PONGAL
The Harvest Festival This three-day Hindu harvest festival falls in the month of Magha, corresponding with the solar equinox. Celebrated in the south, it is marked by the cooking of the rice from the first harvest after the long and arduous winter. This three-day harvest festival is celebrated every year in Magha, from the 13th to the 15th of January. The word `pongal` refers to the dish of sweet rice prepared on this occasion. The festival is celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The time of the festival is of great importance to all Hindus, a sit corresponds to the solar equinox when the days begin to lengthen and the nights begin to wane. According to Hindu mythology, this is when the day of the gods begins, after a six-month long night. The festival is spread over three days and is the most important and most fervently-celebrated harvest festival of south India. A special puja is performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of the paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by anointing their ploughs and sickles with sandalwood paste. It is with these consecrated tools that the newly-harvested rice is cut. The first day is called Pongal Podigai or Bhogi Pongal and is a day of family feasting and enjoyment. Since the festival celebrates the harvest of the paddy crop, the newly harvested rice is first cooked on this day. The rice grains, along with sesame seeds, jaggery, chick peas, groundnuts and dried coconut, are put into an earthen pot filled with milk. This is boiled until some of the milk spills over, and the preparation is called `Pongal`. It is generally cooked at an auspicious hour, recommended by the priest, in the courtyard of the house. A portion of the cooked rice is offered to Ganesha, and the rest is shared by the family, neighbours and friends as consecrated food. As people greet each other, they ask paal pongita or `has the milk boiled over?`. Another ritual observed on this day is called Bhogi Mantalu, when useless household articles are thrown into a fire made of wood and cowdung cakes. Girls dance around the bonfire, singing songs in praise of the gods, the spring and the harvest. In Andhra Pradesh, in the morning the girls burn their old clothes and wear new ones after an oil massage and bath. Then follows Pongal Panai, a ritual in which the new earthenware pots are painted and decorated with turmeric, flowers and mango leaves. The second day is known as Surya Pongal, the day for the worship of Surya, and the rice cooked in milk and jaggery is offered him. When the foodis being cooked and when it boils over, people shout pongalo pongal loudly and many times to rejoice. On this festive day, a newly-married couple, symbolising freshness and joy, is presented with new clothes by the bride`s parents. The servants of the house are also given new clothes towear. Bathing in the sacred rivers during Pongal is believed to be extremely beneficial. Hence, devotees flock to Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu to bathe in the waters of the Kaveri, and to Tirunelveli, also in Tamil Nadu to bathe in the river Tamrapani. Bathingin the sea at Vedanaranyam in Tamil Nadu is also considered auspicious. The third day is known as Mattu Pongal or Gopuja, the day of Pongal for cows. It is marked by cattle worship. In earlier times, cattle formed the chief asset of an agriculturalist and it was only proper that their services were recognised and celebrated on this day.The cattle are given a ceremonial bath in the morning, their horns are cleaned, polished and painted, and then decorated with flowers. hey are then given Pongal to eat. Arati is performed on them, so as to ward off the evil eye. According to a legend, once Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to go to the earth and ask the mortals to have an oil massage and bath every day and to eat once a month. Inadvertently, Basava announced that everyone should eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. This mistake enraged Shiva who then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on the earth forever. He would have to plough the fields and help people produce more food. Thus the association of this day with cattle. A festival called Jallikathu is held in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur, all in Tamil Nadu, on this day. Bundles of money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls which the villagers try to retrieve. Everyone joins in the community meal, at which the food is made of the freshly harvested grain.This day is named and celebrated as Tamilian Tirunal in a fitting manner throughout Tamil Nadu. Muttu Pongal, also called Kanu Pongal, is also celebrated by sisters for the welfare of their brothers. This festival is reminiscent of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Duja (see Diwali) of north India. A large banana (Musaparadisiaca) leaf is washed. It is then placed on the ground, next to the basilaltar in the courtyard. On it is placed a branch of the amla (Phylalnthus embelica) tree. On this leaf are placed at four corners, the leftovers of sweet pongal and the salty pongal called Vand Pongal, ordinary rice as well as coloured red and yellow, five betel leaves, two betel nuts, two pieces of sugarcane, turmeric leaves, and two or three ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) fruit. On this also reposes an oil lamp. In TamilNadu women perform this ritual before bathing in the morning. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the festival starts after everyone has bathed. All the women, young and old, of the house assemble in the courtyard. The eldest married woman distributes a handful ofrice to all the others. The rice is placed in the centre of the banana leaf, while the women ask that the house and family of their brothers should prosper.Arati is performed for the brothers with tumeric water, limestone and rice, and this water is sprinkled on the rangoli in front of the house. Sisters apply a tilak on the foreheads of their brothers, and give them fruit, sweets, sesame seed and jaggery. The brothers thank their sisters for their good wishes and give them money and gifts. The celebration of this festival probably originated very early on. From the very beginning, the first agriculturalists realised the importance of a good crop, which sustained the entire clan. And since, to him, it depended on some supernatural element, he thought it fit to thank the gods after a good harvest. Further, it was believed that all that is new, a new crop, the first catch of a season, and the first born of a domestic animal, was sacred and hence not to be touched by man until certain sacramental ceremonies were performed. A part of the new was sacrificed to the gods or spirits, and one`s ancestors, and only then could it be consumed. In addition, it was realised that the fruit of the earth and animals for food should not be garnered until they were ready. This was emphasised by the community; and until a ritual was performed, nothing could be gathered, slain, oreaten. The harvest festival of Pongal symbolises the veneration of the first fruit. The crop is harvested only after a certain time of the year, and cutting the crop before that time is strictly prohibited. Even though Pongal was originallya festival for the farming community,today it is celebrated by all. In the south, all three days of Pongal are considered important. However, those south Indians who have settled in the north usually celebrate only the second day. Coinciding with Makara Sankranti and Lohri of the north, it is also called Pongal Sankranti. Though traditionally `pongal` is cooked using the newly harvested grain, nowadays it is not easily available. Therefore families not directly involved in agriculture cook `pongal` using old rice, to give thanks in the traditional way.

ONAM
The Harvest Festival This four-day harvest festival of the Hindus falls in the month of Chingam, marking the advent of spring. It also celebrates the yearly visit of King Mahabali to Kerala. One of the main events of this festival is the snake boat races. Onam is a four-day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala. It falls in the Malyali month of Chingam, marking the end of the life-giving monsoon and the advent of spring. Mythologically, the event celebrates the annual visit of King Mahabali. According to a legend in Vishnu Purana, Mahabali was a king, and through severe penance had gained dominion over the three worlds. He was an able and just ruler and his people adored him. The gods however, shorn of their powers and deprived of their abode and the spoils from sacrifices performed on earth, asked Vishnu for help. He agreed, and took his fourth incarnation of Vamana, the dwarf. Accordingly, he was born to Sage Kashyapa and his consort Aditi. When he attained maturity, he went to?the court of Mahabali, who was in the midst of a sacrifice. The virtuous Balisaw the Brahmin and immediately asked him what he desired. Vamana begged for as much land as he could encompass with three steps. Bali agreed to the humble request but as soon as the sacrificial water was poured on Vamana`s hands, he became a giant. With one step he covered the earth, with the second step the heavens. As there was no place to claim his third step, Bali offered his head as a resting ground. Vishnu put his foot on Bali`s head and pushed him down to the nether world. However, inrecognition of his virtues, Vishnu made him king of the Asuras. At Bali`s request, Vishnu allowed him to return to earth to visit his people once a year. It is believed that Mahabali visits his people in Kerala during Onam. It has now been historically established that a king named Mahabali ruled over the region of modern Kerala around the 4th century AD. He was a powerful and just kingand his dynasty ruled over Kerala for about 150 years. The return of their erstwhile king is celebrated by the Keralites with tremendous enthusiasm and vigour. Kerala wears a festive look during these four days. Every house is cleaned and decorated. Doorways are adorned with rangoli and flowers. Pukkalam, or floral decorations consisting of garlands and flower petals, are an essential inclusion in all decorations since traditionally, flowers are used to welcome people. Flowers are also symbolic of innocence and freshness which the season brings withit. Every day the old flowers are replaced with new ones. According to alocal belief, the better the house is decorated, the greater the chance of King Mahabali entering it. Here Bali signifies the harvest, and the visit of Mahabali actually symbolises a good harvest. As Kerala is still largely agricultural, people celebrate this event with enthusiasm. Sumptuous feasts are also prepared on all days during Onam. Although the festival centers around the myth of Mahabali and Vishnu, it also celebrates the advent of the harvest season. It is not just the commemoration of the return of a great king who bestowed prosperity and happiness on his people, but also the veneration of the harvest that indicates wealth and joy. On all the four days,the family prays to Vishnu and sings songs in praise of King Mahabali who, through his humility, won Vishnu`s honour and respect. Women sing and dance in the evenings. Vallom Kallies or the snake boat races form an important part of Onam celebrations. Some of the sites famous for these races are Aranmula on the Pamba river in the Kuttanad region,Papiyad near Quilon, and Thayathangadi near Kottayam. The slim boats are about 100 feet long with a capacity of about 150 men. Black in colour, the boats are usually made of anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), but sometimes teak and kadamb (Nauclea cadamba) wood is also used. Both ends of the boat curl out of the water to about 15 to 20 feet. The curled end sare shaped like cobra hoods and it is from this shape that boat has derived its name. The boats are made by traditional boat builders who inherit this art from their fathers and pass it down to their sons. Everything is handmade and crafted with great care. The boats are ornately designed and decorated with green and scarlet silk umbrellas; their number denotes the affluence of the family to which they belong. Gold coins, ornaments and tassels are hung from the umbrellas. Preparations for the race begin days in advance. Many practice sessions are organised which cease two days before the race. The boats are launched into the water a day before the race, which is held on the third of the four days of Onam. On the day of the race, the boats are smeared with coconut oil to smooth their passage through the water. Just before the race begins, priests perform a small puja to Vishnu and Mahabali and confer blessings on the boat and the boatmen. Flowers are offered to the gods and then placed at the helm of the boat as a sign of good luck. Each long, graceful, snake-like boat is rowed by 100 oarsmen to the beat and rhythm of cymbals, drums, and songs. The winner of this race is bestowed many presents. In the evening, girls dance around the traditional brass lamp, with much rejoicing. According to a legend related to the origin of these boats, once some bandits robbed a small boat carrying offerings to a Krishna temple. Krishna appeared before the devotee in adream and advised him to build alarger boat which, when rowed by 100to 150 oarsmen, would glide swiftly and outstrip any pirate. And so the speedy or snake boat was designed.

BAISAKHI
The Harvest Festival Baisakhi, the harvest festival, falls on April 13. Celebrated in Punjab and Haryana, this festival also commemorates the formation of the order of the Khalsa. Baisakhi is a derivative of Vaishakha. After harvesting the winter crop, the farmers of the northern states of Punjab and Haryana celebrate the beginning of another year. The day coincides with the solar equinox on the 13th of April. There is boisterous dancing and loud joyous singing as the traditional folk dances of Punjab, called the Gidda and Bhangra, are performed. It is also the anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa Pantha.People collect in the evening around abon fire to celebrate the harvest. History has recorded the execution of GuruTeg Bahadur, the ninth guru of the Sikhs, by the Mughals, on November 11, 1675. In revolt against this injustice, his son Guru Govind Singh, who was also the tenth guru, was compelled to take up arms. He selected the auspicious day of Baisakhi to initiate this important task, by forming the order of the Khalsa. On the13th of April in 1699, at a meeting in atown named Anandpur in Punjab, the guru called upon his people to come forward to sacrifice themselves for the good of the clan. Pin-drop silence met his appeal. He repeated the call, with the same response. The third time, a thirty-year-old man named Daya Ram Khatri stood up and volunteered. The guru took Daya Ram to a tent nearby and returned alone after some time, his sword dripping blood. He repeated his call for volunteers four more times.The others who offered themselves were Dharm Das, a Jat from Delhi, Mokhan Chand, a washerman from Dwarka, Sahib Chand a barber from Bidar, and Himmat Rai, a water carrier from Jagannatha. Each of them went with him to the tent and everytime he returned alone with his bloodied sword. The guru went to the tent yet again, this time for a long time. He reappeared followed by the five men, clad in saffron-coloured garments. The crowd was astonished for it had assumed them to be dead. They sat on the dais made for the occasion, while the guru prepared water to bless them. In an iron vessel, he stirred the batasha that his wife, Mata Jitoji had put into water, with a sword called Khanda Sahib, while verses from their scriptures were recited by the congregation. The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called amrita. It was firstgiven to the five volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed to the crowd. All those present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members of the Khalsa Pantha. This was also agreat step in national integration because society at that time was divided on the basis of religion, caste and social status. The concept of forming a group where the origin of the individual became irrelevant was considered a very radical step. Those who had offered their lives were christened the Panch Pyare. They were directed by the guru to wear five K`s: Kesh or long hair, Kangha or comb, Kripan or dagger, Kachha or shorts and a Kara or bracelet. He discontinued the tradition of gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and beards unshorn to get baptised by the sword. The suffix Singh derived from the Sanskrit word singha meaning `lion`, was added to the name of all male Sikhs, while the women were to call themselves Kaur, assistants to the Singh. To pay tribute to this event, prayer meetings are organised in gurdwaras across the country. The main celebration however, takes place in the gurdwara at Anandpur Sahib, where the order was formed. At about 4 o`clock in the morning, the Guru Grantha Sahib is ceremonially taken out from its resting chambers. After asymbolic bath with milk and water, it is placed on its throne. Priests called the Panch Pyare then chant the verses that were recited by the original Panch Pyare when the order was created. Called the Panch Bani, these prayers include the Jabji Sahib, Jap Sahib, Sudha Savahiye, Chow Payee Sahiband Anandpur Sahib. While the Panch Bani is being chanted, amrita is prepared in an iron vessel, as was done by Guru Govind Singh. Devotees sip the amrita five times and vow to work for the Khalsa Panth. At noon, after the ardas, the Karah Prasad is offered to the guru for his blessings. It is then distributed to the congregation. They eat the prasad, before proceeding to participate in the guru ka langar. Believers perform kar seva. Shabads and kirtans are sung all day long to honour Guru Govind Singh and the beloved five, the founders of the Khalsa Panth.

MAKARA SANKRANTI
Return of the Sun to the North Makara Sankranti celebrates the entry of the sun into the Tropic of Capricorn in the month of Magha. Makara literally means `Capricorn` and sankranti is the day when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. The sankranti of any month is considered auspicious as it signifies a fresh start. However Makara Sankranti is celebrated in the month of Magha when the sun passes through the winter solstice, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. According to Hindu mythology, one `human` year of 365 days is equivalent to one day and night of the gods. Makara Sankranti marks the beginning of the day of the gods, which is equivalent to six solar months and is believed to be the auspicious part of the year. The previous six months, considered the night and therefore symbolic of darkness and evil, are inauspicious. Makara Sankranti is believed to be the time when Surya rides his chariot, drawn by seven horses, from the southern skies to the north. For the pastoral people therefore, it is of prime importance for it signifies the end of the winter and the `turning back` of the sun to the north. This festival has been celebrated for thousands of years. Initially, this was probably a festival celebrated in the cold climate, when people prayed for the warmth of the sun. In all likelihood, the Aryans celebrated it, and continued to do so after migrating to India. Today, Makara Sankranti is celebrated throughout India as a harvest festival. It is a way of giving thanks to the elements of nature that help man. This is the period when the winter recedes, paving the way for the summer. It is the time the farmers bring home their harvest. In the coastal regions, it is a harvest festival dedicated to Indra. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu, and in Punjab it is called Lohri. In North India, a ritual bath in the river is important on this day. In fact, bathing is considered mandatory on this day, and according to a popular local belief in the hills of Uttar Pradesh, one who does not bathe on Makara Sankranti is born a donkey in his next birth. The belief probably originated in cold climates to compel some of the more reluctant people to observe certain rules of hygiene. Khichiri is eaten and given away as charity, and some call the festival Khichiri Sankranti. People also distribute rice and lentils to the poor and needy. In Maharashtra, a special dish called tilgul, or laddoos made of jaggery and sesame seed, the chief crop of the season, is popular. A big fair is held at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Sarasvati rivers at Triveni in Allahabad(Uttar Pradesh) on this occasion. Being the month of Magha, this fair is also called Magha Mela. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar. Since it is also the season to fly kites, the evening sky is awash with colourful kites of all shape sand sizes. Several kite competition sare held in various localities.

KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI

The Birth of Lord Krishna This Hindu festival, which falls during the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadra, is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Krishna to annihilate Kansa. It is marked by fasts, prayers and the enactment of incidents from Krishna`s childhood. Janma literally means `birth` and ashtami means the `eighth day`. The eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapad is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami. It commemorates the birth of Krishna, born to annihilate Kansa, the evil king of Mathura. This festival is very popular in north India. People observe a day-long fast which is broken only at midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. The festival is acommunity celebration, and people visit Krishna temples which are specially decorated and lit for the occasion. The image of Krishna is ceremonially bathed in a mixture of curds, milk, honey, dry fruit and basilor tulasi leaves. This mixture is then distributed as prasad to all devotees. The idol is dressed in new clothes and offered food, sweets, fruit and clarified butter. Priests chant mantras from religious scriptures. The temple too reverberates with devotional songs inpraise of the god. In Mathura, believed to be Krishna`s birthplace, and other places near by, these ceremonial observances are amplified by the staging of dramas. In them, Krishna makes himself available in an especially vivid manner to his devotees through child actors. These Brahmin boys act out incidents from Krishna`s childhood and are, for that period,considered to be the god. Devotees treat them with respect and veneration,even prostrating before them. Tableaux featuring scenes from the life of Krishna abound the streets all through the day. A little before midnight, devotees pour into temples to participate in the special arati and to relive the birth of Krishna. Till midnight, devotional songs are sung in anticipation of the holy birth. Special cradles are installed at temples and a small statue of the godis placed in them. At exactly midnight, temple bells are rung to announce the birth of Krishna. Everyone clamours to rock the cradle of the newborn. Then a special arati is performed, after which devotees partake the special prasad. Details of celebrations for Janmashtami are found in many scriptures. The Dharmashastras specify the day to be celebrated as a vrata. The Bhavishya Purana cautions against the non-observance of this vrata saying: " Whether a man or woman, if one neglects to observe the birthday vrata of Lord Krishna, the defaulter shall be re-born as a female serpent in a deep forest." Other such references leave little doubt that Krishna Janmashtami originates in ancient times and that the vrata is considered mandatory. Interesting games commemorate this event. One of the most popular is the breaking of the dahi handi or `pot of curd`. A terracotta pot containing milk, butter and curd is hung high up across a street. Groups of men form a pyramid to try and break this pot. The group that succeeds is named the winner, and its leader is treated with respect by the community. This game is believed to have been specially dear to Krishna and his friends. Another form of public recreation is the Raslila. According to the Puranas, Kansawas an evil king of Mathura who had overthrown his father and imprisoned him. His attrocities drove the gods toVishnu who promised to take his eighth incarnation in the human world. He wasthen born as Krishna in the 28th year of the Dwapara Yuga.? According to a legend related to Krishna`s birth, Kansa had a cousin called Devaki, whom he loved dearly. In due course, Kansa arranged a suitable match for her and married her with great pomp and show. However, an oracle foretold Kansa that Devaki`s eight child would be responsible for his death. Enraged, Kansa was about to slice off her head when her husband Vasudeva intervened. He begged Kansa not to kill Devaki and in return promised to give him all their children at birth. Kansa agreed, but imprisoned the couple to ensure this. In time, he killed six of their children by throwing them against a stone slab outside the prison. The seventh child however was transferred to the womb of Rohini, another of Vasudeva`s wives, and Kansa believed that Devaki had suffered a miscarriage. When she was pregnant with the eighth child, Kansa increased security at the prison and ordered the guards to bring the newborn to him the moment he was born. It was midnight on the eighth day in the month of Shravana, on a dark, rainy and windy night. Just before the child was born, the guards all fell into a deep slumber and the locks on the prison door opened. Devaki and Vasudeva too were freed of their binds. And Krishna was born. A voice from the heavens instructed Vasudeva to carry Krishna across the Yamuna river to a village called Gokul. There, he should go to the home of his sister Yashoda and her husband Nanda and replace Krishna with their new-born daughter. Vasudeva put his son in a basket and went quickly towards the Yamuna. When he reached the shores, he found the water level rising. He put the basket on his head and began to wade through. The water level rose but everytime it touched the baby`s toes, it receded. Suddenly, a cobra sprang out of the water. Vasudeva froze but the snake stopped to spread its hood over the basket. It was Sesha Naga protecting Krishna from the rain. Vasudeva realised his son was no ordinary baby. He hurried to Gokul, exchanged the children and returned to the prison. As soon as he entered, the locks shut and the guards a woke. Hearingthe baby cry, they informed Kansa who rushed to the prison. He was about to smash the little girl against the stone slab, when she slipped out of his hands. As she rose towards the sky, she warned him that the one responsible for his death was safe. When Krishna grew up, he killed his evil uncle and restored the throne to his grandfather.

GANESHA UTSAV
The Festival of Ganesha This ten-day Hindu festival, celebrated in Maharashtra during the bright half of Bhadrapad, commemorates the birth of Ganesha. It is marked with a grand procession of the elephant-headed god. This is a ten-day festival, dedicated to Ganesha. Celebrated from the fourth to the fourteenth day in the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad, it is specially important in Maharashtra and is one of the cultural highlights of the state. Lok Manya Tilak, the illustrious freedom fighter of Maharashtra, popularised this festival. The festival begins on the fourth day of Bhadrapad, which is celebrated as Ganesha Chaturthi in the rest of India. This day is very important to all Hindus, who believe that by praying to the remover of obstructions, people hope to dispel all obstacles from their lives. Some people believe that this was the day Ganesha was born. The most popular belief however, is based on a story in Skanda Purana. Once Ganesha was invited for a feast inChandralok. The god, known for his ravenous appetite, stuffed himself with laddoos. When he got up to walk after the meal, he could not balance because of his huge stomach and stumbled. As he fell, his stomach burst and all the laddoos came rolling out. The moon could not contain himself and began laughing. Enraged, Ganesha cursed the moon, causing him to vanish from the universe. However because of the moon`s absence, the whole world began to wane. So the gods asked Shiva to persuade Ganesha to relent. There pentant moon also apologised for his misbehaviour. On Shiva`s intervention,Ganesha modified his curse. He announced that the moon would be invisible on only one day of a month,and would be partially seen for the most part. It would however, be visible in its full glory only once a month as well. Since the incident occured on the fourth day of Bhadrapad, he also added that anyone who looked at the moon on the fourth day of any month, specially of Bhadrapad, would be falsely accused of some wrong-doing. The day is also called Dagadi Chautha, or `stone-throwing fourth day`, in some places, stemming from the belief that if one inadvertently sees the moon on that night, one should throw stones on his neighbour`s roof to avert any calamity arising from the curse. In Maharashtra, the great festival of Ganesha begins on this day, with his idol being ceremonially installed. The next ten days, before the beginning of the inauspicious dark half of the month, are spent in praying to the god. These days are considered specially auspicious due to Ganesha`s presence in the idol. Vighneshvar, the remover of obstacles, reciprocates by using his powers all through the year. Before the ten-day rite begins, the house and devotees must acquire asuperlative state of purity. This is accomplished by cleaning or white washing the house or at least the place where the idol is to be placed. Worshippers bathe and the priest wears a silken lower garment, usually red, with a shawl around his shoulders.The puja begins at the time designated according to calculations based on the ritual calendar. The ceremony begins by placing the image, usually made of terracotta, in a sacred arena, symbolic of a throne. The worshipper then sipsholy water and performs pranayama; he then bows and prostrates before Ganesha and all the other gods. This is followed by the Sankalpa Mantra. The priest then performs a ritual by which the idol is said to be imbued with life. Next follows the traditional puja. This completes the rituals of the first day. For the remaining days, the image is worshipped, morning and evening with simple recitations of the Ganesha Stuti, devotional songs, offerings of flower sand incense, and lamps. After ten days of ritual worship, the god returns to his heavenly abode and his image is immersed in water. The farewell procession is a pandemonium of musicians, dancers, acrobats, singers, priests, onlookers and numerous Ganesha idols from a number of houses and temples. All join in the procession to the final destination at the ghats of a river or the ocean in Mumbai and other coastal areas. Shouts of `Ganapathi bappa Moraya, Purchya varshi laukariya` or `beloved Ganesha, Lord of Moraya, come again early next year` resound all around. The immersion ritual is simple. Final gifts of coconuts, flowers and burning camphor cubes are offered to the idol, accompanied by the singing of aratis. Then a few people carry it far enough into the river to immerse it, where it quickly dissolves. The immersion marks the end of the ten-day festival. The festival is not just restricted to homes. In fact, most areas in Maharashtra organise their own programmes. The local communities install huge, elaborately decorated statues of the idol in glamorous tents. In some places, the idol is adorned with precious gems and gold, which requires strict police vigil. Other than the ritual worship of the idol, the ten days also feature many cultural activities, including the singing of devotional songs, dramatic performances, dances, films, lectures and speeches by various public figures.Lezam and acrobatics are two of the most popular performances during these ten days.

DURGA PUJA
The Victory of Good over Evil This nine-day festival of the Hindus is celebrated in the month of Ashvina in Bengal. It marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura after a long battle, signifying the victory of good over evil. Durga Puja is a nine-day festival, celebrated in the state of West Bengal, from the first to the tenth day in the month of Ashvina. This period is celebrated as Navaratri in most parts of India. Durga Puja is the most important and the most eagerly-awaited festival of the state. It commemorates the victory of Durga over the demon Mahishasura. The festival assumed its popular status largely due to the efforts of King Ballal Sen. According to the Markandeya Purana and Devi Purana, Mahishasura was a buffalo demon. After severe penance lasting many years, he procured a boon from Brahma granting that he would not be slain by gods,men, spirits or any aspect of nature. Convinced that he was invincible, he tyrannised the entire world, vanquished the gods and ruled in their place. The gods appealed to Shiva for help. He suggested that the three great gods, Brahma, Vishnu and himself, should combine their energies to create a woman. She would be powerful enough to vanquish the demon, as he had foolishly forgotten to name women while asking for the boon. The three gods then combined their energies to create Durga, a beautiful woman with 18 arms. Her eyes shone like sun rays and her smile was as cool as the moon. Each god presented her with his special weapon and a lion was to beher vehicle. When Mahishasura heard of Durga`s beauty, he wished to marry her and sent across a proposal. Durga replied that she would marry him on condition that he defeat her in battle first. Enraged, Mahishasura accepted the challenge and a fierce battle ensued. The demon fired a barrage of deadly arrows at her, used a variety of weapons, and transformed himself into various animals to attack her. But Durga repulsed every attempt. Finally, using the discus Vishnu had given her, she sliced off his head. Flowers rainedon the goddess as the gods rejoiced. Shiva declared that the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Ashvina would be celebrated as the great day of victory of good over evil. According to local belief, Durga comes to the earth, her parental home, during this time. She arrives on the sixth day of the month and returns to her heavenly abode on the 10th day. For the 4 days that she is here however, she is welcomed and honoured as a family would its married daughter. Preparations for the festival begin many months in advance.

Local artisans are involved in making beautiful clay images of the goddess. Traditionally the images were carved out of white Indian cork, a very difficult technique. Today, cork is only used to make her crown and ornaments. The idol is then adorned in a traditional red sari and ornaments, as befitting a married Hindu woman. Chandmala, a garland of white lotus-like flowers made using white cork, is an essential adornment. Kumartuli and Krishnanagar, two small towns on the outskirts of Calcutta, are very popular sources of Durga idols. Celebrations for the festival span over a period of ten days. It is mostly a community affair and almost every colony or locality in Bengal erects tents for the grand puja. Artisans dole out all their artistic and creative talents to create beautiful tents, which also include replicas of local buildings. In fact the celebrations are not just restricted to Bengal; Durga Puja is celebrated with equal enthusiasm by Bengalis living in all parts of the country. On the first day of the festival, hymns are recited in to invoke the goddess in the heavens. This special recital is known as the Mahalaya. The next five days are spent preparing for the grand yearly visit of ma, or `mother` as Durga is affectionately called in Bengal. On the sixth day, called Mahashashti (the great sixth day), the idol of the goddess is placed on a raised platform in a previously erected enclosure. The goddess is also believed to arrive on the same day, accompanied by her children Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. The priest ceremonially establishes life in the clay image and from now on till the tenth day, the image is treated as the goddess herself. It is obligatory for all worshippers to clean their houses, take a purificatory bath and offer prayers to the goddess adorned in new clothes. Many devotees also observe a fast on this day and break the fast after the evening arati. For the next three days, devotees in the thousands come for darshan of the goddess and to offer prayers to her. Every morning on these four days, flowers are offered to the goddess. Between the eighth and ninth days, Sandhi Puja is performed in which animals are sacrificed in honour of the goddess in many places in Bengal. The ninth day is considered doubly auspicious as the goddess is believed to have been conceived and sent to earth by the gods on this day. The tenth day or Vijayadashmi (thevictorious tenth day) is both a day of joy and sorrow. It was on this day that the goddess slew the demon and rid the earth of his evil, but it is also the?day when she returns home. The idol of the goddess is taken to the river to be immersed on this day. Before the idol is lifted from its home, the priest symbolically immerses the idol, by capturing its reflection in a bowl of water. This is known as darpan visarjan or mirror immersion. Married women now take their last darshan of the goddess. They use the huge amount of specially consecrated sindoora lying around the goddess to anoint the head and the forehead of their married friends and relatives. This is believed to grant along life to their husbands. The priest now ceremonially extracts the `soul` from the image, after which it is lifeless again. This done, huge trucks are organised to lift the now lifeless idol of Durga and take it to be immersed on the edge of the river. The image is accompanied by a procession of dancers, singers and musicians. Anumber of people gather on both sides of the road to witness the event. Shouts of `Durga Mata Ki Jai` (HailMother Durga) and `Aaschey bachar abar hawbey` (She will come again next year) resound the air. With the immersion, the ten-day festivities come to an end. This festival celebrates the victory of good over evil. The yearly visit of the goddess is thought to bring well-being and happiness to the people. Because of her auspicious presence, no meat, wine or alchohol is consumed at this time. Everyone is expected to have new clothes for the festival.

The city of Calcutta almost never sleeps during the last five days. All, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, participate in this great festival giving rise to a brotherly spirit. Many cultural events are also organised during this period. `Dhunuchi nritya` or `the dance with effervescent smoke` is a traditional dance form from Bengal which is performed in front of the idol to the beat of the dhaki, the traditional drums. On the tenth day people visit each other`s houses, the young touching the elder`s feet as a mark of respect and then enjoying the renowned Bengali sweets. The festival fosters a feeling of harmony, joy and peace.