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MAJOR FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
HOLI |
One of the important festivals of North
India, Holi - the festival of colours,
is celebrated with gaiety and
exuberance. It marks the end of winter
and greets the advent of spring.
According to legend, Holika was a
demoness who was vanquished by Prahlad,
her virtuous nephew. The heroic deed is
commemorated with a bonfire on the eve
of Holi and the next morning, the young
and the old take part in boisterous
singing, dancing and smearing each other
with Abir - coloured powder, or Gulal
spraying coloured water. This is a day
to forgive and forget and to repair
ruptured relationships.
Holi is associated with the romantic
frolicking of the cowherd God Krishna.
Many exquisite Mughal miniatures depict
the celebration of Holi with Radha and
Krishna in the leading roles. From folk
music and dance of Raas to the austerely
classical Dhrupad style of vocal music
and the elegant Kathak, Holi continues
to inspire artistes in different genres.
There is a lot of informal feasting,
some people enjoy the heady effect of an
almond flavoured milk drink Thandai
spiked with Cannabis. The sweetmeat
popularly exchanged on this occasion is
Gujiya - a half moon pastry filled with
condensed milk, dried fruits and nuts.
In Punjab Hola-Mohalla is celebrated the
day after the Holi. On this day the blue
and saffron dressed Nihangs regale the
onlookers with a breathtaking display of
fencing and archery, acrobatic riding
and mock combat.
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DUSSEHRA |
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The festival of Dussehra is the principle
celebration in many parts of the country. It is
celebrated with great fanfare in Kullu in
Himachal Pradesh, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh,
Mysore in Karnataka and slightly differently as
Durga puja in West Bengal. It is the climax of
nine day long festivities during the Navaratri.
The highlight of Dussehra in Kullu is a
colourful procession in which idols of local
deities are carried round the town to the
accompaniment of joyous music. If here the
flavour is distinctly rural and rustic, in
Mysore this day is reserved for display of
resplendent regalia. A caparisoned elephant is
the mount of the Goddess Chamunda, the protector
deity of Karnataka who rides atop a golden
howdah - ornate mount with a seat. The palace in
Mysore is so well lit up that it outshines the
moon. In Varanasi the burning of huge images of
ten-headed Ravana provide the finale of perhaps
the most spectacular re-telling of the Rama
legend.
Dussehra also commemorates the annihilation of
the Buffalo demon Mahishasur by the warrior
goddess Durga. In West Bengal, the run-up to the
Dussehra is marked by community worship
dedicated to the mother goddess - the supreme
female principle. Beautifully decorated pandals
- stalls - are set up to showcase scenes from
mythology and even depict slices of life of
contemporary celebrities! Different stalls, vie
with one another in providing spellbinding
tableaus and mouth watering delicacies. This is
a time for leaving all the cares behind and to
express the dormant creativity. The whole of
province of Bengal is gripped with a cultural
fever. Contests of song and dance provide lively
entertainment in all localities. |
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DIWALI |
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Diwali, literally a garland of lamps, is an apt
description of this festival of lights.
Tradition maintains that lamps are lit to keep
alive the memory of Prince Rama's return to
Ayodhya after conquering the tyrant Ravana, the
ruler of Lanka, who had abducted his consort
Sita. The heroic deeds of Rama are recounted in
the Hindu epic Ramayan and Diwali symbolizes the
victory of virtue over vice. Rama, we are told
had gladly accepted an exile in the forest to
keep his step-mother happy and save his father
from embarassment. He is considered the epitome
of a dutiful son and a responsible ruler.
Another myth traces the origins of the festival
to the annual 'inspection tours' of Lakshmi, the
Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. The
faithful believe that on this day Lakshmi goes
around visiting her devotees and sets up
residence in the house she finds best spruced up
and most hospitable. Diwali is an occasion for
spring cleaning, painting the walls, decorating
the floor with attractive designs wrought in
coloured powder or paste made with rice.
The ritual traditionally associated with Diwali
is gambling. Friends get together to indulge in
games of chance, dice or cards. The 'addicts'
seek legitimacy for their unusual pastime by
referring to the celestial game of dice played
by the great lord Shiva with his companion
Parvati - a scene superbly sculpted at Kailash
temple, Ellora. Others rationalise that this is
just to remind oneself of the fickleness of lady
luck and to inculcate a sense of balance in our
pursuit of material success.
The children can be seen bursting fire crackers
and lighting candles or earthen lamps. This is a
time of generously exchanging sweets with
neighbours and friends. Puffed rice and sugar
candy are the favourite fares. |
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BAISAKHI |
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The first day of the Hindu new year is marked by
Baisakhi, primarily a harvest festival. This is
celebrated with great gusto in Punjab where
Bhangara dancers, energetic and vigorous country
youths enhant everybody with their ebullience.
When the sun moves into the northern
constellation the Hindu almanac marks the
passage with Makar Sankranti. In north India
this is the day prescribed for ritual bathing
which is considered particularly auspicious. In
the south, the festival of Pongal coincides with
Makar Sankranti and marks the reaping of the
harvest and the withdrawal of the southwest
monsoon.
On Pongal, rice is ritually cooked and allowed
to boil over symbolizing the ushering in of
plenty. The day after, the cattle are bathed,
fed and decorated before being paraded down the
village streets.
In Assam, conclusion of harvest time, brings
with it the Bihu. Prayers are offered for a
plentiful harvest and for the health of the
livestock. Bihu dances are remarkable for their
sensual lyricism while the drum beats seem to
resonate the pulsation of a romantic heart.
The Goa carnival inspires the residents to an
uninhibited spell of festive feasting, music and
dance. The spirit of the season reflects the
mood of Mardi Gras - the ritual parade led by
Momo, the king of the Underworld. |
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ONAM |
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Onam is the principle festival of Kerala and is
linked with the legend of the mythological king
Mahabali. Lord Vishnu manifested himself in the
incarnation of a dwarf Vamana, and requested the
powerful king for a grant of land streching
three steps. When the grant was made Vishnu
assumed the form of a titan and in three giant
strides measured the three realms that Mahabali
ruled. The generous king was ousted from his
kingdom but was permitted to visit his country
and subjects once a year. On Onam day the houses
are cleaned, decorated and lit to welcome the
benevolent ruler of yore. This is the time for
the fantastic boat races at Alapuzha. Snake
shaped boats rowed by almost a hundred strapping
ores-men try to speed past one another egged on
by cheering partisan spectators accompanied by a
symphony of cymbals and drums. At Thrissur a
colourful procession of caparisoned elephants is
taken out. |
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EID |
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The most important festivals for Muslims are the
Eids. These are celebrated to commemorate the
ritual sacrifice (Id-ul-Zuha - Bakr-id),
conclusion of the month of fasting (Id-ul-Fitr -
Ramzan-id) and the birth of the prophet (Id-e-Milad
- Milad-un-Nabi). Eid is celebrated with a
ritual Namaz - prayer - offering in a mosque,
festive eating, exchange of gifts, donning of
new clothes and dabbing of attar - rose essence.
The sweetmeat most commonly associated with the
Eid is Sevai or Semolina bands. These strands,
boiled in sweetened milk and garnished with
nuts. They are served dry as well as with milk.
Urs is the name given to festivals annually held
at the memorial shrines dedicated to Sufi
saints. These are marked by devotional singing
that is known to induce a mystic trance. The
most famous Urs are held at the Dargah of Hazrat
Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi and Moinuddin Chishti
at Ajmer. |
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MAHA-MASTIKA
ABHISHEK |
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Once every twelve years the giant statue of the
Tirthankar Gomateshwar at Shravanbelagola in
Karnataka is ceremonially bathed with milk. This
ritual homage is called Maha-Mastikabhishek, the
grand anointing. |
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GURU PURNIMA |
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On the full moon day in the month of Kartika
(November), the Sikhs celebrate the birth of
Guru Nanak the founder of their faith. Lamps are
lit and meals and sherbats are served to one and
all. |
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REGIONAL FESTIVALS |
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In Maharashtra, Ganesh Chaturthi is the most
popular festival. Ganesh, the elephant faced
deity is the son of Shiva and Parvati and the
lord of all auspicious beginnings. He is the
remover of all obstacles and is to be
propitiated before any other deity. Colossal
images of Ganesh are built and carried all round
the city before they are finally submerged in
water. The city of Mumbai remains in a feverish
pitch of excitement throughout this period.
The Buddhists in Ladakh and in the north-east,
celebrate the birth of the mystic master with
supernatural powers, Guru Rimpoche Padmasambhava
(Lotus Born) with frenzied mask dances - Chaams,
and ritual display of painted scrolls (Tangkhas).
The monasteries of Hemis in Ladakh, Tawang in
Arunachal Pradesh and Rumtek in Sikkim, are
particularly renowned for these performances.
These ritual dances illustrate the incorporation
of pre-Buddhist Shamanistic beliefs into the
Buddhist faith. |
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