.