DIWALI

Diwali is a diminutive outline of Deepavali which etymologically means “row of lights”. Hence, Diwali is the festive of lights. The name “Diwali” originated from a traditional lighting which involved lighting up of small oil lamps termed as ‘diyas’. This festival of lights falls on the fifteenth day of Kartik month and is enjoyed with gaiety and fervour.

As per the Indian communities, diyas are floated in streams and rivers, mostly in places outside the temples. Since, this is a day of celebration almost all the financial transactions stay closed on this particular day. Lakshmi- the goddess of wealth and prosperity and Lord Ganesh-god of wisdom and auspiciousness are revered during Diwali. During this auspicious day traditional sweets like naivedya are prepared and shared, even songs are chanted to praise the goddess.

All the simple rituals and traditions of Diwali have a lot of credo and significance. Apart from pomp and celebration of the return of Rama to Ayodhya, historically, the birth of Diwali traces back to ancient India, when this was considered as the most significant harvest festival. According to the legend, the goddess, Parvati played dice along with her mate; she affirmed that anyone who played gambling during this day would flourish throughout the coming year. Thereby, families even today come together and play dice, cards, and one-time games to commemorate this message.

India is popular worldwide for its festivals. Diwali celebration starts from Dusshera, this comes 20 days prior to Diwali. This day is celebrated with pomp and show as a victory day. As per the legend; Ravana was destroyed by Lord Rama on this particular day.

One can see the brilliantly decorated processions and tableaux which depicts various stages of the life of Rama as “Ramlila” drama. Thereby, Diwali is considered as a festival of happiness, brightness, splendour, and joy. Indians worldwide celebrate this festival with a lot of enthusiasm.

On the day of Diwali, everywhere in India, when dusk falls, one can view the spectacular lighting of flickering lamps that are adorned in rows in front of buildings, homes, and so on. During this day, people visit places of friends and relatives to convey their heart felt happiness by exchanging gifts.

This festival unites all members irrespective of the community they belong to, poor or rich, old and young, since the lighting of lamps represent their reverence to God to attain fame, peace, knowledge, wealth, and health. Most of the people bring in life to this festival by lighting diyas, bursting crackers, etc.

ALCHI

Alchi is located in Ladakh, a Himalayan region. The state in which it is located is Jammu and Kashmir. It is a buzzing village and its altitude is about 3500m from the sea level. It is at River Indus’ valley and it is at the trade route of ancient times. Its gompas are well known. From Alchi, you can proceed to Leh by road network.

Alchi has normal summers but ice cold winters. Summer temperatures can reach upto 25 degrees C. The minimum temperature would be 12 degrees C or so. Anyway, during this season, travellers need to protect themselves from the effects of sunburn. During winter season, maximum temperatures reach 15 degrees C while the minimum temperatures will be even -30 degrees C making it quite cold for travellers. Thus, it is best to sight see this region in the period from May – September.

The area surrounding Alchi was an important cultural and trade centre connecting to the other parts of India. After the Islamic armies came to India, they noticed the Buddhist monuments soon. Actually, Islam does not permit worshipping idols. Their interpretation of idol was Buddha. Their views led to the destruction of Buddhist monasteries and monuments. Fortunately, since Alchi was located in Indus River’s barren gorges and mountains that were desolate, it escaped without damage. It is a fact that murals and paintings that are about 900 years old are preserved well with no visible deterioration.

11th century Buddhist shrines of Alchi are great Buddhist art examples. Among them, the oldest temple is Du-Khang. Kal-dan Shes-rab founded it. The doorway is carved extensively having guardian figures and small Bodhisattvas. Sacred forms and mandalas adorn the walls and they indicate Buddhist cosmology.

There is a 3 storey temple - Sum-tsek which has capitals, carved brackets and pillars in its wooden carved façade. Colourful mandalas, standing Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya Buddha and Manjushri cover its halls’ walls. Other similar shrines adjoining it are Manjushri Lha-Khang and Lotsawa Lha-Khang. The shrine is square shaped and the raised roof is held by 4 central columns. Manjushri shrine has 4 Bodhisattva’s plaster images that are large. The temple’s murals follow thousand Buddha’s theme and the walls are occupied by goddesses and gods.

Lha-Khang Soma was constructed much later compared to Alchi’s other shrines. Inside a square room of small size, votive stupa or chorten is found. The roof is supported by columns that have beautiful carved brackets having lion faces. The walls have paintings of Buddha, Vairochana, guardian figures and Bodhisattvas. Mahakala’s image protects the decorated doorway.

Surrounding Alchi are many magnificent monasteries at Hemis, Thikse and Shey. These monasteries have several carvings, murals and Buddhist images. At June of every year Hemis monastery is filled with activity since the Hemis festival gets celebrated at that time. It is actually celebrated over three days and travellers can witness the traditions and culture of Ladakh. Also, every year Festival of Ladakh is being celebrated for fifteen days throughout the region. At this time, archery competitions, polo and masked dances take place.

CITY PALACE, UDAIPUR

Maharana Udai Singh started building Udaipur’s palace complex at Lake Pichola’s banks after he took the decision of building a capital for Chittorgarh’s (Rajasthan) Sisodia rulers. The construction was continued by the other Maharanas who succeeded Udai Singh. They extended the palace complex by building more structures and palaces. They managed to retain the design’s uniformity, though. Marble and granite were used for its construction. While fort walls surround it and is situated at a height.

The palace is a heritage now and it showcases Rajput’s arts and culture. Its architecture has European and Chinese styles incorporated. It has several beautiful buildings, fountains and gardens which are planned and built well during its times. The arches, domes and turrets inside the palace have splendid artwork that offer a remarkable sight.

The complex is actually a city having large walls that enclose a small township. Many huge gateways lead to this complex and the well-known entrance from the road is via “Hathi Pol” or “Elephant Gate”. During ancient times, Tripolia Pol and Bara Pol gateways were the significant ones.

Udaipur’s most beautiful and biggest temple, 1651 A.D’s Jagdish Temple is located here and it houses Lord Vishnu. At the north side, 1600 A.D’s “Bara Pol” or “Great Gate” is found -it is the first courtyard’s entrance. It also joins to 1725 A.D’s “Triple Gate” or “Tripolia”. In between its gates are 8 carved arches (“Toranas “) made using marble. It is between these gates that the Maharanas were weighed in silver and gold. Their weight’s value was dispersed among the people. Today, it has become the primary ticket office.

After that, there are some marble arches staging numerous elephants competing in elephant fights. The palace also houses several gardens. The museum located inside can be entered via “Ganesh Deori” which means Lord Ganesh’s door. It leads to “Raj Aangan”, the Royal Courtyard of 1571 that was built during 16th century by Maharana Udai Singh. It is the oldest portion in the palace. Several mahals of the palace have become a museum, now. There is an armoury museum too that exhibits weapons and protective gear.

Krishna Vilas houses miniature paintings that portray the Maharanas’ games, festivals and royal processions. Mor Chowk has some unique peacock glass mosaics at its walls. Ruby Palace or ‘Manak Mahal’ has many mirror and glass works. In addition to this, it has porcelain and crystal figures. Bhim Vilas has paintings of Radha-Krishna’s stories and “Suraj Gokhala”, a gallery of glass mosaics. It has wonderful stained glasses. From here, the view of the city is breath-taking.

Zenana Mahal, which is situated towards the south, is the quarters of the queen. This and Palace of Joy or ‘Dilkusha Mahal’ have wall paintings and frescoes adorning it. Dilkusha Mahal leads to a white pavilion called Lakshmi Vilas Chowk which is actually a fine art gallery. It has a good number of the Mewar paintings. Chini Chitrashala has Dutch and Chinese ornamental tiles. Palace of Pearls or Moti Mahal has a wonderful mirror décor. Palace of mirrors or Sheesh Mahal too has mirror work that is inlaid.

JANTAR MANTAR: A SCIENTIFIC MASTERPIECE OF MEDIEVAL INDIA

One of the architectural landmarks in India, the Jantar Mantar bears a testimony to the level of scientific advancement that India had achieved as early as the 18th century. A scientific masterpiece of its times, the Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory that was built by the Rajput king of Jaipur, Jai Singh II. In the year 1727, he sent emissaries all over the world to gather the most precise astronomical data. On their return, with the help of the information gathered, he ordered for an astronomical observatory to be built, which came to be known as the Jantar Mantar complex, a scientific miracle of its times. It is completely built from stone. In almost a decade, around five such astronomical observatories were built in the cities of Jaipur, Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi, with a view to record the movements of celestial bodies.
These astronomical observatories have many uniquely shaped buildings, each with a specialised role in astronomical measurements. These scientific giants of medieval India have enchanted historians, artists, archaeologists and tourists all over the world for centuries.
The two main Jantar Mantar complexes, situated in Jaipur and Delhi, respectively have been described as follows:
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur: One of the five astronomical observatories built by Jai Singh II between the years 1727 and 1733 at his new capital of Jaipur, Rajasthan, modelled after the one he had built in the Mughal capital, Delhi. The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur, or the Yantra Mantra as it was originally called, is the biggest astronomical observatory made of stone in the entire world. The word ‘jantar’ means instrument and ‘mantar’ means formula or calculation. The observatory at Jaipur has 14 main geometric devices for the purpose of keeping a track of celestial bodies, to measure time, to determine the declination of the planets, etc. The largest structure in the observatory is the Samrat Jantar, its height being 90 feet, meant for the purpose of measuring time of the day. Hindu Chattri on top of this is used as a place for announcing the arriving monsoons and eclipses. The structures are built from marbles and stones to a scale, for the purpose of increasing their accuracy. It also has the Samrat Yantra, the world’s biggest sundial. The smaller instruments like the Ram Yantra also display profound architectural designs. All these structures make this complex a thrilling and enlightening experience for the tourist.
Jantar Mantar, Delhi: The Jantar Mantar, Delhi is located in the Connaught Place area and is one of the popular attractions of the capital. Comprising of 13 observatories built in the year 1724, the Jantar Mantar at Delhi was built with the main purpose of recording and predicting the movement of the sun, planets and the moon and also for assembling astronomical tables. The four most important instruments at this Jantar Mantar are Samrat Yantra, Jayaprakash Yantra, Ram Yantra and the Misra Yantra. The Samrat Yantra is a 70 feet high giant triangle that is also called the ‘supreme instrument’ as it serves the purpose of a sundial (equal hour), with the added feature of recording the declinations of celestial bodies. Jayaprakash Yantra are hollowed out hemispherical structures that have markings on the surface. The Ram Yantra can enable one to find the alignment of a star. The Misra Yantra could point out noontime in the different cities of the world.
These are the major attractions of Jantar Mantar, Delhi. A visit to theses sites not only enlightens a tourist about our rich past and achievements in the scientific field, but are the standing testimony of architectural, engineering and scientific genius of that era.

SANKRANTHI: THE HINDU NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

Sankranti or Sankranthi is a festival that indicates the harvesting season for farmers in the Indian Sub-continent region. Sankranthi is not only celebrated in India but also in some South East Asian countries. Makara Sankranthi has a lot of significance in terms of geology, agriculture and economy. Makara Sankranthi marks the Sun’s transition into Capricorn and thus indicating the gradual increase of the duration of day and the end of Winter Solstice. In other words, the day when the Sun starts its journey towards the north is celebrated as Makara Sankranthi. It is interesting to note that Sankranthi is a Sanskrit word that means ‘transition’. Makara Sankranthi usually falls in the middle of January and is celebrated as one of the most auspicious festivals in the Sub-Continent.

Makara Sankranthi is also celebrated to worship the Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswati Maa. During the beginning of the festival the departed ancestors are remembered. Sankranthi is also thought to be auspicious for those who are looking to fulfilling their goals in life. The day before Makara Sankranthi is called Bhogi. On Bhogi people discard old and useless items and buy new things for themselves. Sweets are prepared and distributed generously and families come together and make merry on this joyous occasion. The landlord gifts his workers with new clothes, food and money. On Makara Sankranthi people feed animals and birds as an expression of sharing and showing respect to nature. Traveling on this day is not considered appropriate as the day is dedicated for the family members to spend time together. People go to their Gurus to seek their blessings. The festival has a deep spiritual significance as many rituals are connected to it. Some of the major festivals in India that have similarities to Makara Sankranthi are Shivratri, Holi, Saraswati Jayanti, Nau Ratum, Raksha Bandhan, Hanuman Jayanti, Pitri Paksk, Divali, Dusshera, and Kartik. In Andhra Pradesh, the festival is celebrated for three days:

Day 1 they celebrate Bhogi Pandunga.
Day 2 they celebrate Sankranthi.
Day 3 they end the festival with Kanuma Panduga.

On the first day of the festival people celebrate Bhogi. On this day people make a bonfire with all the old articles in their house. On the second day Sankranthi is celebrated where people get gifts and wear new clothes and they worship and offer sweets to their Gods. The third and final day is Kanuma Panduga which marks the end of the festival.

Makara Sankranthi is a very important festival for the Hindus and is celebrated in most parts of India.

“Konark” also called the Sun Temple

The Temple was built in the 13th century AD by the Ganga Dynasty. It is well known as ‘The Sun Temple’, it is also known as ‘The Black Pagoda’ which is generally not in use. Legend has it that, the son of Lord Krishna was suffering from leprosy caused about by the curse that was inflicted upon his father. He was finally cured by ‘Surya’ (The Sun God) after 12 years of self imposed penance. This led him to build a temple in his honor, thus the name ‘Sun temple’.

This ancient monument was built by Raja Narsimhadeva, who belonged to the Ganga Dynasty. The shrine is a display of human grandeur which is carved out to the finest details with unmatchable precision. It is very similar to the gigantic chariot, also bearing seven horses pulling the 24 wheeled chariot with effort. It has a three tiered pyramidal roof which has an extended spine on the top. The seven horses in the monument represent the seven days of the week and the 24 horses represent 24 hours of a day which is deemed a brilliant concept.

Its architectural significances have been commendable and the sculptures have been sculpted to the tee with laudable precision. Every facet of life is represented in the monument, the erotic images carved on them symbolizes human love and their different manifestations. Scenes from courts, war and social life have been intricately carved on the monument. The meticulous hand work has been appreciated and also has been every sculptors dream work.

The temple was slightly differently built compared to all the other temples of the region. It has two small outer halls separated completely from the main structure. The assembly hall and the tower were built on an impressive platform, which were accurately crafted into twelve pairs of decorative wheels, each extending 10 feet wide. There is a broad flight of steps at the entrance which is flanked by the prancing horses on either side. The entire scene depicts the sun God traveling across the heavens. The length of the temple is decorated with beautiful sculptures. The temple is protected under the World Heritage List.

The Chandrabhaga Mela also called the Maha Saptami Mela is a grand religious festival celebrated here, where thousands of people come to take a holy dip in the curative waters which is followed by watching the sun rise from the far off beach. After which a Nava Graha Puja is done.

Diwali – Bring on the lights!!

It is that time of the year again where children look forward to a nice week of holidays filled with lights, lamps and crackers, not to forget the sweets and the food. Diwali, also called Deepavali in other places in India, is a much awaited festival in all parts of the country. It symbolises the arrival of good luck and success and money into everyone's lives. It ushers in new ventures and a year ahead filled with hopes of a good and prosperous life ahead.

Diwali is celebrated with prayers and offerings to the Goddess Lakshmi who is the Goddess of money and wealth. That apart it is famously known as the festival of lights. On the days this festival is celebrated people clean their houses, decorate it with flowers and lamps. Diwali is never complete however without the crackers. This time of the year the manufacturers of crackers are the busiest as people flock to buy these crackers to celebrate with family and friends. The profits gained during this festival are enormous.

Diwali is celebrated for various reasons. Each religion in this country has a different reason to celebrate this festival. One famous story is that Diwali is celebrated to mark the last harvest of the year just before winter sets in. Keeping in mind this reason Goddess Lakshmi is thanked for all the success and people pray for a wonderful year ahead with lot more success.

Another theory that holds good here is that Diwali was first celebrated to welcome King Ram when he came back to his kingdom Ayodhya after 14 long years in the forest. To celebrate his arrival people lit rows of lamps and thus Diwali came into existence. In the southern part of the country people believe that Diwali is celebrated to mark the death of Demon Narakasura at the hands of Lord Krishna.

In some other religions like Jainism the story is a different one.
In the Jain culture it is believed that diwali is celebrated to remember the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira. In Sikhism Diwali symbolises the release of the 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji.

What ever the reason Diwali is a festival celebrated by everyone in this country irrespective of their religion. It actually brings together people from different parts of the country and different religions. Children have the maximum fun with days filled with good food, great sweets, new clothes and evenings filled with bursting crackers. It is a common sight in India to see people light lamps and decorate their houses on Diwali, greeting neighbours, friends and family alike, children running around the house screaming, bursting crackers outside. The louder you can celebrate this festival, the more fun it is!!