Traditional Celebrations

♫ Diwali, or Dipawali ♫

This is the India's biggest and most important holiday of the year. Indians put some lights in their homes. Diwali is celebrated in October or November. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas festival as it takes place during 5 days. On the first day, people clean their home and shop for kitchen utensils. On the second day, people decorate their homes with clay lamps and design patterns (rangoli) on the floor using colored powders or sand. The third day is the principal day of the festival when families pick together for Lakshmi puja, a prayer to Goddess “Lakshmi” followed by feasts and firework. The fourth day is the day of the new year when friends and family visit with presents. On the last day of Diwali, brothers visit their married sisters who welcome them with love and a splendid lunch.

♫ Kumbh Mela ♫

They are about 50 to 110 million supporters who go on the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage. The last festival (2015) lasted for 55 days, filled of spiritual religious performances and the cleansing of sins. The highlight of the Kumbh-Mela is the most auspicious bathing day (Mauni Amavasya Snan), when bathers wash away their own sins from this lifetime as well as those of their family’s 88 previous generations. This ensures liberation from the eternal cycle of rebirth for oneself an one’s ancestors. The bathing starts at 4am, the first people to bathing is the Naga sect. It’s a complete zoo of people, so the Nagas knock people down on their way into the water. An estimated 30 million people bathed together in the Ganges. Kumbh Mela has its origins in a mythical battle between Hindu gods and demons over a kumbh (pitcher) filled with the nectar of immortality. The story goes that the carafe broke in the fight, dispersal drops of nectar in four riverside cities: Nashik, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Allahabad. Approximately every 3 year the planets align in the same position as the original battle, pilgrims flock to these four places, while the larger Maha Kumbh Mela happens every 12 year in Allahabad.

♫ Holi ♫

Bright neon powder covers the people in Northern India during the annual Hindu celebration called Holi. This celebration takes place on March 24. This ancient tradition marks the end of winter and honors the triumph of good on evil. Celebrants light bonfires, throw colorful powder called gulal, eat sweets, and dance.

♫ Help ! ♫

Powder : Poudre Goddess : Déesse Row : Rangée Firework : Feu d’artifice Clay :Argile Pilgrimage : Pèlerinage Cleansing : Nettoyant Ensure : Garantir, assurer Sand : Sable

Text : BERTHELIN Nicolas, BOURGET Antoine. Page setting : GENAUDEAU Gaëtan ☺ ☺ ♪ ♪ ☺ ☺