My Golden Memories of Hawan
I know you all will be excited for our own upcoming Hawan on 7th and 8th December. As you know Performing Hawan is our cultural and spiritual tradition. I am sure you all will have some great memories of attending these types of auspicious occasions like Hawan. I too remember back those days when I was a kid living in village in district Kupwara Kashmir. Our elders used to perform yearly Hawan and I can very well remember the great feelings of those events. The whole village used to get positively charged for this auspicious activity. Maximum things required for performing Hawan used to come from our own homes.
Hawan was the time for everyone to thank almighty for keeping us happy and peaceful and wish for the same in coming future. It was like a festival session for our whole village.
Ladies of the village used to meet on daily basis before a week to keep the items required for Hawan pooja very neat and clean (I mean SRUECH ), the services they used to give were to devotional.
We all kids like me were fully charged and have our own fun as the special place near to Hawan area which was getting nicely decorated, we used to enjoy playing in that area. We as Kids used to chant “OM” , “GAYATRI” and “INDRAKSHI”. These mantras were by heart to all kids of the village.
Elders of the village were busy with the arrangements and they were giving the invitation to nearby villages who used to join us in big numbers on this auspicious occasion of Hawan.
I remember my grandmother used to cultivate special flowers and prepare garland specially for Hawan purpose. And she was having special pots for storing these garlands.
The whole village used to stay awake for whole night of the HAWAN and we used to enjoy all BAJAN sung by our elders and ladies.
Some of you may be knowing the place called BHADRAKALI which in near to HANDAWARA in District Kupwara. Our bigger family used to perform HAVAN on every NAVRATRI on RAM-NOVMI day. BHADRAKALI was in dense Jungles and is a beautiful place.
At the time of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, I was boy and the memory is so fresh inside me when I was living in refugee camp Talab Tillo Jammu. I remember the days when two KP families used to share the single tent accommodation to live the headrest days of our life. But our elders during this hardest period did not forget to perform this spiritual practice of HAWAN. They collected contribution kind or cash from each refugee who was living in these tents and performed a grand Hawan in Kashmiri Pandit refugee camp. And the same cultural and spiritual practice of HAWAN was later continued in other refugee camps like Muthi, Purkhoo, Mishriwalla in Jammu and Delhi.
Later for my professional education I went to Pune, thanks to my elder students who connected us with Kashmiri Hindu Sabha, Pune. This KP Sabha is performing this spiritual and cultural practice of Hawan from last two decades. From more than a decade they are performing Hawan on monthly basis and this practice has connected many families with KP Sabha Pune. I used to be the regular participant of these monthly HAWAN’s when I was living in Pune.
Hawan is the thread which connected me to Kashmiri Pandit Biradhari in Hyderabad when I shifted from Pune. I fully enjoyed the spiritual, cultural and traditional environment during this event.
At the end humbly request you all to join the spiritual upcoming HAVAN event. Prepare your whole family specially your kids and talk about Hawan with them, so that they know the significance of this event.
Thanks
