Children's Day - 14th November

Children's day, in hindi known as "Bal Diwas", in India falls on November 14th every year and for good reason. Children's day in India is celebrated on Pandit Nehru's birthday as a day of fun and frolic, a celebration of childhood, children and Nehruji's love for them. Chacha Nehru as the children fondly referred to him, was fond of both children and roses. In fact he often compared the two, saying that children were like the buds in a garden. They should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they were the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow. He felt that children are the real strength of a country and the very foundation of society. He was the beloved of all the children who gave him the endearing name of Chacha Nehru.

Dhamma Chakra Pravartan

The holy and sacred place for thousands Dalit people across India, where the Designer of Indian Constitution and champion of Dalit people Dr B.R.Ambedkar embrace Buddhism and thus gave the new life to Dalits with political, economical, social rights and freedom . Deekshabhumi is visited by Lakhs of devotees every year on the eve of "DHAMMACHAKRA PRAVARTAN DIN" to pay their homage to Dr. B.R Ambedkar. They come with aspirations, and deep regard to learn the essence of Buddhism and thoughts of Dr ambedkar. This is the single place on earth where one can find the every class of people be of the poorest or the effluent , shares the same space from every corner of the world and exchange thoughts through Books and literatures available abundantly and go home with new inspirations and hope , courage in their life.

Navratri
Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra." Navratri is a very important and major festival in the western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnatakaduring which the traditional dance of Gujarat called "Garba" is widely performed. This festival is celebrated with great zeal in North India as well, including Bihar, West Bengal,Madhya Pradesh and the northern state of Punjab. Nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navaratris. The Devis worshipped depend on the tradition of the region.

Durga, the inaccessible one Bhadrakali Amba or Jagadamba, Mother of the universe Annapoorna devi, The one who bestows grains (anna) in plenty (purna: used as subjective) Sarvamangala, The one who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva) Bhairavi Chandika or Chandi Lalita Bhavani Mookambika

Nag Panchami
Nag Panchami, a.k.a., Naga or Nagula Panchami, is a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of snakes and serpent deities. It is observed across India and Nepal on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Shravan during the monsoon season. It celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the mythical Kaliya, a monstrous black python that was killed by Krishna in the Yamuna river. This year Nag Panchami falls on July 23, 2012. Nine serpent deities are worshiped on the auspicious Nag Panchami day. Elaborate rituals in the form of 'puja' are held in temples and temporary altars in the honor of snake gods - Ananta, Vasuki, Padmanabha, Sesha, Kambala, Shankhapala, Dhruthrashtra, Takshaka and Kaliya - the nine prominent snake gods. In many parts of Eastern India Nag Panchami is dedicated to the serpent goddess, Manasa.

Gandhi Jayanti

Gandhi Jayanti is a national holiday in India celebrated on 2nd October. This day is celebrated in the honor of the birthday of the Father of the nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi or Bapuji. Internationally this day is celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence as Gandhiji was the preacher of non-violence. He is a symbol of peace and truth. Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869, in Porbunder, a small town in Gujarat. He studied law in U.K and practiced law in South Africa. In his autobiography My experiments with Truth Gandhiji described his childhood and teen age years, his marriage with Kasturba at the age of 13 and a sheer dedication for his mother land. He has set an example of simple living and high thinking. He was against the addictions like smoking, drinking and non-vegetarianism. Gandhiji was a pioneer of truth and non-violence. He started the 'Satyagraha' (nonviolence) movement for the Indian freedom struggle. He played a very significant role in achieving independence for India from British rule. He proved to the world that freedom can be achieved through the path of total non-violence. All the organizations throughout the country remain closed on this day. Special event is organized at Raj Ghat, New Delhi where Gandhiji was cremated. People do prayers, pay homage and sing Gandhijis favorite song Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patit Pavan Sita Ram . Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. By Mahatma Gandhi.

Republic Day
January 26th is celebrated by Indians as Republic Day. We celebrate it every year. It was on this day in 1950, that India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic and gave to itself a constitution of its own. In Delhi it is celebrated amidst great enthusiasm and joy. A special parade is held on the day. Early in the morning people begin to assemble at Rajpath and other places to see the grand parade. The President of India takes the salute. A procession starts from Vijay Chowk. All the three wings of the armed forces take part in the parade. There is a display of tanks, big guns and other weapons of war; in fact the strength of the armed forces. Military bands play tunes. N.C.C. cadets and the police also participate in the parade. Folk dancers assemble in the Capital from states. The dancers sing and play on various instruments. Boys and girls of local colleges and schools march in procession and sing national song. There is a colourful fly-past by different types of aeroplanes. Rose petals are showered from air and a trail of saffron, white and green, the colours of the National Flag, is left behind. Balloons of tri-colour also float in the air. At night all the government buildings are illuminated and the people move out to watch the beautiful sight.

Good Friday Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross. Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. If you are interested in a study of the issue, please see our article that discusses the various views on which day Jesus was crucified.

Laxmi Pujan
Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu deity worshiped on the Hindu's biggest festival Diwali, symbolizes wealth, fortune, power, luxury, beauty, fertility, and auspiciousness as per the Hindu mythology. The deity is the key to material fulfillment and contentment.. Shri is the sacred name of the goddess which carries an underlying current. It evokes grace, affluence, authority, abundance, holiness & is used often before starting an auspicious work, such as written on top of documents, spoken before addressing a god, teacher holy man to name a few. She embodies the ethereal beauty of nature. Also known as Bhoodevi, the earth-goddess, Laxmi is the nurturer who bestows power, pleasure and prosperity on her devotees. The goddess, like Durga, has eight forms, known as Ashta Lakshmi, commonly worshiped by Hindus, each bestowing one form of wealth to her devotees. These are namely : Aadi Lakshmi, Santhana Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi, Dhaanya Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, Veera Lakshmi, Aiswarya Lakshmi. The swarna-hasta meaning golden-handed, is the better half of Lord Vishnu. She showers prosperity in every aspect, be it material or the moral and ethical values, the nobler aspects of life, the power of the mind and intellect. Diwali is synonymous with Laxmi Pujan, since, she brings peace and prosperity to all. The Devi is worshiped on the night of diwali where traditional rituals are performed to honor the Goddess. After sunset, atleast five pieces of ghee diyas (lamps) are lit in front of the deities to usher in light. She is offered traditional sweets & it is followed by devotional songs in praise of the deity.

Durga Puja Durga Puja the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entails ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.

Dussehra Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is a gazetted holiday in India, which is marked on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja), according to the Hindu calendar. Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples throughout India. They also hold outdoor fairs (melas) and large parades with effigies of Ravana (a mythical king of ancient Sri Lanka). The effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening. Dussehra is the culmination of the Navaratri festival. There are many local celebrations in some areas in India that can last for up to 10 days. Local events include: Performances of the Ramlila (a short version of the epic Ramayana) in Northern India. A large festival and procession including the goddess Chamundeshwari on a throne mounted on elephants in the town of Mysore in the state of Karnataka. The blessing of household and work-related tools, such as books, computers, cooking pans and vehicles in the state of Karnataka. The preparation of special foods, including luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks), in Bengal. Many Hindus also believe that it is lucky to start a new venture, project or journey on Dussehra. They may also exchange gifts of leaves from the Shami tree (Prosopis spicigera) as a symbol of the story of the Pandavas brothers' exile in the Mahabharata stories. Ramnavami: Birthday of Lord Rama Ramnavami or the birthday of Lord Rama falls on the 9th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra (March-April). Ramnavami is one of the most important festivals of the Hindus, particularly the Vaishnava sect of the Hindus. On this auspicious day, devotees repeat the name of Rama with every breath and vow to lead a righteous life. People pray to attain the final beatitude of life through intense devotion towards Rama and invoke him for his blessings and protection.

Gudi Padwa
Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month. Gudi Padwa is celebrated as the New Year day by Maharashtrians. Gudi Padwa is also known as Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This festival marks the beginning of the spring season. People celebrate this festival with great spirit and joy. Houses are cleaned prior to the festival. Colourful rangoli designs are drawn at entrances. New clothes are worn on this day. There is a family gathering and Maharashtrian delicacies are prepared for everyone. The Maharashtrians make puran poli or sweet rotis, soonth pak and usal. Traditionally, bittersweet leaves of the neem tree are eaten on this day. A paste of crushed neem leaves, cumin seeds, jaggery and salt is taken before eating any food in the morning. On this day, gudis are hung outside the houses or in the localities. A 'gudi' is a pole on the top of which an upturned brass or silver pot called a kalash is placed. The gudi is covered with a colourful silk cloth and decorated with marigold flowers, coconuts, and mango leaves that symbolize nature's bounty. Gudi is worshipped by offering sandalwood paste, turmeric and vermilion. Then, boys and young men of the locality form a pyramid and the person on top of the pyramid breaks the coconut which is in the kalash. Gudi Padwa is considered a very auspicious day. New ventures are begun, housewarming poojas are performed, and people also may choose to buy gold, silver or property on this day. There are some elgends behind the celebration of Gudi Padwa. It is said that the Universe was created by Brahma on this day and Satyuga (The Age of Truth and Justice) began. It is also believed that on this day, King Vali was killed by Rama and Shri Rama returned to Ayodhya victorious. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Hindu Lunar calendar, whose every moment is considered auspicious.