Significance of Celebrating 70th birthday with pujas

[SGanesan]

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Hindus celebrate 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays with Homas and Pujas. Some do these at Thirukadaiyur temple. I wish to know the significance of these celebrations and need in these days. Many of my friends say that these rituals does not mean any thing. I wish to know the readers views.

SGanesan

 

[P.J.]

Sri SGanesan Sir

Celebrating 60 th Birthday - as Shshtiabdapoorthi or Shastipoorthi.

On the Janma Nakshathram day of every year Ayushya Homam is preferably done.

On the janma Nakshathram day of 60th year begining (59 over) Ugra Radha Santhi is done.

When Sixty years over and 61 year commences (Janma Nakshathram day) Sasti Apthapoorthy Santhi is done. (Incidently because Hindu 60 year cycle, the birth year (name) repeats in the Prabha - Akshya scale)

When 69 years over and 70th year commences (Janma Nakshathra day) Bhima Ratha Santhi is done.

On the 77 years 7 months and 7 days day, Vijaya Ratha Santhi is done.

On the end of 80 years and 8 months or after seeing 1000 full moon days Sathabishekam is done (Many do at the end end of 80 years).

(1000 X 29.53)/ 365.25 = 80.8487337440 years (80 years and 10 months).

{ Approximately, (1000 X 30)/ 360 = 83.33333 years (83 years and 4 months)}

On the end of 100 years and beginning of 101 year Kanakabishekam is done.

Rudra Ekaadasini and other procedures for Saivites are similar for all occasions. Mangalaya Dharanam is only for Shasti Apthapoorthy Santhi.

Shshtiabdapoorthi or Shastipoorthi.

The Shastipoorthi Shanti should be performed in the sixtieth year and in the same month and day of birth according to the Indian Zodiac. This is considered to be the best option. In case it is not possible to time it exactly on the same day, allowance is given to perform it on a convenient day during and before the completion of sixtieth year. The choice of the place to carry out this programme could be a pilgrim town, a temple, a river bank or even a householder's residence.

The term Shasti in numerology denotes sixty (60). In an individual's life, the completion of sixty years is referred to as Shshtiabdapoorthi or Shastipoorthi. This term is derived from Sanskrit which means Shasti - Sixty; abda - years;poorthi - completion. The sixtieth year in everyone's life is a significant milestone. A memorable turning point. A touching reminder of the rich, mellowed life that would unfold in the years to come.

The sages and the rishis of lore have acknowledged the sanctity of the sixtieth year in one's life and have drawn out elaborate rituals to mark this special event. They looked at it as rebirth and suggested the repetition of those rituals performed at one's birth. Hence this celebration at this point of life is a sacred part of the hallowed Vedic culture.

As part of the celebrations the couple's children perform their parents' second wedding. This is reason for a grand family reunion to incorporate an important event in the couple's married life.

The Shastipoorthi celebrations in modern times have two important aspects 1.Shanti and 2. Kranthi. The rituals in the former go by the norms prescribed in the shastras, while the latter is purely conventional in nature.

Shanti

The rituals carved out as part ofShanti are also referred to asUgraradha Shanti. Ugraradha is nothing but the harsh natured time. In a hundred-year time scale of man's life, pre-sixty is a period of materialistic pursuit while the post-sixty span is slated for spiritual endeavour. The Ugraradha Shanti is a prayer sent to the heavens to make the post-sixty span a spiritually fulfilling experience.

Three different ways are chiseled to carry out the Shanti aspect. They are

• Shounakoktam
• Bodhaayanoktam
• Shaivaagamoktam

The basic elements of these three ways remain the same, though the contents vary marginally. Of all, Shaivaagamokta Santi is very elaborate and ritual-laden. Given its exhaustive scope of rituals, only a limited few like the kings and the emperors can follow it in toto, though it is not entirely ruled out for devout householders.

Kranthi
After the successful completion of the "Shanti" programme, the Kranthiprogramme follows in which "Kalyaanam" is very important. "Kranthi" means "to step ahead" and signifies heading towards a new life.

"Shastipoorthi" is a good bridge - builder between the householder's domestic concerns and Vaanaprasta's spiritual yearnings. During Vaanaprastha, the married couple is to fulfill their life's mission by staying together through observance of celibacy. The "Kalyaana Veduka" is a reminder of the unique role they are to play in the years to come. Marriage in the younger days promises physical proximity, while the one performed now brings about spiritual affinity.

Thus the Shanti - Kranthi aspects, which run through the "Shastipoorthi" celebrations provide a fusion of spiritual and social obligations which are the very bed rock the Indian culture.


Celebrating 70 th Year birthday-


The 70 year's is called 'Beemaratham'. Bhima Ratha Santhi is done as a remedy to overcome the death fear, loss of money, loss of relatives etc. This samti is done at temple or riverbed or at home

80 year celebration-SathabishekamSathabishekam is done for sarva arishta nivaran

'nityanna dada dharunagnihotri vedantavid chandrasahasra darshi
masopavasi cha pativrata cha shad jivaloke mama vandaniya'

Daily food donars, regular agnihotram performers, Vedic Pandits, 1000 full moon seen persons, Ekadesi vratam holders and virtuous women are respectably greeted in this world.A similar kind of celebrations for elderly persons are Bhim Rathaarohan(in 77 years, 7 months, 7 days of age), Deva Rathaarohan (88 years 8 months, 8 days of age), Divya Rathaarohan (in 99 years, 9 months, 9 days of age), Mahadivya Rathaarohan (105 years 8 months, 8 days of age, Sashtiaapdapoorthi (or Shashti poorthi).)



http://www.indiadivine.org/content/...ebrations-on-occasion-of-70th-80th-birthdays/http://www.shaaditimes.com/wedding-rituals/indian-customs/shastipoorthi-041018

http://harivara.com/product/bhima-ratha-shanthi/

https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111011034710AAq5udk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahasra_purna_chandrodayam

http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/showthread.php?t=6403


http://www.indiadivine.org/content/...ebrations-on-occasion-of-70th-80th-birthdays/

 

[sangom]

Hindus celebrate 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays with Homas and Pujas. Some do these at Thirukadaiyur temple. I wish to know the significance of these celebrations and need in these days. Many of my friends say that these rituals does not mean any thing. I wish to know the readers views.

SGanesan

I don't know whether all sections of hindus celebrate the 60th., 70th., and 80th., birthdays. Among tamil brahmins the 60th. birthday is celebrated. Because of the better financial circumstances which have come as a result of the IT boom etc., many tabras now also spend on their 70th. birthday and go to Tirukkadavur, and so on.

The Ayus or life span is believed to be determined for each one of us, even before we are born into this world. If we believe this, then no amount of homas or poojas will be of any use in increasing or decreasing our life span even by a second or minute. But if someone has the finance he/she can very well celebrate having lived for 60, 70 or 80 years in this world and in that process of celebrating some others may become happy. Why deny that? The rituals by themselves do not mean anything imho.

 

[prasad1]

If you have resources why not celebrate everyday, every birthday, and every occasion.
If you put food, and drinks there will be many more friends and family.

 

[kgopalan]

kindly vide in the rituals ceremonies and poojas sticky thread ganapathy and navagraha homam second page. details are there .for 60-70.80 birth day celebrations/

 

[SGanesan]

60th , 70th, 80th birthday celebrations

If you have resources why not celebrate everyday, every birthday, and every occasion.
If you put food, and drinks there will be many more friends and family.

Hindu functions, wedding celebrations, Dussera/Navarathri 9 days of celebration, Diwali etc are social events with good religious significance. This gives relief from the monotony of life- daily going to work, eating, sleeping. Celebrations gives opportunity for meeting relatives, eating variety of foods-sweets... I think that boycotting 60th, 70th, 80th birthday is not a good idea. The Homas certainly gives the persons confidence that they are getting GODs blessings for long prosperous life.
But, if a person is poor, doing the above functions by spending a lot of borrowed money is not good.