Namaste and welcome to the Easter 06 edition of Sanskaar! There has been a wholehost of activity at CUHCS recently, with the election of this year’s new committee,and the resounding success of the society’s flagship event, Mastana, in March. Thenew committee have taken up their roles with enthusiasm, and are dedicated tomaking this one of the best years for the society. In this issue of Sanskaar you’ll beable to find a full report of what went on during Lent Term, as well as fullintroductions from the new committee, articles on the various Hindu festivals thattook place over the holidays, and a look ahead to our programme of events forEaster Term. Best wishes to all of you, and good luck for any exams that you mayhave.

Vasanth SubramanianBhaskar Narayan

Editors

Easter Term 2006

CONTENTS

Editorial 1

Presidential 1Greeting

Committee 2Introduction

Lent Term Report 4

Learning Articles 6

Forthcoming Events 8

http://www.cuhcs.org.uk

Namaste! Start of summer, start of Easter term and start…of a new year for the CUHCScommittee!

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of our new committee, to congratulate theCUHCS committee of 2005-2006 on a truly successful year. I am sure you will agree that we sawsome fabulous events last term, only possible due to the hard work of last year’s team.Unfortunately though, at the end of this term we will see quite a few ex-committee membersleave, as they complete their final year at Cambridge. So may I say a special thank you to themfor their constant support for the CUHCS; you will definitely be missed!

We hope to carry on the good work of the society this year and take it to new heights! Selflessservice being fundamental to our Dharma, we are ambitious to develop a ‘Community’ wing of thesociety, by launching a ‘selfless service’ programme.

“Service to man is more valuable than what you call "service to God." God has no need of yourservice. Please man, and you please God. The Vedas sing of God as having a thousand heads,thousand eyes and thousand feet. That is to say, all beings are He; they are not distinct fromHim. Note that it is not said that He has a thousand hearts, for, there is but one heart. Eachbeing is a limb in the body of God. When you tend to the limb, you tend to the individual;similarly, when you serve man, you serve God.” – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Looking ahead at this next month, one full of revision and exams for many, we have organisedsome revitalizing events for you! Term kicks off with a Saraswati Pooja, followed by a talk abouta most appropriate issue, ‘How to excel in life (and exams!)’. With the festivals of Ram Navmiand Hanuman Jayanti yet to be celebrated in Cambridge, we may have an upcoming pooja forthese too…watch this space!And yes, how could we forget the event of Easter term you’ve allbeen waiting for…Dhamaka 2006! This year’s Dhamaka promises to be a real ‘explosion’, with somuch planned that we’re sure there will be something in store for everybody!

So we hope you will all take a well-deserved break from your studies and join us at theforthcoming events. It only remains to wish everybody the very best of luck with this term, andwe hope to see you soon!

Sarika ShahCUHCS President 2006-07

“Selfless service beingfundamental to our Dharma, we

are ambitious to develop a‘Community’ wing of the

society, by launching a ‘selflessservice’ programme.”

Ignorance is that arrogance which makes us think we know everything. – ‘Thirukkural’

Vice President – Mohini Jeevan – Sidney Sussex College – Natural SciencesAs vice president of CUHCS my main role is to help the president with thegeneral running of the society and committee. My role will also entail workingtogether with the committee to organise events throughout the year. I hope thatif any of you have any concerns or ideas on how the society can improve, youwill not hesitate to get in contact with me at vice-president@cuhcs.org.uk. Wewelcome as much input from our members as possible. Here's wishing CUHCSanother successful year!

President – Sarika Shah – Trinity College – MedicineAs President, I will work with the committee to provide the best service that wecan to our members. We hope to see the CUHCS grow even more and have manynew ideas for the coming year. As always, our prime goal is to serve our members,so feel free to contact me at president@cuhcs.org.uk

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Secretary – Banita Mistry – Homerton College – EnglishAs the secretary, I handle all external queries and mail for the CUHCS and keeptabs on the committee work. I take minutes at our meetings, and basically act asa 'link' between the committee members. Should you have any general enquiriesregarding the society, do contact me first at secretary@cuhcs.org.uk

Treasurer – Shivam Patel – Fitzwilliam College – EconomicsAs the treasurer for CUHCS, I am in charge of the planning and implementationof financial strategies necessary for the success of the society. I'm responsiblefor ensuring the well being of the society and maintaining its accounts. Pleasecontact me if you have enquiries about this at treasurer@cuhcs.org.uk.

Publicity – Bhaskar Narayan – Clare College – MedicineVasanth Subramanian – Emmanuel College – Natural SciencesOne of our main responsibilities is to put out the society’s termlynewsletter Sanskaar, which we hope you will enjoy over thecoming year. We also produce posters and other publicity materialfor society events, as well as sending out a regular email to all ourmembers to keep them informed of any news, festivals and eventsthey might be interested in. If you have anything for Sanskaar, orany events that you want publicised in the email, then contacteither one of us at publicity@cuhcs.org.uk (Vasanth) orpublications@cuhcs.org.uk (Bhaskar).

Bhaskar Vasanth

From the unreal lead me to the real, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to immortality! – ‘Upanishad’

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Community Officer – Devan Mahadeshwar – Clare College – Computer ScienceI will be taking a major role in organising a 'Service Programme' for the CUHCS.Selfless service is a vital part of Hindu Dharma, so my aim will be to help organisea programme allowing us to give back to the community. If you have any ideas orsuggestions feel free to e-mail me at community@cuhcs.org.uk.

Welfare Officer – Tashi Shetty – Fitzwilliam College – Social & Political ScienceMy main role is to look over the welfare of Hindu students in the university, makethem feel at home and offer support and advice. I deal with issues such as cateringfor specific dietary requirement and space for prayer, and am also here to put youin touch with the Hindu chaplain who offers counseling and advice. If you haveany questions or problems, please don't hesitate to contact me atwelfare@cuhcs.org.uk

Learning – Rishi Khagram – St. John’s College – EconomicsDeepa Mashru – New Hall College – Natural SciencesOur role as the learning officers comprises providing informationabout the Hindu Dharma, as well as developing learning sheets asresources for society events. If you have any questions or queries,please contact us at learning@cuhcs.org.uk (Rishi), oralternatively learning-officer@cuhcs.org.uk (Deepa), and we’ll behappy to help! Rishi Deepa

Sponsorship – Meera Patel – Fitzwilliam College – LawShweta Singh – Hughes Hall College – EconomicsAs the new sponsorship officers for CUHCS, we are responsible forraising money and other forms of sponsorship for the society. Thisentails maintaining relationships with our previous sponsors aswell as building new ones. If you can help us in any waywhatsoever, please contact us at sponsorship@cuhcs.org.uk(Meera) or sponsorship-officer@cuhcs.org.uk (Shweta).Meera Shweta

Webmaster – Jaymal Naran – Pembroke College - EngineeringHi I’m Jaymal, the new CUHCS webmaster and I’m responsible for maintaining thewebsite. The website contains the latest society news, a calendar of upcomingevents, photos and reviews of previous events, and much more. Check it out atwww.cuhcs.org.uk or email me at webmaster@cuhcs.org.uk

http://www.cuhcs.org.uk/about.committee.php

All the world is my home and all men kin – ‘Puranaanooru’, Ancient Tamil Literature

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The Lent Term began for CUHCS with apooja for Pongal – a festival mostlycelebrated by Tamils. It was encouragingto see a mix of people from variousbackgrounds; both students andtownsfolk attendees. It was good to seeCUHCS venture into new ground, and thesuccess of this event showed that such amulti-faceted display of Hinduism iscertainly appreciated, both by those whonormally celebrate these festivals athome, and those who are keen to learn.

This was followed by Sangeet Sandhya –an evening to celebrate Indian music.There were plenty of excellentperformances of classical Indian music,from the North and South, given bytalented students of the university. Itwas great to see new first year studentsperform, adding to the wealth of brilliantIndian vocalists and instrumentalists wehave in Cambridge. The melodious eventattracted a large and varied audienceand raised a lot of money for charitablecauses.

Then there was the joint event with theIslamic society - a talk by ProfessorJulius Lipner on the religious context ofVande Mataram, the national song ofIndia. The event was strongly attended,very informative and in the main asuccess. Following on from the jointevent with the Jewish society the yearbefore, CUHCS continues to improve itsties with societies of other faiths. Thetopic of discussion was politically andgeographically quite specific. An avenueforward may be to make such inter-faithevents in future more topical onreligious issues, such as the idea of God,takes on non-violence, gender and caste/sect issues, etc.

Then came the CUHCS AGM. Theoutgoing President and Treasurerpresented their reports and hustingswere held for the incoming committee.The general emphasis placed by theincoming committee was on improvedlearning and information dissemination.I wish a very competent-looking anddetermined new committee the very bestfor the coming year.

Finally came the biggest event of theterm and the year: Mastana. Need I saymore? Over the past two or three years,this event has gained so muchmomentum that tickets now regularlysell out well in advance. With a jam-packed audience of over 650, comingfrom all over the country, and manymore on the waiting lists, demands weremade once again to move to a biggerstage next year. For those who managedto get tickets early, it was yet anotheryear of hardcore entertainment, and forthose involved, another term of hardwork, mad fun, and plentiful socialactivity! As with the past few years, thisyear brought in even more variety –from Arabian dances to Indo-Europeanand East-meets-West fusions, fromcontemporary and classical Indian songsand dances to rib-tickling comedy, and abrand-new style of compèring. An eventwhich lived up to all its expectations inevery possible way – well donecommittee, cast and crew!

Tarang Katira, Sarika Shah

Great things can be done by great sacrifices only – Vivekananda

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Mastana 2006

Pongal

Truth is as the waters – it wanders, it has no resting place. For Truth is Life – J. Krishnamurti

Sangeet Sandhya

Amongst the variety of festivals celebrated throughout theHindu calendar, Holi is considered to be the most colourfuland vibrant of them all. It begins on the twelfth day of themonth of Phalgun. Holi marks the death of the demoness‘Holika’ and heralds the arrival of spring.The story of Holi is about a Prince called Prahlad, and hisdevotion to Lord Vishnu. It is said that Hiranyakashipu,Prahlad’s father, tried to kill his son many times becausehe considered himself to be the Lord of the Universe.However, Lord Vishnu saved Prahlad everytime.Hiranykashipu’s sister was involved in one of the attemptsto murder Prahlad, using a boon that meant she would notbe burnt by fire. She sat in a bonfire, but was set ablazeinstead of Prahlad, who survived once more.Hiranyakashipu himself was later defeated by Narsimha,an ‘Avatar’ of Lord Vishnu.Preparations for the festivities begin on the day ofDuwadashi. Extended families get together to perform theformal sprinkling of colour, primarily ‘gulal’. This task iscarried out by the eldest male member of the family, whobegins by sprinkling coloured water and powders on eachmember of the assembled family, after which everyonejoins in.The day after Holi is known as ‘Puno’. On this day, Holikais burnt in keeping with the legend of Prahlad and hisdevotion to lord Vishnu. In the evening, huge bonfires arelit on street corners at the crossroads. Usually this is acommunity celebration and people gather near the fire tofill the air with folk strains and dances. Sheaves of greengram and wheat are roasted in the bonfire and eaten.The actual festival of Holi takes place on the third day.Coloured powder (Gulal) is bought and arranged on variousplates (thalis), long syringes called 'pichkaris' are madeready and water balloons are bought and filled.Preparations are made to cook the special food items thatare exclusively meant for this festival.

Children, friends and neighbours gather on the streets anda riot of colour takes over. Coloured powders called 'abeer'or 'gulal' are thrown into the air and smeared on faces andnew white clothing. Visitors carry 'abeer' or 'gulal' to paytheir respects to elders by sprinkling some on their feet.The younger crowd is drenched with buckets of colouredwater and pummelled with water balloons. 'Dholaks' orIndian drums are heard everywhere, and the songs of Holiand Prahlad’s devotion are sung throughout the streets ofIndia.

Deepa Mashru, Rishi Khagram

Ram Navmi celebrates the birth of Shree Ram, the son ofKing Dashrath. The festival falls on the ninth day of theHindu month of Chaitra. The saga of Ram’s life wasstarted by Valmiki in Sanskrit, and continued by the sageTulsidas in Hindi. The Ramayan, as it is universally known,is an epic tale of true bravery in the face of everyadversity, and loved by adults and children alike.Lord Vishnu reincarnated as Ram to destroy King Ravanaof Lanka, who through prolonged penance and sacrificewas granted a unique blessing, which made him verypowerful and mighty. After obtaining the boon he asked for,he began persecuting all, including the saints and the holy.His evil doings were extended even to places of worshipand pilgrimage. Ravana's abuse of power and his tyrannicaldeeds prevented peace spreading in the world and causedMother Earth to become overburdened.During this time, King Dasrath of Ayodhya, who wasendowed with good fortune, but no children was engaged ina special form of worship called "Putra Kamaeshti Yagna"as advised by his family Priest Saint Vasishtha. Thisceremony was performed so that he may be blessed with ason. King Dasrath's prayers were answered, as Shree Ramwas born into his home, as the son of Queen Kaushalya.The day of Lord Ram’s birth is marked as Ram Navmi.The city of Ayodhya where Lord Rama was born became aplace of tremendous happiness and an ocean of prosperity.The Lord was given the name Ram by the Saint Vashishthabecause he gave joy and happiness to all. His achievementsthrough life were unrivalled, including his bending of thetremendous bow of Lord Shiva, which won him Sita as hisconsort – just one display of his divine qualities. Manykings and princes one after the other tried to raise thebow; but they could not even move it as it lay on theground. When Shree Ram's turn came, He did not only lift itfrom the ground; but raised it quite above His head anddrew the bow with such a force that it snapped in two.

Deepa Mashru, Rishi Khagram

After Shree Ram marriedSita, they were exiled tothe forest for fourteenyears, due to the evildeeds of King Dashrath’ssecond wife, Kaikai. It wasin this forest that Sitawas abducted by Ravan.Shree Ram found her withthe help of Hanumanji anda great war took place, inwhich Ravan wasvanquished. Shree Ramthen completed his periodof exile before returningto Ayodhya and taking hisplace as the rightful King.

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All power is within you; you can do anything and everything – Vivekananda

Sri Hanuman was an ardent believer in the Ram-Charit-Maanas;

Kahe Hanuman vipattee Prabhu soyeeJab kabhee Sumiran bhajan na hoyee

Hanuman believes and states that it is a misfortune whenone forgets to remember the Lord, and take His Name.It is due to his ardent devotion to Shree Ram that weremember and celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. Hanumanji wasborn on the full-moon day of the month of Chaitra, in acave on the Rushyamuk mountain. He was born to Vayu,f

morning, devotees flock to Hanuman temples to worshipthe monkey god. Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival.Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy. Hanumanis said to be able to assume any form at will, wield rocks,move mountains, dart through the air, seize the clouds andrival Vishnu's bird, Garuda in swiftness off light. He isworshipped in folk tradition as a deity with magical powersand the ability to conquer evil spirits.Hanuman’s powers came from a boon granted by LordIndra, including allowing him to choose his time of deathand become big or small in stature at will. He attained thisblessing as a child, when he decided to hold the suncaptive. This angered Lord Indra, who in turn hit the childwith a powerful weapon. When Hanuman’s father, Vayucame to know what had happened, the wind stoppedblowing. The world came to a standstill, until Indra gave in,and blessed Hanuman.Today, people all around the world recite the HanumanChalisa in times of danger, or distress. It says that:

Sankat kate, mite sab peeraJo sumirai Hanumat balbeera…

Jo sat bar path kare koiChute bandhi, magasukh hoi

One who adores and remembers Shree Hanuman is freedfrom all suffering.One who recites the Hanuman Chalisa one hundred timesbecomes free from the bondage of the cycle of life anddeath.

Deepa Mashru, Rishi Khagram

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In India, Hindus celebrate the New Year according totraditional calendars, several of which are still in use.There are various New Year days in different States ofIndia related to traditions and customs. The two majorones are Diwali in October – November, observed in NorthIndia, and the day when Sun enters the sign ‘Mesha’(Aries) in April, celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengaland Nepal.‘Varushappirappu’, or the Tamil New Year usually fallson 14th April each year. According to ancient Hinduscripts, the beginning of the year corresponds to creationof life by Lord Brahma. There is a cycle of 60 years andeach year has a different name, this year (2006-2007)being known as ‘Viya’. Based on the positions of thevarious planets, Hindu astrologers predict what events willtake place, both in India, and around the world. On NewYear’s Day, special prayers are offered and people gatherto hear the predictions for the year from learnedastrologers. Since the month of April is the peak summerperiod, people prepare various refreshing drinks, includinga watery solution made with unrefined sugar andcardamom, and another with salted yoghurt. A speciallunch is prepared with many different dishes, the highlightof which is the ‘Maanga Pachadi' (a dish made of rawmangoes, jaggery and neem flowers), which is at the sametime sweet, sour and bitter. This is to represent thedifferent nature of all of life’s experiences.

An example of Vishu Kani

In Kerala, the New Year is welcomed with ‘Vishu Kani’, anarrangement of flowers, fruits, vegetables, grains, silverand gold, denoting prosperity. The lady of the house doesthe arrangement the night before and at daybreak, the restof the family members are made to open their eyes at thisarrangement and are given a small gift of coins. Servantsare given new clothes. It is a local government holiday andthe school summer holidays commence around this time.

Vasanth Subramanian

the God of Wind, and Anjani,who was born as a femalemonkey as the result of acurse placed upon her by asage.Hanuman Jayanti iscelebrated to commemoratehis birth, and is especiallyimportant to Brahmacharis,wrestlers and bodybuilders.Hanuman was an ardentdevotee of Rama, and isworsh ipped f or h i sunflinching loyalty anddedication. From the earlyf

Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides – Rig Veda

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Cambridge UniversityHindu Cultural Society

Website:http://www.cuhcs.org.uk

Email:info@cuhcs.org.uk

Please contact us for anyfurther information

Event: Saraswati PoojaDate: Sunday 7th May 2006Venue: Chetwynd Room, King’s CollegeTime: 11am – 1pm

Come along and join in the worship of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Saraswati, forauspicious blessings before the exams. The pooja will be followed by devotionalsinging for relaxation and contemplation.

Event: "The secrets of excellence and success" by Dr. Sureshbhai GovindDate: Friday 12th May 2006Venue: Bowett Room, Queen’s CollegeTime: 4pm – 5.30pm

In the increasingly challenging world of today, everyone seems to be under constant pressure toperform, whether it be to achieve success in exams or indeed even to make a living. What is therole of Tradition, Religion Aspiration and Culture [TRAC], in today’s ever-demanding performance-centred world? Is it possible to embed our thoughts, words and actions in deep-rooted traditions,age-old religious beliefs and culture and lead a life of excellence, success and happiness in thecontext of our today’s modern/post-modern world? How relevant are these values in unlocking ourunique potential?Professor Dr. Suresh Govind has challenged these questions for the last 20 years and has, withintense study, research and experimentation, rigorously applied these principles in every aspectputting his own life under test. The talk will draw upon practical life examples of applying timetested principles from religious beliefs, culture and traditions for application in this day and age. Ifever you have asked these questions in your own life or indeed haven’t, then this is a talk not to bemissed!

Event: Dhamaka!Date: TBA

Join us for what promises to be one of the most exuberant and fun-filled eventsthat Cambridge has to offer after exams are over! Dhamaka is shaping up to be anamazing festival filled with colour, music, sports, food and much more! Held duringthe week following the end of exams, you will be able to come along and relieve allthat pent-up stress and celebrate - the Indian way! Details on date, venue andtickets will be sent out shortly on the CUHCS email.

Luck may sometimes help; work always helps – Anon.