Indian Festivals

Chandraghanta Devi

Chandraghanta :-

The third Navrat is dedicated to the worship of Chandraghanta, the third manifestation of the energy of the goddess Durga. The ten armed goddess is seated upon a tiger and holds in her hand a set of incongruous objects, ranging from a lotus and kamandal to the weapons of warfare such as sword, mace and bow and arrow. Yet her demeanour and visage is one of extreme clam. And two of her hands are empty, folded in a mudra of meditation. But she derives her name from her most prominent ornaments, a half moon shaped like a bell that adorns her forehead.

It is the clamorous sound of this instrument being rung like a bell that smites all evil being such as demons and instills fear in their hearts. Nonetheless as a goddess she exemplifies clam and material well being. Her adornments are rich and signify material comfort. In a sense she is the goddness who rids our life of obstructions and evil energy.

The holder of the potent energy that is yet to be unleashed, she is also the bestower of courage upon her devotees. As a potent force and facet of the female energy, Chandraghanta claims as her own the Manipur Chakra. Symbolised by a lotus with ten petals, this chakra is also known as the "nabhi" or navel chakra. The Manipur Chakra embodies the change or conversion from simplicity to complexity.

                                                   MARKANDEYA Said:-

Om. Grandsire! Tell me the most concealed armour in this world which protects men in all respects and has not been revealed to any one as yet.

                                                     THE BRAHMA Said:-

O' Inspired One! There is one such sacred and most concealed armour of the Goddess which is helpful to all becomings. Please listen to and learn this.

Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru Amavasyais observed on No Moon day during Mahalaya Paksha  shraddh. Mahalaya Amavasya 2010 date is October 7, 2010. Pitru Amavasya falls during Ashwin month as per North Indian calendar followed in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttaranchal. Mahalaya Amavas  is the last day of Pitru Paksha, the fortnight dedicated to offer Shraddh rituals to dead ancestors.

On Mahalaya Amavasya, Brahmin santarpana is performed on behalf of dead ancestors to provide them peace in their world. Hindus believe that Shraddh ritual performed on this Amavasya makes their dead ancestors free from all the sins they have committed when they were alive and provides them salvation.

The enchanting voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra fill up the predawn hours of the day thus marking the beginning of "Devipaksha'' and the beginning of the countdown of Durga Puja. Mahalaya is a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess to descend on earth: "Jago Tumi Jago''. The history of the Mahalaya broadcast is interesting. The concept started in the early 1930s, when AIR played the early morning programme, Mahisasura Mardini or The Annihilation of the Demon.

The same programme has been running thereafter, and is a huge favourite with Bengalis. It's a beautiful audio montage of recitation from the scriptural verses of Chandi Kavya, Bengali devotional songs, classical music and a dash of acoustic melodrama. The programme has also been translated into Hindi, set to similar orchestration and is broadcast at the same time for a pan-Indian audience.

Birendra Krishna Bhadra, the legendary narrator, recites the holy verses and tells the story of the descent of Durga to earth, in his inimitable style. Bhadra has long passed away, but his recorded voice still forms the core of the Mahalaya programme. In a sonorous, reverberating voice, Bhadra renders the Mahalaya recital for two thrilling hours, mesmerising every household. As the recital begins, the serene morning air resonates with the long drawn sound of the sacred conch shell, immediately followed by a chorus of invocation, melodiously setting the stage for the recitation of the Chandi Mantra. The story element speaks of the increasing cruelty of the demon king Mahisasura against the gods. Unable to tolerate his tyranny the gods plead with Vishnu to annihilate the demon.

The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara (Shiva) come together to create a powerful female form with ten arms Goddess Durga or 'Mahamaya', the Mother of the Universe who embodies the primeval source of all power. The gods then bestow upon this Supreme creation their individual blessings and weapons. Armed like a warrior, the goddess rides a lion to battle with the Mahisasura. After a fierce combat the 'Durgatinashini' is able to slay the 'Asura' king with her trident. Heaven and earth rejoice at her victory. Finally, the mantra narration ends with the refrain of mankind's supplication before this Supreme Power. For many Durga Puja committees in the city, the Mahalaya is the signal for the festivities to start.

Many arrange cultural programmes and community events to mark the days to Mahasaptami, when the Puja starts off in earnest. For instance, Tamal Dutta of Nivedita Enclave puja samiti says that this year, the programmes are starting off Friday, with a musical event

Ingredients: -
1 Cup full-cream powder milk
Ghee for frying
4 Teaspoon Suji
4 Teaspoon Ghee
Milk to make dough
4 Teaspoon Cake Flour ( Maida )
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

For Sugar Syrup:-

2 Cups Water
2 Cups Sugar

For The Filling:-

Some cream ( malai )
Desicated Coconut

How to make Malai Gulab Jamun

• Make a dough with Powder- milk, suji, maida, ghee, baking powder &  milk. Set aside for 2-3 hours.
• Again make a dough by adding some more milk ( as the dough becomes stiff & hard after 2 hours ).
• Make Sugar syrup and cool. Make elongated-shaped Jamuns and fry in ghee at medium heat.
• Add to the syrup. Leave aside for about 4 hours. Squeeze out the syrup gently.
• Make a slit at one end & fill with malai.
• Roll in the desicated coconut.

 

Rath Yatra:- This spectacular chariot festival is held at the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri. Images of Lord Jagannath,  his sister Subhadra  and brother Balbhadra are taken out in procession in three chariots to their summer temple for a week. The main chariots is 14 meters high and 10 meters square with 16 wheels. The ropes of the huge chariots are pulled by millions of devotees who also believe that this act bestows salvation upon them.

All these are July Festivals and fairs which are celebrated in this month with joy and happiness.
 

Rajasthan Temple Festivals are well known all across western India for its colour and jollity. Rajasthan has an unending cycle of fairs and festivals throughout the year. Some are held just to celebrate the kings` successes, while others have traditional, religious significance.

Rajasthan Temple Festivals are perhaps the most colourful and spectacular events in the whole of India. Besides the religious festivals born out of age-old traditions and rituals, there are others, which celebrate the colourful seasons, cattle marts and others. These are special, enthralling fairs, craft fairs of west India that highlights the crafts of the rural India. Rajasthan temple festivals give an insight to the colourful life style of the Rajasthani people and are mesmerizing with their folk dances, music, drama and animal races. Some of the main Rajasthan temple festivals are Teej, Gangaur and the Pushkar Fair, Desert festival, Elephant Festival and the Camel festival, which are sometimes also celebrated without any religious association.

Gangaur Festival is celebrated in the Rajasthan temples, in veneration of Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva, during March and April. This Rajasthan temple festival is dedicated to Gauri, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati; consort of Lord Shiva, which begins on the first day of Chaitra, the day following Holi and lasts for 18 days. Gangaur Festival is the most important local festival of Rajasthan and is observed in most of the temples of this state. Girls and married women throughout Rajasthan celebrate this Rajasthan temple festival. The images of Gauri are ornamented and offerings are made. Unmarried women pray Mother Gauri for blessing to get good husband and the married women pray for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands. This is also an auspicious day for young people to choose their life partners. Colourful processions with the town band playing horses and elaborate palanquins create a fascinating spectacle.

There are many more Rajasthan temple festivals, which are celebrated all across the state with regional rejoicings.