Sangh prepares to welcome Indian New Year

Sangh celebrates Vikram Samvat 2067

CHANDIGARH: March 14.2010
The Chandigarh unit of Rashtriya Syamsewak Sangh today celebrated the Indian New Year 2067 by organizing a Shakha two days in advance of the event. One special feature of this Shakha, which was organized in the Sector 20 ground next to the masjid, was that people from the Muslims community were invited on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Amrit Sagar, Joint General Secretary of Chandigarh and Punjab, said the celebrations of the Indian New Year flow with mother nature when the spring season is in full bloom.
Bringing out the cultural differences in the way new years are celebrated around the world, Mr Sagar said westerners party for the whole night to send off the previous year and when the New Year’s morning comes they are fast asleep. In India we wake up early in the morning and fast for seven days in what is known as Navratra fasts.
He said that fasting is undertaken because the season changes and thus food habits should also change. This is a way of adjusting to the new season by making a new beginning. He exhorted everyone to greet their near and dear ones on this occasion through SMS just as they SMS friends on January 1.
He said that Indian culture was all about religious freedom. Even within Hindu families there is freedom to adopt any deity. There are 33 crore Hindu deities so everyone can adopt their own. And this is why our culture has survived for thousands of years.
He noted that peace is an absolute must for business and economy to boom and people to prosper. In the ancient times, Iran was the centre of world business, because it was peaceful then. It changes when the peace was shattered.
On March 16, the start of the Navratras, every area (Nagar) will hold separate shakhas to usher in the New Year.
Various competitions such as tug-of-war, kabaddi and Surya Namaskar were held between nagar shakhas on the occasion. The Muslim community organized tea for the participants.