Balabharathi

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION – IN OUR OWN WAY

1) Invite all your friends. Wear traditional dress and also request your Hindu friends
to come with a traditional outfit.
2) Let mother prepare a thali with haldi/kumkum, diya, akshata and sweets and perform your “aarti” and apply “tilak” on your forehead.
3) Light a lamp (diya) but do not blow out. Blowing out lamp is certainly not auspicious (positive), whereas lighting a lamp symbolizes new life, new beginning or spreading knowledge. Explain your other friends why you do this.
4) After lighting a lamp, let your parents and friends chant following shlokas to express their wish. Do not insist your friends from other nationalities / religions to follow any of these customs. Let them express their wish by their own way.

janmadinamidam ayi priya sakhe ||

shantano tu te sarvadA mudam ||

prArthayAmahe bhava shatAyuShi ||

iishvaraH sadA twAM cha raxatu ||

puNya karmaNA kirtimarjaya ||

jIvanaM tava bhavatu sArthakam ||

Meaning : O Dear friend, may this birthday bring you

Auspiciousness and joy forever

Indeed we all pray for your long life;

May the Lord always protect you.

By noble deeds may you attain fame

And may your life be fulfilled

5) Distributing and eating sweets has always been a way of celebration. We do it on every festival. On your birth-day, after lighting a lamp, you can distribute sweets among all invitees. While receiving the sweets, receiver can greet the kid by saying below shloka.

jIvet sharadaH shatam ||

Meaning: May he live hundred years.

6) Now-a-days, exchanging gifts is unavoidable. Your friends may give you gifts and you may also want to give them something in return. Set an example by giving good gifts such as book or any other useful thing. Next time, your friends will also try to follow you!!

7) Once celebration is over, your lamp (diya) can be placed in front of the God in the pooja-ghar.

Make a resolution

1) Improve your fluency in your mother tongue.

2) Buy at least 3 new good books and read them thoroughly.

3) Learn something that is related to our culture such as learning instruments, dance, understanding our customs, writing in your own language and acquire skill in the same.
4) Learn more about your ancestors and your spiritual land - Bharat.
5) Participate meaningfully in the Balabharathi like gatherings.

So! Let us make a new resolve now that we shall celebrate our next birth-day in a Hindu way. Shall we?