The heart, a small pump-like organ, carries blood pressure from our chest to every artery and cell from birth to death. Even if by some misfortunate accident our brain is dead the heart does not stop working, it just does not stop working if it is a healthy heart. Heart is really one of the most important organ of the entire human body. World Heart Day is an annual observance and celebration that is held on September 29th of each year. It is observed and celebrated with a message to increase public awareness of cardiovascular diseases, including their prevention and their global impact. In the year 1999 the World Heart Federation (WHF), in concurrence with the World Health Organization (WHO), announced the establishment of World Heart Day. The idea to establish this event as an annual event was invented by Mr. Antoni Bayés de Luna, also the president of WHF from 1997 till 99. World Heart Day was originally observed on the last Sunday in September until 2011, and the first celebration took place on September 24, 2000.

Heart Diseases and its Index plus Risks

Heart Disease is normally known as Cardiovascular diseases or CVD, in short, takes the lives of 17.9 million people every year, 31% of all global deaths thus CVD is considered as killer number one also. The factors that trigger heart disease primarily manifesting as heart attacks and strokes are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol. These mentioned factors show up in people as high blood pressure, obesity, raised blood sugar level, etc. The majority of these diseases can be prevented. In our country too, heart and vascular diseases are increasing at an alarming rate due to increasing urbanization and an unhealthy lifestyle. This can lead to serious problems in the future. Therefore, all the people, not just the stakeholders need to rethink all the daily activities performed and the food we consume. If a healthy lifestyle is not adopted with a healthy food style too, anyone can succumb to the deadly Heart disease. The main diseases of the heart are coronary heart disease, heart attack, hypertension along with stroke. Coronary heart disease and heart attack are becoming a big problem nowadays due to unhealthy diet, urban lifestyle, etc. In recent years, the number of heart attacks among young people around the age of 40 seems to have increased significantly. The main causes are very commonly known to all which is tobacco and its products use, unhealthy diet, no physical activity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and mental stress to name a few.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death globally. During early 2000, around 17 million people died worldwide annually from cardiovascular diseases. The majority of deaths were the result of coronary heart disease or stroke. Although it is often considered cardiovascular diseases to be afflictions of people living in developed countries, where an inactive lifestyle is common. But, from recent studies, more than 80 percent of deaths from these diseases have been seen occurring in low- and middle-income developing countries too. Which shows that the primary causes of cardiovascular diseases are poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking to be the main factor. Thus, CVD is there to kill even in developing countries, which often lack efficient health care programs. Heart disease can be serious and can kill people instantly. Keeping this fact in mind, World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29 every year since 2000 with various slogans under the leadership of the World Heart Organization to raise awareness about heart disease.

Observance and Celebration

Though World Heart day is still a new concept for Nepal and Nepalese for events about heart problems, they do take place to promote healthy hearts. Health organizations, associations, etc organize charities, marathon, walkathons and health checks, public talks, shows, to name a few of the interesting and informative events which mark the day. Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre is one of the Heart-related hospitals and heart center, the programs normally start from there. Early in the morning hundreds and thousands of people gather including the Health Minister of State, Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics along with the general public start a march with placards with public awareness and banners.

As Educational programs designed to engage the public is a major part of World Heart Day, organizations and Hospitals included in Heart net as Bir Hospital, Cardiac Society of Nepal, Friends of Open Heart, Heart Club Nepal, Help for Heart Surgery, Jayanti Memorial Trust, Manmohan Cardio Thoracic Vascular, and Transplant Center, Medicare National Hospital Medical Trust, Nepal Diabetes Society, Nepal Heart Foundation Lalitpur, Nepal Heart Foundation Kathmandu, Norvic International Hospital, Society for Healthy Heart, Nepal Hypertension Society, etc around 21-22 organizations including Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center participate in this grand event to make it a success.

Treatment of heart disease is expensive and complicated, but prevention measures are cheap, easy, and accessible. On the occasion of Heart Day this year, let us put our hand at our heart (chest) and make a resolution to eat healthy food, exercise regularly, not to use tobacco or its product, quitting alcohol, stop smoking, and getting involved in physical exercises, encourage children in sports and stop, discourage junk foods altogether. It is also important to have one’s cholesterol level, blood pressure, and heart checked on a regular basis to see if the heart is on the right track or not. So on Heart Day, let us get involved too, eat more fruit and vegetables, get outside, have a walk in the morning and evening, or whenever it feels convenient and let us both you and your heart shall feel the benefits.

If you are opting to celebrate this day, it is important to try and be more attentive to your own heart health. There are a number of different ways that you can do this. This includes following a healthy diet, quitting alcohol, stopping smoking, and getting involved in physical exercises.

The heart, a small pump-like organ, carries blood pressure from our chest to every artery and cell from birth to death. Even if by some misfortunate accident our brain is dead the heart does not stop working, it just does not stop working if it is a healthy heart. Heart is really one of the […]

All patriarchs are god. On the occasion of Kushe Ausi, i.e. Father’s Day, looking at the face of the father, millions of salutations to the father, creator, benefactor, protector and merciful father of all children. Urging all the children to follow the duty of parents and keep them happy forever. Best wishes to all the fathers for their good health, everlasting happiness and happy longevity with the children.

Since Kush is very important in Sanatan Dharma, Kush is used in religious ceremonies. Every religious deed, including devotional and patriarchal work, cannot be performed without Kush. Kush is used in religious ceremonies as it is very important in Sanatan Dharma. Wearing the holy Kush and holding Kush in one’s hand, worship of the gods and fathers work is done. Kush has a special significance even in the evening. A person wearing a kush ring (pabitra) is as powerful as a god..

The classical context of Kush

Along with the origin of lord Brahma, Kush also originated. Therefore, there are many references in the Puranas that the Indra and other deities also performed Yagya, fasting, penance, etc. by using Kush and wearing the holy Kush. A person wearing a kush ring (pabitra) is as powerful as the thunderbolt of Indra, the Sudarshan Chakra of Narayana, and the trident of Lord Shankara. In the process of rescuing the earth in the form of Baraha, the Lord killed the Hiranyaksha monster and then went to the beach to relieve his fatigue. While resting there, the hairs of the sleeping Baraha Bhagavan later grew into Kush and Kash. Thus, it is found in the scriptures too, the context of the origin of Kush from Lord Baraha. Similarly, in the context of the story of Swasthani, it is clear that Brinda cursed Lord Bishnu to be a grass and that same grass later came up as Kush. However, there is a classical belief that Kush, which is associated with God, should not only be used in Yagya etc, but should also be used as purity or purified and protected by Karta (doer), Acharya, etc should wear kush ring for protection and to become strong, sit in a seat made out of kush and always take a kush piece during religious and patriarchal purposes. The special importance of Kush has been shown in the scriptures including Prayog Parijat.

स्नाने होमे जपे दाने स्वाध्याये पितृकर्मणि ।
करौ सदर्भौ कुर्वीत तथा सन्ध्याभिवादने ।।

Kush collection method

Kush is planted near the house, therefore, a piece of land is allocated to plant kush. Kush is planted on sloping land as it does not grow in waterlogged areas. Kush planted on the day of Kushe Ausi should be worshiped with incense and ask forgiveness before uprooting it out. Since Kush is collected on Bhadra Krishna Ausi, that day is called Kushotpatini Amavasya. On this day, the necessary kush is collected for the year. However, if possible, Kush can be collected every day like a flower picked for daily worship. But since that is not always possible, Kush should be uprooted in Kuse Ausi. It is said that the Kush uprooted on the day of Kushe Ausi can be used all year round as it remains sacred for a year round. But there is a public saying that Kush uprooted during a Kushe Ausi falling on Monday can be used for up to 12 years. In this type of Kush collection method, one should go to the place where Kush is planted, facing east or north in the morning, chant this mantra and pray for the Kush.

ॐ विरिञ्चिना सहोत्पन्न ! परमेष्ठिनिसर्गज ।
नुद सर्वाणि पापानि दर्भ स्वस्तिकरो भव ।।

After praying, one should chant the mantra ‘ॐ हुँ फट् स्वाहा’ and uproot it holding it at the base of Kush plant. The kush uprooted in this way, can be used for fasting, charity, meritorious deeds, religious worship, shraddha, etc. Kush which are methodically removed on this day, can be used for years. In the classical language,the “Ayatyama” it is mentioned that the kush uprooted on this day is not stale for a year. The scriptures state that if Kush is not found in foreign lands or in the state of Karmakal, then Kas, Barley, Dubo, Ushir, Kunda, Wheat, Paddy, Munj and Babio can also be treated as Kush. In the absence of all these, there is a scripture that says that gold, silver and copper can also be used in place of a Kush:

कुशाः काशा यवा दूर्वा उशीराश्च सकुन्दकाः ।
गोधूमा बीहयो मौञ्जा दशदर्भाः सबल्वजाः ।।
कुशाः काशाः शरा दूर्वा यवगोधूमवल्वजाः ।
सुवर्णं राजतं ताम्रं दशदर्भाः प्रकीर्तिताः ।।

Kuse Ausi – Father’s Day

Parents are called living and real gods. In Dharmashastra, parents are found to be respected more than all other people. After all, it is said that a father is born as a son in his own form ‘आत्मा वै पुत्रः’ because of the education found in practical life and the fact that the patriarchs are in the offspring. The father is presented as the son. On the other hand, it is natural for parents to have full confidence and trust in their children who have been born and raised in this world, kept in their womb for ten months, given education, qualified and even completed the rites up to marriage. Some children today would be crippled, and handicapped without even hospital protection if it were not for the constant and instantaneous protection of the parents. It is the duty of all the children to bow down and serve such deserving parents who have contributed to the birth and development of not only a capable child but also an ideal citizen of the country. Therefore, the importance of parents is sung in the scriptures as follows:

माता गङ्गा समा तीर्थं पिता पुष्करमेव च।
गुरुः केदारकं तीर्थं माता तीर्थं पुनः पुनः।।
…भरणं पोषणञ्चैव भोजनं रससंयुतम्।
कारितामेव भो तात पितृदेव नमोsस्तुते।।

I am forever indebted to my parents who by performing deeds up to sustenance and making me a capable and ideal citizen of the country as well as capable of carrying worldly and otherworldly happiness and pleasures. The issue of bowing down to my parents saying that I am always indebted to them for their commitment comes up again and again in the scriptures.

Bhadra Krishna Ausi day is also known as Kush Selection day and Father’s Day. In the vernacular or local language, it is referred to as “Father’s Day”. It is customary for those having a living father to make sweet dishes for him and to honor him with clothes, etc. Whereas, those who have their father already dead, should go to the nearest shrine Gokarna etc. and grant peace to the father in the name of the father “Let there be a comfortable abode in the patriarchal world, let there be a Vishnubaikuntha Lok”. One must perform Tithi Shradda, to pay homage and the charity should be done in the name of the patriarch on this Father’s Day. There is also a classical tradition of going to schools, monasteries and temples to feed Brahmin with meals, holding scholarships in the name of one’s father, building or initiating Pati Pauwa, and Dharamsala, etc in the name of the father. It is a very holy day for the deeds to be done in the name of the fathers on this day of Kuse Ausi. The main duty of the children is to serve the parents wholeheartedly while they are alive. On the other hand, doing shraddha, charity and other good deeds is another special aspect so that there is peace for the departed soul and no sorrow later. Both of these actions are the duty of the children. There should be no pretense, impurity, defilement in these deeds. The collective name of all such deeds is Satkarma. On the same day, patriarchal shraddha etc. are performed at Gokarna in Kathmandu, Barahakshetra in Sunsari and Devghat shrine in Bishnupaduka and Kush is entered in every household by celebrating Kushe Ausi.

All patriarchs are god. On the occasion of Kushe Ausi, i.e. Father’s Day, looking at the face of the father, millions of salutations to the father, creator, benefactor, protector and merciful father of all children. Urging all the children to follow the duty of parents and keep them happy forever. Best wishes to all the […]