Amarnath Yatra
In the month of Shravan , thousands of pilgrims make an arduous trek up to the Amarnath cave in the Kashmir Himalayas. They come to worship the sacred ice lingam - a symbol of Lord Shiva, which is a natural phenomenon.
Buddha Purnima
Buddha Purnima, which falls on the full moon night in the month of Vaisakha (either in April or May), commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world. Notwithstanding the summer heat (temperatures routinely touch 45 degrees C), pilgrims come from all over the world to Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment. The day is marked with prayer meets, sermons on the life of Buddha, religious discourses, recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions, worship of Buddha's statue and symposia. The Mahabodhi Temple wears a festive look and is decorated with colourful flags and flowers. Celebration of this festival has been recorded by the Chinese scholar, Fa-Hien.
Chetichand
This is the main festival of the Sindhi community, and celebrates the birth of their household deity. It is celebrated for forty days every year, generally from the 16th of July to the 24th of August. During these days, Sindhis perform the ritual of jyot jagana ( lighting the lamp) on a big plate of bronze. There is a procession on the 40th day. Fairs are held and lots of people are invited for the celebrations.
Christmas
Christmas, the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by Indian Christians on December 25 th , in much the same way as it is celebrated by Christians worldwide.
The day is ushered in with midnight mass, sounds of carols fill the air, Christmas trees are brought home and decorated, gifts are exchanged with friends and family, diets fight a losing battle when confronted with tables groaning under the weight of mouth-watering goodies. All the major Indian cities wear a festive look. Shops and bazaars are decorated for the occasion and offer attractive bargains.
Christmas sets off a week of festivities, culminating with New Year celebrations on Jan 1 st .
|
