Added: 09/28/2007 |
A thousand hindu holiday to live for!The 5000-year-old Vedic society is the earliest organized civilization that celebrated life. Hinduism originated then. It is not a religion, but a way of life aptly called Dharmashastra. Whether it is the philosophy or faith, culture or numerous religious occasions, Hindu holidays are still considered important and celebrated in parts of the world. So what if they are more than a 1000 of them to cope up with a mere 365 days in a western calendar year! From Pushkar in Rajasthan to Prayag in UP, from Mumbai to New Delhi, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari the eclectic Hindus fast, feast and rejoice in the festive spirit.
The legacy of Hindu holidays has survived, as generations of orthodox and conservative Hindus have passed on the significance of the sacred festival culture. A Hindu holiday is more than a mere festival. Each and every Hindu holiday is considered to be a symbol of purity, bridge between generations and vital powerful elements of nature. Hindus celebrate the beginning and end of every changing season marked by the cycle of nature. These festivals are linked to old traditions honoring various deities. And how do the Hindus cope up with a thousand festivals discounting the western calendar? First of all they should not be confused with the national holidays like Independence Day, Republic Day and Father of the Nation Day. Every Indian regardless of the religion and country he/she resides in celebrates national holidays. The religious Hindu holiday is characteristic of its importance in time and space. The most popular Hindu holidays are Holi (advent of Spring festival), Rakshabhandan (celebrating relationship of brother and sister), Janmastami (birth of Lord Krishna), Diwali (festival of lights, return of Lord Ram from 14 year exile). These festivals have become so popular that non-Hindus celebrate them also. During the period between September and March when the number of tourists converge to various exotic locations in India, they also participate in the colorful festivals. In urban India some festivals have been commercialized which attract sponsors too! These include the 9 nights of Navratri, followed by Dushera (killing of ten headed demon Ravan).
There is distinct division of the rest of the Hindu festivals between the four corners of the country. North India, which is the traditional seat of the pilgrimages, accounts for numerous festivals. So a Hindu holiday in the North India may pass of as a normal day in other parts of the country. Pongal, (the south Indian new year) also referred, as Onam in Kerela is hardly a point of celebration to western India. All over Maharastra, the ten-day festival of Lord Ganesh attracts a sea of humanity on the day of immersion of the idol. Similarly the 10-day Durga puja in West Bengal shuts down the state-it is like 7 day Christmas holidays in the western world or the month long Ramadan in the Middle East. Business comes to a standstill then. Over the years some significant dates have attracted the world media to India. The Kumbh Mela, (UP) where lakhs of sadhus, faithful converge to take a dip in the Holy Ganges River occurs every 12 years.
One might ask why a country, which has an additional 145 public holidays, still celebrates religious holidays? It is simple. While the rich get to splurge their wealth all year round, the poorer ones wait for the festivals when they are fed, feasted and given gifts. As for Non-resident Indians and people of Indian origins living in other countries this is a way to keep in touch with their 5000-year-old roots.
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