India:a land of festivals

Deepavali: The festival of light Deepavali or Diwali is the festival of light celebrated in many parts of India. One of the most popular festivals in India, it symbolizes the victory of light over dark. Here light represents the good and dark represents the bad. So it is a celebration of the victory of good over the evil. It also signifies the victory of knowledge over ignorance. Deepavali is celebrated by lighting earthen pots( Diyas ), bursting crackers and distributing sweets. It is a major festival in India; though it is celebrated all over the country, it has a major significance in Northern India. Beautiful Earthen Pots( Diyas ) being lighted during Diwali night The History       The Diwali festival is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts such as the Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana, both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The  diyas  (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Kishore P

Bhai Dooj: The Symbol of Love Between Brother and Sister Bhai Dooj/Bhai Phota/Bhau Beej is a Hindu festival celebrated by a majority of people from Indian subcontinent and Nepal on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha of the Hindu Calender. It is generally celebrated after Diwali in India and in Nepal at the Tihar festival. The celebrations at this festival are similar to Raksha Bandhan. On this day, brothers give gifts to sisters and sisters pray for the longevity and well being of their brothers. Brothers being applied Tilak on Forehead by sisters The Tradition On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal. Many dishes are prepared which are given to their brothers and also to the guests. The ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, and sisters pray for their brothers' well being and prosperity.       Carrying forward the ceremony, sisters perform Aarti, that is preparing the Aarti Thali ; a plate(made o

Chhath Puja: The festival of Sun  Chhath Puja is a really important festival in Northern India, especially in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, as well as some central regions of Nepal. It's an ancient Hindu Vedic festival. In this festival, the tradition is to watch the sunrise and worship the sun god. Not only in Bihar, but this festival can be seen celebrated in many parts of India. People from different sects and communities celebrate is with much joy and festivity. It is considered to be the most eco-friendly Hindu Festival. Traditions and Rituals                                   As compared to some other festivals of India, Chhath Puja is not comprised of worshipping any statue . It is instead a tradition of worshipping the sun god. The rituals are rigorous and observed over a period of four days. It includes holy bathing, staying in the water for a long time,( Vratta ) and offering Prasad to the sun god. People who celebrate it get up very e

MAHALAYA: Homecoming of the Goddess It is that time of the year again...blossom in the air, the fragrance of  Sheuli Phool   (Night Jasmine Flower) marking the start of Puja season and the sound of the Shankha (conch shell) signifying the arrival of Maa Durga. It is that time when every Bengali's heart gets filled with joy and happiness and they wait for the celebrations to begin. What exactly is Mahalaya? Mahalaya marks the start of the Festival. It marks the end of the Pitra Paksha and the start of the Devi Paksha . It is believed that on this day Maa Durga descended to the earth from heavens, to fight Mahishasura , the demon who terrorized all the gods. Traditions of Mahalaya  Mahalaya is celebrated all over India, in Eastern states of India such as West Bengal, Assam, and parts of Tripura, it has a major significance. It begins by waking up early in the morning, offering Sheuli Phool to the goddess, blowing the Shankha and turning on the radio to listen to

Origins of Durga Puja    Durga is an ancient deity of Hinduism, according to various archaeological and textual pieces of evidence found by our archaeologists. However, the origins of Durga Puja are very clear and undocumented; as no proper mention of date and time is found anywhere. Some of the surviving manuscripts from the 14th Century have laid down some guidelines for Durga Puja, while historical records suggest royal and wealthy families were sponsoring major Durga Puja festivities since at least the 16th century. The 11th or 12th Century Jainism text Yasatilaka written by Somadeva about a festival and annual dates that were dedicated to a warrior goddess, celebrated by the king and his armed forces and the description mirrors attributes of Durga Puja.                                     The word Durga , and other related terms appear in Rigveda hymns and Atharvaveda. There is also a mention of a deity named Durgi in Taittriya Aranyaka. While the Vedic literature h

Durga Puja: The Festival Of Power Durga Puja is one of the important religious festivals in India that is celebrated across the country with much pomp and grandeur. It is generally based on the Hindu religious mythology of Goddess Durga who represents the Good, win over the Evil, which is represented by a demon Mahisasura. In Indian mythology, it has been said that the fight between the goddess Durga and Mahishasura continued for a total of 10 days. In Northern India, they celebrate Navaratri where the fast and pray the Goddess Durga, on whose name the festival is, and on the 10th day, Dussehra is celebrated; that marks the goddess's victory.         In Bengali culture, the main puja starts from Saptami , that is the 7th day of the fight. Saptami , Ashtami , Navami , and Dashami are the main days of celebration which are 7th,8th,9th and 10th days of the fight; respectively. On the 10th day,i.e, Dashami , the clay idols are immersed in water which represents the far