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Hindu Festivals
Pongal:- One of the most important festivals of South India, Pongal is a harvest festival in honor of the sun and the rain god. The celebration begins on January 13 and goes on for three days. The first is devoted to the rain god, the second to the sun god and the third to the worship of cows and oxen.
Basant Panchami:- A spring festival held in January celebrated by wearing yellow clothes. In West Bengal, Saraswati, the goddess of learning, is especially honored.
Holi:- This festival of colors is celebrated in spring every year and involves people dousing each other with colored water and powder. Drinking bhang, a marijuana based drink, adds to the laughter, joy and merry-making during Holi. The origin of the festival is not entirely known though many link it with the story of Prahlada, the child devotee of Vishnu, whose evil father sought to have him killed by fire. Prahlada was of course saved by Vishnu and his father and aunt were killed instead. So Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
Maha Shivratri:- The day marks the nuptials of the ascetic god Shiva with Parvati, the daughter of the king of Himalayas. People throng to the splendidly lit temples till midnight. Celebrated some time in the month of February-March, the festival is of special importance to women as Parvati blesses them with marital bliss.
Naag Panchami:- A festival dedicated to Adisesha or Ananta (infinite), the serpent on whom Lord Vishnu rests between the dissolution of one universe and the creation of another. It is usually celebrated in July-August. Snakes are supposed to have power over rainfall and keep evil and ill-luck from homes.
Ganesh Chathurti:- A festival held on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadra (August/September) dedicated to Ganesh. It is celebrated with particular ardor in the state of Maharashtra.
Janamashthami:- The birthday of the lovable Lord Krishna is celebrated at the midnight hour in the month of August. Tableaus depicting scenes from the life of Krishna crop up in every locality of every city and town in India with great fanfare. Another common practice is to dress little girls and boys as the eternal lovers Radha-Krishna. Devotees actually touch their feet to seek blessings and offer gifts or money.
Navratri:- A nine-day festival devoted to the worship of the goddess Durga. Beautifully made clay images of Durga are consecrated and worshipped for nine days before being immersed in a river or sea on the tenth day.
Ramnavmi:- A major Hindu festival celebrated in April-March to mark the birth of Lord Rama.
Dusshera:- This 10-day festival in October marks the victory of Lord Rama over the demon-king Ravana. The entire Ramayana (see Scriptures & Folklore for details) is enacted during the nine days while the 10th is saved for the grand finale. Huge effigies of Ravana, brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnath are traditionally erected and then burnt down at dusk as a symbol of the victory of Good over Evil. The nine-day Durga Puja in October, the most popular festival of Bengal, coincides with this festival.
Diwali:- This day in November marks the homecoming of Lord Rama in the kingdom of Ayodhya, whose people are believed to have lit earthen lamps to welcome him. The practice continues till today as all homes are lit brilliantly and firecrackers burst in celebration. The festival also honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and is rather special for the trading and merchant communities of India.
Islam
Urs:- An urs is usually the birthday of a Sufi saint which is celebrated at the grave or dargah of the saint. Some of India’s most venerated sufis are Salim Chishti in Fatehpur-Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Moin-ud-din Chishti in Ajmer (Rajasthan) and Nizam-ud-din Auliya in Delhi. The urs at their dargahs are often an occasion for melas (fairs), qawwalis (hymns in praise of Allah and his prophet Muhammad) and much frenetic dancing.
Eid:- Id is celebrated twice very year and the two are separately referred to as Id-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id, when goats are traditionally slaughtered to make special preparations). Id-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Id-ul-Zuha commemorates Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his son.
Muharram:- Muharram mourns the murder of Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet, at Karbala. Though it is an occasion for mourning, a colorful memorial procession is led through the streets of Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Hyderabad, to name a few. Decorated and brightly colored tazias of bamboo and paper are carried as replicas of the martyr’s tomb. The procession proceeds to the frenzied beating of drums and heart-renting cries of ‘Hussain, Hussain !’ A peculiar practice here is that young men armed with leather whips often lash themselves repeatedly
Sikh Festivals
Gurupurab:- The birthday of Guru Nanak is celebrated soon after the Hindu festival of Diwali. Sikhs decorate their home with lamps and lights and special services are held at gurudwaras (sikh temples).
Maghi:- Celebrated in January, Maghi honours Guru Gobind Singh who was besieged by the Mughal army at Anandpur in the 17th century.
Lohri:- This festival marks the end of winter and is celebrated in January. It is especially dear to unmarried women who pray that they will find good husbands and make an excellent marriage.
Baisakhi:- The start of the Punjabi New Year, Baisakhi is always celebrated on April 13. It coincides with the harvest and is especially dear to the Sikhs because the Khalsa was created on Baisakhi day in 1699
Buddhism Festivals
Buddha Jayanti:- The birth anniversary of the Buddha usually comes round on the full moon day of May. But nothing much happens on this day in terms of visual interest – Buddhists conduct their prayers and meditations in private.
Birth of Padmasambhava:- This festival celebrated at the Hemis Gompa in Ladakh and in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is a visual treat. Ritual mask dances are performed to the sound of huge drums, cymbals and hornpipes. The best thangkas depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha are taken out of the monasteries and displayed in the celebrations.
Drupka Teshi:- Held in July-August, the festival marks the first teaching given by the Buddha.
Jainism Festivals
Mahavira Jayanti:- The birthday of Vardhmana Mahavira is celebrated without any pomp or ceremony in quiet prayer.
Deep Diwali:- This festival marks the liberation of Mahavira from the cycle of life and death. Celebrated 10 days after the Hindu festival of Diwali, Deep Diwali too is a festival of lights which are used to illumnate the world after the passing of the ‘light of the world’ (that is, Mahavira). The display at Mount Girnar near Junagadh is quite splendid.
Anointing of Gomateshwara:- A 57m tall statue of Gomateshwara, son of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha, stands in Shravana Belgola in Karnataka. The Mastakabhisheka festival (anointment ceremony) is held every 15 years when the statue is bathed in 16 traditional precious substances which include milk, saffron and ghee (clarified butter), silver, gold and gems.
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