Winter solstice is round
the corner. On that day around 22 December, night will be longest and the day
shortest of the year 2014. From that day Sun would again start its northerly
journey. Initially very slowly and then gaining speed from the Indian festival of
Makar Sankranti around 15th January. It is well known that Christmas
is not a birthday of Jesus Christ (According to history, he was born in warmer
periods when shepherds take their flock out for grazing. It was definitely not
December. Many speculate the month to be September of the year 5 BC. Church
accepts that neither Bible nor history tells us exact date of Jesus Christ’s
Birthday.) The winter solstice celebration was originally a pre-Christian ‘pagans’
or ‘heathens’ event now digested as Christmas. It is ironical that some church
leaders call it, not digestion, but redeeming of pagan festival. Many think it was a bit shameless when someone said “If anything, Christian practice has ‘redeemed’ the date from paganism and
given it a new meaning full of praise to our Savior”. Such appropriation of
someone’s legacy is unfair and ironical. It brings forth in mind a feeling when
one recalls how invaders destroyed temples and used their stones to build
monuments in praise or remembrance of their leaders. A look at ‘Kutub Minar’ (Delhi)
or ‘Adhai Din Ka Jhonpara’ (Ajmer) is enough for anyone to see that the stones
used in those structures are those that they mined from destroying the temple
which existed there. Those stones were not ‘redeemed’ but were appropriated. Sense
of fair play ought to overtake desire to celebrate Christmas. Someday somewhere
someone may otherwise begin celebrating Maker Sankrant as Paul Sankrant or Thomas
Sankrant.
At one time Sun was
worshipped by every civilization. It was known as ‘Maithra-Worship’ by
Europeans, Egyptians and Middle-Eastern natives. Sun is known as ‘Mitra’ in
Sanskrit language. In American continent, Sun- Goddess Inti was worshipped . After
advent of Christianity and Islam, only a handful civilizations are left who
still pray to Sun god. However everyone knows the important role that sun plays.
Life is impossible without Sun. No wonder, flags of 17 sovereign countries
still put the image of Sun on that precious national symbol.
A utilitarian thanks Sun
for its light and warmth. A more evolved person becomes even more thankful by
adding its value also as an inspirer. Sun inspires him to import qualities of Sun
in his life. Without looking for any return, without any discrimination, he
provides light and warmth to everyone. It
teaches him to be regular and dependable as Sun and giving without so much as even
mentioning.
Hindus who worship Sun as
Sun-god, want to acknowledge its God-like quality. Talking about quality, keep
in mind that Hindu God is not same as Western or Islamic God. He is different. He
does not give commandments, He is not jealous and He gives without seeking
anything in return. There are many other differences. As an acknowledgement of
Godly qualities, they worship Sun as Sun-god. Appreciating intensely is
essentially nothing else but worshipping. Hindus are perennially told to evolve
and rise to cultivate Godly attributes of benevolence. Therefore Hindu likes to
inculcate in himself those wonderful qualities of God that attract him. He
becomes watchful of his Karma.
Due to aggressive proselytizing
undertaken by predatory religions, many older civilizations have now become
extinct. However some of those who liked the ways of Celtics, Vikings, and hundreds
of so called ‘pagans’ and ‘heathens’ of Europe have restarted Sun worship in
their own way. Zoroastrians mark solstices and equinoxes in their religious calendar.
Sun worship is currently a regular practice in countries with higher
concentration of Hindus. These countries are India, Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji,
Trinidad, Surinam, etc.
Footnote for the persons
with scientific bend of mind, Why 25th was winter solstice a couple
of thousand years ago? And why they say that solstice is around 22nd
December instead of giving a fixed firm date and time? Have you heard of Earths
‘Precessional orbit’? Earth has three motions. It rotates, revolves and gyrates
on its 23.5 degree inclined axis. Locus of gyrating earth’s axis transcribes a
circle. That is Earth’s precession Orbit. Due to this precession the date changes
with time.
For more on Maker-Sankranti or Uttarayan scroll back on this blog or directly go to: http://nmsresolution.blogspot.ca/2012/01/uttarayan-makar-sankranti-lohri-pongal.html
