Festivals of India

RamaNavmi 2007

When is Rama Navmi 2006?
Ramanavmi 2007 is on March 27.
Rama Navmi is celebrated every year as a birthday for Lord rama one of the most famous incarnation of lord Vishnu. Ramanavami vrata or fasting is done on this day. People gather at Rama temples and participate in the puja with heart and soul.

Hari katha and Ramayana recitation is done on this occasion. Classical and devotional songs are also sung with great vigor and devotion. This festival is very popular in places like Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and Ramesvaram in Tamil Nadu where thousands of devotees gather to worship their god.

When is Vaisakhi 2007?

Vaisakhi 2005 is on April 14.
Vaisakhi which is also called as Baisakhi which is celebrated on 13th of April, a harvest festival held primarily in Punjab and neighboring state. It is celebrated to celebrate the ocassion of harvesting on Rabi crop. After a tough and vigorous agricultural season, people of punjab celebrate this festival by songs and dance which is known as Bhangra. Females also dance at this occasion and their dance is known as Gidda dance.

In 1699, tenth guru of Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh organized the order of the Khalsa. Guru Arjan Das on this day was thrown in boiling oil by barbaric rulers of that time. In 1875 on this day Swami Dayanand Saraswati formed Arya samaj a reformed sect for Hindus.

On the festival day nagar kirtan processions street processions is taken out which is a important part of the culture for sikhs. These processions are led by panj piaras, which are considered as the first 5 members of Sikh khalsa.

Vaisakhi 2005 is also going to be celebrated with same pomp and show and may god bring peace to the lives of people.

[b]Diwali 2007 [/b]is going to be [b]celebrated on November 9th[/b]. It is high time you started preparing for it. Why do you want to dither until the last moment, when panic might set in, or some contingencies would deter you from devoting enough time towards preparing for it? After all, [b]Diwali[/b] is the definitive festival for gaiety in India. Dresses and crackers have to be bought, then there will be a whole wish list from family members on the special things that they would like to have for this all-special occasion. You would definitely need a road map for such a big occasion. So check online for the best offers available in town or online. Have a great [b]Diwali[/b].

When is diwali 2006?
Diwali 2006 (festival of lights) is on October 21st

What is it about this festival that inspires enthusiasm in people of all age groups? [b]Deepavali[/b] is all too pervasive even in India’s films, the staple entertainment for an average middle-class Indian. In Hindi films, [b]Diwali[/b] is interspersed in that part of the narrative where the going is good. Well, the answer is in the gleeful faces holding sparklers, the typical Indian joint families getting together dressed in their best clothes so on and so forth.

But lest we forget, it is also a New Year for most of the [b]North Indians and Gujarathis[/b]. They start new ventures afresh from that day onwards. Western visitors coming to India during this time remark tongue-in-cheek that a battleground atmosphere is recreated.

Diwali 2005 is going to bring peace and harmony as ever before. Be the world a better place for everybody. Visit here for Diwali 2006 details.

[b]Dhanteras[/b] known also as Dhantrayodashi takes place on the thirteenth day of the Ashwin masa, two days prior to Diwali. It is celebrated to revere Dhanavantri, the physician of the gods, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

According to a legend, Sage Durvasa was enraged with Lord Indra, when the latter did not notice him. He cursed Indra due to which Lord Lakshmi deserted him and he was bereft of wealth and prosperity. He started feeling miserable and the morale of the inhabitants of heaven touched a new low. For demons (asuras), this was the kind of opportune moment they were waiting for to get back at their rivals. They invaded heaven and unseated Indra. Indra had to flee away from heaven.

For quite a few years demons ruled over the heaven. At this time, Indra's teacher Brihaspati sought the help of Brahma. Brahma went to Vishnu acting as an emissary for gods. Vishnu asked to churn the oceans and thereby gain the friendship of the demons. He also suggested that Mandara Mountain could be used as a churning rod, while Vasuki, the king of the serpents would aid them as a rope. The resultant mixture would be ambrosia (amrut) which would make gods immortal, when drunk by them. He assured them assistance in this endeavour and even volunteered to come to their aid when necessary. He also assured them that goddess Lakshmi would reappear again.

Brihaspati shrewdly managed to strike a friendship with the demons who were hoping to get ambrosia and wealth. The churning process was put in motion. Kalakuta, a dreadful poison was produced during this process. However, Lord Shiva came to the rescue by drinking it. This process caused Apsara damsels to be born. Suddenly, a goddess Lakshmi standing on a lotus appeared. The king of the sea also emerged in his original form and accepted Lakshmi as his daughter.

Finally Dhanavantri appeared with the jug of ambrosia in her hand. Demons and Gods both hankered after the ambrosia, but Vishnu managed to pass it on to the Gods. Gods drank it and defeated the Asuras.

Therefore, Dhanteras is celebrated in honor of Dhanavantri. Dhanteras is also celebrated in reverence of Laxmi.

Dhanteras is celebrated in honor of Dhanavantri. Dhanteras is also celebrated in reverence of Laxmi.

[b]Dhanteras[/b] is regarded as an auspicious day to buy gold or silver articles. It is also auspicious for commencing new ventures.

Exchanging [b]Dhanteras gifts [/b]is an extremely popular tradition. Popular gifts for Dhanteras include Silver Coins, Sweets and so on.

In North India one has to buy some gifts on this day even if that is a spoon. So it is a big time for shops which capitalize on this ocassion just before diwali and people too come in thousands to buy [b]Dhanteras gifts [/b]on this day.

In South India, it is associated with Krishna’s defeat of Narakasura a demon from the netherworld. This event was supposed to have taken place at at dawn on ‘Narakachaturdashi’, a day before Diwali. So Tamilians burst crackers at the break of the dawn, unlike people in rest of the country.

In certain rural areas, Diwali heralds the beginning of the harvest season. As per Mahabarata, the Pandavas too were believed to have returned from their exile around this time time. Sikh’s celebrate Diwali to commemorate the release of their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobindji from the captivity of a Muslim king of Gwalior. Jains believe that Lord Mahavira reached Nirvana (salvation) during Diwali time. Mahavira was at that time believed to be 71 years old.

The traditional celebration of Diwali is spread over five days. The days beginning with the first are known as Dhanteras or Dhantryaodashi. The Second day is called Narka-Chaturdashi or Chhoti Diwali. The third day of the festival of Diwali is known as Lakshmi-Puja. The Fourth day is known as Padwa or VarshaPratipada. The Fifth and final day of Diwali Festival is observed as Bhaiya-Dooj.

[b]When is diwali in 2006[/b]. [b]21st of October[/b]. Diwali is actually derived from the original name ‘Deepavali’. Deepa in Sanskrit means ‘light’ and ‘avali’ means a row. When literally translated, Deepavali means a ‘row of lights’. As per the Indian calendar it is celebrated on Amavasya (the new moon day) in the end of the month Ashwin, which ushers in the month of Karthik around October/ November every year.

Diwali is celebrated in north India in honor of Rama's return to Ayodhya after he vanquished Ravana. He was also coronated as a king on the same day. It is celebrated twenty days subsequent to Vijayadasami. But in some states it is celebrated for different reasons. For instance, in Gujarat it is an event to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Bengalis worship Goddess Kali on this day. The celebrations are however quite uniform throughout the country.

Crackers are sine qua non for this festival. So more the noise the merrier it is. Homes are lit up for the festival with diyas-small oil lanterns. You have ‘rockets’ which are highly whimsical in the way they veer. They can zip at you from out of the blue making you run for cover!!! Then you have deafening hydrogen bombs which can unnerve you by making your heart skip a beat. But the most pleasing sight, however, is that of little kids holding sparklers gleefully.

The fountain like shower of a flower pot is also a spectacle worth a watch. So nylon clothes should not be worn on that day to preempt any hazards. Most of the large organisations in Northern and Western India present their employees and clients a boxful of sweets.

[b]Varalakshmi Vratam [/b]is a pooja performed exclusively by women in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu. This puja is done to propitiate Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. The married women worship Goddess Lakshmi asking her to bless their families with prosperity and good health. ‘Varas’ mean boons and so [b]Varalakshmi[/b] is the boon bestowing goddess. Women paint a face of lady on a coconut. This is the idol used for Varalaksmi Puja.

[b]Varalakshmi Vratham [/b]is celebrated on the Friday of the bright fortnight in the month of Shravan masa (month). As per the English calendar, it is celebrated during August- September. This year it will be celebrated on August 27th. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, women are attired in colorful saris with turmeric paste smeared on their hands and feet. There is an element of gaiety all around as women and young girls move around briskly. The ambience is highly infectious

Rakhi purnima is celebrated as Kajari Purnima in Central India in the areas of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and a few parts of Uttar Pradesh. This day is considered very auspicious and regarded as highly important by the farmers.

Nine days before Rakhi Purnima, the farmer’s wives go the fields and bring home a fistful of earth in a leaf cup. This cup is placed in a separate room and worshipped until Rakhsa Bandhan day. During all the nine days, women draw motifs around the cup with rice flour. On Rakhi purnima, the women come together to worship the cup and offer prasadam. On the last day, the women take the cups in a procession to a water body and immerse it there, offering prayers to Goddess Bhagawati to protect their sons.

Rakhi Purnima is celebrated as Avani Avittam in southern India, especially in kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and a few parts of Orissa. This day is also called as Upakarman and is considered a very important day for the Brahmin society. On this day, Brahmins change the sacred thread, called the yagnopavitam while chanting mantras. This change signifies atonement for sins done in the past. Putting on a new thread signifies a promise to self for a better conduct in the future.

Rakhi Purnima is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima is Western Ghats covering the regions of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The festivities here are mainly associated with the sea and the sea gods. Nariyal Purnima is celebrated by people dependent on sea for their livelihood.

Fishermen and other people dependent on sea worship God Varuna, the sea god. They pray to the seas for a good catch. For them, the onset of Rakhi Purnima brings in a new year. As a part of the festivities, the fisher men paint their boats and decorate it with fresh flowers. They go into the sea and offer coconuts to Varuna, hence, the name Nariyal Purnima. After the puja, all the fishermen come together in a community gathering to sing and pray to the sea god Varuna.

[b]Rakhi 2006 is on 9th of August.[/b]

[b]Rakhi[/b] – A time of celebration for brothers and sisters and brother taking pledge to save sisters from all the evils. On this auspitious day sister tie [b]rakhi[/b] thread on the right wrist of brother and brother take pledge to save sister from all the evil. In modern times this pledge has is replaced by gifts a brother gives to his sisters. India has a rich culture behind and there are legends where a brother has done everything to save his sister for a string called [b]rakhi[/b]. Rakhi 2006 details.