INDIAN FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Independence Day
August
15th marks the day of India's independence from the British rule. The prime
minister takes the salute from an impressive inter
services parade and then addresses the gathering from the ramparts of the Red
Fort.
Pongal :
This Tamil festival marks the end
of the harvest season. It is observed on the first day of the Tamil
month of Thai, which is in the middle of January .The festivities last four days
and include activities such as the boiling over of a pot of pongal (a mixture of
rice, sugar, dal and milk), symbolic of prosperity and abundance. On the third
day, cattle are washed, decorated and even painted, and then fed the pongal. In all
over India the festival is known as
Makar Sankranti.
Islamic Festivals:
Occurring throughout the year, these range from major events to localized urs held at the tombs of various Muslim saints. Visits to mosques, much feasting, visiting relatives and the donning of the new clothes all mark Muslim festivals. But there is actually so little to see except at Muharram which is not a festival in the celebratory sense as it mourns the murder at Karbala of Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain, grandsons of the prophet. Despite their connotation of grief, the memorial processions are colorful and dramatic. A frenzied beating of drums and the wail of wind instruments mingle with songs of praise and lamentation.
THE
HOLY MONTH OF RAMZAN:
The holy month of Ramzan is very auspicious to the Muslims the world over. It is celebrated the next day after the crescent (Idd ka chand) for the 10th lunar month of the Islamic calendar is sighted. The Muslims are ordained to observe fast for 30 days (sometimes 29 days, owing to the early sighting of the crescent) starting with the sighting of the new moon and end it after seeing the new moon the next month. this year, the Idd would fall either on 8th or 9th of January.
Republic Day
Celebrated on January 26 to mark the formation of the Indian republic,
the impressive Republic Day Parade which originates from the president's palace
and passes along Rajpath to India Gate and then to the historic Red Fort,
mirrors the cultural, industrial, defente and agricultural progress
made by the country. Smartly attired soldiers accompanied by brass bands and
tanks march impressively along gaily decorated Rajpath. The infantry is followed
by armour and then by folk dancers and school children. Tableaux depicting the
state of India are also taken out as part of the parade. A number of dance and
music recitals and poetry reading sessions mark the Republic Day.
Festival of Holi:
On
the day after the full moon in early March, India goes wild in a celebration of
the festival of Holi. People throng
the streets, smearing each other with brightly hued powder (gulal) or squirting colored
water on all within reach. Marijuana-based
bhang or thandai adds to the relaxation of the usual restraints of propriety and
an atmosphere of hilarity prevails. Originally
a fertility festival, later legends have ascribed varied origin to Holi.
One speaks of a king so arrogant that he demanded that his people worship
him. Only his young son, Prahlad,
dared refuse. Attempts to kill the prince failed. Finally his father's sister, Holika, said to be immune to
burning, sat with the boy in a huge fire. So
potent was Praladh's devotion, that he emerged unscathed while Holika burnt to
death. Huge bonfires are lit on the
eve of Holi in commemoration and the grain of the harvest is thrown into the
flames. The playing of Holi is
closely associated with the Radha -Krishna story. In Vraj, legendary homeland of
the pastoral God, the festival is spread over 16 days.
Apart from the usual fun with gulal and colored water, there are
processions with music songs and uninhibited dance and boisterous scenes in and
around temples. Kama, God of love
and his consort Rati (Passion) are also worshipped on Holi in commemoration of
Kama's destruction and resurrection by Shiva.
Dussehra
Dussehra
commemorates both the victory of the warrior Goddess of Durga over the
buffalo-demon, Mahishasura, and that of Rama, a God king, over the Ravana, the
10-headed king of Lanka. Both the events signify the and emphasise the power of good
over evil.
Navratri:
A
nine-day festival, when the Goddess is venerated as the supreme mother.
Images installed in homes are worshipped every day and kathas (stories) are narrated. In Gujarat, the women dance the garbha with swaying steps and
rhythmic clapping around an earthen lamp.
Kali
Puja and Durga Puja
In Bengal, the main festivals are Kali Puja and Durga Puja when rituals at the Mahakali Temple in Calcutta and other temples attract large crowds of devotees. In Durga Puja, praises to the devi are sung and much cultural activity is initiated. Images of Durga are taken out in procession and immersed.
Festivals
Fairs:
Apart from the major festivals are the ‘melas’ (fairs). One of the best known fairs is held at Pushkar in Rajasthan on the eighth day after Diwali. The fair has become the annual market for livestock. Bullock-cart and camel races add to the excitement. Similar fairs are held at other hallowed sites. At Sonepur in Bihar, there is a brisk buying and selling of elephants. The greatest and most important of Hindu fairs, the Kumbha Mela, is held every sixth and 12th year at Prayag (Allah bad). The city's supreme sanctity as the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna & the mythical Saraswathi, is accentuated by the story behind the gathering. After wrestling the jar (kumbha) of immortal nectar from the asuras (demons), a God in the form of a rook flew with it to paradise. Prayag was one of the places where he rested. The extensive riverbed draws crowds unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
Temple festivals :
Each Hindu temple has an annual festival in honour of the particular deity it enshrines. These festivals are important regional events. The Floating Festival in Madurai commemorates the birth of Tirumala Nayak, a 17th century king. Elaborately decked images are taken in procession to a tank and placed in a barge illuminated by thousands of lamps. At Puri in Orissa, a major temple festival celebrates Lord Jagannath. Considered a living manifestation of Krishna, the unfinished images is invested with tremendous sanctity and attracts huge crowds. The high point is the drawing of the temple deities through the city to their country residence on giant chariots pulled by pilgrims.
Buddha
Jayanti:
Buddha Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Buddha is
widely celebrated. But this and
other Buddhist festivals have less visual interest than the Lamaistic festivals
of the Himalayan states. Celebrations
commemorating the birth of Padmasambhava at the Hemis Gompa in Ladakh and in
Towang in Arunachal Pradesh are alive with folk vitality.
Grotesque masks worn by the dancers symbolise the power and fearsome
ability of the deities as well as the malignancy of demons.
Jainism:
These do not lend itself to outward spectacle and gaiety. Deep Diwali, however, marking its founder Mahavira's liberation from the cycle of life is celebrated 10 days after Diwali. Illuminations are said to be an endeavor to mitigate the darkness caused by the passing the "light of world" and are particularly splendid at Mount Girnar near Junagadh.
Elephanta Festival:
This festival is held across the Mumbai harbour, on the Elephanta Island, near the world renowned Elephanta Caves (A World Heritage Site). This feast of music and dance, celebrated under the stars, transforms the entire island into a large auditorium.
Ganesh Chaturthi
GANESH
CHATURTHI:
The festival of Ganesh or Vinayak Chaturthi, the day on which Ganesh was born. It is the most joyous event of the year . Throughout India the festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and devotion. In Andhra Pradesh, like Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated for ten days. It is said that Ganesh was the creation of Goddess Parvathi, who breathed life into a doll which she made out of the dough she was using for her bath.
Diwali
This festival of lights is the prettiest and the most eagerly awaited
occasion in India. It celebrates the return of Lord Rama, the hero of the epic
Ramayana, to Ayodhya after a fourteen year exile. The flickering lights of the
traditional clay lamps or 'diyas' illuminate the houses and fireworks resound
through the night. The goddess of wealth and prosperity - Lakshmi, is worshipped
on this day. Houses are white washed and elaborate designs drawn at the
thresholds to welcome the goddess. The exchanging of gifts and sweets among
friends and relatives and playing of games of chance at night, are all an
integral part of the celebrations.
Christmas:
Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Observed by prayers, exchanging of gifts, and family parties. Christmas is
celebrated in Delhi too with gaiety and festivity. Special services are held at
the city's many churches and homes are decorated with lights and Christmas
trees.
RAKSHA BANDHAN:
The
festival of Raksha Bandhan symbolizes love affection and feeling of brotherhood.
It is usually celebrated with joy and excitement in the month of Sravan . The
tradition of tying a thread or "rakhi" around the wrist to convey
different feelings has been coming down through the ages since the vedic times.
Guru Nanak Jayanti:
Also known as 'Gurupurab', it is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak who founded the Sikh faith. For two days and nights preceding the festival, the 'Granth Sahib' (Holy Book) is read and on the day of the festival, taken out in a grand procession. The celebrations at Amritsar are especially impressive.
Onam:
Onam
is a time for sports, festivities, and ritual celebrations in Kerala. The
Keralites celebrate this festival in memory of the golden era of King Mahabali
whose spirit is said to visit the state at the time of Onam. Colorful aquatic
festivals are organized along the sacred rive Pampa as part of the celebrations.
After three months of heavy rains, the sky becomes a clear blue and the forests
a deep green. The brooks and streams come alive, spouting a gentle white foam,
the lakes and rivers overflow and lotuses and lilies are in full bloom as if to
welcome the spirit of the King. It is time to reap the harvest, to celebrate and
to rejoice.
Others
:
The festivals of the Parsis, too, are not outwardly very demonstrative. Pateti, their New Year, and Jamshedji Navroz, are two major festivals. These are occasions to visit the fire temple and prayer. Christian festivals in India follow the same patterns as elsewhere. Catholic Goa comes to life with the carnival preceding the Lent period of penance. Similar to Mardi Gras, it is a boisterous event. A colorful carnival parade, presided over by Momo, king of the underworld, is accompanied by much drinking, song and dance.
