anjali makaram 2011

M.G. Menon
Hindus all over the world are
celebrating the Makara Sankranthi which
marks the beginning of Sun’s northward
journey from the Tropic of Capricorn
towards the Tropic of Cancer. This
northward journey for the six months
duration marks the Utharaayanam, a
period considered to be auspicious for
conducting events like marriage,
Upanayanam, consecration of idols, etc.
On Makara Sankranti the Sun’s position
transits from Dhanur Rasi to Makaram Rasi
and as we all know, this event is celebrated
every year at Sabarimala by hundreds of
thousands of devotees watching the
Makara Jyothi. At the same time, millions
of people at Kumbha Mela dip themselves
in the waters of the holy rivers at Prayag
(Thriveni Sangamam) near Allahabad,
Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.
Let us pray that this Utharaayana
Kalam be a significant period in KHNA’s
history for celebrating the tenth
anniversary of KHNA during its 6th Biennial
Convention on the first, second and third
of July 2011. Let this convention be a forum
where all, specially the younger generation,
discover that we the Hindus have an
imperishable common thread which unites
us and that is basically our rich philosophy
which is the treasure of knowledge of the
Supreme Being. Let this convention be a
forum to learn that the teachings of our
religion are of eternal value (Sanathana)
and that our scriptures are text books
perfected in thousands of years of
research and they provide solutions to life’s
problems - physical or psychological - and
guide us to an appropriate path to spiritual
realization.
Let this Convention be a forum to
remind ourselves that thousands of years
ago it was the Hindu scholars who
formulated the basic theories of
Mathematics, the number system, the Zero,
the decimal system, geometry,
trigonometry, astronomy and medicine. We
also know now that it was not a set of
nomads called Aryan invaders, who brought
the “knowledge”, but it was the indigenous
people of Bharath who wrote the Hindu
scriptures and the ancient books of
knowledge and Sanskrit is considered the
mother of European languages. No wonder
why the great scientist Albert Einstein
declared, “We owe a lot to Indians who
taught us how to count, without which no
worthwhile scientific discovery could have
been made.”
A large number of volunteers are
working behind the scene to bring you the
convention on a silver platter. Come and
enjoy the beautifully decorated Swami
Sathyananda Nagar at the Hyatt Regency
in the premises of Washington DC where
the three days of festivities will enthrall you
with programs of children and youth,
seminars, lectures, yoga, music, display of
Kerala arts by guest artists and of our own
KHNA members from all over North
America. Enjoy the stay in one of the largest
hotels in Washington area surrounded by
breath-taking scenes and the world famous
museums, monuments and memorials.
In the meantime, I wish you all a Makara
Sankranti filled with joy as well as prosperity
in the days ahead.
President’s Message
KHNA - 2011
Anjali January
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