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!!

Ajanta Caves

Buddhism is not one of the most popular religions in India. So you won’t find many Buddhist temples in India, but if you are interested in knowing about the origins and history of Buddhism then Ajanta Caves are the place to visit. They are located about 40 Kms from the Jalgaon city which is in Maharashtra, India. These are basically a series of 29 cave temples which stretch across east to west. Out of these 30 caves, 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and all other are monasteries. These caves are rock cut and carved on a cliff along the Waghora River. It was around second century BC-AD that these caves were built.
These caves have some of the greatest Buddhist art masterpieces and sculptures which encompass both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. The paintings in the caves of Ajanta give you a lot of knowledge about the life of Gautam Buddha who was the founder of Buddhism. Apart from these illustrations you will also find many popular Jataka Stories pertaining to bodhistavas. The caves are actually built in two periods, both of them separated by each other by a gap of four centuries.
Most of the caves are quite dark from inside and it is very hard to see the paintings in pitch darkness. So you need to purchase a special lighting ticket, on production of which the guards inside the cave will switch on the lights and you can see the paintings glowing in there original colors.
It is believed that these paintings were carved on a dry surface. Before starting with the painting, a thick layer of cow dung and clay mixed with rice husks was applied on the rocky surface. Finally a coat of lime was applied on the surface and then the artisans started painting.
There are 29 caves; in the first cave you will find paintings of women, Bodhisattvas and Jataka paintings. The most popular is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Padmapani. In the second cave you will find paintings related to Buddha’s birth. In cave 3 and 4 you will find unfinished images of Buddha. Cave sixth is two storied and you will find a seated image of Buddha. The tenth cave is said to be the oldest cave and it contains sculptures from Hinayana and Mahyana period. Cave 17 contains the best known images at the Ajanta caves. In this way there are 29 Caves, each one of them unique in on way or the other.
The Ajanta caves contain one of the best pieces of Indian art. They depict the rich Indian culture and heritage.

Dusshera - The Victory Of Good Over Evil

Vijayadashami or Dusshera is one of the most popularly celebrated festivals in India. Dusshera is the victory of good over evil. According to the Hindu calendar it is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hindu month Ashwina.
According to the Hindu mythology it is believed that all the good things were present in the ruler of Ayodhya, the god king Ram. It is on this day that Ram killed Ravan who was the ruler of Lanka and had abducted his wife Sita. Lord Ram fought a courageous battle along with his brother Lakshman and his devote Lord Hanuman with an army of monkeys. This battle was fought for 10 days after which Ram killed the king of Lanka Ravan. After rescuing his wife Sita ram went to Ayodhya. It was exactly after 20 days that Ram reached Ayodhya and after this every year this day is celebrated as Diwali.
Dusshera is considered as one of the most auspicious day in Hindu mythology and is said to be the best day to start any new work. When the month of Ashwina starts it is called as the beginning of the navratra. With it also starts the dramatization of Ramayana. It is on the tenth day that a huge statue of Ravan is created and is filled with crackers. These effigies of Ravan with Meghnada and Kumbhakarna are burnt with a lot of pomp and show.
This day is also celebrated as Durga Puja or Kali Puja in Bengal. While in Ayodhya it is celebrated as the worship of goddess Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Shakti. In Bangalore it is celebrated as the worship of goddess Chamundeshwari who is borne on an elephant mounted throne and then worshipped throughout the city. In Karnataka it is celebrated in the form of Ayudh Puja.
On this day the good got victorious over evil, hence it is considered very auspicious. Many people start all there new ventures on this day. All the tools for agriculture, school books, pens, machines and household articles are placed before the idols of goddess Durga and Sarwasti and are worshipped.
These festivals show the diverse culture and rich heritage of India. It shows how different people celebrate the same day in different style but with a lot of fanfare. These festivals play a great role in bonding different cultures and showing how there can be unity in diversity.

The Red Fort

As with many other buildings built by the Mughals, the red fort also started out to serve a purpose but ended up serving the Mughals in a different way. The red fort was built primarily for military reasons by Akbar in 1565. It was then converted into a palace by Shah Jahan. The red fort went on to have a lot more additions built in by Shah Jahan's grandsons during their respective reigns. The additional monuments credited to this fort are many but it is basically characterised by 20 ft high walls. Within these high imposing walls you feel you have entered a city within the fort.


The Diwan – e – Am and the Diwan- e – Khas are without doubt the structures that were used completely by the Mughal emperors. The Diwane – e –Am was used as the hearing hall where the emperor listened to the woes and worries of his people and the people found solutions to their problems. This structure originally made of wood but then later converted to it's present form by Shah Jahan has clear indications of the emperor's oh-so-obvious style of architecture complete with floral motifs and carvings. Interestingly this hall of public hearing gives way to the Nagina mosque and the ladies bazaar. This was a one-of-it's kind bazaar where only ladies were allowed to sell their goods to the Moghul royalty way back then. The Diwan – e- Khas encompasses the hall of private audience. It is here that the famed peacock throne was placed.


With the Diwane – e- Khas described it is now time for the octagonal tower. This tower has a sad story to say. It witnessed Shah Jahan spend the last seven years of his life imprisoned by his son here. It also is supposed to have given the imprisoned emperor an excellent view of the Taj Mahal during his last few days. Shah Jahan also had a palace built for his son Jehangir within this very same fort and it is rightly called the Jehangir Palace. The Mina-Masjid and the Moti – Masjid are also housed within this fort.

Among the rest of the structures within this fort are the Machhi Bhawan (fish enclosure), Sheesh Mahal which is completely made of glass and was meant to be a dressing room with little mirrors lining the walls, Jehangir Mahal being one of the few buildings with a Hindu architecture inkling in it, Angora Baugh the well kept geometric gardens, Golden Pavilions built basically for Shah Jahan's daughters and the Mussman Burj where the great emperor Shah Jahan breathed his last.

Hawa Mahal – The Pink City's Pride

India has been ruled for years by royal families. Although of those families only a rare few exist and even fewer live their lives in the past grandeur, the monuments and sculptures built by these ruling families still stand to date, proud and poised as the only reminder of a royal life once lived. Of them the Rajput rulers have endowed Indian land with a number of masterpieces and Hawa Mahal is indeed one of the finest accomplishments of their culture. The captivating view of this five-storey structure is enough to add worth to your vacations. This is the reason for Hawa Mahal being visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from different corners of the world. If you are planning a vacation to Rajasthan, this glorious landmark is a must to visit.

Hawa Mahal is located in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, India. It is located near the City Palace of Jaipur. Apart from this castle of winds, there are many other well-sculpted monuments in this city. The Pink city as Jaipur is more fondly called holds the Hawa Mahal on the peak of the various other monuments built here.


It was under the rule of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh that Hawa Mahal was given its existence in the year 1799. The famous designer Lal Chand Usta was given the responsibility to construct it in the form of a crown of Lord Krishna. Since then, it has become the icon of Pink City of India called Jaipur.


The depiction of Rajputana culture on this monument is one of the most enchanting highlights of Hawa Mahal. The pyramid like shape of this structure provides an attractive appeal to this palace. The red and pink sandstones have been utilized for rendering beautiful design to this landmark. There are as many as 953 windows, commonly known as jharokhas, which allow the breeze circulation inside this palace. Now, you must have understood the origin of the name given to this site.

Constructed for royal women of Rajput dynasty, it has been successful in keeping the Indian culture alive for so many years.


You may visit this palace round the year, but in order to enjoy a favorable climate, it is recommended to plan your trip in the months from October to February. It is also suggested to visit the palace early morning to witness a spectacular view of Hawa Mahal, basking in the glory of golden rays of sun.
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