Vijay Maharaj is the priest of the ancient Swaminarayan temple in Karachi. They wake up in the morning before the sun rises and recite the Bhagavad Gita, sing bhajans and then perform pooja.
After that, they eat and drink nothing until sunset. This is their day and night routine in the month of Shravan.
This month is the busiest for him to perform religious services as a priest as well as to perform prayers as an individual.
He explains: ‘We worship Lord Shiva in the month of Shravan. Fasts are observed in the name of Shiv Ji.’
Shravan is the fifth month in the religious calendar of the Hindu community during which they fast.
There is also a month religiously reserved for Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities in which they fast as well as worship.
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However, few people in Pakistan know that people belonging to the minority Hindu community also fast for a month every year like people of other religions.
Vijay Maharaj explains that ‘In Shravan, some people fast only on Mondays, others for the entire month.’
Religiously, the highlight of the month of Shravan is that the festival of ‘Janam Ashtami’, the birth anniversary of Shiva Krishna, the supreme deity of Hinduism, is also celebrated in the same month.
Says Vijay Maharaj, ‘Shiva is worshiped throughout this month, while on Janmashtami a big hoon (fire) is performed.’
‘A big festival is celebrated here (in the temple) especially on the day of Janmashtami.’
How do Hindus observe fasting?
Vijay Maharaj said that ‘one is hungry for a whole day during fasting. Someone eats the fruit. We do not eat grains in it. Fruit, potato or curd lassi is used. Eat only once in 24 hours.’
He further informed that ‘if one has kept upavas at four in the morning, then he does not eat anything during the day. He then eats only in the evening.’
According to Vijay: ‘Seven o’clock in the evening is the time to break the fast. When the sun sets, it is time to break our fast. One of our upavas (fasts) is Vemi Kadashi which is 36 hours long.’
The duration of Shravan fasts ranges from 16 hours to 24 hours.
According to Vijay Maharaj, this month has great spiritual significance.
‘Shravan is very important. Everyone has their own fasting desires. May their prayers be fulfilled, their troubles removed.’
He says that ‘we pray that there will be peace in our country and everyone’s problems will be removed.’
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2024-06-15 18:30:44