2009 prayer dates for South Africa
Prem Namaste, Vanakum, Hare Krsna, Jai Shree Krsna, Jai Shree Raam
All glories to our eternal Parents Shree Shree Radha Krsna
All glories to the most merciful Shree Shree Lakshmi Nrsimhadeva
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, and the other wonderful and inspiring gurus.
All glories to the wonderful servants of the Supreme Lord.
For your convenience, please find below a click-able list of 2009 prayer dates for South Africa
Firstly the Festival dates are the dates that Hindu observes. This is quite self explanatory. For example for Shree Ganesh Chaturthi, we have a full explanation of this very important festival date on our website. Many ask what is this festival all about and how do we go about celebrating it …hence this website is meant to make people from all cultures more aware of these important Hindu festival dates. We have included a few more festival dates below that are not generally on the typical Hindu calendar. For more info on the festival dates for 2008 plz visit our website www.h4all.org under ARTCILES on the left hand side of the webpage.
Makar Sankranti = 14th January
Thai Pongal = 15th January
Thai Poosam Kavady = 22nd January
Vasanth Panchami = 31st January
Varahadeva Jayanti = 6th February
Nityananda Jayanti = 7th February
Maha Shivaratri = 23rd February
Holika Dahan = 10th March
Gaura Purnima = 10th/11th March
Hindi New Year = 27th March
Telugu New Year = 6th April
Ramayana Week (First Navaratri) = Starts 27th March – 2nd April
Shree Raam Naumi = 3rd April
Tamil New Year = 13th April
Chitra Paruvam = 20th April
Hanuman Jayanti = 9th April
Sita Jayanti = 3rd May
Nrsimha Appearance day = 7th May
Vaikasi Visagam = 19th May
Nirjala Ekadashi = 3rd June
Guru Purnima = 7th July
Naag Panchami = 26th July
Varalakshmi Vratam = 31st July
Balarama – Appearance Day = 5th August
Raksha Bandhan = 5th August
Gita Week Starts = 6th August and Ends 13th August
Krishna Ashtami = 14th August
Maha Ganesh Chaturthi = 23rd August
Pitr Paksha = Starts 4th September @18h04. Offer 1st water on the 5th and ends 18th September @20h45
Mahalaya Paksham = Starts 5th September and Ends 18th September
Purattasi = Starts 17th September and Ends 17th October
Navaratri = Starts 19th September and Ends 27th September
Sri Saraswati Pooja = 25th September
Sri Durga Ashtami = 26th September
Sri Durga Naumi = 27th September
Vijay Dashami = 28th September
Sharad Purnima = 4th October
Start of Damodara Maas = 5th October
Dhan Trayodashi = 15th October
Naraka Chaturdasi = 16th October
Deepavali / Lakshmi Pooja = 17th October
Gujarati New Year = 18th October
Govardhan Pooja = 18th October
Skanda Sashti = 23rd October
Haribodhini Ekadashi = 29th October
Kartik Purnima = 2nd November
Gita Jayanti = 28th November
Karthigai Deepam = 1st December
There always seem to be some conflicting festival dates when ever the Hindu calendars are published… I don’t want to cause any more confusion and thus although previously I have stated that Diwali is on the 18th October this year just not to cause even more controversy I have altered it in the above list as the 17th October. Let me explain. Vedic times are totally different from the Gregorian times, which are followed by the westerners. The Vedic day starts at sunrise and ends sunrise the next morning. But the Gregorian day starts at midnight and ends the following midnight. Now Diwali is celebrated on the 15th day (Amavasya) of the dark moon in October. This year the 15th day (Amavasya) starts at 09h07 on the 17th of October and ends the following morning of the 18th of October at 07h33. The sunrise time for Durban on the 17th October is 05h16 and the 18th October at 05h15. (This time is from www.thesunrisetimes.com). According to the Vedic calendar whichever tithi (day) is transiting at the time of sunrise is the tithi (day). So on the 17th of October at 05h16 (sunrise) Chaturdasi (i.e. the 14th day) is transiting. So the ruling day is Chaturdasi. But soon after that Chaturdasi ends at 09h06 and Amavasya (Diwali starts). But as I have mentioned that the 17th is ruled by Chaturdasi even though it ended a short while after sunrise. Then Diwali continues until the next morning 07h33. So Amavasya transits the sunrise of the 18th and thus this day becomes Diwali Amavasya. But soon after sunrise of the 18th Diwali ends at 07h33. This is the reason why so many calendars state that Diwali should be on the 17th of October because most the Amavasya is on the 17th. But strictly speaking it’s on the 18th. This info was obtained from this website. http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/calendars/
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SecondlyEkadashi. Ekadashi is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh day'. Ekadashi occurs twice in a month, on the 11th day of the bright fortnight and the dark fortnight. The special feature of Ekadashi is a fast that one abstains from grains, eating meat, shaving and cutting one’s nails. Lord Krishna says that if a person fasts on Ekadashi, “I will burn up all his sins. Indeed this day is the most meritorious day for destroying all kinds of sins.” Ekadashi was created as the Supreme Medicine to remove the disease of the material world of having a miserable material body and mind that is full of suffering. According to scriptures we take on sins (and even more obstacles in one’s life) on this day if we consume grains since PAAP PURUSHA (sin personified) resides only in grains on this day. Also grains eaten on this day becomes harmful and remains undigested and turns toxic in the body-giving rise to various diseases and ailments. Please try to observe these very important days. If one does not know what to cook on this day then we can advise you on what to do. We will advise you on what to have, what not to have and 16 very simple recipes to cook on this day. For more info on Ekadashi fasting days plz visit our website www.h4all.org under EKADASHI and PRAYER DATES on the left hand side of the webpage.
Krishna Paksha Shukla Paksha
January 21 7
February 20 6
March 22 7
April 21 5
May 20 5
June 19 3
July 18 2
August 16 1 31
September 15 29 (Jhb) /30 (Dbn)
October 14 29
November 12 28
December 12 28
This info was obtained from this website. http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/calendars/
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(On New Moon days one can offer food to ones ancestors. Whatever one cooks on that day he/she can offer to them – just as one does in Pitr Paksha. By performing this act great merits awaits that person. In the Garuda Purana Preta Khanda II 10.50-55 Lord Vishnu says to Sri Garudaji “ On the day of Amavasya (new moon day), the airy manes (the ancestors) stand at the door of their descendents in order to receive their food. They remain there till sunset. When they do not receive their food they fall in despair and out of suffering heave long sighs and go back cursing the descendents. Therefore, one should carefully perform shraddha (offer food) to your ancestors on the new moon day (Amavasya) every month. Well why are you hearing this for the first time? Well that’s a million dollar question, which I can’t answer.
26 January Monday
24 February Tuesday
26 March Thursday
24 April Friday
24 May Sunday
22 June Monday
21 July Tuesday
20 August Thursday
18 September Friday
18 October Sunday
16 November Monday
16 December Wednesday
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11 January Sunday
9 February Monday
10 March Tuesday
9 April Thursday
8 May Friday
7 June Sunday
7 July Tuesday
5 August Wednesday
4 September Friday
4 October Sunday
2 November Monday
2 December Wednesday
31 December Thursday
The Maha Mritunjaya havan is a very simple yet extremely powerful havan. This havan should preferably be performed on Purnima (full moon) when auspiciousness is at maximum. After having a bath, wear clean clothes. Prepare about a medium size bowl of sweet rice. Then add about 200 g of Black sesame (til) seeds, cut about a stand of kush grass into very small pieces (if you don’t have Kush grass not to worry), add 100g of vegetable or butter ghee and finally add to the sweet rice. Mix all these ingredients together.
Place wood in the havan kund (which should already have a little sand in it. The reason for this is so that the ghee does not leak out.) Take a little Ganga water and sip it three times chanting “Om Vishnu”. I recommend that those who are sitting down for the havan chant the very auspicious Hanuman Chalisa. Then place camphor on the wood and light it. Thereafter invite Lord Vishnu and the devis and devas to the havan by saying “ O Lord Vishnu, Sarva Devis and Devas I ________(your name) invite you all to this auspicious havan.
Now start the offerings by the chanting the Mritunjaya mantra, which is, as ff: -
Offer the sweet rice after you say Om (the second Om above) and chant swaahaa. Do this for 108 x’s. Once this is complete ask Lord Visnu and all the devi and devas for forgiveness for any mistakes that was committed during the havan and chant the Maha Mantra “ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare “ 21 times to allay for any mistakes committed during the havan. Then request Lord Visnu and the Devi and devas to kindly return to their abodes.
Requirements for the Havan: - One packet havan wood; 100g ghee; 200g black til; One small bowl sweet rice, one strand of kush grass, havan kund, 2 blocks of camphor.
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Due to time place and convenience most Hindu marriages take place over the weekend. And thus we are giving all the auspicious wedding dates for weekends only.
January 18 25
February 1 7 8 15 21 22
March 7 8 14 21 22
April 11 18 25 26
May 9 16 23 24
June 6 13 14 20 21 27
July 4 11 12
August 29 30
September 5-18 Pitr Paksha (no weddings are performed in this period)
October 18 24 25
November 1 7 8 15 21 22 29 28
December 5 6 13 19 20 27
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