Mangal .. an auspicious day in Hindu calendars .. Tuesday … an auspicious day for the Ganesh aarti at Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabha Devi in Mumbai. The early morning aarti at around 5 am, that beckons all to come and seek blessings of Lord Ganesh. Hundreds of devotees walk barefoot from different parts of the city converging after an almost all night walk at the auspicious center and pray and offer in abject devotion. The walk starts almost around midnight of the Monday and ends just in time for the aarti to begin. I have walked too with members of my family and friends, bare feet to the temple. We start off at midnight and reach Siddhivinayak after about a 3-4 hour journey. Any act that involves divinity, prayer and submission to that unknown force, has always been sublime and most uplifting. That pain, that physical pain of the walk, blisters, torn skin under the feet, all seems redundant and non existant. Some external force sees you through. And at the end of it all as you submit yourself before the deity, the tears swell up, an inexplainable emotion runs through the body. Grateful thanks for all that has been gifted through the kindness and grace of the Almighty flow out through prayer. And as you look deep into the eyes of His form in front of you, you almost feel the acceptance in His demeanor of your submission and thanks. The bells chime in unison, the drums beat in the rhythm of the prayer, hundreds of voices join in with the singing, a unified power of sound rings through not just within the precincts of the temple, but indeed all around and into our very souls. Eyes shut, heads bent we touch the sacred resting place and await the offerings to be presented to Him and then given back to us as prasad. That one special piece of flower from His being, the auspicious coconut, the angvastra around the neck and the tilak on the forehead, orange in color an abhishekam to the invisible third eye of our being. Peace and fulfillment within us, we step away reluctantly to give space and position to the other devotees, clutching His offerings to us, we come away into the dawn of another day with the faith of His strength and the courage of His conviction.

The human, mankind and womankind alike, have devised such wonderful practices for prayer and belief. These hours and moments spent bring us closer to the principles laid down by the followers of particular faith, in one large all believing band of brothers and sisters. We feel one, we feel connected, we feel strong. We are all one inside the portals of that unknown force. One in belief, one in faith, one without our respective differences that nature blesses us with.

Bless us O Lord to be one, to be together, free from malice and hate, free from conflict and injury, in peace and love … forever !

And a prayer from Adam Seedat, a fan, a FmXt …

Thohfayeh Ramzaan
The Gift of Ramadan
(in Urdu with English translation)

By Safee Siddiqi

Mukarram muazzam hai zee-shan Ramzaan
(Most) noble, exalted and of the highest status is Ramadan

Yeh baara maheeno ka Sultan
Indeed, King of the twelve months is Ramadan

Wo noori do-shaaleh meh lipta huwa
Wrapped in the shawl of Divine Light (nur)

Munawwar munawwar hilaal Eid ka
Ablaze with Divine Light (is) the moon of Eid

Khuda ke karam, bar katho kaa samandar
(It is) the ocean of the mercy and blessings of the Almighty

Ye Allah keh laaya in-aam ghar ghar
It has brought gifts from God for every household

Ye Quran laaya, shab-e-qadr laaya
It has brought Quran, (and) it has brought the Night of Power

Aur aakhir diya, Eid ka sub ko tohfa
And finally, (it) gave all the gift of Eid
 

 
Wo roz Eid kaa shaad-maani ka aalam
The day of Eid, a joyous occasion (for the believers)

Galeh milneh ka hasneh gaaneh sangam
Embracing (each other), with singing and laughter

Wo baad-al-fajr qabrus-thaano meh jaana
The scenario of going to the cemetery after the fajr salat (dawn prayer)

Wahaa maghfirath ke liyeh haath uthana
(There) making dua (prayer) for the departed (souls)

Wo qabro peh rangeen phoolo ki chadar
Each grave laden with flowers

Safed, laal, peeleh, gulaabi, aur amber
White, red, yellow, rose and amber

Ye shereh khamoshaa gulesthaa baneh aaj
This city of silence has become a blooming garden today

Ke Eid aayi armaan pooreh huweh aaj
With Eid, has come the fulfilment of their duas (prayers)
 

 
Jidhar dekho chaayi bahaar hi bahaar
Wherever one sees, (it is) the landscape of spring

Ke arseh seh tha Eid ka intizaar
The world has waited for this day, Eid

Khushi Eid ki kiya hai jaaneh hai bach-cheh
What is the joy of Eid? Ask the children

Ke pehne-geh aaj sub nayeh kapreh jooteh
Today they will wear new clothes, shoes

Ye hai Eid ka din tho Eidee milegi
(Because) it is Eid they will get Eidee (Eid presents)

Kalee dil keh armaano ki bhi khilegi
Whatever their desires were, today it will be fulfilled

Lazeez aaj khaano seh table sajeh hai
The dining table decorated with delicious meals

Jidhar dekh-ye aaj mazeh hi mazeh hai
Every dish, indeed will be delicious

Gulab jaamun, laddoo aur burfee, jelebi
Gulab jaamun, laddoo and burfee, jelebi (Indian delicacies)

Mithaaiyya bhi haazir pasand apni apni
Sweetmeats (are there) to be enjoyed to your heart’s content

Safee, Eid hai maaheh Ramzaan ka thofa
Truly, Eid is the gift of Ramadan

Mubarak ho sub keh liyeh mereh Allah
May it be full of blessings for all, my Allah