We have a very special week coming up, a beautiful moon lights up the night sky on Vasant Poornima on 7th March, followed by International Women’s Day on the 8th! There is an underlying significance that links both these events, one that relates to celebrating the feminine.
Vasant Poornima, which as the name suggests, celebrates Spring, arguably the Queen of all seasons, as nature which has been hibernating through winter breaks out into beautiful colours through leaves and flowers. This day is also celebrated as the birthday of the Goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to have been born during the churning of the great milky ocean by the asuras and devas.
Goddess Lakshmi represents wealth and prosperity, and her presence is essential for the functioning of human life, from basic essentials to celebrations. On the 8th, we celebrate the colourful festival of Holi, which is believed to have its origin in the way that Lord Krishna played Holi with Radha Rani in Vrindavan.
The feminine has been deeply revered in Santana Dharma as the Divine Mother, amongst other forms. She has been celebrated as the beneficent Lakshmi or Parvati, but equally also in her valorous form as Durga or Kali. She is the divine shakti from which the masculine counterparts derive their powers.
In today’s day and age, women are constantly shattering glass ceilings, taking on careers and adventures that were previously in the masculine domain. From our inspirational women’s cricket team, which won the Asia Cup, to the first woman, Capt Shiva Chauhan, who was recently posted on active duty in the treacherous heights of Siachen, gender diversity is being celebrated in every arena. And rightly so, as Indian women also walk the corridors of power in global giants like Chanel and Vimeo, amongst others.
The women in our lives play different roles from mother to wife to daughter and sister, often selflessly, as that natural nurturing instinct means that they typically put the joy and comfort of family before self. And on this special day which marks the achievement of women, irrespective of the background they come from, it's vitally important that we celebrate them. So make that phone call, book that spa appointment, arrange for that special gift and make the women in your life feel extra special on this day. After all, with the way the dates are laid out, this seems to be part of the divine plan!
