Trinidad Hindus observe Nau Raatri with reverence- by Paras Ramoutar

Trinidad Hindus observe Nau Raatri with reverence
By Paras Ramoutar

Port-of-Spain:The observance of the Hindu religious of observance of Nau Ratri holds deep spiritual and cultural significance not only to Hindus globally worldwide. For Hindus always pray for their fellowmen regardless of their ethnic or cultural or economic status.
We pray and seek the blessings and guidance of Mother Durga, Mother Lakshmi and then Mother Saraswati.
Hindus pray as it is projected that Mother Durga, Mother Lakshmi and Mother Saraswati would bestow blessings that would bring peace, progress, health, wisdom and prosperity to all of us.
In these days of multiple crimes, civil disobedience in the society at large, we as Hindu must not allow this situation to continue unchecked. We have to do our utmost to stop it, for the sake of our children and ourselves, but also for the nation as a whole.
Nau Ratri has been, and continues to be one of the most regarded and followed in our country.
As we celebrate the centenary of the abolition of indentureship, March 1917 to March 2017, we must remember and focus on our forefathers who brought with them religious traditions like the Gita, the Ramayana, the Upanishads, the Durga Chaleesa and the Hanuman Chalessa, among several other religious texts which continue to provide spiritual guidance and solace to a tortured and weak humanity.
As we observe these nine days of benedication to Mother Durga, Mother Lakshmi and Mother Sarsawati, let us always be minded of our presence to Mother Earth, and that is to do good, speak good and to pray for all mankind.
We must not only pay obeisance to these Goddesses at this period only, devotion to them must become our daily rituals. Let us inculcate in our children the need for the virtues of truth, honesty and integrity and forgiveness at all times.
We pray that Mother Durga, Mother Lakshmi and Mother Saraswati continue to bless us all, and our nation and our leaders be guided to lead our land from knowledge to wisdom, from untruth to truth, and from darkness to light.
According to Pundit Gajindra Kumar of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Nau Raatri remains one of the foremost observances in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and the entire Indian diaspora which spread over to over 60 countries with a stock of over 33 million people.
“The blessings of our Divine Mothers would inspire and help to reach great levels of spirituality. Parents and guardians and teachers must always imbibe in children the teachings so graciously espoused by them, ” he said.
“This period gives mankind the great opportunity to relink with Goddesses in order to rekindle a new aura of spirituality in
the world which is torn apart by crimes, terrorism, climate control, greed, anger and war like tendencies,” Pundit Kumar added.For the past nine days, there were hundreds of yagnas, special pujas at public places and at homes, as devout Hindus have been maintaining strict discipline against using meats, alcoholic beverages and other worldly
activities.
Of special significance, the observance of Kanya Puja in which nine young girls, of pre-puberty age are adored and given gifts.
The ethnic radio and television stations have given prominence in their programming to mark the observance.

Source: World Hindu News (WHN)