| Hindu festivals are based
on a lunar calendar of 12 months with an extra month added
every 5 years to bring it in line with the solar calendar.
Most festivals are celebrated throughout India though different
levels of prominence may be given to particular festivals
in different states. |
| |
Lohdi – mainly Panjab
This is a festival to celebrate the birth of a son in the
preceding year and on Lohdi small bonfires are lit, gifts
exchanged in families. Children go around neighbourhood
homes, sing and each home gives them sweets and nuts – a
sort of “trick or treat” without the tricks. Later at night
people sit around bonfires and roast nuts and eat together.
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Pongal – mainly Tamil Nadu,
south india
This is a harvest festival in South India when prayers and
gifts are offered over two days. People make “pongal” a
sweet rice dish, pray to the Goddess Paravati, consort of
Lord Shiva. |
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Sarswati Puja (Prayer)
–
This is also called Vasant Panchmi for the beginning of
spring and prayers are made to the Goddess Saraswati who
is the patron of arts, music and learning. Saraswati is
the consort of Lord Brahma, the creator, and is always seen
with a sitar by her. Traditionally Bengalies have been the
greatest musicians in India and normally there is someone
in every Bangali family who would play an instrument. On
that day people wear bright yellow clothes and play music.
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Maha Shivratri -
This is the night of Shiva when from midnight to dawn Lord
Shiva is prayed to and honoured. People break their fast
when the sun rises and offerings of milk, flowers are made
in the temples. Lord Shiva, who in the Hindu Trinity is
the destroyer, ends each cycle to make way for a new creation,
is also known as the most gracious. Lord Shiva’s consort
is the goddess Parvati, who represents strength, and their
son the loveable Lord Ganesh. |
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Holi -
A price called Prahlad worshipped Lord Vishnu, the preserver,
against the wishes of his King father, who wanted all his
people to worship the king as God and none other. The king
tried many ways to stop the prince from worshipping Lord
Vishnu but the prince would not obey. The king’s sister
then offered to take the child prince into a fire pyre as
she had the boon that fire could not harm her. However she
actually got burnt and the prince remained unharmed. People
celebrate by throwing colours and dyes at each other, they
play tricks and dance. |
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Ram Naumi -
This day celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama, the incarnation
of Lord Vishnu the preserver. For 8 days leading to the
birthday there is a continual recital of Ramayana in pious
homes, with final offerings made to Lord Rama in the temples
on the day. |
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Swaminarayan
Jayanti -
Born on 2nd April 1781 near Ayodhya, the birth place of
Lord Rama, Swaminarayan’s birthday is celebrated on Ram
Naumi also. Swaminarayan whose presence on the earth was
for 49 years wrote the Shikashpatri - a code of conduct
for the devotees and is passed through to all Swaminarayan
followers. |
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Vaisakhi –
1st month of new year Hindu Calendar This is a harvest festival
in some states and there are fun fairs and games played
in large gatherings, i.e., in each village, town and cities.
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Ratha Yatra – mainly in
East India e.g. Orisa
A huge image of Lord Vishnu, the Jagganath ( the lord of
the universe), is placed on a chariot and paraded through
the streets of the cities/towns. People try to take turns
at pulling the chariot and others throw flowers at the image
and wave lamps before it. The statue is huge to show that
before the Lord of the universe our world is minute and
as the scriptures say that our cosmos (the earth and our
solar system) is smaller than the nail of the little finger
of Lord Vishnu. |
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Guru Punam -
The Sage Ved Vyas who classified/wrote some of the great
Hindu scriptures like the epic Mahabharat is celebrated
in veneration. Gu means ignorance, Ru means remover of darkness,
hence Guru! |
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Rakhi -
This is the festival when sisters tie a thread/string with
flowery decorations on the wrists of their brothers and
in return the brothers give them money and presents. The
Rakhi is kept tied on the wrist for a week with a promise
of protection for the sisters and each year the vow is renewed.
Girls can also do it (tie the rakhi) to their other male
relatives. |
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Janam Ashtami -
This is the birthday of Lord Krishna who was born at midnight
in a prison and miracles started to happen at his birth.
Lord Krishna’s life is full of miracles but the main event
that he is so loved was his imparting spiritual knowledge
to the despondent Pandav Arjun on the battle field of Mahabharata,
in the form of Bhagavad Gita. An image of Lord Krishna is
bathed in milk, honey and ghee and people pray and sing
hymns. |
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Ganesh Chauth –
Maharashtra state and Mumbai This is a celebration of Lord
Ganesha’s day. People pray to Lord Ganesha and this has
become very popular, in all states, since the milk miracle
of 1996 when all over the world for a week people gave spoonfuls
of milk to the deity and the milk was drunk leaving the
spoons dry. |
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Sharad Punam -
Swaminarayan’s choicest devotee, Swami Aksharbrahma was
born on this day and together with Goddess of wealth Laxmi
the consort of Lord Vishnu is prayed to on this day, though
it is important to note that the mundane desires of wealth
do not go hand in hand with the worship of the Goddess.
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Navaratri -
This is also known as the Goddess Durga puja and lasts 9
days. This is a popular festival as most people worship
the Goddess, including other religions of India e.g. jains,
Sikhs. The Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, is
shown in 9 manifestations throughout time and all these
forms are honoured. In northern India the statue of Goddess
Durga is immersed in the river Ganga and people dance and
sing hymns all through the nine nights. |
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Karva Chauth -
This is a festival when the wives do a fast for their husbands’
longevity and they are not even supposed to drink water
until they can see the moon at night to break the fast.
The ladies, dressed in red and yellow saris, go to the temple
that evening where the priest recites a prayer. |
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Dussehra -
This marks the triumph of Lord Rama over the King Ravana
who had hijacked Sita. People burn Ravana’s huge effigies
and celebrate as plays are performed in every town and fun
fairs last for a week. |
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Goddess Kali Puja
Goddess Kali is another manifestation of the Goddess Parvati
and this particular festival has the practice of donating
goats (in some rural areas calves and buffalos) by the rich
to the poor but through the temple ceremony. |
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Diwali -
This is the largest festival and marks the homecoming of
Lord Rama from the 14 year exile after his victory over
the dark forces. People celebrate with lighting lamps and
burning fireworks. Also it is the day when the Goddess Laxmi,
signifying wealth, is prayed to and the houses are left
lit at night to welcome her. Rama was the incarnation of
Lord Vishnu, the preserver and Sita was the incarnation
of Goddess Laxmi, consort of Vishnu. Therefore on Diwali
as Sita is welcomed home with lighting lamps the traders,
having closed their annual account books, worshipped Goddess
Laxmi. The traders then started their new financial year
the next day after Diwali and in some states, particularly
Gujarat, this day has become their new year even though
in other states of India and Nepal and for Tamil Hindus
in Sri Lanka the new year still begins on Vaisakhi during
April as per the Hindu calendar. |
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Annakut -
For those who follow a separate calendar system the day
after Diwali is the start of the New Year. This day is also
gaining prominence among other Hindus from a celebratory
point of view as best wishes flow through for the New Year,
particularly in the UK. |
A brief synopsis of main
Hindu festivals as celebrated in the UK. 
