Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

September Ganesh Chaturthi. Bombay. The birthday of Ganesha, or Gana- pathi, the elephant - headed deity. Celebrations last 10 days. On the 10th day the images of Ganesha are taken to the Chowpatty beach and ceremonially immersed. Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary : September 8th. A nine- day Novena followed by a grand celebration ending with the benediction. Thou- sands of people flock and participate in the occasion. Pitra Paksh : Observed to pacify the souls of deceased ancestors. Observed over a fortnight. Ram Lila: Cities and villages of North India, a dramatic festival portraying events from Ramayana.

Mahavir Jayanti. Jain festival dedicated to Mahavira, 24th Tir- tankara (Saint). Best seen at Jain centres in Gujarat. Ramanavami : On the 9th day in Chaitra the birth of Rama is celebrated. Rama's temples are decorated, religious discourses and his life from Ramayana are recited. Devotees fast that day and visit shrines. The Varadaraja Perumal temple at Pondicherry celebrates the festival for 20 days with a grand Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman chariot processions at major parts of the city. Easter: The Christian festival commemorating the ressurection of Jesus Christ. April/May Pooram. Trichur. Meenakshi Kalyanam. Madurai. Spring Fes- tival. Celebrations in the almond orchards at Srinagar in Kashmir. Baisakhi. Celebrating the Hindu solar New Year. Best seen in Punjab where Sikhs celebrate Guru Gobind Singh's formation of the Khalsa brotherhood on this day in 1689. May/June Buddha Poornima. Buddha had his birth, enlightenment and attained nirvana on full moon night. Celebrated at all Buddhist centres. Best at Sarnath, Bodhgaya. June/July Rath Yatra. Puri (Orissa). Three gigantic temple chariots, containing the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra (his brother) and Subhadra are pulled through a sea of devotees. Car festival: Serempore (W. Bengal). Teej. Rajasthan. Especially Jaipur. Nag Panchami. Jodhpur. In honour of Naga, the serpent King. Amarnath yatra on full moon night, at Amarnath, near Phalgam. Raksha Bandhan. Northern and Western India. A sister ties rakhi (tinsel and silk armlets) round the wrists ensuring honour and protection of his fortune and seeking his security and blessings. The sister gives him sweets and receives gifts from him. Rakhis are also tied round wrists of close friends and neighbours. Vishnu Digamber Music Festival. Delhi. Independence Day. August 15. All over India but best in Delhi. Nagapanchami : Krishna's victory over the Serpent Kaliya is celebrated by bathing, fasting, drawing figures of snakes on floors and wooden boards and are worshipped offering rice flour and milk at the snake pits. Ploughing of fields and killing snakes is avoided and if killed by accident, snake figures are bathed in water. August/September Janmashtami.. (Krishna's birthday). All over India but best in Mathura, Dwaraka, Agra, Delhi and Bombay. Onam. Kerala's harvest festival. The people of Kerala believe that Bali visits them that day and so floral decorations are made to welcome him. Games are organised, the Vallumkali (snake boat race) is held at different places with about 100 oarsmen to the beat and rhythm of cymbals, drums and songs. The day ends with girls dancing around the brass lit lamps. Id-ul-Fitr : The festival when fast of the Ramzan ends, after the new moon has been seen. August July/August

September/October

Navratri. Ahmedabad. Dussehra. Called Ram Lila in Delhi and Varanasi, DurgaPujain Calcutta and Dussera in Mysore.

October

Sadarang Music Festival. Calcutta Gandhi Jayanti (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday) October 2.

Muharram The period of mourning in remembrance of the death of Hussain. The mourners move in a circle beating their breasts with cries of "YaHasan! YaHussain!” or "Ya-Ali”. October/November Diwali. All over India but best in Bombay, Delhi and the north.' Festival of Lights' dedicated to worship of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. The houses are decorated with lit earthen pots, children and elders let off crackers and fireworks; men have meals with their sisters and other women relatives who apply sandalwood paste or red mark (tika) on the forehead and receive gifts. November Sonepur Fair. Largest cattle fair in the world lasting a month. Sonepur is in Bihar on the banks of the Ganga. Sangeet Sammelan Music Festival. Delhi. Sir-SingarMusic Festival. Bombay. Guru Nanak Jayanti. Birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion. Best seen at Amritsar and Patna. Children's Day. November 14. Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday is celebrated all over India. November/December Pushkar Cattle Fair. 10 - day cattle fair in Pushkar, Rajasthan to trade cattle, camels, goats, sheep, jewellery etc. Held beside the sacred lake. There are camel races and Rajasthani melodies played on the stringed ek-tara.

December Lalit Sangeet Parishad Music Festival. Varanasi. Feast of St. Francis Xavier. December 3. Goa. Tansen Music Festival. Gwalior. Paus Mela Arts Festival., Santiniketan, Bengal Christmas . December 25: Birthday of Jesus Christ. Midnight services, Carol singing and feasting. Shanmukananda Arts Festival : Bombay.