Last modified: 2009-05-18 by ian macdonald
Keywords: nanthy flag | hinduism | bull |
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Several Sri-Lankan newspapers have published more or less the same article by
Kalabooshanam Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar, entitled "Maha Shivarathri and
Significance of Nanthy flag". Maha Shivarathri (lit., The Great Night of Lord
Shiva) is an important Hindu festival, which took place this year on 6 March and
seems to be of special significance in Kerala and Sri Lanka.
Quoting the relevant part of the aforementioned article:
"[...] Realizing this divine service the World Saiva Council's (Sri Lanka) vice
President, Vice President of All Ceylon Hindu Congress, Vice President of
Vivekananda Society and Trustee of the Colombo Saiva Munneta Sangam Mr.
Sinnadurai Dhanabalaa (JP) and Secretary of the World Saiva Council (Sri Lanka)
Mr. Muttiah Kathirgamanathan and several other eminent personalities like Mrs.
Raja Manohari Pulendran, Mr. Subramaniam Chelttias, Trustee of the New
Kathiresan Temple, Bambalapitiya, Treasure of the World Saiva Council (Sri
Lanka) Mr. R. Vaithamanithy and Mr. Raja Puveneswaran have taken all possible
steps to hoist Nanthy flags at new Kathiresan Temple on Maha Sivarathri day and
distribute these flags to all the devotees and wellwishers.
The funds collected on this day will be made use to put up a building in
Batticaloa for the orphans affected by war and tsunami. Likewise, the funds
collected in Jaffna, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Udappu, Negombo, Vavuniya through
the distribution of these Nanthy flags will be used for the respective projects
in those particular areas. Further, these flags will be hoisted in various
temples and religious organizations in foreign countries, like London, South
Africa, Australia, Canada, France and various other countries. Furthermore, the
flag hoisting ceremony in Temples particularly on Mahasivarathri day indicates
that the descended Kundalani Sakthy at Moolatharam of our spinal chord should
rise to the head.
The flag lowering ceremony indicates how this supreme conscience descends down
from the head to the body (creation) and reach the end of the spinal cord. In
fact, the hoisting of Nanth Kodi (Nanthy Flag) at the top of the Rajagopurams of
the temples and in other religious organizations will undoubtedly explain the
principles and philosophies of Saivaism to achieve the goal of life."
There is an image attached to the article, made of a black rectangle including a
swallow-tailed crimson pennant featuring a bull, but I don't know whether the
Nanthy flag is the whole image or only the pennant (which would make more
sense).
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/03/06/fea02.asp - Daily News, 6 March 2008
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2008