Festivals in Hinduism.

Festivals are major events in any religion; in Hinduism, the festivals are an integral part of life of every Hindu. The Sanskrit language defines a term called ‘Parva,’ meaning the knot at regular intervals of a bamboo shoot – these knots are significant points of strengths, offering stability to the bamboo stick. Likewise festivals in the Hindu calendar are recognized as ‘Parva’ days – days offering stability in the life of a person.

Festivals are days of divinity meant to spend the day in divine company – satsang. On these days, the Hindu performs worship services at home or participates in worship serves at the temples, meant to strengthen his devotion in God. These worship services can be elaborate rituals or simple japa (japa is repeating the Lord’s name in dative case and offering salutations). The house is cleaned and decorated to receive the special guest – the divinity associated with the festival. The Deity, in the form of an idol is placed on a decorated altar and the Deity is invoked in the idol to offer worship services. Flowers, incense sticks etc. are part of the worship service. Naivedya or food offering to the invited/invoked Deity is a big part of the service. The participants and guests partake the offered food as ‘prasād.’

The observation of the festival is a means to strengthen the devotion in God. With this sentiment, a Hindu observes many festivals, marking the birth date of various Deities or any other significant happening in the life of the Deity.

In this page, we will describe the significance of various festivals in the Hindu Calendar, one at a time, to cover the many festivals, as we go along.

Makara Saṅkrānti

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath

Meaning and significance: The word Saṅkrānti generally refers to the movement of planets into a Zodiac sign (rasi). There are 12 zodiac signs and the relative movement of the Sun completing one cycle through the Zodiac signs is 12 months – the passage of Sun in each Zodiac sign is one month. Accordingly, the entrance of Sun into each Zodiac sign is marked as Saṅkrānti (Saṅkramaṇa) – the transition of sun from one Zodiac sign to another Zodiac sign. Hence there are twelve Saṅkrāntis in a year. They are, Mesha Saṅkrānti (Sun entering Aeris), and respectively Vrushabha (Sun entering Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karkataka (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrushchika (Scorpio), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (aquarius) and Meena (Pisces) Saṅkrāntis. In the current context – Makara Saṅkrānti -, the sun is leaving Dhanu rasi (Sagittarius) and entering Makara rasi (capricorn). This Makara Saṅkrānti is considered to be the most sacred. Exact time of transition in to Makara (Makara Saṅkrānti ) is calculated every year by the scholars. The Makara Saṅkrānti generally occurs on January 14^th of the Gregorian calendar. The transition of the Sun into the Makara Zodiac sign also marks the beginning of Uttarāyaṇa (ayana means path & Uttara means northern) and this beginning is referred to as Uttarāyaṇa puṇyakāla (auspicious time); this corresponds to Northern Solstice of the Sun (in the Northern hemisphere) of the Gregorian Calendar, though Gregorian calendar dates it to the previous December 20^th – December 22nd. It is the beginning of the northern transition of the Sun from the southernmost position. The Karkāṭaka Saṅkrānti, occurring generally around July 15^th marks the southern transition of the Sun (beginning of dakṣiṇāyana).

The Makara Saṅkrānti generally falls on the same day every year as this is based always on the solar cycle. As said earlier, the day happens to be January 14th, which marks the first day of the month of Makara in the Solar calendar. Starting this day, the day light starts increasing and marks the beginning of warmer days. It may be noted that this day could fall one day earlier once in 80 years.

Celebration: Makara Saṅkrānti is one of the most ancient festival celebrations and probably about 5,000 years old. This is celebrated all over India with different names in different regions of the country. In Gujarat, it is mostly referred to as Uttarāyaṇ and in Punjab, it is Lohri. It is called Magh Bihu in Assam and Haryana, and Thai Pongal in Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, it is called by the default name Saṅkrānti. This festival generally coincides with the harvest season and this closure of the harvest season provides an important backdrop for the social celebration of the festival.

The rites followed during celebration:

1. Like in every festival, the celebration begins with a celebrated bath; tradition recognizes bath in a holy river as auspicious. Prayers and worship services are also part of the day’s observations.

2. Tarpaṇa offering to gods and manes and charitable gifts including food donation to the needy.

3. Preparing and distributing a sesame delicacy – a dry mixture of roasted sesame, roasted peanuts, roasted Channa, sugar or brown sugar cubes and chunks of dry coconuts. This tradition of exchanging this mixture with friends and relatives is extremely popular in the state of Karnataka. This mixture along with specially prepared sugar molds of various shapes and a piece of sugar cane (about a foot) is called "Ellu Beeru"in Kannada, is exchanged with relatives and friends. In Gujarat, the important festival of Uttarāyan is celebrated distributing Sesame Laddus (made of Sesame, Peanuts and Jaggery); a hidden charity of coins in Laddus is also a tradition – again, a reflection of celebration of harvesting.

4. Decorating cows in an elaborate fashion and making them cross a line of fire is a popular sport and entertainment in village life on this day. It is believed that the cow represents all the fourteen lokas and god exists in all forms in the cow. In Gujarat, ladies feed grass to cows; in addition, kite flying is a tradition during this festival period. As referred to earlier, the harvesting has been completed and the farmers are celebrating this as a social event.

5. In Tamilnadu this festival is called Thai Pongal. Pongal literally means rising towards enlightenment. On this day, the Lord is worshipped in the form of Sūrya Nārāyaṇa. The famous hymn Āditya Hṛdaya from śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa is recited three to nine times. In Tamilnadu, the festival celebration actually lasts about four days. Bhogi Pongal refers to giving tribute to Lord Indra for providing timely rains to farmers; Māthi Pongal is paying homage to animals. Kanu Pongal is the day to thank friends and relatives, especially brothers gifting their sisters.

Legend: On this Saṅkrānti day, the very famous Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala at Sabari Malai attracts millions of devotees. Reportedly, a bright light – locally called Makara Jyothi or divine light - is seen adjacent to the temple on this day.

Tradition believes that death during the Uttarāyaṇa will convey mokṣa. Hence, the great Bhīshma waited for the beginning of Uttarāyaṇa to leave the body – he had a boon of timing his death.

The Makara Saṅkrānti day draws great significance during the Kumbhamela, celebrated in Prayag once in 12 years. This day is very auspicious to observe many religious rites, like bathing in the river, regulating food intake and/or fasting and doing japa and meditation.

Conclusion: The intent of the festival and celebration is to foster the oneness with creation; the festival is a symbol of promoting selflessness, love, and forgiveness and to develop the real wealth of goodwill and friendship with the entire creation of people, animals and environment.

Resources:

1) ‘Bhāratīya Habba Haridinagalu’ – śrī śrī Rañgapriya śrī śrīḥ- a Kannaḍa book publication.

2) A concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism – Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Mutt Publication

3) The Hindu way of life: Festivals, Observances and Worship Modes – Dr. C V Radhakrishnan.

Mahā Śivarātri

Mahā Śivarātri is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar of festivals, celebrated with extreme devotion along the length and breadth of India. It is said that aside from the Śaivites, even the Vaiṣhṇavaites should worship Śiva on this auspicious time event (Parva).

शैवो वा वैष्णवो वाऽपि यो वास्यादन्यपूजकः ।

सर्व पूजाफलं हंति शिवरात्रिः बहिर्मुखः ॥

Be he or she is a Śaivite or Vaiṣhṇavaite or devoted to any other Deity, all the fruits of his worship will perish if he sits out the Mahā Śivarātri worship.

The 14^th day of the waning moon period every month – Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśi – is called Śivarātri; but the Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśi of the month of Māgha, being most auspicious, is called the Mahā Śivarātri.

Generally, night times are not auspicious for the worship of any Deity. But the worship of Śiva during the entire night is prescribed on this day, justifying the event as Mahā Śivarātri. On this day, Śiva is worshipped in all time segments (yāma) of the night. Worshipping Rudra on this night, observing fasting all day (upavāsa) and being awake all night (Jāgaraṇa), the Lord will grace the devotee with prosperity and liberation, according to Garuḍa Purāṇa as follows.

माघफाल्गुणयोर्मध्ये कृष्णा या तु चतुर्दशि।

तस्यां जागरणात् रुद्रः पूजितो भुक्तिमुक्तिदः ॥

कृतोपवासा ये तस्यां शिवमर्चन्ति जाग्रताः ।

बिल्वपत्रैः चतुर्यामं ते यान्ति शिवतुल्यतां ॥

Observance of Upavāsa and Jāgaraṇa on this night and worshipping Śiva with Bilva leaves at all four time segments of the night liberates the person to the state of Śiva. The persons who sit out worshipping Śiva on this night are indeed spiritually poor and wander aimlessly in the cycle of birth and death.

Men and women of all denominations can and should worship Lord Śiva on this night.

The Śiva Purāṇa describes that Mondays, the waning cycle of moon (Kṛṣṇa pakṣa), the eighth day (Aṣṭami) and 14^th (Caturdaśi) days are time periods of bringing extreme joy to Śiva. Among all these, the Mahā Śivarātri is the most auspicious and people desiring prosperity and liberation, must necessarily worship Lord Śiva on this night.

This is the celebrated day when creators Brahmā and Viṣhṇu worshipped Mahādeva at Aruṇācala. Śiva Himself is reported to have called this night very dear to Him and called it the ‘Śivarātri.” Skanda Purāṇa upholds this view as follows:

माघमासस्य कृष्णायां चतुर्दश्यां सुरेश्वर ।

अहं वत्स्यामि भूपृष्टे रात्रौ नैव दिवा कलौ ॥

लिंगेषु च समस्तेषु चलेषु स्थावरेषु च ।

संक्रमिष्ठाम्यसंदिग्धं वर्षपापविशुद्धये ॥

“In Kaliyuga, I will move around in Bhuloka on this Caturdaśi night and enter all the moving and stationary Lingas. I will relieve people of their sins committed throughout the year (Śiva Himself has declared of His absence in the daytime).”

The Trayodaśi (13^th day) is manifestation of energy; the Caturdaśi (14^th day) is manifestation of auspiciousness. Therefore the night at the confluence of 13^th and 14^th day is very auspicious for the worship of Śiva, who Himself is a manifestation of auspiciousness.

How to worship Śiva on this night?

Needless to say, that the Śivarātri worship pleases Lord Śiva. Mental worship of the Lord is the supreme observation; however, in preparation for the mental worship, external worship (worship of Śiva Linga) in the traditional Śoḍaśopachāra pūja is as much effective. Among the services of the external worship, the Śāstra proclaims that Abhiṣeka (celebratory bath) is most loved by Śiva. And He is so much more pleased when this Abhiṣeka is performed through a Go-śṛnga (cow’s horn). Among the flowers and leaves, Bilva leaves, red Hibiscus flowers, Lotus flowers, Karavīra flowers (Oleander), Dattura, Bruhati and Droṇa flowers (Tumbe) are preferred flowers and leaves.

Pūjā, Upavāsa (fasting) and Jāgaraṇa (waking through the night) are three means to make the Śivarātri auspicious. These can be observed in accordance with the abilities of the devotee. If all three are difficult or impossible, one or two of them would have similar benefits. The Jāgaraṇa on Śivarātri night means “being awake in the pūjā and meditation of Śiva” and not being awake in some worldly pursuits.

Some śāstras prescribe Abhiṣeka with milk in the first segment (yāma), yogurt in the second time segment, ghee in the third time segment and honey in the fourth segment. Mantras which highlight the five aspects of Śiva – Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Iśāna – are to be used in these celebratory baths. Tarpaṇa is to be offered to the eight manifestations of Śiva – Bhava, Śarva, Iśāna, Paśupati, Ugra, Rudra, Bhīma and Mahādeva – and to their respective consorts. Aṣhṭottara and Sahasranāma pūjā are also in practice.

Śiva Purāṇa and Skanda Purāṇa highlight the value of worshipping Śiva on this Śivarātri night through a story in which a hunter inadvertently, and without his knowledge, pours water and drops Bilva leaves on a Śiva Linga, which he was not even aware of. This became an act of worship and he reached Śivaloka along with his wife. Ācārya Śankara Bhagavatpāda has described the waves of devotion, exemplifying this story in the hymn Śivānanda Lahari.

The hunter’s name is Gurudruha – a very cruel and wicked hunter. Being unsuccessful in hunting on a Śivarātri day, he was forced to be fasting. That night he camps on a Bilva tree with some water in a dry squash crown, waiting for a prey. When a female deer arrives, he was about to deliver the arrow; in the process, the water in the crown accidentally spills over Bilva leaves and over a Śiva Linga at the foot of the tree. Thus without his knowledge, he did Śiva Abhiṣeka in the first time segment. He was relieved of his sins; as a result, kindness and compassion took over him and he let go the deer without killing it. His wife, at home also was forced to be fasting without her husband bringing home any prey. Next morning, she collects some food to feed her husband, which got eaten away by a dog. She was about to kill the dog, when her husband intervened and stopped her from hurting the dog and let go the dog. His inadvertent Abhiṣeka on the previous Mahā Śivarātri night transformed him, filling compassion in him. It was Śiva’s grace that transformed him and he reaches Kailāsa, along with his wife the morning after Śivarātri, according to the Purāṇas.

It is not necessary to debate the historical truth of the story; the value is in recognizing the benefit of Śiva’s worship on this night – even if inadvertent worship could relieve a person of his sins, what to speak of worshipping Śiva with faith and devotion on this Śivarātri night engaged in fasting or jāgaraṇa!

Holi

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath

Holi is an ancient Hindu festival, extremely popular and observed throughout India and now probably outside India also. The festival is marked by merriment, also known as a festival of spring, festival of colors and festival of love. The ancient version of the festival is known by “Holika,’ cited in many Dharmaśāstras like Jaimini’s Pūrvamīmāmsa Sūtras and Kāṭhaka Gṛhyasūtras, purānas, Daśakumara Carita and by poet Kālidāsa during the fourth century reign of Chandragupta, the second. So, the festival was being observed even before the Common Era (CE)

Significance:

In ancient practice, the festival was a rite observed by married women for the happiness and wellbeing of their families; they worshipped the ‘full moon’ on this day.

Holi festival indicates the arrival of spring and end of winter and beginning of a good spring harvest season. This festival lasts for a night and a day starting on the evening of the Poornima day (full moon day), in the month of Phalguna which generally falls around the middle of March. The Purāṇas and legends attach three significances in the observance of this festival.

1. Lord Śiva opened his third eye and reduced Kāmadeva to ashes - Śhiva was in yoga and deep meditation. Pārvathi was also in meditation to please Śhiva seeking His hand in marriage. The Celestials were in a hurry to unite Śhiva and Pārvathi, whose son Skandha was to kill the demon Tārakāsura. The Celestials sought the help of Manmatha (Kāmadeva) and Rathi to disturb Śhiva's meditation and have Pārvathi at the site, when Śhiva opens his eyes, so that He is attracted to her. Śhiva opened his eyes alright. But he was very angry and burnt Kāmadeva (Kāma dahana ) to ashes with his third eye, spoiling the plan of the Celestials. This happened on the Vasantha Pañcami day.

2. It was on this day, that Holika, sister of Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed. Hiranyakaśipu was a demonic king who was very powerful and had a son by name Prahlāda. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Viṣhṇu, who was fully convinced that Viṣhṇu was the supreme God. Hiranyakaśipu hated Viṣhṇu wanted his son to believe that he was the supreme person. Prahlāda was not convinced which made his father very angry. He inflicted all kinds of cruel punishment on his son Prahlāda to change his mind. As he failed in his attempts, he made several attempts even to kill him. One of those attempts was to get Hiranyakaśipu 's sister, Holika to carry Prahlāda on her sitting on a pyre of wood, which was set on fire too. The belief was that she would escape from the fire and Prahlāda would burn to ashes. But Lord Viṣhṇu protected Prahlāda and Holika was burnt to ashes in the fire. Subsequently, Hiranyakaśipu was killed by Lord Viṣhṇu as Narasiṁha. So the observation, this day as Holika dahan.

3. It was on this day, that a demoness Ḍhuṇḍhi - daughter of a demon Māli - in the Satya yuga, during the reign of king Raghu. Ḍhuṇḍhi had a boon from Lord Śiva that she could not be killed by any grown up man or animals or devatas. She would roam the streets and kill any unattended children. King Raghu, assisted by sage Vasiṣṭha, instructed that small children should start a bonfire and start dancing around the fire at the time the demon would be roaming the streets. This apparently scared the demon away and never returned to earth.

Celebration:

The celebration centers around creating a bonfire, symbolically signifying the burning of Manmatha, Holika or the fire set up by young boys. Firewood and combustible materials are collected mostly by children from the neighborhood houses. A pyre is made of firewood with an effigy to signify Holika, or Kāmadeva. An image of Holika made of combustible material and an image of Prahlāda made of non-combustible material is also part of the pyre. The pyre is set fire on the night of Phālguṇa pūrṇima in a simple ceremony

On the first day, the celebration starts in the evening and is called Holika Dahan. This signifies the burning of Holika, the sister of a demon king called Hiranyakashipu. This is performed in front of a bonfire. It consists of firewood and combustible materials collected mostly by children from the neighborhood houses with an effigy to signify Holika. This particular event has a couple of legends attached to it.

The following day - Phālguṇa kṛṣṇa pratipad – is a day of merrymaking; this day is also referred to as Rangwali Holi. This day is celebrated as a festival of joy and colors. People play with various colors, The colours used are generally plant based or plant dried like turmeric, neem, dhak and kumkum. They visit friends and relatives with these colored liquids or colored perfumed powders, applying the colors on one another. Some may also distribute sweets to the visitors.

In Vrindavan in north India this festival is celebrated for five days and Lord Krishna is kept on a swing and worshipped daily.

People in Bengal celebrate this festival rather quietly as a festival of swing, called Dolpūrṇimā or Dolāyātrā. The festival is reported to be originated in Vṛndāvana; the festival lasts for five days – starting on Phālguṇa śukla caturdaśi. The celebration worships Agni and Kṛṣṇa. An image of Lord Kṛṣṇa is kept on a swing and worshipped all the five days. A fire kindled on the first day is preserved through the fifth day.

Like most festivals, this festival is also a celebration of triumph of good over evil. This festival is celebrated in the US this year on March 27^th.

Resources:

1) ‘Bhāratīya Habba Haridinagalu’ – śrī śrī Rañgapriya śrī śrīḥ- a Kannaḍa book publication.

2) A concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism – Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Mutt Publication

Śrī Rāmanavami

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath

Śrī Rāmanavami is a widely celebrated event all across India as the birthday of Lord śrī Rāma. Śrī Rama is described as the seventh incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu. He was born to king Daśaratha and queen Kausalya of Ayodhya of the Sūrya vaṁśa - Sun dynasty. Śrī Rāma was born on the ninth day of Śuklapakśa (rising moon cycle) in the month of Caitra which generally falls in the month of March or April. The period between Caitra Śukla Prathama and Caitra Śukla Navami (first day of the month of Caitra to the ninth day of Caitra) is also called Vasantha navarātri (Spring nine nights) as opposed to first nine days in in the month of Āśvayuja - Śarad navarātri (Fall nine nights), when worship of Goddess – worshipping God in feminine form is the tradition. Śrī Rāma’s birth star is recorded as Punarvasu which is considered a very auspicious birth star.

Significance:

The purpose of incarnation as Rāma was to kill the demon by the name Rāvaṇa who had a boon by Lord Brahmā. Rāvaṇa meditated on Brahmā seeking immortality. Lord Brahmā rejected the demand of immortality, because of his inability to confer absolute immortality. Instead Brahmā suggested that Rāvaṇa could seek immortality from specific species. Then Rāvaṇa sought immortality from celestials, demons, serpents, wild animals etc.; but he ignored human beings as a threat to his life, even as Brahmā reminded of his exclusion of human beings. Rāvaṇa, being very arrogant, ignored that his death from human beings is impossible and it is below his dignity to seek immunity of death by human beings. Therefore, Viṣṇu incarnated as a human being in the seventh incarnation – the incarnation of Rāma.

The word Rāma is very powerful and has several attributes to it. It is coined by two famous prayers in the Hindu literature. The combination of syllables 'Rā' belonging in the Nārāyaṇa Aṣṭākṣari mantra (Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya). and 'ma' from the Śiva Pañcākṣari (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), together is a very powerful name – Rāma; One is blessed by both Viṣṇu and Śiva in uttering the word 'Rāma.' This is illustrated in the Viṣṇusahasranāma stotra - śloka 43 (Rāmo virāmo virato mārgo neyo nayo’nayaḥ). When goddess Pārvathi asked her consort Śiva a short cut for Viṣṇusahasranāma (still of equal efficacy), Śiva responded that three utterances of the name Rāma is equally efficacious as singing the entire Viṣṇusahasranāma stotra –

Śri Rāma Rāma Rāmeti Rame Rāme manorame|

Sahasranāma tattulyam Rāma nāma varānane ||

Celebration:

The festival Rāmanavami marks the celebration of the incarnation of Viṣṇu in the preservation of Dharma, uphold the followers of Dharma and punish the violators of Dharma. The first ever celebration of the life of śrī Rāma is marked by the composition of the epic Rāmāyaṇa (of 24000verses) by sage Vālmiki, sung for the first time by śrī Rāma’s sons Kuśa and Lava in the presence of śrī Rāma himself. Rāmāyaṇa is the first poetic composition dating back to some 7000 years ago and sage Vālmiki is the first poet composer. Since then, singing or reading Rāmāyaṇa - describing the glory of the life of śrī Rāma - during the first nine days of Caitra, leading up to the Rāmanavami day, has become a tradition in the celebration of the festival of śrī Rāmanavami. The public celebrations at Ayodhya, Rameśwaram and Pondicherry etc. are widely popular. Worship services and havans at temples throughout the land are also a part of the tradition. Music concerts in celebration of śrī Rāma’s life is also very popular in Southern India. At family and personal levels, reading sections of Rāmāyaṇa, recitals of Rāma's stories and singing bhajans are also in practice. This is an occasion to honor and highlight the contributions of scholars and ācāryas in the perpetuation of the glory of śrī Rāma.

This is one of the few festivals, where the focus is not on elaborate food preparation; nevertheless, simple beverages like lemon juice, coconut water, and buttermilk and simple snacks of lentil mixture are exchanged between friends and neighbors.

Conclusion:

Śrī Rāmanavami depicts victory of goodness over evil and establishment of dharma. Rāma, the epitome of dharma is celebrated as a perfect son, husband, king, brother, friend and a magnanimous victor.

Resources:

1) ‘Bhāratīya Habba Haridinagalu’ – śrī śrī Rañgapriya śrī śrīḥ- a Kannaḍa book publication.

2) The Hindu way of life: Festivals, Observances and Worship Modes – Dr. C V Radhakrishnan.

Upākarma

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath and Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna

Upākarma is a Vedic festival and is the most important festivals for men, who have been initiated to Vedic studies following the Upanayana ceremony. This festival is classified under the Naimittika karma – a mandated karma - for all initiated men; naimittika karma is certain worship services to be observed on some specific days of the year, in accordance with tithi (date) and nakṣatra (star). This festival is meant to give homage to the great Ṛṣis (sages), who have initiated and perpetuated the Vedic tradition. This festival is celebrated all over India and called by different names in different parts of India. It is mainly called by the name Upākarma in South India and by the name Śrāvaṇi in North India; local traditions call the festival as Āvani aviṭṭam in Tamilnadu, Janivāra habba in Karnataka etc.

All initiated Hindu men are required to study at least one of the Vedic traditions – the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda or Atharvaṇa Veda (Some last names like Dvivedi Trivedi etc. describe that some in their lineage has studied two or three Vedas; there is no last name ‘Ekavedi’, because every initiated person has to be an Ekavedi). The presiding Rṣis for these four Vedic branches are Bṛhaspati, Śukra, Maṅgala and Budha respectively. There was a tradition of performing this ritual on the day, when the respective presiding planets are powerful. However, now the festival is generally celebrated in the month of Śrāvaṇa, on the tithi of Full moon day and the nakṣatra of Śravaṇa or Dhaniṣta, during the monsoon period. Generally, the month of Śrāvaṇa is auspicious for the Ṛgvedis and Yajurvedis, and the month of Bhādrapada is auspicious for the Sāmavedis.

CELEBRATION:

1. Ṛgveda Upākarma: The ceremony begins with Punyāhavācana – a sanctification and purification process, followed by Saptarṣi pooja, Utsarjana homa followed by Upakarmānga Saptarshi pooja, Tarpana and Homa. Utsarjana is the process of temporarily halting the study of Vedas; during the intervening period, the study of Vedāṅga (secondary texts to interpret the Vedas) were undertaken. Then again resume the study of Vedas, on the Upākarma day itself.

2. Yajurveda Upākarma: This is more widely practiced, because there are more Yajurvedis than Ṛgvedis. The procedure begins with Utsarjana followed by Punyāhavācana; then prāyaścitta homa – a ritual seeking atonement for omissions and commissions during the year. Then the main aspect of the celebration – Upākarma – is to worship the Navaṛṣis or the nine ṛṣis. These nine ṛṣis, called the Kāṇḍa ṛṣis are invoked and they are worshipped in the tradition of śoḍaśa puja – a worship of 16 services. The naivedya offering to the Kāṇḍa ṛṣis is a mixture of soft fruits mixed with raw rice flour and the worshippers then accept the same as prasāda. The next step of the ceremony is Yajñopavīta dhāraṇa (wearing the new sacred thread). A defined procedure of Yajñopavīta dhāraṇa is in practice. Following the Yajñopavīta dhāraṇa Brahmayajña is undertaken. This involves restarting the study of Vedas and offering respects to divinities, sages, and pitṛs (manes) in the form of jala tarpaṇa (water offering). Following the Brahmayajña, the Homa is undertaken, in which the sages are invoked in fire and offered worship. Some regional traditions include ‘Kāmo’kārṣīn mantra’ japa; Kāmo’kārṣīn mantra negates desire and anger.

The Yajñopavīta is worn for the first time during the Upanayana, to the chanting of Gāyatrī mantra. The Gāyatrī Mantra is a universal, non-sectarian mantra, whose meaning is ‘may That Supreme Being, the source of three phenomenal worlds, stimulate my intellect, leading me to realize the Supreme Truth.’

The Yajñopavīta is worn on the left shoulder and crossing the chest, hanging loose at the right mid-waist area. The Yajñopavīta consists of a single yarn, folded in to three strands, the two ends brought together in a knot called the ‘Brahma gaṇṭu or knot.’ The three strands represent the three Vedas, and the knot is a symbol of the lineage of the wearer. Upavīta is the covering on the chest, worn during yajña – usually it used to be deer skin in the ancient times. The current Yajñopavīta is a remnant of that practice of wearing a deer skin at the time of yajñas. Symbolizing that, a small piece of deer skin is tied to the Yajñopavīta at the time of Upanayanam. The Yajñopavītam symbolizes a person’s commitment for Vedic studies, performing Vedic rituals and dedicating his life in the service of society, in accordance with the injunctions of the Vedas. The three strands representing the three Vedas, remind the wearer of his obligations to live in accordance with the Vedic injunctions.

Resources:

1) OM -Gayatri and Sandhya-Swami Mukhyananda.

2) Sandhyavandanam-Sri Thillasthanam, Swami Kainkarya Sabha.

3) A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Math, Bengaluru .

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami is a very important and one of the most auspicious festival among the series of festivals observed by the Hindus. This is also called Gokulāṣṭami, or śrī Kṛṣṇa Jayanti. This day is the celebration of the birth of śrī Kṛṣṇa. He was born on the 8th day of the dark fortnight - Kṛṣṇapakṣa - in the month of Śrāvaṇa in the asterism of Rohini.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s birth is a divine birth marked as the eighth incarnation or avatāra of MahāViṣṇu. He is also the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva. Devaki and Kamsa were children of Śūrasena, the king of Mathura. As much as Kamsa loved his sister and participated enthusiastically in the wedding ceremony of Devaki with Vasudeva, legend has it that a divine voice warned Kamsa that the eighth child of the newly married couple would be his killer. Kamsa’s immediate instinct was to kill the couple right then; however, Vasudeva negotiated with him that he would surrender to Kamsa, every child born to him and Devaki. Kamsa agreed to this and to exercise his control, he jailed Devaki and Vasudeva and appointed security guards watching the prison 24x7. Overtime, Kamsa imprisoned his father also and usurped the kingdom of Mathura from his father. The first seven children born to Devaki were brought to Kamsa and Kamsa killed six of them; the seventh child, a female child slipped away from Kamsa when he tried to kill it. The child also declared that his death is inevitable at the hands of the next child to be born to Devaki. Kamsa awaited the birth of Devaki’s next child; he appointed additional security forces to watch the prison. On the day, rather night, the eighth child was born, Vasudeva received divine instructions to take the infant to Gokula, to Nanda and Yaśoda. During the night, the security forces were dozing off; Vasudeva, carrying the infant crossed the Yamuna River in the middle of the night. Kṛṣṇa grew up in Gokula with his brother Balarāma; He returned to Mathura as an adolescent and killed the demon Kamsa with the help of his brother Balarāma.

Kṛṣṇa as an Avatara

The Kṛṣṇa avatara is called a Pūrṇa avatara. Divinity aside, though Kṛṣṇa transacted in the world more like a human being, he did display his divinity when occasions demanded it. In childhood, he displayed immense power in killing many demons who came to kill him at the behest of Kamsa. As an adolescent, he wrestled demonic wrestlers like Cāṇūra etc. in the court of Kamsa, before killing Kamsa himself. He then released his parents Vasudeva and Devaki, as well as the old king Śūrasena from the prison. Rādha loved Him immensely during His adolescent years; the love stories of Rādha and Kṛṣṇa delight everyone. He led Bhīmasena in the killing the cruel king Jarāsandha and he himself fulfilled the purpose of His incarnation in killing Śiśupāla and Dantavakra. He stood by the Pāṇḍavas in their hour of need. These acts are in support of his vow – “I will take incarnation whenever there is a decline in Dharma, to uphold the supporters of Dharma and to destroy the violators of Dharma,” described in the following two verses of the Bhagavad gītā

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata |

abhyutthānamadharmasya tadā’’tmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham || BG 4-7||

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām |

dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge || 4-8||

When Arjuna was deluded in the battlefield, Kṛṣṇa instructed him the philosophy of life – teaching him the Bhagavad gītā. The śrīmadBhāgavata Purāna describes extensively the glory of Kṛṣṇa in every stage of his life

CELEBRATION:

Two traditions are in practice in the celebration of the birth of Kṛṣṇa – (1) Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami on the eighth day following the full moon day of śrāvaṇa; this celebration is also called Gokulāṣṭami, or (2) Kṛṣṇa Jayanti on the day when the asterism Rohiṇi prevails in the month of Śrāvaṇa. In either tradition, the worship services are offered in mid-night, coinciding with his birth time. Elaborate decorations of the home from threshold of the house to the altar is very common practice, including the step footprints of Kṛṣṇa, from the threshold to the altar. Varieties of delicacies, sweet as well as fried snacks are offered to Kṛṣṇa as naivedya. Fasting till midnight to perform the worship services is very common and the devotees partake food only after offering worship services to the Lord. Reading excerpts from śrīmadBhāgavata Purāna, singing Viṣṇusahasranāma are very popular in the celebration of birth of śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Mathura and Vṛndāvan – the birthplace of Kṛṣṇa – attract devotees every year from all over India to assemble there in celebration of the birth of śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Resources:

1) Hindu Way of Life and Festivals, Dr. C.V. Radhakrishnan.

2) Bharatiyara Habba-Haridinagalu-Sri Sri Rangapriya Sri Sri.

3) Google.com

Gaṇeś Caturtī

By

Śri K.V. Mahabala

Gaṇeś Caturtī also known as Vināyaka Caturti or Vināyaka Chauti is a very popular Hindu Festival celebrating the birth of Lord Gaṇeśa (Gaṇeś or Gaṇeśa are one and the same; they are differently called in different regions of India). The Gaṇeś Caturtī festival is generally observed in the months of August or September corresponding to the date of Bhādrapada śukla caturtī - the fourth day(caturtī) of the waxing cycle of moon(śukla) in the month of Bhādrapada of the Lunar Calendar. The festival is celebrated by offering religious services to Lord Gaṇeśa invoked in colorful clay idols at homes, or in an elaborate scale public celebration invoking the Lord in giant size idol. The festival observation could last as short as one day or as long as up to one month in public celebrations – with daily services up until the last day. The celebration ends with concluding services, majestic public procession accompanied to music and group chanting, and finally immersing the idol in lakes, ponds or sea. The religious services include invoking the presence of the Lord in the idol, detailed worship including religious bath to the chanting of Vedic hymns, Aśṭottara pūjā (glorification through 108 names describing his birth, accomplishments etc.), Naivedya offering (specially prepared food offering) and Ārati. Apart from the annual celebration of Gaṇeśa Caturtī, Lord Gaṇeś is worshipped in the beginning of any Hindu undertaking – religious or secular – since he has the power to remove obstacles – so that the undertaking resolves to successful completion.

The origin of Lord Gaṇeś.

There is no mention of the current form of the Lord Gaṇeśa in Vedas. The Sanskrit mantras in Rigveda refers to Gaṇapathi as the lord of guardian of multitudes, which is also referred to Lord Indra.

The birth of Lord Gaṇeśa is entwined in several legends; though he is regarded as the son of Śiva and Pārvati, the mythologies allude his birth to the energy of Pārvati only. The generally accepted origin of Gaṇeśa relates to Pārvati, one day, creating a son out of her own energy and infusing life into it. She stationed him at the door to her private quarters, when she was taking a bath, with strict instructions to guard the entrance while she was taking the bath. Lord Śiva returns home and when he tried to enter his home, he was stopped by Gaṇeśa, who was unaware that Lord Śiva is Pārvati 's husband. Lord Shiva unable to convince Gaṇeśa of His relationship to Pārvati, became angry and severed the head of Gaṇeśa. Pārvati was very enraged and in order to pacify her, Śiva ordered his assistants to look for any creature lying or sleeping with its head facing north. His assistants could only find a dead elephant whose head was facing north. Therefore, they brought back the elephant and Lord Śiva attached elephant’s head on the body of the child whom he had severed. Gaṇeśa is therefore also called Gajanana – having the face of an elephant. It is this birth story – born without association with Śiva, gives Gaṇeśa another name - Vināyaka, meaning one without a leader (in this case, born without a father ( vigato nāyaka niyantā, yaḥ, saḥ Vināyakaḥ ); a variation of this name ‘Siddhi Vināyaka’ –Success granting Vināyaka’ is also in currency.

Yet another story is that Gaṇeśa was created by Śiva and Pārvati on request of the Devas, to be a vighna Kartā (obstacle-creator) in the path of rākṣasas (demonic beings), and a vighna hartā (obstacle-averter) to help the Devas. Therefore Gaṇeśa is regarded as a deity having the power to create an obstacle or remove an obstacle. In other words, he is a punisher of wicked people and protector of the wise and helpless.

There is one belief that, Lord Gaṇeśa is an imagination of early Dravidians , especially farmers. Every season there was a massive destruction crops by elephant herds, rats and snakes. Those farmers came up with an idea to create an idol with the head of an elephant and the body of human, riding on a rat and a snake tied around his belly with. Since there were not able to control these powers, they surrendered and started to worship them as their God.

The Festival and worship.

Gaṇeśa is the Lord of knowledge, wisdom. He is invoked and honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies as he's considered the God of obstacle remover. He's widely and dearly referred to as Gaṇapati or Vināyaka, as described earlier. The festival celebrates Lord Gaṇeśa as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence.

The festival begins on Bhādrapada śukla caturtī, and concludes on the day the invoked idol is returned to his abode by immersing the idol in the body of water described earlier (this day may vary from year to year, depending on the Almanac). There are four main rituals during the festival - Prāṇapratiṣṭha - the process of infusing the divine into a murti or idol, śhoḍaṣa upachāra - 16 services to the guest Gaṇeś, uttarpuja - pūja signifying the conclusion of all services preparing the deity for return to his abode, Gaṇapati visarjan - immersion of the Idol in the river.

Celebrations:

In India, Gaṇeśa Caturtī is celebrated at home as well as in public by local community groups in the central and western states of Madhya Pradesh Maharāṣtra, Gujarāt and Goa and the southern states of Karṇātaka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangāṇa, Ṭamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Eastern state of Orissa.

At the family or home level, the focus is mostly on the religious aspect – a traditional worship service of 16 services offered to Gaṇeśa in the form of the idol, in which the deity is invoked and symbolically returned back to His abode (after the pūja services) through immersion in water. A typical idol of Gaṇeśa at family level is generally some 12-24 inches high as shown in the adjoining picture.

The public celebration of Gaṇeś festival focuses mostly on integration of people from different social and economic groups. Here again, the celebration varies from state to state. It is not uncommon that idols up to as high as 10 to 12 foot high are typical in the public celebration of the Gaṇeś festival. In the state of Karnātaka, for example, following a traditional worship service on the Gaṇeśa Caturtī day in a public pandal (temporary tent shrines), the celebration extends to some 10-30 days, with daily evening programs of religious discourses, divine discourses and classical music programs; the celebration concludes with a grand finale of public procession through the main streets of the community, and finally immersing the idol in water.

The state of Maharāṣtra is well known for grand scale public Gaṇeś Caturtī celebrations. During the festival, colorful pandals are setup and the Lord is worshiped for ten days. “Gaṇapati Bappa Morya, Maṅgaḷa Mūrti Morya”! - This is the chant that roars through the crowds as hundreds of Gaṇeś idols are taken in royal procession towards their respective community pandals during the first day of Gaṇeśh Caturthi, and by thousands of families as they take their small idols to install in their homes. The Gaṅeśh Utsav is celebrated both as a family and community event, with the community aspect of the celebration having been introduced by freedom fighter Bāl Gangādhar Tiḷak in the 1900’s in Puṇe, India. This was his way of uniting the people of Maharāṣtra at the grass-roots level for a celebration that lasted 10 days and acculturated them to Hindu cultural practices as opposed to the alienating influence of the British Raj. Today, a hundred years later, the Gaṇeśh puja is celebrated with even more enthusiasm with each year bringing in more elaborate decorations and people participation than the year before, all done in a peaceful, joyful manner.

The festival was celebrated as a public event since the time of Marāṭha King Shivāji, but a Sārvajanik(Public) Gaṇeś idol was installed first by Bhāusāheb Laxmaṇ Jāvale. Lokm̄anya Tiḷak changed the festival from a private celebration to a grand public event "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them".

Outside of India public festival of Gaṇeś Caturtī is celebrated in many countries - in several provinces of the UK by the British Hindu population living there. In the United States of America, The Philadelphia Gaṇeś Caturtī Festival is one of the most popular celebrations of Gaṇeś Caturtī in North America, and it is also celebrated in Canada (particularly in the Toronto area). It is also celebrated in Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore. The Mauritius festival dates back to 1896, and the Mauritian government has made it a public holiday. In Malaysia and Singapore, the festival is more commonly known as Vināyagar Caturtī by the large Tamil-speaking Hindu minority.

In Metropolitan France, Gaṇeś Caturtī remains the main Hindu religious festival. The first Hindu Temple dedicated to Gaṇeś on Continental France opened in 1985 and the first procession took place in 1995. Since then, every year, the La Chapelle Quarters of Paris is the site of a major procession with thousands of pilgrims and visitors. The festival is mainly conducted by the Tamil speaking Sri Lankan community and the pilgrims are mostly Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka and, to a lesser extent, Hindi-speaking Hindus from Mauritius.

Immersion or Visarjana:

In Mumbai alone, some 500,000 or so idols are immersed annually. Thereafter the clay Idol dissolves and Gaṇeś is believed to return to Mount Kailāś to Pārvati and Śiva.

Foods:

The primary sweet dish during the festival is modak (modak in Marāṭhi and Konkaṇi, modakam or kudumu in Telgu, modaka or kaḍubu in Kannada, kozhakatta or modakka

in Malayalam and kozhukaṭṭai or modagam in Tamil). A modak is a dumpling made from rice or wheat flour, stuffed with grated coconut, jaggery, dried fruits and other condiments and steamed or fried. Another popular sweet dish is the karanji (karjikai in Kannada), similar to modak in composition and taste but in a semicircular shape. This sweet meal is called Nevri in Goa and is synonymous with Gaṇeś festival amongst the Goans and the Konkaṇi diasphora.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana modak, laḍ̣du, vundrallu (steamed, coarsely ground rice-flour balls), panakam (a jaggery-, black pepper- and cardamom-flavored drink), vadapappu (soaked moong lentils) and chalividi (a cooked rice flour and jaggery mixture) are offered to Gaṇeś. These offerings are known as naivadya, and a traditional offer of naivedya ia a plate 21 pieces of modak or sweet. In Goa, modak and a Goan version of (sanna) is popular.

Environmental impact:

In recent times due to environmental concerns, a number of families now avoid immersing the idols in bodies of water and let the clay idol disintegrate in a barrel of water at home. After a few days, the clay is spread in the garden.

[ Sources – (1) Bhāratiyra Habba Haridinagaḷu in Kannada by Śri Śri Rangapriya Śri Śriḥ, published by Aṣṭānga Yoga VijnAna Mandiram, Bengaluru); (2)Private Communication by Ms. Rukmimi Potdar, Tampa, FL. And (3) Some Internet writings]

Navarātri

by

K.V. Mahabala

Navarātri literally means nine nights. Nava also means new. The Navarātri marks the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar. According to some Hindu texts, such as the Śākta and Vaiṣnava Purāṇas, two Navarātri period a year are very significant - the Śarat (also referred as Śarada) Navarātri around the autumn equinox (September-October) and the Vasanta (also called Chaitra) Navarātri near spring equinox (March-April). Of these two, the Śarat Navarātri is more significant and largely celebrated nine days in the Indian subcontinent. The other two Navarātris observed regionally or by individuals are - Māgha Navarātri and Āṣāḍa Navarātri. The Vasanta Navarātri culminates in Rāma Navami – birthday of Rāma - on the ninth day, and the Śarat Navarātri culminates in Vijayadaśami (the 10^th day following the nine nights).

The Śarat Navarātri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Āśvayuja, corresponding to the months of September /October of the Gregorian calendar. The festival is celebrated for nine nights (and 10 days) during this period. The festivities are a celebration of Śakti (the creative power or cosmic energy) or the Divine Mother Durga. Sarasvati (presiding deity of knowledge) and Lakshmi (presiding deity of wealth) are the other forms of Divine Mother that are revered during this period. The ninth day traditionally is a day of celebration of instruments and implements of earning livelihood (like weapons, musical instruments, transportation vehicles, factory equipment, books and pens etc.). In South India, the tradition of organizing and displaying of decorated dolls is a big attraction for children. The dolls are referred to as Gombe in Karnataka and Gollu in Tamilnadu. The 10^th day following Navarātri is celebrated as the victory of Good over Evil – either as Durga’s victory over the demons or Rāma’s victory over Rāvaṇa.

Significance of Navarātri.

The Devi Māhātmyam (The Glory of Divine Mother), differently known as Durgā saptaśati (700 Verses describing the glory of Durgā) or Caṇḍi provides the backdrop for the celebration of the Navarātri festival. The Devi Māhātmyam is organized in three sections glorifying the Divine Mother as (1) Mahākālī, (2) Mahālakṣmī and (3) Mahāsarasvatī. Likewise the celebration of Navarātri signifies worship of Mahākālī during the first three days, Mahālakṣmī during the second three days (days 4-6), and the worship of Mahāsarasvatī during the last three days (days 7-9). The Mahākālī form represents overcoming Tāmasic Proclivity - Durgā is worshipped as Mahākālī on the first three days of Navarātri, who accomplishes the slaying of the demons Madhu and Kaiṭaba; the Mahālakṣmī form represents overcoming the Rājasic Proclivity - Durgā is worshipped as Mahālakṣmī during the middle three days of Navarātri, who slays Mahiṣāsura; the Mahāsarasvatī form represents transcending Sāttvik Proclivity and acquisition of knowledge - Durgā is worshipped as Mahāsarasvatī on the last three days of Navarātri, who slays Dhūmralocana, Canda-Munda and Śumbha and Niśumbha.

Significance of Each Day

The festival is associated with the prominent battle that took place between Durgā and various demons and celebrates the victory of Good over Evil. These nine days are solely dedicated to glorification of Goddess Durgā and her nine forms as follows (the nine names are pronounced by creator Brahmā himself, as described in the Kavaca stotra of śri Durgā Saptaśati) -

Śailaputri (day 1): She represents the collective power of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. It is in this form that the goddess was worshipped as the consort of Shiva. The color of the first day is red-it depicts action and vigor.

Brahmacāriṇī (day 2): She is the one who practices devout austerity. She is blissful and endows happiness, peace, prosperity and grace upon all devotees who worship her. Filled with bliss and happiness, she is the way to emancipation or mokṣa. The color of the second day is royal blue, since it's synonymous with a calm-yet-powerful energy.

Candraghaṇṭa (day 3): She represents beauty and grace and is worshipped on the third day for peace, tranquility and prosperity in life. She is the apostle of bravery and possesses great strength. The color of the day is yellow.

Kūṣmaṇḍā (day 4): She is considered the creator of the universe. It is believed that Kūṣmaṇḍā created the universe through a bout of laughter and made it lush with vegetation. Hence, the color of the day is green.

Skandamātā (day 5): She is the mother of Skanda, or Karthikeya, who was chosen by the gods as their commander-in-chief in the war against the demons. She is accompanied by Skanda in his infant form. The color of the day is grey, as it indicates the color of a mother who can turn into a storm cloud when the need arises to protect her child.

Kātyāyani (day 6): Kātyāyani was born to the great sage, Kaṭa, as an incarnation of Durgā. Dressed in orange, she exhibits immense courage. Hence, the color of the day is orange.

Kālarātri (day 7): She has a dark complexion, disheveled hair and a fearless posture. She has three eyes that shine bright, with flames emanating from her breath. She is black like the goddess Kali. She is a very fierce form of goddess Durgā, and she is dressed in white, a color that represents peace and prayer. Thus, the color of the day is white.

Mahāgauri (day 8): Mahāgauri is intelligent, peaceful and calm. It is said that due to her long austerities in the deep forests of the Himalayas, her color transformed from white to black. However, later, when Shiva cleaned her with the waters of the Ganga, her body regained its beauty and she came to be known as Mahāgauri, which means extremely white. The color of the day is pink, denoting hope and a fresh start.

Siddhidātri (day 9): She has supernatural healing powers. She has four arms and is always in a happy state of mind. She blesses all gods, saints, yogis, tāntriks and all devotees as a manifestation of the divine mother. The goddess is shown to be in a blissful state, just like the sky on a clear day. Thus, the color of the day is sky blue, representing the beauty of nature.

During Navarātri, some devotees of Durgā observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. As a period of introspection and purification, Navarātri is traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures.

Celebrations

Navarātri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. Some fast, others feast. Some revere the same Mother Goddess but different aspects of her, while others revere incarnations of Viṣṇu, particularly of Rāma.

Eastern India, West Bengal

The Navarātri is celebrated with great pomp as Durgā Pūja festival in West Bengal. It is the most important annual festival to Bengali Hindus and a major social and public event in eastern and northeastern states of India, where it dominates the religious life. The occasion is celebrated with thousands of temporary stages called Pandals, which are built in community squares, roadside shrines and large Durgā temples in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern Nepal, Assam, Tripura and nearby regions. It is also observed by some Śākta Hindus as a private, home-based festival. Durgā Puja festival marks the battle of goddess Durgā with the form-shifting, deceptive and powerful buffalo demon Mahishasura, and Durgā emerging victorious.

North India

In North India, Navarātri is marked by the numerous Rāmlīla events, where episodes from the story of Rāma and Rāvaṇa are enacted by teams of artists in rural and urban centers, inside temples or in temporarily constructed stages. It is particularly notable in historically important Hindu cities of Ayodhya, Vāraṇāsi, Vṛndāvan, Almora, Sātna and Madhubani – cities in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.^[40]

At the end of the Navarātri, comes Dussehra, where the effigies of Rāvana, Kumbhakarṇa, and Meghanāda are burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rāma) over evil forces as Vijayadaśami.

Gujarat

Navarātri in Gujarat is one of the state's main festivals. The traditional celebrations include fasting for a day, or partially each of the nine days in remembrance of one of nine aspects of Śakti goddess.

Maharashtra and Goa

The Navarātri celebrations vary across Maharashtra and the specific rites differ between regions even if they are called the same and dedicated to the same deity. The most common celebration begins on the first day of Navarātri with Ghaṭa sthāpana, which literally means "mounting of a jar". A Ghaṭa is something similar to a Kalaś with some staple grains (usually eight varieties) included. A lamp is lighted symbolizing knowledge and household prosperity, and kept alight through the nine nights of Navarātri. The family worships the pot for nine days by offering rituals and a garland of flowers, leaves, fruits, dry-fruits, etc. and water is offered in order to get the seeds sprouted. Some families also celebrate Kāli pūja on days 1 and 2, Lakṣmi pūja on days 3, 4, 5 and Sarasvati pūja on days 6, 7, 8, 9 along with Ghata sthapana. On the eighth day, a "Yajna" or "Homa" is performed in the name of Goddess Durgā. On ninth day, the Ghat puja is performed and the Ghat is dismantled after taking off the sprouted leaves of the grains. In many families, a woman from Matang community is called and offered food and blessings are sought from her. She is considered as a form of the Goddess "Mātangi".

In the temples of Goa(and some households), on the first day of the Hindu month of Āśvayuja, , a copper pitcher is installed surrounded by clay in which nine varieties of food grains are placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of Devi and Krishna temples. The nine nights are celebrated by presenting devotional songs, and through religious discourses. Artists arrive to perform folk musical instruments. Celebrations include placing the goddess image in a specially-decorated colorful silver swing, known as Makhar in Konkani language, and for each of the nine nights, she is swung to the tune of temple music (called as raṇavādya) and devotees singing kīrtan (devotional songs) and waving lamps. This is locally called Makharotsav. The last night of the Goa Navarātri festival is a major celebration and attracts larger participation. It is locally called the makhar arati..

Karnataka

In Karnataka, Navarātri is traditionally observed in the worship of Durgādevi as Lalitā Parameśvari. The Devi is worshipped all nine days at homes and temples. The Devi in Temples are decorated with different decorations of flowers, fruits, vegetables, weapons etc. Lalitā shahasra nāma chanting on all nine days is very popular. It is locally called Dasara and it is the state festival (Nāḍa habba) of Karnataka. Of the many celebrations, the Mysuru Dasara is a major one and is popular for its festivities. The family deity of the erstwhile Mysuru kings was Cāmuṇḍeśvari and this deity is consecrated at the temple on the top of the Cāmuṇ̣di Hills.

The Dasara festivities at Mysore is reported to have originated in the 17^th century by the kings ruling the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom. On the ninth day of Dasara, called Mahānavami, the royal sword is worshipped and on the 10^th day, the king used to ride on the elephant in a procession in the major streets of Mysuru. In these days, the traditional Dasara procession is replaced by a procession of an image of the Goddess Cāmuṇḍeśvari placed on a golden saddle (hauda) on the back of a decorated elephant to the accompaniment of tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels.

Āyudha Puja, is dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati on the ninth day of Dasara, where military personnel upkeep their weapons and families upkeep their tools of livelihood, both offering a prayer to Sarasvati as well as Pārvati and Lakṣmi. Another Navarātri tradition in Karnataka has been decorating a part of one's home with art dolls called Gombe or Bombe, similar to Gollu dolls of Tamil Nadu. An art-themed Gārudi Gombe featuring folk dances which incorporate these dolls, is also a part of the celebration.

Kerala

In Kerala and in some parts of Karnataka three days - Aṣṭami, Navami, and Daśami (8^th, 9^th and 10^th days), of Śarat Navarātri are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja in which books are worshiped. The books are arranged for pūja on an altar on the Aṣṭami day in their houses, traditional nursery schools, or in temples. On the Vijaya Daśami day (10^th day), the books are ceremoniously taken out for reading and writing after worshiping Sarasvati. Vijaya Dashami day is considered auspicious for initiating the children into writing and reading, which is called Vidhyārambham.

This Hindu tradition is so popular that Kerala Christian organizations also ritually observe it inside many churches.

Telangana

In Telangana Navarātri is celebrated as in the rest of India and it ends with Dasara. During the Navarātri nights, a notable Telangana tradition involves Telugu Hindu women who produce Bathukamma for Navarātri goddesses. It is an artistic flower decoration particularly using marigolds, which revere three different aspects of Devi, called Tridevi.

First three days, the goddess Durgā (Pārvati) is revered. The next three days, the Goddess Lakṣmi is worshipped. Over the last three days, locals revere the goddess of wisdom, Sarasvati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

Like elsewhere in India, Āyudha Puja is observed by Telangana Hindus where weapons are maintained, decorated and worshipped. Tradesmen and farmers similarly clean up, decorate and worship their equipment of trade.

Feasts of great variety and delicacy are offered to guests and family during the nine days.

For women, Navarātri is a time for shopping for new clothes and new pots. It is an auspicious time to buy gold or jewelry and the gold markets are open late each night. Women dress elaborately each day for the pūja or rituals and nightly dances.

Outside India, those who migrated to respective countries continued to mark their Navarātri traditions. Tamil Hindus in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, for example, built Hindu temples in Southeast Asia in the 19th century, and Navarātri has been one of their major traditional festivals. In Trinidad and United Kingdom, Navarātri and Diwali have been the most visible celebrations of the local Hindu communities from about 1950s.

Summary:

Navarātri or the ‘nine nights’ is that time of the year when devotees get the opportunity to experience the sense of spiritual awakening. This awakening brings freedom from all kinds of mental stress and provides deep relaxation, and creativity.

Fasting, meditation, prayers, and other spiritual practices performed during this period help bring about this awakening. Refrain from over-indulging in sense objects during this time enhance the spiritual growth among people.

The prayer, chanting, and meditation performed during Navarātri connect us with our spirit. Getting in touch with the spirit invokes positive qualities within us and destroys laziness, pride, obsession, cravings, and aversions. When stress in the form of negative emotions is destroyed, we experience the higher meaning of life.

Resources: 1. Śri Durgā saptaśatī (Mārkaṇḍeya Purāna)

2. A concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Math, Bengaluru.

3. Wikipedia and other Internet resources.

Dīpāvali

By

Dr. Belur Sreenath.

If there is one festival that has national appeal – thru the length and breadth of India, it is Dīpāvali or Dīvāli festival. Dīpāvali is a Hindu festival of lights and is one of the most celebrated festivals through India. With the migration of Indians to several parts of the world, today, the festival is very much celebrated in these parts of the world also. Today, generally the Dīvāli festival is known very well in the US. This festival generally comes during the Hindu Luni Solar months of Āsvayuja and Kartika, which falls in the Śarad ṛtu, between mid-October and mid-November.

Significance:

This festival is cited in Padma Purāṇa and Skanda Purāṇa and Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa. Dīpa means lighted lamp and āvali means the act of swinging of a string of lights. This festival is celebrated in honor of several deities like Mahāviṣṇu, Lakṣmi, Śhiva, Kubera, Yama and Kṛṣṇa. The festival has a religious significance among Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists. Even though it is celebrated by people of all walks of life, it is at times referred to as Vaiśya Parva or Festival of merchant section. This is one of the reasons why the worship services focus on goddess Lakṣmi and Kubera.

CELEBRATION:

The celebration of the festival generally spans over five days, through the different sections of India.

Day 1: (Dhantera - Dhan means wealth and Tera refers to the 13th day). This day is celebrated on the 13th day after the full moon in the month of Āsvayuja (Āsvayuja Kṛṣṇa trayodaśi). On this day goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for prosperity. She is also recognized as a goddess of dharma. This day is very important especially to the Vaiśya community.

Day 2: Naraka Cathurdaśhi - Āsvayuja Kṛṣṇa caturdaśi. This coincides with the 14th day of the second fortnight of the Āsvayuja month. This day is about the legend surrounding Lord Kṛṣṇa and a tyrant king named Narakāsura, the king of Prāgjyotiṣapura – the area of current day Assam. Narakāsura was a tyrant king and ruled his country with atrocities against innocent people and women. He apparently had imprisoned nearly 16,000 women. After Lord Kṛṣṇa killed Narakāasura, all these women were released from their captivity. This day is remembered by lighting a row of earthen lamps.

Day 3: This day coincides with the last day of the dark fortnight of the Āsvayuja (Āsvayuja amāvāsya) month – the new moon day or Amāvāsya – said to be the darkest day of the year. This is actually the peak of the festival celebrations. This is the day that the house glows with lights. This day starts with an early morning ceremonial special bath (before sunrise). Thousands of Hindus go to Vāraṇāsi on this day to take a dip in the holy river Ganga. On this day respects are also paid to the seven immortals namely Aśvatthāma, Bali, Vyāsa, Hanumān, Vibhīṣaṇa, Kṛpa and Paraśurāma. This day is also the day to offer oblations (tarpaṇa) to the pitṛs (manes). People wearing new clothes and new jewelry are also a tradition. Again, there is lots of lights and fireworks. In the evening Lakṣmi pūja is observed on a large scale. Lord Kubera is also worshipped that night. Another important legend attached to this day is the return of Lord Rāma to Ayodhya after the defeat and killing of demon Rāvaṇa.

Day 4: This is first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārtika – Kārtika śukla pratipad). This day is recognized by two legendary stories.

One legend is about the protection of cows, and villagers in a place called Vṛndāvan from the fury of the Lord Indra who was terrorizing these villagers with severe thunderstorms. This is because the villagers had forgotten to do the monsoon worship that year in the honor of Lord Indra. Lord Kṛṣṇa intervened and protected them by lifting a huge mountain called Govardhana – serving as an umbrella for the people of the entire village - on his little finger. Thus, he broke the ego of Lord Indra. Happy villagers prepared a huge amount of food and distributed it among all the people as divine prasadam. Hence this day came to be known as "Annakoot".

The second legend of this day is about king Bali. This day is also called Bali Pāḍyami. Emperor Bali was an asura king and the grandson of Prahlāda (ardent devotee of Lord Mahāviṣṇu). Bali was a just and a benevolent king. He had enormous wealth and power. His ego pushed him to opt for Lord Indra's position. He started performing a yāga pūja, which when completed could give him Indra's position. Lord Indra requested Mahāviṣṇu for his intervention. When the yāga was in full swing, Mahāviṣṇu intervened in the form of a short person referred to as "Vāmana avatāra" (dwarf boy) in Bhāgavata. He requested a gift in the form of three steps of earth. Bali agreed in spite of warnings from his Guru Śukrācārya as the guru knew that this dwarf boy was none other than Mahāviṣṇu. But Bali would not renege on his promise. The Vāmana grew big and occupied the whole earth and the cosmos in two steps; he then asked Bali where should he place the third step (since the whole cosmos was covered with two steps only and there was no place to place the third step) and Bali offered his head for the third step of the Vāmana. Then Vāmana placed his foot on the head of Bali and pushed him to pātāla (Netherlands). Because of his greatness, Lord Viṣṇu gave permission for Bali to visit earth once a year which happens to be this day of the Dīpāvali festival.

Day 5: This is the day – Yamadvitīya -when the brother visits his sister expressing his love towards her. This is also called Bhav-Bij. The legend behind this is that god of death Yama visited his sister Yami (the river goddess Yamunā) on this day. Yami treated him with tilak and delicious meals. Lord Yama proclaimed that the young men who visit their sisters would be blessed with prosperity and good health.

Conclusion:

Dīpāvali or Dīvāli represents the superiority of good over evil. The ego, greed and tyrannical power are all short lived. Permanent happiness is attained only through moral goodness and divine grace.

Resources:

1) ‘Bhāratīya Habba Haridinagalu’ – śrī śrī Rañgapriya śrī śrīḥ- a Kannaḍa book publication.

2) A concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism – Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Mutt Publication

3) The Hindu way of life: Festivals, Observances and Worship Modes – Dr. C V Radhakrishnan.