In Isha, there are 365 celebrations a year (and 366 every leap year!), but we also specifically celebrate several festivals which are of special significance – Mahashivarathri, Dussehra, and Pongal being a few. The Tamil New Year on Sunday, April 14, was celebrated in a grand manner at the Isha Yoga Center. The Dhyanalinga and Linga Bhairavi were decorated with kolams[1]and lamps, as thousands of people poured in during the day to begin their new year on an auspicious note. Some devotees also made a special offering of fruits and their first harvest to Linga Bhairavi. Annadanam, a special offering of food, was given to all the visitors, residents and brahmacharis.
Luni Bangsia’s Bharatnatyam dance performance was a grand finale to the new year celebrations. A student of the prestigious dance school Kalakshetra and currently an Isha Samskriti dance teacher, Luni astounded the audience with her clean and graceful movements. Beginning the recital with a Ganesha stuti followed by an invocatory item describing Ganesha’s majestic dancing form, she continued with a keertanam describing Shiva’s dance and appearance at the Chidambaram Temple. It was a true pleasure to witness this ancient art form at its best.
Editor’s Note: Find out more about the wonderful intricacies of Indian culture in this collection of Sadhguru’s articles on the subject.