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Holi

The festival of colours, Holi, is celebrated with great zeal & enthusiasm all over India.  According to the Hindu calendar, the festival falls on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun, i.e., March.

Story

There are many interesting legends associated with Holi. One of the most popular legends is that of Prince Prahlad, who was a follower of Lord Vishnu. According to the legend, there was a powerful Asura king, Hiranyakashyap, who declared himself to be the real God and wanted everybody to worship him. He tortured and punished all those who worshipped any other God besides him. However, his own son Prahlad disobeyed his wishes and became a firm devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap tried in many ways to get his son killed, but Prahlad’s devotion made all his attempts go in vain. So, Hiranyakashyap asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon that fire could not harm her. However, the unexpected happened. Prahlad was saved for his extreme devotion to Lord Vishnu, while Holika died in the fire. The tradition of burning Holika or the ‘Holika dahan’ comes mainly from this legend.

Celebrations

Although the Holi celebrations differ from state to state, the essence & spirit behind the celebration remains the same, i.e., love & brotherhood. The festival is celebrated for two days. The celebrations start with Holika Dahan or the lighting of huge bonfire on the first day – popularly known as Chhoti Holi. On this day, people perform Puja and take rounds around the bonfire. The actual celebrations take place on the second day. People apply coloured powder or ‘gulal’ on each others’ faces and cheer up saying “Bura na maano Holi hai!”. Children particularly enjoy the festival, as they throw water balloons on one another and drench each other using their pichkari. Also, people prepare special dishes & sweets such as gujiyas, malpuas, dahi badas etc.

How to celebrate Holi at home?

Holi is one of the most popular festivals of people in India and is associated with great fun & frolic. Here are some interesting ideas about how you can celebrate Holi with your children at home.

• On the day of Chhoti Holi, dress up your children in new clothes and take them to see the ‘Holika Dahan’.
• Narrate the story of Prince Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap to your children.
• Explain to them the significance behind the celebration of the festival, i.e., victory of true devotion over power, which is clearly evident from the legend of Prahlad & Hiranyakashyap.
• On the day of Holi, involve your children with yourself to prepare special delicacies for the festival, i.e., gujiyas, dahibadas etc.
• Play eco-friendly Holi with your children, i.e., buy herbal colours that are made of flowers, or you can make such colours at your home also.

So, this Holi, seize the opportunity to make special memories with your children and enjoy the festival of colours to the fullest.

Have a safe and Wonderful Holi!

Maha Shivratri

Maha Shivratri, meaning the grand night dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a famous festival of Hindus which is looked upon with great reverence by the followers of Lord Shiva. Every year, according to the Hindu calendar, the festival falls on 13^th or 14^th day of the Krishna Paksh in the Phalgun month. Maha Shivratri in 2013 will be celebrated on 10^th March.

Legends

There are many legends associated with Maha Shivratri which explain the reason behind its celebration. One of the most popular is the story of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) by the gods and the demons. Mount Mandranchal was used as the churning rod and the king of serpents, Vasuki was the churning rope. It is believed that at the time of the Samudra Manthan, a highly toxic poison originated from the ocean, which terrified both gods and demons. As advised by Lord Vishnu, the gods approached Lord Shiva to seek his help, as only Lord Shiva could swallow the poison without being affected. So, on the gods’ request, Lord Shiva consumed the poison. However, Goddess Parvati held his neck, so that the poison does not go down his throat. Hence, it stayed in his throat and Lord Shiva remained unharmed. Due to this poison, his neck became blue and hence, Lord Shiva was also named as Neelakantha (the blue-necked). The gods were advised by some wise men, to keep Lord Shiva awake during the night. So, to keep him awake, the gods performed dances and amused him by playing music. As the night ended, Lord Shiva was pleased by their devotion and blessed them all. Since then, on this day, people worship Lord Shiva with great devotion.

Another popular story linked with the festival is that Maha Shivratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Traditional celebrations

The Shivratri celebrations begin early in the morning. People take early bath, observe fast and worship Lord Shiva all through the day. Huge crowd of worshippers gather outside the temples, which are beautifully decorated with flowers. People offer prayers along with other traditional puja items like milk, holy water, bel leaves, fruits etc. they light oil lamps in the temples and seek Lord Shiva’s blessings by chanting the mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. Some temples also organise nightlong Jaagrans, where devotees sing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. In the following morning, people break their fast by eating the Prasad offered to Lord Shiva.

How to celebrate Maha Shivratri at home?

The auspicious festival is celebrated with great zeal & enthusiasm by the worshippers of Lord Shiva all across India. You too can celebrate the festival along with your children at home in the following ways:

• Narrate the popular legends associated with the festival, to your children and tell them about the significance behind the celebration of the Shivratri.
• Encourage your children to express their thankfulness in front of Lord Shiva by chanting the mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’.
• Take your children to a nearby temple to offer prayers to Lord Shiva and seek his blessings.
• Get a DVD about the story of the life of lord Shiva and have your children watch it along with you.
• Invite your children’s friends and organise a fancy dress wherein, children can dress up as Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati etc.

So, along with your children, celebrate the auspicious festival at home, with full zeal and dedication.

Basant Panchami

Basant Panchami is one of the most popular spring festivals of India, celebrated across different parts of country with fun and fervor. The festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Magh (between the months of January and February), marks the end of winter season and welcomes the arrival of spring season.

The festival of Vasant Panchami is associated with yellow colour, a colour of spirituality. The colour holds a special meaning for this celebration, as it signifies bright yellow sunshine, brilliance of nature and the vibrancy of life. During this season, the fields in the countryside, especially the rural areas of Punjab, are brightened with yellow colour of mustard crop, which adds to the spirit of the festival. As a part of the traditional celebrations, people wear yellow colour clothes, cook kesar halwa or sweet rice with saffron and offer yellow flowers to the God.

Basant Panchami is also celebrated as the birthday of Goddess Saraswati, who symbolises knowledge, wisdom, purity and truth. Worshipping Goddess Saraswati on this day is considered very auspicious, especially to begin a child’s education. On this day, students pray to the Goddess of Knowledge and place their pens, pencils and notebooks at her feet to be blessed by her before they start using the stationery items. Vasant Panchami is observed as a holiday in schools, colleges and government offices.

How to celebrate the festival of Basant Panchami with your children:

• Tell your children about the significance of the festival.
• Explain to them about the changes that occur in nature with the arrival of the season of spring (Basant).
• Ask them to wear yellow clothes to symbolize the significance of the colour, in the festival.
• Involve them in the preparations for the puja of Goddess Saraswati.
• Teach them Saraswati Vandana and ask them to chant the Mantra during the puja.
• Ask them to offer prayer to Goddess Saraswati, seek her blessings by placing the stationary items like pen, pencils and notebooks at her feet. Tell your children to use these stationery items after the puja is over.
• If your children have not started going to school, instruct them to write an auspicious sign like Ohm or Swastika on a piece of paper and place it at the feet of the Goddess.
• Tell your children about the significance of the act of donation on this day and encourage them to distribute stationery items like pen, pencils and notebooks to poor children.
• Involve your children in preparing saffron halwa and sweet saffron rice, which are special offerings to the Goddess on this occasion.
• Enjoy the colourful festival and bright sunshine of spring with your children by flying kites with them.

Celebrating Basant Panchami with your children will help them to understand the significance of changes that occur in different seasons. This will further help them to accept and welcome the changes in their life, with enthusiasm and confidence.

Pongal

Pongal is a popular harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. The festival of Pongal is celebrated for four days (13-16 January) named as Bhogi, Makara Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kannum. The second day of Pongal is the main festival. It is celebrated on 14 January with full fervour everywhere. On this day, farmers express their gratitude to God and His blessings for the bountiful crops.

The name “Pongal” refers to a pudding made from fresh milk, freshly harvested rice and jaggery. On this day, farmers offer their fresh harvest to God in the form of this pudding to thank Him for all His blessings. The festival marks the beginning of the movement of Sun northward for six months period, which is considered very auspicious. The Sun enters the zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn, marking the end of winter and advent of spring season. The day sets the pace for a series of other festivals. Harvest time is over for the farmers and with this festival, they enjoy the period of bountiful crop, peace and happiness.

On this festival, people decorate their houses with flowers and strings of mango leaves. People draw traditional kolams (rangolis) at the entrance of their houses. This decorative pattern is made by rice flour to welcome the guests. Everyone prepare sweet dishes in the house and exchange it with their friends and relatives. People wear new traditional dress to perform the rituals. On the day of Makara Pongal i.e.14 January, the famous ceremony is performed wherein the husband and wife tie a turmeric plant around the pot and cook rice in it until the rice boil over. The dish is offered to Sun God with sugarcane, bananas and coconuts and later distributed among all as the Prasad.

On this day, the devotees decorate the temples and chant prayers, there. The sounds of temple bells make this festival a joyous occasion. People paint the faces of their cows and bulls with seashells and beads. They worship their garlanded cows and bulls and take them around the village in a procession. Cattle races, bull fights (jallikattu), rath yatra, bonfires, singing, dancing and community feasts are the attractions of this cheerful festival.

People greet their friends & relatives, exchange gifts and sweets with them. They visit to the temples, pay homage to the elders of the family to invoke blessings for a fruitful year ahead.

Children are more excited because they get new clothes; receive their Pongal gifts and money from their elders.

Celebrate this festival with your children at your home by using the following tips:

• Tell your children about the importance of Pongal. Help them to understand the significance of this harvest festival, rituals and customs related to it.
• Help your children to know about the important role of nature i.e. rain, sun, harvest and animals in our life.
• Go for shopping with your children, buy new clothes for them and surprise them with the best gifts they ever wished for.
• Help them to decorate floor at the entrance with colourful rangoli. Ask them to use flowers and colours.
• Prepare Pongal dishes made with rice and jaggery for your children.
• Tell them to greet their friends and family members on this day.
• Ask your children to seek blessings from their elders.
• Involve them with you to exchange gifts and sweets with family and friends.
• You can involve them in some other activities related to the festival so that they can recognise the main elements of the festival. For this you may download Pongal worksheets from Internet and ask the children to colour these sheets or you may play word searches related to this festival.

Children’s involvement in various activities on Pongal will give them an opportunity to understand the purpose of the festival and its celebrations.

Happy Pongal!!

Lohri

The festival of Lohri falls on 13 January, a day before Makar Sankranti (another Hindu festival) when the sun enters into the new sign. It is a popular harvest festival celebrated in the northern part of India, mainly in Punjab and Haryana. Harvest time for wheat, the main winter crop, starts after the celebration of Lohri. It marks the end of winter season and the beginning of a new season for the farmers.

More than a festival; Lohri is a day for thanksgiving. Apart from Punjab and Haryana, people from other states have also started participating in the festivity. On this day, People show their gratitude to God for His provisions, care, protection and blessings.

Lohri Celebrations

The day begins with Lohri songs full of gratitude for God and ‘Dulla Bhatti’, a legendary hero. Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber, who robbed rich and helped the poor, is the central character of Lohri songs. On this day, children go door to door in the neighbourhood to accept money and food items as gifts. In the afternoon, people prepare a feast for the day, in the evening, people wear new clothes and they gather around huge bonfire which is lit in the harvested fields or in the front yard of their houses. They go around the bonfire thrice and present peanuts, rewari, puffed rice, butter, sesame seeds and popcorns as offerings to the God. They pray to God to bless the land with abundant crop and everyone with prosperity. After prayer, people meet friends and relatives to exchange gifts and greetings and distribute Prasad. During night, men and women sing songs, perform on the folk dances-Bhangra and Giddha with the beats of dhol. Later, they sit around the bonfire and serve the feast of sarson-ka-saag, makki-di-roti and dessert “rau-di-kheer”.

How to celebrate the festival with your children at home:

• Tell your children about the importance and social significance of this festival. Tell them about the sacred bonfire and its association with the sense of togetherness and gratitude for the God.
• Ask them to help you in cleaning your home, decorating with flowers and filling pouches with Prasad.
• Go out with your children to buy new clothes and food items like rewari, gajak, popcorns and peanuts for the festival.
• Ask them to wish their friends, relatives and neighbours ‘Happy Lohri’.
• Arrange something to make their evening musical and dance with them to share your joys, around bonfire.

• Prepare a bonfire in the front yard or the terrace of your home and instruct them not to go closer to the bonfire.
• Make your offerings to the bonfire and ask your children distribute the Prasad among all.
• Prepare the traditional dinner and serve it to your children in the traditional way around the bonfire.
• Be alert and take care of your children while they enjoy the festival around the bonfire.

So, celebrate this festival of prosperity, joy and sharing with your children in a way that they always remember its importance throughout their lives.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the most sacred Sikh festivals. The occasion celebrates the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev who was also the founder of Sikh religion. The Guru was born on the full moon day in the month of Kartik, which according to the Georgian calendar, generally falls in October or November. Besides being the founder of the Sikh religion and the first of the 10 Sikh gurus, Guru Nanak Dev was also a great poet, philosopher, humanist, social reformer and a preacher of mankind. He delivered the message that “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim.” Some of his famous teachings include:

• There is only one God. Remember God, work hard and help others.
• Everyone is equal before God.
• It is your actions that make you good or bad.
• Be kind to all: birds, animal & people.
• Do not speak evil of anyone. Pray for the welfare of all.

Traditional Celebrations

Guru Nanak Jayanti is a three-day long festival which is celebrated with great religious fervor and high spirit all across India, especially in Punjab & Haryana. The festive spirit of the occasion begins with the recitation of Guru Granth Sahib (Akhand Path) in the Gurdwaras. The sacred scripture is read continuously, without a break. After the completion of the recitation, the holy book (Guru Granth Sahib) is carried out in a procession, a day before the actual celebration. The sacred scripture is decorated beautifully with flowers and is placed in a palanquin (Palki). The procession is headed by the Panj Pyare, the five armed guards carrying Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag. Starting from the Gurdwara, the procession leads towards the neighbouring locality. Children and adults take part in the procession and march to the tunes of religious hymns played by the local bands. Also, a special ‘Gatka’ team demonstrates mock-battles using traditional weapons.

On the day of the festival, the celebration begins early in the morning with the recitation of morning hymns called Asa-di-var, followed by a Katha and a Kirtan which continues till noon. This is followed by a langar, a special community lunch where people irrespective of their caste, creed & colour, eat food together. Also, the gurdwara distributes a sacred food called ‘Karha Prasad’ to all the people present there. During the entire festivity, the gurdwaras are beautifully decorated and are illuminated with candles, diyas and lights.

How to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti with your children?

Here are some ideas for you to celebrate the festive occasion with your children at home, while instilling cultural values in them.

• Narrate stories related to the life of Guru Nanak Dev, to your children.
• Along with your children, recite the Shabads (religious hymns).
• Invite neighbours or plan a family get together and prepare your children for a dance performance (Bhangra) and make them present it in front of other people.
• Involve your child to prepare the Karha Prasad at your home.
• Plan a visit to the nearest gurdwara.
• Dress up your children as one of the Panj Pyare and make them participate in the procession.

Recipe for Karha Prasad

Ingredients

• 1 cup ghee
• 1 cup whole grain flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water

Method:

1. In a vessel, add sugar to water and keep the mixture to boil.
2. Take another pan and melt ghee.
3. Now, to this melted ghee, add whole grain flour.
4. Continuously stir the mixture and roast until it turns golden brown.
5. Now, add the sugar syrup into the flour and stir rapidly until all the syrup is absorbed.
6. Continue stirring this mixture until it thickens into a firm pudding.
7. Now, the Prasad is completely cooked.

Eid-ul-Zuha, popularly known as Bakra Eid (‘Bakra’ means a goat) is a traditional festivals of the Muslims. Bakra Eid means the “Feast of Sacrifice”. This festival is celebrated with full enthusiasm across India and other parts of the world on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah, the Islamic month according to the lunar Islamic calendar. This festival is known as Bakra Eid because on this day, goats are slaughtered and are provided as offerings to the Allah.

Story
There is a very interesting story which states the significance of Bakra Eid and Ibrahim’s belief in the Almighty. The story goes like this, once, Allah challenged, his friend and the father of Prophets, Prophet Ibrahim to prove his faith in Allah. For this, Allah asked him to sacrifice the dearest and nearest one in his life. Ibrahim accepted the challenge and decided to sacrifice his son Ismail. Even though it was a heartening decision to see his son die in front of his eyes, he had put his son on the altar at the mount of Mina near Mecca and raised a sharp sword to cut his son’s throat. While reciting the name of Allah, Ibrahim beheaded his son. However, when he opened his eyes, to his surprise, his son was standing healthy and hearty in front of his eyes. Instead, a goat was lying beheaded in front of him. Ibrahim emerged as a winner as he showcased complete faith in Allah. Due to this reason, on this day, Muslims sacrifice animals (goats and sheeps).
Apart from this, the festival marks the completion of the Haj (a holy pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia). This festival holds a great significance for the Muslims as on this day, the holy Quran was also completed.

Traditional Celebrations
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha, people wake up early and wear new clothes and proceed towards the mosque to offer Eid prayers (Dua). After offering the prayers, people indulge in lavish breakfast primarily comprising of sheer korma or sevaiyan, following which they move ahead to slaughter a four-legged animal, like goat, sheep, lamb, cow, camel etc. Also, as per the customs, the meat is supposed to be divided into three equal parts, wherein the first part is consumed by the family members, the second part is distributed in relatives, neighbours & friends, whereas, the third portion is given to the poor and deprived people.
Also, as per the rituals, any Muslim who possesses gold worth 400 grams or more or who can easily afford two meals a day, is required to perform a sacrifice or Qurbani.

How to celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha at home?
• Dress up in new traditional clothes and offer Dua & recite the name of Allah, at the Mosque.
• To keep up the celebration mood in full swing, invite your relatives and friends at your place to celebrate the festival of Eid-ul-Zuha together.
• Prepare special delicacies such as mutton biryani, mutton gosht etc., especially the sheer korma or sevaiyan, a savory dish customary to be prepared on this occasion.
• Brighten up your home by decorating it with lights.
• Tell your children about the story behind Eid-ul-Zuha celebrations.

This year, Bakra Eid falls on the 27th of October. So, celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha, the festival of sacrifice while reciting the name of Allah.

Story
One of the most popular Hindu festivals, Dussehra, commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over the mighty demon king of Lanka, Ravana. The legend associated with this festival is that Lord Rama (the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu) headed towards Lanka, to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana. Together with his brother Laxman and a troupe of monkeys led by his devotee Hanuman, he got into a war with Ravana which lasted for nine days and victoriously defeated the ten-headed demon king on the tenth day. This day came to be known as Vijaydashmi or Dussehra (meaning tenth day).

Traditional celebrations
The festival of Dussehra is celebrated to acknowledge the victory of good over evil. The celebrations of Dussehra begin from the very first day of Navratri and continue till the tenth day. A special program called “Ramlila”, which is the dramatic enactment of the great epic, Ramayana, is organised in various parts of the country. This continues for the nine days of Navratri and finally on the tenth day (Dussehra), actors dressed up as Rama and Laxman act out the final moments of the battle and shoot flaming arrows at the giant effigies of ten-headed Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad which are placed in vast open grounds (where huge crowds gather to witness this act of burning the evil). This is followed by extravagant fireworks.

How to celebrate Dussehra at home?
Dussehra being an important Hindu festival is celebrated with a great enthusiasm in all parts of the country. You too can celebrate this festival at home with your family. Here are some tips to celebrate Dussehra at home:
• Dress up your children as various characters from the Ramayana and prepare them to perform the famous scenes from the Ramayana.
• Recite the stories of the legendary king Rama to your children.
• Tell them that Dussehra is celebrated to honour the victory of the good over the evil.
• Take your children to the local fairs/melas and have them watch the “Ramlila”.
• Buy them swords, dhanusha, gadda, masks of various characters etc.
• Motivate children to use their creative skills to make Dussehra crafts like a bow and arrow and similar crafts.
• Play recitations and hymns highlighting the life story of Lord Rama.
• You can also bring small effigies of Ravana from the markets (if available) and burn them in a nearby ground.
So, enjoy the day with your child at home and take every opportunity to teach them that truth always wins.