Wednesday 9 April 2014

Its Vaisakhi ... or New Year.... but its time for Celebration

Vaisakhi, Baisakhi or Vaishakhi People use call it by many names.But the standard of the spelling is Vaisakhi. with "V".
The word has been inspired by the lines written in Guru Granth Sahib ji.
Vaisaakh suhaavaa Thaan Lagai Jaa Santh Bhaettai Har soe ll3ll ( Ank/ Page 134 SGGS)

Vaisakhi is a festival which is celebrated across the India, But this festival is mostly celebrated by the Sikh communities. It is also celebrated by Hindus and Buddhist for different reasons including the start of the New Year.People in Punjab region regard vaisakhi as a harvest festival.

The Birth of the khalsa Celebration seem to mean the beginning of this realization-where this Air/ Pavan (Vaa+ai) as the companion (Sakhi) takes one to the journey of understanding and connecting with the ultimate reality.

Importance for Sikhs:

Sikh celebrate Vaisakhi in religious way. on the Vaisakhi day 1699, the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh ji laid down the foundation of the Panth Kahlsa, that is the order of the Pure Ones. This day is also observed as the thanksgivings day by the farmers for the abundant harvest and also praying for the future prosperity.
the Main celebration takes place at Talwandi Sabo ( where Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed for 9 months and completed the recompilation of the guru Granth Sahib)and in the Gurdwara andapur sahib the birth place of Khalsa and Golden Temple in Amritsar.

About Khalsa Panth

The Panj Pyare were the first members of the new Sikh community called the Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh gave the Khalsa a unique identity with five distinctive symbols of purity and courage, known today as the Five K's. The Guru gave all Khalsa men the surname of Singh (lion) as a reminder to be courageous. Women took on the surname Kaur (princess) to emphasize dignity. With the distinct Khalsa identity, Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opportunity to live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality. These Sikhs were to dedicate their lives to the service of others and the pursuit of justice.

Importance in Hinduism

Its believed that thousand of years ago, goddess Ganga descending to earth and in her honor, many Hindus gather along the sacred Ganges river for ritual Basis.It is celebrated requisites bathing, partying and worshiping. Hindus plant poles in front of their homes. and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top.

Puthandu in Tamil Nadu

It is celebrated in the Tamil Nadu as Start of the Year or New Year. The auspicious occasion of Puthandu is also popularly known as  Varusha Pirappu. People of Tamil Nadu celebrate varusha pirappu in a big way by merrymaking and feasting
 People of Tamil Nadu follow some rituals.  Early morning womenfolk adom the enterance of their house with colorful Kolam Patterns. Centre of Kolam pattern is decorated with a lamp called Kuthuvillakku. It is a sign of brightness and it is believe that it would dispel darkness.
Peopole use to wear bright and new clothes for this occasion and relish best of festive food including "Maanga Pachadi"
A popular custom of puthandu is Kanni which means the auspicious sight. Following this ritual, people start Puthandu day watching auspicious things like gold and silver ,  bettle leaves, nuts and fruits etc.

Vishu In Kerala:
Vishu falls on the first day in the Malayalam month of Medam. As per Gregorian calender Vishu falls on the  14 April.
Kerala people celebrate vishu with lots of joy and mirth. One of the very interesting custom of vishu is Vishukani or Kani Kanal The custom stems from the strong belief of the people of Kerala that good things seen on the New Year day brings good luck for the entire year. Ladies of the house make preparation for Vishukani on a previous night. They would keep prescribed items including a cadjan leaf book, gold ornaments, fresh white cloth, a measure of rice or paddy, flowers of the Konna tree (Cussia fistula), halved jack fruits, halved coconuts and yellow cucumber in a big pot. Behind this pot is kept the bell metal mirror and a garlanded deity of Lord Krishna. Two standing oil lamps are also placed before the deity. Master of the house is the first person to take a look at auspicious things. Children are brought blind folded from their rooms to watch Vishukani. Many people in Kerala prefer to perform Vishukani in temples. Vishukani is offered to Gods and is later distributed amongst poor and needy.

Popular Festive Dishes served include " Veppampoorasam" and " Mampazhapachadi"

Vaishakha in Bihar:

Vaishakha in Bihar  with huge fan fare and gusto. It is celebrated twice a year , first in the hindu month of Vaishakha and then in the month of Kartika. This festival dedicated to the Sun God in Bihar .
It may be mentioned Surajpur-Baragaon lake has a temple in honor of Sun God and holds special importance for the people of Bihar, especially during Vaishakha celebrations and Chhat Puja or Sun Worship Festival.Vaishakha celebrations in Bihar are marked in a village called Surajpur-Baragaon. Following the ancient practice, devotees pay obeisance to the Sun God by taking bath in the temple tank and offering flowers and water from the sacred rivers of Ganga.
Rangoli Bihu in Assam:

The Rongali Bihu marks the agricultural New Year at the advent of seeding time and is celebrated as the Festival of Merriment. 

The Kati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transplanting of paddies. 
The Magh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting period. 
Traditional festive food of Bohag Bihu is the special cake known as the pitha. 

Colouful rituals mark the first day of Rongali Bihu celebrated as Garu Bihu. This day is dedicated to the cattle and livestock. The rest of the weeklong celebrations of Bohag Bihu are known as Manuh Bihu. 

Naba Barsha In Bengal:

Naba Barsha festival is known as Poila Baisakh in Bangladesh and is celebrated as a national holiday. A very important tradition of Naba Varsha is the making of elaborate rangolis or alpanas in front of the house by womenfolk. Rangolis are prepared with flour and its center is adorned with earthenware pot decorated with auspicious swastika. This pot is filled with holy water and mango leaves to symbolize a prosperous year for the family. On Naba Barsha, people of West Bengal propitiate Goddess Lakshmi - the Hindu mythological Goddess of Wealth to pray for prosperity and well being. 
For Bengalis, Naba Barsha is the beginning of all business activities. Businessmen and traders purchase new accounting books and start new account known as Haalkhata. People also worship Lord Ganesha by chanting mantras.Enthusiastic people of Bengal also celebrate the eve of Naba Varsha as Chaitra-Sankranti and bid farewell to the past year. 
Bengalis take out processions known as Prabhat Pheries. To participate in Prabhat Pheris ladies clad themselves in traditional Bengali sari (white sari with red border) and flowers in hair while men wear dhoti kurta.


India Celebrate all the festival with different flavors and colors. This is the specialty of India.


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