the indo-european deity mitra (aka mithras, surya) was worshipped especially on the winter solstice, the shortest and gloomiest day of the year, as the ancients had figured out that the sun would then start on its northward trek on that day: ie. uttarayanam begins, the auspicious time of year.
this is why many ancient monuments (eg. stonehenge) in europe are focused on the winter solstice.
thus the 'aryan' deity surya/mitra forms a continuous link between western europe and india.
however, christists annexed the winter-solstice festival of mitra and claimed their godman jesus was born on that day. there is no evidence that jesus existed, so his so-called birthday is a pure artifice.
strange, isn't it, that the 'aryan-invasion' hoax-worshippers of india do not tell the christists this little fact and demand that the so-called christmas should be celebrated as mitrotsava.
in fact, it is being celebrated in kerala. kerala, protected as it was from the mohammedan invasions by the bulwark of vijayanagar, is the place where the most ancient traditions have had a precarious foothold. for instance, the great vedic rituals --agnicayana -- of the fire sacrifice, with the altars n the shape of a falcon, have been held most recently in kerala (see frits staal, the vedic ritual of the fire altar, http://www.amazon.com/Agni-Vedic-ritual-fire-altar/dp/B0006EHTIQ ). however, once the communists were able to decimate the nambudiri brahmins, these rituals have vanished there too. but someone is still celebrating the millennia-old mitratsava.
happy mitrotsava to all! and happy makara sankranti (which of course is the winter solstice).
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