"Out of compassion for them, I, residing in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance." (10.11)
Krishna and Arjun on the chariot, Mahabharata, 18th-19th century, India.
According to Wikipedia, A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Sruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs, which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and samsara.
Vedanta and yoga are one of the several core schools of Hindu philosophy, broadly known as the Sanatan Dharm
Hinduism is regarded as the oldest of the world's major religions and Hindu mythology and philosophy have had a profound impact in many parts of the world, especially southern and South East Asia. With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's third largest religion.
The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 1 billion, live in India. Other countries with large Hindu populations can be found in various parts of the world. One example is Nepal.
The Bhagavad Gita, a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna before the start of the Kurukshetra war, is one of the foremost Hindu scriptures and is described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and beliefs.
Krishna (left), the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu or svayam bhagavan, with his consort Radha, worshiped as Radha Krishna across a number of traditions - traditional painting from the 1700s.
ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador Deepa Rao wrote "Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu Festival of Lights. It symbolizes the spiritual 'victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.' It is a privilege and honor for FICA members to the festival of lights with our honorable mayor of Cleveland Mr. Justin Bibb."
Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association Yugadi Celebration
The first day of Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with much pomp all across the country. According to Hindu traditions, Chaitra Navratri falls in the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar, known as Chaitra. Therefore, the beginning of Chaitra Navratri is marked on the first day of the Chaitra month, which is also marked as the Hindu New Year. This day has special significance in various states. While people of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate it as Yugadi, Maharashtra and Goa mark the same day as Gudi Padwa.
The Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association held a celebration event on April 2, 2023.
Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association Deepavali Celebration
The Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association is a non-profit, social, linguistic and cultural organization; incorporated under the Non Profit Corporation act of the State of Ohio, to integrate, coordinate, network and unite the activities of all Kannadigas, to preserve and promote the Kannada language and culture in Northeast Ohio; celebrate, experience and enjoy authentic cuisine from various parts of Karnataka.
On November 12, 2022 they hosted a large (500+ people) Deepavali celebration. The event featured singing, dance and other cultural performances as well as community resources such as Cleveland Clinic doctors performing health screens.
Hindi, Kannada, etc. - The diverse languages and dialects of India
We spoke with Dr. Naveen Uli at a celebration of Diwali hosted by the Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association. Dr. Uli said that while some think of the Indian diaspora as monolithic, in reality it is very diverse linguistically and in other ways. He said that there are dialects of his own home language spoken in Karnataka, a state in the southwestern region of India, that even he cannot understand. He said that Hindi serves as the national language but even Indian currency has 15 other languages listed. Watch the video.
Punya Koti - The Tiger and the Cows tale acted out by children
At a celebration of Diwali hosted by the Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association a group of children acted out the story based on a celebrated folk tale of Karnataka. A mother cow, Punya Koti, is confronted by a tiger in the woods who is going to eat her. She tells the tiger that she has to feed her calf and promises to return to him after she feeds her. The tiger doesn't believe she will return but lets her go. The mother cow feeds her calf and then goes back to the tiger as she promised. The tiger is very surprised and appreciates her motherly actions and realizes that God will never forgive him if he eats this honest soul so he lets her go. The tiger bows down to all 3 gods, jumps up high in the air, fell flat on the ground and died. Children are told this tale to teach truth, honesty and keeping promises.
Cardiac and other disease in South Asian population
Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa is a cardiology specialist at Cleveland Clinic's main campus. He said that despite the seemingly healthier diet, the Indian population actually suffers from heart disease earlier in life than Caucasians. In addition, life expectancy is lower for this group. Dr. Nanjundappa gives his recommendations to get and stay healthy. Watch below.
We also spoke with Dr. Deepakraj Gajanana who is also an interventional cardiologist. He said that when he sees the disease burden of someone he wishes the patient could go back in time 5-10 years and make lifestyle changes so they would not be on his table. He said that people from India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, etc. generally have smaller size of arteries which leads to problems. Watch below.
Happy Diwali
Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. You may also hear it called Deepavali. It is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. It generally lasts five days (or six in some regions of India), and started Monday October 24, 2022. The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts.
Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to others.
The Goddess Lakshmi
In the lead-up to Deepavali, celebrants prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared.
Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali has transcended religious lines and is also celebrated by Jains and Sikhs. It is a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora and the main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
State of Ohio recognizes Diwali
Hindu Heritage Month
Avon Lake Mayor Gregory Zilkamet and community
Launched in 2021, the Hindu Heritage Month is a global coming together of Hindus every year during the month of October to celebrate their rich heritage and to foster unity among their diverse communities. Why October? October was chosen as it typically hosts an array of festivals celebrated by the diverse communities per their Hindu calendars e.g., Navaratri, Dusshera and Deepavali.
Avon Lake Mayor Gregory Zilkamet met with members of the Hindu Community and proclaimed October as Hindu Heritage Month.
2015
Numerous religions in India
Honorable Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, Consul General of India spoke at Ariel International Center in Cleveland about Opportunities for US Companies interested in Investing or Doing Business with India. Consul Mulay began his remarks by telling about a question he received about how to describe India in one sentence. He told about the diversity and democracy of India and the numerous religions in India. Even the diversity within the Hindu faith.
In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, Sewa means Service - a unique concept of Service - Selfless Efforts for Welfare of All. Sewa International USA is a Hindu faith-based humanitarian non-profit service organization. Their vision is to increase civic engagement of the communities in the United States to volunteer and promote volunteering.
On November 15, 2014 a sold-out crowd attended an event in Cleveland to learn more about Sewa International, recognize super volunteers and to support the cause - specifically the Family Services project.
Dr. Sree Sreenath, President of Sewa International
Pandit Joshi from Shiva Vishnu Temple in Cleveland Ohio (Parma) at Diwali Celebration at Cleveland City Hall
Sudarshan Sathe explains Diwali at Cleveland City Hall at a Diwali celebration hosted by the Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) at Cleveland City Hall.
