Ganesha Chaturthi

Celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity, on Sep 11, 2010.

Chaturthi or the birthday of Lord Ganesha is celebrated as per the cycle of the moon on August or September. The festivities last for 11 days following Ganesh Chaturthi and end on Anant Chaturdashi day.

This deeply loved elephant-headed God of Hindus is known by as many as 108 names. Some of these being Vignaharta, Vinayaka, Siddhivinayaka, Umaputra, Vigneshwara, Yashvasin, Vakratunda, Shweta, Nandana, Mangalamurti, Gaurisuta, Ganapati, Gajanana, Ekadanta, Akhuratha, Avighna, Buddhividhata etc. Lord Ganesha is popular for his ability to overcome obstacles and bring prosperity and fortune to those who love him. He is worshiped as the Lord of new beginnings and the guardian of entrances as well.

This festival is predominantly celebrated in Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The festivities begin with installation of Ganesha statues in homes and public diases. One should not look at the moon on this night. It is because of the belief that moon laughed at Lord Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat on which he was riding.

To invoke the holy presence of Ganesha into the statue, the ritual called as the Pranapratishhtha Puja is undertaken with recitation of mantras. Sweets, flowers, rice, coconut, jaggery and coins are then offered to Him and red chandan is applied on His forehead. On every day till Chaturdasi, prayers are held in homes and at public gatherings in the name of Lord Ganesha.

The statues are paraded through the streets with much fun filled joviality in the form of song and dance on Anant Chaturdashi. This journey ends with immersing the Lord into His resting place, a water body. This final act is to remind everyone that change is a universal truth and that in the end form dissolves and leads to a state of formlessness and only energy remains.

Id-Ul-Fitr

One of the most important occasions of the Islamic calendar is Eid-Ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr festival, commonly known as Eid. Eid denotes the end of 'Ramadan', the month of fasting and beginning of the new month of Shawwal.

Eid is an Arabic word which represents "festivity" and Fiṭr means "to purify". A fast is to be kept every day during the month of Ramadan. The fasting represents the fact that the spiritual being is superior to the physical. Eid date is decided by the appearance of the new moon. Prayers are offered in mosques and Idgahs and elaborate festivities are held.

On Id-Ul-Fitr, muslims wake up before sunrise and offer Salatul Fajr, an early morning namaz, clean one's teeth, take a shower, put on new clothes and apply perfume. A small breakfast is suggested on Eid day of sweet dish preferably the date fruit. Then a special Eid prayer, Salah, is to be attended in a congregation in open areas and mosques. After the prayer, everyone embraces the person sitting on either side of oneself while greeting them. Then everyone visits their near and dear ones with Eid gifts and prepared delicacies are distributed among friends and neighbours.

Common greetings on this day are ‘Īd mubārak ("Blessed Eid") or ‘Īd sa‘īd ("Happy Eid"). As per local languages and traditions there can be additional form of greetings as well. The festival of Eid is devoted to the omnipresent virtues of love, peace and brotherhood.

Rakhi Traditions and Rituals

Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated in the same way and through similar traditions for a long time. Only the means have evolved with changing lifestyles and have made Rakhi celebrations more elaborate and lively.

On Rakhi day, sisters prepare the puja thali with diya, roli, chawal, rakhi thread and sweets. The rituals begin with a bath and early morning prayer, sisters tie Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers amid chanting of mantras, put roli and rice on his forehead and pray for his well-being. She bestows him with gifts and blessings.

In return, the brother acknowledges his sister's love with a promise to stand by his sister through all times, good and bad and pledges to take care of her. He then gives her a return gift. Rakhi gifts symbolize the acceptance of her love, is a reminder of their togetherness and his pledge.

The increasing distances have made people value family time and thus Rakhi day has become a time for family reunions. The joyous meeting, the rare family get-together, that erstwhile feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood also calls for a memorable celebration. Those near and dear ones who are not able to meet each other, send e-rakhis, rakhi cards and/or send rakhi online and through mails on Raksha Bandhan.

Onam Festival of Kerala – An Introduction

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. Since, this occasion represents the rich culture of the state, it was made the National Festival of Kerala in the year 1961.

The festival of Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). This corresponds with the month of August-September according to the Gregorian Calendar. It is a harvest festival and according to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

The Onam carnival lasts for four to ten days. First day Atham and tenth day Thiruonam are the most important of all. Grand feasts, folk songs, elegant onam dances, energetic onam games, elephants, snake boat race and Onam gifts, all are a part of the dynamic festival called Onam.

Government of India has taken due notice of this vibrant and colourful festival. It promotes Onam internationally in a big way and celebrates 'Tourist Week' for Kerala during Onam celebrations. Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit Kerala to be a part of Onam.

Raksha Bandhan Festival in India

Rakhi is undoubtedly one of the most popular cultural festivals in India. It is an occasion that speaks of the undying love between a brother and a sister. Raksha Bandhan is a promise to protect and cherish forever the sacred bond that symbolises this relationship.

This is one of those rare ancient cultural occasions that does not limit the rituals to a brother and a sister. You need not be a related by blood or family to tie a Rakhi and do pooja on Rakshabandhan. Owing to the regional influence of the local legends and their relevance in different parts of the country, the celebrations of Rakhi in India vary throughout India.

This festival is primarily known as being associated with the north and north western part of the country. But, it can be safely said that with changing times and the world having become a smaller place, this occasion has gained popularity in many parts of this country and even so the world.

10 Ideas on Anniversary Gifting

Anniversaries are a time of reminiscing and of joyous celebrations. There is also a lot of planning and preparation involved any anniversary party or get-together. Whether it is only family or a couple of close friends or maybe a huge group of merry makers, a common presence are anniversary gifts.

Every year or at every other celebration one meets the same people and thus thinking of a different gift idea every time is not really an easy task. The decision though rests with the giver, one can stay with the conventional gifts or go with unusual ones wherein the confidence in the anniversary present is the key point to your gift being a success. A mix of the regular and novel gift ideas are listed here:

Cakes with Flowers
Decorative Items
Anniversary Hampers
Flower Vases
Paintings
Feng Shui Gifts
Personalised Photo Gifts
Chocolates and Soft Toys
Photo Frames
Jewelry with or w/o Jewelry Boxes