Summer festivals abound

Summer festivals abound

The heat is on and so are the many festivals to distract us from these sweltering days and make the summer a bit more bearable.

Mahakumbh is over and if media numbers are to be believed then 66 crore people made it to the mela, and a majority of attendees managed to take a dip in the waters for the holy ‘snan’. Many sins to be washed off.

Holi with all its colours is just behind us, symbolising the triumph of righteousness over arrogance – the legend of Hiranyakashipu being enraged with his son Prahlad for worshipping Lord Vishnu, and enlisting his sister Holika to burn him to death (Holika dahan) – unsuccessfully, and ultimately being vanquished by Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar. On another thread altogether – Holi also celebrates the playful love between Krishna and Radha and the gopis in Brindavan.

Ramzan, or Ramadan as it is increasingly pronounced in recent years (a quick Google search explains that the ‘z’ sound is pronounced as ‘dw’ in original Arabic, and hence this change) – is the holy month of fasting (roza), which is broken after sunset with iftar each day, and the month culminates with Eid-al-Fitr. The month is dedicated to practising self-discipline and spiritual reflection.

Ugadi or Yugadi (also known as Samvatsarādi) – the start of the New Year as per the Hindu lunar calendar is celebrated across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is believed that Lord Brahma, began the process of the creation of the universe on this day. It heralds the arrival of spring and harvests.

So many festivals with so many interesting stories and legends make up the fabric of our multicultural mythology. And yet the message is similar all across: good triumphs over evil, and self-restraint and celebration are the twin twines of life. Love all.

Pullout

Multiple festivals fill up the month to offer relief from the heat