Indian culture: When should one perform Yajur Upakarma for the year 2008 ?

Question

There are contradicting opinions on when it should be performed. Livermore temple calendar says it should be on Sep 14th. In other places I see the date as Aug 16th. Which is right ?

Thanks in advance !

Answer 1

Please visit http://www.mypanchang.com to get your answer. In short:

Upakarma 2008  (Pandit Mahesh Shastri and Dr. Ramachandra Joisa)

When is Yajurveda Upakarma / Avani Avittam 2008?

There is an eclipse and samkranti on the sharvani poornima, hence yajur upakarma cannot be performed on that day. Yajur upakarma's main kala is shravani poornima -- Poornima in the month of shravan. When poornima and samkranti or eclipse combine together that day shouldn't be taken for upakarma. If you follow yajurveda then please look for your sutra in the following table. You'll know your sutra from your abhivadaye. Most common sutras in Shree Krishna Yajurveda are: Apastama, Bodhayana. North indians follow Shukla Yajurveda.

Note: Certain mutts interpret that this samkranti and grahana rule applies to first upakarma only. while other majority of mutts have decided that it's applied to all upakarmas. However Dharmasindu and Nirnaysindhu and many other shastras donot mention that this rule is applicable to first time upakarma only. They do mention that upakarama cannot be done by during grahana, and samkranti. Most of us believe that first or subsequent upakarma cannot be done during eclipse or samkranti.

Rigveda Upakarma 2008

Rigveda Upakarma's main kala is Srvana masa and srvana nakshatra. When combined with eclipse or samkranti that day cannot be taken. When it happens take Hasta nakshatra or panchami. The samkranti contaminates shravana nakshatra in Europe, India and Eastern countries. Where as it remains untouched in USA/Canada as per dharmasindhu. The following table gives dates for rigveda upakarma as well

Samaveda Upakarma 2008

Samaveda upakarma date is not combined with samkranti or eclipse and hence Bhadrapada, Hasta nakshatra can be taken.

Note: People also change their yagnopavit, poonal, janoi, janeu on the upakarma day.

unfortuantely, I can't post the answer from the website here. I can't paste the table here. yahoo answers doesn't support tables.

Answer 2

Both. It is celebrated twice this year.