Jaipur celebrates Gayatri Jayanti

Posted on by WHN
logoGayatri Jayanti is being observed in many towns of North India, including Jaipur, by performing various life-ceremonies and Gayatri Yagyas, considered to typical of Vedic life along with chanting of Gayatri Mantra or hymn, are being performed by people from various castes and genders working as priests.

The celebration has been popularized by the All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP) in Haridwar at a large scale to spread Gayatri Mantra to the masses. In some of these yagyas, women and persons from different castes other than Brahmins are also encouraged to perform role of priests.

In Vedic culture, Goddess Gayatri is typically portrayed as seated on a red lotus and accompanied by a white swan. In her hands, she is shown holding a book to portray knowledge in one hand and a cure in the other. As the goddess of wisdom and well-being, she is revered as a form of Adi Shakti- the feminine divine.
Gayatri Mantra, the Vedic hymn consisting of twenty-four syllable, chanting of which has been popularized by the members of AWGP founded by Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya in many cities across Indiaand among Hindu families abroad. Consequently, all sects and castes of the Hindus have started accepting the importance of this hymn including the Arya Samajists. 

According to AWGP, the word ‘Gayatri’ stands for both the object of worship and divine entity described in the mantra. Thus, popularly, the Gayatri Mantra is seen as an object of worship that the Mantra is personified into Mother Goddess. It is due to the efforts of the AWGP, the practice of the mantra to include women and all castes and its use is now very widespread in many towns of the country.

Here is the meaning of the Gayatri Mantra in English summed up as a haiku.

Get enlightenment.
Meditate on divine light.
Realise truth of life.

Source: merinews.com