Paras Ramoutar
TRINIDAD, January 13, 2004: Some 1008 havan kurns (receptacles to offer sacred fire) will be the highlight of this year’s third annual Hindu Makara Sankraanti ceremony set for Sunday, January 18, at the Dattatreya Yoga Center, Orangefield Road, Carapichaima. Thousands of devout Hindus are expected to attend the program organized by Pundit Munelal Maharaj and Pundit Randir B. Maharaj in collaboration with the Aatmavaani Group. According to Pundit Munelal, devotees will recite sacred Vedic mantras, kirtans and bhajans while making offerings in the 1008 havan kurns. Pundit Munelal said that this event is executed at the beginning of the New Year to infuse a sense of unity and positive outlook, and it is geared towards achieving unity within the community. “This Holy Day of Makara Sankraanti marks the commencement of the Sun’s northern course in the heavens. This turn in the Sun’s course takes place at the point of time when it enters Makara Rasi or the zodiacal sign of Capricorn. From this day, the duration of daylight increases and the night decreases (HPI adds: actually, that would start from the solstice in December), as it heralds the coming of more sunshine and light in one’s life and the reduction of its darker aspects,” Pundit Munelal noted. He said that in the Hindu tradition, this most auspicious event symbolizes the journey towards spirituality as it represents the soul’s journey to God. “Occurring as it does at the beginning of the year, it is a most appropriate time for reflection and thanksgiving for seeking God’s grace upon one’s activities for the year and to commit oneself to higher ideals. “On the social plane, the Sankraanti carries a vital significance for national welfare. It is the warmth of love and fellow-feeling among people of a country that ultimately makes them stand up in unison in adversity or in prosperity. It is the necessary lubricant to make the nation’s machine work smoothly without friction,” he added.