Celebrating the New Year is an ancient tradition. This tradition began with the ancient Babylonians, who hosted festivities that lasted for days to mark the first new moon following the vernal equinox—the day in late March with an equal amount of sunlight and darkness—heralded the start of a new year. Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of the new year for at least four millennia.
Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the upcoming year and watching fireworks.
The ancient Indian way of celebrating New Year is focused on spirituality. Indians worship their respective deities and resolve to lead an honest and virtuous life.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is very philosophical about the commencement of the New Year. He says that every New Year is a reminder that one more year of our precious human life is gone. This is the time to reflect on one's achievements in the past year and how much effort one expended towards attaining the ultimate spiritual goal, since scriptures proclaim that one we can attain unlimited and everlasting happiness only in human life. Even if one were to earn untold wealth, fame and glory, but has ignored this aim of life, then in the spiritual realm one has earned nothing. All the material wealth earned for attaining worldly happiness is temporary and lasts only for this lifetime. As one can see this wealth cannot be taken when one leaves the world. The only wealth that goes is the spiritual wealth that you have amassed. If one has not made any spiritual progress, there is no reason to celebrate. Rather it is a moment to regret one's negligence, as this will cause great harm in future lifetimes.
Hence the correct way of celebrating this occasion is to remember God for at least 24 hours. From deep within the heart one should pray for the righteous thinking at all times, so that one can attain the ultimate goal of one's life.
In most of the ashrams of Shri Maharaj Ji, besides good food and cultural programs, a continuous 24 hour program of Keertan is organized and recorded lectures of Shri Maharaj Ji is shown. The goal is to remember God for the last hours of departing year into initial hours of new year. Also, one must resolve to continue the practice of devotion in future. It is not the day of merriment by eating, singing and dancing in material mode. It is the day, when one should regret one's ignorance and loss. Devotees do sing and dance in ecstasy but this is in remembrance of God. They also eat delicious food as ‘Prasad’. They also enjoy company of devotees who have the same goal. So, Shri Maharaj Ji suggests to celebrate this occasion being drowned in love for God.
To remind all of importance of devotion on every day and especially this Shri Maharaj Ji has named it Bhakti Divas or day of devotion.
I wish all the devotees a very happy and prosperous new year and lots and lots of divine grace in your Sadhana.
Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the upcoming year and watching fireworks.
The ancient Indian way of celebrating New Year is focused on spirituality. Indians worship their respective deities and resolve to lead an honest and virtuous life.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is very philosophical about the commencement of the New Year. He says that every New Year is a reminder that one more year of our precious human life is gone. This is the time to reflect on one's achievements in the past year and how much effort one expended towards attaining the ultimate spiritual goal, since scriptures proclaim that one we can attain unlimited and everlasting happiness only in human life. Even if one were to earn untold wealth, fame and glory, but has ignored this aim of life, then in the spiritual realm one has earned nothing. All the material wealth earned for attaining worldly happiness is temporary and lasts only for this lifetime. As one can see this wealth cannot be taken when one leaves the world. The only wealth that goes is the spiritual wealth that you have amassed. If one has not made any spiritual progress, there is no reason to celebrate. Rather it is a moment to regret one's negligence, as this will cause great harm in future lifetimes.
Hence the correct way of celebrating this occasion is to remember God for at least 24 hours. From deep within the heart one should pray for the righteous thinking at all times, so that one can attain the ultimate goal of one's life.
In most of the ashrams of Shri Maharaj Ji, besides good food and cultural programs, a continuous 24 hour program of Keertan is organized and recorded lectures of Shri Maharaj Ji is shown. The goal is to remember God for the last hours of departing year into initial hours of new year. Also, one must resolve to continue the practice of devotion in future. It is not the day of merriment by eating, singing and dancing in material mode. It is the day, when one should regret one's ignorance and loss. Devotees do sing and dance in ecstasy but this is in remembrance of God. They also eat delicious food as ‘Prasad’. They also enjoy company of devotees who have the same goal. So, Shri Maharaj Ji suggests to celebrate this occasion being drowned in love for God.
To remind all of importance of devotion on every day and especially this Shri Maharaj Ji has named it Bhakti Divas or day of devotion.
I wish all the devotees a very happy and prosperous new year and lots and lots of divine grace in your Sadhana.
