From the Editor’s Desk

28 February 2022

Namaskar to all! On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri (referred more popularly as Herath), we would like to wish you a very warm ‘’Herath Poshte’’.  

Herath indeed marks the most significant day in our Calendar (on Trayodashi), with preparations beginning in full swing weeks in advance. Families around the world come together to celebrate the festival’s rich traditions and rituals with a lot of zest and zeal. This can be making the household sparkling clean, buying special utensils, gathering pooja Samagri, and also a shopping trip for new clothes. The festivities are held to invite ‘’Vatuknath’’ to our homes as a guest and can typically last for three days.  

The main ‘’Vatuk Pooja’’ includes fasting during the day and performing a ‘’Yaga’’ or fire sacrifice in the night time. This entails worshipping of two large vessels (Kalash and Gagar), which are filled with walnuts and beautifully decorated with flowers and holy thread. The vessels are marked with the symbol of Om, each one representing Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Walnuts are commonly grown in Kashmir, and each one of the four quadrants of the seed is said to represent one of the four ‘’Vedas’’. We fondly remember sitting down for hours to make our offerings in the pious fire and later blowing of Shankh (Conch) when concluding the Pooja, which sometimes included a friendly competition. A day after Herath Pooja, children and young adults get a chance to fill up their money pots with ‘’Herath Kharch’’, which they look forward to with much excitement. The ‘’Kharch’’ is a small token of money, representing blessings from elders in the family. The festival truly brings our culture’s positive values of remaining connected with one’s family.  

With reducing number of Community COVID-19 cases and easing of lockdown rules, we eagerly look forward to sharing the joy of festivities with our friends and family. The Kashmiri Pandit Association of Europe (KPAE) annual Diwali event was held in December 2021; many of us reconnected with warm hugs and danced the evening away. The next community function is the Annual Herath/Navreh Celebration on 26^th March, to be held in Birmingham – please see further details in the ‘’Event section’’.  

Last year we released three Issues of the ISBUND Newsletter. We sincerely thank all the Biradiri members for their support and contributions, without which this would not have been possible. We continue to use your feedback to keep improving the newsletter, so please do share your views and comments with us.    

Following on from the last Issue, this issue will continue with the theme ‘The Paths We Chose’. We showcased the diverse nature of talent within the KP diaspora in the UK, of which we are immensely proud. It is in such abundance, that one edition would not suffice to capture it all. We hope that you will enjoy reading stories from the vast array of career paths taken by our community members. No doubt, these will inspire the next generation to identify and build on their future aspirations.  

To mark the special occasion of Herath, we will open the edition with a very special article: A rendezvous with Mrs Phoola Warikoo, which is filled with nostalgic memories of celebrating Herath before in the valley. Sanjla Misri and Rekha Tukra ji will also take us back to Herath times in Kashmir with their writing. Following on from there, we have an interview with Mr Amit Kotha, who is a stalwart in the financial sector, an Ode to our Teachers to celebrate three wonderful KP women in the education sector, an interview with a young KP novelist, Mr Rahul Raina, among other articles that are featured.  

We also send you our greetings for upcoming Navreh in advance and end this note with the following text translated from the Chandogya Upanishad 5.19.1–2:  

Inner Homa, body as temple 

Therefore the first food which a man may take, 
is in the place of Homa. 
And he who offers that first oblation, 
should offer it to prana, saying svaha! 
Then Prana is satisfied. 
If Prana is satisfied, the eye is satisfied. 
If eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied. 
If sun is satisfied, heaven is satisfied. 

Best wishes, 

Sheetal Raina, Shivani Dudha, Anjan Raina  

Read the full issue here.