Raksha bandhan (rakhi purnima)
Raksha bandhan (rakhi purnima), the festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread, which comes in many colors and designs, by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister.
Baby shower (jadai alangaram)
Baby shower (jadai alangaram), godh bharai/shrimant/shaad/seemandham/valakappu is an indian hindu ceremony. The literal meaning is to fill the lap. The expecting mom is dressed like a bride and the friends and family bless the new mom-to-be with gifts. Everyone puts “tikka” (vermilion) on the mom’s forehead, prays for her and the baby’s wellbeing, followed by the aarti. Everyone rejoices the pending arrival of the baby. During seventh month of pregnancy, the baby has reached to the safe stage. This occasion is celebrated usually at the end of 7th month or in the starting of 8th month. The main significance of godh bharai is to welcome a little baby in your family.
Teej
The hindu festival of Teej is marked by fasting of women who pray to lord shiva and goddess parvati seeking their blessings for marital bliss, well-being of spouse and children and purification of own body and soul. It is a three-day festival that occurs on the third day of “shukla paksha” or bright fortnight of the moon in the hindu month of shravana or sawan.
Bhai dooj / Bhau-beej / bhai tika / bhai phota
Bhai dooj / Bhau-beej / bhai tika / bhai phota is a festival celebrated by hindus on the last day of the five-day-long diwali festival. This is the second day of the bright fortnight or shukla paksha of the hindu month of kartika. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the tika ceremony, and brothers give gifts to their sisters.
Karva chauth
Karva chauth is an annual one-day festival celebrated by hindu women in which married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The festival falls on the fourth day after the full moon, in the hindu lunisolar calendar month of kartik. Sometimes, unmarried women observe the fast for their fiancés or desired husbands.
Vat purnima or wata pournima
Vat purnima or wata pournima, pournima means “full moon” and is celebrated on the full moon day (the 15th) of the month of jyeshta on the hindu calendar, which falls in June on the gregorian calendar. Women pray for the prosperity and longevity of their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree (wata) known as peepal puja on this day. It honour’s Savitri, the legendary wife who rescued her husband’s soul from the ruler of the departed, yama. On this occasion of vata savitri purnima women keep fast for their husbands, women wear bridal type dresses and jewellery. Their fast is observed the whole night till the next morning.after breaking their fast, fruits, clothes and such other articles are given in charity in a bamboo basket to the brahmin’s. Women worship a banyan (vata) tree, and listen to the story of savitri in groups. After all this women can offer prayer and worship. During this puja women pray for good health of their husbands. Women feed water to the tree, sprinkle red powder (kumkum) on it, cotton threads are wrapped round tree’s trunks and then they go seven times round and do the parikrama.
Diwali
Diwali popularly known as the “festival of lights” is a five-day hindu festival which starts on dhanteras, celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the hindu calendar month ashwin and ends on bhaubeej.
Evrat jivrat
Evrat jivrat, also referred as divaso, evrat is observed by newly married women for five years and jivrat is observed by all married women. The ritual is dedicated to goddess parvati and is observed for a happy and prosperous family life. In the evrat jivrat, goddess parvati is worshipped in the form of jawaras – the seeds which are sown on the previous day of the vrat. A ghee lamp is lit before the jawaras. The lamp remains for 36 hours. The ritual takes its name from divaso.
Mata ki chowki
Mata ki chowki is devotional program, can be kept any time or done on happy occasions such as engagements, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or during ganpati and navratri festivals during the year.
