The Festival of Shiv:The Grand Finale!

All photos copyright of Meady's Musings Production 2006-2010

I have to tell you UCP is very sad to be saying goodbye to this Festival of Shiv and although we didn't blog for the last few days of the calendar it was only because we were too tired or busy to do so and not because we didn't wish to! But as promised yesterday we are sending off the Festival with a grand finale blog! I didn't post it up last night on the last day of February but have kept it instead for today as it is the Somvaar in Hindi and Monday in English...a very much celebrated day for Shiv Bhakts or devotees who see him as related to the Soma...although I feel more affinity for the Guruvaar...Thursday as I see him as the Supreme Guru...Super Shiv! :)

Now here is the surprise and what for me and hopefully for you makes this a grand finale blog to close the Festival of Shiv! You know how I'm always saying how I often visualise Shiv sitting at its banks perhaps under a tree or doing yogic stretches along its rim? And I've even shared some pics of it on my Kartik pilgrimage blog last year here. But I've always wanted to go on a full pilgrimage to there and spend sometime in relaxation, meditation, reflection and most of all photography so that I could share the experience with you here! :)

So yesterday was my day to go! Thing is I came to the realization that the creek is on the west coast of the island...in fact the creek is this sheltered body of water that separates Trinidad and Venezuela. But the realization wasn't about Venezuela but about the fact that the creek's location in proximity to Venezuela and Trinidad makes it calm...and it being in the West means the the setting sun kisses it! So I decided not to go first thing in the morning as originally planned although my natural prayer instinct was to do so! I decided to go at sunset or close to it...and there my dilemma began...like Van Helsing trying to catch the last moments of sunlight to drive the stake through Dracula's heart before he gained power...there was I racing against Mr. Sun as my nephew calls him! :)

The whole race reminded me of my MahaShivratri blog early during the Festival of Shiv where I spoke of Mr Sun or that Surya guy not having any power over Baba Shiv! I mean after all Shiv dances throughout the cosmos so what was our sun i.e. planet Earth's sun...Mr. Surya Bhagwan's business telling Baba Shiv what to do! LOL!

So I had this date with Shiv at my favourite place to visualise and almost see and feel Shiv- Mosquito Creek! And of course I could meet Baba Shiv there any time and any space but I wanted to take the photos you see so I was hoping Mr Surya would have waited for me! In the end I did catch a glimpse of Mr Surya while I was on my date with Shiv but he played a trick on us and hid behind a cloud! Needless to say these are just some of the beautiful shots we got of Shiv and I on the date sneakily chaperoned by Mr Sun! :) I'd have to say it was a great date indeed and long overdue! :) And I will definitely go on a second date!






At the end of the date I was even able to catch up with people at the end of their Phagwa celebs that day...



And driving home after the date I couldn't believe my eyes but Chanda Mama had been watching upon us all the time in his fullest glory! Yes folks it was a glorious full moon! :) And some say Shiv is also the moon or the moon part of Shiv...but one thing for sure indeed he wears the crescent moon in his head! :)






And of course all you UCPers must by now well know that I'm just kidding or metaphorically speaking when I said I went on a date with Baba Shiv. However yep in the folk stories he does indeed wear a crescent moon in his head and weds Parvati and as we say goodbye to the Festival of Shiv I leave you with this memory of the Festival where Shiv and Parvati are on their Honeymoon in the TV serial Om Namah Shivay!

The Festival of Shiv: Day 10-Lent and Shiv as a Yogi?

UCP-Universal Collective Prayer doesn't usually occur between the Catholic and Hindu worlds during the season of Lent. Since Maha Shivratri normally falls before Ash Wednesday and the start of the Catholic Lent season. In fact you will often find Maha Shivratri even falling on what people here on the island call Carnival Monday and Tuesday or the preceeding Fantastic Friday! So actually while Hindus are engaged in UCP others are engaged in fete or bacchanal or everything that might be considered the antithesis of the following Lent season. However because we here on UCP have decided to worship Shiv whenever we so Shiv willing please we are worshipping Shiv all February long and so on this here blog as we celebrate the Festival of Shiv so too does the Catholic season of Lent break upon us on Ash Wednesday!

I've not asked my brother in UCP Deacon Greg Kirk to join me today but I recall his blessings from last year's Ash Wednesday here! And reflect here in true UCP styling on how good a yogi Shiv is and so how he can be an ideal prototype for anyone who is looking to reflect this Lent season! Please note my Intent here is not meant to convert Catholics to Hinduism or Saivism but just to embrace what this blog is about...UCP by showing how things of good overlap and cross thread in all the great world religions...so indeed Catholics reflect in very much the same way Shiv does! (and Hindus emulate him). Both religions can learn from each other here and for sure engage in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer!:)

So here it is Shiv as a Yogi...as quoted from this site:

"For one who is ignorant of that light principle and only dwelling in the prakriti, in the material world, there would be no celebration in one’s life. He may tries to enjoy his life in many ways dancing, singing or drinking but these are not permanent, these push him towards misery. Because he uses only his mind and senses to enjoy this world. And the mind and senses have their own limitations. The real peace and celebration is beyond all the limitations. If your peace is dependent on something, then that is not peace. Peace is beyond everything. In Sanskrit the root word of peace is “Sham”. In vedanta there are six treasures are explained. The first treasure is also “Sham”, meaning control of mind and senses. You can connect the both the peace and control of the mind. When one overcomes the bondage of all the sensual attachment, then one could experience the “Shiva lingam or Jyotir lingam”, which is our real self, guide, God, or whatever you may call it"

Universal Collective Prayer in Action Courtesy Tibetan Government in Exile

Photo republished from the Tibetan Government in Exile web page - http://www.tibet.net

Today the Tibetan Government in Exile carried out a day of fasting and prayer I say carried out since it was done in India and that is about 9 hours ahead of Trinidad time I believe so fasting there that started at 7 AM will be finishing off at 7 PM there which is about 10 AM Trinidad time. The web is buzzing today with details on the fast so I won't go into it here as a simple seach for 'The Tibetan Government in Exile' on google or other search engines will give you all the details of the fasting and prayer being carried out for healing of pain and sufferring caused by all the riots etc. and the health of the Dalai Lama. Well any search outside of China that is! That's the thing about Universal Collective Prayer it can happen in any space and time and it is just like the candle4tibet experience again. So the people in India and that region would have started off as they are in the East but the fast then continues on into different time zones as you move westward. In this case it is a 12 hours fast so you also have where in the period of 7 AM to 10 AM in Trinidad we would have been fasting and praying while the people in India would have still be in their 12 hour period.The Dalai Lama although hospitalised for 'abdominal pain and exhaustion' also took part in this fast in India it seems from a press release.

I'm off to a nature retreat and it is a very long drive for me so I don't plan to fast the whole 12 hours. I plan to pray along the way in my heart and mind in the best way I know how. If you read my other blog postings you might realise that these days I'm a Shiv Bhakt (devotee) so you I will be comtemplating on Shiv as I see him as the the supreme guru and a super yogi...I think looking at the murti image I'm attaching below says it all at least for me! So I contemplate on his image and try to emulate his strength and determination in yoga, meditation and self realization. Please reflect on the image if you like too. I say plan as the kind of nagging that has already started by some of my family members even before the trip and with road conditions unknown...I can only plan to do so...as I'm not perfect and on the personal level it won't be collective prayer since I can't guarantee the mindset of others in my car. But at least on the universal scale there is collective prayer.

However, I invite all to take part in Universal Collective Prayer today with me in the best way you know how. The image I'm attaching below is of a Shiv murti in Rishikesh India that I have the permission to use from a friend I made on Flickr called Jarmo Tuisk and through his kindness and generosity I can use it here. He gave me this right when I shared with him how much the image meant to me and how much it inspired me. Thanks again Jarmo and Shiv's blessings!

I also look forward to comments here or otherwise on this experience. May God Bless Us All!