India - The land of festivals.

Every festivals has its own

significance
Hindu Festivals
Celebration - Traditional way.

Land of Fairs and Festivals.

Hundreds of Festivals
Diwali
Important festival Hindu
Calendar

Festival of Lights

Deepavali - Sanskrit -A Row of
Lamps

Unites Nation.
Diwali [HI STORY ]
Celebrated on Amavasya, of
Ashwin (Aasho)

Usually October or November.

Celebrated - four days
Diwali [THE 4 DAYS ]
1
st
Day - Naraka Chaturdasi.

2
nd
Day - Amavasya.
We worship - Goddess Lakshmi.

3
rd
Day Kartika Shudda Padyami.

4
th
Day Yama Dvitiya.
Lord Rama returned Ayodhya.
Celebration !!!
Cleaning and Decoration work.
RANGOLI
New Clothes and fire-crackers.
Visit Relatives and Friends
SWEETS

Ganesh Chaturthi
Celebrated - birth Lord Ganesha.

Ganeshji - worshipped every
Auspicious Occasions.

Regarded - Destroyer - Problems
and obstacles.
Celebration !!!
Statues of Ganesha - pandals.

Pujas at Temples and Homes.

Fasting and Distribution of sweets.

Ladoos as Prasad.

Idol is kept and offered pujas
for 10 days.

'Parivartini'(i.e.'Jal Zilani Ekadashi)

'Visarjan is done

J anmashtami
The birthday of Lord Krishna -
Shravan.

Known as Krishnashtami or
Gokulashtami.
Birth !
Krishna 8
th
son of Deviki and
Vasudev.
At mid-night Lord Vishnu took
birth as Krishna
Born with an AIM end of
Adharma.
Celebration !!!
Observe Fast without water broken -
midnight.

Grand worshiping at Mid-Night.

Milk-Bath Chanting names 108 times

Kept as 'Lalji' on a swing

Grand Aarti and flower offering.
Makar Sankranti
Celebrated on 14
th
January.

Based on Solar calendar

Sun enters Makar(Capricorn)
Rashi

Why it is known is Uttarrayan ?

Regional Variations
In Gujrat and Rajasthan Kite Flying
Day.
In Maharasthra, Haldi and kumkum
tradition and they exchange sweets.
In Punjab, Haryana, its Lohri.
In South Pongal is celebrated
Pongal
Celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

Harvest festival of South India

Gratitude to nature.

'Ponga' literally means
overflowing
why It is named so ?
Symbol of prosperity
Celebrated for three days


1
st
Day Bhogi.

2
nd
Day Perum Pongal.
It is also called Surya Pongal, why ?

3
rd
Day Mattu Pongal.
Jallikattu, marks this day.

Celebrating the Birth of Lord Rama

The 7th incarnation of
the Dashavatara of Vishnu

Celebrated on Shukla
Paksha, Navami Chaitra.

Celebration !!!
Children have gratitude towards there
parents.

In South India perform Kalyanotsavam .

At end of the day the deity is taken to
a procession on the streets.


Portrays the rich cultural heritage of Kerala.
Celebrated for a period of ten days
Starting from Atham till tenth day called
Thiru Onam.

It is a secular festival.
Various morning rituals.
Onasadya - elaborate lunch


Holi
Celebrated on the day after the
full moon in early March
To Celebrate good harvest
Spring festival
Also called Festival of Colors

Significance of Holi
Hiranyakshyap who considered himself a
god and wanted everybody to worship him.

Prahlad began to worship, Lord Vishnu.

Hiranyakshyap asked his sister, Holika to
enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap

Prahlad was saved. Holika was brunt



Celebration !!!
Light bonfires & Celebrate Holika
Dahan.
Celebrate victory of Good' over
Bad.
Do Pradkishna.
Pray the God.

Dhuleti [Celebration]
Play with Colors.
Children enjoy, throw water
filled balloons.
Play with water missiles,
called pichkaris.
Many sweet dishes with Thandai
Tradition of drink Bhang



Rakshabandhan
Raksha = protection

Bandhan = lasting bond

Rakhi symbolizes a spirit of brotherhood
and harmony

Rakhi symbolizes a commitment to protect
each other.

Rakhi creates a spirit of selfless social
service.


Raksha Bandhan[HI STORY]
Ancient festival - originated from
Bhavishya Purana

Brother-Sister festival

Changing of Yagopavit Sravan
Poornima

Initiation of new disciple by a Guru

This mantra is often recited when
tying a rakhi
Yena baddho balee raajaa
daanavendro mahaabalah
Tena twaam anubadhnaami
rakshe maa chala maa chala
(I am tying a raksha to you, similar to the
one tied to Bali the poswerful
king of demons. Oh Raksha, be firm, do not
waver.)

Rakhi Legends
The legend of Lord Indra and
his wife Sachi.
The legend of Alexanders wife
and King Porus.
The legend of Rani Karnavati
and Humayun.
Navratri
Navratri = 9 (nav) Nights (ratri)
It marks the beginning of autumn.
Worship the Devis.
10th Day celebrated as Dusshera.
Rituals of Navratri
1
st
2
nd
3
rd
Day
Goddess is separated as a spiritual
force.
4
th
5
th
6
th
Day
The Mother is adored as a giver of
spiritual wealth.
7
th
8
th
9
th
Day
Worship the goddess of wisdom.

Celebration !!!
o Garba-Raas: Folk dance.
o Vrat (fasting) is kept all nine days.
o The culmination of Navratri is also
celebrated as Dussehra.
o In South India, people set up steps and
place idols on them, known as golu.
o In Kerala, three days: celebrated as
Sarasvati Puja.

Muslim Festivals
There are a number of Muslim
festivals.

The Muslim festivals do not
correspond to Gregorian Calendar

The Muslim festivals is based on Hijra.

Festival of Rejoicing and mourning.

The day commemorates the birth and
also the death anniversary of Prophet
Mohammed.

Celebrates on twelfth day of the third
month Rabi-ul-Awwal.

Muharram
The first Muslim month

Celebrated on 10
th
day of this month

Its a day of mourning.

The greatest tragedy in the history of
Islam-the martyrdom of the
Prophet's grandson Hussain.

Jain celebrates many festival.
Fast is way of celebration.
Have gratitude towards there
God.

Paryushan
Most celebrated festival of Jains.

It lasts for four months.

Celebrated to ask forgiveness for
the mistakes.

People say micchami dukadam.


Important religious festival

Celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the
last Tirthankara.

Cellebrates on in March or in April.

He was born on the thirteenth day
of Chaitra
Statues of Mahavira are given a bath
called the Abhisheka

People travel to temples.

Lectures are typically held in
temples.
Christian Festivals

India is a multi religious nation.

Also celebrates Christian festivals
with full devotion.
The Birth-Day of Jesus Christ

Conveys his message of Love,
Tolerance and Brotherhood.

It is celebrated on 25
th
December.
Anniversary of Jesus' death.

Jesus was put to death on the
Friday before Easter Day.

Observance include prayer and
meditation.
Resurrection of Jesus, which
occurred after his death
Important religious feastival
of the Christian Calendar.
National Festivals
Celebrated all over India
Celebrated in same way
Very important festival
Festivals have there own
importance
15
th
August is celebrated as the
Independence Day of India

India finally won backs its
freedom on 15th August, 1947.

Flag is hoisted

Celebrates on 26th of January.

In 1950 the constitution of India came
into force.

India became a truly sovereign state.

Flag is hoisted
Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Father of our Nation

Born on the 2nd of October 1869 at
Porbandar in Gujarat.

A freedom fighter

Known for its non- violence or truth
Celebrated by Punjabis.

India is land of diversities

Every festivals are celebrated
Celebrated on northern India

A bonfire is lit up a day before
Sankranti which is called Lohri.

Lohri is celebrated in the north
India.

Relatives and Friends gather
together.
Kids go door to door asking for lohri.

People eat sweets like gajak, rewari,
Jaggery .

They also eat a lot of peanuts .Many
sweets are made with til.

Guru Nanak J ayanti
Also known as Guru Nanak Dev Ji's
Prakash Utsav
marks the birth anniversary of the first Sikh
Guru
Guru was born in 1469 in Rai-Bhoi-di
Talwandi
[


Prabhat Pheris.

Early morning processions that begin
at the Gurudwaras

Proceed around the localities singing
religious hymns
Nagarkirtan

is organised.

This procession is led by the Panj Pyaras

Procession carrying -The Sikh flag, known as the Nishan
Sahib, Palki of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Two days before the birthday-
Akhand Path
A Forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth
Sahib
Langar- a special community lunch at the Gurudwaras
arranged by volunteers
A PRESENTATION BY:-

GOPIKA KOTAK
NIRAJ THAKKAR