If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The birthday of Lord Rama, the celebrated hero of the famous epic, ‘Ramayana‘, is enthusiastically celebrated on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra (Hindu calender), all over India. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in his human incarnation as Rama, the divine ruler of Ayodhya.
Celebrations begin with a prayer to the Sun early in the morning. At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed. People sing devotional songs in praise of Rama and rock his idol/image in a cradle to celebrate his birth. Rathyatras or chariot processions of Ram, his wife Seeta, brother Lakshman and devotee Hanuman are held from many temples. People gather in thousands on the banks of the sacred river Sarayu for a dip. Some observe a strict fast on this day.
Ayodhya is the focus of great celebrations. Devotees throng the temples of Ayodhya and Pondicherry, two places closely connected with the events of the Ramayana to participate in Ramnavami festivities.
The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his righteous reign. Ramrajya (the reign of Rama) has become synonymous with good governance which maintained a period of peace and prosperity and true justice to all.
Mahatma Gandhi also used the term Ram-rajya to describe how according to him, India should be after independence.
Baisakhi marks the beginning of New Year, particularly in the northern part of India. It is among the few Indian festivals that have a fixed date. Baisakhi is always on April 13th.
It is on this day that Sun enters Aries, the first sign of Zodiac. This signifies ushering of the New Year in Hindu calender.
In Kerala, Baisakhi is called as “Vishu” and in Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as “Puthandu”.
Considered a holy day, the devout celebrate the Baisakhi with a dip in the holy rivers just around the break of dawn. Later it involves a lot of social gathering where friends and relatives are invited and delicious meals are served.
In Northern India, farmers perform their own prayers and give ‘thanks’ to the Lord Almighty for their fortune and pray for a better crop the next year. On this day, they commence reaping their harvest. The fields can be seen full of nature’s bounty.
For the Sikhs the day is a collective celebration of New Year along with the commemoration of the founding of the Khalsa Panth (Sikh brotherhood) by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The holy book of the Sikhs, ‘Granth Sahib’ is taken in a procession, led by the ‘Panj Pyaras’ (five senior Sikhs) who are symbolic of the original leaders. Dressed in their typical folk attire, both men and women, celebrate the day with Bhangra and Gidda.
The above two are the main reasons for celebrating Baisakhi.
Holi festival is celebrates arrival of spring with it’s vibrant colors and lively weather.
While Holi is quite popular and celebrated all over India, it has some regional names too. Some of the regional names are:
Rang-panchami in Maharastra
Lathi-maar Holi in Barsaana (Mathura, UP)
Dulandi Holi in Haryana
Hola Mohalla in Punjab
Phagawa in Bihar
Shingo in Goa
Kaman Pandigai in TamilNadu
Basant Utsav/ Dol Purnima in West Bengal
Traditionally, mothers used to make new clothes for their married daughters on the occassion of Holi, while mother-in-law gave travel money to their daughter-in-law.
Sons-in-laws are invited by the bride’s family for a luxurious meal, after which it is customary to gift them crisp notes of any denomination.
Gujjia, papri and kanji vade are special food items that are exclusively made for this festival.
Friday, Mar 21, 2006 happens to a memorable day for four different religious groups - Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and Parsi - as they celebrate Good Friday, Holi, and Eid-e-milad-un-nabi, and Navroz respectively on this particular day.
Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Good Friday services are aimed at allowing worshipers to experience some sense of the pain and humiliation that Christ experienced on this day.
Holi is an excuse for Indians to shed inhibitions for a day of spring fever and Big Fun. Teenagers spend the day flirting in the streets, adults extend the hand of peace, and everyone chases everyone else around, throwing brightly colored powder (gulal) and water over each other.
On the eve of Eid e Milad un Nabi (Peace be upon Him) believers offer special prayers. Mosques are illuminated and sweets are distributed. Special Mahafil e Naat Khawani are organized.
Navroz (Zoroastarian Festival) means spring when Mother Nature casts off everything that is old or superfluous and dresses herself like a young bride in every vibrant colour.
There is every reason to rejoice on this day. This also gives a great chance to show spirit of tolerance and harmony among different religious groups. Acts of spreading violence and communal hatred must be curbed by all.
