| | Indian festivals:
NDTV Good Times brings to you a 13 part series celebrating the spirit of India, through its festivals.
Become a part of the festivities, as we take you on a journey through age old customs and traditions.
From the stillness of a Buddhist monastic festival in Ladakh to the cultural extravaganza of Onam in Kerala,
this show, "Festivals, Celebrating India" has it all.
Experience the ecstacy of Durga Puja with the people who celebrate it. A five day festival whose roots lie in the worship of nature and womanhood. Join us as we re-discover the spirit of this festival and become a part of the festivities.
Showtime: November 22, Sunday 8:30 pm | |
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| | | Durga Puja: The worship of Goddess Durga in the month of autumn is called 'Akalbodhan'- an uncustomary time for commencement of the worship. | | | | |
Originally, Durga used to be worshipped in spring. But when Ram went to war against Ravana, he had no other choice but to pray to Goddess Durga in the untimely month of autumn. | | | | |
It was customary to worship Durga with 100 lotuses. Rama could gather only 99 of them; he offered one of his eyes as a substitute of the 100th lotus. Pleased with his devotion Durga blessed him. | | | | |
Ravana's defeat has now become our annual Dussehra celebration. |
About Hemis
1. Hemis festival is celebrated every year on the 10th day of the tibetan lunar month, to commemorate the birth of Lord Padmasambhava. | | | |
2. Padmasambhava is the patron saint of Buddhism. | | | |
The Chams are sacred dance forms performed by trained Buddhist monks, which are not only devotional but also meditational. | | | |
The Hemis Monastery is one of the richest monasteries in Ladakh and it follows the Vajrayana school of Buddhism. |
Diwali
Day 1 - Dhanteras:
Dhanteras holds special significance for the business community due to customary purchases of precious metals on this day. To mark the auspicious day, houses and business premises are renovated and decorated. People buy silverware as a sign of prosperity. | | | |
Day 2 - Chhoti Diwali / Chaturdashi
People celebrate this day with fewer lights and fewer crackers. In South India people wake up before sunrise and prepare a paste by mixing Kumkum in oil, and after breaking a bitter fruit, they apply that mixture on their foreheads. An oil bath using sandalwood paste is also customary on this day. | | | |
Day 3 - Lakshmi Puja:
The Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Lakshmi is worshipped on the day of Diwali. Lakshmi in Sanskrit is derived from its elemental form "lakS," which is synonymous with lakshya, meaning aim or objective. Lakshmi is thus goddess of the means to achieving objectives, including prosperity in the lives of humankind. | | | |
Day 4 - Govardhan Puja:
According to a legend, before Krishna was born, Indra, the god of Rain, was the chief deity of Vraj. Then Krishna instigated the people to stop worshipping Indra. Indra wanted to show his power over Krishna and brought about a cloud-burst which flooded the countryside for many days. People were afraid that the downpor was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. He lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the rain. |
Day 5 - Bhai Duj:
Legend speaks of this Bhai Duj as the day when Yamraj, the Lord of death visited his sister Yamuna. And he gave a boon, that whosoever visits their sisters on this day shall be liberated from all sins. They will achieve Moksha or final emancipation. | | | | |
Teej: It is a festival worshipping Goddess Parvati. Parvati is the only Indian Goddess who like Vishnu, has the ability to change her form. | | | | |
Parvati - Divine wife and mother: The divine feminity | | | | |
Durga - the Goddess of Shakti: The one who eliminates sufferings | |
Kali - the Eternal Light: Black as the night, Kali is prayed for strength to face one's own fears. | | | | |
Tara - the Compassionate Goddess: The star of aspirations, the muse guiding along the creative path. | | | | |
Chundan Vallams: Kerala’s traditional snake boats. Originally, each boat belonged to a village, and the villagers would worship it like a deity. Men would touch it, only bare feet, to show respect. Aranmulla a small village in Kerala, organises the year’s biggest snake boat race, during the time of Onam. 41 snake boats take part in this race on the river Pampa. | | | | |
Onasadya: Traditional Onam feast which happens on the day of Thiruvonam. It is a full vegetarian lunch, and is of utmost importance for each family.
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Pulikali: Pulikali technically means, “Play of Tigers” and is an age old dance form of Kerala. Men get their body painted with a tiger face on their belly, and dance on the streets of Thrichur during Onam. This is one occasion where the dancers envy the men with the bigger bellies, cause the bigger the belly the better is the tiger art! | | | | | | |
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| | Hemis
Amidst the misty mountains of Ladakh, a sound rises celebrating an age old Buddhist festival in the Hemis Monastery. Join us, as we take you on this mystical journey, and take a closer look at it, beyond the tourist attractions.
On Air: November 29, Sunday 8:30 pm | |
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| | Durga Puja
Ipshita Bhattacharyya
Being born in a family in the eastern part of the country, Durga Puja has never been alien to me. Ever since I remember, it was this festival, we would look forward to as kids. Not only was this a time for state holidays, but also it was a time when one could do anything and get away with it! And hence, I was more than prepared to document this festival, ever since I started producing the show “FESTIVALS Celebrating India”.
But it’s amazing, how many different facets, I ended up discovering to this very same festival.
Durga Puja is not just the celebration of good over evil, which we all know through the story of Mahisasur, but of many other significant things. Things, which the common man has either ignored or has forgotten generations ago or maybe it lies in some corner of his soul.
Durga, is not just the Goddess of Power & Strength, she is also the Goddess of Womanhood. The show features a very significant aspect of Durga Puja, which is known as the “Kumari Puja”. It’s a puja done for a young girl, seeking her blessings and glorifying her importance in the society. As Samrat, the character from the episode says, “We give respect to that young girl, who is about to embark upon a journey of womanhood.”
Another interesting facet is the worship of nature. The idol is given shape from the earth by artisans, for whom, this lies somewhere between work and worship. And on the day of “Dashomi”, the idol is immersed in the river, signifying her return to the earth.
Durga Puja for the people from the eastern part of India, finds its expression in Navratri for others. Navratri, which celebrates the nine different avatars of the Goddess. Amidst all this information, there lies confusion in my mind.
In a land, which finds strength it's in idol worship, is the true significance of the puja getting lost? Do we just pray to Goddess Durga, whispering our own personal wishes? Or does praying to the Goddess, give us the strength to imbibe in us all that the Goddess stands for?
Nature. Love. Womanhood. Peace.
Will this information just stay in research material and maybe more often in Google, or will it find it’s way into the hearts of the devotees? I guess it’s for you to know, and for me to find out! |
Teej
Ipshita Bhattacharyya
One fine rainy day, I followed the rain clouds to Jaipur for it's yearly monsoon festival, Teej. A festival which is a celebration of many things... the advent of monsoon, the worship of Goddess Parvati, the revival of the age old customs of Rajasthan and primarily the celebration of womanhood. Teej gave me quite a change from the craziness of all other Indian festivals.
This was a festival with a difference... although all festivals do have their unique moments... somewhere the moments of teej appealed to me the most. I guess what it was the very fact, that in the land of kings and warrriors, there is a festival waiting to be celebrated each year, dedicated solely to the women.
Over the years, Teej has given the women of Rajasthan, an access to public space. This was one time of the year when women would leave their household chores, to dance and swing in the courtyards... filling it with laughter, chatter and joy. Teej is a time for Mehndi, Kajal, and all things beautiful. Women get dressed in all their finery and head out to become a part of the festivities. Amidst all this, I met a family who has lived up to the age old customs and traditions of Teej.
It is the royal family of Jaipur, and each year the City Palace gears up for the celebrations.... which are indeed a sight to behold! It is customary for the women of the royal household to pray to the idol of Parvati, the Goddess signifying all things feminine, the Devine wife and mother.
Interestingly, the month of Sawan or monsoons, is dedicated to Shiva, and on the day of Teej, women pray to Shiva's companion Parvati, so that their prayers can reach the Lord. Somehow, there is something very human about the whole act of sending a message to the man through his lady love.
The royal puja is preceeded by a grand procession, where the idol of parvati is taken out for the city to pay their respect. And the crowd that huddles up in the streets is quite an interesting blend of the past and the present. At one leve, i saw the locals... for whom this is a yearly affair. Yet, they are dressed in all the colours of the rainbow, and have already taken up the front row. While on the other end, there are the tourists, who try their best to steer their way amidst humans and animals, to take out their big len slrs and take their shots.
But what do their shots capture? What story lies behind these photographs? Most commonly, these would be moments of the elephants walking the streets, of acrobats, of kalbelia dancers and of all other visual delights. But will there be, among these photos, the story of the Devine Goddess and it's connect with the women of Rajasthan?
Well the cynic in me highly doubts it... but then the romantic in me takes over and believes otherwise. |
Onam
Ipshita Bhattacharyya
The moment I landed in Cochin airport, I knew there is a festival waiting to be experienced. It was the week of Onam, Kerala’s annual cultural extravaganza. From tiger dances in Thrichur to Aranmulla’s Snake Boat Race, Onam is such a festival that can never go unnoticed. It’s festivities don’t lie concentrated in nook and corners but are equally grand throughout the entire state! We spent 6 days in Kerala and to really cover the festival, our crew had to travel through the length and breadth of this land. Each small village had it’s own story, waiting to be told.
Celebrating the homecoming of Kerala’s favourite king, Mahabali, Onam as a festival, has it’s roots deep in folklore. We met up with a renowned playwright, Kavalam Panickar, who helped me get a deeper insight to this festival, which carries the risk of being just another Indian visual delight, for the uninitiated.
Panickar talks about how Onam pays homage to both the Mythological hero as well as the villain. Mahabali was a king but he was also an Asura, just like Ravana, making him the epic antagonist. While, Lord Vishnu, who manages to overthrow this proud King, is the epic protagonist. During Onam, people pay respect to both Mahabali and Vishnu, giving the festival it’s uniqueness. Panickar feels that this portrays the dual existence of good and bad in our society and the possibility of reforming.
But over the generations, Onam, just like every other Indian festival, has moulded itself into the lives of one and all. It has something in store for everybody. If the mythological significances become a little too alien for today’s youth, they find solace in glorifying the folklore in their very own way. The rock icons from the south, Avial, one of the most successful band of today’s music scene, feels the same. Their music is an attempt to glorify the folklore of Kerala and show the world what their land has to offer. Avial’s music might be popularly rock but their roots have very much to do with Kerala. If you don’t know what I am talking about as yet, then well, catch the show!
After having shot 13 festivals around the country, I can say undoubtedly, that Kerala knows how to celebrate and revive it’s culture! Temple dance forms which had lost their former glory have been brought to the frontline. The people of Kerala, use their festival to showcase art forms and their culture in a way which can be an inspiration for all of us, in the years to come. The sea breeze, the green expanse and the backwaters, all made stage, for this festival, which has the true potential of becoming an experience of a lifetime. | | | |
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