SIS Thai (தை) Newsletter

Dear Patrons,

We take this opportunity to wish you all a very healthy and prosperous 2021.

The month of Thai marks the starting of the Uttarayana period, when the Sun travels from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. While the previous six months were a period of learning, the six months of Uttarayana are considered as a period of reflection and enlightenment.

A general saying in tamil is 'thai piranthal vazhi pirakkum', which translates as ‘the month of Thai heralds in new beginnings and is the harbinger of prosperity and celebrations.

The month starts with Pongal / Makara Sankranthi, on the very first day of the month celebrating the abundance from agricultural harvest and thanksgiving to nature. Hope everyone had a joyous Pongal and may the year be filled with abundant good health and prosperity.

Thai Poosam - 28 Jan 2021

Thai Poosam is a day of immense divine significance for Lord Murugan. It is belived that this is the day when Goddess Parvati presented the divine ‘Vel’ to lord Murugan to vanquish the demon army led by ‘Surapadman’ and to eliminate the three demons, Surapadman,Singamugan, and Tarakasura. Weilding the mighty ‘Vel’ invested with the ‘Shakti' of Goddess Parvati, Lord Murugan killed the three asuras and emerged victorious in the celestial war.

The three demons represent the forces of hatred, greed, and arrogance, and the Vel has thus come to be regarded as a symbol of purification and enlightenment and celebrated as a protective and purifying force of Lord Murugan. The occasion of Thaipusam is celebrated to glorify these benign forces. many devotees observe the festival of Thaipusam by performing acts of penance such as carrying the ‘kavadi’, fasting etc. The Vel is symbolic of the importance of having deep knowledge and sharpness of intellect to overcome ignorance and inertia, to realise the ultimate goal of life – God realisation. It is symbolic of the need for devotees to invoke the Shiva-Shakthi force within them and the grace of Lord Murugan through the Vel to awaken the mind to fight the ingrained rajasic, and tamasic tendencies. May Lord Muruga remove all negative forces and darkness and bestow positivity and wisdom.

"Vetrivel Muruganakku haro hara"

SIS February Satsang

Time: Sat, Feb 6 at 03:00 PM

Zoom meeting details: Please join the Satsang
by clicking https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84193408871?pwd=NzV2d0gxdTZ6N2taTElPczZzbkdSdz09
or,
by using Zoom meeting id: 841 9340 8871 and passcode: satsang

Please note that we have included a passcode for the Satsang Zoom meeting to obviate the need for Waiting Room.

The Satsang will include reciting

• Vishnu Sahasranaman and Mahalakshmi Ashtakam
• Lalitha Sahasranaman
• Bhajans
• Hanuman Chalisa
• Short spiritual talk

Please attend with your family and importantly involve the next generation.

SIS Annual General Meeting

The SIS Annual General Meeting is scheduled to be held on Saturday, the 30th of January 2021 via Zoom. Formal notice has been sent separately to all the paid members.

Our Sponsors

SIS WhatsApp group

In addition to continuing with our email communication, we have started a WhatsApp group as a broadcast only group to communicate information regarding SIS events and updates. If you would like to join, please open this email on your phone and click on SIS WhatsApp group invitation link. Alternatively, you may email sisnambalava@gmail.com with your mobile number and we will add you to the group.

The Website

We trust that the articles that we are publishing on the website are interesting and useful. We are encouraged by the number of hits that have gone up multi-fold. Please visit www.sisnambalava.org.uk, read the articles and let us know your views. We are very keen to receive your feedbacks and views and will be uploading more interesting articles. We welcome articles written by our members that are relevant to the objectives of SIS, ie., South Indian arts, culture and vedic religion and these will be uploaded after review by the editorial panel. Please feel free to ask for detailed guidelines.

Your Participation

South Indian Society as an organisation has come to shape with lots of hard work and contribution from several veterans of our community in this country over the years. We sincerely thank each and every one who has contributed towards the growth of this organisation. This organisation runs for YOU and without YOUR involvement, contribution and participation it cannot succeed.

SIS Trustees