Festivals
Puja means 'worship.' Puja is a ritual used to call upon God.
It is performed for the well-being of the world. Often incense, flowers, water, fresh garments, food, camphor and lights are offered, while prayers are recited or sung. Offerings may be simple or elaborate. Even the simplest offerings can be profound. There are many ways to worship God. The forms of worship can be as simple as single words or rituals lasting days. How one chooses to worship God is very personal. Worship is the expression of one's heart manifesting itself outwardly.
Shivaratri
Sunset to Sunrise, Sunday, March 10, 2013
The "Night of Shiva" is celebrated on the day before the new moon in late February or early March, when the moon is furthest from Earth, a time to worship God the Absolute. An all-night puja begins at sunset with chanting in praise of Lord Shiva. There are five periods of worship, each followed by prasad.
Hanuman Jayanti
Saturday, April 20, 2013 (starts on Friday April 19th)
Hanuman's birthday is on the first full moon of Spring. It is celebrated at the Taos ashram on the closest Saturday, to allow devotees to attend. Beginning at 1:08 pm on Friday April 19th, we sing Hanuman Chalisas for 24 hours followed by prasad. The celebration concludes with a big birthday cake and a children's party for Hanuman.
Guru Purnima
Sunday, July 21st thru Monday, July 22st, 2013
The Guru is honored on the full moon in July, when the moon is closest to the Earth, the time to worship God in form. It is celebrated with the singing, which begins at 1:08 pm on Sunday until 1:08 pm on Monday followed by Aarti and Bhandara Prasad.
Maharaj-ji's Mahasamadhi Bhandara
Saturday, Sept 14, 2013 (starts at 1:08pm on Friday, Sept. 13th) Neem Karoli Baba's Mahasamadhi was on September 11, 1973, the day before the full moon in September. We celebrate it on the nearest Saturday to the full moon. This year we begin chanting on Friday, September 13th at 1:08 pm and sing Hanuman Chalisas until 1:08 pm on Saturday, followed by Maha Prasad and the Ram Lila, the theatrical reenactment of the deeds of Lord Ram, Sita, and Hanuman.
Navaratri/Durga Puja
Saturday, October 5, 2013- nightly - through Sunday, October 13, 2013--celebrated each evening at 6 pm. Navaratri lasts for nine nights with worship of Ma Durga, the Goddess of Courage, Ma Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. The nine nights of Durga Puja are celebrated from the first till the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month in September/October. The nine-day puja culminates on the ninth day with a feast and a procession to the Rio Grande into which the Goddess is lovingly immersed. On the tenth day there will be Kamari Puja (puja to the young girls baby thru pre teen) and Durga Puja.
"One day a few political leaders came after visiting some cities in the area. They were welcomed and offered prasad, but their reaction was hostile. Seeing so much ghee and other ingredients being used for havan (sacrificial fire ceremony) and the large number of people being fed puris, some of them flared up and said to me, "There is such a food shortage in this country and so many are faced with famine. It is a sacrilege to waste so much food. How this can happen in an ashram is beyond our understanding."
"Babaji was not there at the time. Later he asked me about the episode. He said, "These are the persons who have become the guardians of the people. They do not know where the food comes from. They do not take the name of God, offer any puja or perform havans. How will the rains come and produce food? They forget God and think everything depends on them. The whole defect lies there."
- from By His Grace by Dada Mukerjee
