NAVIGATION
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In India
everything is celebrated, from harvests to the changing of seasons,
from the triumph of a goddess battling evil to the love between a
life its richness and color. Through the sharing of a celebration,
society continues with its traditions and, at time, even creates new
ones. Through conquests and calamities India has held on to its
culture. And inevitably every new generation falls under the spell
of this medley of worship and rejoicing.
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Republic
Day |
Come 26
January and people line the streets to watch the Republic day parade.
As the President of India takes the salute on Rajpath, marching
columns from the armed forces, tanks and missile carriers rumble past.
Camels amble along, elephants come swaying, schools children turn
cartwheels and transform the solemn occasion into a carnival. An
exciting folk dance festival follows a day later at Talkatora Stadium.
The festivities end with Beating the Retreat, a feast of
martial music, at Vijay Chowk on 29 January.
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Lohri |
On 13th
January, a rural festival, Lohri, invades the streets of Delhi and is
celebrated with bonfires in parks and open spaces. Traditionally,
Lohri marks the end of winter.
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Basant Panchami |
The
biting winter winds countinue till end January-early February when the
Hindu festival of Basant Panchami welcomes spring.
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Statesman Vintage Car Rally |
Statesman
Vintage Car Rally is held in early February on a balmy weekend.
Classic cars roll sedately out on to the roads, ambling off on a day
trip to Sohna in the bordering state of Haryana.
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Surajkund Crafts Mela |
is an
annual fair which is held for a fortnight in February. Just beyond the
borders of Delhi, in the state of Haryana, a traditional village fair
is recreated with little thatched huts where craftspeople from all
over India display exotic artifacts.
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Holi |
On the
day of the full moon is in the month of Phalguna, Delhi braces itself
for a day of uninhibited reverly as Holi is celebrated with great
vigour and joy. All morning people smear Gulal (coloured powder) often
mixed with water on one another and dance to the beat of drums. There
is a tradition in north India of consuming bhang (a derivative of
cannabis) on Holi.
The
night before Holi bonfires are lit at street corners, symbolically
burning the demon Holika and celebrating the triumph of good over
evil.
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Mahashivratri |
Mahashivratri is celebrated on the amavasya night of Phalguna. It is
said Lord Shiva danced the tandava nritya (cosmic dance) on this dark
night. He is worshipped at temples with all night vigils and prayers.
Unmarried women keep day long fasts so that Shiva may grant them good
husbands.
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Baisakhi |
In north
India, the Hindu new year is celebrated on Baisakhi in mid-April just
as the sun begins to get fierce and the dusty winds herald summer.
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| Id-Ul-Fitr |
Id-ul-fitr
is most often celebrated in this season. It marks the end of Ramzan,
the month of fasting for Muslims. This day is also called Meethi Id
(sweet id), because of a special sweet called sevaiyyan ( a kind of
vermicelli) which is cooked on this day.
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| Ours |
The Usr
of Hazrat Nizamuddin is celebrated with fervour at his dargah.
Devotees put flowers and chaddars on his grave. The nights sway to
the singing of qawwalis, especially those composed by the medieval
poet, Amir Khusro, a friend and disciple of the saint.
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Ramnavami |
The birth
of Lord Rama, is celebrated on the ninth day of Shuklapaksh (waxing
moon) in Vaisakha with reading from the Hindu epic, Ramayana, at
temples, both large and small.
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| Buddha
Purnima |
Buddha
Purnima is the month of Vaisakha, commemorates not just Lord Buddha's
birth, but also his Englishtenment and Nirvana.
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| Mahavir
Jayanti |
The birth
of Lord Mahavira who founded Jainism, is celebrated around this time
with prayers and processions.
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Muharram |
Muharram
is observed with processions of emotionally charged devotees wailing
and beating their breasts. Others recount the story of Husain and
carry elaborate paper, pith and tinsel replicas of the tomb at Karbala
called tazias.
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Independence day |
On 15
August, India celebrates Independence day with the Prime
Minister addressing the nation from the Lal Qila's sandstone ramparts.
On this day a tradition has evolved of people flying kites and the
breezy evening sky is dotted with soaring squares of fragile, coloured
paper.
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Rakshabandhan |
On
Sravana purnima Rakshabandhan is celebrated. Sisters tie rakhis on
their brother's wrists as a pledge of love and receive their promise
of protection and normally a gift or money.
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Janmashtami |
Janmashtami is celebration of bith of Lord Krishna on the eight day of
krishnapaksh (waning moon) in Sravana. Temples across the city are
decorated with fairy lights and colorful exhibits on Krishna's life.
Laxmi Narayan Mandir (Birla Mandir) has a special display which
attracts huge crowds.
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| Id-Ul-Zuha |
is
popularly known as bakr Id, the 'feast of sacrifice'. This is time for
celebration for meat-eaters and a spirit of general bonhomie pervades
among Muslims.
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Phoolwalon Ki Sair |
is a
festival unique to delhi. It is celebrated in september in Mehrauli.
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Navaratrey |
literally nini nights, commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over
the demon Mahishasur. |
| Vijay
Dashmi |
Navaratrey ends with this festival. On this day, Rama believed to have
defeated Ravana., his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnath, filled
with fire crackers and set on fire in community gatherings in open
spaces all over the city. Ram Lila are organised in most
neighbourhoods all through the nini days of Navaratrey.
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| Durga
Puja |
is
celebrated by Bengalis on the last four days of Navaratrey. Images of
the mother goddess, Durga, all fiery power and exquisite beauty, are
worshipped with flowers, incense of the beating of drums.
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| Balloon
Mela |
Around the same time, the vibrant Ballon Mela at Safdarjung Airport
celebrates adventure with huge exotic hot air balloons lazily floating
across the sky. |
| Diwali |
Dewali is
the festival of lights, falls on Amavasya, the darkest night of
Kartika. It is believed that on this day Lord Rama come home to his
kingdom after a fourteen years exile and the city of Ayodhya lit oil
lamps to welcome him. Sweets and gifts are exchanged between families
and friends admits the bursting of crackers. Doors are left open on
dewali for goddess Laxmi. With many small business establishments in
north India.
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| Guru
Purab |
is the
celebration of the birth of first of the ten Sikh gurus, Guru
Nanak.Nagar kirtans are taken out through the streets and in the
Gurudwaras, granthees recite verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, the
holy book of Sikhs.
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Christmas |
Delhi's
year of festivities end with this festival and the New Year Eve
when there are special programmers at most hotels and restaurants
across the city.
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