The very auspicious and much anticipated month of Kartik is here and as Hindus, we are very fortunate to have the many opportunities that we do during this month for our own spiritual development and evolution. We have lots to look forward to, from Karwa Chowth to Divali to Kartik Nahaan. During this month, God, in various forms of Nature, is worshipped and honoured. Tulsi Maa, Mother in the form of plants/trees and Mount Goverdhan, God in the form of mountain and earth, are also revered.
In this month’s article, I would like to narrow in on Kartik Nahaan celebrations. On this day, Hindus from all over the world flood towards the various waterways (holy rivers and oceans) to worship Gangaa Maa. The inherent connection between man and nature in the form of water cannot be more emphasised during this auspicious period. While we are very fortunate in Trinidad and Tobago as islands of the Caribbean to be surrounded by water and to have a clean supply of water to our households everyday, we must not forget the millions across the globe who are experiencing drough, who have little or no access to clean drinking water or those who are fiercely fighting for the protection of the waterways, like the Native American peoples of the US who are speaking out against the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.
While the ocean is home to various species of aquatic life, fish, turtles, coral reefs, whales and other beings yet unknown to human, unfortunately it is being threatened by pollution from people on land. Plastic, oil spills, chemicals and other toxic waste continue to be a source of pollution.
So while we celebrate and honour Mother in the form of Ganga Maa at this year’s celebrations, let’s take a few minutes to learn how we can prepare for a GREEN, CLEAN Kartik Nahaan 2016! A few simple tips we can easily adopt:
- Use brown bags as opposed to plastic bags, paper boxes as opposed to styrofoam for storage and refrain as much as possible from using plastic bottles. Liquid such as water or milk for offering can be securely stored in glass bottles with properly sealed covers or (as in the case of milk) kept in the tetra packs which can be dropped off at various recycling facilities and collection points in Trinidad eg. Icare. Refer to facebook page for further details.
- Refrain from offering items into the water that are either non-biodegradable, toxic and/or can clog or pollute the waterways such as deeyas, match boxes, cloth, plastic / styrofoam cups, bottles and containers, suhari leaves and coconut shells.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! – Remember to reduce wastage, reuse items such as cups, containers, bottles and hold onto your Tetra packs, aluminum cans and plastic bottles for recycling!
- Keep your area clean – After pooja is completed, ensure only the flowers, leaves and other small easily biodegradable items are offered into the water, removing all other items and placing into bins.
As we celebrate Kartik Nahaan 2016, let us continue to exercise our duty to protect and preserve our environment. Jai Swaha Mataa!
Lydia Singh
SWAHA – Vice President
BSc. Eng, PMP, Living Building Ambassador (International Living Future Institute)
http://collaboratives.living-future.org/trinidad-tobago/
