Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival to commemorate the revered King Maveli, is a much-looked-forward-to festival not just for Malayalees but even for Palakkad Brahmins. Chingam is the first Malayalam month and Onam falls in this month.
The myth behind Onam
It is believed that Mahabali, also known as Maveli, the benevolent Asura king...
What is 'Heritage'? Give this a little thought. We'll wait before sharing the definition with you. Quickly, think of something! Did the Taj Mahal pass before your eyes, your grandmother’s saris or your mother’s jewellery collection? Honestly, all of these are forms of heritage, some of these are extremely...
Celebrated on the 13th day of the Chaitra month of the Indian lunar calendar, Mahavir Jayanti or Mahavir Janma Kalyanak celebrates the birth anniversary of the Mahavir, who was the last of the 24 Tirthankaras.
Born as Vardhamana in the royal household of Vajji, in present-day Bihar, Mahavir was believed...
Guru Purnima is commemorated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Ashad. It is a day sacred to the memory of Maharshi Ved Vyasa, the ancient saint who edited the four Vedas and wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Srimad Bhagavatam. Guru Purnima...
The Conflictorium: a space to deal with history of conflict in our lives
In a quaint little old Parsi building in Mirzapur, Ahmedabad is the Conflictorium - a space that has been set up to help people interact with the concept, history and presence of conflict in our everyday lives.
The...
Goswami Tulsidas, or more famously Tulsidas, was an Indian poet-saint, philosopher, composer, and social reformer widely known for his literary work Ramcharitmanas - the Hindi equivalent of Saint Valmiki’s Ramayan.
Life and times
Tulsidas was born into a Hindu Vaishnav family in the year 1532 A.D. in the village of Rajapur...
In India, Navami is celebrated as the last day of the nine nights of Navratri – the festival in which Goddess Durga is worshipped and revered. In north India, especially amongst the Punjabi community, it is celebrated by holding kanjak or kanya pujan, where young girls, who are thought...
This year, the Easter celebrations across the world have been muted and quiet, with people praying in the privacy of their homes and the Vatican priests praying for the lives of people who are affected in their own country and across the world. Further, the Vatican issued a decree...
The spring celebration of Holi sees many parts of India erupt in colour but perhaps the best place to witness it in all its glory is Mathura, home to Vrindavan and Barsana. Here, the festival can last for two weeks. Thousands of tourists descend on the region for a...
Colorful dances, multicultural extravaganza, classical music, spiritual teachings, mouthwatering street food of aamchi Mumbai and dilwalon ki Dilli, puppet shows depicting stories from the Ramayana, Bollywood music, and loads of enthusiastic people enjoying the revelry – that’s what Diwali in London at Trafalgar Square (also known as DOTS for...
Navratri is coming to a close and Dussehra will soon herald the end of celebrations. Through it all, Ramlila has been held, regaling audiences with enactments of the Ramayana through the epic poem, Ramacharitmanas. For those unfamiliar with this, Ramacharitmanas narrates the glory of Shri Ram and Ramlila showcases...
Significance of Buddha Purnima or Vesak
Buddhists from all over the world are getting ready to celebrate Buddha Purnima or Vaishakh Purnima or Vesak, which falls on 30 April this year. It is a festival held worldwide to commemorate the birth and enlightenment (prakash) of Lord Buddha; every year it...
Picture the serene backwaters of Kerala with its rain-washed monsoon splendor. Add to that, a number of boats flashing through the waters, racing each other with over a hundred paddlers thrusting their oars in union. That’s the Nehru Trophy Boat Race for you.
Something that began as a Vallam...
The handloom sector is one of the major symbols of the cultural heritage of India. It is also an important source of livelihood. On 7th August 2020, National Handloom Day is observed to honor the handloom weavers and to create awareness about the importance of the handloom industry in...
There’s something about a new year that’s so exciting. Maybe it’s the casting away of the old and the excitement of a fresh, new beginning that gets us excited. For the orthodox Parsi community, however, there’s a lot more to it.
Pateti, as the Parsi New Year’s Eve is called,...
