Vat Savitri

VAT SAVITRI : The Worship Of A Sacred Tree

The Savitri lcstival falls on the lull moon day of the month of Jyeshtha, around June. On this day, women fast and worship the Vat tree to pray for the growth and strength of their families, like the sprawling tree which lives for centuries. Newly married women visit a nearby Vat tree and worship it by tying red threads of love around it. They offer flowers and sweets to the tree. When the moon rises full and resplendent on the horizon, special feasts are shared by families.

Almost every woman in India knows the Puranic legend of Savitn, one of the most venerated women of Indian mythology. Savitri was a princess, born by the blessing of the sun godto King Ashwapati. A lustrous woman of great beauty, she was sent to the forest ashmms of sages to look for a suitable bridegroom for herself. Eventually, she met Satyawan, a prince living in the forest because his blind father had been banished from his empire. When Savitri revealed to her parents her determination to marry Satyawan, the court astrologers tried to stop her. They said that the prince's lifeline clearly showed that he would die within a year. Savitri had however, accepted him as her husband and would not be deterred from her resolve. She married him and went to the forest ashram to live with him and his parents.

On the full moon night of Jyeshtha, the couple went into the jungle to collect firewood. As Satyawan rested under a Vattree, Yama, the god of death came to snatch away his life. Savitri, seeing Yama take away her husband's breath, followed, pleading with him to return her husband's life. At eacn milestone, going from earth to heaven, Yama tried to persuade the determined princess to return home and accept the destiny of her husband as unchangeable. In the face of her resolve to conquer what appeared to be insurmountable obstacles, all his efforts were in vain. Then, to persuade her more effectively, he offered her three boons, excluding the life of her dead husband.

Savitri, a woman of great intelligence, couched her requests in such a manner that she got back everything that her family had lost. First, she asked for the lost sight of her blind father-in-law. Next, she asked for their lost empire and prosperity. And finally she asked for worthy progeny. When Yama had granted her the boon of progeny, she reminded him i hal his boon could not be fulfilled without Satyawan. Yama, defeated by her strength and faith, had to surrender the life-force of Salyawan to her, and bless her with an immortal place in the hearts of her people.

To this day, Savitri's power and her tenacity to overcome insurmountable problems remains an inspiration for every woman. She is venerated on the Jyeshtha full moon day which is named after her and the tree under which ibis leuend unfolded.

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Rathyatra

RATHYATRA : The Journey Of Jagannath

The English dictionary lists a word Juggernaut', which has originated from this festival celebrated in the temple town of lasannathpuri in Orissa. In this eastern state where there are more than 10,000 temples dedicated to various deities of the Vaishnava cult, June brings a procession or yatra of the chariot of Ta~annath held in Pnri.

The British, awed by the unstoppable surge of humanity pulling the rath or chariot, coined the term 'Juggernaut', to indicate an irresistable force. During the Rathayatra festival, the idol of Jagannath is taken in procession along the streets of Puri to a specific point, before starting again on the homeward innrnev a few davs later.

Puri is the site of the great Car Festival of Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe. The ropes of the huge chariots are pulled by millions of devotees who also believe that this act bestows salvation upon them.

The Puri Rathyatra is now legendary. An incredible mass of humanity, consisting of both the devout and the curious, converges on this temple town in Orissa. The devout believe that pulling on the rope of the rath assures them of heavenly salvation. Every citizen dresses up and offers sweets to the deity when the rath goes through his home street and aratis are performed along with the singing of devotional songs. Rathayatra is truly a mass celebration because of the thousands of devotees who dance ecstatically in front of the deity as it proceeds from street to street.

Though this festival originated in Orissa, it has become a common sight in cities like Bombay, where in the midst of the heat of June, highly ornamented raths are brought to the beach for a public darshan of the deity by thousands of people before the procession disperses.

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Ganga Dussehra

GANGA DUSSEHRA : River Of Life

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. Many sacred cities are situated along her banks of which Varanasi or Kashi is the most sacred.

In the bright half of Jyeshtha the first 10 days are devoted to worship of the river Ganga. According to Puranic legend Gangavataran or the descent of the Ganga, happened at this time Devotees touch the river water, bathe m it, and take the river clay home to venerate. In Hardwar, Uttar Pradesh, aratis are performed at twilight and a large number of devotees meditate on her serene banks.

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India Fairs Festivals : April

APRIL : CHAITRA - VAISHAKH

The gudi with a swastika-marked pot and silk cloth is a traditional tribute to the vernal sun. Raising a gudi is an act of declaring victory, first initiated by the victorious warriors of the Maratha army under Shivaji.

GUDI PADVA : A New Year Begins In The South

Chaitra is the first month of the Hindu calendar and the very first day of this month begins the new year in Maharashtra, Andhra and parts of Karnataka. This festival is called Gudi Padva or Ugadi.

VASANT NAVARATRI : Nine Days Of Devi Worship

The first day of Chaitra also begins the more quietly celebrated Vasant Navaratri dedicated to the goddess Gauri or Parvati. This is part of the month-long spring rites during which women wear festive garments and gather to share seasonal fruit and sweets.

RAMNAVAMI : The Birthday Of Rama

The ninth day of the bright half of Chaitra is the birthday of Rama. On the Ramnavami day, people sing devotional bhajans in praise of Rama and rock images of him in cradles to celebrate his birth. There are recitations of Tulsi Ramayan, the epic which recounts the story of this great king.

MAHAVIR JAYANTI : The Birth Of The Great Tirthankara

On the 13th day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, falls the most important festival of the Jains. The birthday of their 24th Tirthankara, Mahavir, is celebrated with solemnity and worship.

HANUMAN JAYANTI : The Birthday Of Hanuman

Later in the month, the full moon of Chaitra brings Hanuman Jayanti, the birthday of Rama's greatest devotee and chief of the monkey army which fought Rama's war with Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

POORAM : A Procession Of Bejewelled Temple Elephants

At the beginning of April, the people of Kerala begin their search for the best elephants in the state. Each temple in Kerala sends a procession of decorated elephants to Trichur to participate in the Pooram festival.

EASTER SUNDAY : Celebration 0f New Life

During April, Christians the world over celebrate Easter, also a festival of the rejuvenation of life and living.

BAISAKHI : A Time To Dance

Guru Gobind Singh, honoured as the greatest Sikh leader after the founder of the faith, Guru Nanak, was the most dynamic of all the gurus who consolidated Sikhism and gave it the modern form it has today.

RAMZAN ID : Fasting And Feasting

All over the world, Muslims of all sects celebrate Ramzan as the most sacred and holy month in their year. They observe an austere lifestyle of restraint and duty, fasting from sunrise to sunset each day, not even drinking water. Once the moon is sighted over the horizon, their daily fast ends and all-night feasting and merriment is the norm till the new day dawns.

PESAKH : The Passover

Pesakh is the celebration of the escape of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses and with the guidance of Yahweh. An event which happened almost 3200 years ago lives fresh in the memory of Jews all over the world. On the Pesakh night, the whole family gets together for a meal of homemade bread and the produce of the springtime harvests. The special unleavened bread which is baked on this occasion is called Matzoh.

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Buddha Purnima

BUDDHA PURNIMA : Festival Of Peace

Buddha Purnima, India Fairs & FestivalsThe Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya has stood for centuries as a reminder of the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment. Gaya is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. Each year, the tree is venerated and the viharas nearby resound to the chants of Buddhist monks.

The great celebration of the month of Vaishakh falls on the full moon day on which Gautama, the Buddha, was born.

To Buddhists the world over, all full moon days are festive and important. However, the full moon of Vaishakh is the most auspicious of all. Gautama, the Buddha was born in 544 BC in Lumbini, Nepal. Unlike most other religious teachers, he was born into a roval family and surrounded by wealth and material ease. According to Buddhist lore, Mahamaya his mother, often dreamt of white elephants at the time of her pregnancy and thus knew that a divine child of miraculous charisma and destiny would

Then as a young adult Siddharth, the prince born to King Suddhadhana and Queen Mahamaya, undertook a short journey in the course of which he observed the futility of human life. He saw the way a man grew into adulthood passed into old age and then became helpless, sick and feeble before death.

Saddened by the realization that life was a meaningless and hollow passage from one state of being to the next, the prince went into deep meditation under a Bodhi tree near Gaya, until he finally attained enlightenment, once again on the full moon day of Vaishakh. He was then 35 years of age and thereafter became known as Gautama, the Buddha. He gave his first sermon in Sarnath, near the holy city of Varanasi, to his followers who formed a Sangha, also on the Vaishakh Purnima.

A tableux shows the Buddha delivering his first sermon at the deer park in Sarnath, near the holy city of Varanasi.

A golden idol of the Buddha seated in repose, at Bodhgaya. The surrounding images are of odhisatvas. Vesakha or Buddha Purnima, is a festival of lights in many Buddhist countries. In Sri Lanka it is particularly beautiful and picturesque.

The Buddha, who is considered the ninth avatar of Vishnu, reached Nirvana or the extinction of self and freedom from the cycle of rebirth, also on the full moon day of Vaishakh. Therefore Buddha Purnima marks the three major events in the life of this great apostle of peace. Buddhist countries like Japan, Burma and Sri Lanka celebrate this festival with special fervour.

In Sri Lanka it is celebrated like Diwaliwith paper and bamboo stick lanterns twinkling under the night sky. Kheeris shared by families and distributed to the poor. Buddhists free birds from their cages and refrain from eating meat on this day.

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May Fairs Festivals : Akshaya Tritiya

AKSHAYA TRITIYA :

An Auspicious Day

It is well known that Indians believe passionately in the theory of muhurts or auspicious times to perform sacraments, to make major purchases or to begin new ventures. Inspite of modern technology and changing lifeviews, this dedication to auspicious time is a prominent feature of Indian life. Akshaya Tritiya, the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh, is considered one of the four most sacred days of the vear.

The word Akshaya means that which never diminishes - hence beginnings made or valuables bought on this day are considered certain to bring luck and success. All over India people celebrate weddings, plan new business ventures, long journeys and other events on this day. Like Diwali, Dussera and Gudi Padva. Akshava Tritiva is reserved for buying gold, silver and other assets. On this day jewellers keep their shops open well into twilight time to entertain their buyers. Akshaya Tritiya or Akha TeeJ is traditionally the birthday of Parshurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu. The Puranas tell how he reclaimed land from the sea along the west coast of India by his valour. Even today Goa and the Konkan are called Parshurama Kshetra. He then settled 96 selected families there, called Shahanavkuli Brahmins, who are said to have created the cultural heritage of this nart of India. In India gold is regarded as the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity. Buying gold and jewellery is a popular activity on Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most auspicious days of the year.

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