New Year Festivals of India
-
Upload
prashant-mahajan -
Category
Education
-
view
57 -
download
4
Transcript of New Year Festivals of India
New Year FestivalsNew Year Festivals of India
Apart from 1st January, India celebrates New Year Days followed by both solar and lunar calendar systems. Most of these new
year festivals are celebrated based on the Hindu calendar that follows the lunar cycle. Culturally rich India has it’s own way to
celebrate New Year’s day in different times of the year at different places. Every region in India follows a different culture, so
traditions of new year’s days celebrations also vary.
BaisakhiNew Year Festivals of India
Baisakhi Festival, also called Vaisakhi, holds great importance for the Sikh community and farmers of Punjab and Haryana. Baisakhi
falls on 13 or 14 April, the first day of the second month of the year according to the Nanakshahi Calendar. Sikhs also celebrate
this day in honor of their tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Baisakhi commemorates the day when the Sikh Guru eliminated caste
differences and founded Khalsa Panth in 1699, at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. The Sikh New Year as per the Sikh Nanakshahi Calendar falls on 14 March every year, with the beginning of Chet; and is
marked with revered celebrations throughout the Sikh community.
Bestu VarasNew Year Festivals of India
Bestu Varas is the New Year's Day for Gujaratis and falls on the day after Diwali. According to Hindu calendar systems, the Vikram
calendar begins with the month of Baishakh/Chaitra (April), or Kartik (October/November) in Gujarat.
Bestu Varas generally falls in month of October or November. The
day starts with the heavy fire works, to welcome New Year. Houses are decorated with torans (door hangings) made from leaves of the asopalav tree or mango tree and marigold flowers and make rangoli near the entrance to the house. The people get dressed
with new clothes and visit their friends and family to greet them. Home made snacks, "Farsaan" and sweets are offered to the
guests and neighbors who come to wish the new year.
Rongali BihuNew Year Festivals of India
Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu (mid-April), is celebrated as the Assamese New Year (around 14–15 April) and the arrival of
Spring. This marks the first day of the Hindu solar calendar. The first day of the bihu (last day of the previous year) is called goru
bihu or cow bihu, where the cows are washed, smeared with ground turmeric, patted with dighalati/makhiyati, worshipped
and gets new ropes. This is followed by manuh (human in Assamese) bihu on 15 April, which is the Assamese New Year Day.
People welcome the spring with cleaned home, neighbourhood and dresses. The third day is Gosai (Gods) bihu when people
worship statues of God, all households are cleaned and worshiped hoping for a prosperous and happy new year.
Cheti ChandNew Year Festivals of India
Cheti Chand is celebrated as New Year's Day by Sindhis, According to the Hindu calendar, Cheti Chand is celebrated on the second day of the Chaitra month known as Chet in Sindhi. Hence it is
known as CHET-I-CHAND. It is the second day of month Chaitra.
Gudhi PadwaNew Year Festivals of India
Gudhi Padwa is celebrated as New Year's Day in Maharashtra and Konkan. It is celebrated on the first day of the month Chaitra.
Courtyards of rural houses are cleaned and plastered with fresh cowdung. Designs called Rangolis are drawn on doorsteps. People wear new clothes and special dishes are prepared. Lord Brahma is worshipped on this day and the gudhi, Brahma's flag (also called
Brahmadhvaj), is hoisted in every house as a symbolic representation of Rama's victory over Ravana.
NavrehNew Year Festivals of India
Navreh is the lunar new year which is celebrated in Kashmir. This coincides with the first day of the Chaitra (spring) Navratras. This day finds mention in Rajtarangini and Nilamat Purana of Kashmir
and is regarded as sacred in Kashmir as the Shivratri. The celebrated Arab scholar Alberuni has written that Kashmiris
celebrate the second of Navaratras to commemorate victory of their greatest and famous king – Lalitaditya – with great festivity and pomp. Navreh falls on the same day as Ugadi or Cheiraoba or
Gudi Padwa.
NavrozeNew Year Festivals of India
Navroze, the Parsi New Year is mainly celebrated by a particular sect of Parsis, the Faslis. Navroze is the first day of the first month according to the Zoroastrian calendar. Navroze means spring, or the beginning of a new life shedding off all that is old and worn out. Originally an agricultural festival, the Parsi New Year later transformed into a religious festival. The day is celebrated by wearing new and colorful clothes, decorating the house with
powders of different colors, lighting incense sticks and sprinkling sandalwood powder on live coal. The day begins by going to the Fire Temple and offering Jashan or a thanksgiving prayer service
and offering sandalwood to the holy fire.Food is a significant part of the Parsi New Year. It includes a wide
selection of non-vegetarian dishes, fruits and nuts. Navroze is celebrated on 21 March which is the vernal equinox of the sun.
This day is also the day when the spring season commences.
Poila BoishakhNew Year Festivals of India
Poila Boishakh or Bengali New Year is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated on 15 April in West Bengal by the Bengali people and also by minor Bengali communities in other Indian
states, including Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Orrisa. It coincides with the New Year's days of numerous other calendars
like Tamil new year Puthandu. The traditional greeting for Bengali New Year is "Shubhô Nôbobôrsho" which is literally "Happy New
Year".
PuthanduNew Year Festivals of India
Puthandu, also known as Varuda pirappu, is celebrated as New Year's Day in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated on the first day of the
Tamil month Chithirai, which falls on 14 April. Women draw patterns called kolams. A lamp called a kuttuvilaku is placed on the center of the kolam, to eradicate darkness. A ritual called
kanni takes place. Kanni means 'auspicious sight'. People watch jewellery, fruits, vegetables, flowers, nuts, rice etc., as it is a belief
among Tamil people that it brings prosperity. People wear new clothes and special dishes are prepared for the occasion. A car
festival is held at Tiruvadamarudur, near Kumbakonam.
Sajibu Nongma Panba/Cheiraoba
New Year Festivals of India
Cheiraoba is celebrated as New Year's Day in Manipur. Sajibu Cheiraoba is an annual religious celebration in which certain rites
and rituals are observed with a traditional devotion. The celebration marks the parting of the old year while welcoming the
new year. The name 'Cheiraoba' is a combination of two words which have two different meanings – 'Chahi' (year) and 'laoba'
(declaration). So, overall 'Cheirao-ba' means the announcement of the coming year. Cheiraoba falls on the same day as Ugadi or Gudi
Padwa.
UgadiNew Year Festivals of India
Ugadi is celebrated as New Year's Day in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The name Ugadi is derived from the
name "Yuga Adi", which means 'the beginning of a new age'. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month Chaitra, which marks the onset of spring. It is believed that Lord Brahma, the
creator according to Hindu tradition, began creation on this day. Preparations begin well ahead of the festival. Houses are given a thorough cleaning, people don new clothes and special dishes are
prepared, with six flavours.
VishuNew Year Festivals of India
Vishu is celebrated as Malayalam New Year's Day in Kerala. Vishu falls on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam (mid-
April on the Gregorian calendar). Medam is the first month according to the astronomical calendar; it is identical with
Chaitram of the Saka Varsha.
Mahavishuva Sankranti
New Year Festivals of India
Mahavishuva Sankranti, is celebrated as the Oriya New Year. On this day, religious people offer delicious Pana – a sweet drink
made of different types of fruits, water, milk, bela, curd and sugar or jaggery - to the Tulsi Plant, Lord Shiva and Shalagram and their deities in various Temples of the state. People also drink Pana with
great enjoyment. During the festival you will find water pots placed on the roadsides to help the thirsty souls. Water is as also
offered to animals and birds with equal enthusiasm. This Sankranti is also known as Pana Sankranti or Jala Sankranti.
HoliNew Year Festivals of India
Holi is celebrated as New Year's Day in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month which marks the
start of spring.
ThapnaNew Year Festivals of India
Thapna is a New Year as per Rajasthani calendar (Marwari Miti). Starting with 1st day of Chaitra Shudh. In Rajasthani language
people greet each other by saying "Nava baras ri badhaiyan".On this day people do homas (Yagya).
ChaitiNew Year Festivals of India
The festivals of Chaiti and Basoa are celebrated as New Year festivals in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The festival of Basoa,
also known as Bishu, is celebrated on the first day of the month of Baisakh.
This presentation is a result of my experiences while I was helping out my son with his school assignments and project work. I am happy to share this with other students and their parents. Hope you find this informative and useful. Thank you.
- Prashant Mahajan -
All pictures belong to their original authors, photographers.