Holy Festivals
Insights into the Annual Celebrations Hindus Enjoy the World Over
whatever official calendars say, Hindus miss
no opportunity to set mundane matters aside and join
with friends, neighbors and strangers alike
in invocation of the One Supreme God and the many Gods,
in honor of the guru or in celebration of the
passing of the seasons. These are times when all three
worlds—of men, of devas and of Gods—come
close and commune with each other. While anthropologists
generally assign mere social significance in
our cycles of festivals, the devout Hindu knows these
are times of profound mystical connection to
the inner worlds, times when God and the Gods touch our
world, revitalize our very souls, lighten our
karmas and bless our families. In this chapter we present
the nine most popular Hindu festivals. While
a few are celebrated by all Hindus, most are specific to
one or more of the four main denominations
The nine festivals described here are
celebrated
India-wide—or rather, worldwide, wherever
Hindus live. There are also many regional
festivals, some of which are locally
celebrated on
an even grander scale than some of these
nine.
Ram Navami
Lord Rama, the seventh
incarnation of Vishnu, was born on navami,
the ninth lunar day, or tithi, of the bright half of Meena, or Pisces
(Chaitra—the lunar month of March/April).
Devotees observe this
day with non-stop recitation of the Ramayana, the story of Rama’s
life. In the evening, crowds attend Ramalila,
dramatic performances
recounting Rama’s deeds. Every home will
resound with devotional
singing. This festival is especially popular
in Uttar Pradesh, where
Rama’s ancient kingdom of Ayodhya
was situated. Sometimes Ramalila
and other devotional observances are done
during the nine
days before or after navami. People will keep fasts or eat only fruit
or a special prasadam prepared for the day. If celebrated for nine
in devotional practices. Devotees also
contribute generously to temples
and other charitable organizations on Ram
Navami. Lord Rama
is honored not only as an incarnation of God,
but also as an ideal
man who exemplified the virtues of reverence,
obedience and duty.
Raksha
Bandhan
On the full moon of Karkata, or Cancer
(Sravana—July/August), sisters
tie a rakhi around the wrist of their brothers, who in return
give a present of clothing, cash or jewelry
and become obligated
for the safety of the sister. The rakhi can also be given to anyone
chosen as an “adopted brother,” even outside
the Hindu community.
It signifies that she is praying for his
welfare and that he is determined
to give protection to her. Originally the rakhi was a handspun
cotton thread dyed yellow with turmeric, but
now many colors and
materials are used. Three knots are made in
the thread to signify
protection in thought, word and deed. This
day is also celebrated
as Narali Purnima, “coconut full moon,” when
coconuts are offered
to Varuna, God of the Sea, by throwing them
into the ocean. It
is also called Avani Avittam, the ceremony of
changing of the sacred
thread among the brahmins. This tradition
dates back to Vedic
times when the year’s studies were commenced
on this day.
Ganesha
Chaturthi
The fourth lunar day of the bright half of
Simha, or Leo (Bhadra—
August/September), is celebrated around the
world as the birthday
of Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of Wisdom
and Lord of Obstacles.
As with other festivals, the homes and
temples are elaborately
decorated for the day. The special activity
is the making of
clay images of Ganesha, reverently formed and
decorated. Some
are huge works of art created by craftsmen,
others are tiny icons
painted and decorated by children. At the end
of the day, or seven
or ten days later, these images are
ceremoniously immersed in the
ocean or a nearby stream or lake, signifying
the creation of Ganesha
from the Earth and His return and dissolution
in the ocean of
universal consciousness. So intense has been
His presence at this
time that even grown men weep at His
auspicious departure. His
worship on this day removes obstacles and
ensures smooth progress
in all ventures through the year. As Ganesha
is common to all Hindu
sects, this festival is serving both inside
and outside of India
as a day
to celebrate Hindu solidarity and unity.
Dipavali
(or Diwali)
The festival of lights, Dipavali, or Diwali,
takes place on the fourteenth
lunar day of the dark half of Tula, or Libra
(Karttika—October/
November), with related festivities on
adjacent days. It is the most
widely celebrated Hindu festival in the
world, and possibly related to
the European Celtic festival of Samhain,
observed at the same time of
the year with huge bonfires set on hilltops.
This is the day that Rama
returned to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile, though many
other reasons for the day are cited. It is a
celebration of renewal as
the New Year commences in the Vikram
calendar. Everyone takes a
special bath in the early morning and puts on
new clothes. Houses
are cleaned, painted and decorated. Goddess
Lakshmi is invoked for
prosperity, and Her presence is felt in every
home. Businesses close
out their books for the past year and open
new ones, even conducting
a mock first business deal of the year. In
the evening, every house,
store, temple and wall is decorated with
thousands of small lamps,
while fireworks are set off overhead and
firecrackers by the hundreds
of thousands below. Family bonds are renewed,
especially between
brothers and sisters, and forgiveness is
requested from friends for any
misunderstandings during the previous year.
Of all festivals, Dipavali
holds a special place, and is the premier
international one, holding
official holiday status in nine countries—India, Nepal,
Fiji, Mauritius,
Guyana, Malaysia,
Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Singapore, with
attempts
being made to add more countries where Hindus
live.
Bonfires and the splashing of friends and
strangers alike with brightly
colored waters, powders and paints mark this
most high-spirited
of Hindu festivals. It is celebrated on the
full moon day of Kumbha,
or Aquarius (Phalguna—February/March), and in
many places for
the several days preceding. Giant bonfires
are built by neighborhood
boys, where effigies of various demons are
consumed. Friends
are visited and presents of sweets exchanged.
This is essentially a
celebration of spring, at which different
events are commemorated.
This is the day the infant Krishna
killed the demoness Putana; the
day that Lord Vishnu’s devotee Pralada, son
of the demon Hiranyakasipu,
survived a fire intended to kill him, and the
day that Siva
burnt Kama, the God of Love, to ashes. Holi
is very popular among
devotees of Krishna at Mathura,
Krishna’s birthplace. Also known as
Hutasani, “fire consuming,” Holi signifies
the triumph of good over
evil, the beginning of the new agricultural
season and the renewal
of relationships.
Guru
Purnima
In ashrams around the world, the spiritual
preceptor is honored on
this full moon day of July with garlands,
gifts and donations to show
love and gratitude for his wisdom through the
year. Devotees renew
their commitment to following his teachings
and guidance for the
coming year. The traditional worship is pada puja, ceremonial bathing
of the guru’s feet (or, in his absence, his
sandals) with water, milk,
honey, sandalwood paste and offering gifts of
precious items including
108 gold coins. This day is also known as Vyasa Puja, in
honor
of Sage Vyasa, codifier of the Vedas and author of the Mahabharata
and Puranas. He is honored in temples with offerings of limes and
rice, the latter being taken home by devotees
and mixed with their
own store of rice. This is also a day for
reading religious books while
remembering the auspicious form of the satguru through whom
God grants the grace of enlightenment to seekers.
Krishna Janmashtami
Lord Krishna, eighth incarnation of Vishnu,
was born on the eighth
lunar day (ashtami) of the dark half of Karkata, or Cancer (Sravana—
July/August). Devotees fast the preceding day
until midnight,
the time that Krishna
was born to Vasudeva and Devika in the
Mathura kingdom’s prison 5,000 years ago. At midnight, amist grand
ceremony the temple priest places the image
of the newborn Krishna
in a swinging crib. Among the traditional
observances, pots of
sweets, curd and butter are hung near homes,
on trees and street
poles in recollection of Krishna’s
love for these things. Teenage boys
dressed as cowherds form human pyramids to
reach and break the
pots. The following day is again one of
festivity, including puja, storytelling
and the Ras Leela, a folk theater depicting
major events of
Krishna’s life. “Dark as a rain cloud,” reads one
account of His birth,
“He made the prison glow with the splendor of
His crown, His jewelry
and His yellow silk robes. He was the Lord
God incarnate.”
Navaratri
The festival of “Nine Nights,” Navaratri,
honoring the Goddess,
begins on the first lunar day of the bright
half of Kanya, or Virgo
(Asvina—September/October). Three days are
devoted each
to Durga (Goddess of valor), Lakshmi (Goddess
of wealth) and
Sarasvati (Goddess of knowledge). In eastern India the
festival is
known as Durga Puja. There, images of the
Goddess are created,
worshiped for ten days, then immersed in the
sea. In southern India, houses are decorated
with displays of dolls, toys and images of
the
Gods. In western India, the traditional garbha
dance is performed nightly. On the fifth day
(Lalita Panchami), all books of a household
are
gathered, sacred lamps lit reverently by
their
side and the blessings of Sarasvati
invoked. Artisans
give their tools a “day of rest,” worship
and seek blessings for them. Day ten,
variously
known as Vijaya Dasami, Dasara and Dussehra,
marks the commencement of learning. In many
localities huge effigies of Ravana are burnt
to
celebrate Rama’s conquest of the demon.
Mahasivaratri
On “Siva’s Great Night,” Mahasivaratri, the
fourteenth day of the dark half of Kumbha, or
Aquarius (Phalguna—February/March), devotees
fast all day in preparation to worship Lord
Siva from evening until early dawn—bathing
the sacred Siva Linga with water, milk, honey
and saffron water, then offering bilva leaves
while chanting Sri Rudram, the pre-eminent
Vedic hymn to Siva, or reciting His 1,008 names
are the highpoints of the all-night vigil.
Only
when the last puja is finished in early
morning
do devotees break their fast by eating the
sacred
prasadam offered earlier to the Lord. The
following day is one of feasting and gaiety,
especially
at grand fairs held in many parts of India.
On Siva’s night we contemplate Siva as the
Unmanifest
Reality. We dive deep in yogic meditation
on His endless/beginningless Radiance.
Setting
Festival Dates
Most festivals are held on astrologically
auspicious
times for a particular deity in the same
zodiac sign of the Sun each year. Ram Navami,
for example, takes place in the sign of Meena
or Pisces, which corresponds to the north
Indian
month of Chaitra or the Tamil month of
Panguni. Each festival day is designated on a
particular lunar day, or tithi, during a particular
sign. There are 30 tithis from new moon to
new moon. The month’s “bright half” (shukla
paksha) starts from the new moon (amavasya)
to the full moon (purnima) and the “dark
half” (krishna paksha) from the full moon to
the new moon. Because the cycle of the Moon
around the Earth (about 29.5 days) and the
Sun through one zodiac sign (about 30.4 days)
do not match, the month may begin on varying
tithis. Tithis
also vary in length from
20 to 26
hours, because of the Moon’s orbit in
relation
to the sun. When a tithi occurs twice in one
month, the second is chosen for the festival.
Because a tithi is not the same as a 24-hour day
and the calculations depend on location, one
must consult a Hindu calendar (panchanga)
computed for a particular place to determine
a festival date. One cannot simply go by the
dates for India. Some festivals are
calculated
using the nakshatra system. There are many
regional variations in calendars and hence
even dissent on festival calculations.
God,
Gods and guru: (above) priest offers holy ash to the guru’s
sacred
sandals on Guru Purnima; (below) North Indian devotees
crowd
about a Sivalinga to offer milk and garlands during Mahasivaratri;
(far
right) a pyramid of daring youth attempt to knock a
pot
down strung high above the street in this competition held in
imitation
of the child Lord Krishna’s stealing butter
The Inner Light
Amidst the parties and fireworks, let us
not forget the real meaning of Dipavali
From falsehood lead me to truth, from darkness lead
me to light, from death lead me to immortality.”
Nowhere
else is the symbolism of these lines from the
Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad better expressed than in the celebration of Dipavali.
Popularly known as the Festival of Lights and
abbreviated to Diwali
in contemporary usage, Dipavali is the most important
festival for
the world’s Hindu population. With its arrays
of lighted lamps, firecrackers
and festivities, Dipavali transforms the
desolate, fall moonless
skies by filling them with laughter,
happiness and radiance.
Like other religious festivals of the world,
Dipavali is associated
with several different legends and has deep
social and spiritual
significance. It is primarily known for the
worship of the Goddess
Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and
prosperity. In North India, it
is a commemoration of Lord Rama’s triumphant
return to Ayodhya after vanquishing the
forces
led by Ravana. In South
India, Dipavali is celebrated
in remembrance of Lord Krishna’s
victory
over Narakasura. In addition, it marks the
end of the rainy season and the harvesting cycle,
and therefore it is also the festival of the
Kharif
or new crop.
Whichever story one might prefer, Dipavali
celebrations all over the world are
universally
marked by majestic fireworks, a variety of
cultural
programs, a spirit of sharing and brotherhood,
and, most importantly, the lighting of lamps
(dipas)
in several rows (vali) inside and outside the
house. It is these luminous dipas that contain the
essence of Dipavali. Just as light dispels
the darkness of the night
and shows the right path to a weary traveler,
the lighting of lamps
on the night of Karttik Amavasya, when the
new moon is in Tula
or Libra, symbolizes the victory of goodness
over evil, justice over
injustice, light over darkness and wisdom
over ignorance.
Since the beginning of time, spiritual
aspirants have sought light
as the culmination of their journey. What is
this internal, divine
light of which the dipas on Dipavali night, or those set before the
family deity during morning and evening
prayers, are only an external
representation?
One of the most illustrious conversations on
this subject can be
found in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, wherein King Janaka of
Videha, whose courtroom was famed for
spiritual discussions con
Sage Yajnavalkya: “Revered Sage, enlighten
me! What is the light of
man? What is it that allows him to function
in this world?”
Yajnavalkya gave a simple and straightforward
answer. “The sun is
his light, O King!” he said. “If there were
no sunlight, people would
be unable to perform their duties in this
world. By the light of the
sun activity is possible, and it is by the
light of the sun that one sits,
moves about, completes all work and becomes
content.” In a series
of questions, Janaka presses the sage on the
issue, finally asking
what light there would be in the absence of
all external manifestations.
Yajnavalkya gave a very revealing answer. “O
King Janaka!”
he said. “Know that when everything else
fails, the Soul, the inner
Self, will be the guide. It is the Self that
will be the light.”
This light, which is equated with the Supreme
and supposed to
be the consciousness of life, is expressed as
follows in the Chandogya
Upanishad (3.13.7): “There is a Light that shines beyond all
things on Earth, beyond us all, beyond the
heavens, beyond the
highest, the very highest, heavens. This is
the Light that shines in
our heart.”
Unfortunately, we are oblivious to it most of
the time. Even when
we read and hear about its presence, we are
unable to see the Light,
mainly because this flame, which the Vedas say is tinier than the tiniest
of atomic sparks and hidden in the innermost
chamber of the
human heart, is now covered by layers of
grossness, complexities
and impressions. Also, due to our
outward-turning senses, tendencies
and attachments to the fruits of action, we
are unable to turn
our eyes inward—at least not until compelled
by external circumstances.
But we must be able to do so somehow, if the
lower self is to
become one with the Ultimate Being. But this
union is not as easy
as it appears in words. The journey is filled
with obstacles: darkness
and ignorance, misleading visions.
In Arjuna’s vision of Lord Krishna in His
Cosmic Form on the
battlefield of Kurukshetra, the experience of
the transcendental
Reality is associated with brilliance,
splendor and light: “If a
thousand suns should rise all at once in the
sky, such splendor
would resemble the splendor of that great
Being…. Then Arjuna,
who was filled with amazement, whose hair was
standing
on end, bowing his head to the Lord with
joined palms, said: …
‘With infinite power, without beginning,
middle
or end, with innumerable arms, the Moon and
Sun
being Your eyes, I see You, the blazing fire
Your
mouth, burning all this universe with Your
radiance.’”
Fascinating and awesome as such visions might
be,
even the experience of light ought not be the
final
goal. If that were so, the Bhagavad Gita would have
ended with the Eleventh Teaching. But it does
not.
According to Krishna Himself, the supreme
state is
that which the Sun does not illumine, nor the
Moon,
nor the fire, for it is the Light of Pure
Consciousness.
These words are analogous to those found in
the Svetasvatara
(6.14) and Katha Upanishad (5.15). “There
the Sun shines not, nor the Moon, nor the
stars; lightnings
shine not there and much less earthly fire.
From
His light all these give light, and His
radiance illumines
all creation.”
In the modern era, Shri Ram Chandra of
Shahjahanpur
for almost fifty years taught meditation on
the
“divine light in the heart,” according to the
Sahaj Marg
system of Raja Yoga. In Voice Real, he writes, “Every
saint has used the word light … and that is the best
expression for Reality. But that creates some
complication,
because when we talk of light, the idea of
luminosity
becomes prominent, and we begin to take it.
be represented as ‘light without luminosity.’
It refers only to the real
substance or, more appropriately, to
‘substanceless substance,’ which
is associated with neither light nor
darkness, but beyond both.”
It is painfully evident that words and
descriptions of spiritual
Light can convey only so much. As Babuji
says, understanding
comes by intuitive capacity and practical
experience in the spiritual
field.
We should be celebrating the Festival of
Lights in renewal of our
quest for that spiritual Light. But today, few,
if any, attach such reverence
to the occasion. Instead, it has become a
night of entertainment,
gambling, pleasure and consumption. Just as
the candles and
electric lights of modern society have
gradually replaced the traditional
dipas, the focus of the prayers has shifted from the journey
from darkness to light to the quest for
fortune and wealth.
To appreciate the spirit behind this festival
and pass on its significance
to others, one needs only to consider the
traditional lamps
that are popular even today in the small
towns and villages of India.
These dipas represent the four essential elements that are required
in the seeker: detachment (the clay
container), devotion to the Lord
(the oil), prayer and meditation (the cotton
wick), and spiritual wisdom
(the matchstick to light the lamp). It is
noteworthy that on
Dipavali the first lamp is lit with a
matchstick, after which that
lamp is used to light the whole array of
lamps inside and outside the
house. The first lamp symbolizes divine
effulgence, while the other
lighted lamps represent the light in
individual hearts. Together,
they reiterate the eternal truth pronounced
in the Vedas: “The One
willed to become the Many.”
As the flames of all these lamps burn
brightly and reach upward
through the entire night, they show the
possibility that, with the
removal of darkness, grossness and ignorance,
the tiny flickering
light in our hearts can also shine brightly,
illumining the whole universe.
May we all progress speedily to the highest
levels of spirituality—
from darkness to light, and beyond.
Rama Devagupta, Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry
from
Texas A&M University, is a full-time mother and freelance
writer on parenting issues and spirituality.
She
teaches the Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga as
a preceptor
of Shri Ram Chandra Mission
and lives in Houston, Texas,
with her family.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami ji, Hinduism Today dot com for the collection)
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