Ramnavmi and Hanuman Jayanti, the birth of Sri Ram and Sri Hanuman respectively, were celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago and the diaspora recently. In Trinidad several organizations held huge programs attracting thousands of devotees.
As for me I attended Ramnavmi and Hanuman Jayanti celebration at the Bamboo No 1 Mandir. The officiating pandit performed pujas on both occasions, bhajans were sung and for Hanuman Jayanti there was the repeated chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa.
On Saturday 03 April several organizations held special programs to mark Hanuman Jayanti. At the Chinmaya Ashram more than 200 bedis were set up for the performance of Hanuman pujas by devotees. A similar program was held at the Dattatreya Mandir in Carapichaima. At Bamboo No 3, the Hanuman Mandir led by Pandit Yankatesu and family invited several bhajan groups for the continuous chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa 108 times. Among the groups that participated in the chanting was the Amar Jyoth Sabha of Cunupia led by Pandit Amar Seepersad.
Sri Ram was an empowering character. Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian freedom fighter, was a devotee of Ram and found inspiration in His life. In fact, Ram Raj or the reign of Ram was the utopia or ideal held out by Gandhiji to the millions of Indians when he was struggling against British rule for India’s independence. The bhajan “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” was made popular by Mahatma Gandhi in his evening prayers that were held every day.
In his fourteen years of exile Sri Ram uplifted people whom he came into contact. His stay in the Chitrakoot Hills of Madhya Pradesh inspired volunteers of the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh to work among the tribal population to bring better infrastructure and social amenities to the people including houses, schools and hospitals. Throughout India, volunteers, inspired by the life of Sri Ram, are engaged in social services.
A warrior, Sri Ram was ready to lift his bow to defend dharma. Today there is a culture of whispering about social and political injustices without taking a stance. In private gatherings much is said about the injustices of the State against the Hindu community, but the courage to speak out publicly is lacking among Hindu leaders.
Sri Ram had no interest in power. This he demonstrated when he assisted Sugrim in his struggles to regain his kingdom. Defeating Bali, Ram had no interest in the kingdom. Instead, he installed Sugrim as king and walked away. Again, after defeating Ravana, Vibhishan, Ravan’s youngest brother, was installed as the new king of Lanka. This is a rare action in today’s world where our politicians stab one another for power.
Upon returning to Ayodhya and assuming the role of king, Sri Ram thanked the many who assisted him in his struggles to find and rescue Mother Sita by showering them with praises and gifts. Sadly, most leaders today abandon people with abilities to surround themselves with pimps, sycophants and chamchas, who display blind loyalties to them. To serve under such leaders is to risk emasculation.
During his reign in Ayodhya after his return from exile, Sri Ram was confronted with a dilemma- to choose between his personal faith in the chastity of Mother Sita or public morality. He chose the latter and Mother Sita was exiled to undergo further pains and sufferings.
Today leaders breach the constitution to fulfill filial aspirations to the detriment of institutions. At one time a Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago went to the police station and released his son who was charged for breaching the law. This event was in the early years after our independence but the culture persists to date.
Ramayan Satsangh and the chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa should inspire us to build institutions to fight poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and other social ills including drug addiction. Unfortunately, at the end of Satsangh we have been conditioned to accept parsad and bhojan as the reward for our devotion…return home, sleep and return to the mandir to continue the cycle. Jai Sri Ram.