Hindus are in majority in the State. But Christians and Muslims are also the residents of many parts of Haryana. All these communities celebrate their respective religious festivals or days with devotion and unflinching commitment. We shall discuss the major religious festivals being celebrated in Haryana in this chapter. These are, in fact, in perfect tuning with those celebrated in the northern parts of India.
Diwali or Deepawali is a festival of lights, which symbolises the victory of righteousness and the end of spiritual darkness. The word Deepawali literally means rows of deepaks or diyas (clay lamps). It is celebrated 20 days after Dussehra on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwina (October-November).
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Continuing the story of Lord Rama, this festival commemorates His return to His kingdom (Ayodhya) after completing His fourteen-year exile. Twinkling diyas and candles light up every home. Firework displays are common all across the country. The goddess Lakshmi, who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day.
Lord Ganesha, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. The occasion of Diwali is also apt for cleaning and washing of houses. Decorative design or rangolis are painted on doors and walls. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather to offer prayers, distribute sweets and light up their homes.
Dussehra :
It is one of the important Hindu festivals, celebrated with much fervour in the entire country. The occasion marks the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king, Ravana. The destruction of the demon king is deemed the victory of good over evil. Brilliantly decorated tableaux and processions, depicting various facets of Lord Rama’s life, are taken out.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
On the tenth day, the Vijayadashmi day, huge effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghanatha, are constructed in an open ground. Rama, accompanied by his consort Sita and his brother Lakshmana, arrives and shoots arrows of fire at these effigies; these effigies are stuffed with explosive material.
The result is a deafening blast, enhanced by the cheers from spectators. In burning the effigies the people are asked to bum the evil within them and therefore, follow the path of virtue and goodness. People recall that Ravana, despite all his might and majesty, was destroyed because of bad deeds (kukarmas).
This festival is celebrated in the month of August every year. It is the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The temples of the State witness an extravagant and colourful celebration on this occasion. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Lord Krishna and commemorate his love for Radha. The image of infant Lord Krishna is bathed at midnight and placed in a cradle. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over northern India. This festival is celebrated with a special fervour by people of Brij Bhoomi area of Faridabad district.
Baisakhi :
Baisakhi, celebrated with music and dances, in New Year’s Day for Punjabis. It falls on April 13, though once in 36 years, it occurs on 14 April. It was on this day that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa in 1699. Sikhs visit gurdwaras and listen to kirtans. After the prayer, kadah prasada (sweetened semolina) is served to. the congregation. The function ends with langar, the community, and lunch. Processions are taken out, at the heads of which, are the
Panj Piaras. Mock duels and bands, playing religious tunes, are a part of these processions. School children also enthusiastically take part in them. For people living in villages, this festival is the late opportunity for relaxing before they start the harvesting of wheat. Processions and feasts follow oration of the holy scripture of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Granth Sahib.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Mansa Devi Mela is held in Bilaspur village near Manimajara I (Chandigarh). There are two temples dedicated to the goddess. The I fairs are held twice a year-the first one in March-April (Chaitra Shudi I Ashtami) and the other one in September-October (Ashwina Shudi I Ashtami).
Lohri:
Lohri marks the culmination of winter and is celebrated on the 13 January, a day before Makar Sankranti. For Punjabis, this is an important I festival. Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life. People gather I round bonfires and throw sweets, puffed rice and popcorn into the flames. They dance, sing songs and exchange greetings with one another.
The prasada comprises things like til, gazak, gur, peanuts phuliya and popcorn. There is puja involving parikarma around the fire and distribution of prasada. This symbolizes a prayer to Agni, the spark of life, for abundant crops and prosperity. The first Lohri of a bride is extremely important. The first Lohri of a newborn baby especially that of a boy, is also equally important. Children go from door to door, singing and asking for the Lohri Prasada.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Holi :
Holi is a spring festivals. It is celebrated in the month of Phalgun, as the lunar month is locally known. The main event of Holi is indeed a carnival of colours. On this day, children, friends and neighbours come out on streets. And the exciting spree of colour-anyone-you-see takes over. Coloured powders or gulal was earlier made out of dried seeds of some tropical flowers like the Palash and also, from dried silt of the riverbed. This has now given way to dyes, which are available in as pigments.
People throw these coloured powders in the air as they shout Holi Hai. They also smear one another with this coloured powder. They also met one another with coloured water from pichkaris, which Are types of water gun. Coloured water is prepared by mixing the pigments of dyes. These dyes are available in a range of shades. Also water-filled balloons are used these days to charge the target with a splash of colour.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Basant Panchami, the Festival of Spring, is celebrated mainly in Haryana and Punjab during the month of February-March. It is celebrated at the end of winter to welcome spring. Basant Ritu means the spring season. It is during this time when in Haryana, the mustard fields are in full bloom, giving the impression of yellow carpets laid out on acres of land. People welcome this change of season by wearing yellow clothes and flying kites.
Kite flying is the major and most colourful event of this festivals. The sky is covered with different colourful kites. New clothes are made and purchased for this festival and many delicious dishes are also prepared for this particular occasion. In Haryana, sweet yellow rice is prepared especially for this occasion.
Kite flying or Patang Baazi is a cultural sport in Haryana. Kite flying is mostly done on the Basant Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Makar Sankranti and Independence day. However, kites can be flown any time throughout the year. It is a fun sport for all times.
Sanjhi :
Sanjhi is worshipped as the Mother Goddess by unmarried girls of Haryana in order to make the image of Sanjhi, malleable mud is moulded into various shapes. These shapes of stars, moon, sun, face of the. goddess etc. are given different colours. The star-studded collage is fixed on the wall of a dwelling, preferably facing south, in the later half of the Ashwin month in Shukla Paksh, i.e., early October or late September. At some places, the image of Sanjhi is painted on the wall.
This art form is now again becoming popular and finds a place in the famous Surajkund Crafts Mela. The images of Sanjhi are suggestive of Goddess Durga, Uma and Katyayani. In the recent past, people have tried to keep this ancient custom alive. The presence of intellectuals amongst them has encouraged the rural folk.
Apart from the various forms of Sanjhi which the virgin girls create on the first day of the moon in Kartika, there are some other rituals observed by the girls during the Navaratras. Devotional songs are sung just after dusk. A few lighted earthen lamps are held by adolescent girls who assemble around Sanjhi. They sing chorus songs that are centuries old and hence, please the goddess.
Gangore :
Gangore is celebrated on Chaitra Sudi in March-April every year. Idols of Ishar and Gangore are taken out in a procession and songs in their praise are sung till they are immersed in water. This spring a festival is held in the honour of Gauri, the goddess of abundance.
Girls dress up in their finest clothes and pray for getting a spouse of their choice. Married ladies do the same for the happiness of their husbands. Girls worship the goddess throughout the preceding fortnight. Colourful images of Gauri, beautifully dressed and bejewelled, are taken out in procession with the town band. Thousands of people take part in the procession of the Gangore image.
Teej:
Teej is celebrated on Shrawan Sudi (July-Aug.). It is celebrated to welcome sawan or rainy season. After the first showers of sawan a, small red insect, called teej in Haryana, comes out from the earth’s soil. Swings are set up in the open courtyards and teej gets the first swing of the season.
Girls apply henna on their hands and feet and are given a break from the household chores on this day. On the teej, girls receive new clothes from their parents and the mother also sends a baya or gift. Puja is performed in the morning. The baya, which consists of a variety of foodstuff, is placed on a thali at the place of worship where a chowk (square) has been decorated. A idol or a picture of Parvati is also installed at the chowk. The evenings are set aside for singing and dancing.
The Kartik Cultural Festival of Haryana is the result of the consolidated effort of Haryana Tourism and a number of allied agencies. Prominent among those were Ministry of Tourism and Department of
Culture of the Government of India, Department of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India, Department of Cultural Affairs (Haryana), Development Commissioners-Handlooms and Handicrafts, North Zone Cultural Centre, North Central Cultural Centre, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and Ballabhgarh Development and Beautification Society.
Kartik Cultural Festival Mela:
It was planned with the express view of promoting fort ambience, martial arts and the rich repertoire of both classical Indian music and dance, matching it with an equally rich variety of folk theatre. The festival has given a new life to dying folk arts, martial arts and worked to bring traditional folk dances and music on the national stage.
The Kartik Cultural Festival was held at Nahar Singh Mahal that lies on Ballabhgarh town. The fort, the venue of the festival, was built by the forefathers of Raja Nahar Singh in around 1739 AD. Raja Nahar Singh, after whom, the palace is named, ascended the throne in 1829 AD. The Raja was a young king of the empire of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. He gave up his life fighting for the cause of the nation in the First War Independence.
The Palace of Nahar Singh was identified for beautification by the Government of Haryana and restored to its original glory by a well- known team of experts-Francis Nacziarg and Aman Nath. They had worked on many such restoration projects. The palace is an outstanding specimen of architectural design. In terms of architectural pattern, the palace carries a reflection of the finesse of other palaces and forts of Bharatpur.
Chaitra Chaudas Mela:
It is held annually in Pehowa, which has the holy Saraswati tank, also called Saraswati Teertha or Prithudak Teertha. The Teertha also finds mention in the ancient Hindu texts. At this place, the Chaitra Chaudas Fair is held during the spring season. Pilgrims, both Sikhs and Hindus, flock to this place to offer pindas for their ancestors. It is claimed that at in this holy spot, Yudhishthira had offered pindas in memory of all those relatives who were killed in the Mahabharata war. Pilgrims take bath in the Saraswati tank during this fair.
Sili Sate Fair
It is held to worship Sitamata.
Nirjala Akadashi Fair
It is organised in the month of Jaishtha. The women keep fast and abstain from drinking water.
Madlia Navami
It is celebrated at the beginning of the rainy season.