Navratri, Lent and Prayers with Paulo Coelho

copyright Meady's Musings Production 2010

As the Hindu festival of Vasant Navratri kicks off we here at UCP are thrilled at the number of genuine UCP:Universal Collective Prayer events that seem to be popping up world over. The 'big man' (no not that one LOL!) himself Paulo Coelho of 'The Alchemist' fame and name is having a universal collective prayer event on Wed 6 April 2011 at 6 PM in your time zone! The famous author is doing it to celebrate his crossing 5million fans on Facebook! WOW! Five million fans on Facebook now that IS something! The Brazilian author might just be more famous than Facebook itself with a following like that and speaking of following...he has >1.5M followers on Twitter! Whoa!

But yep the great one is having a prayer event to celebrate his fans and following...it was actually the number one voted suggestion by fans! Coming in second was the idea 'to work together' but the great one couldn't see that realistically working out so he suggested a colloborative contest of sorts instead. Anyway it's all on the link if you go here to his blog. (Not that he needs the traffic! :) )

So of course we here at UCP will be clinking out mangeeras and going in...after all it's universal collective prayer at it's finest! :) And it's already Vasant Navratri and our Christian UCPers are in the time of Lent. Just last week one of our roving reporters had the most marvelous prayer experience...while working the field she came about a man who actually fasts for Lent almost like a Muslim...seriously! He doesn't eat all day and prayers for lunch instead of eating lunch...well we're not sure if exactly like a muslim as he may have water...but our Catholic find certainly did seem divine in his pursuit of Lenten prayers! :) So lovely! :)

So as we join Paulo Coelho in prayer on Wed we're sure the whole world will be prayered out! Because Paulo's prayer event is happening at 6 PM in each time zone so with his following for sure you will have a good 24 hour spread of prayer globe over and as it is Hindus will be prayering and surrendering to the Divine Mother and Christians are in the fasting and prayering period of Lent! :) So pray on! As we take our mangeeras out again and sing and dance to the Divine Mother to our favourite tune! :)

God Series:Episode 5-God as Mother!

Today on UCP we take a break from the elements although we have one more element to go...WATER! However we do so with good reason...you see our parent blog Meady's Musings along with its Purple Elephant and Little Mouse are celebrating Blog Action Day 2010 and the action on that day is well...WATER! It's about getting water to the world over! It's also Global Handwashing Day courtesy the people at Clean the World...so we are planning to join forces with them also on that day so on UCP we will celebrate God as WATER!

However it is also fitting to celebrate mother on the God series right now anyway as in Hinduism it's the festival of Nav Ratri...the nine nights celebration of the Mother as Divine!

Now we here on UCP since its inception have been surrendering to the Divine Mother...sitting on her lap...and even at times if necessary suckling at her breasts for nourishment...so we are no strangers here to celebrating God as Mother...so we need not even write a fresh post on this but merely dance forth and celebrate with her instead as we recall all our loving memories with her over the years! :) So let's crank up ours and one of the fav bhajans of all time by all Hindu fans of the Divine Mother as well...'Mein To Aarti Utaaroon' from the classic film 1970's film- 'Jai Santoshi Maa'!


The Divine Mother Leadership Series lasted for nine nights earlier this year as we celebrated each night of that Nav Ratri Festival with a post as follows:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9

Celebrating the Divine Mother on Mother's Day

I surrender onto the Divine Mother Again!

I Surrender onto the Divine Mother!

Worshipping the Divine Mother!

Jai Santoshi Maa-A Film of Ultimate Surrender to the Divine Mother!

Happy Durga Ashtami 2009!

JAI JAGAT JANANI MAA DURGE!

And see you on Friday!

Jai Santoshi Maa! - A Film of Ultimate Surrender to the Divine Mother!

I've seen the 1975 Indian film all through my life growing up...seen it several times and the song clips. My mum now owns the dvd of it! :) I've often wondered though how people can be so mean while watching it...if I ever had a company slogan it would be "Don't Be Mean!" akin to Yahoo's "Do No Evil" perhaps! :) In this film there are some mean people and things being done to this lady...made me wonder growing up if some of the meanest people exist in India (but I think some of it has to do with resources per person so it is a matter of survival) alongside some with very strong faith in the Universe! :)

I never got when seeing this film why the ladies put the limes thingy in the lady's prayer stuff and why Santoshi Maa got mad in the first place...I mean isn't she all knowing so...but I guess the Universe works in mysterious ways and so pretending to be mad would have been to teach the meanies a lesson and to test the faith of the lady who did no harm...

Either way the film stands as an ultimate work in showing ones surrender onto the Divine Mother and it has one of my favourite offerings to the Divine Mother ever on its soundtrack...'Mein To Aarti Utharoon Re Santoshi Mata Ki' sung by Usha Mangeshkar, the song done in worship just before the meanies put the limes in...I also like the dancey sequence done here too it kinda makes you want to get up and dance with the ladies even the meanies...but why didn't they whip out actual mangeeras?:)...we used to whip out actual mangeeras when I use to dance...So I'm sharing that tune with you and some others from the film whose soundtrack is overflowing with super tunes in surrender to the Divine Mother! :)In the second tune-'Madad Karo Santoshi Mata' it is where the ultimate surrender occurs after the meanies put in the limes and everyone feels the wrath except the devotee but she is blamed and then the devotee surrenders...check it out! Although like with any real ultimate surrender it requires some tears...