Special Friday Greetings! Life and experiences change us! Always let them change you for the better and not the worse! Live and love life! Keep being you, keep smiling & always be true to yourself!
Today I take this opportunity to celebrate life, love and blessings! Some may think that a post ‘Celebrating Independence Day 2018’ may be ideal but considering the recent turn of events in our country there is a clear contrast in the way I felt last year and the way I feel this year. I am sure many can understand this and many can also relate to it.
I am happy many opted to visit the page. Maybe it was due to a feeling of patriotism, maybe it serves as a reminder of how drastically things have changed, or maybe just maybe, it is a combination of both.
In all honesty (take note that I always write in all honesty)my heart goes out to the many who had to tell their families they lost their jobs and they don’t know where their next income will come from. Bear in mind it is not just workers of PETROTRIN but hundreds who work for contractors that work for PETROTRIN and the hundreds and thousands who are being sent home in other sectors of the economy.
As if things weren’t already tough we continue to see how they are getting tougher and suffering increases. What it does mean though is that the struggle is real and now more than ever we have to be thankful for life and blessings! We have to continue praying not just for ourselves and our families but we have to pray for each other and for our country. We have to pray for peace and for courage to face the current reality and what lies ahead.
As if the earthquake on August 21 was not enough of a ‘shake-up’ (yes, it is an act of nature we could not prevent) but as a country we have been surviving increases in the amount traffic fines are now costing, people continue to lose jobs, cost of living continues to rise and this past week has been filled with heart wrenching news of the realities of the energy sector.
Now more than anything we have to remember that to be humane we have to live like humans. Now more than ever we have to look out for each other, we have to be steadfast in our prayer and we have to be steadfast in our devotion. Further to that we have to be thankful that our experiences make us wiser and they make us stronger. More so we have to be confident that they will guide us forward and help us to make more informed choices and more practical ones at best.
Let us look at what we can be thankful for:
·We got up this morning (some did not).
·We made it through the day in spite of pain, in spite of hurt and in spite of the challenges we have been facing or the challenges we faced today.
·We are loved and we are blessed by the Divine who has given us life.
·I got an opportunity to share this post with you and you got an opportunity to read it.
·I got to tell you that you are not alone and in case you felt you were hopefully now you know you are not.
As Mother Teresa said, “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
I ask that you be mindful of the fact that survival is a key part of moving forward! Prayer is a key part of surviving and having faith is a key part of why we pray and how we choose to live. Never believe that you are alone because you are not!
In closing please remember this: His Holiness Param Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji always reminds devotees, “If you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu. If you are a Christian, be a good Christian and if you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim.”
To those of you who have been chanting “Shivaaya Rudraaya Namaha” as directed by His Holiness I urge you to continue doing so! To those who are praying please continue to pray and please share the message of peace. Please share the need to pray, to look out for each other and to not give up. Let this be an added source of motivation to you:
Indeed January 31, 2016 was a blessed and blissful day! If you missed this opportunity to join with us we are happy to share some of it with you via this post and if you were with us, this is our way of letting you know how meaningful your presence was to us.
It was a day Coromandel Shiv Mandir hosted the Datta Kirtan Mandali members and it was a day that we together with many other devotees were looking forward to! For those who know Coromandel is where I grew up and an opportunity to be at the Mandir and in my family home is always something I look forward to thoroughly.
We had planned on leaving earlier than we actually did but we were happy that we got there on time. Interestingly enough we met our Datta family just before we reached Chatham and were able to witness the full Hanuman Chalisa Chanting event! When the function ended we were able to spend more time with everyone-our Coromandel Shiv Mandir family, our Datta family, my family, members of the Epic ChanTTing Team and other devotees who are equally dear to us!
Here is what the official invitation looked like and we were happy to share it with as many people as we could.
This was created by my sister- Ria Thomas
The Mandir as always was beautifully decorated and at the entrance we were greeted by the beautiful Murti of Lord Ganapati! Ganapati Bapa Moriya! When we got there Pundit Naresh Maharaj was concluding puja and devotees were seated, awaiting the start of the chanting!
Many would agree that Hanuman Chalisa Chanting is so therapeutic, so meaningful, and it is always filled with so much love and energy. This event is indeed a memorable one and it is considered by us all as a great blessing. It was a collective effort as teamwork was present throughout. Moreover it was a blissful, a powerful and an awesome experience. No one word could fully describe it.
Here are some of the pictures I was able to get:
Sri Gyan Ramlogan and Members of the Datta Kirtan Mandali as they get ready for chanting
Prayer was being offered-Om Namo Hanumate Namaha
Lord Shiva was adorned with a beautiful fresh flower Mala made by Auntie Asha Moonsammy
Lord Hanuman was adorned with another beautiful fresh flower Mala made by Auntie Asha Moonsammy
Hanuman Chalisa Chanting was in progress! Jai Veer Hanuman!
Devotees were doing AartiStanding by the Bedi was Pundit Naresh Maharaj who conducted Puja prior to the start of chanting.
Devotees stood with clasped hands and sang as the Aarti was being performed.
Every moment spent was one to cherish. We could tell that everyone enjoyed this experience because of the radiant smiles we saw, the way everyone participated in chanting and in the feedback we received following the function.
We had just over 125 devotees in our presence and chanted Hanuman Chalisa 14 times.
It was a joyous occasion too as it allowed Epic ChanTTing members to officially meet each other.
January 31, 2016 remains a memorable day for the Coromandel Shiv Mandir and its Members. From my Mom (Mrs Doris Thomas), my Dad (Mr Ranjit Thomas), and all other Members of the Coromandel Shiv Mandir to the Members of the Datta Kirtan Mandali and all Devotees, we thank you each of you wholeheartedly for chanting Hanuman Chalisa with us! May the continued Blessings of the Divine Master be with you now and always!
Jai Veer Hanuman! Bajrang Bali Ki Jai! Om Namo Hanumate Namaha!
Celebrating Existence 