Dear Patrons,
We are into the month of Panguni and hope springs eternal with the onset of spring. Spring and hope are inextricably linked and the joy that is sparked at the sight of the unfurling leaves and blooms is unparalleled. We wish our patrons a bouyant and bountiful spring and summer.
Panguni Uthiram is of immense religious significance as it is considered the day of celestial marriages and divine incarnations. On this day, in the month of Panguni, the full moon coincides with Uttara palguni nakshatram. The day defines the glory of grihastha dharma (or married life). The Almighty manifested in the marital state as Uma-Maheswara, Sita-Rama, Aandal-Ranganathar and Murugan-Devasena. Goddess Parvati in the form of Gowri married Lord Siva in Kanchipuram and hence this day is also celebrated as the Gowri Kalyanam.
On this day, Goddess Mahalakshmi manifested on the earth from the ocean of milk when it was churned by the Gods and the demons. Hence it is celebrated as Mahalakshmi Jayanti.
It is also believed to be the day of incarnation of Lord Ayyappan.
Panguni Uthiram is celebrated in Murugan temples with great religious fervour. There are car festivals and devotees throng to offer 'Kavadi' to Lord Murugan. This year, Panguni Uthiram is on Mar 28th.
Phalgun poornima day is celebrated as Holi in North India with grand festivities, especially in the Braj region that includes Mathura and Vrindavan. It is the day when holika, the sister of hiranyakashiyapu was destroyed and the great devotee Prahlad was saved. The colours of Holi also signify the joy of spring denoting the onset of good fortunes. In earlier days, Holi was celebrated with the natural coloured powders traditionally made of neem, kumkum, haldi, bilva, and other medicinal herbs that had medicinal healing properties. Phalgun Uthiram is celebrated by different names throughtout India like Basantotsav in West Bengal, Phagwah in Bihar, Dolajātra in Orissa, Phakuwa in Assam, etc. Holi is known as 'Fagu purnima' in Nepal and celebrated in a grand manner.
Chandramana Ugadi is celebrated as New Year in the Deccan areas of India which follow the lunar calendar. On this day, it is a custom to make ‘Ugadi Pachadi’ and the significance of ‘Ugadi Pachadi’ is immense as it indicates the essence of life. The dish includes all tastes (sweetness, bitterness, sour, salty, tangy, spicy, etc) teaching that life is a mixture of all emotions.
The nine day long festival of 'Vasanta Navratri' begins on this day and concludes on Rama Navami.
Important days this month:
| Ekadashi: |
24th Mar & 7th Apr |
| Panguni Uthiram: |
28th March |
| Amavasai: |
11th April |
| Ugadi: |
12th April |
SIS Tamizh New Year Celebrations
SIS is delighted to invite you all to virtual Tamil New Year celebrations (Pilava Varuda Pirappu Kondattangal) on the 17th of April 2021!
The event will be packed with number of exciting programmes and we request you all to block your calendars.
Further details will follow soon!
Upcoming Events in Panguni
Special Upanyasam on Sri Rama Vaibhavam
By Shri U.Ve. Akkarakani Srinidhi Swami
Time: Sat, Mar 27th at 2:00 PM
Zoom meeting details: Please join by clicking Zoom - Sri Rama Vaibhavam Upanyasam
or,
by using Zoom meeting id: 861 4352 8560 and passcode: 1234
SIS April Satsang
Time: Sat, Apr 3rd at 3:00 PM
Zoom meeting details: Please join the Satsang
by clicking this link: April 2021 Satsang
or,
by using Zoom meeting id: 841 9340 8871 and passcode 1234
In keeping with the tradition of monthly Satsangs, April 2021 Satsang will be conducted online.
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 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