Tag Archives: Festival

Navratri, meaning ‘nine nights’, is a grand celebration in Hinduism dedicated to the Goddess of Power-Maa Durga. During this nine day fiesta, people with similar religious beliefs get together to exchange Navratri greetings and end up strengthening their faith in the process. It serves as a wonderful opportunity for eliminating social barriers and spending time with people who have matching religious values. Every house hold has its own way of swapping navratri greetings. Some offer sincere verbal wishes, some send sweet meats and other food around their locality, whereas some use the internet for exchanging navratri greetings in the form of e-cards and songs. Whichever method is utilized, navratri ends up creating a positive atmosphere of genuine care and good will.

Dussehra is an Indian celebration of good winning against evil. It is also known by other names in various regions including Dashmi and Vijayadashmi. The festival is premised on the folklore that Lord Rama fought the demon King Ravana and won on the tenth day. He was able to rescue his wife who had been abducted by the evil king. Like most Indian celebrations, fireworks are an important feature in Dussehra celebrations. During the festival, the battle between Lord Rama and the evil king Ravana is enacted. Effigies are used, with the one representing the evil king being packed with fire crackers. As a climax of Dussehra, the Lord Rama character shoots the evil king effigy which results in a burst of fireworks.

Durga Puja which is also known as Durgotsava or the festival of Durga is a well celebrated occasion set aside to commemorate the Hindu goddess Durga. The six day celebration, set within a predetermined two week period referred to as Devi or the “fortnight of the goddess” is timed using the Hindu calendar. The annual festival is celebrated in many regions of India and is a recognized holiday in several states. During the Durga Puja festival, the Durga goddess is worshipped as are her husband and children by displaying their colorfully adorned statues known as murti. So important is the Durga Puja tradition that the traditions associated with it were used as a way to galvanize support for the Indian independence movement.