Articles — festivals

Bhai duj or Bhaiya duj is the day when brothers and sisters meet to express their love and affection for each other.Diwali is not only a festival of lights, crackers, worship of Goddess Lakshmi, sharing sweets with your loved ones but it is also a perfect occasion for social gatherings to exchange diwali greetings. This lovely festival brings with it a chance to revive your relationships with each other. One such special relationship that we talk about during diwali celebrations is the Bhai-Dooj or the Bhaiya-Duj. Bhaiya Duj is the festival that is celebrated on the fifth day of diwali...

Sri Ram navami celebrates the birth of Sri Ram or Sri Ramachandra. On the ninth day of the first fortnight of Chaitra the birth of Rama is commemorated. The story of Rama was first written by Maharishi Vaalmeeki in about the 4th century B.C. Rama is supposed to have lived during the 8th or 7th century B.C. The epic known as the Ramayana. In some parts of India, it is a nine-day festival, coinciding with the Vasanta Navaratri.The public worship starts with morning ablutions, chanting Vedic mantras dedicated to Vishnu, and offering flowers and fruit to the god. People keep a...

Ekadasi or Ekadashi in Sanskrit means eleven. ‘Eka’ means “one” and ‘dasi’ is the feminine form of the word “dasa”, which means “ten”. Ekadashi is a sacred day, occuring twice a month in the Hindu calendar - on the eleventh day of the bright half - called Shukla Paksha and on the eleventh of the dark half called Vad Paksha (Padma Puran, Uttar Khand 36/5/80). A fast is to be observed on this day by all Hindus.On these auspicious days, devotees don't eat grains and beans, Anhydrous fast (Nirjala), which doesn't allow drinking water, is the most preferred way to fast...

RANGOLI is part of Hindu life. These ancient symbols has been passed down the generations and keeping the tradition intact. It is a symbol of religious and cultural beliefs. ‘Rangoli’ is a combination of the words ‘rang’ meaning colour and ‘aavalli’ meaning ‘coloured creepers.’ Avalli can also mean ‘row of colours’. It is also said to originate from two words ‘Rang’ which means colors and Holi which means celebration. In this sense Rangoli is an artistic celebration of colors.  In South India it is known as ‘Kolam’, ‘Chowkpurana’ in Northern India, ‘Madana’ in Rajasthan, ‘Aripana’ in Bihar and ‘Alpana’ in...

Shivratri or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a festival celebrated every year by the Hindus. It is celebrated in the honor of Lord Shiva who is one of the Hindu Gods forming the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh (Shiva). Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) literally means ‘the grand night dedicated to the worship of Shiva. This festival is observed for one day and one night every year.  As per Ethics in Hindu, Mahashivratri festival has incredible importance in Hinduism. According  to sacred scriptures, by worshiping the God, Lord Shiva, on Mahashivratri will please the Lord Shiva...

Diwali, or Deepavali, is one of the biggest Indian festivals and also a major occassion in Nepal. The festival has great religious significance for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and the Nepalese. In India, Diwali is now considered to be more of a national festival, and is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith. It is commonly celebrated by decorating homes with lamps and candles, bursting of firecrackers and sparklers, eating sweets and other mouthwatering dishes, praying to Gods and Goddesses, observing religious rituals, wearing new dresses and sending wishes and gifts to one another.  The word "Divali/Diwali" is a variation of...