Festivals
Festivals
Festivals
Rituals
Touching Feet – Prostration
We prostrate before our parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. The elder in turn bless us by placing their hand on or over our heads. Prostration is done when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles,...
Festivals
Lakshmi Puja : Day 3 of Diwali
Asato ma sat gamaya | (असतो मा सद्गमय ।) Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya | (तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।) Mṛtyor ma amṛtam gamaya | (मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।) Om shanti shanti shantihi || (ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥) Translation: From untruth lead us to Truth. From darkness lead us to Light. From death lead us to...
Festivals
Narak Chaturdasi – Day 2 of Diwali
Narak Chaturdasi is celebrated a day before the main Diwali and a day after the Dhanteras. It falls at the 14th day in the month of Ashwin (October or November). It is celebrated to eliminate the idleness and evil from our life.It is known by different names in different regions, namely – Kali Chaudas, Narak...
Festivals
Dhanteras – Day 1 of Diwali
Dhanteras is the first day of celebration of the five-day long festival of Diwali. On Dhanteras, Lakshmi – the Goddess of wealth, is worshiped to provide prosperity and well being. It is also the day for celebrating wealth, as the word ‘Dhan’ literally means wealth and ‘Tera’ comes from the date 13th. The festival of...
Festivals
Govardhan Puja – 4th Day of Diwali
The Fourth day is of Diwali festival is Padwa or Govardhan Puja or Bali Pratipada. This day is also known as Varshapratipada which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya. Vikaram-Samvat(Hindu Calendar) started from this Padwa day. Govardhan Puja Govardhan Puja is celebrated on this day. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and...
Festivals
Vara MahaLakshmi Puja
Vara MahaLakshmi Puja and Vrath is a popular ritual observed by married women in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Vara MahaLakshmi Vrath is a festival celebrated to appease goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. This festival falls in the holy month of Shravan on the first Friday before the Pournami...
Festivals
Vikram Samvat 2074
CHAITRA SHUKLA PAKSHA PRATIPADA VIKRAM SAMVAT Happy New Year Vikram Samvat 2074 to you all!! Vikram Samvat (abbreviated as V.S.) is an era used in India and Nepal, just like the Christian era started in 1 CE. The Vikram Samvat started in 58/57 BCE in southern (purnimanta) and 57/56 BCE in northern (amanta) systems of...
Festivals
Bandi Chhor Diwas – The Day of Liberation
“(When) the lamp is lit, darkness is dispelled. Where there is light of knowledge, ignorance is dispelled.” (Guru Granth Sahib p.791) Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated all over India to signify Lord Rama’s return home from 14 years in exile after destroying the demon god Ravana. However, in the Sikh tradition Diwali has...
Festivals