Cricket @ The Eyes of The Immortals - Road to the Finals of the Gold Cup !!!

THE IMMORTALS

It was just another spring weekend, back in February-March 2008, when a bunch of cricket freaks got together, to play some shots, throw some balls, shake off some rust off their aging bodies, and to see whether that zeal, that aggression and that burning desire of playing cricket is still within themselves or has the pangs of studies and working fulltime caused that enthusiasm and hunger wither away ...

Well, so it had to turn out, everyone did find that the youth, the aggression and the desire to win and prove their best is still burning amongst their inner self, and that marked the creation of a team, a team that would see the best and the worst of all, on the field, and will also carry the happiness of success and the pains of failure off the field...

Cricbay, The Immortals, was like a new horizon for all of us in the team, and that's how this journey of cricket began for us ...

The team was formed, the players were all excited, the cricketing talent, hidden or unhidden, had come out, the rust had been shaken off, and everyone was pumped up to play the very first season here in the bay area, and such was the tempo within the camp, that even without playing the first ball of the tournament, scripts were being written about how The Immortals would fare in this league.

Being absolutely new, having played none of the teams before, the very first season, the very first time playing in a baseball kind of a field, adapting to the 20-20 type format, we just imagined how it would be, and everyone was getting pretty excited...

Who new what was in-stored, for the next couple of months, and how this stint would turn out to be... But having come far now, we all have one thing to say - Cricket has never felt any more better than this ...

We have made it to the FINALS of the GOLD CUP which itself speaks highly about The Immortals, and how this bunch of young blood have come off their age and have dedicated their efforts and energy each weekend after weekend to take their team to this position ...

Rewind back, and let me walk you through the journey of being an Immortal and how the team reached the FINALS of the GOLD CUP ...

ROUND 1

The Immortals' Naiveness and Growth

Game 1 – Allstars –
The opening game is always a mixture of anxiousness, and the desire to win .. as the saying goes, all that starts well, always ends well ... And so the team did that by winning this important opening matchup and we started our journey with a small celebration, with more to come later ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1783

Game 2 - Kings –
Riding high on the first win of the tournament, but falling short to some players due to injuries, The Immortals faced the mighty Kings, who by reputation were rated quite high amongst the league, and well they did prove themselves... We lost, and so did our high hopes and wild ideas and dreams, which made us all think twice that is playing this league really gonna be worth it ???
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1786

Game 3 - Squared Leg –
The stage was set, 1 win, 1 loss, and with a see saw battle in our mind about the type of cricket we all were playing, we got a decent score, but it was not going to be enough, and Sqaured Leg got the upper hand, and won this game, pushing us on the backfoot, and now, the buzz in the camp, was about experimentation ... Time to adapt to changes ... Confidence was still in the hunt ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1791

Game 4 - Bhajjis Monkeys –
With some old USC colleagues playing from the opposition, and with the game on our home ground, The Immortals, had one thing in mind, play the natural game, no pressure ... And so it happened, after two severe losses, the team scored their highest score amongst all the games played so far, with all guns blazing, and then dismissed the opposition, to register an important win, and that too by the biggest margin so far for The Immortals... Success comes slowly but with determination ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1794

Game 5 - Syndicate CC –
With some good batting practice in the last game, The Immortals won this matchup, chasing a decent score, well within the allotted overs, and that again cemented our confidence into the batting order ... Had we reached the pinnacle ? Could be call ourselves a good team with this win.. The analysis said - 3 Wins, 2 Loss ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1800

Game 6 - Chargers –
Clash of the titans, in its own sense, these two teams meeting for the first time, The Immortals having played all the games so far in a baseball type field, faced another challenge, of playing this important game against a team notorious for pulling off big victories, and which boasted of players scoring half centuries .. But the challenge was to adapt to the 360 degree type ground ... It seemed so, that The Immortals were not ready and did not have a plan to contend the opposition, and found themselves chasing the highest total so far amongst all the games ... The Immortals were on the backfoot, as they lost their top 5 wickets, but as we The Immortals always say - "IT AINT OVER, TILL ITS ALL OVER" - The middle order proved to the team, that Faith and Confidence can overcome any opposition, and this BIG Victory, really sparked the players for the future games ....
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1801
(Complete Story – Click Here)

Game 7 - Raiders –
The tides of success from the last game, were washing the faces of each and everyone in The Immortals camp, and they were all fired up to end the Round 1 on a winning note... But the cricketing Gods had thought otherwise, and what was to come, was a loss in the closing game of Round 1, but this time, there were no anlaysis, no talks, and each player on the bench hung their heads in despair, as they realized, that now The Immortals is not only Fun, but also a Passion ... For the first time each player really took the loss severely upon their hearts ... But mind you the Confidence was still there ... The burning desire to take The Immortals forward was still there ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1808

ROUND 2 –

The Immortals' Fighting Spirit

Game 8 - Bay CC Red –
The last loss pained a lot to The Immortals, and they won this matchup against the Bay CC quite easily and thus once again opened a new round, with a win in their hats.
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1921

Game 9 - Hammers –
The wins were coming, and The Immortals were back in action. They knew each match going forward is going to be important to distinguish who goes into which Cups - Platinum or Gold ... One more win, and one more feather to the winning hat...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1925

Game 10 - Aptech CC –
Once again, The Immortals, facing a highly rated team, who live upto their expectations. This was one of the close matches which The Immortals fought till the end, but ended losing this game... The negative effect here was the lack of confidence in chasing a low score and winning it ... But the spirit to fight on was still prevailing as we saw each one out there giving their 110% till the last run ... But we lost ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1929

Game 11 - Raiders –
Once again, having played them before, The Immortals were seeking for a sweet revenge, and this time made sure, that the Raiders dont just walk away smoothly... The game was going to be tough, having lost once before against them, and as the scoresheet stands, this game went down the wire, till the last bowl, but nevertheless, we lost only a game, but we won lost of confidence, respect from the opposition, and above all, we were still burning with the fighting spirit ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1933

Game 12 - Geeks –
One of the nicest comeback games for the team, which was very much required, and there in the taking, The Immortals, just cut loose, and broke the shackles, by scoring their second highest score of their tournament, and yet again registering a win, by the second highest margin ... Any win big or small was bringing us closer to get qualified for the Platinum Cup...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1941

Game 13 - Cosmos CC –
Going into this game, all that really mattered to The Immortals - were the 4 important points ... With other teams in the hunt, of a spot in the Platinum Cup, we wanted to make sure, we move one step closer to being qualifies for the spot in the PLatinums ... And we did not fail .. We won this and so it was all left to the last game ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1945

Game 14 - Patriot CC –
The Matchup between the Gujjus (Gujaratis) ... The game was a nail biting finish, with both the teams fighting for a spot in the Platinum Cup, the winner to go as the lowest ranked team in the Platinum Cup, and the loser to end up in a high ranked spot in the Gold cup ... Going into the game, we were aware about the notorious nature about the opposition, which did sparked some aggression and on field spat with some players, this game was totally taken away from The Immortals through some disastrous umpiring decisions and some unsportsman type tactics from the opposition, which at one stage really took its toil and caused us to get frustrated ... But THE IMMORTALS fought it, they fought it like MEN, they fought it with a NEVER-SAY-DIE spirit, and as the scoresheet speaks for itself, the result came on the very last ball of the entire match ... Patriots Won - They entered the Platinum Cup, The Immortals WON too - Morally and Principally, thus taking a top spot in the GOLD CUP ... As one has said, the world is round, and what goes around comes around .. Your Sins catch up with you sooner or later ... THE IMMORTALS ARE NOW PLAYING THE FINALS OF THE GOLD CUP !!!
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1937

PLAYOFFS –

Immortality at its Best

GOLD CUP - Playoff Pre-Quarters - Bay Area Titans –
From now on, each match was a DO-or-DIE game, where the winner advances one step closer to the Gold Cup, whereas the lose gets knocked out ... Each win had its own sweet taste, and each win made us feel more and more confident believing not only in our selves, but in 10 other players in the camp ... This low scoring game, really re-instated our confidence in the bowling ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=2124

GOLD CUP - Playoff Quarters - XTerminators –
Chasing or Defending, has always been a debate for The Immortals, and given any day, it could turn out to be favoring either side of the coin ... But game after game, we always prove our track record wrong .. So be it defending a high score, or whether it was chasing a low score in this game, it was going to be difficult with a good opposition ... The Immortals won and entered the Semis of the Gold Cup ... One more small step towards success ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=2152

GOLD CUP - Playoff Semis - RCPC –
The last barrier, the last front, to cross, and if done, we would be playing for the GOLD ... The batting card did not start well, and ended on a decent score, but lately the team was getting more and more confident even in scoring low, and then dismissing the opposition with a lower score ... The same script was repeated here, and The Immortals finally were basking in the glory of the win, having made it to the FINALS of the GOLD CUP ...
http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=2171

The journey, as I always say, is a roller coaster ride, it has its own ups and downs ... The Team that sticks together, that believes in not only one's own self, but in all the members of the camp - that is the Team who would come out the real winner, irrespective of whether the game is won or not ... Its always about the team, and not about individuals ... Given all the matches played so far, one can see in our team - The Immortals as a whole has been the MAN OF THE MATCH - Amongst 17 players on the roster, there have been 11 different man of the match – This shows, that this is the team who lives as a "TEAM" ... There is no single SUPER STAR, but the team as a whole is the biggest STAR !!!

There is no doubt, going forward The Immortals would be rated as one of the good teams to be playing in the league, nothing to boast about, but we are surely a team who knows how to fight till the last moments of the game ...

That is what Cricket is all about - An easy win, is just a win, but a well fought game which even if you lose is a bigger WIN ...

Wishing The Immortals - ALL THE VERY BEST in their FIRST FINALS of the FIRST TOURNAMENT they have ever played ...

GO IMMORTALS !!!

The Immortals congratulates to all the finalists, and also acknowledges all the opposition they have played in the tournament so far mentioned above. We thoroughly enjoyed playing you all !!!

Mesmerizing Engagement Moments Relived !!!

As most of you are already aware through my last post about the engagement, this post relives those moments as captured through the eyes of the camera, with great efforts from my friends and relatives...

The pictures have been organized and re-sorted so as not to over load you with boredom, and the video is simply not edited for viewer's pleasure ... Every moment is in its original texture and sound ...

Hope everyone enjoys them as much as me and Dipali have enjoyed over the past few days going over the pictures again and again, trying to figure out who got more luckier ... Lol !!

Feel free to email samkit.s.shah@gmail.com for pics and videos.
(Have removed the link for the sake of privacy)


Cheers

Love,
Samkit-Dipali

Our Engagement – A roller coaster journey of Emotions !!!

13th of September, a date which would never be the same my entire life, now that there is so much value, so much love and meaning added to it ... Its amazing how life and your destiny are dependent upon each other, and how certain events in our life can suddenly change the way we perceive a particular moment ...

A date to remember, a moment to cherish, an event to mesmerize, and a post to pen down and describe those emotions, here on my blog, will always keep the weekend which just went by fresh in my heart, all my life, needless to say in Dipali's heart too, which by now has already picked up the rhythm of my beats, and in response my heart has started singing the same melody as hers ...

The stage was all set, the invitation had been making its rounds, the shopping fiesta got over, family, friends, relatives, everyone showering their blessings and wishes from all around the globe, all trying to express their happiness for D-day, for the next big step for me and Dipali, a step towards realizing a life full of love, emotions, happiness and above all a life to be lived together as one ... A month full of preparation, and finally it comes down to just a few anxious moments, and all one could think of was, the lights, the moment, the cameras clicking, the flashes, and the applause just as me and Dipali exchange the rings and make a promise to be with each other till the end of the life ...

Yes your guess is correct, the D-day, the day when the vessel of life, takes a different turn, takes a different path, embarking upon a different journey, was the 13th of September, when Me and Dipali got engaged officially, thus marking a union of two families, two souls and two hearts into one ...

Let me not rush into the celebrations from the ceremony itself, but let me take a step back and unwind the few glimpses of moments spent before the engagement and the prep up till the last minute ...


A Week Full of Preparations, Anxiousness and Love ...
Well my parents had arrived a week before the actual ceremony, to join me for this occasion and without whom I might not have been where I am right now... I just wonder how my dad has played a role in almost all the important decisions so far in my life, with my mom being the backbone in guiding me and him ... Bachelor's in Nirma University, Master's in USC (Los Angeles) and then finding the right life partner for me - Dipali, all of my life's major choices came from my Dad with the support of my Mom, and so I was the most happiest person on this earth, when Dipali met them for the first time ... Seeing 4 of us together, I truly felt that my family is complete, with my mom and dad not finding a daughter-in-law, but a daughter itself.... (Psst: Many say, that Dipali resembles, my mom a lot, leaving apart the eyes...lol )

The week that followed after my parents arrival,was a week of roller coaster rides for me, a test of my emotions, my feelings, my temperament, and somehow I felt for the first time, after a gap of almost one and a half years since I left USC, the real tension, anxiousness and pressure, the same type of moments I had gone through during my MS in USC ... I just would see myself standing in front of the mirror taking deep breaths, going over each and every single details about the function and its preparations one by one inside my mind, and it seemed as if my mind and my heart both are gonna pop out and dance hand in hand in front of me, teasing me to the extreme ... It seemed from inside that I must have lost 2-3 pounds just thinking about the engagement day itself, not worrying about what is to come next once I get engaged (as all my friends used to tease me about me being a Martyr after 13th sept), but being tensed about how the function would be, how things would go at the final moments, and how everyone would be able to enjoy, whether or not I would be able to attend to everyone, have I invited all who are supposed to come, and about the makeup girl for Dipali, about the apparel for her, the ornaments and the various jewellery, my own clothing combination, my footwear, her footwear, the venue, the ceremony itself, the gifts to be exchanged, the menu for the dinner, dad's friends, my friends, my relatives, her relatives, her friends and the long list just goes on and on and on ... Its surprising for me to even sit back and think, that how much effort and how much planning goes into getting two people engaged or married, uniting two families, taking care of both sides of the families, friends and finally ending everything on a happy note, seeing to the fact that no one gets offended by any wrong doing, or any misunderstanding ...

PHEW !!! I can still feel my stomach churning in pressure as I pen down these anxious moments ...

But from my side, almost half of the above concerns were handled really effectively by mom and dad, as they had come prepared from India in full strength and with multiple options which I could never even imagine ... So it did ease out my pressure a bit - but mind you this feeling of relaxation was only for some of the preparation issues, but I was still feeling the butterflies in my stomach for the actual engagement ceremony and how things would be after the engagement ... Ofcourse around me almost all my friends have been married for over an year now, and some more are on their way to that road of bliss, after being engaged with their better halves for a long time.. So it was nothing new for me to actually see and feel those moments, but when it comes down upon one's own self, then it seems as if the entire story line is different ... lol ...


The Night Before D-Day ...
Friday night !!! I wondered how all the friday nights are no where even close to being similar as each weekend unrolls ... There were some friday nights before I even knew Dipali, when a couple of us, the "party" people, used to end up enjoying music and what not, back in the discs/clubs in San Jose and the city - San Francisco ... Then there were the sober friday nights when the gang used to get together for hours of poker and masti ... And then there was this particular Friday night, the 12th of september, the night before a bachelor was going to be a martyr, and things were not as rosy as it seemed ... I just could not sleep well, eat well, breathe well ... Dipali had already arrived in San Jose driving from Los Angeles, with her parents, and I thought maybe just seeing her for a few minutes would bring down my anxiety level to something normal and worth surviving, but my parents told me that before engagement we cannot meet each other ... There went another pound of my weight down the drain (if you know what I mean) ... lol ... So I was on my own, my friends were enjoying seeing me freaking out, my parents were quite cool, ofcourse imagining that now there will be one more leash on their son who might have got out of their control since leaving home in 2004 and that too staying in the US, the land of freedom ... But somehow I managed to grab some sleep ...

Even while I was in deep slumber, I just went through all the things one last time, especially the guests list and people arriving from outside San Jose and outside California... My dad's friends were going to show up from NJ and LA, my uncle (mama) from Seattle, my aunt (masi) from Sacramento,, my cousins from Kansas... But the rest of the gang was going to be from the bay area itself ... That was the only reason I was inclined towards keeping this function here in the bay area, so that I can enjoy it with everyone, as one never knows, who might be able to come for my marraige later next year ... So I mentally checklisted each item and went to sleep ...

The whole week I was suffering from the pains of catching cold, sore throat and mild fever ... There were some names which popped up from my friends, to name this disease of mine ...

dipali-dur-odrome
engagement-fever
end-of-bachelor-day-strauma


THE D-Day - 13th of Sept ...
The Day when Life experiences a different emotion, a different feeling ...
The dawn came early due to my lack of sleep, mixture of anxiety and happiness ... The night before my dad just told me, that your countdown now begins, and withing 24 hours, my life is gonna change ... ;-) It was still 24 hours before I would be actually standing with a ring in one hand, and Dipali's hand in the other and just picturing that moment, made me smile and made my day ... Nevertheless, I did not knew that those 24 hours would pass with 24 different emotions a normal human being could possible go through... I am gonna try and put those different emotions and descirbe them relating my experience of that emotion unfolding these 24 hours ...


Tenseness - As the prep up had already been over, I was still undergoing tenseness about the whole event itself ...

Worry - I was worried the whole week, and especially on Friday night, thinking umpteen times about the next day as to whether everything is done or not and if there is anything else remaining ... I just wanted everything to be in the right place at the right time at the right moment ...

Gloom - I really wanted to meet Dipali the night before, but due to certain traditions I was not able to do so, and felt so gloomy about it that I sulked for almost an hour, but finally gave up ... To add to it, my friends did meet her the next day before the engagement and I felt like kicking them all ... lol

Delight - I had woke up in delight, thinking about this new big step for me and Dipali, imagining a new life knocking on my doors ...

Elation - I was elated to find my Dad's friends coming from far corners, just to shower their blessings and be a part of this memorable event ... That's when I really felt the importance of relationships and bondings which stand testimony over time ... These friends shared almost 25-30 year old friendships and I was blessed to be a part of it ...

Uneasiness - Overall I was always feeling uneasy about the event, and would take deep yawns to gather the lost breathes ...

Anxiety - I must have walked almost 6-8 miles the whole afternoon, pacing back and forth in my apartment, while the rest of the people living with me were taking turns in teasing and making fun of me ... For once I did not mind that, as it did bring my adrenaline back to the normal for few minutes, but the next moment thinking about what is going to happen in the next few hours, it would shoot up in anxiousness...

Panic - I panicked when I found that I might get a pimple on my forehead ... But after a nice bath, all went away and there I was standing in front of the mirror, looking all clean, shaved and worth presenting ...

Amusement - My dad and his friends were trying to amuse me, but in vain...But yeah, I did find them getting amused looking at my face, and the way I was cooking up in a pressure cooker ...

Bliss - The venue, the center stage, the imagination ... Walking into the venue, and standing under the spot light where in some moments I would be holding Dipali's hand and getting engaged - that feeling was totally bliss ...

Happiness - is Dipali. The first glimpse I had of her, that is when I really felt happy, after so much of tensed and anxious moments ...

Excitement - Meeting all the relatives and friends, and with Dipali arriving, I really was excited for the ceremony to start...

Jubilation - With the traditional ceremony beginning, I felt jubilant that finally the moment had arrived... Both families exchanged greetings, gifts and blessed us with love and affection...

Euphoria - Lights, Camera, Action ... There it was ... After a few traditional ceremonies, the moment finally came, and I found myself facing almost a dozen cameras, people cheering me and Dipali, and as we exchanged the rings, the silence broke, and the applause finally brought me back on ground after a great ride to the heavens of love ... Finally, the moment had arrived - Me and Dipali were holding hands, the rings exchanged, and officially - We Were Engaged !!!


Thrill - I was thrilled with the ceremony being over in a nice way and everything going smoothly ... The only thing remaining was the cake cutting, and for the first time I did not feel the urge to smear cake on someone else, especially Dipali ... lol ... The cake was absolutely stunning - looked awesome, the bakery guy had done a great job, and the coffee flavor was something new which I had never tasted before...Somehow I also got my appetite back as everything was over now ...

Adoration - I simply adored the way Dipali was looking, and as soon as the ceremony got over, I just wanted to grab her hand and run away from the venue to some place quiet ...

Enthusiasm - It was really a blessed feeling to see all relatives, friends and family getting enthusiastic about the ceremony, and all of them trying to make this occasion a memorable one in their own way ... Friends teasing me, realtives blessing me, and I felt really happy watching them in full zeal ...

Blessed - I felt really blessed, when almost all of the guests, including close family members and friends, took their turns in wishing us love and happiness ...

Mesmerized - The cameras were clicking, and I knew what was to come next once this ceremony is over ... Sitting back, and mesmerizing these moments would be something me and Dipali were looking forward to ...

Hungry - I was so damn hungry, as I had lost my apetite for the past 15 odd hours and had hardly eaten anything due to the excitement and anxiety ... The food was nice, and inviting, but I had something else in my mind, as I knew what was to come next once my friends were done with their dinner ...

Nausea - The worst feeling or the emotion that I could experience was feeling nauseated after getting stuffed with 16 gulab jamuns (indian sweet), and that too in quick succession ... My friends, who were all pumped up waiting for this moment, to take out all the wrath they had for me due to my "Ha Bhai" trauma given to them, left no effort and made sure that my mouth never got a chance to even chew the sweet, and after 16 down the stomach, I just felt the urge to vomit but somehow I was ok after drinking a pepsi ... Before this, I was also stuffed with the cake which was meant for about 5-7 people and I had to take all of this all by myself and everyone spared Dipali with just 2 or 3 gulab jamuns ... But nevertheless, the nauseated feeling was enjoyable this time ...

Sacrifice - I somehow felt that I had sacrificed my bachelorhood, had became a martyr (shahid) or a scapegoat (a bakro) ... But the feeling this time was for good ... lol ... I was just resonating my friend's voices - "Beta tu toh gayo", "Man you are dead meat" ... lol

Contentment - I was contented seeing a big smile on my parents faces and on Dipali's face ... That feeling of contentment and pride made me lose all my fatigue and tireness vanish in thin air ... I had made them happy and that is the biggest happiest feeling I could ever imagine ...

Relief - What a relief !!! I Said finally to myself, and to Dipali and to my parents, as we headed back home ... Everything went as planned, went smoothly, everyone enjoyed, we enjoyed, got engaged, a new life starts, a new phase begins, became a martyr, and now begins almost a year of courtship ...

How is it going to be ??? Well no more anxious moments ... Life will be pleasant and even with its significant eventful ups and downs, now I have not only my parents but Dipali too by my side to keep the Shah's ship afloat amidst all the waves of happiness and storms of sadness ....

Such were my 24 emotions for the 24 hours, that I could not help but give in to them without much effort of holding back ... Ofcourse each emotion I felt had its own sweet taste and its own value ...

But at the end - everything just turned out to be perfectly good !!!

Let me just simply end this post and start my courtship period, with a quote -
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. ~Henry Van Dyke


Love
Samkit-Dipali

(PS: The pics and the video of the ceremony would be coming up soon in another blog post as soon as I get all of them sorted out, and are ready to be shared ... )

Paryushan and Parnas - Michami Dukdam

This post, for a change, has nothing to do with any memories or moments as some of my other posts have been so far ... This is more for a religious reason, to approach and reach out to some people who will read this post and thus enlighten them with a bit of jainism and its rituals and ceremonies... Of-course there will be some highlights of my childhood memories of this festival of Paryushan which I cherished 2 days back on Sunday and will cherish again in some hours as I head of for Pratikaman... Also there will be a lot of terms which will have to take a gujarati accent as it would be hard to explain them in English ... But nevertheless this post shall take you down to the memory lane especially for those who are not in India this time of the year, and are celebrating this festival elsewhere, just like what I have been doing for the last 5 years in the US ...

Paryushan Parva - As the name suggests, celebrated annually for self-purification and uplift is meant to adhere to the ten universal virtues in practical life; and leads us on the right path, far from the mad strife for material prosperity, which ultimately leads us to our true destination i.e., salvation. The non-Jains also express high reverence for this Jain festival. All members of Jain community- high and low, young and old, and males and females, participate with full vigor and zeal in the various religious rituals and cultural programs. They listen with rapt attention to the holy sermons of the saints and learned Jain scholars arranged during the ten-day festival. In these celebrations lie dormant the seeds of the well being, peace and happiness of the common man. On the eve of this festival all activities, which add to social discord or bitterness are declared taboo from the temple pulpits.

These celebrations harbinger social harmony and amity and preach the lofty Jain motto ‘Live and Let live’.

There are different aspects of this sacred festival ... It includes, fasting, offering prayers, worshipping Mahavir Bhagwan (Lord Mahavir) and further, at the last day seeking forgiveness through a particular ceremony called - Pratikaman ...

Fasting ... In Jainisim, fasting is considered as a spiritual activity, that purify our souls, improve morality, spiritual power, increase knowledge and strengthen relationships. The purpose is to purify our souls by staying closer to our own souls, looking at our faults and asking for forgiveness for the mistakes and taking vows to minimize our faults. Also a time when Jains will review their action towards their animals, environment and every kind of soul. Strict fasting where one has to completely abstain from food and even water is observed for a week or more. Depending upon one's capability, complete fasting spans between 8-31 days. People also have to follow the ritual of not eating after sunset.

I still remember during my school and college days back in India, that I used to get excited for the festival of Paryushan altogether for a very different reason... It was during this week long festival that I used to get a treat of all the specially made sweets amongst which the best being the Moti Chur Laddoo and Magas Ladoo...Also to add a spicy snack how can we forget the munchy Fulvadis... Also this whole week, I used to get a new kind of dish made out of different tpyes of pulses (Kathols) every day... I never used to know back in my childhood days, that we can also have a vegetable made out of Papad ... Yummy...all this dishes and my stomach is already growling in hunger ...

I still wonder how people who do Atthais (Fasting for 8 consectuive days), can survive... People doing more than 8 days are simply un believable, but for 8 days no food, and water also has to be boiled and that too cant be drank after sunset ... I really am not sure if my body system can survive this but I always DO think about doing that year after year ...lol but so far have never done that ...

Offering Prayers... The Namokar Mantra, is such an integral part of my life, that Paryushan or no Paryushan, i still dont remember any single day that I might not have chanted the namokar mantra 20-30 times ... Ofcourse back in school, I just used to say it 2 times a day, but for the past 3-5 years, this few lines have become such a binding force in my life, that no matter what, at each and every step of my life, I just have to recite this at the back of my mind ... Follwing is the real meaning of each of the lines ...

Namo Arihantânam I bow to the Arihantâs (Prophets).
Namo Siddhânam I bow to the Siddhâs (Liberated Souls).
Namo Âyariyânam I bow to the Âchâryas (Preceptors or Spiritual Leaders).
Namo Uvajjhâyanam I bow to the Upadhyâya (Teachers).
Namo Loe Savva Sahûnam I bow to all the Sadhûs (Saints).
Eso Panch Namokkaro, Savva This fivefold bow (mantra) destroys all sins Pâvappanâsano and obstacles
Mangalanam Cha Savvesim and of all auspicious mantras,is the first
Padhamam Havai Mangalam and foremost one.

Mahavir Janam (Birth of Lord Mahavir) This is considered to be the biggest day for all Jains and no matter what, each Jain would surely try and make it a point to go and worship Lord Mahavir, and especially honor the birth of Lord Mahavir... The belief is, that Queen Trishala, mother of Lord Mahavir at midnight saw fourteen following dreams after conception:
1. Elephant
2. Bull
3. Lion
4. Goddess Laxmi
5. Garland of Flowers
6. Full Moon
7. Sun
8. Large Flag
9. Silver Urn
10. Lotus-Lake
11. Milky-Sea
12. Celestial Air-plane
13. Heap of Gems
14. Smokeless Fire

After having such fourteen wonderful dreams, Queen Trishala woke up. Her dreams filled her with wonder. She never had such dreams before. She narrated her dreams to King Siddharth. After nine months and fourteen days, Queen Trishala delivered a baby boy - Lord Mahavir.

These 14 dreams are termed as "Supans", and each one is worshipped before the birth of Lord Mahavir, during this day long ceremony. People actually bid to get the honor of touching the 14 Supans and thus letting others worship it while you are holding them.

I still remember, that the temple back in my city where I used to go daily, they have the same ceremony and people are really happy to bid as much as they can in order to get the honor of being the first one to worship the Supan. My dad used to do the same for me, but he always used to do it in the name of his dad, my Grandfather... My dad, would bid for atleast 2-3 Supans each year after year, and I still remember, being a child, I used to get so shy, because if you are the highest bidder, then the temple saints make you stand in the middle of the hall, in front of everyone, where you have to hold that particular Supan which you bidded for, and go round in showing it to everyone in the hall, and people shower blessings, and rice and holy water on you ... But it was really an honor to get that feeling and you feel blessed to hold that Supan in your hands...

It is considered very holy and sacred to have the first touch at the swing in which Lord Mahavir is placed as soon as he is born...

Pratikaman... This is one of the process of remembering all the sins done by us throughout the year and confessing in front of Guruji and asking for forgiveness. Also during pratikaman we ask forgivessness from all our fellow mates incase we have hurt them by any means...it is said "maan vachan n kaya thi" - by thoughts, speech or action, intentionally or unintionally.
Ideally pratikaman has to be done everyday to wash our daily sins but it is said that even if you cannot do it everyday it should be done atleast once a year - on Samvatsari, which is today. There is a 2-3 hours ritual, where we read and go through the different types of sins a person can commit, and we ask for the forgiveness of those, and also in a way offer praises to God, so that we can cultivate the great qualities of God within us...

Its been almost over a decade now, since I started going for Pratikaman, and year after year, I learn a lot of new things... Last year it was a nice experience with friends here in the US, and we read the whole book and did the Pratikaman almost to perfection, which again we would try and do today ...

Michami Dukdam... The meaning of Michami Dukdam is to ask for forgiveness for any sins I have done ... Normally people wish Michami Dukdam to the near and dear ones, before going for Pratikaman where they wash away all the sins through prayers...

As for the fasting, I have done a whole day long Upvast, which means, no food at all, only boiled water, and that too after sunset, I can drink only 3 times...

Well I am at job, and so far its been good with the upvast stint, and in fact I have not even drank a single glass of water yet, but will do so before leaving job and heading to the temple for Pratikaman. The real test is after the Pratikaman, once I reach home, it will be tough to spend 2-3 hours before sleep, but nevertheless, its just one day, and I think we have that much strength to do this ...

So wishing you all - MICHAMI DUKDAM - Please forgive me if knowingly or unknowingly, I have caused any pain, hurt you or said or done anything to you, I hereby fold my hands and seek your forgiveness ...