Pongal

Seventy per cent of India's population lives in villages, and a vast majority of people solely depend on agriculture. As a result, we find that most Hindu festivals are directly or indirectly linked to agriculture and related activities.




Pongal is one such big festival, celebrated every year in mid January - mostly in the south of India and especially in Tamil Nadu - to mark the harvest of crops and a special thanksgiving to God, the sun, the earth and the cattle.

Pongal is celebrated during the same time as 'Bhogali Bihu' in the North Eastern State of Assam, Lohri in Punjab, 'Bhogi' in Andhra Pradesh and 'Makar Sankranti' in the rest of the country, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal.

Pongal is directly associated with the annual cycle of seasons. It not only marks the reaping of the harvest, but also the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons in southern India. As the cycle of season rings out the old and ushers in the new, so is the advent of Pongal connected with cleaning up the old, burning down rubbish, and welcoming in new crops.

Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu is celebrated during the same time as 'Bhogali Bihu' in the North Eastern State of Assam, Lohri in Punjab, 'Bhogi' in Andhra Pradesh and 'Makar Sankranti' in the rest of the country, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal.

Baisakhi Festival

Baisakhi is a seasonal festival with a special accent. It is celebrated all over the State on the first of Baisakh. This is the time when harvest is gathered in and the farmer exults in the fulfillment of his year's hard work.

 He joins the merry-making with full gusto and does not mind walking for miles to be able to do so. Since this fair is also an expression of prosperity, singing and dancing constitute its most enchanting features. The Punjab's famous Bhangra and Giddha are inextricably linked with this festival.

Many fairs in the Punjab are held near the tombs and shrines of pirs. These fairs must have originated in a spirit of devotion to those saints and sages. The most famous among such fairs are the Chhapar fair, the Jarag fair, and the Roshni fair of Jagranyan.

Baisakhi marks the beginning of New Year, particularly in the northern part of India. It is among the few Indian festivals that have a fixed date. Baisakhi is always on April 13th. In Kerala, Baisakhi is called as "Vishu" and in Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as "Puthandu".

Considered a holy day, the devout celebrate the Baisakhi with a dip in the holy rivers just around the break of dawn. It is on this day that Sun enters Aries, the first sign of Zodiac. This signifies ushering of the New Year.

In Punjab (the land of Green Revolution) particularly and in the northern belt of India in general, farmers perform their own prayers and rejoice. For on this day, they commence cutting their harvest.

The fields can be seen full of nature's bounty. Dressed in their typical folk attire, both men and women, celebrate the day with Bhangra and Gidda. Sweets are distributed, old enmities are forgiven and life is full of joy, merriment and everyone seems to belong.

The Kedarnath

Kedarnath is a holy Hindu town located in Uttarakhand in India. It is one of the Char Dhams located in the Himalayas at a height of 3584m above sea level near the head of Mandakini River. It is a very popular destination for all Hindu pilgrims of all over the world. The Kedarnath temple lies amidst the majestic snow-capped Himalayan ranges and is thronged by thousands of tourists each year.




 The extreme weather condition of Kedarnath prompts the temple to remain open from the end of April to the beginning of November. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Kedar or Lord Shiva. In Kedarnath alone there are about more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva.

It is believed that the temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya and existed even during the time of Mahabharata. According to legend, it is said that the Pandavas performed a strong penance to please Lord Shiva in Kedarnath. After having won the war against the Kauravas, the Pandavas felt guilty and wanted to seek blessings from Lord Shiva for redemption who was eluding them.

 Lord Shiva took refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull and dived into the ground leaving his hump on the surface. The other four parts of Lord Shiva fell at Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhmaheshwar and Kapleshwar. Kedarnath along with these four are also described as Panch Kedar. The inner walls of the temple have various deities sculpted on it. The scenes also tell mythological stories.

You can reach Kedarnath only after a trek of 14km through a paved road from Gaurikund.  You can take horse or ponies to climb up the steep path. Gaurikund is connected by road from Haridwar, Dehradun, Rishikesh and some other regions of Uttarakhand. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant in Dehradun while the nearest station is Rishikesh.

Pushkar Festival

Pushkar is a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11 kms to the North-West of Ajmer. The charm of this sleepy, lakeside settlement so captivated the great Indian poet, Kalidas, that it found a place in his classic, Abhigyan Sakuntalam.

 The Great Hindu epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana make references to this religious place regarded to be Adi Tiratha. Evidence points to its having existed since the Fourth century B.C. Lake in the inhospitable surroundings of a desert is no less than a miracle.

Braham Temple (the only temple of Lord Brahma), Savitri Temple, Varah Temple, Pushkar Lake, Ghats, Apteshwar Temple, Rangnath Temple, Anasagar Lake, Rose Gardens, etc are prime attractions of Pushkar It also provides vacationers wonderful opportunity to indulge in exciting activities like camel safari ride on sand dunes of Thar Desert, trekking on picturesque hills, etc.

Pushkar is also famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair. During this festival entire Pushkar comes alive. Visitors have wonderful opportunity to see trading of cattle/animals in the oldest form as barter system and several cultural shows depicting Rajasthani culture & tradition.

According to Hindus faith, gods releases a swan with a lotus in its beak (mouth) and let it fall on the earth where the Lord Brahma would perform a grand Yagna. Lord Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have glimpse of Radha Krishna. The place where the flower of lotus fell was called Pushkar.

The Badrinath temple

Badrinath temple is the most accessible and thus most popular of the Char Dham. You'll find this temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, surrounded by a rather untidy village and overshadowed by the towering, snow-topped, Nilkantha peak





Badrinath temple is commonly visited as a day trip from the unappealing town of Joshimath, reached by a precarious mountain road from Rishikesh. The route is Haridwar-Rishikesh-Devprayag-Srinagar (not the one in Kashmir!)-Rudraprayag-Joshimath. To get to Joshimath, you can either get a bus from Rishikesh or Haridwar. The journey will take around 10-12 hours, and buses leave around every half hour early in the mornings from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.

From Joshimath, it's another two or so hours to reach Badrinath. The traffic is highly regulated as a couple of parts of the road are so narrow that only one-way traffic is possible. Traffic is allowed to depart from Joshimath and Badrinath only at certain times of the day, and it's again stopped at the half-way point of Pandukeshwar. The fixed departure times are 6-7 a.m., 9-10 a.m., 11-12 a.m., 2-3 p.m., and 4.30-5.30 p.m. You can take a bus or shared jeep.

The last 11 kilometers to Badrinath is the most spectacular part of the journey. The rise is steep, and a view of the entire Badrinath valley is laid out below.

If you feel that you want to take some time to appreciate Badrinath temple and its surroundings, there are plenty of accommodations on offer. The Sarovar Portico is the best, and costliest, option. Otherwise, the GMVN Tourist Bungalow is the preferred option for those on a budget.

The Govardhan Puja

The fourth day of Diwali celebrations is 'Padwa' or 'Varshapratipada'. In the North India, it is called as Govardhan Puja. This pooja is performed with great zeal and enthusiasm and in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In this pooja, there is a tradition of building cow dung hillocks, which symbolize the Mount Govardhan, the mountain which was once lifted by Lord Krishna.


 After making such hillocks people decorate them with flowers and then worship them. They move in a circle all round the cow dung hillocks and offer prayers to Lord Govardhan. Read on this article to explore more about the Govardhan Puja.

Govardhan Puja Legends

'Govardhan' is a small hillock situated at 'Braj', near Mathura. The legends in 'Vishnu Puraan' have it that the people of Gokul used to worship and offer prayer to Lord Indra for the rains because they believed that it was he who sent rains for their welfare but Lord Krishna told them that it was Mount Govardhan (Govardhan Paevat) and not Lord Indra who caused rains therefore they should worship the former and not the latter.

 People did the same and it made Lord Indra so furious that the people of Gokul had to face very heavy rains as a result of his anger. Then Lord Krishna came forward to ensure their security and after performing worship and offering prayers to Mount Govardhan lifted it as an umbrella on the little finger of his right hand so that everyone could take shelter under it. After this event Lord Krishna was also known as Giridhari or Govardhandhari.

Onam Festival

Onam is the most popular festival of Kerala (a southern coastal state of India). This is a Hindu festival, celebrated with a great enthusiasm throughout Kerala for a period of ten days. Every year this festival falls on the Malayalam month of Chingam - between August and September and also known as the harvest festival of Kerala.

Onam is one of the most ancient Hindu festivals which is still celebrated with a great devotion. Onam marks the homecoming of King Mahabali, a legendary king, who ruled Kerala in ancient times. That period was believed to be the golden age of Karala, people were happy, free from harm and complete harmony and prosperity was there. This golden age ended when Vamana (an avatar of Lord Vishnu)

Onam is celebrated for ten days - Atham is the first day and Thiruvonam is the final day of the celebration. People wear new clothes, decorate their houses and put flower carpet called 'Pookalam' in front of their houses, to welcome the King Mahabali. Special pujas are offered in the temples in early morning and younger members take blessings and gifts from the elder members of the family.

 During Onam traditional rituals are performed followed by a lavish feast with twenty-one homemade curries and sweet payasam on plantain leaf. Spectacular Carnivals of elephants, fireworks, boat races, music and the famous Kathakalli dance are traditionally associated with this festival. The state government of Karala conducts Tourism Week celebrations in connection with Onam, showcasing Kerala's beauty and culture.

The Yamunotri

The Yamunotri temple lies close to the source of the Yamuna River, the second holiest river in India, which flows all the way down past the Taj Mahal. The temple is relatively undeveloped as it's the least visited of the Char Dham. However, there is a certain magic to be experienced from the pristine mountain air, running water, natural scenic beauty, and enthusiastic devotees. Pilgrims also get to enjoy a number of hot water springs in the vicinity of the temple.


The same as Gangotri temple, Yamunotri temple opens every year on Akshaya Tritiya (an auspicious day in the Hindu calendar). It falls in the last week of April or first week of May. The temple also closes for the season on Diwali. On the day the temple opens, the Goddess is carried from the nearby village of Kharsali (said to be Yamuna's mother's home), installed in the temple, and duly returned when the temple closes.


The route by road is Haridwar/Rishikesh-Dehradun-Mussoorie-Naugaon-Barkot–Hanuman Chatti. The journey to the village of Hanuman Chatti, which is around 14 kilometers from the Yamunotri temple, takes around eight hours from Rishikesh and six hours from the hill station of Mussoorie.

From there, it's necessary to take a shared taxi (departures every few minutes) to Janki Chatti. Your trek starts there! It's only five kilometers to the Yamunotri temple, via Kharsali, but it's a very steep and and in some parts narrow climb. As a result, people usually take around two hours to cover the distance and it really helps if you take a locally available walking stick. If you find you don't want to walk, there are mules and men to help carry you.

Gangotri

One of the four sites amongst the holiest places, Char Dham in India, is Gangotri. This sacred city is located in the northern part of the state of Uttarakhand. It is known as the source of River Ganges and also the seat of Goddess Ganga. Ducked amidst the sprawling Garhwal hills, Gangotri is an ideal location for all those who wish to take a dip into the oceans of divinity, as well as those have a thirst for adventure. This makes Gangotri an ideal spot in terms of travel and tourism.

As a result, Gangotri is a significant place from religion point of view. Hundreds of devotees throng the place every year in order to unleash the secrets of spirituality. Some of the main attractions of Gangotri include Gangotri Temple, which was built by Gurkha monarch Amar Singh Thapa, around 3000 years back.

Another pilgrim site here is Jalamagna Shivalinga, which is a natural rock Shivalinga submerged in the river.

Gangotri Yatra is one of the Yatras of Char Dham is popular all over the world as the seat of the goddess Ganga as Gangotri is the source of the River Ganges. Gangotri Yatra is the picturesque pilgrimage in the magnificent Garhwal hills located in the hinterlands of Himalayas surrounded by Dehrdun, Rishikesh and Uttrakashi with the distance of 300 Kms., 250 Kms. and 105 Kms. respectively.




 Gangotri Yatra offers many other tourist attractions like Gangotri Yatra to River Bhagirathi, Gangotri Yatra to Alaknanda, Gangotri Yatra to Gaumukh, Gangotri Yatra to Bhavishya Badri Temple, Gangotri Yatra to Gangotri Temple, Gangotri Yatra to Nandanvan Tapovan, Gangotri Yatra to Kedar, Gangotri Yatra to Dayara Bugyal, Gangotri Yatra to Nachiketa Tal, Gangotri Yatra to Tehri and Gangotri Yatra to Narendranagar.

Kartik Purnima

Kartik Purnima 2012 is going to be commemorated on 28th of November, Wednesday. Every year, Kartik Poornima falls in the Shukla Paksha of Kartika month. At some places, Kartika purnima is also known as Tripuri Purnima as well as Ganga Snan. Logic behind the name ‘Tripuri Purnima’ is the belief that Lord Shiva assassinated the demon Tripuri on this day. In Hindu mythology, Kartika Poornima has immense value for fetching blessings from the Almighty.

In addition to Lord Shiva, this day is dedicated to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Angira and Lord Sun. It is believed that the person who does charity, donation and takes bath at river bank or any other water body with devotion becomes the part of God’s blessed people.

Significance of Kartika Purnima Snan

In India, there is a common tradition of taking bath at a holy river. However, on certain days, this bath offers better results. And, these certain days are the most auspicious days of the year. That is why on the day of Kartik Purnima, you can find a huge crowd on the banks of holy rivers, especially Ganga as well as Yamuna. Glory of taking bath on the day of Kartik Purnima .

Another belief states that taking bath in a sacred river by following proper religious procedures helps the devotee attain salvation at the end. Other than spiritual beliefs, month of Kartik has some scientific boons too.

Glory of Kartik Purnima Puja

For Kartik Snan, generally Ganga and Yamuna rivers are considered. However, there are many other pious rivers like Saraswati, Narmada, Godavari, Kurukshetra, Ayodhya, Kashi and many more. As per Hindu Shastras, Lord Vishnu goes to sleep on this day. Month of Kartik starts when Sun comes in Libra. It is said that fasting in Kartik is the more defined way for heading toward salvation. Overall, Kartik Purnima is indeed an auspicious time to multiply your pious deeds and cut down the sins. With this we wish you all a very happy Kartik Purnima! May Almighty shower blessings over you!

Durga Puja

Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs.

 While the rituals entails ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.

Durga Puja is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October) and commemorates Prince Rama's invocation of the goddess before going to war with the demon king Ravana. This autumnal ritual was different from the conventional Durga Puja, which is usually celebrated in the springtime.

So, this Puja is also known as 'akal-bodhan' or out-of-season ('akal') worship ('bodhan'). Thus goes the story of Lord Rama, who first worshipped the 'Mahishasura Mardini' or the slayer of the buffalo-demon, by offering 108 blue lotuses and lighting 108 lamps, at this time of the year.

Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated as birthday of Lord Hanuman allover world. As per Hindu almance It is celebration  on the Chaitra Purnima(March – April) . In 2011, the date of Hanuman Jayanthi is April 18th Lord Hanuman is also known as Bajrang Bali, Anjaneya, Maruti, Pavanputra and Mahavira. He is one of the most popular gods in Hinduism. He is a Chiranjeevi – one blessed with ineffaceable.

Lord Hanuman emblem  strength and  unbetterable  devotion and disinterested service. He is the greatest devotee of Lord Ram. He is a Brahmachari (celibate) and humility is his  metewand . He served Sri Rama with pure love and constancy, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate.

 

He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.

 

On the day of Hanuman Jayanti devotees apply sindoor to the idol of Hanuman. There is very popular legend behind this. Once Sita ji was Appling sindhoor on her forehead and Hanuman enquired about its significance. To this Sita ji replied, that this ensured long life for her husband. Hanuman on hearing this applied sindhoor all over his body praying for the immortality of his Lord. He came before Lord Rama. When asked Hanuman replied, “It is only to please you my Lord.” Lord Rama was very pleased and by seeing his devotion, he declared that whoever applies sindoor on the body of Hanuman will get my loving devotion and I will pleased with that devotee.

 

On the day of Hanuman jayanti Lord Hanuman is worshiped and offered sindoor and pan. People visit the Hanuman temple and apply the sindoor taken from the idol of Hanuman on their forehead. It is supposed to bring good luck to them. Prasad (religious food offering) is distributed among the people. Pooja is performed and abhisheka (religious offering consisting of coconut and flowers) is done. Devotees read the Hanuman Chalisa and recite the Holy name of Lord Rama. Most of the devotees keep fast, especially those who are wrestlers and body builders. 

Ramnavami Festival

Sri-Ramnavami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama. It occurs on the ninth day (navami). The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his preperous and righteous reign. Mahatma Gandhi also used this term to describe how, according to him, India should be after independence.

 Ramnavami occurs in the month of March. Celebrations begin with a prayer to the Sun early in the morning. At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed. In northern India especially, an event that draws popular participation is the Ramnavami procession. The main attraction in this procession is a gaily decorated chariot in which four persons are dressed up as Rama, his brother Laxman, his queen Sita and his disciple Hanuman.




The chariot is accompanied by several other persons dressed up in ancient costumes as work by Rama's solders. The procession is a gusty affair with the participants shouting praises echoing the happy days of Rama's reign.

 On the face of it Sri-Ramnavmi appears to be just a festival commemorating the reign of a king who was later deified. But even behind present-day traditions there are clues which unmistakably point to the origin of Ramnavmi as lying beyond the Ramayana story.In Sanskrit, Ravi and Ravindra mean Sun.

 There is some link between Lord Rama and Sun Worship. The Sun is considered to be the progenitor of Rama's dynasty which is called the Sun dynasty (Raghukula or Raghuvamsa, Raghu means Sun and Kula or Vamsa mean familial descendant). Rama is also known as Raghunatha, Raghupati, Raghavendra etc.

That all these names begin with the prefix Raghu is also suggestive of some link with Sun-worship. The hour chosen for the observance of the lord's birth is that when the sun is overhead and is at its maximum brilliance. Significantly, the ancient Egyptians termed the sun as Amon Ra or simply as "Ra". In Latin the syllable Ra is used to connote light. For example, we have Radiance which emission of light, or Radium which means any substance emitting light or brilliance.

The common element is the syllable Ra which in many languages is used to derive words for describing Sun or light.