Hindus throughout Guyana celebrated the Kartik Nahan festival yesterday. Before the crack of dawn, scores of devotees made their way to river banks and the sea shore to offer prayers and bathe in the salt water.
Kartik Nahan, also called Kartik Snaan, is the last Hindu festival in their calendar year and is observed during the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November). It is customary for Hindus to go to the rivers or oceans to do pujas (prayers and offerings to God) and take a bath (Snaan) on this day. It is the general belief of Hindus that sins or bad karmas are washed away or forgiven when you perform this ritual.
Stabroek News visited several areas between the Kingston seawall and Mon Repos on the East Coast Demerara yesterday morning. Small groups of Hindus could be seen bathing, praying, and making offering along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the most outstanding displays was the colourful flags along the stretch of seawall in the Turkeyen area, where the Eccles Devi Mandir erected an altar in observance of Kartik Nahan. Pandit Hardat Ramkarran explained that the Mandir has been doing this annually for almost a decade. “We brought the flags from out Mandir yard. Those are the flags we would erect all year after we’ve done a puja. We bring them here as decoration on Kartik and then let them loose in the sea,” a member of the Mandir explained.
Beneath a canvas tent, the Mandir members set up a mini-altar where Pandit Ramkarran conducted the necessary rituals. All Hindus and curious members of the public were welcomed to the join in their activities. Various Indian sweets and drinks were also distributed by the group.
According to Deoki Kishun, the ceremony was sponsored by the Jai Ram Little India store. She said that they would remain at the location all day because they conducted three services, at 6 am, 12 pm and 6 pm, respectively.
The highlight of the Kartik Nahan ceremony, the Hawan (offerings), occurred during the last service. Pandit Ramkarran explained that apart from the Kartik deity, they would worship Lord Shiva and the Goddess Ganga, and make offerings to all other deities.
One hundred and eight water coconuts were offered to Lord Shiva in honour of his 108 different forms. The same amount of offerings (a mixture of grains) was also made to the fire in a sizeable vessel.
The name ‘kartik’ is symbolic of the auspiciousness of the month and reflects the end of the dark ages, the conquest of good over evil, light over darkness and the return of peace, purity and prosperity. Kartik Nahan is among the most observed and popular Hindu religious festivals observed in Guyana.
In the path of devotion, there is the story of how the gods and goddesses lost control of the world when they were overpowered by the demons. This symbolic story tells of how the Goddess Laxmi appeared from the ocean and with the help of Lord Vishnu, the ocean was churned and the nectar obtained was consumed by the helpless gods who regained their strength to defeat the demons and resume control of the world. It means to churn the ‘ocean of knowledge’ and imbibe the virtues and discard the vices that are often called ‘poison’.
