DASARA - NAVARATHRI - OCTOBER 6TH 2011

Dasara is celebrated all over India as a religious as well as a social festival. Nava meansnine and rathri means night and so Navarathri means nine nights. Some call it asNavarathri, some as Vijaya Dashami, and some as Dussehra. Doesn’t matter what you call, does it? This year Dasara is celebrated from September 28th – October 6th 2011. From day one of the festival, it is customary to keep a Kalasha, this is filled with water and 4 betel leaves are arranged as shown below in the pictures. Apply Haldi  , Kumkum and flowers, gejje vastra   as shown again. This Kalasha is kept in front of the Pattada Gombe which is given during the marriage to the bride. This signifies Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi. Again, see pictures below. These are decorated with different jewelry, crown, bangles, and dresses every few years.

The pictures were taken this year 2011 during my visit to Bombay. If you are keeping an elaborate Gombe (Dolls), than the Kalasha and the Pattada Bombe are placed on the top shelf. And all other arrangements follow next. Even though all the 10 days and nine nights are important, there are a few major days where pooja is done with great devotion and pomp.

Those days are as follows:

·         Saraswathi Awahana – October 3th

·         Saraswathi Pooja – October 4th. Read all the details about the pooja here.

·         Durgasthami – October 4th

·         Mahanavami – October 5th

·         Vijayadashami – October 6th

DON BOSCO MISSIONARY ASPIRANTATE SIRAJULLI, GUWHATI, ASSAM

The first Missionary Aspirantate was started in India in the year 2011, in the province of Guwhati. The inauguration of the house took place in the month of November 22^nd 2011. There were number of important dignitaries present for the grand inauguration. The Missionary Aspirnate, the house is named after  a bishop called Huber D’ Rosario. A part from all the regular time tables of the house , also have four groups for boys which are named after these missionary who came to India and to Assam.

In the present blog let us view about Bishop Huber D’ Rosario SDB and Bishop Orestes Marengo SDB

Bishop Hubert D' Rosario sdb - 2nd Bishop of Dibrugarh 1964 – 1969 He was born on the 21st February 1916. He was ordained a Salesian priest on the 16th April 1947. He was elected Bishop of Dibrugarh on the 6th July 1964 and his Episcopal ordination was held on the 6th September 1964 in Bombay during the Eucharistic Congress. He was transferred to Shillong on the 6th June 1969. THY KINGDOM COME was his Episcopal motto. Bishop Orestes Marengo SDB - 1st Bishop of Dibrugarh 1951 -1964 Born to Mr. Lorenzo and Agostina in 1906, Orestes Marengo, after completing his preliminary studies, joined the Salesians at Valdocco in 1919. He was selected to come to Assam. He and his companions arrived at Shillong on the 22nd December 1923 under the leadership of Fr. Stephen Ferrando sdb. Archbishop F. Perier ordained him a priest on the 2nd April 1932 in the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Shillong. As a priest he toured the whole region and did real wonders. On 23rd July 1951 he received the official communication of the erection of the Diocese of Dibrugarh and his nomination as the first bishop of Dibrugarh. His Episcopal ordination was held on 27th December 1951 at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin. On the 18th May 1952 Bishop Marengo was solemnly installed as the first Bishop of Dibrugarh. He was transferred to Tezpur in July 1964 and left for Tezpur on the 27th August 1964, after presenting his successor, Bishop Hubert D' Rosario sdb, to the people. Bishop Marengo had for his Episcopal motto: TO SEEK SOULS.

MY VISIT TO SHILLONG