“A year has 365 days but India has 366.” Mark Twain may have said this in jest but he was not too wide off the mark as no other country can boast celebrating as many festivals as India does. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year-the harvest, the rains while others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints and Gurus (revered teachers), or the full moon or the advent of the New Year.
The concept of universal brotherhood encompasses all these festivals and the vibrant colours, warm hospitality and infectious buoyant spirit of the Indians attract people from all the over the world to take part in the Indian fairs and festivals.
Though most festivals have had religious origins, over the years they have acquired social and cultural significance. Every celebration center around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasting. In a way these festivals seek to strike a balance between the temporal and the spiritual, between man’s quest for salvation and his
thirst for worldly pleasures. It is, therefore not surprising if days of fasting are often followed by nights of feasting.
Festivals are celebrated in all seasons in India. Spring covers all major festivals occurring during that period: Shivratri, Mahavir Jayanthi. In Summer & Monsoon, some of the festivals like Kanwar Mela, the Jagannath Rath Yatra, Teej are followed. Autumn is witness to the celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra and Ramadan to name a few while Winter celebrates Diwali, Christmas, Haj and Sankranti. Most of the Hindu festivals adhere to the Lunar; and both full Moon (Purnima) and the new Moon are considered auspicious. The festivals of the
Muslim Community depend on the sighting of the new moon, which is why the dates of many of these festivals vary from year to year.
Spring Festivals
‘When winter comes, can spring be far behind?’, asked Shakespeare. Vasanth Panchami marks the beginning of Vasanth or Spring, when it
is time for every bush of color and fragrance, vibrant as sparklers in festive display. The flower is a beautiful symbol of life and regeneration for it leads to seed and then another plant, bush or a tree. Hence, Vasant is propitiated as Kusumakar or Rituraj, the ‘King of Seasons’. This festival is celebrated by propitiating Goddess Saraswathi, the presiding deity of learning, aesthetics
and creativity who symbolizes the constant flow of wisdom. She also represents the full blossoming the multi-hued, kindling the light of inspiration and hope. The Goddess is also called kamalasana or the ‘One who is seated on a Thousand Petalled Lotus’-each petal denoting quality. Saraswathi’s vaahan or vehicles is the hans or swan. The swan has the ability to hold the mix of water and milk in its beak and spew out pure water from one side and milk from
the other side. This is known as neekshir vivek or the water-milk wisdom in Indian philosophy.
A wise person is one, who, like the swan, picks out pearls of wisdom from a vast spread of knowledge. The veena that Saraswathi holds in her hands has seven strings representing the body, food, humans, work, intelligence, religious and spiritual cultures.
Mahashivrathri or Shiva Jayanthi is a festival imbued with deep spiritual meaning. Today it is celebrated by devout Hindus as one of many festivals. Shiva symbolizes the universally worshipped form of God, the eternal light Shiva literally means one who is kalyankari, ’the Benefactor of all souls. Mahashivrathri, therefore is the memorial of the divine incarnation and divine acts of the incorporeal God Shiva is the Supreme Father He who performs the triple role of creation, sustenance and destruction. This divine trinity is symbolized as Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar in Hindu theology. The supreme has been worshipped in the oval or egg-shaped form of the Shivalinga. The Linga Purana say that the one who destroyed the world and re-establishes the same with Divine Power is called Linga. The Shiva temples throughout India-including at Amarnath, Somnath, Kashi Vishwanath and Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar and Nepal’s Pashupathinath. He is depicted as
linga, the elliptical representation in stone. Shiva’s representation as linga is to show His incorporeal nature. He does not have any male or female human like-form like the deities. He is incorporeal point of light. The twelve renowned Shiva temples in India are also known as Jyotirlinga Maths, signifying His form of Light. Incorporeal Shiva is also known as Trimurti, the creator of the three deities-Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. The three lines and a dot in the center signify the subtle form of God as a point of light and his three divine acts symbolize the triple characteristics of Trimurti: Trinetri-the one with the third eye of wisdom. Trikaldarshi-the one who sees the three aspects of time, and Trilok Nath-the Lord of the three worlds.
Colorful triumph of Good over Evil-Holi: falls almost a fortnight after Shivrathri which falls
a day before amvasya, the darkest night of the month. Spiritually, it signifies light prevailing over darkness of the month. It is observed as the celebration of fertility, love and joy which can
be culturally construed to be virtual New Year, in the spirit of Spring and in the colours and contours of godly gospels and devotions. Holi is associated with Mal Utsav (smearing of colours) and the Holika (Hiranyakashyap’s sister and Prahalad’s aunt) bonfire in which dry sticks and cow dung are put to fire and corn seeds burnt
to the point of losing their power to germinate. The fire represents burning away of what is
old and worn out. The festivities of Holi have a central message-let bygones be bygones, bury old hatchet and start anew in the spirit of Spring.
The festival assumes its true colors in Mathura and Vrindavan where it played in memory of Krishna’s dalliance with Radha and other gopis of Gokul. People throng Krishna and Radha temples, throw colors at each other and on deities before which they sing, dance and pray. Holi is also observed as Lath Maar, Holi in Barsana (Radha’s birthplace) where women of the village use bamboo sticks and brooms to keep menfolk at bay! Although Holi is a Hindu festival, its spirit engulfs all communities and sections of society. Muslim king Humayun and Akbar patronized Holi celebrations during their rule. Even today, people of different faiths are invited to Holi Milan programs where they meet and greet each other, share sweets and jokes, recite poems and songs, play colours, games and dramas in an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood. Just as the colors of Holi provide relief from the hot sun, soothing irritated spirits, let the vibrancy and gaiety of the festival kindle your inner spirit to look forward to a new life free of old baggage and enmities. Start life on a clean, happy slate.
Navroz: ‘Though celebrated first in Iran
four thousand years ago, it came to be known asNavrozorNewDaywhenitwaspronounced thus by a band of people who belonged to the oldest religion in the world, Zoroastrianism. Navroz celebration originated with the mystic Persian king, Jamshyd-e-Navroz. Children listened to his wise and gracious 700-year
rule of the supernatural luster which radiated from his crown and his legendary goblet which never ran dry. The festivities are celebrated
with 7 ‘S’. They are Sekeh (coin), Samanu (Sweet wheat pudding), sabzi (sprouted green shoots of vegetables and herbs), sonbol (Hyscinth), senjed (a tiny dried fruit), sib (apple) and serekh (vinegar). Its significance is relevant even today when the world is in dire need of newness.
Ram Navami: The story of Ram appeals to everyone. The Ramayana is listened and read by thousands of people every day. Sage Valmiki, the Yoga Vasishta, was the first to narrate this story. Thanks to oral tradition, many versions were born. Ram is the symbol of sacrifice, a model of brotherhood, an ideal administrator, a warrior unparalleled. The term Ram Rajya stands for the most exalted concept of a welfare state. Ram was not only divine; he was invested with highest values of an enriched tradition. The brothers, Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan had totally unity among themselves. Even while playing in their childhood, each aspired for the victory of the other. Ram’s birthday celebrations remind us of the ideals He stood for. Vasishta declared that Ram is the embodiment of
Dharma. Kalyug has become the age of kalaha or conflict. In such a scenario, The Ramayana throws light on how brothers and sisters should conduct themselves.
Summer & Monsoon Festivals
Prophet Muhammed, Last Messenger of Allah: The Holy prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, peace be upon him, was born on the 12th day of the month Rabi ul’ Awwal. His birthday is celebrated by the followers of Islam, worldwide, across continents and cultures. The Prophet’s illustrious life provides for us lessons of highest order. The Holy Qur’an emphasizes this point for all Muslims when it titles the Prophet as Uswatul Hasaanah, the best or most ideal model for us to emulate. In these turbulent times,forMuslimsparticularly,itwilldowell to return to the basic roots of the teachings of the Holy Prophet. The high accolades paid to his personality by Allah through the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah or Islamic practices reminds
us of his exalted personality. Thrice in a day, the adhan or call to prayer reminds Muslims that the Holy Prophet is the Messenger of Allah.
Muharram: Muslims begin their lunar calendar-with the month of Muharram, one of the four months sanctified by Allah. The three are Dul-Qa’d, Dul-Hajj and Rajab. The specific mention of these four months, however, does not in any way undermine the importance of other months. The sighting of the moon of Muharram heralds the New Year of Muslims according
to the tenements of Islam and the Shariat.
The New Year reminds us of the martyrdom
of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet.
The Durga Puja is also the harvest to remind us of earth’s bounty Devi is presented as a trussed-up bundle of the nine plants wrapped in a sari, suggestive of her proximity to Mother Earth. She is Para Prakriti, bountiful nature, nourishing us just as she is Para Sakthi, the embodiment of infinite energy. Inseparably connected with the physical world, she personifies the earth itself, sustaining life, and providing food for all and stands for cosmic stability. The sakthi Pithas are holy spots which are centers of pilgrimage where the various
parts of her body fell when being carried by an enraged Shiva who suffered humiliation at the hands of Daksha, Parvati’s father.
Vijay Dashami is observed on the tenth day following Navaratri every year. The first three nights are devoted to Durga, the goddess of valor, the next three nights are for Saraswathi, fountainhead of knowledge. The three combine might, wealth and knowledge. In Assam,
Bengal and Orissa it is celebrated as Kali Puja, highlighting woman power-symbolized by Mahishasurmardhini – over beastly conduct. In northern states and some parts of Maharashtra, the festival is known as Dussehra celebrating the annihilation of Ravan by Ram. It is believed that on the eve of his final assault on Ravan, Ram performed the Chamundi Homam following whichGoddessChamundidivulgedtohimthe way to kill Ravana. After doing this deed, Ram did not rush to Ayodhya immediately; he chose to enter Ayodhya with his entrouge on the auspicious Vijaya Dashami day. The day is also linked to Mahabharata. The Pandavas, after 12 years of exile, had to spend one year incognito. When they entered Virat Rajya, they left behind their weapons on a Shami tree concealing them among its branches and leaves. When they completed one year, they collected the weapons from the tree and after offering thanksgiving, commenced the war with the Kauravas on Vijaya Dashami. In Kerala, Tamil Nādu and Mysore, Navami is observed as Ayudha Puja Day when people exchange greetings by offering Shami leaves. It is indeed a matter of faith that even the army and police force lay down their weapons on this day and take them back after the ritual puja. A significant aspect of this practice is that Ayudha doesnotmeanjustweapons.Itis applied in a wider sense to cover and include all tools that help on one’s livelihood.
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