India is a land of festivals and carnivals. Mosaic of culture, ethos, heritage and values fills magical hues in the god-gifted land of India. Every day festivals are celebrated in every part of the country with reverence and religious fervor. Festivals are celebrated to mark the birthday of god, goddess, saints, gurus; welcome the seasons, harvest, rain; advent of the year; and commemorate the religious ceremony. Indiafairs.dgreetings is benchmark in providing in-depth information of the history, origin, custom, rituals, and religious significance of all the yearly festivals.
Navratri is a nine-day festivity that begins on the first day of ´Ashwina´according to Hindu New Year calendar. It coincides with the end of rainy season. Seeds are sown and sprouting is watched- as a sign of prosperity and abundance. On the 8th and 9th days, Goddess Durga, Vijayashtami and Mahanavami are worshipped. The day after Navratri i.e. 10th day is Dussehra, which celebrates the triumph of Lord Rama over Demon Ravana.
Navratri festival is an auspicious occasion dedicated to the Mother Goddess. Known as Goddess Durga, she represents, Shakti, Cosmic Energy, Prakriti that animates all beings.
During the nine-day festivities- Trinity of Goddess are worshipped, dedicating three days each to: Goddess Durga (deity of valor), Goddess Laxmi (deity of wealth), and Goddess Saraswati (Deity of Learning and Knowledge).
Baisakhi festival falls on 13th and 14th of April and marks the harvest season of Rabi crop with utmost joys and exuberance. The word Baisakhi is derived from the month of “Vaisakha,” time when farmers return home with bumper crop.
People of North India, particularly Punjab thank God for prosperous and bountiful produce. Baisakhi is celebrated as ‘Sikh New Year’ and on this day in 1699, their Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh founded Khalsa Panth - brotherhood of saint to fight against the tyranny and oppression.
The scenes of sowing, harvesting, winnowing and gathering of crops are expressed through zestful movements. Cries of ‘Jatta aai Baisakhi ‘ reverberate in the skies. Visit of Gurudwaras, Baisakhi processions or Nagar Kirtan are the highlights of the day.
At several places colorful fairs are organized to celebrate the day. Dance performances, wrestling bouts, singing and dancing acrobatics, food stalls and shops selling trinkets are the major attractions. This day everyone dresses to the finery. On the rhythmic beats of Dhol men and women respectively people perform traditional folk dance ‘Bhangra’ and ‘Gidda’.
Langar is organized in Gurudwaras, where everybody sits in a same line also known as ‘pangat’ and relish on food. It was started by Guru Nanak Dev to put an end to the caste system. Later in the evening, people exchange greetings with loved ones along with the box of sweets and other traditional gifts. Baisakhi is community celebrations, commencing on a cherry note, when every home sparkles with prosperity and hope for better future.
