Important dates

January 2, 2003

hari sarvottamma, vaayu jiivottamma

shrii gurubhyo namaha

shrii kR^iShNa parabrahmane namaha

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY YEAR 2003

nArAyaNAyAya paripURNa guNARNavAya vishvOdhaya sThithi layOnniyathi pradhAya |jJnyAnapradhAya vibhudhAsura soukhyadhu:kha sathkAraNAya vithathAya namOnamasthe ||

praThamO hanumannAma dhvithIyO bhIma Eva cha |pUrNapraj~JasthRithIyasthu BagavathkAryasADhakah ||

brahmaantaa guravaH sAkShAt iShTaM daivam shriyaH patiH |

AchAryAH shrImadAchAryAH santu me janma janmani ||

ApAdamouLiparyaMtaM guruNAMAkR^itiM smaret.h |

tena vignAH praNashyaMti siddhyanti cha manorathAH ||

pR^ithvI manDala madhyasthAH puurNa bodha matAnugAH |

vaiShNavA viShNu hR^idayAstAnnamasye guruunmama ||

All the important & fasting dates (Attachment enclosed)

AN EXPLANATION OF WHY A FESTIVAL IS SOMETIMES OBSERVED EARLIER IN NORTH AMERICA THAN IN INDIA

Most of our festivals are observed on days in which certain thithi is prevalent during a specified interval at the place of observance. Thithis & nakshatras being a geocentric phenomenon, the ending moment of a thithi is calculated as such & is equally applicable to all parts of earth simultaneously. Although a thithi usually occurs on the same date in most parts of the earth, it is possible that the prevalence of a particular thithi at a specific part of the day may occur on an earlier date in North America or any other region than in India.

However, the moments of sunrise will differ for each place on earth depending on its latitude & longitude & therefore, the hours of duration of these phenomena will vary for each place.

For places like Chicago, IL using Central standard/daylightsavings time, we have to subtract 1 hour; for places using Mountain standard/daylightsavings time, subtract two hours; & for places using Pacific standard/daylightsavings time, subtract three hours in reference to New York, Eastern standard/daylightsavings time ending timings.

VISHNUPANCHAKA VRATA======================VISHNUPANCHAKA FASTING DATES AS PER NEW YORK, NY, USA, EASTERN STANDARD TIMEFOR THE YEAR 2003. The coordinates of New York, NYThe Hindu Temple Society of North America, NY has published these dates forthe year 2001 calender according to NY, EST coordinates.

Lattitude: 40.43 NLongitutude: 074.01 WADDRESS:45-57 Bowne Street,Flushing, NY 11355Tel: (718)460-8484Fax: (718) 461-8055http://www.nyganeshtemple.org

Key (Attachment enclosed):

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F = Festivals; M= Madhwa sanyasi Aradhane, A= Amavasya, H= Haridasa puNyadina; D = Dasavatara related Jayanthi; P = Poornima; V = Special day for Vayu devaru, G= GrahaNa ; S = Shravana Nakshatra

ECLIPSES :

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According to the Astronimical Almanac for 2003, published jointly by the Nautical Almanac office, US Naval Observatory & H. M. Nautical Almanac office, U.K. Based on these websites below, the ecplise dates are given. http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html & http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/LunarEclipse.html

ChAthurmAsya vrata:

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During Devara puje, no pachcha kalpura, cardomom, lavanga, saffron to be added to theertha.

1st month ChAthurmaasa vrata: - Ashaada mAsa sukla ekadashi to Shraavana sukla Dasami - SHAKA - NO VEGETABLES, no fruits, mustard, red chilles, tumeric, tamarind, methi, coriander, curry leaves, ginger, green chilles, lemon, coconut etc.... . No channa dhal or flour or oil.

During panchamrutha abhisheka, only milk, homemade curds, ghee, sugar, riped Mangoes should be used. NO HONEY.

Items which can be consumed:

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Toor dhal (togari bele) , moong dhal (hesaru bele), Urad dhal, menasu (black pepper), jeera, raw full moong dhal, godhi, rava, maida, yellu (sesame), oil, ghee, sugarcandy, bella, milk, curds, butter, riped or raw mangoes.

2nd month ChAthurmaasa vrata : Sukla Shraavana Ekadashi to SuklaBhAtrapada Dasami DADHI VRATA - NO YOGURT (CURDS)3rd month ChAthurmAsa vrata : BhAtrapada Sukla Ekadashi to AsvijaSukla Dasami - - KSHIRA VRATA - NO MILK4th month ChAthurmAsa vrata : Asvija Sukla Ekadashi to KArthikaSukla Ekadashi : - DVITALA VRATA - VEGETABLES & NO DHALS . No vegetables otherwise mentioned below, no red chilles or chille powder no tamarind, no coriander leavesetc...Items can be consumed for Dvidala vrata:==============================Akki (Rice), Godhi (Wheat), Jeerigre (Jeera), Menasu (black pepper),Ellu(sesame seeds), Bella (jagari), Hasi kobbari, Karibevu (Curry leaves),Cooking banana (baLEkAi), sAmegadde, Spinach, SweetPotato (I am not sure), Goose Berry, cooking banana, maida, rava, curry leaves, tumeric, sesame oil, ghee, milk, curds, sugarcandy, cardomom, sugar, mangoes.

SRI KRISHNA JAYANTHI, GOKULASHTAMI: Shravana Krishna Ashtami (Chandramana) . Ashtami August 19th, 7:31am till 10:04 am, August 20th. Rohini Nakshatra 20th August from 11:37 am to 21st August, 2:28 pm

saptamyAM laghubhuk.h kuryAddaMtadhAvanapUrvakaM

upavAsya niyamaM rAtrou svastho jitendriyaH

.............. brahmavaivartapuraNa

A little quantity of food should be taken on Saptami (i.e. on the day previous to the day of fasting);

Finally, we would like to thank Sri Kesava Rao for providing information in regard to Vishnu rupa & mAsa/ paksha niyamaka as per HarikathamruthasAra 6th chapter (Panchamahayajnasandhi) Verse no. 28 (KeshavAdi sumUrti dvAdasha...)

madhwa mathadha siddhanta paddadiya bidabedi bidabedi,

Hunsur Sriprasad

GV Srinivasan

bhAratIramaNamukhyaprANA.ntargata shri kR^iShNArpanamasthu