festivals of india. diwali lamps called diyas diwali or deepavali, the festival of lights", is...

Festivals of India

Diwali

LAMPS called DIYAS

• Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of lights", is one of the most important of all Hindu festivals.

• Symbolizes the victory of good over evil and the lifting of the spiritual darkness that envelops the soul.

Fireworks • Request to the Lord

...from darkness to light,...from ignorance to knowledge,...from death to eternal lifelead me, my master;let thy peace pervade the universe.

•      - from a Hindu prayer

CAR FESTIVAL

CAR FESTIVAL

• The land of festivities and fairs, Orissa claims an upper hand when there's a mention of the famous Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri.

• To the Western world, the festival is popular as the Car Festival.

• Celebrated during the months of June and July in the temple town of Puri in Orissa, there are huge processions held with great splendor.

HOLI

COLORS of SPRING• Holi is the festival of

colors that brings the message of the onset of spring.

• It is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year.

• People all over celebrate this colorful festival besmearing each other with colored water and spraying everyone with water from water pistons.

Besmeared with Colors

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi

• This day is dedicated to the Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of all good beginnings and success.

• Held annually, this festival is a ten day long event.

• The images of Lord Ganesha are installed and worshipped and on the last day these are taken in processions to be immersed in flowing water.

• The seafront at Mumbai, packed with people, is a spectacular sight

DUSHERA

Dushera

• Celebrated to mark the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama, Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

• The Ramlila - an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra.

• On the tenth day, larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother - Meghnath and Kumbhakama, are set alight. 

Pongal

Pongal• Sankranti is termed as

Pongal in Tamilnadu, and is celebrated with a popular dish with the same name.

• Kolams (Rangoli) and prayers constitute the celebration of the festival.

• People buy new clothes, ornaments, sugarcane and sweet candy for the festival.

• The farmers worship their harvested crops and share with friends and relatives.

• Women and young girls wear new clothes, wear golden and silver ornaments, volunteer different flowers and visit their relatives and friends.

Pongal

• Interestingly, this is the only festival in the Hindu calendar that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the fourteenth of January every year (all other Hindu festivals are computed using the lunar calendar).