Here are some of the special spiritual observances for September 1999. Use the Agasthiar panchangam (spiritual calendar) to get the exact timings for Pournami (full moon) and other tithis and nakshatrams. Make sure you use the calendar for your timezone.

September 1999

Aug/31/99		Mangala Gouri Vratham (third)
Sep/2/99 Sep/3/99		Sri Krishna Jayanthi - Lord Krishna's birth anniversary. GMT: from 1156 hours on Sep/2/99 to 0910 hours on Sep/3/99 IST: from 1726 hours on Sep/2/99 to 1440 hours on Sep/3/99 Honor Sri Krishna during this entire time period and serve the poor in His name.
Sep/7/99		Mangala Gouri Vratham (fourth)
Sep/13/99		Ganesh Chathurthi GMT: from 2253 hours on Sep/12/99 to 0015 hours on Sep/14/99 IST: from 0423 hours on Sep/13/99 to 0545 hours on Sep/14/99 Honor Sri Ganapathi (Ganesh) during this entire time period and serve the poor in His name. Perform giri valam of the hill fort and temple complex in Trichy on this day.
Sep/23/99		Day of remembrance for our pet animals and birds that have passed on. The Siddhas have instructed us to perform tharpanam rites in memory of these animals and birds on this day. [For more details, refer to the Sep/99 issue of Sri Agasthia Vijayam.]
Sep/24/99		Pournami (full moon) day. Giri Valam day. Giri = Hill, Valam = circumambulation. Hence Giri Valam means circling the hill and Arunachala Giri Valam means circling the Arunachala hill. Perform Arunachala Giri Valam with your friends and family. Stop by the Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram en route and partake of Sri Agasthiar's Arunachala prasaadam which is served in the Ashram on the night of Pournami Giri Valam. The vision of Sri Arunachala from the Ashram is known as Siva Sakthi Aikiya Svaroopa Darisanam. During the Giri Valam, look at the peak of the Arunachala Hill with every step you take. Meditate constantly on the mantra Arunachala Siva throughout the Giri Valam. You may sing bhajans or you may talk about totally spiritual topics like the ones discussed in this Website and in Sri Agasthia Vijayam. Please avoid talk of any other kind at least during Giri Valam. Have some eatables handy so that you may distribute them to the poor and the needy on the way. Make sure you do not wear footwear of any kind during the Giri Valam. This rule can not be relaxed; everyone must follow it without exception. Enjoy Arunachala's grace to the fullest measure! We are all His sons and daughters and He's waiting to shower His grace on us. The Giri Valam is the easiest way of getting His limitless grace. For more details, refer to the Arunachala page in this Website. If you plan to be in Arunachala: Perform giri valam on the evening/night of Friday, Sep/24/99 (Pournami lasts from 1809 hours IST on Sep/24/99 until 1621 hours IST on Sep/25/99). If you won't be in Arunachala: (1) Perform maanaseega giri valam (giri valam in the mind) using the Arunachala photographs in the picture gallery. (2) Perform girivalam around other sacred hills like Kailaasa, Thiruparankundram, Karoor Thaan thóndrimalai, Palani, Trichy Hill Fort, Rathnagiri Ayyarmalai, Kundrakudi, Thirukachoor (near Madras), Parvatha Malai, etc.
Sep/25/99 to Sep/30/99		Chandra Sashti Vratham - A six day spiritual observance. Perform Arunachala Giri Valam on all six days, i.e., on each of the first six thithis, starting from Prathamai, the first and culminating at Sashti, the sixth. [For more details, refer to the Sep/99 issue of Sri Agasthia Vijayam.]
Sep/26/99 to Oct/9/99		Maalaya Paksham - Special paksham (moon phase) during which we must perform tharpanam rites to honor our ancestors on every day. [For more details, refer to the Sep/99 and Oct/99 issues of Sri Agasthia Vijayam.]