Solstice Day 21 June

Solstice Day 21 June

Today is International Yoga Day.

Sun transits in Ardra Nakshatra.

It is a Summer Solstice Day (Dakshinayana) in Northern Hemisphere (UK, US, Canada, Russia, India, China, etc). Solstice is a time moment, today when it occurs in NH, the Sun is exactly overhead the Tropic of Cancer at 16.28 UTC. The NH of earth is most inclined towards the Sun, therefore, it is the longest day of the year, the day with most hours of Sunlight. It is a Winter Solstice Day (Uttarayana) for the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America-Argentina, Chile, etc), the longest night of the year.

The Solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice, once in summer and once in winter, each year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole. In the lead up to the summer solstice we gain minutes of daylight each day and directly after the solstice we begin losing seconds and then minutes of daylight until the winter solstice and the pattern reverses.

There are other two important astronomical time moments: Spring (Vernal) Equinox (20 March) and Fall (Autumnal) Equinox (22 September). On Equinox day, the day and night are equal as the plane of Earth's equator passes through the centre of the Sun. Vernal Equinox is the entry of Sun in Northern Hemisphere, marks the beginning of the Spring, occurs in March and is considered new year in many cultures. Autumnal Equinox occurs in September marks the beginning of Autumn in NH. In Southern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox occurs in September and the Autumn Equinox occurs in March. 

Do you know that all these four time moments: Vernal Equinox (22 March) , Summer Solstice (21 June) , Autumn Equinox (22 September) and Winter Solstice (21 December) are changing

and the seasons precess? We in India, celebrate Uttarayan on Makarsakranti day on 14 January, may be because the date of Sun transit to Zodiac sign Capricorn and the Winter solstice day was the same, some 1720 years ago. Now the day for Makarsakranti remained the same but the date of Winter solstice has precessed to 21 December. 

Earth is not an independent object in the sky. The Sun, Moon and other planets causes gradual shift of Earth's axis of rotation. In 1000 BC the Summer Solstice was on 2nd July, now on 21 June. The zodiac moves relative to the Sun by about one constellation every 2150 years (approximately 25800 years for a full rotation), at the rate of about 50.3 seconds of arc per year, or 1 degree every 71.6 years, due to the precession of Earth's axis. The tropical year, measuring the cycle of seasons (for example, the time from solstice to solstice, or equinox to equinox), is about 20 minutes shorter than the sidereal year. The zodiac has precessed relative to the seasons. 

The first day of the Year used to start with the Spring Equinox, with the entry of Sun in Northern Hemisphere. When the backdrop of the zodiac was Punarvasu Nakshatra in 6000 BC, it was called Aditi Era. In 5000 BC, the backdrop point was moved in Ardra, was called Ardra Era. In 4000 BC, it was moved in Mrigshirsha, therefore known as Orion Era. Most of our ancient literatures on religion and astronomy were written during Orion Era. Thereafter, it was Rohini Era in 3200 BC, you know the famous story of Moon; he married to 27 daughters (nakshatras) of Daksha Prajapati, but loved Rohini the most, Daksha Prajapati cursed, Chandra's prayer to Lord Shiva, and finally with the boon, he is waning and waxing in every fortnight. In 2800 BC, it was Kritika Era, you know the story of Murugan (Kartikeya), the son of Lord Shiva, living with Kritika, the 7 mothers (7 stars). In 1400 BC, it was Bharani Era; in 500 AD it was Ashwini Era and from 2000 AD it is Revati Era. The Equinox moment is changing.

It is believed that during the Sun's transit in Northern Hemisphere (Uttarayana), from Kritika to Vishakha (called Dev Nakshatras), people leaving this world go to Devloka/Heaven. Bhishma when moribund by Arjuna‘s arrows, and was on the verge of death, he waited till the advent of Uttarayana to shuffle his mortal body. And those leaving the world during Anuradha to Bharani (Pitru Nakshatras) (Dakshinayana) go to Pitruloka. Aryans worship Devas during Uttarayana (yagya, naivaidhya, pooja) and worship Pitrus during Dakshinayana (shradh karma). 

There are 27 nakshatras but adding Abhijit into them, they are 28; 14 fields of Devloka and 14 fields of Pitruloka. If count two nakshatras for one Loka (Bhuvan) there are 7 Lokas above us and 7 Lokas below us. You know the Hindu belief of 14 Lokas and their Lord, the Almighty. All religions of Aryans (Greek, Iranian, Indians) revolved around these astronomical events. Their beliefs, Jyotish, Ayurveda, Muhurtas, rituals, etc, are linked with astronomical events. It is possible that the word Aryan might have derived from the word Orion, as the most of their astronomical research and rituals were developed during the Orion Era. 

Hindus (Surya-Chandra Vanshi) have adjusted the 11 days of off (difference between Lunar Year and Solar Year) by adding one extra month (adhik mas) in their lunar calendar every third year. But Muslims (Chandra Vanshi) continued with their Hizri calendar of Lunar Months of 354-355 days, therefore, Ramadan comes 10-11 days early every year, and comes back to the same date in relation to solar month approximately every 33 Islamic years. German Aryans placed these 12 days around Winter Solstice as rebirth of Sun God and celebrate Christmas. Hindus celebrate Winter Solstice with the prayer of Sun, 12 names of Sun, 12 Surya Namaskars each with 12 steps. Christmas and new year celebrations all over the world are linked with Winter Solstice period.

All are "Believers" of God, believers of His power and His Universe. There are Kaifi (intoxicated, egoistic) but none is Kafir (non believer of God). Why then these fights?

We shall respect all religions and their rituals. The rituals may look superstitions for the non believers (believer of other religion) but are valuable for the believers as they are based on astronomical events. Present world is searching God through the quantum physics, but who knows, one day we may return to the ancient mythology of birth and rebirth theory of our past, present and future lives and our connections with the God's Field around us. Look for Him in the sky or feel his presence within heart is an individual choice. By the time we understand the secrets of nature, it may be another start of Orion Era around 22,000 AD!!! Lo

Who knows, in this illusive world, each creature on earth may be a representative of some power (deity) of the nature up in the sky, connected with Him, perform his/her role and return to the real home, the abode of God. 

Happy Summer Solstice Day to those living in Northern Hemisphere and Happy Winter Solstice Day to those living in Southern Hemisphere😊

Sun transits today in Ardra Nakshatra, the onset date of monsoon in Gujarat. વરસે આદ્ર્ા તો વરસ જાય પાધરા. Let us pray Rain God to shower his blessings during the Ardra period of 21 June to 5 July, so that the monsoon season go normal. 

Punamchand

21 June 2017

www.punamchand.com

NB: The sanctum sanctorum of Modhera Sun Temple (1026-27, Gujarat) is designed in a way that the first rays of rising sun lit up the image of Surya during solar Equinox days and on Summer Solstice day, the Sun shines directly above the temple at noon casting no shadow.