Raksha Bandhan: Sibling Bonds

Raksha Bandhan is a festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters.


Here are a few SMS and messages for brothers and sisters in hindi:



aya hai ek tyohar,
jisme hota hai bhai, behen ka pyar,
chalo manaye khusiyo se ye tyohar,
saari dunaya se pyari meri behana ka pyar,
chalo manaye rakhi ka tyohar
happy*RAKSHA BANDAN*

taro ka chamkta ghana ho,
meri behana sabse nayare ho
jab bande mujhe rakhi vo
meri didi sabse pyari ho



Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai
Sari Umar Hame Sang Rehna Hai.

The central ceremony involves the tying of a rakhi (sacred thread) by a sister on her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her.

The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread, by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents sweets to her brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed one another sweets.

In 2011, Rakhsha bandhan date falls on 13th August 
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Radha Krishna: Eternal Lovers

Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead in hindu religion. People all over the world enjoy this festival with great joy and fervor.

For generations if Krishna has been an agonising enigma to some, he has put millions into ecstasies. He is considered as the leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend all rolled into one. Whether he was a human being or a God-incarnate, there is no gainsaying the fact that he has been ruling the hearts of millions for over three millennia.

Rangoli is drawn in the entrance of the house as to welcome him into the home.It is at midnight that birth of Sri Krishna took place so the actual festivities begin during midnight when the celebration reaches its peak, with lot of hymns, aarti taking place and blowing of the conch shell (shankh) and rocking the cradle of the Lord.

The general pooja process begins early in the morning when the idol of lord is bathed with panch amrit (a mixture of milk, ghee, oil, honey and gangajal). The idol is then adorned with new clothes preferably in yellow colour, coloured stones and other precious jewellery. Next, the idol of lord is offered bhog, the contents of bhog may vary. Fruits, desserts like kheer, pedha, milk, and milk products are made. There are devotees who offer chappan bhog (56 dishes) to bal gopal.

After the entire puja is over, devotees break their fast and the panchamrit is distributed as prasad to the devotees along with other sweets. Devotees queue all the major Krishna temples to seek his blessings.While some keep fast on the day and break it at midnight, for others the fasting continues for two days.

Radhastami is the celebration day of Srimati Radharani's birth. Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna and was born 15 days after his birth. They are forever bound up in transcendental love for one another. Devotees fast until noon and sing devotional songs in praise of the divine couple and their pastimes. Then a feast is served, most often including the famous Radha Red dessert which is a spicy plum chutney.

Among Radha’s innumerable transcendental attributes, She has twenty-five principal qualities:

1) She is very sweet and most charming to look at;
2) She is adolescent and always youthful;
3) Her eyes are doe-like and restless;
4) Her face is smiling and ever blissful;
5) Auspicious, beautiful lines adorn her lotus hands and feet;
6) She has a fragrant bodily aroma;
7) She is an exceptional singer and vina player;
8) Her words are charming and pleasing;
9) She is expert at telling jokes;
10) She is exceptionally humble;
11) She is the embodiment of mercy and compassion;
12) Her intelligence and wit surpasses all;
13) She is expert at performing all activities of love;
14) Shyness is the shining gem in her character;
15) She is the beacon light of modesty and honesty;
16) She is never perturbed by worldly sorrow or misery;
17) She has unbounded gravity and sublimity;
18) She is cunning;
19) She possesses the highest sentiments of love;
20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula;
21) Her transcendental glories are shining in all the worlds;
22) She is most affectionate to her superiors;
23) She is submissive to the love of her senior girlfriends;
24) She is the chief among gopis;
25) She is always calm.

A few days later the Jhulan Yatra is also celebrated mainly in Bengal. The period coincides with rainy season and the air is thick, heavy and humid with the heat and the rains. In the midst of the rainy season, the fields and jungle have turned shades of lush green and flowers are blossoming all around.
iskcon

The opulence at this time is to find a breeze, as the air is heavy with the humidity of the rains. It is a most pleasing and satisfying festival, with the swings often highly decorated with forest creepers, Jasmine flowers that have newly blossomed in the season, and streamers of garlands. Sometimes a fine spray of rose water is directed towards the divine couple of Radha and Krishna on their swing.

Lord Krishna has influenced the Indian thought, life and culture in myriad ways. He has influenced not only its religion and philosophy, but also into its mysticism and literature, painting and sculpture, dance and music, and all aspects of Indian folklore.

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Akshay Tritiya: Eternal Bliss

In 2011, Akshaya Tritiya falls on the date May 6, Friday.

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej is one of the most auspicious days for Hindus, that falls on the third Lunar day of Bright Half (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Vaishakha (April-May). According to Hindu mythology, on this day the Treta Yuga began and the river Ganges, the most holy and sacred river of India, descended to the earth from the heaven.

In Sanskrit, the word "Akshaya" means eternal or never diminishing and the day is believed to bring good luck, bliss, happiness and success. This festival is considered as the most significant day to perform sacred deeds. It is believed that charity on this day will make you blessed and will receive blessings many fold. In charity, fan, rice, salt, ghee, sugar, vegetables, tamarind, fruit, clothes, are given.

According to the Hindu Astrology, three Lunar days (Tithis) are held as most auspicious and is known by Sade-Teen Mahurats or auspicious timings in every step in life. The first one is of the Bright half of Chaitra Month (New Year Day), second is the tenth thithi of the Lunar month Ashwin (Vijaya Dashami Day) and the third one is the third thithi of Bright half of Vaishakha (Akshaya Tritiya Day) It is considered an unboojha mahurat.

Akshay Tritiya festival is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Worship of Lord Vishnu on Akshay Tritiya eradicates and removes ones sins and makes him free from all sorrows. Puranas described that Devotees who perform Sri Maha Vishnu Puja on Akshay Tritiya may attain salvation. The day is generally observed by fasting and worship the Lord with rice grains and offer barley in a sacred fire. A dip in the river Ganges on this day is considered to be very auspicious. Akshay Tritiya is also an occasion for weddings, which are conducted in mass marriage ceremonies.

On the day of Akshaya Tirtiya, the birthday of Lord Shri Balarama, one of the Dasavatara, ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu and elder brother of Lord Sri Krishna, is also celebrated. Lord Balaram is significantly known with his weapon Hal (shovel). This day is also most auspicious day for the Jat farming community. Early morning, a male member of Jat family goes to field with shovel. All the animals and birds encountered on the way to the field indicate omen and predictions for rains and crops. In Orissa on Akshay Tritiya farmers start ploughing their land and construction of chariots for Rath Yatra begins at Puri.

On the day of Akshaya Tritiya, Hindus also observe the birthday of Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarantion of Lord Sri Maha Vishnu. According to another legends, during the time of the Mahabhrata, when the Pandavas were in exile, Lord Krishna, on this day, presented them an 'Akshaya Patra,' a bowl which would never go empty and produce an unlimited supply of food on demand.

The Sun and Moon are astrologically believed to be at their most exalted or radiant with equal brightness on this day. It is considered to be very lucky and auspicious day to start new business or venture. The legend states that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya shall continue to grow and bring prosperity. Many people buy gold or property on this day.

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Rath Yatra: Chariot Juggernaut

At the height of Indian summer, right at the beginning of the Monsoon, the Lord Jagannath along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra goes to his garden palace for the annual summer vacation.

Ratha Jatra or the Chariot Festival is perhaps one of the grandest festivals on earth. Everything is on a scale befitting the great Lord. Full of spectacle, drama and colour, the festival is a typical Indian fair of huge proportions.

It is also the living embodiment of the synthesis of the tribal, the folk, and the autochthonous with the classical, the elaborately formal and the sophisticated elements of the socio-cultural-religious ethos of the Indian civilization. History has it that when the British first observed the Rath Yatra in the 18th century, they were so amazed that they sent home shocking descriptions, which gave rise to the term 'juggernaut'.

Jatra literally means travel or journey. The Jatra for the ritual journey take two forms - one involving the short circumbulation around the temple and other involving a longer journey from the temple to some other destination. The Jatra is considered as an important part of festivities and ceremonies of each temple and is considered as a special and sacred occasion.

The festival begins with the Ratha Prathistha or invoking ceremony in the morning, but the chariot pulling is the most exciting part of the festival, which begins in the late afternoon when the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhdra start rolling. Each of the chariots is covered in distinctly coloured cloth. Various symbols and signs help pilgrims distinguish between the three gods.

Each of these carriages have different specifications: The chariot of Lord Jagannath is called Nandighosa, has 18 wheels and is 23 cubits high; the chariot of Balabhadra, called Taladhvaja has 16 wheels and is 22 cubits high; Devadalana, the chariot of Subhadra has 14 wheels and is 21 cubits high.

Jagannatha's ratha is marked with a cakra and garuda, is yellow in color, with four white horses. Baladeva's cart is blue, with a palm tree insignia, and four black horses. Subhadra's cart is black, with lotus insignia. In succession Subhadra, Baladeva, and Jagannatha are moved to their carts using silk ropes.

The deities are brought out of the temple to the chariots by rhythmic movement in a royal procession to the accompaniment of the beat of the 'cymbals' and drums and chanting of prayers by devotees. After being situated on their carts they are decorated and worshipped.

The huge, colourfully decorated chariots are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees Midway on the journey, the carts stop, and the deities are bathed in cool water, and naivedyam or food and aratrika are offered. This spectacular chariot festival is celebrated for 8 days.

Each year these wooden chariots are constructed newly in accordance with religious specifications. The idols of these three deities are also made of wood and they are religiously replaced by new ones after every 12 years.

Of all the festivals, the Ratha Yatra of Jagannatha at Puri in Orissa is the most famous and is held at the famous Jagannath Temple. This takes place on the second day of the waxing phase of the moon of the Asadha (June-July) month. A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival.

The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages. Thousands of devotees flock to Puri during the occasion as they believe that a glimpse of Lord Jagnnath in his chariot gives salvation.

All buildings are colourfully decorated with flags, buntings and awnings of bright colours. Ladies in colourful saris crowd the balconies, doors and windows decked with flowers. Men and women rush to pull the chariots along this main street of Puri. This is an exciting time in Puri. Depending on the lunar cycle, this festival can last anywhere from 1 - 2 weeks.

Thousands of devotees pull these chariots to Gundicha Mandir, a temple 3 km away. After a week, on the 10th day of the bright fortnight of Asadha, return journey or of the deities commences in the same manner from Gundicha temple to the main temple like Rath Yatra.

Such is the reverence, the fun, the mysticism, and overall bliss of Rath Yatra everywhere in the world it is celebrated.

Rath yatra falls on 3rd July in 2011

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Holi: Colours of Joy

Celebrated during the full moon night of March, this colourful and exuberant festival of Holi or Vasant Utsav/Dol Yatra celebrates the advent of spring and bidding adieu the harsh cold winter.  

Holi is also associated with the immortal love and worship of Lord Radha and Krishna and is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan and Mathura.

Holi rejuvenates the human mind and relationships amidst the splashing of colours (Abeer/Gulal) to one and all.

Holi lifts the sulken spirits and provide a new enthusiasm through songs, dances and merriment. 

Palash/Parrot flowers bloom in full might, also known as 'Flame of the forest' going by its fiery red colours. Natural Colours made from it are becoming popular which is better than the synthetic colours prevalent mostly.

Huge bonfires are lit up on the night before holi marking the destruction of evil and welcoming the good. Thandai is a wonderful cold refreshing and healthy flavored milk that is traditionally prepared during the Holi festival. Drinking thandai in Holi also gels with the weather as the temperature runs high at that time and thandai acts as a coolant.

One of the post popular holi songs in India 'Rang Barase' featuring none other than Amitabh Bachhan.

The fun, frolic and fervour of the festival brings in new hope and celebrates the love of life.

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Fragrance of Losar

Losar festival is celebrated to commemorate the advent of the Tibetan New Year. Losar (Lo means year and Sar means new) is the most important of all the socio-religious events of the Buddhists and is celebrated on the first day of the eleventh month of every Lunar year, which falls mainly in the month of February. For all Buddhists, Losar is a sacred time and a time for feasting and celebration. It is a time to be with the family, and a time to ensure that bad omens are not carried into the New Year.

The New Year festivities at all homes begins with the 'Metho' ceremony during Losar eve, when processions of people carrying flaming torches pass through the Monasteries, villages, markets and lanes, chanting prayers to chase away evil spirits believed to have accumulated during the year as a result of bad Karma (deeds).

An interesting display of fire and light is created by the whirling of the flaming torches which are then thrown away in a gesture to bid farewell to the old year and to welcome the New Year ahead. The New Year day itself starts with making offerings at the shrines of personal gods and clan ancestors and with greetings to family elders, relatives and friends, with the first day generally reserved for family and the second and third for friends and more distant relatives.

Tibetans also visit monasteries and make offerings at this time. This festival is full of music, dancing and merry-making. Losar is primarily a three-day festival. Even so, typical Tibetan families keep the festivities going for up to 15 days. Losar is celebrated by Buddhists in Tibet, India, Bhutan, and in Tibetan communities throughout the world.

Losar is marked with activities that symbolize purification, and welcoming in the new. The last day of the year is a time to clean and prepare for the approaching New Year. During 'Gutor' the entire neighborhood is cleaned, and everyone whitewashes and cleans their houses to prepare for the New Year. As the big day approaches, any or all of the eight auspicious symbols are drawn on the kitchen wall with phye mar.

The mouths of household vessels such as water cans, clay pots and so forth, are tied with white woolen scarves, and window and door curtains are replaced. A small amount of dirt is collected, which will later be thrown onto a place where spirits are thought to dwell. Homeowners race through their houses shooting off guns or firecrackers to drive out evil.

Monastaries begin their celebrations the day before Tibetan New Year's Eve by conducting a protector deities' ritual (puja). On the last day of the old year, decorations are put up and elaborate offerings made called "Lama Losar".

Preparations for Losar basically consist of collecting fresh roasted barley flour for phye mar (sweetened barley flour symbolizing good wishes), gro ma (a small dried sweet potato) bras sil (sweet rice), lo phud (a young sprout of wheat or barley symbolizing the birth of the new year), chang (barley beer), khab se (fried biscuits), tea, butter, sheep’s heads, butter lamps, of various sizes, and fruits and sweets. Locally produced foodstuffs are preferable.

A complete set of these seasonal delicacies is also required for arrangement on the altar. These are prepared in huge quantities days, weeks, or even months before Losar, according to the need of the household; most families, however, prepare them one day before Losar. Khab se and chang together form the basic medium of exchanging greetings.

New clothing may be prepared, especially for children, but most adults wear their finest set of old clothing; often, a person will own only one such set of fine clothing, which they usually keep locked in a trunk until an appropriate event, such as Losar or the marriage of their relatives.

Lines are laid down in white said along the sides of the path from the gate to the door, and in the center of the path are drawn symbols such as a swastika, which symbolizes indestructible good fortune, or a conch, which symbolizes the flourishing of the Dharma.

On the first day, in the early dawn, the housewife of the family runs to collect the year’s first bucket of water. She burns incense at the water source, ties a scarf around the tap, and sets out an offering of the first portionphye mar and chang to appease the nagas (subterranean serpent beings) and spirits. On reaching home, she serves boiled chang porridge while awakening every member of the family, bidding them “Tashi Delek.” 

Then all, now quite awake after relishing the chang porridge (and some perhaps already a bit soused), attire themselves in their best costumes. After performing their devotions before the altar by making prostrations, reciting prayers, lighting lamps and the like, they take their seats, lined up according to seniority within the household. The housewife then serves phye mar, chang phud and sweet rice, followed by tea, sweet soup, boiledchang porridge, and a set of khab se called dkar spro.

When this formal family ceremony is over, the household members run off to their next door neighbors’ houses, chewing phye mar and chang phud while shouting “Tashi Delek!” Children especially love to fill their pockets with sweets and show off their new outfits. On this day people neither socialize extensively, nor spend money freely, for it is believed (with or without reason) that if anyone were to do so, the fortunes of their household would diminish.

From the second day of Losar onwards, people visit each others’ houses, gamble, play dice, cards, dance and sing songs. If the lunar calendar predicts that the second day will be favorable, people raise prayer flags, both horizontally and vertically, on their roofs. And while on the roof, they also offer incense, sending great pillars of smoke rising into the sky.

This ceremony is primarily, a ritual of appeasement offered in honor of their deities of the home (skye lha); it is also a rite to increase the family’s luck and fortune, as well as to placate gods, goddesses, mountain dwelling spirits (btsan), local spirits (yul lha) and nagas.

This incense offering ceremony is also accompanied by an offering of black tea to the gods and goddesses of the home and the locality; it concludes with the shouting of “Ki Ki So So Lha Gyal Lo!” (“May the gods on the side of virtue be victorious!”) three times while holding tsampa between the thumb and the tips of the fingers of one’s right hand.

One then throws the tsampa toward the sky, filling the air with a fine mist of powder. When the incense burning and prayer flag ceremony is held in public, the scene is even more lively and lovely. People also make offerings to the moon for happy and prosperous life. At night, they illuminate the house with oil lamps.

In private homes, whether of high or low social status, aristocratic or working class, everyone enjoys the festivities, ongoing rituals and pageants of the Losar festival, while exchanging hospitality and sharing conviviality. The Losar merrymaking lasts for at least a week, and in some places even longer. Some people even get married during Losar to make things especially festive!

Some playful and naughty people jubilantly polish others’ faces with tsampa to tease them; people of the opposite sex are a favorite target. They also participate in various religious ceremonies during the day. The most popular is the play in which the people perform masked dances. Crackers are burnt to light the darkness of the New Year and to scare off all the evil spirits. It symbolizes victory of good over bad.

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Makar Sankranti: Winter Harvest Celebrations

As the winter in India comes towards its dying stages, the harvest festival is celebrated in different parts of India. At the end of the harvesting season when everyone's storehouses are filled with grains and the people have a broad smile in their faces seeing their granaries, they celebrate by preparing different kinds of dishes and delicious food items with the newly harvested grains.

The harvest festivals are celebrated essentially as a thanksgiving to nature for a good harvest which is a main source of livelihood in this part of the world. The dishes are first offered to the nature gods and then everyone join in a sumptuous feast. People also organise music and dance shows and enjoy for a few days to mark the festival.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. The festival is known in different parts of India in different names.

In northern India especially Punjab it is known as lohri. In eastern india, especially in Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh it is known as makar sankranti. In Assam in the north-east it is known as bhogali bihu, in the south especially in Tamilnadu it is known as Pongal. In Karnataka it is known as puthari, in Andhra Pradesh, it is known as bhogi or sankranti, in Kerala as kakkoor kalavayal.

Makar Sankranti marks the commencement of the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere and is a day of celebration all over the country. The day begins with people taking holy dips in the waters and worshipping the sun. The makar sankranti is the last day of the pous, a month in the hindu calendar.

In this day , in the northern India people take a dip in the river Ganges in places like Prayag in Uttar Pradesh, Hardwar in Uttaranchal, Patna in Bihar, Ganga Sagar in West Bengal and many other places. The sun transcends to its northward journey orUttarayan and the day is generally one of the coldest in the entire winter.

Different kinds of food items are prepared in almost every household, which they savour themselves and also distribute among friends and relatives. In Bengal and Assam it is known as Pitha or the rice cake, although it is prepared in a different manner among the bengalis and the assamese. The bengali items are mainly soft in nature and has to be savoured instantly, whereas the assamese ones are dry and stored for a long time. Coconut is the main item to prepare the pitha.

In Assam people prepare a hut kind of structure with hays known as mejhis, which is later burnt and the delicacies prepared are offered to the fire god. The women members prepare the delicacies during the night and the male members and small girls lit bonfires and sing and dance around them.

In Bihar the biharis prepare dahi-chura by mixing curd and a kind of fried rice. In Punjab and Maharashtra households prepare tilache laddus or sweets made of sesame seeds or til and jaggery or gud. 

Punjabis also prepare laddus and other sweet delicacies with peanuts and jaggery. Huge bonfires are lit on the eve of sankrant and which is celebrated as lohri. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is sankrant is celebrated as maghi. The Punjabi's dance their famous bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the samptions food that is specially prepared for the occasion.

In Gujarat people generally distribute food items to relatives, they also fly kites to mark the occasion as also the people of Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh this festival of sankrant is known by the name sakarat and is celebrated with great pomp merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.

In Karnataka a preparation of rice is offered to cows and bullocks, which are beautifully decorated and is considered sacred here. There are also song and dance arrangements to celebrate puthari here. Men, women and children attired in colourful tunics visit friends and relatives and exchange pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings.

Pongal in tamil means ‘to boil’. It is essentially a four day festival where different rituals are performed on each of these days. On the first day different unutilised items are thrown into the fire, lit of wood. The fire also keeps everyone warm in the cold winter. Girls make merry by dancing around the fire.

The festivities all round embody a spirit of brotherhood, unity and gratitude, with family reunions and merrymaking generating a lot of happiness, goodwill and cheer.

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