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Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, music and art.One of the most notable features of this Indian festival is the abundance of the colour yellow, which represents the brilliance of nature and the vibrancy of life.
During the festival, devotees wear bright yellow clothing, eat yellow (coloured by saffron) food, and worship statues of Saraswati in their home and in the mandir.
All Hindu educational establishments conduct special prayers and students place their pencils at the feet of the goddess to be blessed. It is during this festival that devotees are taught to write their first words.
It isn’t all about learning – it is also a day for art and painting competitions, poetry recitations, music festivals – and kite flying.
In 2012, Vasant Panchami takes place on 28 January.
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India with different names and different rituals.
The festival marks the commencement of Sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere, thereby making the days warmer and longer than the nights – i.e. it marks the end of winter season and beginning of harvest or spring season.
It is one of the few Hindu festivals which is celebrated on a fixed date each year – 14 January.
Some common rituals include spring cleaning, wearing new clothes and exchanging gifts.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra, Makar Sankranti is a festival of the young and the old. Colourful kites are flown all around.
In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is called Lohri. December and January are the coldest months of the year in Punjab and huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankranti. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown on the bonfires and friends and relatives gather together.
In Uttar Pradesh, this period is celebrated as Kicheri. It is considered important to have a bath on this day and masses of people can be seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj where the rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi flow together.
In Southern India it’s the harvest festival Pongal and lasts for 3 days. On the first day, rice boiled with milk is offered to the Rain God. On the second day, it is offered to the the Sun God and on the third day, the family cattle are given a bath and dressed with flowers, bells and colours, to honour them for their hard work in the fields.
Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey-faced god who is worshipped by Hindus throughout India.
Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival of Hindus. Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy. Hanuman is said to be able to assume any form at will, wield rocks, move mountains and dart through the air.
Holi is known as the Hindu festival of colours. It is a joyful celebration filled with fun and good humour.
People celebrate the festival by throwing handfuls of paint and coloured powder at each other – even complete strangers!
Mahashivratri (meaning “Great Night of Shiva”) is a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shiva (who, along with Brahma and Vishnu, forms the trinity of Hinduism).
Unlike the majority of Hindu festivals, it is a night-time festival, observed on the evening and day before a new moon, which in 2012 is 20 February.
Every night of the new moon is dedicated to Shiva but this one is particularly important. It is the night which Shiva is said to perform the cosmic dance from creation to destruction.
Many Hindus fast and the devout say all-night prayers.
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India with different names and different rituals.
The festival marks the commencement of Sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere, thereby making the days warmer and longer than the nights – i.e. it marks the end of winter season and beginning of harvest or spring season.
It is one of the few Hindu festivals which is celebrated on a fixed date each year – 14 January.
Some common rituals include spring cleaning, wearing new clothes and exchanging gifts.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra, Makar Sankranti is a festival of the young and the old. Colourful kites are flown all around.
In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is called Lohri. December and January are the coldest months of the year in Punjab and huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankranti. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown on the bonfires and friends and relatives gather together.
In Uttar Pradesh, this period is celebrated as Kicheri. It is considered important to have a bath on this day and masses of people can be seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj where the rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi flow together.
In Southern India it’s the harvest festival Pongal and lasts for 3 days. On the first day, rice boiled with milk is offered to the Rain God. On the second day, it is offered to the the Sun God and on the third day, the family cattle are given a bath and dressed with flowers, bells and colours, to honour them for their hard work in the fields.
