Festivals Around The World

19 April, 2010

Solar Eclipse fetival

Introduction

What is Solar Eclipse

Eclipse means “to overshadow”. The partial or total covering of sun, due to the passing of moon between earth and Sun is called Solar Eclipse.

When does it happen?

Solar eclipse can occur only in the new moon phase of the moon. In this phase, the illuminated side of the moon is pointed away from the earth and the sun and moon are in conjunction. This phase occurs every 29.5 days. As moon continuously orbits around the earth, eclipse occurs when it is in line with earth and the sun. Although, every month there is a new moon phase that does not lead to an eclipse every time as the moon and earth are tilted at an angle. Moon’s orbit is at a tilt of 5 degree relative to earth.There are at least 2 Solar eclipses every year.

The cities in India that will be close to Totality of the Solar Eclipse on July 22, 2009 are Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Varanasi and Patna. In the Eastern part of the country the altitude of the Sun will be 15 degrees. Also, around this time rains will be observed due to south west monsoons. The above mentioned regions will have the best view of totality, while most of the regions in India will be abstained from the view of totality. The eclipse will start from India at 00:51:17 UT on July 22, and end in Polynesia at about 04:19:26 UT.

FAQ’s:

Q: What exactly happens during such a Total Solar Eclipse?
A: During a total solar eclipse, partial phase of eclipse takes place for about hour or more when moon slowly covers the sun but dimming of sunlight is hardly observed during this phase. Then, as moon slides totally in front of sun, the sky starts getting darker. The moon’s black disc appears as a hole in sky and peeking around the black disc should be a number of pinkish solar prominences, gigantic explosions of hot hydrogen gas that boil off from the Sun in spectacular arching shapes. At the last instant, when the Moon completely covers the Sun, observers may view two captivating sights of Bailey’s Beads and Diamond Ring Effect.

Q: How dark does it get?

A: The darkness at the time of total solar eclipse can be compared to darkness of full moon night and even the stars also get visible at the day time. This sight is only observed across the areas in the path of totality while areas away from the path of totality will not get significant dark.

Q: How can I observe the partial eclipse safely?

You should avoid looking directly at the sun to view partial or total eclipse with unprotected eyes as it can cause serious damage to retina and can affect your vision for the rest of life. Listed below are few methods for safely viewing the eclipse:

Solar Filters:

Viewing through a special aluminized Mylar film designed specifically for eclipse viewing.

Welder’s Glass No. 14:

Welders' goggles or the filters for welder's goggles with a rating of 14 or higher are safe to use for looking directly at the Sun.

Viewing by projection:

Use a card with a small hole in it to project an image of the eclipse on a screen, and you watch the screen, not the sun. You can use a piece of paper, or even a straw hat with a little hole in it. Just put something with a little hole in it over a flat surface and you'll see the sun's movement.

Fully Exposed and Developed Black-and-White Film:

One can make your own filter out of black-and-white film, but only true black-and-white film (such as Kodak Tri-X or Pan-X). Such films have a layer of silver within them after they are developed. It is this layer of silver that protects your eyes.

Camera and Telescope Solar Filters:

Many telescope and camera companies provide metal-coated filters that are safe for viewing the Sun. They are more expensive than common Mylar, but observers generally like them better because they are available in various colors, such as a chromium filter through which the Sun looks orange. Through aluminized Mylar, the Sun is blue-gray. As with the Mylar, you can look directly at the Sun through these filters.

Caution:

Do not use color film or chromogenic black-and-white film (which is actually a color film). Developed color film, no matter how dark, contains only colored dyes, which do not protect your vision. It is the metallic silver that remains in black-and-white film after development that makes it a safe solar filter.

How it Happens :

There are two types of shadows of moon:

Umbra: It is represented as the dark grey region of shadow. This is the region where total eclipse is observed on earth as sun is totally blocked by moon.
Penumbra: This region depicted by the light grey shadow of the moon, observes a partial eclipse as only partial rays of sun are barred by moon.

As moon is inclined at a relative 5 degrees and has an elliptical orbit, the apparent size of the moon as observed from the earth varies. The type of eclipse experienced depends upon the distance of the moon from the earth during that period. When the earth comes under the umbra region Total eclipse is experienced. The regions of earth under penumbra rays are partially eclipsed, while when the umbra shadow of moon is not able to reach the surface of earth, Annular eclipse is encountered.
Thus, total eclipse is a rare phenomenon.

Types of Eclipse

Total Solar Eclipse:

In total Solar Eclipse the

moon completely blocks the sun.Total solar eclipse is visible from within the umbral shadow of the moon. It is an extremely marvelous phenomenon and several people make efforts to travel even to remote places to view the eclipse.

Partial Eclipse:

In Partial Solar

Eclipse the moon partially blocks the sun and they are not in complete conjunction. Partial eclipse is usually visible from a large part of the Earth outside of the path of an annular or total eclipse. Partial solar eclipses are visible from within the penumbral shadow of the Moon.

Annular Eclipse:
An Annular Eclipse is quite similar to that of a total eclipse except that it takes place during a particular point in the Moon's orbit when it is farther away from the Earth than usual. During annular eclipse the sun looks like a ring or annulus.

Hybrid Eclipse:
In a Hybrid

Eclipse some parts of the eclipse path are total and some are annular. People staying near the middle of the eclipse will witness a total eclipse and those at the end of the path will witness an annular eclipse.

International Mango Festival

Does the succulent flavour of mango makes you crave for more? Can’t you get enough of mangoes, then, the Mango Festival is a must visit for you.

The Mango Festival is celebrated throughout the country with much zeal and zest. The festival is held in the month of July every year in the capital, usually at the Talkatora stadium in Delhi and is hosted by the Delhi Tourism Board in collaboration with the Delhi Government.

But this year, the 21st International Mango Festival will be held at Dilli Haat, Pitampura from 3rd – 5th July, 2009. The “King of Fruits” festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the festival will be open for all from 11 a.m. till 10 p.m.

The festival is a three - day affair which attracts thousands of mango lovers to the fest like a pot of honey attracts the bees. The Mango Festival is celebrated throughout the nation without any discrimination which spreads the hardcore notion of unity in diversity because of different species available under one roof.

The festival showcases more than 400 species of the fruit from different parts of the country.

It is the most awaited festival in the capital, as the citizens get to relish the rare species of the sumptuous fruit.

The fest will showcase some exceptional varieties such as Sirki, Suwarn, Neeleshwari, Royal SP, Raddy Pasand, Himasagar, Kensington, Neelam, Banganpalli, besides popular Dushehari, Langra, Alphonso, Kesar, Papitiyo, Tommy Atkins, Sensation and Nazuk Badan. Mangoes such as Abdullah, Ramkela, Aishwarya, Bombay Green from Kaleemullah Khan’s nursery. And one of the rare species of the fruit Gula by Tariq Mustafa from Purkazi in Muzaffarnagar.

The highlights of the festival include Mango Quiz, Mango eating competition, sale of fresh mangoes and processed fruits like pickles, chutney, mango pulp, juice, jelly, aam papad, jam and aam panna.You can binge on the fruit for free, can buy a small mango tree or or can also buy wide varieties of mango in the festival.

One of the main attractions of the festival is the Mango eating competition which will be held on 4th July, 2009 for Women at 5 p.m. and for Men on 5th July, 2009 at 5 p.m.

The festival provides agro-industries and food processing industries the opportunity to display their products. The idea is to give exposure to the domestic mango industry and exporters.

The Mango Festival is also celebrated in different parts of the country during the months of June - July. Some of them are Pinjore, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune to name a few.

There are over 1,365 species of Mangoes grown around the world and India alone cultivates over 1,000 varieties of the fruit.

For those who are calorie conscious should once forget about their calorie intake and just indulge themselves into the temptation of mouth-watering mangoes during the festival.

Happy Mango Licking!!

Varieties of Mangoes:

There are thousands of varieties of Mangoes grown all over the world.

In India, Alphonso, Benishan or Benishaan and Kesar mango varieties are considered among the best mangoes in the Southern states whereas Dussehri and Langda varieties are most popular in the Northern states.

Some of the varieties of Mangoes are listed below:

1. Taimoorlang
2. Husnaara
3. Aabehayat
4. Zawahiri
5. Dussheri
6. Chosa
7. Lucknowi
8. Langra
9. Neelum
10. Rumani
11. Alphonso
12. Bombay Green (Sarauli)
13. Banganpalli
14. Samar Behest Chausa
15. Fazli
16. Kishenbhog
17. Himsagar
18. Gulabkhas
19. Zardalu
20. Airi
21. Malkurad (Goa)
22. Kesar
23. Rajapuri
24. Jamadar(Gujarat)
25. Beneshan
26. Bangalora
27. Suvarnarekha
28. Mulgoa
29. Raspuri
30. Badami
31. Allampur Beneshan
32. Himayuddin
33. Jehangir
34. Cherukurasam
35. Bathua
36. Bombai
37. Sukul
38. Fernandin
39. Mankurad
40. Vanraj
41. Mundappa
42. Olour
43. Pairi
44. Safeda
45. Raspoonia
46. Mithwa Sundar Shah
47. Mithwa Ghazipur
48. Taimuriya
49. Sharbati Begrain
50. Gilas
51. Nauras
52. Rasgola
53. Hardil-aziz
54. Cherukurasam
55. Peddarasam
56. Totapuri
57. Kothapalli Kobbari
58. Chinna Rasam
59. Cheruku Rasam
60. Pedda Rasam
61. Mallika
62. Ratole
63. Kaju
64. Himayat
65. Khatta Meetha
66. Panchadara Kalasa
67. Manjeera
68. Amrapali
69. Arkapuneet
70. Sindhu

Nag Panchami festival

Nag Panchami - West Bengal, Maharashtra and South India

Hinduism as a religion is many-sided yet bound by a common search for Truth and to Hindus it means a way of life and a fellowship of faiths. With the advent of the Aryans, it originated as a simple form of worship of the forces of Nature, drawing in its system action in social organisations, local cults, deities’ diverse beliefs and modes of worship.

Nag-Panchami is an important all-India festival and is celebrated on the fifth day of the moonlit-fortnight in the month of Shravan (July /August). This is the time when serpents invariably come out of their holes that get inundated with rain-water to seek shelter in gardens and many times in houses. As such they pose a great danger to man.

May be therefore, snakes are worshiped on this day. Right from the times when mankind started acquiring some sort of culture, Sun and Snake have been invoked with prayers and ritual worship in most of the countries. In India even before the Vedic times, the tradition of snake-worship was in vogue.

The Legend

In ancient India, there lived a clan by the name of "NAGAS" whose culture was highly developed. The Indus Valley civilisation of 3000 B.C. gives ample proof of the popularity of snake-worship amongst the Nagas, whose culture was fairly wide-spread in India even before the Aryans came. After the Naga culture got incorporated into Hinduism, the Indo-Aryans themselves accepted many of the snake deities of the Nagas in their pantheon and some of them even enjoyed a pride of place in the Puranic Hinduism.

The prominent Cobra snakes mentioned in the Puranas are Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia, Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal, Dhritarashtra and Pingal. Some historians state that these were not snakes but Naga Kings of various regions with immerse power.

The thousand-headed Shesh Nag who symbolises Eternity is the couch of Lord Vishnu. It is on this couch that the Lord reclines between the time of the dissolution of one Universe and creation of another. Hindus believe in the immortality of the snake because of its habit of sloughing its skin. As such Eternity in Hinduism is often represented by a serpent eating its own tail.

In Jainism and Buddhism snake is regarded as sacred having divine qualities. It is believed that a Cobra snake saved the life of Buddha and another protected the Jain Muni Parshwanath. To-day as an evidence of this belief, we find a huge serpent carved above the head of the statue of Muni Parshwanath. In medieval India figures of snakes were carved or painted on the walls of many Hindu temples. In the carves at Ajanta images of the rituals of snake worship are found. Kautilya, in his "Arthashastra" has given detailed description of the cobra snakes.

Fascinating, frightening, sleek and virtually death-less, the cobra snake has always held a peculiar charm of its own since the time when man and snake confronted each other. As the cobra unfolded its qualities, extra-ordinary legends grew around it enveloping it in the garble of divinity. Most of these legends are in relation with Lord Vishnu, Shiv and Subramanyam.

The most popular legend is about Lord Krishna when he was just a young boy. When playing the game of throwing the ball with his cowherd friends, the legend goes to tell how the ball fell into Yamuna River and how Krishna vanquished Kalia Serpent and saved the people from drinking the poisonous water by forcing Kalia to go away.

It is an age-old religious belief that serpents are loved and blessed by Lord Shiv. May be therefore, he always wears them as ornamentation around his neck. Most of the festivals that fall in the month of Shravan are celebrated in honour of Lord Shiv, whose blessings are sought by devotees, and along with the Lord, snakes are also worshiped. Particularly on the Nag-Panchami day live cobras or their pictures are revered and religious rights are performed to seek their good will. To seek immunity from snake bites, they are bathed with milk, haldi-kumkum is sprinkled on their heads and milk and rice are offered as "naivedya". The Brahmin who is called to do the religious ritual is given "dakshina" in silver or gold coins some times, even a cow is given away as gift.

Celebrations

During this time, snakes often seek refuge in houses as their holes in the ground become flooded with rainwater. Due to the danger they pose to humans, snakes are worshiped during this period to protect villagers from harm.

Nag Panchami is celebrated throughout India; however, more festivities are seen in the south than in the north.

The village of Baltis Shirale, which is situated approximately 400 kilometers (approximately 250 miles) from Mumbai, conducts the most outstanding of all the celebrations.
Reportedly, the largest collection of snakes in the world can be found in Baltis Shirale. Visitors from all over the world gather in the village to worship live snakes. Interestingly, despite no venom being removed from the snakes, no one has ever been bitten.
Other popular areas of worship during the Nag Panchami include:

Adiesha Temple in Andhra Pradesh
Nagaraja Temple in Kerala
Nagathamman Temple in Chennai
Hardevja Temple in Jaipur.

In Bengal and parts of Assam and Orissa the blessings of Mansa, the queen of serpents are sought by offering her all the religious adoration. Protection from the harmful influence of snakes is sought through the worship of Mansa who rules supreme over the entire clan of serpents. On this occasion snake-charmers are also requisitioned to invoke the Snake Queen by playing lilting and melodious tunes on their flutes.

In Punjab Nag-Panchami is known by the name of "Guga-Navami". A huge snake is shaped from dough, which is kneaded from the contribution of flour and butter from every household. The dough-snake is then placed on a winnowing basket and taken round the village in a colourful procession in which women and children sing and dance and onlookers shower flowers. When the procession reaches the main square of the village all the religious rites are performed to invoke the blessings of the snake god and then the dough snake is ceremoniously buried.

In Maharashtra, Hindu women take an early bath wear their "nav-vari" - nine yards-sarees, put on ornaments and get ready for the "puja" of Nag-Devata. Snake charmers are seen sitting by the roadsides or moving about from one place to another with their baskets that hold dangerous snakes that are their pets. While playing the lingering melodious notes on their flutes, they beckon devotees with their calls -"Nagoba-la dudh de Mayi" (give milk to the Cobra Oh Mother!) On hearing that call, women come out of their houses and then the snake-charmers take out of the snakes from their baskets. Women sprinkle haldi-kumkum and flowers on the heads of the snakes and offer sweetened milk to the snakes and pray. Cash and old clothes are also given to the snake-charmers. Bowls of milk are also placed at the places which are likely haunts of the snakes.

Elderly women draw pictures of five-headed cobras on wooden planks, recite mantras and pray. The daughters wash the eyes of their fathers with rose flowers dipped in milk and then receive gifts from their fathers. In Hindu homes frying any thing on this day is forbidden by tradition.

The most fantastic celebrations of Nag-Panchami are seen in the village of Baltis Shirale which is 70 Kilometres from Sangli and 400 Kilometres from Mumbai. There people pray to live cobras that they catch on the eve of this pre-harvest festival. About a week before this festival, dig out live snakes from holes and keep those in covered earthen pots and these snakes are fed with rats and milk. Their poison-containing fangs are not removed because the people of this village believe that to hurt the snakes is sacrilegious. Yet it is amazing that these venomous cobras do not bite instead protect their prospective worshipers.

On the day of the actual festival the people accompanied by youngsters, dancing to the tune of musical band carry the pots on their heads in a long procession to the sacred-temple of goddess Amba and after the ritual worship the snakes are taken out from the pots and set free in the temple courtyard. Then every cobra is made to raise its head by swinging a white-painted bowl, filled with pebbles in front. The Pandit sprinkles haldi-kumkum and flowers on their raised heads. After the puja they are offered plenty of milk and honey.

The Rituals

After all the obeisance is rendered to the goddess and the ritual puja is over, the snakes are put back in the pots and carried in bullock-carts in procession through the 32 hamlets of Shirala village where women eagerly await outside their houses for "darshan" of the sacred cobras. One or two cobras are let loose in front of each house where men and women offer prayers, sprinkle puffed rice, flowers and coins over them, burn camphor and agarbattis and perform "aarti”. Girls of marriageable age regard the cobras as blessings of good luck in marriage. Some courageous girls even put their faces near the cobra's dangerous fangs. Behold the wonder the cobras do not bite them!

Director of the Madras Snake Park thoroughly examined these cobras and confirmed that neither the fangs nor the poison had been extracted. This truly is something so wonderful that it cannot be possibly explained by man's rational thinking.

In the evening the open space adjoining the temple of Amba holds a popular fair. Pots containing the cobras are placed on an erected platform and the lids are removed. The cobras raise their heads and spectators look on spell-bound. Vast crowds arrive from Kolhapur, Sanghli, Poona and even from foreign lands to see this wonderful spectacle and enjoy in the fair. The following day the snakes are released in the jungle.

There is one popular legend telling how this festival started. Once Guru Gorakhnath while passing through his village saw a woman praying before a clay-cobra idol. He turned it into a living snake and told her not to be afraid of snakes. Since then this Baltis Shirale and its neighbouring regions worship snakes. Guru Gorakhnath's temple is on a nearby hillock.

Tribals in the interior parts of Maharashtra perform acrobatics and magic shows on the streets. Crowds collect around them to see and touch the snakes which the tribals bring in their baskets to show them off.

There are snake-temples in our country with idols of snake-gods. In these temples cobras are also reared and live snakes are worshipped on Nag-Panchami day.

Important Aspects of Nag Panchami

This so called "snake day" has several important components. In addition to offerings made to the snakes throughout the country during worship and celebration, men and women celebrate the day in these ways:

Cobras are bathed in milk and offered rice as this is thought to offer immunity from their bites.
Women often partake in early baths of milk and wear colourful saris.
Pots of milk and flowers are placed next to holes that are believed to contain snakes as an offering of devotion. If a snake actually drinks the milk it is thought to be the ultimate sign of good luck.
Mansa, the Queen of Snakes, is worshiped in most parts of Bengal during Nag Panchami.
In the Punjabi region, a large dough snake is created and then paraded around the village. The parade is colourful with plenty of singing and dancing; at the end of the parade the snake is buried. Nag Panchami is referred to as "Guga-Navami" in Punjab.
Snake charmers sit alongside the roads of Maharashtra and encourage women to offer milk, flowers and haldi-kumkum (a powdered offering of tumeric and vermillion) to the dangerous snakes the snake charmers carry.
In many villages, snake charmers carry pots containing cobras to a central temple where they are released and then worshiped with offerings of milk and rice.
Mainly in the south of India, people worship figures of snakes made of clay or sandalwood as alternatives to the real-life versions.
No Hindu home may fry anything on the day of Nag Panchami.
Girls who are hoping to marry believe that the cobra offers good luck in their quest for eternal happiness.

Shabbe Mirag Festival

Shab-I –Mirag

Shab-i-Miraj means the” night of Ascent”. It was the blessed night when the Holy Prophet of Islam was spiritually transported to heaven and he reached the highest stage of nearness to God Almighty which is beyond ordinary human comprehension. The Ascent took place on 27th day or Rajab, 2 years before Hijra. The journey was not with a physical body but was a vision of the highest type

Its importance to muslims

It is also believed that the Holy Prophet continued his journey until he reached very close to the Throne of God Almighty and attained the utmost nearness to Him. It was on this journey, that five daily prayers were made obligatory upon Muslims.

Celebrations/Rituals:

• On this day, in some Muslim countries the houses ,streets and specially the mosques are decorated and at night they are well illuminated by means of electric lights, candles or even oil lamps.

• In evening the worshippers assemble in the mosques and engage themselves in glorifying the Lord and in singing hymns in His praise and in praise of the Holy Prophet.

• Public meetings are also held generally after Isha Prayer in larger mosques where speakers throw light on the spiritual status of the Holy Prophet, and various aspects of his life.

• The story of his spiritual ascension is narrated in detail.

• After the meetings sweets are generally distributed.

• Muslims of means give money in charity and also distribute food among the poor. The devoted ones spend the whole night in the remembrance of God.

When is it celebrated?

It will be celebrated on 21st july 2009.

Hazarat Ali's B’day

Hazarat Ali's B’day is a great celebration in the muslim community. He was born in the Kaaba sanctuary of mecca, the holiest place in Islam on Friday the 13th Rajab, 30 amulfeel (year of the elephant) 11th October 599AD.

When is it celebrated?

Hazarat Ali’s b’day will be celebrated on 17th July’2009.

Hazarat Ali

Hazarat Ali was the son in law and cousin of Prophet mohammed and ruled over the Islamic caliphate from 656 to 661. Ali was appointed caliph by Muhammad's companions in Madina after the assassination of the third caliph. His father was Hazrat Abu Talib, his mother was Bibi Fatima Binte Asad, his wife was Bibi Fatima Binte Muhammad and he was the father of Hazrat Hassan (AS), Imam Hussein (AS), Bibi Zaynab (AS) and Bibi Kulthum (AS).

Hazarat Ali's shrine:

The twin blue domes of the Shrine of Hazrat Ali are one of Afghanistan's most iconic sights, and pilgrims come from across the country to pay their respects at the tomb contained inside. Although non-Muslims are forbidden entry to the shrine building itself, views of the building are to be much enjoyed from the pleasant park that surrounds the complex.

Importance to muslims:

In Muslim culture, Ali is respected for his courage, knowledge, belief, honesty, unbending devotion to Islam, deep loyalty to Muhammad, equal treatment of all Muslims and generosity in forgiving his defeated enemies.

Champakkulam boat race festival

Kerala, with its winding stretches of backwaters, is famous for its native boat races held in different pa

rts of the State in the harvest season. The Champakulam boat race, held on June 30th this year, is the first one during this season and has a tradition of centuries.

The festivities include spectacular water floats, decorated boats, Vanchipattu - the song of the oarsmen and the most thrilling Chundanvallom race. Chundans are a category of boats over 100 feet in length with raised prows. The foreign rulers first called them snake boats.

The traditional annual boat race of Kerala begins in late June and early July at Champakulam. This festival is known as ' Moolam Vallamkali'. Moolam signifies a Malayalam asterism (star or Nakshathram), Moolam of the month Mithunam.

The oldest and most popular snake boat race in Kerala, and is closely connected to the Sree Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. The race is held on the Champakulam Lake on the moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Temple.

Legends say that Maharaja Devanarayana of Chempakasseri, as instructed by the royal priest, built a temple

at Ambalappuzha. But just before the installation of the deity he was informed that the idol was not auspicious. The king was disturbed, but his minister suggested an inspired solution. To bring down the beautiful idol of Sree Krishna - presented to Arjuna by the Lord himself, from the Karikulam temple in Kurichi. The minister with a few others went to Kurichi, met the authorities there and returned with the idol.

On the way back they stopped at Champakulam to spent the night and perform a pooja. The next morning boats from the entire region assembled to escort the idol in a colourful, ceremonial procession through the lake to the Temple. Years later the pageant is still re-enacted with the same enthusiasm. An exotic procession of water floats, boats decorated with colourful parasols and performing arts greets the spectator before the race. The race proper is held in various stages for various categories of boats.

Urs festival

Urs - Ajmer, Rajasthan

The Urs are held at Ajmer, Rajasthan every year at the tomb of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, commemorating his symbolic union with God. The Urs, commemorative celebration is held in the solemn memory of Khwaja Muin-nddin Chisti, a sprightly respected Sufi saint fondly revered as the benefactor of the poor, popularly known as Gareeb Nawaz. The Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is the place where the Saints mortal remains lie buried and is the site of the largest Muslim Fair in India.

Pilgrims from all over the world gather to pay homage. Qawalis (poems) are presented in the saint's honour and religious assemblies (mehfils) and 'fatihas' (mass prayers) are held. The lakeside town of Ajmer also called Ajmer Sharif (holy) comes alive during the Urs which attracts thousands of devotees irrespective of caste, religion etc. At the huge fair the largest Muslim fair in India that springs up at this time, religious objects, books, rosaries, embroidered carpets and silver ornaments are on sale.

Chadar; Ghilaph & Neema, which are votive offerings for several hundred thousand devotees offer the tomb. Mehfils & Qawwalis are held and mass prayer calls for the eternal peace of the mankind. An interesting ritual is the looting of Kheer (Milk Pudding), which is cooked in two large cauldrons, called Degs and distributed to the devotees as tabarruk (blessed food). The lakeside city of Ajmer is located in central Rajasthan, and is held in great reverence by devotees of all communities who call it 'Ajmer Sharif' (Holy Ajmer). It is here that the mortal remains of the highly respected Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti lie buried.

The Khwaja came from Persia and established the Chishtia order of fakirs in India. He is popularly known as Gharib Nawaz (protector of the poor) because he dedicated his entire life to the service of mankind. His spartan life spanned almost a hundred years and he embraced death in solitude while he had withdrawn to his cell for six days, asking not to be disturbed.

The Dargah Sh

arif in Ajmer is the place where the Saint's mortal remains lie buried and is the site of the largest Muslim fair in India. More than five lakh devotees belonging to different communities gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay homage to the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary) during the first six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar.)

The pilgrims who come to seek the blessings of the Khwaja make rich offerings called nazrana at the holy spot where the saint has been entombed.

The offerings of rose and jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and incense contribute to the fragrance that floats in the air inside the shrine. Also offered by devotees are the chadar, ghilaph and neema, which are votive offerings for the tomb.

These are brought by devotees on their heads and handed over to the khadims inside the sanctum sanctorum. Outside the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah, professional singers called qawwals in groups and sing the praises of the saint in a characteristic high-pitched voice. People gather around them and listen attentively, sometimes clapping to the rhythm of their instruments.

The Urs is initiated with the hoisting of a white flag on the dargah by the Sajjada Nashin (successor representative) of Chishtis. It is done on the 25th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir (sixth lunar month), with the accompaniment of music. On the last day of the sixth month, the Jannati-Darwaza (gateway of heaven) is flung open early in the morning. People cross this gate seven times with the belief that they will be assured a place in heaven. On the 1st of Rajab, the tomb is washed with rose water and sandalwood paste and anointed with perfumes. This ritual is called ghusal. The Sajjada Nashin then covers the tomb with an embroidered silk cloth.

An interesting ritual is the looting of kheer (milk-pudding), which is cooked in two large cauldrons called degs and distributed to the devotees as tabarruk (blessed food).On the 6th of Rajab, after the usual mehfil and the sound of cracker-bursts accompanied by music, the Sajjada Nashin performs the ghusal of the tomb. Fatiha and Salamti are read. A poetic recitation called mushaira is arranged in which poets of all communities arrive to recite compositions dedicated to the Khwaja. The Qul (end-all) on the 6th of Rajab marks the end of the Urs.

At night, religious assemblies called mehfils are held in the mehfil-khana, a large hall meant for this purpose. These are presided over by the Sajjada Nashin of the dargah.

Qawwalis are sung and the hall is packed to capacity. There are separate places reserved for women who attend the mehfil. The mehfil terminates late in the night with a mass prayer for the eternal peace of the Khwaja in particular and mankind in general.

The Dargah is located at the conjunction of three bazaars. There are a number of restaurants around the Dargah where visitors can choose from a variety of dishes most of which are non-vegetarian preparations. Guesthouses on the road leading to the Dargah offer accommodation that ranges from economical to luxurious. Many other guesthouses are strewn across the city. The shops in the market around the Dargah sell flowers, prayer mats, rosaries, textiles, and general merchandise as well.

Ajmer is 132 kms. Southwest of Jaipur and 198 kms. East of Jodhpur. It is connected by road to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Kota. Ajmer is a railway junction on the Delhi-Ahmedabad section of the Western Railway. During the Urs, special buses ply from cities all over India carrying people to Ajmer and back.

Guru Purnima festival

Gururbrahmaa gururvishnuh gururdevo Maheswarah |
Guruh-saakshaat parambrahma tasmai shrigurave namah ||

“Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru is also the destroyer Siva and he is the source of the Absolute. I offer all my salutations to the Guru”.

Introduction

The full moon day in the month of Ashadh (July) of the Hindu calendar is celebrated as Guru Purnima by all Hindus all over. This day is celebrated as a mark of respect to the “Guru” i.e. a teacher or a preacher.

This day is celebrated in the sacred memory of the great sage Vyasa, the ancient saint who compiled the four Vedas, wrote 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata.

The day, also known as “Vyasa Purnima” is observed by devotees who offer pujas (worship) to their beloved Gurus. Sage Vyasa is known to be the Adi (original) Guru of the Hindu religion. The auspicious day of Vyaasa Poornima has a great significance as everybody knows that the role of a Guru in real life is very much important.
Celebration

Hindus show much respect to their gurus. Gurus are often regarded as God. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6/23) tells :

“Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
Tasyaite kathitaa hi arthaaha prakashante mahatmanaha”

This means, Guru to be worshipped in the same manner as the deity - God, to attain all there is to attain on the path of God-realization. When this Self is within you where is the need to search for someone to teach you!

On this day several programs and cultural performances are organized by spiritual organizations. Divine discourse and bhajan samarohas are also organized to make the day more special.

In India, Guru Purnima is celebrated at various ashrams, especially with much grandeur at Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh. The day is celebrated here on a grand scale with devotees coming from various parts of the country. The same is also celebrated at ashram of Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparthy, Ashram in Amritapuri and few other places of spiritual importance. Guru Purnima is also celebrated few places outside India.

This is a day for spiritual seekers who remain extremely open to their gurus to receive divine power, and for this reason holy people choose this day to shower everyone with their most auspicious divine blessings.
Significance

The day of Guru Purnima has great significance for spiritual sadhaks and farmers. All spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform 'puja' of their respective spiritual preceptor or 'Gurudevas'. They offer flowers and sweets to their spiritual gurus. It is also good time to begin spiritual lessons from a guru. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' from this day.

The day also finds a great importance for farmers. The period 'Chaturmas' ("four months") begins from this day. The water, drawn up and stored as clouds in the hot summer, now manifests in plentiful showers that brings fresh life everywhere.

Hemis Festival

Hemis Festival - Ladakh, Jammu Kashmir

The courtyard of Hemis Gompa-the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh is the stage for the famous 'Hemis' festival that celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. The colourful two-day pageant falls on the 10th day (Tse-Chu) of the Tibetan lunar month. The local people are seen dressed up in their finest traditional garb for the occasion. Lamas called 'chhams' perform splendid masked dances and sacred plays to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns. The head lama presides over the function. The festival takes an auspicious turn every 12 years in the Tibetan Year of the Monkey, when the two-storey high 'Thanka' depicting Padmasambhava is displayed. This famous 'Thanka', richly embroidered with pearls and semi-precious stones, is due to be displayed at this years festival i.e in 2004. A colourful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival.

HEMIS MONASTERY.

40 km from Leh, it is the wealthiest, best-known and biggest gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held here in summer. The festival is in honour of Guru Padma Sambhav's birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thangkha in Ladakh, which is unfurled, once in 12 years (next in 2004) Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Sengge Namgyal, an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal dynasty for the royalty
favoured the Drugpa sect, which managed the monastery.

It is divided into two, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple on the left. The hall Dukhang is also used as "green room" by the dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The varandahs have a surfeit of frescoes, among them the Buddhist 'wheel of life' (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters, besides the prayer wheel.

Splendid masked dances are performed to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums & long horns. A colorful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival.

Sindhu Darshan Festival 2010

Sindhu Darshan Festival

The Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus. Last year, the Festival was organised from 6-8 June 2000 at Shey livened up by the presence of a wide variety of cultural troupes from various corners of India. Troupes from States where the mighty Rivers of India run, brought with them water from those rivers in earthen pots and immersed the pots in the Indus, thereby mingling the waters from all over India with that of the mighty 'Indus', the river that gave India its name.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sindhu Cultural Center last year and also inaugurated the new office complex of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

This complex will be helpful in bringing out the unique culture of Ladakh region and its people. The facilities proposed at the complex include an auditorium for seating 500 people, an open air theatre, an exhibition gallery, a music room, a small library and a souvenir shop where Ladakh handicrafts could be available to visiting tourists.

The Sindhu Darshan Festival is organised annually at Leh. People travel for a Darshan and Puja of the River Sindhu (Indus), which originates from the Mansarovar in Tibet. The festival is a celebration of this river. The Festival aims at projecting the Sindhu River as a symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. It is also an opportunity for people from around the country and overseas to visit the beautiful regions of Leh and Ladakh.

As part of the celebrations, various groups from different states in India bring water from the other mighty rivers in the country in earthen pots and immerse these pots in the Sindhu River, thereby mingling the river water with other waters of the land. The Sindhu Cultural Centre was inaugurated a few years back as well as the new office complex of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

This complex will be helpful in bringing out the unique culture of the Ladakh region and its people.The facilities proposed at the complex include an auditorium for seating 500 people, an open-air theatre, an exhibition gallery, a music room, a small library and a souvenir shop where Ladakh handicrafts could be available to visiting tourists.

The Sindhu Darshan Festival aims at projecting the Sindhu as a symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. Whilst promoting tourism to this area, this festival is also a symbolic salute to the brave soldiers of India who have bravely fought the odds at Siachin, Kargil & other places. The Sindhu Darshan Festival will help forge a bond of unity with those who live in far-flung corners of the country and provide an opportunity to visit the beautiful region of Ladakh. As a National Integration Program, the festival was welcomed by the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Shia Majilis, Sunni Anjumam, Christian Moravian Church, Hindu Trust and Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee. The three day programme will be inaugurated on June 1, 2001 at Shey is being organized by the Government of Jammu and of Kashmir with the support of Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Govt. of India. The festival promises a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and an exciting array of performing arts being brought together at an exciting place. Indian Airlines is expected to operate special flights for the festival.

The Sindhu Darshan Festival is organised annually at Leh. The first time when this Festival was organised in October 1997, over seventy people from all over India had travelled to Leh for a Darshan and Puja of the River Sindhu (Indus) which originates from the Mansarovar in Tibet.

Ganga Dussehra

Ganga Dussehra - River Of Life - North India

During this festival ten days of the month are devoted to the worship of Holy River Ganga venerated by the Hindus as a mother as well as a goddess. Places such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Garh-Mukteswar, Prayag, Varanasi etc where Ganga flows hold special significance on this day. Devotees flock to these places and Varanasi with its numerous ghats situated on the west bank of the Ganga, to touch the river water, bathe in it and take the river clay home to venerate. In Haridwar, 'aratis' are performed at twilight and a large number of devotees meditate on riverbanks.

The river Ganga holds a uniquely significant place in Indian life and consciousness. It rises at Gangotri, high in the snow-clad Himalayas. Cascading down mighty boulders, it flows into the hot plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and finally meets the waters of the sea in the Bay of Bengal. At Allahabad, the Ganga merges with the river Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati. The confluence of these rivers, known as Prayag, is considered one of the most sacred spots on earth.

The Ganga, largest of the rivers of India, has been sacred to Hindus from the epic era. She is the mother who washes away all the sins of mankind. The water of the Ganga is worshipped in sealed containers in every home, sprinkled as a benediction of peace, and mven as the last sacrament.

Regarded as a celestial river originating in the heavens, Ganga was gifted to mankind in answer to the great sadhana undertaken by Bhagirath, after whom she is also called Bhagirathi. Bhagirath, a descendant of the Sagara dynasty, prayed for the Ganga to descend onto the parched earth and bring life. But the torrential waters of the Ganga were a mighty and destructive force.

Despite its pollution the Ganga is a symbol of purity. Its water bestows salvation to the dying and new life to the living.

In Hardwar, at the foothills of the Himalayas, where the Ganga reaches the plains, aratis are performed each evening.

Unusual images of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram and sister Subhadra who are ceremonially pulled in the grand chariots at Puri.

Brahma and Vishnu asked Shiva to accept the Ganga into his matted locks. Confined in Shiva's hair, Ganga lost the wild force of her flow and became a placid, life-giving river.