Hindus throughout Guyana celebrated the Kartik Nahan festival yesterday. Before the crack of dawn, scores of devotees made their way to river banks and the sea shore to offer prayers and bathe in the salt water.
Pandit Hardat Ramkarran and a devotee performing a Hawan yesterday at the mini-altar on the East Coast Demerara yesterday in observance of Kartik Nahan. (See story on page 17) (Photo by Jules Gibson)
Kartik Nahan, also called Kartik Snaan, is the last Hindu festival in their calendar year and is observed during the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November). It is customary for Hindus to go to the rivers or oceans to do pujas (prayers and offerings to God) and take a bath (Snaan) on this day. It is the general belief of Hindus that sins or bad karmas are washed away or forgiven when you perform this ritual.
Stabroek News visited several areas between the Kingston seawall and Mon Repos on the East Coast Demerara yesterday morning. Small groups of Hindus could be seen bathing, praying, and making offering along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the most outstanding displays was the colourful flags along the stretch of seawall in the Turkeyen area, where the Eccles Devi Mandir erected an altar in observance of Kartik Nahan. Pandit Hardat Ramkarran explained that the Mandir has been doing this annually for almost a decade. “We brought the flags from out Mandir yard. Those are the flags we would erect all year after we’ve done a puja. We bring them here as decoration on Kartik and then let them loose in the sea,” a member of the Mandir explained.
Beneath a canvas tent, the Mandir members set up a mini-altar where Pandit Ramkarran conducted the necessary rituals. All Hindus and curious members of the public were welcomed to the join in their activities. Various Indian sweets and drinks were also distributed by the group.
According to Deoki Kishun, the ceremony was sponsored by the Jai Ram Little India store. She said that they would remain at the location all day because they conducted three services, at 6 am, 12 pm and 6 pm, respectively.
The highlight of the Kartik Nahan ceremony, the Hawan (offerings), occurred during the last service. Pandit Ramkarran explained that apart from the Kartik deity, they would worship Lord Shiva and the Goddess Ganga, and make offerings to all other deities.
One hundred and eight water coconuts were offered to Lord Shiva in honour of his 108 different forms. The same amount of offerings (a mixture of grains) was also made to the fire in a sizeable vessel.
The name ‘kartik’ is symbolic of the auspiciousness of the month and reflects the end of the dark ages, the conquest of good over evil, light over darkness and the return of peace, purity and prosperity. Kartik Nahan is among the most observed and popular Hindu religious festivals observed in Guyana.
In the path of devotion, there is the story of how the gods and goddesses lost control of the world when they were overpowered by the demons. This symbolic story tells of how the Goddess Laxmi appeared from the ocean and with the help of Lord Vishnu, the ocean was churned and the nectar obtained was consumed by the helpless gods who regained their strength to defeat the demons and resume control of the world. It means to churn the ‘ocean of knowledge’ and imbibe the virtues and discard the vices that are often called ‘poison’.
An excellent article however a more appropriate photo would perhaps have been of devotees at the waterside/beach doing their ceremonies.
Stuck here in freezing cold England, I must say I miss celebrating Kartik Snaan.
Well Satish,
Continue to freeze in UK.
That’s the price all guyanaese pay wanting to leave beautiful guyana with only two seasons.
I live in guyana and have no intention of leaving. Almost everyone I speak with or know is living, awaiting a call from the one of the embassy here to inform them they can leave permanantly.
What will you do when the recession starts in UK? It has already started in Germany and expected to affect all the EU states. Thsi means many would be out of jobs.
Hope you saved enough to come back to Guyana.
From Stabroek News article:
” One hundred and eight water coconuts were offered to Lord Shiva in honour of his 108 different forms. The same amount of offerings (a mixture of grains) was also made to the fire in a sizeable vessel.”
Does anyone know the significance of 108?
Well, here its:
Distance from Earth to Sun is 93million miles/149.6 mil km.
Diameter of Sun is 865,000 mls/1,380,000 km
Distance divided by diameter = 108.4
So the Hindus knew this eons ago and built into their worship.
WSYSIWG(it ain’t) – What You See Is Not What You Get In Hinduism.
Most beliefs/practices are metaphors – the have a deeper cosmic meaning.
Try the same with the Moon vis a vis Earth and you will get 110.65 (probably was 108, due to expansion of Universe it grew).
Hindus repeat Gayatri and other mantras 108 times for same reason (When Deepa Mehta made the widows repeat the mantra 108 times in movie “Water” it looked silly/oppressive – was her intention. She just didn’t know the great cosmic significance other she won’t make fun of it and bash Hinduism.
Another way to think of this is: If we lay out 108 sun disks from Earth to the Sun we can walk across; we can reach the Sun”.
In our solar system, the Sun is like our parents the giver of life, so we ‘worship’ is (as a Devata) for that purpose; we want to be near it or, as the Gayatri mantra asks:
” Dear God…Make our intellect as resplendent as the Sun”.
Still convinced that Hinduism is about sense? Look at this:
Ratio of Diameter of Sun to Earth’s is 109 (865,000mls/ 7926)!
Hope readers are convinced that Hinduism has got wealth. It is Sanatan Dharma, the repository of Eternal truths of the ordered universe.
Veda Nath Mohabir
Ps Perhaps you could print it as aletter for wider readership. Many Thx. V.
Let’s hope this ceremony can continue without being pounced upon.
Well said skyee.
What a lovely day . Wish I was at the seaside . But I did my devotions at home
Light over darkness, good over evil. Two of the most important issues all guyanese will have to conquer.
Thanks to Stabroek for giving space to something Hindu
Hinduism is indeed a great religion, and once we remain proud Hindus it will stay that way. Don’t worry about the other man’s snow or sunshine… life will take its course…just make the best use of your time and circumstances. The ocean may not be accessible everywhere, but we still maintain the spirit and do the poojas.
Some of us may be wayward…but across the world the majority….even the youths are into celebrating Hinduism and are becoming exemplars of the culture.
Hey gettho, chill man. Many have said the same thing like you and leave at the first opportunity. Remember, the overseas people still help people back in guyana. Stop picking on everything people say, life is too short.