|
International Kite Festival,
Gujarat
When : January 11 -13
Where : Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
When they tell you to `go fly a kite’ in
Gujarat, they actually mean it. And in January,
that means sharing the sky with thousands of
other kites.
Coinciding with the Makar Sankranti
celebrations, Gujarat’s International Kite
Festival is held every year in Ahmedabad. As
you’ve probably guessed, this is one day when
the skies above the city come alive with kites-
in a hundred different colours, shapes and
sizes, fluttering and darting above the
rooftops, triumphantly cutting another kite’s
string, and soaring way up above the earth. The
Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation
organises the International Kite Festival at a
local stadium, where kite enthusiasts from all
across the world show off their skills. A kite
market is held, alongside which are food stalls,
cultural performances and special kite displays
at night, when illuminated kites- known as
tukals- are flown.
Lohri
When : January 13
Where : Punjab, Haryana, Delhi,
parts of Himachal Pradesh
Lohri marks the end of the harvest in Northern
India, and is characterised by the worship of
fire. Bonfires are lit in the evening, whether
in individual households or in communities, and
grain- in the form of peanuts, popcorn, puffed
rice and similar goodies- is ceremonially `fed’
to the fire. What follows, of course, is plenty
of feeding of everybody around as well! Lohri
celebrations are never complete without music
and dancing, and the feasting is invariably
rounded off with a vigorous bit of shake-a-leg.
Makar Sankranti
When : January 14
Where : Northern and Western India
Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter, when
the sun moves into the northern hemisphere- thus
symbolising regeneration and the start of a new
period. Besides being a significant date in the
zodiac, Makar Sankranti is also a harvest
festival and is celebrated throughout the region
as the end of one agrarian cycle.
Traditionally, Makar Sankranti is observed by a
ritual bath- in Uttaranchal, in fact, there’s a
local belief that anybody who doesn’t bathe on
Makar Sankranti will end up being born a donkey
in his or her next incarnation! The sacred `sangam’
at Allahabad- the confluence of the Ganga and
Yamuna- is especially an important place for
ritual baths, and is the venue for a local fair.
All across North and West India, flying kites
and feasting on rice and sweets made from sesame
seeds is an integral part of the festivities.
Pongal
When : January 14
Where : Karnataka and Tamilnadu
In southern India the end of the harvest is
observed as a three-day festival called Pongal,
when newly harvested rice is brought home, and
farmers feed their cattle a rice dish called
pongal- hence the name. The first day of
Pongal is devoted to the worship of the deity
Indra, while the second day is dedicated to
Surya, the Sun God. The third day is marked by
the worship of the Goddess Parvati and her son,
the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh. This is also
the day when cattle- an indispensable part of
life in all villages- are bathed and decorated,
then paraded through the villages. The
procession is followed by cattle races, and in
some instances, bullfights which are locally
known as `jallikattu’- bags full of money
are tied to the horns of bulls, and young men
endeavour to wrestle with the bulls to get the
bags off (and keep the change for themselves, of
course!)
Magh Bihu
When : January 14 -15
Where : Assam
The Assamese equivalent of Makar Sankranti and
Pongal, Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu too is a
harvest festival. Magh Bihu marks the end of the
rice harvesting season, and is especially
important in agrarian communities. For the
occasion, a hut-like structure, called a meji
ghar, is constructed from thatch and
firewood. It’s erected in the shorn rice fields,
and is ritually set aflame during the
festivities. Community feasts are held near the
meji ghar, and are accompanied by much
merrymaking, including dance and music,
bullfights and birdfights.
Magh Mela
When : January 14 - March
Where : Allahabad
According to Hindu belief, the churning of the
primordial ocean centuries ago by the gods
resulted in a pot of nectar- a kumbh- which
became the bone of contention between the gods
and the demons. Following the squabble, the
kumbh fell, spilling nectar at four places in
India: Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain.
The event is commemorated by a mammoth fair, the
Maha Kumbh Mela, which is held every twelve
years at one of these four sacred places.
Besides the Maha Kumbh, an Ardh Kumbh Mela is
held every six years, and a Magh Mela is held
annually. The Magh Mela is the Kumbh on a much
smaller scale, but is nevertheless an important
event.
During the Magh Mela, Prayag (Allahabad) becomes
even busier than usual, playing host to the
thousands of devotees who come from across the
country to offer prayers and bathe in the waters
of the `sangam’, the confluence of the
Ganga and the Yamuna. Traditionally, the Magh
Mela begins on Makar Sankranti, and continues
for about a month of prayers, devotional hymns,
ritual baths and more. During the time, the fair
grounds- along the banks of the sangam-
are flooded with teeming crowds of pilgrims,
sadhus, food sellers, shopkeepers and
policemen trying desperately to maintain order.
Great Elephant March
When : January 17 - 20
Where : Kerala
If you’ve a penchant for parading pachyderms,
Kerala’s where you should be headed. Every
December- or January, depending upon the Kerala
Tourism Development Corporation. This is when
God’s Own Country celebrates not just its
elephants, but also everything else that makes
this state the crowd-puller it is. The Great
Elephant March, which continues for three days,
begins in Thrissur and traces its way through
Alleppey to the capital, Thiruvananthpuram. The
March starts with just that: a march of a
hundred and one elephants, all gloriously
decorated and accompanied by ornate, tinselled
umbrellas. What follows is 72 hours of cultural
performances and sporting events: snake boat
races, kathakali, bharatnatyam and mohiniattam
performances, kalaripayyatu duels, elephant
tug-of-war, fireworks displays and more. It’s a
neat little snapshot of Kerala, and is immensely
popular with the droves of tourists- both Indian
and foreign- who follow the march.
Eid Ul Zuha
When : January 21
Where : Nationwide
Also known as Bakrid or Eid ul Adha, the
festival of Eid Ul Zuha is one of the most
important in the Muslim calendar. Observed on
the tenth day of the twelfth month in the Muslim
calendar- usually in mid or late February- Eid
Ul Zuha derives its significance from the story
of the prophet Ibrahim, who did not hesitate to
sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail, when God
demanded Ismail’s life as a sacrifice. Ibrahim’s
willingness to obey pleased God, and before the
prophet could sacrifice his son, God provided a
ram to be killed instead. In commemoration of
Ibrahim’s devotion to the Almighty, a ram is
ritually slaughtered on Eid. Congregational
namaz at mosques across the length and breadth
of India is followed by the consumption and
distribution of the meat sacrificed. The
sanctity of the day- and the period preceding
it- makes this a popular time for undertaking
the pilgrimage (the Haj) to Mecca.
Bikaner Festival
When : January 24 -25
Where : Bikaner (Rajasthan)
Hosted annually by the desert town of Bikaner,
this festival is dedicated to the surly, hardy
animal without which the desert would be
incomplete- the camel. The festival opens with a
parade of beautifully bedecked camels, and is
followed by a number of events which include
camel races and camel beauty pageants (let the
least ugly camel win!). Camel traders and
craftsmen from across Rajasthan also converge on
Bikaner for the festival, and there’s plenty of
scope for eating, souvenir-shopping and taking
some great photos.
Republic Day
When : January 26
Where : Nationwide
One of India’s three national festivals,
Republic Day commemorates the date, January
26,1950, when India became a republic. This
isn’t a day for great feasting or festivities,
but there’s plenty of patriotism in the air.
Armed forces, including the police, hold
parades, and most schools and other institutions
have some form of celebration or the other-
parades, recitations of patriotic poetry and
what not. But all of that can’t hold a candle to
the impressive parade held in the national
capital, New Delhi. A grand procession of
everything from battletanks to marching
contingents, dancing troupes, schoolchildren and
gorgeously decorated `floats’ from each state,
wends its way along the heart of New Delhi. The
parade, over which the President presides, is an
annual fixture and is easily the most
spectacular `official’ event in India.
The Republic Day celebrations end three days
later, on the evening of January 29, with the
Beating of the Retreat by the massed bands of
the defence forces. The function is held at
Vijay Chowk in the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi, and
it’s every bit as impressive as the parade
itself.
Surajkund Crafts Mela
When : February 1 - 15
Where : Surajkund (Haryana)
8
km from Delhi lies the monument known as
Surajkund, `the Well of the Sun’, supposedly
named after a temple to the Sun God which once
stood here- a name which was later applied to a
tank built at the same spot. Surajkund is fairly
quiet all through the year, except in the first
fortnight of February, when it comes to life for
a glorious, joyous celebration of India’s finest
folk arts and crafts. Organised by the Haryana
Tourism Development Corporation, the Surajkund
Crafts Mela attracts artisans and craftsmen from
all across India. On display- and sale,
obviously- is a colossal range of souvenirs,
from Madhubani paintings and pashmina shawls to
exquisite meenakari and bidriware. Literally any
handicraft produced in India is represented at
Surajkund, and the blend of colours, patterns
and designs is truly heady. Added to that are
continuous performances of dances, music,
puppetry, theatre and other traditional
performing arts. All of India in one easily
manageable, memorable dose.
Carnival
When : February 6 - 8
Where : Goa
Carnivals are meant to be fun, and Goa’s
carnival is definitely that- and much more.
Presided over by a popularly elected `King of
Chaos’ called Momo, the carnival is the last big
bash before the season of Lent starts. It’s a
time for unrestrained merrymaking, with dancing,
processions, music and unlimited food being part
and parcel of the festivities. Street plays and
beach parties are held, on-the-spot farces are
enacted and everybody has a whale of a time.
The three Catholic-dominated talukas of
Salcette, Tiswadi and Bardez are where the
carnival’s at its merriest.
Muharram
When : February 9
Where : Nationwide
Unlike Eid, Muharram is not a festive occasion,
but a solemn one, which mourns the martyrdom of
the revered Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of
the Prophet Mohammad. The festival is observed
on the tenth day of the month of Muharram, which
is the first month in the Muslim calendar.
Hazrat Imam Hussain died in 61 AH (680 AD) in
battle against the forces of Yazid, and his
martyrdom is ceremonially observed by long
processions, especially amongst the Shi’a
Muslims of India. Taziyas (bamboo and
paper replicas of the saint’s tomb) and green
alams (standards of Imam Hussain’s army,
decorated with silver, gold and brass) are
ritually carried in the procession, which is
accompanied by men who beat their breasts,
recite marsiyars (mourning verses) and
sometimes resort to self-flagellation to express
their sorrow. The processions continue during
Muharram, and culminate on the tenth day of the
month, which is known as Yaum-al-Ashoora. On
Yaum-al-Ashoora, the taziya procession
terminates at a local square or a cemetery,
where the taziyas and alams are
ritually buried.
Desert Festival
When : February 10 - 12
Where : Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
If you thought Bikaner’s camel festival was the
ultimate in exotic Indian festivals, wait till
you see the fiesta at Jaisalmer. A three-day
long extravaganza of dances, music, handicraft
fairs and interesting competitions- including
really unusual ones like a `Mr Desert’
pageant, a `turban-tying’ contest and a `best
moustache’ contest- the Jaisalmer Desert
Festival is organised by the Rajasthan Tourism
Development Corporation. It’s a fantastic
showcase of all things Rajasthani, and is
justifiably popular with tourists, both Indian
and foreign. Besides the food, the music and the
cultural performances, there are camel rides,
processions, camel polo, and even a camel
tug-of-war. All of it is held against the
backdrop of the awesome Jaisalmer fort.
Fireworks displays at night light up the area,
and the fort is illuminated too.
Basant Panchami
When : February 13
Where : Nationwide
Close on the heels of the harvest festivals of
Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu, Pongal and Lohri
follows the advent of spring- heralded by the
festival of Basant Panchami. Basant Panchami
celebrates the end of winter in India, and is
marked by the worship of the Hindu Goddess of
Learning, Saraswati. Typically, young children
are taught their first letters on Basant
Panchami, and special pujas are held in
schools or other educational establishments. In
some communities, ancestor worship and the
feeding of brahmins is also an integral part of
the celebrations.
Yellow, the colour of spring and of prosperity,
is the predominant colour on Basant Panchami,
and is traditionally the colour worn on this
day. Food cooked on Basant Panchami is often
coloured with saffron or turmeric, which imparts
to it a yellow hue.
Khajuraho Dance Festival
When : February 25 - March 3
Where : Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh)
Staged in the setting of the famous 10th
century Khajuraho temples, the Khajuraho Dance
Festival is organised by the Madhya Pradesh Kala
Parishad as an annual event which spotlights
both the immense diversity of classical Indian
dance forms as well as the architectural
brilliance of the temples themselves. The
festival goes on for a full week and includes
performances by leading exponents of Indian
dance forms- Odissi, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam,
Kathakali, and more- even (and this is a
recently introduced element) modern Indian
dance. The performances start at dusk, usually
at the Chitragupt Temple or the Vishwanath
Temple, with the beautifully illuminated western
group of temples as a backdrop. It’s a treat for
anybody who’s keen on Indian dance, and draws
thousands of eager spectators every year.
Maha Shivratri
When : March 8
Where : Nationwide
Shivratri or Maha Shivratri is traditionally
observed by night-long prayers and the worship
of the god Shiva, who is believed to have
performed the tandav- the cosmic dance of
destruction, preservation and creation- on this
night. Devotees of Shiva throng Shiva temples
through the day, fasting and praying to the
deity for salvation from the cycle of birth and
rebirth. Shiva lingams in temples are ritually
bathed every three hours with the `panchgavya’-
the five sacred offerings of the cow- butter,
sour milk, milk, urine and dung. This is
followed by an offering of the `five foods of
immortality’- honey, yoghurt, sugar, ghee and
milk.
Maha Shivratri is considered a significant
festival for women, many of whom believe that
prayers on this day will ensure the wellbeing of
their husbands and children (if the woman is
married), or ensure a good husband if the woman
is unmarried!
Elephant Festival
When : March 25
Where : Jaipur, Rajasthan
Come March, and the Pink City breaks into an
exultant celebration of life, a pre-Holi bash
which centres around the elephant. The camel may
be the most visible symbol of Rajasthan, but
when it comes to Rajput royalty, the elephant
wins hands down. So, while Bikaner celebrates
the Ship of the Desert, Jaipur makes much of the
elephant.
Marked by a range of interesting activities,
Jaipur's day-long Elephant Festival is an event
not to be missed. Organised every year by the
Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, the
Elephant Festival is held at the Chaugan stadium
in Jaipur, and attracts thousands of eager
tourists from across India and overseas. The
festival starts with a procession; while
musicians play folk tunes and dancers whirl in a
flurry of colours, richly caparisoned elephants
march along in a parade. This is followed by a
`best decorated elephant' competition, games of
elephant polo, elephant races, a special
`elephant decoration' exhibition (see what goes
into making these beauties look the way they
do!), and a tug-of-war between humans and an
elephant. No prizes for guessing who wins.
The festivities end with performances of folk
dances; with a liberal splashing of Holi colours
on all and sundry, and a spectacular display of
fireworks.
Holi
When : March 25
Where : Nationwide
Holi is the day when everybody sets off to paint
the town red- literally. And not just red, but
also blue and green and virulent magenta.
Basically a celebration of the passage of winter
and the coming of spring, Holi has mythological
connotations too: it celebrates the death, by
fire, of the demon Holika. But that’s not all;
Holi is also associated, in some areas, with the
God of Love, Kama, as well as with the love of
Krishna and Radha. Rather a lot of legends
behind one festival!
But what really matters is that this is a day
for uninhibited fun. People fling coloured
powders or coloured water- along with a lot of
other not-so-nice stuff- on friends, family and
even strangers, and this is one day when
everybody on the street looks like they’ve
walked through a rainbow. Riotous singing,
dancing and the consumption of huge amounts of
bhang-laced lassi or bhang pakoras are also very
much a part of Holi celebrations.
Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh, is especially
well-known for its Holi celebrations, which
centres around the love of Krishna and Radha. An
interesting variation of Holi, also in Uttar
Pradesh, is in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon,
where `Lathmar Holi’ is celebrated, with women
literally beating the men with wooden sticks.
Rather rough, but it’s all in good humour!
Jamshed-e-Navroz
When : March 22
Where : Nationwide
The Parsi New Year, Jamshed-e-Navroz is
celebrated on the first day of the first month
of the Shehenshai calendar followed by the
Zoroastrian faith. Named after the Persian ruler
Jamshed, in whose reign the festival began,
Jamshed-e-Navroz is symbolic of rejuvenation and
rebirth.
As in all the other new year festivals, at
Navroz too there’s much excitement in the air.
Homes are cleaned and decorated with ornate
rangolis, new clothes are worn, and greetings-
along with the customary sweets- are exchanged.
This being the start of a new year, prayers are
offered at the Fire Temple, and it’s usual for
people to go thrice to the temple during the day
to worship Khorshed and Meher, the two divine
beings who preside over the sun and the moon
respectively.
Nauchandi Mela
When : March 27 - April 27
Where : Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is hard to beat for the things it
produces- Lucknow's chikankari; Ferozabad's
glassware; Kanpur's leather; Varanasi's silk
saris… the list is endless. And if you want a
one-stop shop to buy them, come to the Nauchandi
Mela in Meerut. A historic fair, more than a
century old, Nauchandi is a month-long
extravaganza of great shopping, good food, and
UP at its noisy best. The Nauchandi Mela begins
on the second Sunday after Holi (this year, it
starts on April 7). This is when Meerut becomes
much more than just a small satellite town of
Delhi, and takes on a glitter and vivacity which
is highly infectious.
The history behind the Nauchandi Mela is
debatable; some say that it began as a cattle
fair way back in 1672; others suggest a British
revenue-collection fair as the precursor of the
mela. Many Hindu devotees believe that it began
as a religious festival to commemorate the
building of a temple in Meerut by Mandodari, the
wife of the demon king, Ravana.
Whatever may be the antecedents of the Nauchandi
Mela, the fact of the matter is that this is one
of the biggest, most colourful and interesting
fairs anywhere in the country. Held for all of a
month after Holi, the Nauchandi Mela is held on
a 4 sq km area, crowded and colourful as can be.
The area's crisscrossed by pathways; and all
through are put up hundreds of stalls selling
handicrafts and machine-made products from all
across India. Textiles, perfumes, jewellery,
furniture, ceramics, glassware, leather- the
list is endless. Giant wheels, games, nautankis
and cultural performances add to the ambience.
Performances of music and dance have, in fact,
become an important part of the Nauchandi Mela,
with maestros such as Pandit Ravi Shankar being
among those who have performed here.
Any way you look at it- whether from the point
of view of a compulsive shopper, a trader
wanting to do a bit of good business, or a
culture-vulture looking for a great experience-
the Nauchandi Mela is worth a visit.
Gangaur
When : April 1 - 3
Where : Rajasthan
Rajasthan may be India’s driest and most arid
state, but when it comes to sheer colour and
exuberance, it’s hard to beat. And Rajasthan is
best seen in all its colours at the time of
Gangaur, the spring festival dedicated to the
goddess of abundance, Gauri (Parvati). Gangaur
is a largely female-centric festival, in that
most of the festivities and pujas are
conducted by women. The fortnight leading up to
Gangaur is marked by fasting, daily pujas
of Gauri, and on the day of the festival itself,
a bejewelled and beautifully clothed idol of the
goddess is the centrepiece of an elaborate
procession.
Although Gangaur
fairs are held throughout Rajasthan, some towns
in particular are known for the fair: Udaipur
(where a boat procession makes its way across
the Pichola Lake), Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner,
Jaisalmer and Nathdwara. Among the Girasia
tribals of the Sirohi-Mt Abu region, Gangaur
festivities carry on for more than a month, when
devotees carry decorated idols of the goddess
from village to village, finally returning to
the village they started from. During this
period, unmarried men and women of the tribe
choose their mates and elope- a custom which has
prevailed through the ages and is more or less
expected during Gangaur.
Ugadi
When : April 9
Where : Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka
In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the festival of
Ugadi heralds the start of a New Year. Ugadi is
believed to be the day when Brahma- the Creator,
in the Hindu Trinity- formed the universe. It’s
also the time when winter is on its way out, and
spring’s round the corner, so the concept of new
life and a new year is really very appropriate.
Preparations for Ugadi begin a week in advance;
homes are cleaned and decorated, new clothes are
bought, and, on the day of the festival itself,
fresh mango leaves are strung up above doorways
to denote prosperity in the new year. Pujas
and feasting are, as in almost all the other
festivals of India, an important aspect of the
celebrations.
Gudi Padva
When : April 9
Where : Maharashtra
When their cousins down south celebrate Ugadi,
the Maharashtrians celebrate Gudi Padva- the
Maharashtrian New Year. Gudi Padva is celebrated
on the first day of the month of Chaitra, and
marks not just the advent of a new year, but
also the victory of the ancient Satvahana king
Shalivahana over his enemies. The ruler’s
victory is commemorated by erecting a pole (the
`gudi’), around which is tied a piece of silk. A
metal kalash or pot, decorated with mango leaves
and marigold flowers, is balanced atop the gudi.
Colourful rangolis are drawn with coloured
powder, and prayers are offered to the Creator,
Brahma.
Gudi Padva counts as one of the four most
auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, and is
considered an excellent day for beginning a new
venture of any kind.
Baisakhi
When : April 13
Where : Punjab
Baisakhi is New Year’s Day in Punjab. And, like
New Year across the world, it’s celebrated with
much gusto. The day, besides being the start of
a new year, also marks the maturing of the
winter crop- and the last major festival before
farmers roll up their sleeves and begin
harvesting the grain.
For the Sikhs, Baisakhi holds even greater
significance as it commemorates the day, in
1699, when the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind
Singh, founded the Khalsa Panth. The festival is
celebrated with processions of devotees led by
the panj piaras, the elected religious
heads who are second only to the gurus.
Devotional music is played during the
procession, and hymns are sung, both along the
way and at gurudwaras. Religious discourses and
kirtans are held at gurudwaras, and karah prasad
(sacramental food) is distributed.
Good Friday and Easter
When : April 14 - 17
Where : Nationwide
Holy Week, the seven days which stretch from
Palm Sunday to Easter, is the most important
period in the Christian calendar, for it marks
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for
the salvation of mankind. Good Friday, which is
the day when Christ was crucified, is a solemn
occasion and is observed in churches across the
country. Many Indians fast through the day and
end the fast after mass, with hot cross buns
(traditionally decorated with a cross crafted
from dough).
On the third day from Good Friday is Easter, the
day when Christ rose from the dead.
Traditionally, Easter masses are held not just
during the late morning or evening but also at
sunrise, in a local cemetery- symbolic of
Christ’s resurrection from the tomb. Easter
services are invariably followed by much
rejoicing, which includes feasting on the
well-loved `Easter eggs’- initially a symbol of
fertility, and therefore denoting new life and
rejuvenation.
Ram Navami
When : April 18
Where : Nationwide
All across India, the day of Ram Navami is
celebrated as the birthday of the god Ram, one
of the most familiar and well-loved deities in
the Hindu pantheon. The nine days leading up to
Ram Navami are days of fasting and prayer for
the devout, and the day of the festival itself
is marked by pujas and satsangs
(public gatherings). Two cities- Ayodhya (in
Uttar Pradesh) and Pondicherry, both of which
are mentioned in the epic Ramayana, are
especially renowned for their Ram Navami
celebrations. Ayodhya, where Ram was born, is
the setting for showy rath yatras or
chariot processions in which expensively
decorated idols of Ram, Sita and Hanuman are
carried through the town. The rath yatras
in Ayodhya continue for two days and are
accompanied by much fanfare and rejoicing.
Mahavir Jayanti
When : April 22
Where : Nationwide
The most important of all Jain festivals,
Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth anniversary
of Vardhaman Mahavir, the founder of Jainism and
the 24th tirthankar (religious
guru) of the faith. Mahavir was born sometime in
the 7th century BC, and his birth
anniversary is celebrated with much fervour at
Jain temples across the country. Shrines and
temples are decorated with flags for the
occasion, and on the day of the festival, the
idol of the tirthankar is given a ritual
bath before being taken out, ensconced in a
cradle, in a grand procession.
The custom of donating money, food and clothing
to the poor is also an important aspect of
celebrating Mahavir Jayanti. In addition, Jain
organisations (in some cases, even individuals)
arrange for free food and drink for all
passersby.
Important Jain shrines such as Sri Mahavirji in
Rajasthan; Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat;
Parasnath Temple (Kolkata) and Pawapuri in Bihar
host major celebrations to mark Mahavir Jayanti.
Milad-un-Nabi
When : April 21
Where : Nationwide
Eid Milad-un-Nabi, or Barawafat, marks the birth
anniversary (as well as the death anniversary)
of the Prophet Mohammad. Because of the fact
that the date represents not just the birth, but
also the death of the Prophet, Milad-un-Nabi
festivities are fairly subdued. The twelve days
(`barah’ means `twelve’, therefore `barawafat’)
leading up to Milad-un-Nabi are indicative of
the twelve days of sickness before the Prophet
was lifted up to heaven. This period is a time
for introspection, prayer and acts of charity.
Public meetings are held at mosques, where
religious leaders meditate and preach on the
life of the Prophet, his teachings and the
tenets of the faith. In some places, hymns are
sung and marsiyas (mourning verses)
recited in mosques. Furthermore, a ceremony
called a `sandal’ is observed in some
mosques, where a stone representation of the `buraq’-
a horse-like creature on which the Prophet
ascended to heaven- is anointed with sandalwood
paste and fragrant powder.
Moatsu Mong
When : May 1- 3
Where : Nagaland (Ao tribe)
Between May 1 and 3 this year, the small but
immensely beautiful hill state of Nagaland will
come alive with the Motasu Mong festival- a time
for much rejoicing, feasting, dancing, singing
and merry-making. A traditional festival of the
Ao tribe, Moatsu-Mong originally stretched over
six days- but the modern abbreviated version of
three days doesn't seem to have diminished the
festivities in any way!
Traditionally, Moatsu Mong was celebrated only
after the biggest (and most time-consuming)
tasks of the community were completed- the
sowing of grain, the cleaning of village ponds,
the construction and repair of houses. The days
leading up to the festival are, even today, a
period of hectic activity. Homes are cleaned and
decorated; rice beer is brewed (in huge
quantities- what is a festival without liquor,
after all?!) and cows, pigs and fowls are
fattened for the inevitable feast. For the three
days of Moatsu Mong, there is much rejoicing,
singing and dancing; delegations go from one
village to the next, bearing gifts, feasts are
held, and eulogies are sung in praise of
traditional heroes.
Moatsu Mong is now being promoted by Nagaland
Tourism as a national event, and Chuchuyimlang
village is the main showcase for the
celebrations- a great place for visitors from
across the country and abroad to get a ringside
view of Naga life.
Sikkim Tourism Festival
When : May 1- 31
Where : Gangtok, Sikkim
Breathtakingly beautiful is the first word that
comes to mind when Sikkim is mentioned- for this
tiny state tucked away in the Eastern Himalayas
packs a punch when it comes to natural beauty. A
heady combination of snow-capped mountains,
frothing rivers, forests of rhododendron and
flowers all the way- that's Sikkim for you. And
what better way to celebrate Sikkim than at the
annual Sikkim Tourism Festival, held in Gangtok
every May? Flower shows, exhibitions, cultural
programmes and interesting competitions are all
part and parcel of this amazing event.
Organised by the Sikkim Department of Tourism,
the month-long Tourism festival has been held
every year since 1981. The venue for the
festival is the White Hall in Gangtok, and for
the space of thirty days, the entire complex
comes alive with performances of traditional
Sikkimese dances, films on tourism, exhibitions
of local arts and crafts, and flower shows which
highlight the gorgeous flowers of Sikkim-
orchids, rhododendrons and primulas among them.
An interestingly offbeat `yak safari', a local
food festival and white-water rafting on the
Teesta are also a part of the festival.
Buddha Purnima
When : May 13
Where : Nationwide
The festival of Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti
celebrates the birth of Gautam Buddha in 563 BC.
The most important of all the Buddhist
festivals, Buddha Purnima is considered the most
auspicious of all the days in the year. Although
there are minor regional variations in the way
Buddha Purnima is observed, the festival is
generally observed by lighting oil lamps before
the image of the Buddha, by reciting prayers or
reading from the scriptures. Meditation and
offerings of flowers, silk scarves, incense and
fruit are also part of the worship rituals.
Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh) and Bodhgaya (Bihar)
are, in particular, known for the Buddha Purnima
celebrations which are held in these two cities.
Top
Hemis Festival
When : June 9 - 28
Where : Hemis Gompa, Ladakh (Jammu
and Kashmir)
Come summer, and the cold desert region of
Ladakh awakes from a long and harsh winter. This
is the time when tourists from far and wide
arrive to trek, to climb mountains, to go
river-rafting and to stare, awe-struck, at some
of the most beautiful examples of Indo-Tibetan
culture. And if you go to Ladakh in the summer,
you really shouldn’t miss the memorable Hemis
Festival, held at the Hemis Gompa, the largest
Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. Hemis is home to
more than 500 monks and, at the time of the
festival, plays host to hundreds of eager
devotees, local villagers and tourists. The
two-day festival is marked by prayers and the
display of an age-old thangka (religious
painting) which is just one of the treasures
housed at Hemis. All through the festival,
traditional dances are performed by masked
monks. The dances, which are accompanied by
cymbals, drums and trumpets, portray the triumph
of good over evil.
During the Hemis festival, hawkers and
shopkeepers set up stalls outside the monastery,
selling a variety of wares- most of them
souvenirs to cater to the crowds of tourists
coming to see the festival.
Jagannath Yatra
When : July 8
Where : Puri (Orissa)
If you’ve ever wondered what a juggernaut
actually looks like, this is where you can see
it- in the great annual rath yatra (often
referred to, rather prosaically, as the `Car
Festival) of Lord Jagannath in Orissa. The venue
for the festival is the town of Puri, famed for
its temple to Lord Jagannath, as Krishna is
known in this part of the country. For the
rath yatra, three huge chariots- each with
about a dozen wheels up to 7 feet in diameter-
are ritually pulled through the streets, from
the Jagannath temple to the temple of Gundicha
Mandir. The raths are replicas of the Jagannath
temple and each of them carries an idol- of
Jagannath, of his brother Balbhadra and his
sister Subhadra- to Gundicha Mandir, where they
stay for a week before being taken back, again
in the raths, to the Jagannath Temple.
The entire journey- back and forth- is
accompanied by thousands of pilgrims, many of
whom (in previous years, but fortunately no
longer) threw themselves under the wheels of the
`juggernaut’ in their fervour. Today, the days
for the yatra are holidays, when all of Puri
becomes one huge fairground and temple rolled
into one.
Teej
When : July 28 - 29
Where : Northern India
An important festival in Rajasthan, Teej is also
a day for rejoicing in parts of Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana and Bihar. Teej celebrates the arrival
of the monsoon- a cause for celebration, indeed-
and is appropriately observed by the donning of
green clothing which symbolises the verdure of
rain-fed fields. Teej is traditionally
celebrated by women, who go their parents’ home
for the festival. New clothes, usually gifted by
the woman’s parents, are worn, and women gather
together to fast and to offer prayers to the
goddess Parvati, whose devotion to her husband,
Shiva, is considered exemplary. On Teej, an idol
of the goddess, bedecked in red and gold
clothing, is taken in a procession, accompanied
by chanting and hymns.
But Teej is not just a religious festival; it
also is a time to celebrate the coming of the
rains- a time for renewal and rejuvenation. Teej
`melas’ or fairs are fixtures at villages
and towns, where thousands come to eat, drink,
buy, sell, and generally enjoy themselves. The
celebrations include music and folk dances, as
well as the hanging of swings from trees, where
groups of women and girls gather to swing.
Nag Panchami
When : August
|
