Saint's Day - like Mother's Day

amrutvani

Supernatural Power!
What extraordinary power Christ must have wielded? A benign tornado of super power, which ravages of time, has not been able to destroy. The simple, uncomplicated proof of that power is the jubilant celebration of Christmas, which people of tenth generation of our forefather, those before and those after, all have been celebrating. The miser as well as the rich, the ignorant as well as the erudite, everyone celebrates Christmas merrily, out of choice. Christmas has survived the rules of mightiest of the Kings through ages. On Christmas the Lord and his teachings are remembered.

'Holy' days there
Did Christ require any marketing or advertising agency for mass communication?
'Holy' days of Christmas are stamped for ever by Christ.

'Holy' days here
[Ashadi Ekadashi the ceremony in India
What When Where Why]
On the 'holy' days [In the year 2007, from 26 to 29 July, 2007] of Ashadhi Ekadashi you see the power of Saints in a spectacular ceremony in India.

You witness an ocean of people at Pandharpur, the abode of Lord Vithal. It is a unique spectacle to behold, as devotees dissolve in the mammoth procession, which like rivers, flow from different parts to reach Pandharpur. The devotees dance merrily, chant Lord's name, and sing aloud devotional melodies (bhajan, abhang) as they walk on foot all the way, even today.

Devotees carry the image of the Saint enthroned in a palanquin as though the Saint himself is leading and taking them to meet the Lord who is at Pandharpur. From Alandi, Saint Dnyaneshwar travels along with devotees. Saint Dynaneshwar's two brothers Saint Nivrutti and Saint Sopan and one sister Saint Muktabai come from Trayambakeshwar, Sasvad and Edlabad respectively. Saint Tukaram and his devotees come from Dehu. Saint Namdev and Saint Eknath are among the other saints who propagated and kept alive this devout tradition.

The procession begins [In 2007 on 26th July, 2007] on the eleventh day, called ekadashi (literally, one plus ten, origin: Sanskrit), of the bright moon in the month of Ashad, (usually in the month of June or July) every year and ends [In 2007 on 29 July, 2007 2007] on the full moon day, poornima, (literally = full moon, origin: Sanskrit). The day it begins is called Ashadi Ekadashi a day when people fast. The day on which the procession ends is called Guru Poornima. It is a full moon day every year. 'Guru' is Spiritual Master, who enables the communion of the disciple and the God. [Guru from original Sanskrit: removes darkness (of ignorance).] On Guru Poornima, the Guru, the Spiritual Master is remembered and worshiped with piety for he is the one who ushers in transcendental bliss, thus ending all suffering for all times for the devotee.

Such is the breathtaking ceremony of Ashadi Ekadashi, celebrated by Asian Indians throughout the centuries.