Georgetown : With exactly seven days away from observing the festival of lights ( a national holiday) declared by the newly elected APNU/AFC government, a change for November 11 which was initially printed by the PPP/C Government.
The Hindu religious dates over the past two decades were provided by one of the largest Hindu organizations in Guyana, The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabah (GHDS).
Several organizations listed below have petition the Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan for the change of date. The organizations are Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabhaa of Region 3 headed by Pandit Balbadar who is a Hindu Philosopher, Sanskrit Teacher and Author; Pandit Chowbay, an academic, from the Par Upkaric Sabha in Essequibo; Pandit Rudranauth Sharma and associates from the Guyana Pandits’ Council; the Maha Sabha; the Gandhi Youth Organisation; the Cove & John Ashram.; Pandit Prabhu Deo Sharma and others from the Corentyne. It should be noted that Swami Aksharananda in Guyana, was firm that if Deepawali is to be celebrated after the birth of the new moon, it would be inappropriate.
The petition was also supported by renowned Pandit Dr. Budhindranath Doobay of the Federation of Hindu Temples and Priest in-charge of the Vishnu Mandir in Toronto and Pandit Rajin Balgobind, of the Hindu Society of Berbice. It is, therefore, inaccurate to suggest that a minority of Hindu leaders in Guyana disagree with the November 11 date.
The organizations listed above says “if the basic of reasons, that the festival must be observed during the darkest night of the year, is examined, this night would be revealed to be November 10. It must be noted that the Viraat Sabhaa along with the other Hindu Organisations (listed below) and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, have a common agreement that the new moon would be born at around 13:47 hrs on Wednesday, November 11. Therefore, to celebrate Deepawali on the night of November 11, would be during the new moon (Shukla Paksh) and would be rendered inappropriate. This most basic of reasons points to Deepawali being on the night of November 10.”
A research done by this publication found Southern India has these rules.
The date calculation of Diwali is based on the geographical location of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in India.
It falls on Ashvina Krishna Chaturdasi which is the lunar day before the new moon (Amavasya) in the lunisolar calendar. The exact date and time is calculated for the last 90 minutes before sunrise (Arunodaya). The 4 day festival Diwali ends on the 2nd day in the bright half of Kartika. As the calculation is primarily based on the moon, the date of Deepavali varies in the Gregorian Calendar between the 16th October and 15th November every year.
Northern India has these rules
Diwali is on the 15th day of the month Kartika (October/November) in the Hindu calendar – a Lunisolar calendar which is based on the positions of moon & sun – calculated for the location of Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) in India. It falls on Amavasya (Ammavaasa), the new moon night that ends the month of Ashwina (Ashvin/Aasho/Aswayuja) and begins the month of Kartika. The 5 day festival begins on the 13th day in the dark half of Ashwin and ends on the 2nd day in the bright half of Kartika. As the calculation is primarily based on the moon, the day of Diwali Festival varies in the Gregorian Calendar between the 17th October and 15th November every year.
The reason for the one day difference is twofold. In the south it is based on Chennia and the North is based on Allahabad (Note Allahabad is what Indian Standard time is based on).
In the north it is a 5 day celebration and the south it is a 4 day celebration.
The Hindu calendar has a lot to do with “Jantar Mantar of Jaipur”
The Jantar Mantar of Jaipur is an observatory built in the first half of the 18th century. Today it has 19 main astronomical instruments or groups of instruments. They were generally constructed of brick rubble and plaster, but a few were made of bronze. They were built for naked-eye observations of the celestial bodies and precision was achieved through their monumental dimensions. Generally speaking, they replicated the design of earlier instruments, but the site shows important architectural and instrumental innovations and the size of some of the instruments is among the largest in the world. There are instruments working in each of the three main classical coordinate systems: the horizon-zenith local system, the equatorial system and the ecliptic system. One instrument (Kapala Yantra) is able to work in two systems and to transform coordinates directly from one system to the other. This is one of the most complete and impressive collections in the world of pre-telescopic masonry instruments in functioning condition.
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