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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1998)
Aggielife Page 3 • Monday, October 19, 1998 CENTER: Brahma, the Hindu creator RIGHT: Vishnu, the Hindu preserver god. on, co-tii; l&MandiJ iajor,$jr;i taidw'f Greek oisl ishipski BY KYLE WHITACRE The Battalion it Texas ig one Gneeten jnifyinga on said. his week marks the celebration of the Hindu hol iday Diawali. Around the world, this ancient holiday will be observed by those who have kept is sacred tradition throughout the centuries. 'he word “Diawali” comes from the Sanskrit word lepavali,” “Deepa” meaning light and “Avali” ianing row. ■Together it means a row of lights. Every home lights an earthen lamp, called a i, to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. 'he holiday is celebrated on Amavasya, the 15th day of Kartik, which is the |du month equivalent to the Roman months of October and November. [he age-old festival is a celebration of the new year and a grand event in most idia every year. the first day of the festival is called Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi and is ob- Ifed on the 13th day of Kartik. 'ith the root word “Dhan,” meaning wealth, the rich mercantile community of western India plays the more lortant role on this day. Upper-scale houses are usually renovated and redecorated to welcome Lakshmi. Small [prints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder to welcome the goddess. The Texas A&M community often speaks of its school as a “world-class university.” One way the University backs up this claim is by attracting stu dents from all corners of the globe, including India. India is the second-most populated nation in the world, with almost one billion people. It boasts a community rich in art, music, religion and history. Because of its dizzying diversity, however, it is al most impossible to pinpoint or summarize many as pects of Indian culture. One unifying factor is Hin duism, the religion practiced by over 80 percent of India’s citizens. Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest faiths, pre dating every other religion except Judaism by cen turies. With over 700 million believers, it is also one of the largest. Divided into about two dozen sects, the religion is somewhat difficult for an outsider to grasp, but several basic beliefs are easier to describe. Hinduism has a number of religious texts, includ ing the Vedas, Upanishads and the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is the world’s longest poem, and contains the Bhagavad Gita, a conversation between the god Krishna and Arjuna, a soldier. see Hinduism on Page 4. Other traditions include the singing of Bhajans, or devotional songs, in praise of the goddess Laximi. In villages, the cow, a sacred animal in Hindu reli gion, is adorned and worshiped on this day. Nitin Bangera, a senior civil engineering major of Hindu faith, said in America, Hindu families follow their own line of traditions based on the culture of their ancestors. “Just being Hindu doesn’t mean everyone does the same thing,” Bangera said. “From region to region, state to state, how it is celebrated differs greatly. Most houses have elaborate flour designs outside their doorsteps in my neighborhood.” The second day of the festival, Narka-Chaturdashi, is a day dedicated to the future and the happiness and joy it will bring. This day comes from the Hindu legend of King Bali, who was so powerful he became a threat to the gods. To control his power. Lord Vishnu, the Hindu pre server god, visited him in the form of a small boy and asked the king to give him as much land as he could cover in three steps. King Bali gladly granted the small boy his wish. The small boy transformed back into Lord Vishnu, and with his first step, he covered the entire heavens. With his second step he covered the entire earth. He then asked King Bali where he should use his third step. King Bali offered his head. Lord Vishnu then put his foot down on Bali’s head and pushed him straight down into the underworld. But for his generosity. Lord Vishnu gave Bali the lamp of knowledge and al lowed him to return to earth once a year, on the day of Narka-Chaturdashi, to light millions of lamps to destroy darkness and ignorance and bring love and wisdom. The third day of the festival is Diawali itself. Celebrated with everything from Rangoli flour designs to fireworks, this celebration shows off the grandeur of an ancient culture kept alive throughout the world. “On the first day our whole family wakes up really early and lights earthen ware lamps. We get really cleaned up and have a prayer session,” Bangera said of his own family’s cele bration of the holiday. “Then we have a brunch with homemade sweets and other special dishes. Guests come over that night. We usually do everything on the first day and just entertain guests the other two.” Now Hiring Part-Time Positions UCS Inc. seeks candidates for the following open positions at our College Station office. • Clerical • Customer Service/Help Desk • PC/Tech Support * Inventory Control We offer $6.00 per hour to start, flexible hours and real world work experience with opportunity for full time after graduation. To apply, call our Personnel headquarters: UCS Inc. 1-800-883-3031 3833 So. Texas Avenue, Suite 201 http://www.ucs-systems.com UCS hires non-tobacco users only. E.O.E. i Jenny’s Hair and Nails NAILS Professional Full Nail Service Set Fill Haircut Manicure & Pedicure We carry OPl Products & Nail Polish 700 University Dr. #201 B Next to Blockbuster and University Bookstore Business Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Call 260-0321 Appointments or walk-ins welcome The Institute of Industrial Engineers presents Kurt Salmon Associates Come see what consulting should be. October 20, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. in the ZACH 342 EVERYONE IS WELCOME! FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED. REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR RESUMES!! >1 of AGGIE RING ORDERS THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS CLAYTON W. WILLIAMS, JR. ALUMNI CENTER DEADLINE: October 22, 1998 Undergraduate Student Requirements: You must be a degree seeking student and have a total of 95 undergraduate credit hours reflected on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management System. (A passed course, which is repeated and passed, cannot count as additional credit hours.) §Q undergraduate credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University if your first semester at Texas A&M University was January 1994 or thereafter, or it you do not qualify under the successful semester requirement described in the following paragraph. Should your degree be conferred with less than 60 undergraduate resident credits, this requirement will be waived after you graduate and your degree is posted on the Student Information Management System. 30 undergraduate credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University, providing that prior to January 1, 1994, you were registered at Texas A&M University and successfully completed either a fall/spring semester or summer term (I and II or 10 weeks) as a full time student in good standing (as defined in the University catalog). You must have a 2X) cumulative GPR at Texas A&M University. You must be in good standing with the University, including no registration or transcript blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks, etc. Graduate Student Requirements If you are a December 1998 degree candidate and you do not have an Aggie ring from a prior degree, you may place an order after you meet the following requirements: Your degree is conferred and posted on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management System; and You are in good standing with the University, including no registration or transcript blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks, etc. However, If you a “letter of completion” from the Office of Graduate Studies. The original letter of completion, with the seal, may be presented to the Ring Office in lieu of your degree being posted. Procedure To Order A Rina: If you meet all of the above requirements and wish to receive your ring on December 9, 1998 , you must visit the Ring Office uq later than Thursday. October 22. 1998 between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to complete the application for eligibility verification. It your application is approved, you must return and pay in full by cash, check, money order, or your personal Discover, Visa or MasterCard (with your name imprinted) nc later than October 23, 1998 between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Men’s 10K-$327.00 14K-$432.00 Women’s 10K - $201.00 14K - $225.00 Add $8.00 for Class of ‘97 or before. The ring delivery date is December 9, 1998.
