The birth anniversary of Prophet Spitaman Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), who founded Zoroastrianism, is celebrated as Khordad Sal. It falls sometime in August or September, on the sixth day of the Parsi month of Farvardin.
The exact year of Zarathushtra's birth is not known, but it is generally accepted that he was born in the beginning of the first millennium BC.
Similarly, the day of his birth is also not precisely known, and the fixing of Khordad Sal as his birthday is symbolical. The religious lore and texts of the Parsis mention the festival and its importance. In some old Parsi texts, this day is also spoken of as the Navroz-I-Khas, which means 'special new year's day', while the real New Year's day is referred to as Navroz-I-Am, meaning 'common new year's day'.
In the olden days, the king and nobility, especially, observed Khordad Sal as Navroz-I-Khas. It is said to be the day on which many historic events of old Iran are said to have happened. Later, it came to be observed solely as Zarathushtra's birthday.
Rituals
Clean, rangoli-strewn homes, children with vermilion spots on their foreheads, new clothes, fragrant flowers and delicious meals, all form part of the rituals. Jashan, or thanksgiving prayers, are offered to God in the agiaries. A grand feast is prepared to mark the occasion.
Since the Parsi community is especially tight-knit, its celebrations bring kith and kin together; so does Khordad Sal.The festival is also an opportunity for the Parsis to review their lives and actions, and make resolutions for the future.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
ZARTHOST NO DEESO - Zoroastrian festivals India
Zarthost No Deeso takes place in June, on Khorshed roz, Dae mah (11th day, 10th month) of the Zoroastrian calendar. This is the day on which the death anniversary of the prophet symbolically falls.
Special prayers are recited and Zoroastrians go to the Fire Temple to pray. There aren't any elaborate celebrations on the day since it is a solemn occasion.
There are many versions of the legend of how Zarathushtra died. One says that in his 77th year, he was killed in a fire-temple by the Turanian army. A variation says that the person who was killed was not Zarathushtra but someone else; Zarathushtra himself ascended the skies.
There are also versions which say that the murderer was also killed on the spot by divine intervention, or that Zarathushtra was killed by a thunderbolt. Another legend says that Zarathushtra died in his sleep.
Rituals
There are no public functions to mark the day. Ceremonies and services are confined to either the home or to the temple. Special prayers are recited, and lectures and discourses are held on the life and works of the prophet.
Celebrated in
Zarthost No Deeso is observed in Mumbai and Gujarat particularly, and in other pockets which have a Parsi population.
Special prayers are recited and Zoroastrians go to the Fire Temple to pray. There aren't any elaborate celebrations on the day since it is a solemn occasion.
There are many versions of the legend of how Zarathushtra died. One says that in his 77th year, he was killed in a fire-temple by the Turanian army. A variation says that the person who was killed was not Zarathushtra but someone else; Zarathushtra himself ascended the skies.
There are also versions which say that the murderer was also killed on the spot by divine intervention, or that Zarathushtra was killed by a thunderbolt. Another legend says that Zarathushtra died in his sleep.
Rituals
There are no public functions to mark the day. Ceremonies and services are confined to either the home or to the temple. Special prayers are recited, and lectures and discourses are held on the life and works of the prophet.
Celebrated in
Zarthost No Deeso is observed in Mumbai and Gujarat particularly, and in other pockets which have a Parsi population.
JAMSHED - E - NAVROZ - Zoroastrian festival India
This festival is mentioned in Shah Nameh, the Persian `Book of Kings' written by Firdausi. According to Firdausi's book, this festival was celebrated by the kings of Persia, Cyrus and Darius, to rejoice in the spring and in their own glory.
Legend:
According to popular legend, the mythical Persian king Jamshed was the first to celebrate this festival. The Shah Nameh states that the feast commemorates the ascent of King Jamshed into the skies, in a chariot built by the demons he had subdued and forced into the service of mortals.
Named after the king, Jamshed-e-Navroz appears to have been a pagan pastoral festival that marked the transition from winter to summer. The rites of fertility and procreation can be perceived in some of its customs.
Rituals And Traditions
Navroz is a day of celebration. Apart from new clothes, all Parsis wear their gold or silver kustis and caps. Auspicious symbols like fish, birds, butterflies and stars, are patterned on doorways with metallic moulds. Guests are welcomed with a sprinkling of rose-water and rice.
The most traditional drink for Navroz is falooda, which is prepared with milk and flavoured with rose water.
The traditional lunch consists of sev and sweet yogurt, followed by pulao. The meal would end with ravo.A copy of the Gathas, a lit lamp, an afrigan, a bowl of water containing live fish, a shallow earthenware plate with sprouted wheat or beans for prosperity, flowers for colour, a silver coin for wealth, painted eggs for productivity, and sweets and rosewater in bowls for sweetness and happiness, are kept on a table. Apart from these, the table also has seven foods beginning with 'sh' and 's'. These are meant to symbolise creation.
Jamshed-e-Navroz is a time for Parsis to reiterate their identity in India's melting pot of religions. For many Parsis, this festival also ushers in the new year. It is on par with Gudi Padva and Ugadi, which are also new year days in India.
Legend:
According to popular legend, the mythical Persian king Jamshed was the first to celebrate this festival. The Shah Nameh states that the feast commemorates the ascent of King Jamshed into the skies, in a chariot built by the demons he had subdued and forced into the service of mortals.
Named after the king, Jamshed-e-Navroz appears to have been a pagan pastoral festival that marked the transition from winter to summer. The rites of fertility and procreation can be perceived in some of its customs.
Rituals And Traditions
Navroz is a day of celebration. Apart from new clothes, all Parsis wear their gold or silver kustis and caps. Auspicious symbols like fish, birds, butterflies and stars, are patterned on doorways with metallic moulds. Guests are welcomed with a sprinkling of rose-water and rice.
The most traditional drink for Navroz is falooda, which is prepared with milk and flavoured with rose water.
The traditional lunch consists of sev and sweet yogurt, followed by pulao. The meal would end with ravo.A copy of the Gathas, a lit lamp, an afrigan, a bowl of water containing live fish, a shallow earthenware plate with sprouted wheat or beans for prosperity, flowers for colour, a silver coin for wealth, painted eggs for productivity, and sweets and rosewater in bowls for sweetness and happiness, are kept on a table. Apart from these, the table also has seven foods beginning with 'sh' and 's'. These are meant to symbolise creation.
Jamshed-e-Navroz is a time for Parsis to reiterate their identity in India's melting pot of religions. For many Parsis, this festival also ushers in the new year. It is on par with Gudi Padva and Ugadi, which are also new year days in India.
GAHAMBARS - Zoroastrian festival
Gahambar can be translated to mean 'full time' or 'proper season'. This Parsi festival honouring the seasons occurs six times a year.
During the rituals, tribute is paid to the phases or elements responsible for the creation of the world. Each of the six phases - heaven, water, earth, flora, fauna and man - is associated with one Gahambar, and is celebrated over five days.
Gahambar is a community festival and pays tributes to God and Creation. It is also one that reinforces feelings of brotherhood. It is aimed at reminding Parsis of their roots and the good deeds that a true Parsi must do.
These deeds are radih (being charitable), rastih (being truthful), celebrating the Gahambars, observing the three-day ceremony after death, worshipping god, building lodgings for the poor, and wishing everyone well.
Rituals performed :
Four liturgical services are performed during the first four days, and the fifth day is reserved for communal interaction. Celebrations begin with a benediction ceremony called Afrin. It is a prayer of love and praise in remembrance of one's ancestors.
The yaztas, or angels, and the fravashis are honoured next in the Baj prayers. This is followed by the main Parsi rite, the Yasna. The last of the four customs for social service is the Pavi. It is a prayer for the particular Gahambar being celebrated. The priest and the faithful pray together during the Pavi.
On the fifth day of the Gahambar, there is a solemn feast. People can either donate or serve at the feast. Those who participate are expected to recall not only the blessings bestowed by the seasons, but also the seven main acts that a good Parsi must perform.
The Maidhyozarem Gahambar (heaven), is celebrated from the 41st day after Navroz. The second one, called Maidhyoshem (water), is observed 60 days later. Paitishhayem (earth) falls 75 days after that. Thirty days later, comes Ayathrem (flora and fauna), which celebrates creation and the prosperity that it brings. The fifth Gahambar, Maidhyarem, is celebrated 80 days after the fourth. The last of the six Gahambars, Hanaspathmaedaem, is observed 75 days after Maidhyarem.
During the rituals, tribute is paid to the phases or elements responsible for the creation of the world. Each of the six phases - heaven, water, earth, flora, fauna and man - is associated with one Gahambar, and is celebrated over five days.
Gahambar is a community festival and pays tributes to God and Creation. It is also one that reinforces feelings of brotherhood. It is aimed at reminding Parsis of their roots and the good deeds that a true Parsi must do.
These deeds are radih (being charitable), rastih (being truthful), celebrating the Gahambars, observing the three-day ceremony after death, worshipping god, building lodgings for the poor, and wishing everyone well.
Rituals performed :
Four liturgical services are performed during the first four days, and the fifth day is reserved for communal interaction. Celebrations begin with a benediction ceremony called Afrin. It is a prayer of love and praise in remembrance of one's ancestors.
The yaztas, or angels, and the fravashis are honoured next in the Baj prayers. This is followed by the main Parsi rite, the Yasna. The last of the four customs for social service is the Pavi. It is a prayer for the particular Gahambar being celebrated. The priest and the faithful pray together during the Pavi.
On the fifth day of the Gahambar, there is a solemn feast. People can either donate or serve at the feast. Those who participate are expected to recall not only the blessings bestowed by the seasons, but also the seven main acts that a good Parsi must perform.
The Maidhyozarem Gahambar (heaven), is celebrated from the 41st day after Navroz. The second one, called Maidhyoshem (water), is observed 60 days later. Paitishhayem (earth) falls 75 days after that. Thirty days later, comes Ayathrem (flora and fauna), which celebrates creation and the prosperity that it brings. The fifth Gahambar, Maidhyarem, is celebrated 80 days after the fourth. The last of the six Gahambars, Hanaspathmaedaem, is observed 75 days after Maidhyarem.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Hemis Gompa - Kashmir Mela - Buddhism
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Concealed in a deep ravine of the world, you come across the Hemis Gompa (Hemis monastery) round the mountain. The festival of Hemis Gompa brings families of Ladakhis close together as they begin arriving from all over the valley. Their ornate festival clothing reveals a Tibetan, rather than Indian, heritage.
Bright cummerbunds on the quilted coats adorn the men who are on their way to the mela. Many women wear the perak, an elaborate headdress with woven strips of beads and turquoise, silver dangles, and upright ears of braided yak hair.
Each family carries a savovar of yak-butter tea, and a canister of tsampa, a roasted barley flour.
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The dances are accompanied by discordant sounds of brass trumpets that are three meters (10 feet) long. The lamas (monks) get transformed into demons and gods.
Horned devil-masks and padded brocade outfits come to life as they play out the scriptured battles between good and evil spirits. Lamas with red-robes and tall tufted hats bang on drums and crash symbols together as others gyrate and leap to fight off demons.
This two-day festival depicts a dance-homage to the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava .The festival is the largest and best of the Tibetan Buddhist gompa festivals in Ladakh. The lamas themselves offer contradictory explanations as to the meanings of the dances.
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Concealed in a deep ravine of the world, you come across the Hemis Gompa (Hemis monastery) round the mountain. The festival of Hemis Gompa brings families of Ladakhis close together as they begin arriving from all over the valley. Their ornate festival clothing reveals a Tibetan, rather than Indian, heritage.
Bright cummerbunds on the quilted coats adorn the men who are on their way to the mela. Many women wear the perak, an elaborate headdress with woven strips of beads and turquoise, silver dangles, and upright ears of braided yak hair.
Each family carries a savovar of yak-butter tea, and a canister of tsampa, a roasted barley flour.
back to : home page
The dances are accompanied by discordant sounds of brass trumpets that are three meters (10 feet) long. The lamas (monks) get transformed into demons and gods.
Horned devil-masks and padded brocade outfits come to life as they play out the scriptured battles between good and evil spirits. Lamas with red-robes and tall tufted hats bang on drums and crash symbols together as others gyrate and leap to fight off demons.
This two-day festival depicts a dance-homage to the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava .The festival is the largest and best of the Tibetan Buddhist gompa festivals in Ladakh. The lamas themselves offer contradictory explanations as to the meanings of the dances.
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Losar - Buddhist festivals - Tibetan New Year
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Losar festival is celebrated to commemorate the advent of new year. It is the Ladakhi or Tibetan new year. The festival is celebrated for 2 weeks during the month of December and january as per the lunar calendar. The festival is marked with ancient rituals,the stage fights between good & evil, chanting and passing through the crowds with fire torches. The dance of the Ibex deer and the dramatic battles between the King & his ministers add to the joyous atmosphere. This festival is full of music, dancing and merry-making.
Origin, Significance and Legends
Kings hate to miss new year parties, too. Singme Namgyar, king of Sikkim, brought the Buddhist New Year celebrations forward by a month because he was going to be out at war on New Year's day!
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Even today, Sonam Losar, the Buddhist New Year festival in Sikkim, begins a month before the Buddhist New Year. Tibetans and other Buddhists in India kick off Losar festivities a month later - a week before new year's day, in fact.
For all Buddhists, Losar is a sacred time and a time for feasting and celebration. It is a time to be with the family, and a time to ensure that bad omens are not carried into the new year.
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Rituals
Homes are painted, new clothes are stitched, debts and quarrels are resolved, good food is cooked, and intoxicants are drunk in the run-up to New Year's day. Homes are decorated with flour paintings of the sun and moon, and small lamps illuminate the house at night.
The first few days of festivities are exclusively family affairs, as are the first days of the new year. Later, the festivities roll out onto the streets. Tab-zan, a special bread, features in the family meals.
In Sikkim, on the fifth day of Losar, a special broth of boiled barley grains, peas and the stomach of a sheep, is prepared. Dib rug, a dish made by stuffing sheep intestines with barley dough kneaded in sheep blood, is another speciality during Losar.
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In the night, the swishing sound of burning torches can be heard around a Buddhist home, as menfolk whirl flaming torches over their heads in an effort to ward off evil spirits, sickness, dog bites and other misfortunes from striking their family in the new year.
Since the new year is on the cards, Buddhist families take special care to ensure that positive things happen all the time. So, the ceremonies are umpteen.
In Sikkim, a male and female goat are sacrificed after a purification ceremony in which the animals are washed, their ears are stitched with ribbon, their bodies are smeared red, and they are made to drink the local brew, chang.
In another ceremony named Mesol, the family visit the resting places of their ancestors, light a lamp, and offer food and drinks. The family then eat the food, which is considered blessed. In some homes, the men race through the house firing guns or crackers. Costume dramas are performed. Archery contests and horse races are held. And everywhere, chang flows.
On the morning of the new year, families rise before dawn, bathe, put on new clothes and fine jewellery. Offerings of barley flour mixed with butter and sugar and yogurt are then made at the family shrine. This represents the hope for a good grain harvest. After a visit to local monasteries, the family settles down to feasting and drinking.
Celebrated In
Losar is celebrated as Sonam Losar in Sikkim, and also elsewhere in India by Buddhists.
back to : home page
Losar festival is celebrated to commemorate the advent of new year. It is the Ladakhi or Tibetan new year. The festival is celebrated for 2 weeks during the month of December and january as per the lunar calendar. The festival is marked with ancient rituals,the stage fights between good & evil, chanting and passing through the crowds with fire torches. The dance of the Ibex deer and the dramatic battles between the King & his ministers add to the joyous atmosphere. This festival is full of music, dancing and merry-making.
Origin, Significance and Legends
Kings hate to miss new year parties, too. Singme Namgyar, king of Sikkim, brought the Buddhist New Year celebrations forward by a month because he was going to be out at war on New Year's day!
back to : home page
Even today, Sonam Losar, the Buddhist New Year festival in Sikkim, begins a month before the Buddhist New Year. Tibetans and other Buddhists in India kick off Losar festivities a month later - a week before new year's day, in fact.
For all Buddhists, Losar is a sacred time and a time for feasting and celebration. It is a time to be with the family, and a time to ensure that bad omens are not carried into the new year.
back to : home page
Rituals
Homes are painted, new clothes are stitched, debts and quarrels are resolved, good food is cooked, and intoxicants are drunk in the run-up to New Year's day. Homes are decorated with flour paintings of the sun and moon, and small lamps illuminate the house at night.
The first few days of festivities are exclusively family affairs, as are the first days of the new year. Later, the festivities roll out onto the streets. Tab-zan, a special bread, features in the family meals.
In Sikkim, on the fifth day of Losar, a special broth of boiled barley grains, peas and the stomach of a sheep, is prepared. Dib rug, a dish made by stuffing sheep intestines with barley dough kneaded in sheep blood, is another speciality during Losar.
back to : home page
In the night, the swishing sound of burning torches can be heard around a Buddhist home, as menfolk whirl flaming torches over their heads in an effort to ward off evil spirits, sickness, dog bites and other misfortunes from striking their family in the new year.
Since the new year is on the cards, Buddhist families take special care to ensure that positive things happen all the time. So, the ceremonies are umpteen.
In Sikkim, a male and female goat are sacrificed after a purification ceremony in which the animals are washed, their ears are stitched with ribbon, their bodies are smeared red, and they are made to drink the local brew, chang.
In another ceremony named Mesol, the family visit the resting places of their ancestors, light a lamp, and offer food and drinks. The family then eat the food, which is considered blessed. In some homes, the men race through the house firing guns or crackers. Costume dramas are performed. Archery contests and horse races are held. And everywhere, chang flows.
On the morning of the new year, families rise before dawn, bathe, put on new clothes and fine jewellery. Offerings of barley flour mixed with butter and sugar and yogurt are then made at the family shrine. This represents the hope for a good grain harvest. After a visit to local monasteries, the family settles down to feasting and drinking.
Celebrated In
Losar is celebrated as Sonam Losar in Sikkim, and also elsewhere in India by Buddhists.
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Ullambana Sutra - Buddhist Festival
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Ullambana festival is the most popular festival in China and Japan. On this day it is believed that the "Gates of the Hell" are opened and the dead ones pay visit to their loved ones. During this festival offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to the hungry ghosts in order to bring good fortune and luck. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
Origin, Significance and Legends
Ullambana is the festival of deliverance, and advocates and reinforces the concept of filial piety. The word ullambana translates into "deliverance from suffering", and specifically refers to the salvation that is granted to tormented souls in hell.
According to Buddhist legend, the observance of this festival is based on the story of Maudgalyayana (Moginlin or Mogganalla, as per Oriental legends) and his mother.
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Maudgalyayana discovers through his meditative powers that his mother has been reborn in the realms of pain and suffering. When he learns that her spirit is being subjected to hunger and misery, he decides to go to the netherworld to relieve her of her suffering.
Once he goes there, Maudgalyayana finds his mother starving and in a pitiful state. He offers her food, but when she tries to eat it, the food turns to smouldering pieces of charcoal.
Maudgalyayana is distressed and seeks advice and help from his master, the Buddha. Buddha tells him that his mother's offences are deep-rooted and that he alone will not be able to ease her sufferings. He advises Maudgalyayana to make offerings of five fruits, incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding to the assembled members of the Order and pray along with them for the liberation of his mother's soul.
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The Buddha also tells Maudgalyayana that by making such an offering, not only his mother but his forefathers and kith and kin will also escape suffering and attain eternal bliss and salvation.
The day on which Maudgalyayana performed the act of compassionate filial conduct and brought salvation to his forefathers is celebrated as Ullambana. It is observed on the 15th day of the seventh Buddhist lunar month, and occurs in August in the Augustan calendar.
On this day, Buddhists offer prayers both to their departed forefathers and to their living parents and elders.
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It is generally believed that one who performs a good deed accumulates spiritual merit. It is considered an even more pious act when the merit earned is shared with departed souls, which will help them to be reborn in good realms and alleviate their suffering.
Ullambana is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. Though there are slight variations in certain customs and beliefs, the fundamental rituals remain essentially the same. Besides offering prayers to the souls of deceased ancestors and welfare of their parents, people carry offerings such as food, medicine and clothes for monks and nuns in monasteries.
In China and Taiwan, Ullambana has absorbed the traditional Ghost Festival, which has the similar goal of praying for the welfare of departed souls. The two festivals are together celebrated as Chung Yuan Putu, translated as "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation". On this day, an offering of meat, together with a prodigious table of wine is made to one's ancestors and ghosts from the netherworld.
In Singapore, the festival is known as Ching Ming Jie.
The date of Ullambana depends on the calendar that is followed, and varies slightly in different parts of the world.
back to : home page
Ullambana festival is the most popular festival in China and Japan. On this day it is believed that the "Gates of the Hell" are opened and the dead ones pay visit to their loved ones. During this festival offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to the hungry ghosts in order to bring good fortune and luck. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
Origin, Significance and Legends
Ullambana is the festival of deliverance, and advocates and reinforces the concept of filial piety. The word ullambana translates into "deliverance from suffering", and specifically refers to the salvation that is granted to tormented souls in hell.
According to Buddhist legend, the observance of this festival is based on the story of Maudgalyayana (Moginlin or Mogganalla, as per Oriental legends) and his mother.
back to : home page
Maudgalyayana discovers through his meditative powers that his mother has been reborn in the realms of pain and suffering. When he learns that her spirit is being subjected to hunger and misery, he decides to go to the netherworld to relieve her of her suffering.
Once he goes there, Maudgalyayana finds his mother starving and in a pitiful state. He offers her food, but when she tries to eat it, the food turns to smouldering pieces of charcoal.
Maudgalyayana is distressed and seeks advice and help from his master, the Buddha. Buddha tells him that his mother's offences are deep-rooted and that he alone will not be able to ease her sufferings. He advises Maudgalyayana to make offerings of five fruits, incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding to the assembled members of the Order and pray along with them for the liberation of his mother's soul.
back to : home page
The Buddha also tells Maudgalyayana that by making such an offering, not only his mother but his forefathers and kith and kin will also escape suffering and attain eternal bliss and salvation.
The day on which Maudgalyayana performed the act of compassionate filial conduct and brought salvation to his forefathers is celebrated as Ullambana. It is observed on the 15th day of the seventh Buddhist lunar month, and occurs in August in the Augustan calendar.
On this day, Buddhists offer prayers both to their departed forefathers and to their living parents and elders.
back to : home page
It is generally believed that one who performs a good deed accumulates spiritual merit. It is considered an even more pious act when the merit earned is shared with departed souls, which will help them to be reborn in good realms and alleviate their suffering.
Ullambana is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. Though there are slight variations in certain customs and beliefs, the fundamental rituals remain essentially the same. Besides offering prayers to the souls of deceased ancestors and welfare of their parents, people carry offerings such as food, medicine and clothes for monks and nuns in monasteries.
In China and Taiwan, Ullambana has absorbed the traditional Ghost Festival, which has the similar goal of praying for the welfare of departed souls. The two festivals are together celebrated as Chung Yuan Putu, translated as "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation". On this day, an offering of meat, together with a prodigious table of wine is made to one's ancestors and ghosts from the netherworld.
In Singapore, the festival is known as Ching Ming Jie.
The date of Ullambana depends on the calendar that is followed, and varies slightly in different parts of the world.
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Buddha Poornima - Buddha Jayanti
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Buddha Jayanti or also known as Buddha Purnima is the most sacred festivals of Buddhist. Buddha Purnima (Buddha Birthday) is celebrated in remembrance Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. This day is the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month (month of Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day commemorates three important events of Buddha's life
Buddha's birth in 623 BC.
Buddha enlightment i.e. attainment of supreme wisdom, in 588 BC.
Buddha attainment of Nirvana i.e. the complete extinction of his self at the age of 80.
This day is a thrice blessed day. Lord Buddha is considered the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu (Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). Gautam Buddha "lived and died in about the fifth century before the Christian era". Buddha means "enlightened one" - someone who is completely freefrom all faults and mental obstructions.
Gautam Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are solely to liberate human beings from the misery and sufferings of life.
According to the Buddhism, sorrow and desire are the main cause of all the evil and suffering of this world. Lord Buddha advocated the Eightfold Path consisting of precepts like right conduct, right motive, right speech, right effort, right resolve, right livelihood, right attention and right meditation to gain mastery over suffering. It is only after following this path one can reach the ultimate aim of Nirvana. Nirvana is the transcendental state of complete liberation. Gautama Buddha lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C.
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Buddha travelled far and wide teaching hundreds of followers. Even after death his disciples continued to spread his teachings.
Rich and poor alike were attracted by the simplicity of Buddha’s teaching and his emphasis on complete equality of all, a notion antithetical to the existing Hindu caste system. The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka espoused the Buddhist religion in the 3rd century B.C. and helped in spreading it far and wide. Sarnath and Bodhgaya are two of the most important pilgrimage centres for the Buddhists.
Though Buddhism originated in India and the religion has gained tremendous popularity throughout the Far East in Asia, there are very few practising Buddhists in the country. The number of Buddhists in the world ranges "from less than two hundred million, to more than five hundred million, with the lower number closer to reality."
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Buddha Jayanti or also known as Buddha Purnima is the most sacred festivals of Buddhist. Buddha Purnima (Buddha Birthday) is celebrated in remembrance Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. This day is the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month (month of Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day commemorates three important events of Buddha's life
Buddha's birth in 623 BC.
Buddha enlightment i.e. attainment of supreme wisdom, in 588 BC.
Buddha attainment of Nirvana i.e. the complete extinction of his self at the age of 80.
This day is a thrice blessed day. Lord Buddha is considered the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu (Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). Gautam Buddha "lived and died in about the fifth century before the Christian era". Buddha means "enlightened one" - someone who is completely freefrom all faults and mental obstructions.
Gautam Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are solely to liberate human beings from the misery and sufferings of life.
According to the Buddhism, sorrow and desire are the main cause of all the evil and suffering of this world. Lord Buddha advocated the Eightfold Path consisting of precepts like right conduct, right motive, right speech, right effort, right resolve, right livelihood, right attention and right meditation to gain mastery over suffering. It is only after following this path one can reach the ultimate aim of Nirvana. Nirvana is the transcendental state of complete liberation. Gautama Buddha lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C.
back to : home page
Buddha travelled far and wide teaching hundreds of followers. Even after death his disciples continued to spread his teachings.
Rich and poor alike were attracted by the simplicity of Buddha’s teaching and his emphasis on complete equality of all, a notion antithetical to the existing Hindu caste system. The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka espoused the Buddhist religion in the 3rd century B.C. and helped in spreading it far and wide. Sarnath and Bodhgaya are two of the most important pilgrimage centres for the Buddhists.
Though Buddhism originated in India and the religion has gained tremendous popularity throughout the Far East in Asia, there are very few practising Buddhists in the country. The number of Buddhists in the world ranges "from less than two hundred million, to more than five hundred million, with the lower number closer to reality."
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Thursday, June 12, 2008
Festivals of USA - List
USA is a land of diversified people which belong to every part of the globe and there are numerous festivals, events ahich are celebrated in USA with great pomp and show every year.
Here is my small effort to make a database for all of festivals celebrated in your region of world and USA kindly explain to esteemed viewers about festivals of your area so that every visitor can be aware of the richness of the culture to which you belong to.
I have divided the festivals of USA on basis of the area/state of USA in which it is celebrated if by mistake i have left any of the regional festival of your state kindly post it as comment so that the vision of making a single blog for all the festivals of world is fulfilled and this blog becomes a comprehensive blog for all of the viewers aho want to know more about festivals of world.
Regional Festivals celebrated in USA :
Here is my small effort to make a database for all of festivals celebrated in your region of world and USA kindly explain to esteemed viewers about festivals of your area so that every visitor can be aware of the richness of the culture to which you belong to.
I have divided the festivals of USA on basis of the area/state of USA in which it is celebrated if by mistake i have left any of the regional festival of your state kindly post it as comment so that the vision of making a single blog for all the festivals of world is fulfilled and this blog becomes a comprehensive blog for all of the viewers aho want to know more about festivals of world.
Regional Festivals celebrated in USA :
- Festivals of Alaska
- Festivals of Albama
- Festivals of Arizona
- Festivals of Arkansas
- Festivals of California
- Festivals of Colorado
- Festivals of Connecticut
- Festivals of Delaware
- Festivals of Florida
- Festivals of Georgia
- Festivals of Hawaii
- Festivals of Idaho
- Festivals of Illinois
- Festivals of Indiana
- Festivals of Iowa
- Festivals of Kansas
- Festivals of Kentucky
- Festivals of Lousiana
- Festivals of Maine
- Festivals of Marryland
- Festivals of Massachusettus
- Festivals of Michigan
- Festivals of Minnesota
- Festivals of Mississipi
- Festivals of Missouri
- Festivals of Montana
- Festivals of Nebraska
- Festivals of Nevada
- Festivals of New Hampshire
- Festivals of New Jersey
- Festivals of New Mexico
- Festivals of New York
- Festivals of North Carolina
- Festivals of Ohio
- Festivals of Okhloma
- Festivals of Oregon
- Festivals of Pennsylvania
- Festivals of Rhode Island
- Festivals of South Carolina
- Festivals of Tennessee
- Festivals of Texas
- Festivals of Utah
- Festivals of Vermont
- Festivals of Virginia
- Festivals of Washington DC
- Festivals of Washington
- Festivals of West Virginia
- Festivals of Winconsin
- Festivals of Wyoming
Other special/important Festivals celebrated in USA :
- Seasonal festivals of USA
- Music Festivals of USA
- Story telling festivals of USA
- Community Festivals of USA
- Game Festivals of USA
- Harvest Festivals of USA
- Food Festivals of USA
- Arts Festivals in USA
- Crafts and Arts Festivals of USA
- Heritage Festivals of USA
- Folk Festivals of USA
- Cultural Festivals of USA
- Beer Festivals of USA
this blog is ever expanding and you too can help in making it best base for all the festivals querries and reliable information your helpful act would help million of blog viewers.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Children's Day - Chacha Nehru - 14th November
Children's Day is to celebrate "childhood". On Children’s Day tribute is payed to all children in the world. Children are loved by one and all. They win over our hearts with their angelic eyes and innocent smiles. It makes one realise that maybe that’s the way God wanted us to be.
India's first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14. After his death in 1963, his birthday has been celebrated as children's Day in India.Children's Day is not just a day to let the future generation have its say. It is a day to remember a leader who, in his quiet but determined way, laid the foundation to convert a nascent nation into a world power.
Indian Festivals List
But why Children's Day? Apart from being known for his skills as a statesman, Nehru was also immensely fond of children. The more popular and famous of Nehru's pictures show him with children.
In all the photographs Nehru's joy at being with children is apparent. When he is not sharing pleasantries
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
with them, the expression of intense concentration as he listens to them reveals his commitment and attitude to children. Children to Nehru were little adults in the making.Nehru, to children, is never the Indian political leader and prime minister. He is always Chacha Nehru - Nehru Uncle.
Indian Festivals List
Children's Day is celebrated all over India, especially at the school level. There are also community activities with stress on children's involvement.
The story also goes that he started to wear a rose on his jacket after a child pinned one on it.The national children's centre, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, is also named after Jawaharlal Nehru. Children's Day is literally that. It is the day when children all over the country are pampered with goodies. From the schoolchild's point of view, the best thing perhaps is that it is a special day at school - they need not wear uniforms and are given sweets.
Celebrations:
Most schools have cultural programmes for the day, with the students managing it all. All over the country, various cultural, social, and even corporate, institutions conduct competitions for children. Children's Day is a day for children to engage in fun and frolic. Schools celebrate this day by organising cultural programmes.Teachers of the school perform songs and dances for their students. Various competitions like quizzes, fancy dress competitions, elocutions are organised on this day. Children are also treated to a movie and lunch.Television networks have in the recent years started to air special programmes all day long for kids on November 14, making this day a special treat.
Indian Festivals List
Children's Day in Japan:
National Children's Day in Japan is known as Kodomo no Hi. It is celebrtaed on May5. The family celebrates the festival with Kashiwamochi (rice cakes filled with red beans and wrapped with oak leaves) and Chimaki (rice cakes wrapped with bamboo leaves). According to the Kodansha encyclopedia, the origin of the festival was from China in 839. On May 5, Chinese people hang medical herbs from the eaves of the roof in order to repel disease. When the custom came to Japan, people used Shobu (irises) instead since irises were believed to repel evil spirits. During twelveth century, the custom was influenced by the warrior class. Since another meaning of Shobu is victory or defeat, the practice of giving little boys kites with pictures of warriors on them were spread in Japan. In the Edo period (1600-1868), streamers with pictures of carp were presented to boys. Recently, many families live in apartments not houses. They display samll carp streamers or Kabuto at their homes because of limited space.
Indian Festivals List
India's first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14. After his death in 1963, his birthday has been celebrated as children's Day in India.Children's Day is not just a day to let the future generation have its say. It is a day to remember a leader who, in his quiet but determined way, laid the foundation to convert a nascent nation into a world power.
Indian Festivals List
But why Children's Day? Apart from being known for his skills as a statesman, Nehru was also immensely fond of children. The more popular and famous of Nehru's pictures show him with children.
In all the photographs Nehru's joy at being with children is apparent. When he is not sharing pleasantries
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
with them, the expression of intense concentration as he listens to them reveals his commitment and attitude to children. Children to Nehru were little adults in the making.Nehru, to children, is never the Indian political leader and prime minister. He is always Chacha Nehru - Nehru Uncle.
Indian Festivals List
Children's Day is celebrated all over India, especially at the school level. There are also community activities with stress on children's involvement.
The story also goes that he started to wear a rose on his jacket after a child pinned one on it.The national children's centre, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, is also named after Jawaharlal Nehru. Children's Day is literally that. It is the day when children all over the country are pampered with goodies. From the schoolchild's point of view, the best thing perhaps is that it is a special day at school - they need not wear uniforms and are given sweets.
Celebrations:
Most schools have cultural programmes for the day, with the students managing it all. All over the country, various cultural, social, and even corporate, institutions conduct competitions for children. Children's Day is a day for children to engage in fun and frolic. Schools celebrate this day by organising cultural programmes.Teachers of the school perform songs and dances for their students. Various competitions like quizzes, fancy dress competitions, elocutions are organised on this day. Children are also treated to a movie and lunch.Television networks have in the recent years started to air special programmes all day long for kids on November 14, making this day a special treat.
Indian Festivals List
Children's Day in Japan:
National Children's Day in Japan is known as Kodomo no Hi. It is celebrtaed on May5. The family celebrates the festival with Kashiwamochi (rice cakes filled with red beans and wrapped with oak leaves) and Chimaki (rice cakes wrapped with bamboo leaves). According to the Kodansha encyclopedia, the origin of the festival was from China in 839. On May 5, Chinese people hang medical herbs from the eaves of the roof in order to repel disease. When the custom came to Japan, people used Shobu (irises) instead since irises were believed to repel evil spirits. During twelveth century, the custom was influenced by the warrior class. Since another meaning of Shobu is victory or defeat, the practice of giving little boys kites with pictures of warriors on them were spread in Japan. In the Edo period (1600-1868), streamers with pictures of carp were presented to boys. Recently, many families live in apartments not houses. They display samll carp streamers or Kabuto at their homes because of limited space.
Indian Festivals List
Republic day of India - 26 january
Indian Festivals List
Republic Day is India's great national festival. It is celebrated every year on January 26, in New Delhi with great pomp and pageant and in capitals of the States, as well as at other headquarters and important places with patriotic fervour.
It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 - January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Colour Flag was unfurled by the nationalists and a pledge taken that every year on January 26, the "Republic Day" would be celebrated and that the people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic of India. The professed pledge was successfully redeemed on 26 January, 1950, when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force, although the Independence from the British rule was achieved on August 15, 1947.
Indian Festivals List
It is because of this that August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day, while January 26 as Republic Day. The most spectacular celebrations include the march past of the three armed Forces, massive parades, folk dances by tribal folk from the different states in picturesque costumes marking the cultural unity of India. Further, the streak of jet planes of Indian Air Force, leaving a trial of coloured smoke, marks the end of the festival. The trees on both sides of the routes and the lawns become alive with spectators.
The President of India at New Delhi, on this most colourful day, takes salute of the contingents of Armed Forces. In the States, the Governors take the salute, and in Taluqas and administrative headquarters on same procedure is adopted. At Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, three days later (i.e. 29th January) the massed bands of the Armed Forces "Beat the Retreat" in a majestic manner.
Indian Festivals List
The Republic Day celebrations have rightly become world famous as one of the greatest shows on earth drawing thousands of eager sight-seers from all over the country and many parts of the world. No other country can draw on such a wealth of tribal traditions and cultures, so many regional forms of dances and dress. And, no other country in the world can parade so many ethnically different people in splendid uniforms as India's Armed Forces. But they are all united in their proven loyalty to the Government elected by the people and in their proud traditions and legendary gallantry.
Celebrations:
Officially, Republic Day is celebrated all over the country - national capital, state capitals, municipal corporations, panchayats, and other official agencies. At the level of the people, it is observed in homes, housing colonies, schools, colleges and institutions of every kind.
Indian Festivals List
Republic Day is India's great national festival. It is celebrated every year on January 26, in New Delhi with great pomp and pageant and in capitals of the States, as well as at other headquarters and important places with patriotic fervour.
It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 - January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Colour Flag was unfurled by the nationalists and a pledge taken that every year on January 26, the "Republic Day" would be celebrated and that the people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic of India. The professed pledge was successfully redeemed on 26 January, 1950, when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force, although the Independence from the British rule was achieved on August 15, 1947.
Indian Festivals List
It is because of this that August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day, while January 26 as Republic Day. The most spectacular celebrations include the march past of the three armed Forces, massive parades, folk dances by tribal folk from the different states in picturesque costumes marking the cultural unity of India. Further, the streak of jet planes of Indian Air Force, leaving a trial of coloured smoke, marks the end of the festival. The trees on both sides of the routes and the lawns become alive with spectators.
The President of India at New Delhi, on this most colourful day, takes salute of the contingents of Armed Forces. In the States, the Governors take the salute, and in Taluqas and administrative headquarters on same procedure is adopted. At Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, three days later (i.e. 29th January) the massed bands of the Armed Forces "Beat the Retreat" in a majestic manner.
Indian Festivals List
The Republic Day celebrations have rightly become world famous as one of the greatest shows on earth drawing thousands of eager sight-seers from all over the country and many parts of the world. No other country can draw on such a wealth of tribal traditions and cultures, so many regional forms of dances and dress. And, no other country in the world can parade so many ethnically different people in splendid uniforms as India's Armed Forces. But they are all united in their proven loyalty to the Government elected by the people and in their proud traditions and legendary gallantry.
Celebrations:
Officially, Republic Day is celebrated all over the country - national capital, state capitals, municipal corporations, panchayats, and other official agencies. At the level of the people, it is observed in homes, housing colonies, schools, colleges and institutions of every kind.
Indian Festivals List
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Independence Day - 15 August - India
Independence Day, August 15, commemorates the day in 1947 when India achieved freedom from British rule. It is celebrated with flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs in the state capitals. The Prime Minister's speech at the Red Fort in Delhi is the major highlight.
All Government Organisations have a holiday as 15th August is a National holiday . In the capital New Delhi most of the Government Offices are lit up. In all the cities around the country the Flag Hoisting Ceremony is done by politicians belonging to that constituency.
Indian Festivals List
In various private organisations the Flag Hoisting Ceremony is carried out by a Senior officer of that organisation. On Television, various Independence related programs are telecasted, reminding us of the hard times faced by the freedom fighters.
In almost all the schools and colleges around the country, no academic work in done on this day, but all the students and staff members are present on this day and there is a sort of gathering of the entire school/college within their respective premises and the flag hoisting ceremony takes place,(usually in the presence of the principal)and singing of the National Anthem. After this there are various cultural activities held in the school / college and the celebration continues till late evening.
History
Indian Festivals List
At the stroke of midnight, as India moved into August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, read out the famous speech proclaiming India's independence.
The moment ended three centuries of British colonial rule. The land was no longer the summer retreat of British sahibs who fancied spices, shikar, elephants and snake-charmers.
Independence was also the end of nearly a century of struggle for freedom, battles, betrayals and sacrifices. It also created a situation where we were responsible for ourselves.
Indian Festivals List
But it wasn't a period of unqualified joy. For a lot of people, in spite of a new era promised by independence, partition was a painful reality and so was the bloodshed that accompanied it. That was 53 years ago. Much has changed; the struggle for freedom lives on in history books and memoirs, and on the tombstones of valiant martyrs. Politics has undergone a personality change from fiery idealism to a pragmatic cynicism. Karma drives the nation on its way forward, and population has crossed the billion mark.
But, come August 15, and the people put their troubles behind them for a while, as they stand up as a nation for the National Anthem. Along with the soaring cadences of the anthem, the hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow are renewed in political speeches and replays of the deeds of those who earned us our freedom.
Independence Day is an occasion to rejoice in our freedom and to pay collective homage to all those people who sacrificed their lives to the cause. But it is more than that. It also marks the coming together of more than 400 princely states into one nation - India. This was probably our biggest diplomatic success.
Indian Festivals List
Each year, August 15 gives us the reason to celebrate all this, and do much more - it is a time to contemplate what we have and how we achieved it.
Though India had no dearth of religious and community festivals, there was, till Independence, no true national festival that the whole country could partake of. Independence Day, beginning as a day to commemorate the greatest moment in Indian history, has now come to signify a feeling of nationalism, solidarity and celebration.
Independence Day remained the sole national festival till India declared itself a republic in 1950. On January 26, 1950, Republic Day became the second Indian national holiday.
Background to the freedom struggle
Indian Festivals List
Before the 18th century, India's relationship with the West had been predominantly trade-related. All this changed when the forces of the East India Company defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Calcutta.
That signalled the arrival of the British as rulers. Till the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the East India Company, with the Governor General as its head, ruled the subcontinent. After that, the Crown took over the administration, with the Viceroy as its representative.
In the 20th century, the country witnessed the rise of many leaders such as Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Banded under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and his doctrine of non-violence, the freedom struggle moved ahead with new vigour. Milestones like the Quit India Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Khilafat Movement and Gandhi's Dandi March brought the inevitable freedom closer.
Indian Festivals List
Celebrations
August 15, Independence Day, is celebrated in a mood of abandon and joy - no rituals, just festivities. It is also a national holiday, with educational institutions, private and government organisations remaining closed, but for official celebrations in the morning.
Schools and colleges mark the day with cultural activities, drills, flag hoisting and distribution of sweets. Government as well as private organisations celebrate it similarly.
Families and friends get together for lunch or dinner, or for an outing. Housing colonies, cultural centres, clubs and societies hold entertainment programmes and competitions, usually based on the freedom theme.
Indian Festivals List
The Prime Minister sets the mood by hoisting the national flag and addressing the nation from the Red Fort, the historical monument in Delhi. This is accompanied by a march-past of the armed and police forces. Similar ceremonies are held in all the state capitals. The Prime Minister's address and the march-past are relayed live on national television.
In cities, one sees a sudden burst of saffron, green and white, the Indian tri-colour. The media goes to town with a variety of contests, promotions and programmes related to Indian independence. Television channels show patriotic movies and relentlessly play patriotic songs from old and new Hindi movies. Billboards on roadsides for different brands pay their tribute to the nation.
Everyone seems to have something going for them. Shops and petty tradesmen sell a range of Independence Day merchandise such as flags, stickers, tee-shirts and greeting cards. Street urchins hawk paper and plastic flags and tri-coloured balloons to motorists at traffic signals.
Indian Festivals List
Though a trifle commercial and jingoistic, what lies beneath the celebrations is the national spirit of gaiety, pride and hope for a better future. A spirit and hope that is renewed each year.
Gandhi Jayanti - birthday of Mahatma Gandhi - Father of nation
The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, is celebrated with reverence all over the country. He is the man who played a significant role in achiveing independence for India from the British Empire with his simplicity and strong will power. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as 'Bapu' or 'Father of the nation', was born on the 2nd of October in 1869, in Porbunder, Gujrat. He studied law in U.K and practiced law in South Africa. But he left his profession and returned to India to join the Indian freedom struggle.
Gandhi ji was a preacher of truth and 'Ahimsa'(non-violence).He started the 'Satyagraha' movement for the Indian freedom struggle. He believed in living a simple life and in 'Swadeshi'. He proved to the world that freedom can be achieved through the path of non-violence. Gandhiji is a symbol of peace and truth.
On this day, the President and Prime Minister, along with other eminent political leaders, pay homage at Raj Ghat - the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. All the offices and schools, throughout the country, remain closed on this day.
Origin
Indian Festivals List
Memories of Gandhi Jayanti go back a long way, to the schooldays. Gandhi Jayanti did not invite any celebrations. Still, it filled us with excitement, because the week starting on October 2 was special. That was the time when there would be little homework and even less classwork. Lessons effectively ended by lunch-hour, and in the second half of the day we would just 'work'. We would dig up the earth at the back of the school and plant saplings, we would go around to the hutments and deliver free medicines, we would paint a few walls...a variety of odd jobs that kept changing by the day, by the year.
Later, when the week gradually dwindled and disappeared under the pressure of academics there was a twinge of regret at the loss of good times. But while it lasted, we didn't know what it was all about, only that it was somehow connected with Gandhi Jayanti. We didn't ask, either - we loved what we were doing, and that was enough. It was much later that I found out the reason for the service that we had done. It was our way of remembering the service that Mahatma Gandhi had rendered to the nation, our way of carrying forward his philosophy of helping oneself by helping others, his dream of acquiring self-sufficiency, his mission of building a strong nation. It was our pledge that we would remember Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to the building of the Indian nation.
Indian Festivals List
History
If there was one man who was instrumental in acquiring independence for India, it was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. This was the man - slight, bespectacled and mild in manner - who controlled the National Movement for nearly three decades. A mass leader, he believed that he must identify himself with the masses he leads.
M K Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, a small town on the Gujarat coastline.
After his early education in India, he was sent to London where he qualified as a barrister. After attempting practice in Bombay for a few months, he went to South Africa as counsel for a wealthy Muslim client. Though he was supposed to return after the case was sorted, he continued his stay there till 1914, leading the Indians there against the apartheid of the British. His stint in India took a turn when national leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale initiated him into the Indian freedom movement. Gandhi, with his ideals of ahimsa, non-cooperation and satyagraha, soon established himself as the frontrunner in the struggle for freedom.
Indian Festivals List
From then, till India gained independence, Gandhi gathered an entire nation behind him in his relentless quest. But Partition was a big blow to his dreams and ideals, and Gandhi was a sad man on the night of India's Independence.
Five months after independence, Gandhiji was assassinated by Nathuram Godse while on his way to his daily prayer meeting. The 78-year-old Father of the Nation had left a country that was just discovering its feet, orphaned. His birthday was recognised as a National holiday.
Gandhi was not just a political leader. In fact, he was never a keen politician. He was a leader of the masses and always identified himself with them. All his actions had the power to galvanise the people. When others walked out of the Assembly in protest, Gandhi walked 100 km to the sea at Dandi to make salt illegally.
In short, he would take a step that would involve the millions, a small step by itself, but which would magnify a million-fold. The British often wondered what it was about Gandhi that attracted so many to him. But the people had no such questions. They understood the way in which he identified with them. In fact, Gandhi took pains to learn to sign his name in all the major Indian languages.
Indian Festivals List
Gandhi was also deeply spiritual, and believed that all religions showed the way to ultimate enlightenment. He also wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, a book that influenced him deeply.
Gandhi is also revered for his absolute belief in truth and ahimsa. It is this man's birthday that we celebrate as the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. His tolerance for other religions and support for the downtrodden are recognised and honoured on this day.
Celebration
Mahatma Gandhi was a simple man, with simple tastes and high values. Respecting that, even though Gandhi Jayanti is a national holiday, the festivities are minimal.
Indian Festivals List
A prayer meeting is held at Rajghat, Gandhi's samadhi in New Delhi. To mark the respect that Gandhi had for all the religions and communities, representatives from different religions take part in it. Verses and prayers are read out from the holy books of all the religions. Gandhi's favourite song, Raghupati Raghava, is invariably sung at all the meetings associated with him. Prayer meetings are held in various state capitals as well. Gandhi Jayanti is observed all over the country, both in government and non-government forums.
Indian Festivals List
Holla Mohalla Sikh Festival in - Sikhism
Holla Mohalla is the festival of Punjab. It is celebrated over three days and retains the character of fun and enjoyment that Holi has always embodied. In addition to that, it is also a community festival that brings people together in an atmosphere of sharing and caring. It is also an occasion to remember the valour of the Sikhs in battling the enemies of the land. The festival day begins with early morning prayers at the gurudwaras. The Guru Granth Sahib is ceremoniously taken out and bathed ritually with milk and water. After that, it is placed on the platform and venerated.
Kirtans are sung and people perform kar seva. The prasad is consecrated and everyone partakes of it. After the service, community lunch is served at the common hall.
Evening is the time for cultural activities. The Nihang Sikhs, who are part of the Sikh army that Guru Gobind Singh founded, exhibit their martial skills and daring through mock battles, sword-fighting displays, archery and horse-riding exercises. The Nihangs also splash colour on the spectators, and everyone follows suit.
Special programmes are organised for Holla Mohalla. Stories and songs about the life, valour and wisdom of the ten Sikh gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, are told and recited.
Music, dance and poetry programmes and competitions are held at many venues. A highlight of the last day of the festival is the procession through the important gurudwaras in town.
Holla Mohalla, while being an occasion to rejoice, is also a time to restore faith in the Khalsa Panth and rededicate oneself to the service of the community. Everyone, irrespective of their social standing, involves themselves in kar seva - manual labour, like helping in the langars, or public kitchens, cleaning the gurudwaras, and washing dishes.
The festival is celebrated grandly at Anandpur Sahib. Thousands of people visit the shrine to participate in prayers. Holla Mohalla is a reminder that enjoyment of life should go hand in hand with the responsibilities to society and constant effort to improve oneself and contribute to helping others and bettering life for others.
Kirtans are sung and people perform kar seva. The prasad is consecrated and everyone partakes of it. After the service, community lunch is served at the common hall.
Evening is the time for cultural activities. The Nihang Sikhs, who are part of the Sikh army that Guru Gobind Singh founded, exhibit their martial skills and daring through mock battles, sword-fighting displays, archery and horse-riding exercises. The Nihangs also splash colour on the spectators, and everyone follows suit.
Special programmes are organised for Holla Mohalla. Stories and songs about the life, valour and wisdom of the ten Sikh gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, are told and recited.
Music, dance and poetry programmes and competitions are held at many venues. A highlight of the last day of the festival is the procession through the important gurudwaras in town.
The festival is celebrated grandly at Anandpur Sahib. Thousands of people visit the shrine to participate in prayers. Holla Mohalla is a reminder that enjoyment of life should go hand in hand with the responsibilities to society and constant effort to improve oneself and contribute to helping others and bettering life for others.
Gurupurab - Sikh festival of india
The sikh festivals are celebrated as Gurupurabs. Every morning, for three weeks before any Gurupurab, there are processions through the streets of a town called Prabhat Pheris, these early-morning processions have Sikhs going around localities singing hymns. Those marching in the procession are offered sweets and tea by the faithful. The Gurupurab day signals the end of the Prabhat Pheris.
Beginning three days before the holy day, the Sikh holy book - the Guru Granth Sahib - is read continuously, from beginning to end, without break, in the gurudwaras. This is known as the akhand path. The reading concludes on the day of the festival.
On the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is decorated with flowers and carried in a procession, accompanied by religious music.
A special open lunch, for anyone who is hungry, is arranged at gurudwaras. The food is served with a spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). On Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom day, sweetened milk is offered to passers-by. In the afternoon/evening, special programmes are arranged in the gurudwara. Later in the evening, the houses and gurudwaras are brightly lit, and add to the festive feel.
Guru Nanak's birthday falls in the Indian month of Kartik (October/November). Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak brought enlightenment to the world. So, the festival is also called Prakash Utsav, or the festival of light.
The tenth guru, Gobind Singh, was born on December 2, 1666. The martyrdom day of the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev, falls in May/June, while that of the ninth guru, Tegh Bahadur, is in November. The other six gurupurab days are connected to the birthdays of Guru Angad Dev (March 31) Guru Ram Das (September 29) Guru Har Gobind (June 19) Guru Har Rai (January 16) and Guru Har Kishan (July 7).
Beginning three days before the holy day, the Sikh holy book - the Guru Granth Sahib - is read continuously, from beginning to end, without break, in the gurudwaras. This is known as the akhand path. The reading concludes on the day of the festival.
On the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is decorated with flowers and carried in a procession, accompanied by religious music.
A special open lunch, for anyone who is hungry, is arranged at gurudwaras. The food is served with a spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). On Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom day, sweetened milk is offered to passers-by. In the afternoon/evening, special programmes are arranged in the gurudwara. Later in the evening, the houses and gurudwaras are brightly lit, and add to the festive feel.
Guru Nanak's birthday falls in the Indian month of Kartik (October/November). Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak brought enlightenment to the world. So, the festival is also called Prakash Utsav, or the festival of light.
The tenth guru, Gobind Singh, was born on December 2, 1666. The martyrdom day of the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev, falls in May/June, while that of the ninth guru, Tegh Bahadur, is in November. The other six gurupurab days are connected to the birthdays of Guru Angad Dev (March 31) Guru Ram Das (September 29) Guru Har Gobind (June 19) Guru Har Rai (January 16) and Guru Har Kishan (July 7).
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Lohri Festival of Fire - Sikh Festival
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Lohri is a festival connected with the solar year. Generally, it is an accepted fact that this festival is to worship fire. This is particularly a happy occasion for the couples who for the first time celebrated Lohri after their marriage and also the first Lohri of the son born in a family. Children visit homes in the neighbourhood and sing songs. One of the famous ones is :
The day begins with children collecting money from houses in the neighbourhood. In the evening, winter savouries are served around a bonfire. Celebrated enthusiastically in Haryana, Punjab and parts of Himachal Pradesh, it also signifies the beginning of the end of winter.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, a Punjabi version of Robin Hood who robbed the rich and helped the poor. These "visitors" are given either money or gachak, bhuga, til, moongphali, gur and rewri.
A bonfire is lit and everyone gathers around it. Munchies, collected from each house, go around the party and are also thrown into the fire.
The festival assumes greater significance if there has been a happy event in the family during the elapsed year, like the birth of a male child or marriage.
The family then plays host to relations and friends wherein the eats take a back seat and merry-making takes over. Move on folks! It is then time for bhangra, dhol, gidda and light-hearted flirtation. Liquor flows freely and guests are served dinner. But then liquor is a modern introduction and is not customary and celebrations depend on how much does the pocket allow.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
A popular belief in this region is that if someone seeks a radish roasted in the bonfire lit by a family that has reason to celebrate, then blessings are bestowed on the family of the seeker as well. Geographically speaking, the earth leans towards the sun along the Tropic of Capricorn (Makara rekha) from the day following Lohri, also known as Winter Solstice. The earth, farthest from the sun at this point of time, starts its journey towards the sun along its elliptical orbit, thus heralding in the onset of spring. It is this transition which is celebrated as Lohri in northern India, Makara sankranti in the central part of the country and as Pongal-Sankranti in South India.
The festival is spread over three days in South India and also signifies the beginning of harvesting. A rath yatra is taken out from the Kandaswamy temple in Chennai on Pongal.
The day is celebrated as Ganga-Sagara in West Bengal and according a belief, Hindus purify their sins by taking bath in the Ganges. A big fair is also held on the Sagara Island, 64 km from the Diamond harbour where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Call it Lohri, Pongal or Sankranti, the festival conveys the same message -- the bond of brotherhood and the spirit of oneness should prevail despite all odds.
Lohri is a festival connected with the solar year. Generally, it is an accepted fact that this festival is to worship fire. This is particularly a happy occasion for the couples who for the first time celebrated Lohri after their marriage and also the first Lohri of the son born in a family. Children visit homes in the neighbourhood and sing songs. One of the famous ones is :
The day begins with children collecting money from houses in the neighbourhood. In the evening, winter savouries are served around a bonfire. Celebrated enthusiastically in Haryana, Punjab and parts of Himachal Pradesh, it also signifies the beginning of the end of winter.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, a Punjabi version of Robin Hood who robbed the rich and helped the poor. These "visitors" are given either money or gachak, bhuga, til, moongphali, gur and rewri.
A bonfire is lit and everyone gathers around it. Munchies, collected from each house, go around the party and are also thrown into the fire.
The festival assumes greater significance if there has been a happy event in the family during the elapsed year, like the birth of a male child or marriage.
The family then plays host to relations and friends wherein the eats take a back seat and merry-making takes over. Move on folks! It is then time for bhangra, dhol, gidda and light-hearted flirtation. Liquor flows freely and guests are served dinner. But then liquor is a modern introduction and is not customary and celebrations depend on how much does the pocket allow.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
A popular belief in this region is that if someone seeks a radish roasted in the bonfire lit by a family that has reason to celebrate, then blessings are bestowed on the family of the seeker as well. Geographically speaking, the earth leans towards the sun along the Tropic of Capricorn (Makara rekha) from the day following Lohri, also known as Winter Solstice. The earth, farthest from the sun at this point of time, starts its journey towards the sun along its elliptical orbit, thus heralding in the onset of spring. It is this transition which is celebrated as Lohri in northern India, Makara sankranti in the central part of the country and as Pongal-Sankranti in South India.
The festival is spread over three days in South India and also signifies the beginning of harvesting. A rath yatra is taken out from the Kandaswamy temple in Chennai on Pongal.
The day is celebrated as Ganga-Sagara in West Bengal and according a belief, Hindus purify their sins by taking bath in the Ganges. A big fair is also held on the Sagara Island, 64 km from the Diamond harbour where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Call it Lohri, Pongal or Sankranti, the festival conveys the same message -- the bond of brotherhood and the spirit of oneness should prevail despite all odds.
Guru Nanak Jayanti - Sikh Festivals
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Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born in the month of Kartik (October/November), and his birthday is known as Guru Nanak Jayanti. He was born in 1469 A.D. at Tolevandi some 30 miles from Lahore. The anniversaries of Sikh Guru's are known as Gurpurabs (festivals) and are celebrated with devotion and dedication.
GurPurabs mark the culmination of Prabhat Pheris, the early morning procession that start from the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and then go around localities singing 'shabads' (hymns). The celebrations also include the three-day Akhand path, during which the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib is read continuously, from beginning to end without a break. On the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is also carried in a procession on a float, decorated with flowers, throughout a village or city. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands playing religious music form a special part of the procession.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Free sweets and langar or community lunches are also offered to everyone irrespective of religious faith. Men, women, and children, participate in this karseva as service to the community, cook food and distribute it in the 'Guru ka Langar', with the traditional 'Karah Prasad'.
Sikhs also visit gurdwaras where special programs are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) are sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities. Guru Nanak Dev's life served as a beacon light for his age. He was a great seer, saint and mystic. He was a prolific poet and a unique singer of God's laudation. A prophet of peace, love, truth and renaissance, he was centuries ahead of his times. His universal message is as fresh and true even today as it was in the past and Sikhs all over the world, practice what Guru Nanak Dev preached, to reaffirm their beliefs in the teachings of their founder.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Legend:
The son of a Kshatriya (warrior) family, he studied Hinduism and Islam. He got married but then he abandoned his family and became an ascetic. Wandering for many years he came under the influence of both Hindus and Muslims (especially Sufi). The Muslim teacher Kabir (died in 1398) made a deep impression on Guru Nanak. He began preaching, "There is no Hindu, there is no Mussulman." .
The Sikhs:
Guru Nanak was succeeded by nine other Gurus. Guru Arjun (1563-1606) the fifth Guru, compiled the "Granth Sahib" (Noble Book) and the tenth Guru, Govind Singh, gave it its final form. The two books are also known as "Adi Granth" (Initial Book), and "Dasam Granth" (Book of the Tenth Guru).
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
The Sikh temple is called "Gurudwara" (Gum's Gate). A copy of the Granth is kept in every Gurudwara. After the Tenth Guru, the Granth is worshipped as the mystic personality of the Gurus.
The main shrine of the Sikhs is the Golden Temple of Amritsar, in Punjab, where Sikhism has a real hold. The Temple foundations were Laid by the Fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das (1534-1581).
In 1699 Guru Govind Singh introduced the Initiation Rite, drinking sugared water ("amrt"), and abolished caste distinctions. Sikhs were to be distinguished by their name, always with the suffix Singh (lion), and by the five K's: unshorn hair and beard ("kes"), comb in the hair ("kangh"), steel bangle on the right wrist ("kara"), short drawers ("kacch") and steel dagger ("kirpan").
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Guru Govind Singh was also responsible for giving the Sikh Religion a marked military character. The soldier-saint became the ideal of the Khalsa or Sikh fraternity. "When all other means have failed, it is righteous to draw the sword", was one of the basic principles of Guru Govind Singh.
Adi Granth
The Adi Granth teaches: "There is one God, Eternal Truth is His Name; Maker of all things, fearing nothing
and at enmity with nothing; Timeless is His Image; Not begotten, being of His own being; By the grace of the Guru made known to men. As he was in the beginning, the Truth; So throughout the ages He ever has been, the Truth; So even now he is the Truth Immanent; So for ever and ever, He shall be Truth Eternal."These words express the basic belief of Sikhs. Idolatry is forbidden. True worship consists in singing God's praises and in meditating on His Name. To realise Him speculation is useless, and so are also all pilgrimages, and ascetical practices like fasting and celibacy.
God is the Supreme Guru, "Satnam, Wah Guru" (The True Name, The Wondrous Teacher). The Ten Gurus are reverenced because God spoke through them. Nanak had no other Guru but God. His followers, however, reach God through Guru Nanak and the other nine. When the line ended, the God-given "Word of the Gum", remained embodied in the Granth and the temporal function of the Guru was bestowed on the Khalsa.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born in the month of Kartik (October/November), and his birthday is known as Guru Nanak Jayanti. He was born in 1469 A.D. at Tolevandi some 30 miles from Lahore. The anniversaries of Sikh Guru's are known as Gurpurabs (festivals) and are celebrated with devotion and dedication.
GurPurabs mark the culmination of Prabhat Pheris, the early morning procession that start from the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and then go around localities singing 'shabads' (hymns). The celebrations also include the three-day Akhand path, during which the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib is read continuously, from beginning to end without a break. On the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is also carried in a procession on a float, decorated with flowers, throughout a village or city. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands playing religious music form a special part of the procession.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Free sweets and langar or community lunches are also offered to everyone irrespective of religious faith. Men, women, and children, participate in this karseva as service to the community, cook food and distribute it in the 'Guru ka Langar', with the traditional 'Karah Prasad'.
Sikhs also visit gurdwaras where special programs are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) are sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities. Guru Nanak Dev's life served as a beacon light for his age. He was a great seer, saint and mystic. He was a prolific poet and a unique singer of God's laudation. A prophet of peace, love, truth and renaissance, he was centuries ahead of his times. His universal message is as fresh and true even today as it was in the past and Sikhs all over the world, practice what Guru Nanak Dev preached, to reaffirm their beliefs in the teachings of their founder.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Legend:
The son of a Kshatriya (warrior) family, he studied Hinduism and Islam. He got married but then he abandoned his family and became an ascetic. Wandering for many years he came under the influence of both Hindus and Muslims (especially Sufi). The Muslim teacher Kabir (died in 1398) made a deep impression on Guru Nanak. He began preaching, "There is no Hindu, there is no Mussulman." .
The Sikhs:
Guru Nanak was succeeded by nine other Gurus. Guru Arjun (1563-1606) the fifth Guru, compiled the "Granth Sahib" (Noble Book) and the tenth Guru, Govind Singh, gave it its final form. The two books are also known as "Adi Granth" (Initial Book), and "Dasam Granth" (Book of the Tenth Guru).
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
The Sikh temple is called "Gurudwara" (Gum's Gate). A copy of the Granth is kept in every Gurudwara. After the Tenth Guru, the Granth is worshipped as the mystic personality of the Gurus.
The main shrine of the Sikhs is the Golden Temple of Amritsar, in Punjab, where Sikhism has a real hold. The Temple foundations were Laid by the Fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das (1534-1581).
In 1699 Guru Govind Singh introduced the Initiation Rite, drinking sugared water ("amrt"), and abolished caste distinctions. Sikhs were to be distinguished by their name, always with the suffix Singh (lion), and by the five K's: unshorn hair and beard ("kes"), comb in the hair ("kangh"), steel bangle on the right wrist ("kara"), short drawers ("kacch") and steel dagger ("kirpan").
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Guru Govind Singh was also responsible for giving the Sikh Religion a marked military character. The soldier-saint became the ideal of the Khalsa or Sikh fraternity. "When all other means have failed, it is righteous to draw the sword", was one of the basic principles of Guru Govind Singh.
Adi Granth
The Adi Granth teaches: "There is one God, Eternal Truth is His Name; Maker of all things, fearing nothing
and at enmity with nothing; Timeless is His Image; Not begotten, being of His own being; By the grace of the Guru made known to men. As he was in the beginning, the Truth; So throughout the ages He ever has been, the Truth; So even now he is the Truth Immanent; So for ever and ever, He shall be Truth Eternal."These words express the basic belief of Sikhs. Idolatry is forbidden. True worship consists in singing God's praises and in meditating on His Name. To realise Him speculation is useless, and so are also all pilgrimages, and ascetical practices like fasting and celibacy.
God is the Supreme Guru, "Satnam, Wah Guru" (The True Name, The Wondrous Teacher). The Ten Gurus are reverenced because God spoke through them. Nanak had no other Guru but God. His followers, however, reach God through Guru Nanak and the other nine. When the line ended, the God-given "Word of the Gum", remained embodied in the Granth and the temporal function of the Guru was bestowed on the Khalsa.
also read about Other Sikh Festivals
Good Friday - Christian Festivals
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Good Friday - Christian Festival:
After a period of rejoicing over the birth of Christ, His followers observe a time of penance and fasting. This period, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday, is known as Lent. Fasting and other forms of renunciation or self-sacrifice are recommended as so many ways of following the example of Jesus, Who fasted for forty days in the desert, before He began His preaching. Jesus taught the need of prayer and fasting to overcome the Evil One. The practice of austerities has always been considered important in Christian spirituality.
A plank of wood, representing the cross on which Christ was crucified is displayed in churches for the veneration of believers. One by one, they come and kiss it. This is followed by a service from noon to3 o'clock, in which narratives from the four Gospels are read out. Sermons, meditation and prayers form part of the ceremony, in memory of the suffering endured by Jesus Christ for three hours. This is followed by a general communion service at midnight. In some churches, mourners wearing black, move in a procession with an image of Christ, and a ceremonial burial takes place. A day of prayer and penance, the bells of the churches remain silent on Good Friday.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
The Cross and the Father's Will:
The preaching and activities of Jesus provoked the admiration of the multitudes, but also the opposition and hatred of the leaders of lsrael. This resulted in His death on the Cross on Good Friday. The entire life of Jesus in all its details was in fulfillment of a divine plan. His Passion and Crucifixion were no exception. Overcoming His natural repugnance and horror Jesus went to meet His enemies when it became absolutely clear that surrender to them was the Father's will. Peter's use of the sword to defend Him was against His Father's will, and therefore an obstacle in His path, a devilish action. When Peter expressed his human reaction to Christ's prediction of His Suffering and Death, Jesus called him Satan (Matthew 16:22-23).
The Cross as Liberation:
The death of Christ on the Cross was so entirely against human calculations to establish a kingdom, or to initiate a world movement of liberation, that this event alone can be said to be an argument to prove the divinity of Christ. Man-made-gods were always victorious kings or warriors who carried out their mission by destroying their enemies through the use of force. Jesus stands unique as the only Son of God Who saved mankind by accepting death at the hands of His enemies. Jesus did not come to kill, but to be killed. Through His sacrifice on the Cross He destroyed the power of the devil, the real enemy of humanity.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Evil Conquered by Goodness:
Mary standing near the Cross associated herself in the closest possible way with the sacrifice of Jesus. The message of Good Friday is that evil can never be conquered by evil, but only by goodness, violence by non-violence, hatred by love for the enemy.
Good Friday:
The Friday before Easter is the most solemn day for Christians - it is the day Jesus Christ died on the cross.
As such, Good Friday is a day of mourning, and all the ceremonies and rituals of the day are centred around the feeling of sorrow at the pain and humiliation that Jesus underwent for the cause of goodness and humanity.
Good Friday marks the end of the 40-day period of fasting and renunciation during Lent, which recalls the days of penance Jesus spent in the desert. After this period, Jesus returned to Jerusalem, and was welcomed as the King of the Jews.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
The wholehearted acceptance of Jesus by the people made the rulers fear that they would lose the people's loyalty, and prompted them to plot against Jesus. With the help of Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Jesus was arrested for treason and condemned to be crucified. This happened on Maundy Thursday, a day before Good Friday. The next day, Good Friday, is the darkest day in Christianity. Jesus was made to carry the cross on which he was later crucified. Jesus, by his act of forgiving and praying for even those who were responsible for his death, won a victory for good over evil.
The message of Good Friday is that the dictum of "an eye for an eye" cannot work. The way to conquer evil is through good. Similarly, violence can be overcome only by non-violence, and hatred by love.
The entire day is given to fasting and prayer, as a way of following the example of Jesus, who stressed the role of prayer in the struggle to conquer evil. Some churches concentrate less on prayers, and instead encourage the people to become involved in charitable deeds.
The service consists of prayers and readings from the Bible. In many churches, a piece of wood in the shape of the cross is kept. People pray before the cross and kiss it.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Jesus is believed to have died on the Cross at three in the afternoon. The traditional service lasts for three hours from noon. But over the years, it has been shifted ahead or behind the original schedule by a few hours, for the sake of convenience.
The service lasts through the three hours during which Jesus suffered on the cross. It involves sermons, meditation sessions, and readings from the gospels. A communion service is held at midnight.
In some churches, mourners wear black and enact the Passion of Christ - scenes of Christ's crucifixion and burial. Many churches cover the cross and the altar with mourning black, and do not light any candles. At other churches, candles are lit, but they are extinguished one by one, with the last one being put out at the moment denoting Jesus' death. The church bells are not rung on Good Friday.
Catholic churches follow the tradition of the Stations of the Cross. People pass before paintings depicting the important scenes of the last hours of Jesus' life, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
But the crucifixion also looks forward to Jesus' resurrection. So, the sorrow of Good Friday is tempered by the expectation and hope offered by Easter Sunday.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Good Friday - Christian Festival:
After a period of rejoicing over the birth of Christ, His followers observe a time of penance and fasting. This period, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday, is known as Lent. Fasting and other forms of renunciation or self-sacrifice are recommended as so many ways of following the example of Jesus, Who fasted for forty days in the desert, before He began His preaching. Jesus taught the need of prayer and fasting to overcome the Evil One. The practice of austerities has always been considered important in Christian spirituality.
A plank of wood, representing the cross on which Christ was crucified is displayed in churches for the veneration of believers. One by one, they come and kiss it. This is followed by a service from noon to3 o'clock, in which narratives from the four Gospels are read out. Sermons, meditation and prayers form part of the ceremony, in memory of the suffering endured by Jesus Christ for three hours. This is followed by a general communion service at midnight. In some churches, mourners wearing black, move in a procession with an image of Christ, and a ceremonial burial takes place. A day of prayer and penance, the bells of the churches remain silent on Good Friday.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
The Cross and the Father's Will:
The preaching and activities of Jesus provoked the admiration of the multitudes, but also the opposition and hatred of the leaders of lsrael. This resulted in His death on the Cross on Good Friday. The entire life of Jesus in all its details was in fulfillment of a divine plan. His Passion and Crucifixion were no exception. Overcoming His natural repugnance and horror Jesus went to meet His enemies when it became absolutely clear that surrender to them was the Father's will. Peter's use of the sword to defend Him was against His Father's will, and therefore an obstacle in His path, a devilish action. When Peter expressed his human reaction to Christ's prediction of His Suffering and Death, Jesus called him Satan (Matthew 16:22-23).
The Cross as Liberation:
The death of Christ on the Cross was so entirely against human calculations to establish a kingdom, or to initiate a world movement of liberation, that this event alone can be said to be an argument to prove the divinity of Christ. Man-made-gods were always victorious kings or warriors who carried out their mission by destroying their enemies through the use of force. Jesus stands unique as the only Son of God Who saved mankind by accepting death at the hands of His enemies. Jesus did not come to kill, but to be killed. Through His sacrifice on the Cross He destroyed the power of the devil, the real enemy of humanity.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Evil Conquered by Goodness:
Mary standing near the Cross associated herself in the closest possible way with the sacrifice of Jesus. The message of Good Friday is that evil can never be conquered by evil, but only by goodness, violence by non-violence, hatred by love for the enemy.
Good Friday:
The Friday before Easter is the most solemn day for Christians - it is the day Jesus Christ died on the cross.
As such, Good Friday is a day of mourning, and all the ceremonies and rituals of the day are centred around the feeling of sorrow at the pain and humiliation that Jesus underwent for the cause of goodness and humanity.
Good Friday marks the end of the 40-day period of fasting and renunciation during Lent, which recalls the days of penance Jesus spent in the desert. After this period, Jesus returned to Jerusalem, and was welcomed as the King of the Jews.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
The wholehearted acceptance of Jesus by the people made the rulers fear that they would lose the people's loyalty, and prompted them to plot against Jesus. With the help of Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Jesus was arrested for treason and condemned to be crucified. This happened on Maundy Thursday, a day before Good Friday. The next day, Good Friday, is the darkest day in Christianity. Jesus was made to carry the cross on which he was later crucified. Jesus, by his act of forgiving and praying for even those who were responsible for his death, won a victory for good over evil.
The message of Good Friday is that the dictum of "an eye for an eye" cannot work. The way to conquer evil is through good. Similarly, violence can be overcome only by non-violence, and hatred by love.
The entire day is given to fasting and prayer, as a way of following the example of Jesus, who stressed the role of prayer in the struggle to conquer evil. Some churches concentrate less on prayers, and instead encourage the people to become involved in charitable deeds.
The service consists of prayers and readings from the Bible. In many churches, a piece of wood in the shape of the cross is kept. People pray before the cross and kiss it.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Jesus is believed to have died on the Cross at three in the afternoon. The traditional service lasts for three hours from noon. But over the years, it has been shifted ahead or behind the original schedule by a few hours, for the sake of convenience.
The service lasts through the three hours during which Jesus suffered on the cross. It involves sermons, meditation sessions, and readings from the gospels. A communion service is held at midnight.
In some churches, mourners wear black and enact the Passion of Christ - scenes of Christ's crucifixion and burial. Many churches cover the cross and the altar with mourning black, and do not light any candles. At other churches, candles are lit, but they are extinguished one by one, with the last one being put out at the moment denoting Jesus' death. The church bells are not rung on Good Friday.
Catholic churches follow the tradition of the Stations of the Cross. People pass before paintings depicting the important scenes of the last hours of Jesus' life, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
But the crucifixion also looks forward to Jesus' resurrection. So, the sorrow of Good Friday is tempered by the expectation and hope offered by Easter Sunday.
also read about Other Christian Festivals
Christmas 2008 - Merry Xmas - Santa Claus - Festival
Indian Festivals List
December 25th is the day of celebration and of fun and frolic. As the long awaited winter holidays arrive, Christmas spirit builds up. In India it is major festivals celebrated after Diwali every year. The lovely snowflakes, our dear Santa, decorated homes complete with whole range of Christmas star, mistletoe, the good-luck plant, ivy, laurels and not the least the beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas tree are some of the inseparable parts of the picture. The soft music of the Christmas carols and children eager to open their gifts certainly lend unique warmth to the coldest day of the year.
also see : Other Christian Festivals of India
The birth of Christ is perhaps the most popular festival around the world. The dark night sky, the chilly winters all just provide the perfect backdrop for the reigning red and green colors that cheer up the entire scenery. People visit their families and arrange some of the most lavish parties. The most awaited festival, the Christmas signifies love and kindness, joy and happiness. The holiday spirit of the season in one word is - infectious!
December 25th is the day of celebration and of fun and frolic. As the long awaited winter holidays arrive, Christmas spirit builds up. In India it is major festivals celebrated after Diwali every year. The lovely snowflakes, our dear Santa, decorated homes complete with whole range of Christmas star, mistletoe, the good-luck plant, ivy, laurels and not the least the beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas tree are some of the inseparable parts of the picture. The soft music of the Christmas carols and children eager to open their gifts certainly lend unique warmth to the coldest day of the year.
also see : Other Christian Festivals of India
The birth of Christ is perhaps the most popular festival around the world. The dark night sky, the chilly winters all just provide the perfect backdrop for the reigning red and green colors that cheer up the entire scenery. People visit their families and arrange some of the most lavish parties. The most awaited festival, the Christmas signifies love and kindness, joy and happiness. The holiday spirit of the season in one word is - infectious!
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer: Refrain
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here: Refrain
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Indian Festivals List
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Muharram | Moharram | Festival Of Muharram | Muharram Celebrations
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Muharram is observed by the Shia community of Muslims in commemoration of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. The prophet's son-in-law Ali, and Ali's elder son Hassan, are also remembered during this period as having suffered and died for righteous causes.
Muharram, or the sacred month, marks the beginning of the Muslim year. The word muharram also means respect. The first ten days of the month are observed as a period of mourning. After the death of the Prophet Mohammed, the Quran was considered the final word. The Prophet had named no successor. One faction of his followers believed that succession should remain within Mohammed's family, while another disagreed.
After a long dispute, Abu Bakr, a loyal follower of Mohammed, was elected his successor. His reign was peaceful, as was that of his successors.However, during the reign of Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, there was opposition from the masses. Ali was assassinated and his elder son Hassan was poisoned. His younger son Hussain, his family and his troops, were tortured and killed, and Hussain's head was severed and presented to the king.
The killing of Hussain happened on the tenth day of month of Muharram, and the event was called Ashura. It is now observed as a day for public expression of grief. These circumstances divided the Muslim community into the Shias and the Sunnis. The Shias consider Ali, Hassan and Hussain the rightful successors of Prophet Mohammed and mourn their death during Muharram. RitualsThe Shias observe the entire month as a period of mass mourning. There is no celebration or expression of joy of any kind.
Women are expected to forsake all adornments. Public enactments of grief, depicting scenes from the Battle of Karbala, are carried out in Shia mosques on the first ten days.The Shias in India observe certain ceremonies in common, though the details differ considerably. As soon
as the new moon appears, people clad in black assemble and recite plaintive verses over sweetened cold drink, in memory of Imam Hussain.
The cool drink is meant to remind people of the terrible thirst Hussain and his family had to suffer. Food and drink are later distributed to the public, especially to the poor. The first nine days are also spent in making bamboo and paper replicas of the martyr's tomb. On Ashura, the tenth day, decorated taziyas, or tombs embellished with precious metals, are carried through the city streets. A horse is led in procession in memory of Hussain's horse, Dul Dul.Wrestlers and dancers enact scenes depicting the Battle of Karbala.
Bare-chested Shia men strike their body with chains or walk barefoot over burning coal while uttering cries of anguish for the torture that Hussain suffered. Apart from reliving his suffering, it is also an expression of the people's inability to save Hussain from the brutalities.Observed In Muharram is observed in all the Shia communities in India. Lucknow sees great fervour, as it is the centre of Shia culture and religious activities in India.
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Muharram is observed by the Shia community of Muslims in commemoration of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. The prophet's son-in-law Ali, and Ali's elder son Hassan, are also remembered during this period as having suffered and died for righteous causes.
Muharram, or the sacred month, marks the beginning of the Muslim year. The word muharram also means respect. The first ten days of the month are observed as a period of mourning. After the death of the Prophet Mohammed, the Quran was considered the final word. The Prophet had named no successor. One faction of his followers believed that succession should remain within Mohammed's family, while another disagreed.
After a long dispute, Abu Bakr, a loyal follower of Mohammed, was elected his successor. His reign was peaceful, as was that of his successors.However, during the reign of Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, there was opposition from the masses. Ali was assassinated and his elder son Hassan was poisoned. His younger son Hussain, his family and his troops, were tortured and killed, and Hussain's head was severed and presented to the king.
The killing of Hussain happened on the tenth day of month of Muharram, and the event was called Ashura. It is now observed as a day for public expression of grief. These circumstances divided the Muslim community into the Shias and the Sunnis. The Shias consider Ali, Hassan and Hussain the rightful successors of Prophet Mohammed and mourn their death during Muharram. RitualsThe Shias observe the entire month as a period of mass mourning. There is no celebration or expression of joy of any kind.
Women are expected to forsake all adornments. Public enactments of grief, depicting scenes from the Battle of Karbala, are carried out in Shia mosques on the first ten days.The Shias in India observe certain ceremonies in common, though the details differ considerably. As soon
as the new moon appears, people clad in black assemble and recite plaintive verses over sweetened cold drink, in memory of Imam Hussain.
The cool drink is meant to remind people of the terrible thirst Hussain and his family had to suffer. Food and drink are later distributed to the public, especially to the poor. The first nine days are also spent in making bamboo and paper replicas of the martyr's tomb. On Ashura, the tenth day, decorated taziyas, or tombs embellished with precious metals, are carried through the city streets. A horse is led in procession in memory of Hussain's horse, Dul Dul.Wrestlers and dancers enact scenes depicting the Battle of Karbala.
Bare-chested Shia men strike their body with chains or walk barefoot over burning coal while uttering cries of anguish for the torture that Hussain suffered. Apart from reliving his suffering, it is also an expression of the people's inability to save Hussain from the brutalities.Observed In Muharram is observed in all the Shia communities in India. Lucknow sees great fervour, as it is the centre of Shia culture and religious activities in India.
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Eid UL Fitr | Muslim Festivals | Eid Fitr
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Eid Ul Fitar or the festival of fast breaking is the biggest Muslim festival. Eid is derived from the Arabic word ‘oud’ or ‘the return’ to signify, well, the return of Eid each year. The festival is significant as much for its timing as for its religious implications.
It is celebrated after the fasting month of Ramzan (the ninth month of the Muslim year), on the first day of the Shavval month of the Hijri year (Muslim year). It is believed that the Koran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the month of Ramzan.105 million Muslims make India the second most populous Islamic nation in the world. They form India’s largest minority and constitute almost 12% of India’s total population.
Islam is also the most recent religion added to India’s already potent cultural concoction. Islam came to India in the 12th century a.d. and opened a dialogue with Indian culture especially under the Mughals. Needless to say, it was a mutually enriching experience. A majority of India’s Muslims live in the north but a significant number are found all around the country. Hence their traditions add yet another dimension to the vast cultural landscape of India.
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Eid Ul Fitar or the festival of fast breaking is the biggest Muslim festival. Eid is derived from the Arabic word ‘oud’ or ‘the return’ to signify, well, the return of Eid each year. The festival is significant as much for its timing as for its religious implications.
It is celebrated after the fasting month of Ramzan (the ninth month of the Muslim year), on the first day of the Shavval month of the Hijri year (Muslim year). It is believed that the Koran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the month of Ramzan.105 million Muslims make India the second most populous Islamic nation in the world. They form India’s largest minority and constitute almost 12% of India’s total population.
Islam is also the most recent religion added to India’s already potent cultural concoction. Islam came to India in the 12th century a.d. and opened a dialogue with Indian culture especially under the Mughals. Needless to say, it was a mutually enriching experience. A majority of India’s Muslims live in the north but a significant number are found all around the country. Hence their traditions add yet another dimension to the vast cultural landscape of India.
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Eid Ul Zuha | Bakra Eid | Muslim Festivals in world
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The feast of Bakr-Id is an occasion to give and to sacrifice. It is a day to thank the Almighty for one's good fortune and to share it with the less fortunate brethren.Id-ul-Zuha, or Id-ul-Azha, as it is called in Arabic, translates as 'the feast of sacrifice'. Popularly, Bakr-Id is marked by the slaughter of animals as sacrificial offerings, after which the meat is distributed among the needy and deprived. However, the concept of sacrifice is better understood through an incident from the Old Testament, which is nothing but an explanation of the concept of Bakr-Id.
Historical BackgroundAs we look at the historical background of the Id-ul-Zuha, we gain information that Allah had commanded Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail on Mount Mina near Mecca. Ibrahim, unable to see himself kill his son, blindfolded himself and carried out the pronouncement of God. When he took off the blindfold, a lamb lay slaughtered on the altar and his son stood there unharmed. Ibrahim understood then that this willingness on his part to give up his only son was what God sought, and not the sacrifice of human flesh and blood. Thus, the history of Bakr-Id confirms the belief of the devouts that all God requires of man is a surrender of his will and self.
Like Ibrahim, who willingly surrenders his beloved son to God, a true follower of Islam is expected to sacrifice something that is dear to him. The animal sacrifices made during Bakr-Id are mainly to provide food to the poor and to commemorate the noble act of Ibrahim. This spirit of sacrifice is what truly underlines the spirit of Bakr-Id. Incidentally; the day also coincides with the day when the holy Quran was declared complete. RitualsBakr-Id is celebrated from the tenth to the twelfth day in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah. Every year, while pilgrims to the Mount of Mina make animal sacrifices as part of the pilgrimage rituals, Muslims the world over celebrate Bakr-Id in a similar fashion.
Every true Muslim who possesses wealth equal to or more than 400 grams of gold or is capable of affording two square meals a day, is expected to sacrifice an animal. A goat (also called bakri, hence Bakr-Id), sheep, camel or any other four-legged animal is slaughtered during one of the three days of the festival, and the meat is distributed. The sacrificial offering is divided in three parts - one for the self, another for friends, and the third, most importantly, for the needy. The sacrifice can be offered at any time before the afternoon of the third day. Festivities mark the first day, when people wear new clothes, offer prayers at the mosque, and greet friends and relatives. Special prayers are offered on all three days.
It is said that the celebrations are carried on over three days to ensure that the entire Muslim community partakes in the noble of act of giving and sharing. Celebrated InBakr-Id is celebrated all over India with much fervour, as it is in the rest of Islamic world. The name Bakr-Id, however, is most popular in India. In Arabic, the feast is usually referred to as Id-ul-Azha or Id-ul-Zuha.
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