Dear Patrons,

We are into the month of Aadi which is the first month in the Dakshinaayana period. It is believed that Aadhiguru Dakshinaamurthy began teaching his disciples during this period. Commencing on Vyaasa puja day, the Chaaturmaasya vratam, four months of intense learning based in one place is observed by all Sanyaasis in Dakshinaayana.

Dakshinaayana period is considered the period of "Grahana-Adhyayana-Kaalam", the receptive period of learning, while the Uttaraayana period is considered the "Dhaarana Adhyayana Kaalam", the period of reflection or Dhaarana.

The month of Aadi heralds the beginning of a series of festivals. Upaakarma is one of the most important festivals in this period, the word Upaakarma means beginning or aarambham, i.e., to begin the study of the vedas (Veda Adhyayanam). This is denoted in the Mahasankalpam part of the ceremony where we say ‘Adyaaya upaakarma karishye’. Since Veda Adhyayanam is supposed to be done during the six month Dakshinaayanam period from Aadi to Thai, a ceremony called Adhyaya Utsarjanam used to be performed at the end of this period on Thai Pournami day to suspend the vedic learning and devote the balance period of six months for reflection, paarayanam, and learning other branches of knowledge like Shaastras. Nowadays for practical purposes, vedic studies are continued through out the year, therefore "kaamo kaarshit japam" is performed as a penance begining with the sankalpam,

'thaishyaam pournamaasyaam adhyaya-utsarjana-akarana-prayaashcittaartham' (to atone for not doing the utsarjana of Vedic study on Thai Pournami day).

The rishis being the mantra drashtas gave us the vedas and during Upaakarma we also perform Kaanda rishi tarpanam to offer our prayers and express gratitude to them.

This year, the Rig and Yajur Upakarma is on 3rd August 2020.

Here are the important days in this month:

Thiru aadi Pooram / Andaal Jayanthi	24th July 2020
Varalakshmi Vratam	31st July 2020
Aadi Perukku	2nd August 2020
Upakarma (Rig, Yajur)	3rd August 2020
Gayathri Japam	4th August 2020
Krishna Janmashtami	11th August 2020
Aadi Kritthikkai	12th August 2020

We wish all our patrons a profoundly meaningful Dakshinaayanam.

Online SIS Satsang August 1st 2020

In keeping with the continuing tradition of monthly Satsangs, August 2020 Satsang will be conducted online through Zoom

When: Saturday August 1st 2020 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Zoom meeting details: Click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86495294332, alternatively you may also join using the Zoom meeting id: 864 9529 4332. Please join around 2:45 pm BST.

The Satsang will include reciting

• Vishnu Sahasranaman
• Mahalakshmi Ashtakam and Lalitha Sahasranaman
• Hanuman Chalisa
• Few Bhajans and a short spiritual talk

Please attend with your family and also try to involve the next generation.

SIS WhatsApp group

In addition to continuing with our email communication, we have started a WhatsApp group as a broadcast only group to communicate information regarding SIS events and updates. If you would like to join, please open this email on your phone and click on SIS WhatsApp group invitation link. Alternatively, you may email sisnambalava@gmail.com with your mobile number and we will add you to the group. You can obviously choose to leave the Group any time you want to.

The Website

We trust that the articles that we are publishing on the website are interesting and useful. We are encouraged by the number of hits that have gone up multi-fold. Please visit www.sisnambalava.org.uk, read the articles and let us know your views. We are very keen to receive your feedbacks and views and will be uploading more interesting articles. We welcome articles written by our members that are relevant to the objectives of SIS, ie., South Indian arts, culture and vedic religion and these will be uploaded after review by the editorial panel. Please feel free to ask for detailed guidelines.

Your Participation

South Indian Society as an organisation has come to shape with lots of hard work and contribution from several veterans of our community in this country over the years. We sincerely thank each and every one who has contributed towards the growth of this organisation. This organisation runs for YOU and without YOUR involvement, contribution and participation it cannot succeed.

 

SIS Trustees