When is Gudi Padwa 2020?

The festival marks the beginning of the civil year of the Hindus. It is celebrated throughout the nation, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, and amongst the people of the communities belonging to the states. Again, the festival sets the beginning of the Marathi new year, Telugu new year, which is also known as Ugadi in Kannada also traditionally known as Cheti Chand in Sindhi  and Navreh in Kashmiri new year known as and also known as As per the Gregorian calendar, the festival falls between March and April. 

Astrologically speaking, the lord of the first day of the year is considered to be the lord of the whole year. Such, for instance, in the last year of 2019, the lord of the Hindu year was Saturn. Especially the new moon day of Gudi Padwa has a specific significance. It is during this time of the year that the sun is present in the first zodiac that is Aries. A little known fact about the festival, however, is that it also marks the beginning of the spring season and is celebrated in states like Punjab and Haryana as the harvest festival of Baishakhi. 

Gudi padwa 2020- date and “muhrat”:

Gudi Padwa 2020 falls on the 25th of March this year, Wednesday. The exact times of the festival are as follows:

1. Prtipada Tithi Begins – 14:57 (24 March 2020)
2. Prtipada Tithi Ends – 17:26 (25 March 2020)

What do the legends say?

It is said that Lord Vishu wanted his loved ones to be happy and healthy and hence prayed to the Gods asking them to do so. During the festival pray to Lord Vishu. Lovers pray to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, asking for their love to last till eternity. At the time of dusk or just before the sunrise, it is said that the Sun is extremely propitious and hence the people pray during this time to the Lord for prosperity and good health. 

The festival also marks the homecoming of Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, to Ajodhya after defeating the demon king Ravan and rescuing Sita from his captivity. The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It is symbolic of the demon Lord’s defeat, followed by Ram’s coronation for his return to his kingdom after fourteen long years of exile.  

Customs and rituals associated with it:

As the tradition follows, people bathe before dawn, to assimilate the purity of the Sun that is said to be present during that time- praying for peace and prosperity, and as though creating a deeper bond with the self. A “gudi” is kept on the right side of the house’s main entrance, which is symbolic of good’s triumph over the evil. Rangolis are also quite common during the holy festival and people visit each other, exchanging regards and goodwill. Many food items specific to the festival are also made such as Puranpoli, Aam panna, Sabudana, Shrikhand and so on. 

The festival is celebrated throughout the nation, even if with different names. On the holy occasion, people pray for their and their loved ones peace and prosperity, so that they remain in the best of health and happiness in life all through the year. 

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When is Ganesh Chaturthi 2020?

The date of the festival falls on the fourth day of the Shukla Chaturthi in the month of Bhadrapada according to the Hindu Calendar. This, according to the English calendar falls somewhere between August and September every year. The festival is generally celebrated for around 11 days, with quite a huge spectacle taking place on the last day of Anant Chaturdasi. It is said to have been celebrated by Shivaji during the Mughal- Maratha wars, but then was re-established as a sort of a political movement by Lokmania Tilak, during the British rule. 

Ganesh- the history to his existence and his festival:

Ganesh Chaturthi Wishes

The festival’s reason for being celebrated is the appearance of Lord Ganesh with his mother Parvathi, from the Kailash Parvat on Earth. The earliest mentions of Ganesh is found in the Rigveda, twice, in the form of hymns. The first one of the hymns signifies Ganapati’s role as the seer of seers and as the lord of invocation. The second hymn stalls Ganapati, by saying that nothing near or afar is performed without his blessings. 

The festival was first started by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the ruler of Maharashtra. It was then again re-established as a way to protest against the British ban on Hindu gatherings through its anti-public assembly legislations of 1892. 

How is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?

The Hindu festival celebrates the arrival of Lord Ganesha on the mortal earth from mount Kailash with his mother Parvati. The festival is marked with the installation of clay idols of Ganesh- be it in homes or temporary public stages. The celebrations include chanting of hymns and prayers and brata that is fasting. The celebrations for the festival ends on the tenth day from after its start, the clay idols are carried in a public procession along with music and lot of vigour then immersed in a nearby, not stagnant water bodies such as a sea or a river. 

The day after the clay idols have been immersed in water, Ganapati is believed to have gone back to Kailash to his parents- Mahadev and Parvati The festival celebrates Lord Ganesh as the God of renewals and as one who removes obstacles from the paths of our lives and is also celebrated as the deity of wisdom and intellect. The festival is celebrated in all its vigour throughout the nation, especially in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, and is usually celebrated in homes even in Tamil Nadu. 

Dates of Ganesh Chaturthi:

The date of Ganesh Chaturthi this year is on 22nd August 2020, Saturday. 

Even though the history and the start of the legacy are unknown, that does not stop the Indians from celebrating the festival with the greatest of enthusiasm and vigour. It was a festival concentrated in the state of Maharashtra, but with the years has been welcomed with open arms by all people throughout the nation. 

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When is Earth Day 2020?

With the world being just a touch away from our grasps, it is no new news for us that the world is suffering. It is suffering badly. With the increasing jungles of concrete, the greener jungles are being cut off. As a result of this, our once green and breathing Earth is slowly yet quite steadily degrading from lesser green to yet lesser green. In such times of crisis, we keep one day for acknowledging the benefits the world has given to us. In this article we are going to discuss just the initiation of such a grand notion and when is it celebrated worldwide. 

Earth Day- origin:

Earth Day Wishes

As discussed earlier, this is a day kept exclusively to celebrate the merits of our world and to think of ways to protect them and justly so as they are fast depleting. The notion however can be dated back to quite a long time back. 

It is of the time when the United States was experiencing economical as well as political struggle. In the 1970s the Vietnam War took place and the US was divided on participating in it. Side by side, the economical condition was improving, but at the cost of our dear environment. With the dawn of factories and industries, people started driving bigger cars and the factories marked the dawn of large scale air pollution.

Amidst all of such chaos, some educated individuals just like always were the pioneers to uphold the depletion of the environment that was occurring, and sought to make people aware of it. Books were published, new safer industrial laws were made and so on many more measures were taken. The first Earth Day was then celebrated 

Changes that triggered the notion:

Change of any sort does not occur overnight. This change too was the result of a series of more minor changes. The most significant one of them is Rachel Carson’s bestseller Silent Spring made its debut in the 1960s. Later, Gaylord Nelson, the then US senator, was highly concerned with the massive oil spill that occurred in Santa Barbara, California. He then went on to propose the idea that there should be a day specifically aimed at spreading awareness about our mother nature and our Earth, and how they are suffering from human torture. The same humans whose lives are sustained because of the Earth and its nature. 

When is it celebrated:

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Senator Gaylord was the one to initiate the process. Children, adults and old alike, all came from in and around the US to take part in the rallies and awareness programs that were being held in the US at the time. Ever since then, for decades now, Earth Day is celebrated on the 22nd of April every year, to remind the people of the importance of the resources we are so lavishly using up. This year it is on a Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Even though it is just a day, and not one day can change anything, Earth Day is still celebrated as with passing years more and more of the younger generations will come to notice the nature of our world and start taking care of it. Hopefully, it would not be too late by then. 

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When is Holi 2020?

The festival of colours, Holi, marks spring’s arrival. It is the festival of bonding. Everyone gets coloured in everyone else’s colour. The charm of the festival lies in that variety of colours itself. It usually occurs during Phalgun, a Bengali month, on a Full Moon day. “Kanji” and “Bhang” are two drinks specific to the festival. While Kanji is served to anyone who comes wishing on our doorsteps on the day, Bhang is a paste of cannabis leaves and such into some kind of food or drink and gives you a safe high to compliment your fun in the festival. 

People pray for their families’ happiness, peace, and prosperity. During the Holika Dahan part of the festival, a bonfire consisting of dry twigs and branches and such other wastes is lit up, after deciding upon an auspicious time. Also, when the festival is celebrated the fields are in full bloom and harvest is on its way. People pray to the Gods for a good harvest as well. 

Holi- the festival:

As legend has it, the festival of Holi is based on a story portraying the triumph of Good over Evil. Once there was a King named Hirannakashyap, who wanted his people to worship him. He was the kind of the Asuras and the Daityas, the literal meaning of his name being “clothed in Gold.” However, his son was a devotee of Lord Vishu. 

The King could not stand the idea of it and attempted many times to make him understand otherwise. As one of his final attempts, the ruthless king sent his sister Holika, who was blessed by the Gods to be immune to fire, to kill Prahlad, his son and a blind devotee of Lord Vishnu. Holika sat with Prahlad in the middle of a raging fire plotting that she would survive while the boy perished. However, the boon was applicable only when she was to be touched by fire alone. Using this loophole, Lord Vishu protected Prahlad, saving him from the fire, while Holika died in her self made conspiracy. Hirannakashyap too was then killed by another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, known as Narasimha. 

Since then, people light a bonfire on the eve of the festival, representing the death of Holika, symbolic of Good’s victory over Evil. The day after is celebrated as Holi. 

Holika Dahan and Holi timings:

Astrologically speaking, the Holika Dahan festival is not to be started before sunset. It is to be started only at a particular time after the sunset on Purnima tithi. The ideal time would be at Pradoshkal, the time when day and night are said to meet. The celebration signifies Holika, Hirannakashyap’s sister’s, death, symbolic of Good’s win over the Evil. 

• Holika Dahan Muhurta – 18:22 to 20:49
• Bhadra Punchha – 09:37 to 10:38
• Bhadra Mukha – 10:38 to 12:19
• Rangwali Holi – 10th March
• Purnima Tithi Begins – 03:03 (9th March)

Once Holika Dahan is completed, the next day, everyone gets busy to get died in each other’s colours, just for once forgetting the diversity that they are. By afternoon the festival comes to an end after which meals are prepared for the evening and the night that is to come. Holi is celebrated throughout the country just in ways and names that are different from each other, keeping the vibe the same.

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When is Navratri 2020?

Navratri is one of the most celebrated festival amongst Hindus. It is a sacred period of nine days when people worship different avatars of Goddess Durga. Each day is celebrated dedicating your payers to Goddess Durga. Most widely the festival is celebrated two time in a period of one year. One in Chaitra mass, during the month of March and April and another in Ashvin mass that is around Diwali. 

Each avatar of Goddess Durga represent on from of energy hence also called shakti. It celebrates every form of women in form of Goddess Durga. 

When is Navratri in 2020?

Chaitra mass Navratri will fall on 25th March and will last up to 10th April. Ashvin mass Navratri will fall on 17th Oct and will last until 25th October. These nine days are calculated as per Hindu calendar hence the days of celebration may or may not be equal to nine days as per English calendar. One day after Ashvin Navratri is Dussehra. There is also a clock as per people pay various tributes on each day to Goddess Durga and there are several rituals associated with Goddess Durga during this period.

Rituals of Navratri

People often are seen fasting during this period. Even if people don’t fast, will not likely eat non vegetarian during this week. Some men even forbid shaving and women would not cut their hairs during this period of nine days. You can see fast cuisine being available in various hotels and people going to temple during morning and evening during this festival. There are various forms of fast people do as per their devotion. Some may not eat anything and would spend their nine days with a pair of cloves each day. On the ninth day, they would call young girls to worship them as resemblance to Goddess Durga and would treat them like they are Goddess themselves. They would be feasted and paid some dakshina.

The ashvin mass Navratri is a grand festival in city of Kolkata. There a huge celebration takes place whole month and people are often on leaves celebrating it with their families. On last day a huge procession takes place with huge incarnations of Goddess Durga in form of mud statues which they drop into the river. It is believed that they bring home Goddess Durga for nine days, respects her, worship her and one ninth day they bid adieu the Goddess with a wish to come back to their house next year.

Goddess Durga is every element that a women can be. This festival majorly celebrates the power of women in form of a nurturer, destroyer, mother, the one who completes the cycle of birth and death and helps sustain life on this earth. This also signifies how well the women were honored since ages of Vedas in this country. There is a famous saying in Hindu Vedas which says where women are respected, Gods reside in that place and where women are disrespected, there is no form of wealth and prosperity in that place. That place becomes doomed forever.

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When is Onam 2020?

There are three main Hindu festivals as per Malayalam Calendar – Vishu, Thiruvanthira, and Onam. Onam is a rice harvest festival and is mainly celebrated in Kerala. It also embarks the homecoming of benignant king Mahabali. Also, the day is celebrated as a birth date of Lord Vishnu’s tenth avatar Vaman. This is a ten days long festival and includes several ceremonies like boat race, martial arts, tug of war, etc. The whole state is decorated with flower arrangements and you can hear Carnatic music being played in the background. Also, people get to witness the tiger dance, mask dance, women dance and folk dance on the streets of Kerala during this time.

When is Onam celebrated?

Happy Onam Wishes

In the year 2020, the Onam will be celebrated on 30th August. 

The festival date is calculated as per the Malayali calendar and is celebrated on Thiruvonam nakshatra in the month of Chingam. The festival starts from Atham nakshatram and ends on Thiruvonam nakshatra, thus making it a ten-day festival.

It is particularly of significance because it embarks the annual homecoming of the greatest king of Kerala – Raja Mahabali. It is believed that the people of Kerala saw the best day of their life during his reign. There was prosperity everywhere. However, The Gods wanted to end his reign on earth, so Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Vaman and tricked the king to acquire whatever he had. The king then had to quit his kingdom and go to the lower world. 

However, during the same instance, Lord Vishnu also awarded him a boon that he can come to visit his land and his people once every year. This period is popularly known as Onam. Hence, you see festivities everywhere.

Also, Kerala being a rice harvesting land, people can spend and hence there is a festive atmosphere everywhere.

Various rituals of Onam

All ten days of Onam are full of joy and various activities that are peculiar to Kerala. You can see flowers arranged in a beautiful design in front of the houses. These are made by women of the house. Lamps are lit everywhere to invite King Mahabali to their houses. People like to visit each other and wear new clothes during this time. Also, people love to gift each other to embark on the festive season. There is a special garment that people wear during this festival which is called “Onakkodi” in Malayali.

There are grand feasts everywhere. The feast has got thirteen different dishes prepared for the occasion which is served to the guests in the traditional Malayali way on a banana leaf. Mostly the center of the leaf is filled with a lot of rice and surrounded by various kinds of dishes, pickles, and papads. A sweet dish that is characteristic to Kerala is prepared – popularly known by the name of Payasam. It is like traditional kheer prepared in North India, however, the rice is different, and it contains coconut, giving it a peculiar taste to go with all other south Indian dishes prepared during this festival.

Onam is one of the most important festivals for people of Kerala and this can be seen as how people celebrate it. The grandness of this festival is visible on the streets of Kerala. People wear tiger masks dance away on the Carnatic music everywhere.

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When is Janmashtami 2020?

Janmashtami is a festival commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna in our mortal world. Krishna here is a symbol of love and intellect and the festival brings a spirit of new beginnings and renewals, birth spiritually as well as in the external world. Every year millions of people nationwide and even worldwide celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm and vigour. The incarnation of Lord Vishnu teaches us that we all have an unkempt power within us, that helps us go and face the everyday world. The more we polish it, the better our life becomes with the help of it. This sense of divine attachment too brings a sense of connection with the festival along with the playful and fun-loving nature of the incarnation of God. 

Janmashtami- the story behind it:

Janmashtami is the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth, which is “janma” on the eighth day of, which signifies “ Ashtami”. Now the story goes like this, the evil King Kamsa, marries off his sister with the Yuda King, Vasudeva. After the marriage, when Kamsa insisted that he be the one to drive the marriage chariot, the sky opens up and there is a prophecy. The prophecy says that Devaki’s eighth child was to be the reason of Kamsa’s death and would hence put an end to his tyrannous rule. 

After hearing this Kamsa gets infuriated and orders to imprison Devaki and Vasudeva, and even plans on killing Devaki but only stops when Vasudeva promises to give up every single of their child to him. In the following days, they spend their lives in Kamsa’s dungeons and can do nothing but look on as Kamsa murders one child after another. 

However, before the eight children were born, Lord Vishnu comes in front of the couple and informs them that he is their eighth child and suggests Vasudeva on how to take him to Vrindaban where the village head, Nanda along with his wife, Yashoda, are waiting for the arrival of the baby. Through divine intervention, the guards of the prison fall asleep and the doors open automatically as Vasudeva takes his newborn child to Vrindaban. And even as the sky gets blacker and the weather changes for the worse, through a series of more divine interventions, the child safely reaches the destination. 

What are the traditions involved?

More than millions of people celebrate the festival worldwide every year. There are many ways as to how it is celebrated in different communities and states. One of them includes a tradition where they fast until the birth of the deity. Another is where once the morning hours of the day start, people bathe images of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and put new clothes on it. In other communities such as in Maharashtra, an event of Dahi Handi is performed where there is a container of yogurt (Dahi) kept at the top suspended from a horizontal rope and a people’s pyramid is formed to reach out to the container and break it, just as Krishna would do in the days of his infancy. The event celebrates the fondness that Krishna had for butter and yogurt. 

The celebrations reach their full vigour in Mathura and Vrindaban, where Krishna had enjoyed his infancy and the early ages of his youth. 

Dates of Janmashtami 2020:

The date of Janmashtami is on 11th August 2020

• Nishita Puja Time– 00:04 to 00:48
• Parana Time– After 11:15 (12th August)
• Ashtami Tithi Begins – 09:06 (11th August)

In this way, the festival is celebrated with full fun and vigour every year. Some people even do not sleep and go through the two days of the festival without sleep. Such is the enthusiasm.

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