The Magic World of Indian Festivals

India, the vibrant land of mythological tales, of Gods and Goddesses and a thousand beliefs, has evolved over centuries as a mystic land of festivals. Every occasion you can dream of is celebrated with gaiety, pomp and fevour. These colourful and happy festivals bind the people of the nation across various states and religions in a unique way and provide a spectacle that cannot be be experienced anywhere else in the world.

There is an underlying similarity in many of the festivals as are the stark differences in the styles and forms of celebrations observed by different religions. What is unfailingly common and the joyous reason to celebrate is the various gastronomic and aesthetic delights that mark all such celebrations. Bawarchi.com introduces a special section devoted to the various festivals of India, which is a humble effort to unravel the mythological tales behind many of the popular festivals, unrestricted by any one religion, caste or belief.

Visit http://www.bawarchi.com/festivals/index.html

To read more on the following festivals:

"Festive Recipes" by Sundaravalli Veeraraghavan

Vishu and Varsha Pirappu

Ram Navami

Naba Barsha -- Bengali New Year

Baisakhi - Harvest Festival

Navreh - Kashmiri New Year

Cheti Chand - Sindhi New Year

Gudi Padwa

Navroze -- A Parsi Festival from Free Press Journal

Ugadi -- New year Day

Jain Festival - Paryushana

Saint Valentine's Day from Free Press Journal

Raidas -- A Poet Saint from Free Press Journal

Maha Shivaratri by Malini Bisen

Mauni Amavasya and Kumbh Mela from Free Press Journal

Kumbh Mela by Malini Bisen

Vasant Panchami -- The Festival of Saraswati Puja from Free Press Journal

Makar Sankranti by Malini Bisen

Pongal by Malini Bisen

Kojagari Purnima from Free Press Journal

The holiest month - The Kartik from Free Press Journal

Festival of Navratri Bommai Kollu from Free Press Journal

Navratri -- Different Types of Celebrations from Free Press Journal

Navratri -- The Festive Time from Free Press Journal

Durga Puja from Free Press Journal

Parsi New Year by Malini Bisen

Shravana: The Month of Festivals from Free Press Journal

Nag Panchami by Malini Bisen

Id by Malini Bisen

Gokul Ashtami by Malini Bisen

Rakshabandhan - Narial Purnima by Malini Bisen

Holi by Malini Bisen

Holi -- Rituals

Christmas and New Year by Mrs Malini Bisen

Diwali from Free Press Journal

Diwali by Mrs Malini Bisen

Dassera by Mrs Malini Bisen

Ganesh Festival by Mrs Malini Bishen

Diwali: Of Goodness, Truth and Lights for All

The word "Diwali" is the corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home - lowly or mightly - the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich - is alit with the orange glow of twinkling diyas-small earthen lamps - to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Multi-coloured Rangoli designs, floral decorations and fireworks lend picturesness and grandeur to this festival which heralds joy, mirth and happiness in the ensuring year.

This festival is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all the regions of India and is looked upon mainly as the beginning of New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the celestial consort of Lord Vishnu are invoked with prayers. Even countries like Gkyena, Thailand, Trinidad, Siam and Malaya celebrate this festival but in their own ways.

This Diwali festival, it is surmised dates back to that period when perhaps history was not written, and in its progress through centuries it lighted path of thousands to attain the ultimate good and complete ecstasy.

Diwali or more aptly Deepavali is very enthusiastically celebrated for five continuous days and each day has its significance with a number of myths, legends and beliefs.

The First day is called.......... Read more on Diwali:

http://www.bawarchi.com/festivals/diwali1.html

Diwali: the festival of lights, the victory of Good

Diwali is one of the popular festivals of India. It is the festival of lights. It usually falls in late October or early November. 

It celebrates the return of Lord Rama and Sita from exile in the forests. It is commemorates the day when lord ram returned home to Ayodhya after 14 years of being into exile.

It also celebrates the day Mother Goddess destroyed a demon called 'Mahisha'. It is also the victory of Good over evil. 

The day is celebrated by lighting lamps, diyas, visiting relatives, feasting, and displaying fireworks.

Indian Festivals: Kumbhamela

The Kumbha-Mela

Kumbha Melas are celebrated once in twelve years. Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain are the major centres of Kumbha Mela. The Ardh-Kumbha is celebrated every six years. Religious discourses, non-stop recitations of the Vedas, epics and the Puranas are held in the camps, specially set up for the Kumbha Mela.

The Allahabad Kumbamela is considered the largest human agglomeration the world over. It is held at Prayag Thriveni Sangamam, the meeting place of the three rivers - Ganges, Yamuna and the subterranean Saraswati. About two million pilgrims from all over the country take a holy dip at the Thriveni (conflux of the three rivers). 

At other places over a million people partake in the festival, holy ablutions and dips in the holy rivers of Krishna and Godavari. 

According to legends, Kumbhamela is in remembrance of the churning out of 'Amrut' from 'Palaazhi'. The story is like this: once the gods and demons fought for a long time, but neither could post a win. They came to know of a pot (Kumbha) of nectar lying at the bed of the ocean that could make the drinker immortal. For getting the nectar, they put the Mandhara Mountain as a churning rod and the great serpent Vasuki as the churning string. 

They eventually found the pot of nectar but the battle among the gods and the demons continued and during the struggle, a few drops of the nectar fell at Prayag, Hardwar, Nasik and Ujjain. The war ultimately resulted in victory for the gods and since then Kumbha Mela is held in these places every twelve years.

Duryodhana Temple: Rare Kind of Temple

The anti-hero of mahabharatha ,duryodhana, is the presiding diety of Poruvazhi Malanada temple in Kollam. As strange the pujas and rituals are performed by the members of dalit kurava community.So the offerings to the lord include toddy,arrack & chicken,which retains a tribal touch.
This temple draws devotees from not only dalit community but also from the entire hindu community.There are a mix of legends, lores & folk stories behind the existence of this temple.The story behind it is that the place became holy by the visit of duryodhana. To regard him with reverance, they called him malanda appoppan,the lord of hills.
This could originally have been a place where the kurava tribe used to worship their ancestors. Later on the temple acquired some religious legitimacy and became acceptable to the entire local community. There are several such temples that have undergone this kind of historical process.

TRAVEL TIPS FOR VISITORS TO INDIA, KERALA

India is a tough country, in terms of temperament and terrain. Before venturing on a sojourn to India, one needs to follow some simple guidelines to make the stay a pleasant one. Follow the tips in earnest and put your best foot forth and come to India with a desire, and India promises that you will leave the land with an ardent wish to come back again.
Here are a few tips that will make your trip more comfortable, pleasurable.
MONEY, CASH
There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that visitors can bring into kerala.
Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centers honor major credit cards.
Indian Rupee. Conversion rates approximately:US$1 = Rs. 46.65 • DM1 = Rs. 21.50 • £1 = Rs. 68.54 • Euro = Rs. 43.00
BANKING
Banks in kerala are open from 1000 - 1400 hrs(10.00 to14.00hrs) Saturdays 1000 -1200 hrs(10.00 to 12.00 hrs). Sundays are holidays in kerala. Some banks work upto 4 pm; some have special evening branches which work upto 8 pm. Almost all banks have good network of ATMs which make money transactions easy.
BEST SEASON TO VISIT KERALA
High Season in kerala: December-May /
Monsoon Rejuvenation Programmes: June – November
FOOD
All standard restaurants in kerala offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian and typical Kerala fare.
ACCOMMODATION
A wide range of options from luxury properties to budget hotels and motels are available
EMRGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Police control room: 100 Fire station: 101 , Ambulance: 101 International dial code: ++91-
TIME
Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5.30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Time difference between India and some other countries are given below:
[Hours ahead (+), behind (-) on 1ST] USA: -10.30, Germany: -4.30, Canada:-10.30, France: -4.30, Australia: +4.30, Spain: -4.30, UAE: -1.30
WATER
Tap water supplied in kerala is purified and quite safe to drink. It is not advisable to drink from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Mineral water is available in sealed bottles.

TAKE CARE
Care your Language: In communicating verbal instructions, it is vital that you not only insist on the recipient repeating them but also see from his face that he actually understands the meaning of the words. Indian ears are more attuned to the slurred vowels of English than to the nasal's drawl of an American
Take permission for Photography: To avoid causing hang-up when you photograph public property it is advisable to take permission (if you have not done so at home) from Indian authorities. Offices may look very formidable ;but the entry is remarkably simple.
Conmen and Beggars: Two unpleasant brutalities need to be summoned up to make it clear that you are not a soft touch. Never respond to the genial 'hello' of a conman and never catch the eye of professional beggar
Bargaining: Haggling is an exhausting exercise for the greenhorn to India, a delectable sport for the shopkeeper who stands to make a huge killing. Remember that the first sale of the day is considered religiously auspicious, so the chances of being ripped off are somewhat less. The rule for buyers is to start at less than half of the announced price and then work towards a settlement at a price neither party considers unreasonable. Short-term visitors who lack the sporting instinct will find it much easier to stick to government emporia where the prices are fixed.

Suggestions& Complaints:. In India, the complaint book is available everywhere and people do respond to suggestions. Avoid the unfortunate habit of only criticizing. Sometimes take the trouble to write to the editor of a newspaper praising India. You will be surprised how many other people share your feelings. Practical hints should be penned to the publishers of guidebooks. Share travel experience and you can pick up valuable hints.

Kathakali: The Queen of Indian Dances

Kathakali is a theatrical dance form of Kerala. It originated from Ramanattom and Krishnanattom. The name Kathakali derives from the Malayalam words ‘Katha’ (meaning story) and ‘Kali’(meaning play) . kathakali is considered to be a combination of five elements of fine art – Expression, Dance, Enactment, song/ vocal accompaniment , instrument accompaniment . There are 101 classical Kathakali stories . The most popular stories enacted are Nala Charitam, Kalyanasowgandhikam, Keechaka vadham etc.The songs used for Kathakali is a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit.
Traditionaly , a kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning . The main facial expressions of a kathakali artist are the ‘navarasams’ .There are 24 main ‘Mudras’ . The most interesting aspects of kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Make-up classified into five – pacha, kathi, kari, thaadi, and minukku . The heroes have green face and the villains red or black,holymen and femaile characters have yellow face . Apart from facial make up , each performer wears an elaborate costume with a head dress and layers of Skirts, Jewellery, Anklets, Brancelets and Rings.
Kathakali has adapted for an indoor stage performance. Traditionally kathakali performance began in the evening on a raised platform in the temple premises . Two helpers held a curtain across the stage behind the characters appeard at the beginning of each act and quick changes of scenery and props took place