The lights of Mysore – Happy Dussehra

 

Bringing home the Ganesha

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A little girl is putting finishing touches to the Ganesha that she is hoping to sell from the streets of Malleshwaram, Bangalore. I love the festival but the loudness is a bit jarring to the ears. Please celebrate Ganesha with a little concern to the environment also.

Happy Holi !

Say it with flowers and colours..wishing you all a very vibrant and Happy Holi..here is welcoming the spring, right from my garden ..these are flowers - marigolds and dahlias that bloomed today and we have some roses, hibiscus, jasmines and the "kanakamparam " - is it called the firecracker flower ?

By the way did I hear someone saying where is the spring ? Getting a bit hot under the collar as summer is already here..take out the bhaang I say :)

The Ganesha comes home - India celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi

Frenzied drum beats as towering Ganeshas are paraded in autos ,crowds beating the rains and shopping for their puja paraphernalia , chaos wearing the cloak of a celebration - this is Ganesh Chaturthi , according to me the most frenzied festival . 

And this is just the beginning as the loud pandals, the processions and the immersions are yet to happen. Today however Bangaloreans forgot the slush and the rains and flooded the market, looking for their Gowri and Ganesha.I was in Malleswaram, where the action happens . A  newly constructed building was rented to house the ganeshas that had arrived from Bombay and they landed in hundreds , some of them as tall as 8-10 feet. As mayhem set in, I walked down the market, where the finishing touches were given to some clay ganeshas . 

 

I love festivals in general, as there is so much of energy and colour around. But with all due reverence given to Gods , I am not very excited with the chaos this festival begins. At home in Madras, we used to buy a small clay Ganesha and once we finish with the festivities , the Ganesha is left under a tree and slowly the clay blends with the environment. 

But many others immerse their  Ganeshas - some in buckets and wells in their houses, while many in the seas and lakes around . unfortunately unmindful of the damage they bring to their own habitat. 

Its festival time in India !

Indians are forever celebrating - births of Gods and Goddesses, their marriages and the victory of deities over demons. For some the celebrations are wrapped in a religious fervor, but for me, its always been more of a cultural tradition , rather than a religious affair. I love most festivals because of their color and vigor and very often , they bring the great Indian family together. All celebrations begin and end with food.

Today we celebrate Krishna Jayanthi or Gokul Ashtami or Janmashtami as it is called in various parts of the country. The celebrations are also as diverse as it can get and today most of the festivities spill from homes and temples to the streets.  The legend goes that Krishna in his childhood used to steal butter from earthen ware pots held aloft or hidden around the homes. In towns today, young boys or girls perform acrobatics by forming a human pyramid to break the pots which are tied up in the air on a rope.  The pots normally carry money and the spoils are celebrated by the community . 

In South, some families welcome Krishna home. As a child, my mother used to tell me that Krishna  will visit our homes during midnight. " He was born in the midnight, remember, " she said and narrated the story all over again. She used to painstakingly create designs of tiny feet on the floor , leading from the entrance to the puja room.Very often I used to wake up and wonder if Krishna had walked down the path. Sometimes I used to place my feet on those designs and pretend to be in Krishna's shoes and get yelled at in the bargain ." Krishna will not come home if you do that, " she used to warn and I used to run away to play. While most of these are rubbished today as superstitions, I believe there was so much of innocence and belief in those little things that made our day. Today, most festivities lack those little things, which gave us so much of nostalgia and connected us to our community and our culture. 

I was in Madras (Chennai ) recently when the street vendors were busy selling terracotta idols of Krishnas to families. With Ganesh Chaturthi , Navratri and Dasara around the corner, the painted terracota idols are making a quick sale. I am down with a bad stomach and hence can  neither enjoy the butter, the sweets and the savories today, nor am I painting feet of Krishna on my floor - but I would just like to revel in the festivities around. 

Festivals in Mindanao

There are numerous festivals in Philippines celebrated annually. It's a celebration of giving thanks of bountiful harvest in their living or giving honor to the gods or saints. Listed here are the lists of famous festivals in Mindanao.

• Zamboanga City: Hermosa Festival or Fiesta Pilar, Zamboangueños gives honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Pilar every 12th of October
• Pagadian City: Pasalamat Festival, celebrated every 3rd of January
• Cagayan de Oro City: Kagay-an Festival, Kagay-anons gives honor to their patron St. Augustine of Hippo every in 28th of August
• Bukidon: Kaamulan Festival, the ethnic cultural festival happen from last week of February to 1st week of March
• Camiguin: Lanzones Festival, a week long celebration of bountiful harvest of the sweet Lanzones fruit every October
• Iligan City: Diyandi Festival, the feast is done every 29th of September in honor of its Patron Saint Senior San Miguel
• Koronadal City: Hinugyaw festival, a long week celebration of merry making, food festivals, trade fair and Hinugyaw Street Dancing
• Midasayap North Cotabato: Halad sa Sto. Niño Festival, gives honor of patron Saint Sr. Sto. Niño every 3rd Sunday of January
• Davao City: Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival, derives from "Madayaw" and "Dayaw". It's a long week celebration of productive harvests in their farm
• Butuan City: Kahimunan Festival, the Sinulog festival alike celebration happen every 3rd Sunday of January in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño
• Lamitan City, Basilan: Lami-lamihan Festival, celebrated every 29th of June in honor of Saint Peter
• Surigao City: Bonok Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw and Pasayan Festival

Lanzones Festival in Camiguin

Every third week of October a festivity of abundant harvest of “Lanzones” is celebrated in the province of Camiguin. The tropical fruit is very abundant in the whole area of the province which is also a major source of their livelihood. The sweetest Lanzones can only be taste in Camiguin and it is harvested annually. During the celebration, many tourists visit the province to witness the different Lanzones Festival events. Street dancing competition, parade, cultural shows, parties, beauty pageant of "Mutya sa Buahanan" and trade fair of local handicrafts are some of the activities to enjoy during its joyful week of celebration. The feast is also a way to give thanks for their bountiful harvest of other agricultural products.

Fiesta Hermosa 2009

Every 12th of October, Fiesta Pilar is the most awaited event in Zamboanga City in honor of its patron saint "La Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza". It is also popularly known as Zamboanga La Hermosa Festival.

Regatta 2009 - colorful vintas of Zamboanga.

Catch the Fireworks display at Paseo del Mar and other Fiesta Hermosa 2009 events "HERE"

Photo Credit: Yolynne

Deepavali Wishes

Happy Deepavali to all of you..please have a noiseless Deepavali..The best thing I like about Deepavali is having an oil bath and eating a lot of "bakshanam" or savouries like murukku and mixture which are typically South indian ..and I love lighting lamps..Here are two traditional pictures, one from a typical Coorg home and another at the Big temple at Thanjavur which showcases the spirit of the moment.

Come home and see my Golu

The divine court of Goddess Durga is going to be held in my house for the next nine days . I am celebrating Navaratri or Dassera as it is probably better known as. The slaying of Mahishasura by Durga is celebrated over the nine days. While most of India celebrates the Durga Puja in Bengali style, in South India - mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, women celebrate Golu or Kolu as in Tamil Nadu or Gombei Habba as it is called in Karnataka . If anyone knows what it is called in Andhra Pradesh , please let me know.



Dolls or Bommai (Bombei)are arranged in steps (usually odd numbers) and they are artistic creations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and their stories.To me , it is more of a connection with my childhood where I got mesmerised by Hindu mythology and legends . I grew up creating parks and zoos with my cousins while the elders arranged the dolls and hence the fondness for this festival. I keep Golu every year and colourful clay and wooden figurines of Gods and Goddesses jostle for space with mortals as Ram and Krishna are displayed along with cobblers and snake charmers.

Last year was my first Golu in Bangalore and I had posted some pictures as well. This year, my collection has expanded from wooden Panruti and Marapachi dolls to "Bommais" from Kanchipuram, Panruti , Cuddalore and Madras to a few Bengali dolls and some that I purchased off the streets in Bangalore. I do not have enough to create a theme, but I have a row dedicated to Krishna which has glimpses of his life - Vasudeva carrying the baby Krishna secretly in storm under the protection of Adiseshan, the child Krishna dancing on the snake Kalingan, relishing butter with foster mother Yashoda , to dancing with Gopikas , killing his wicked uncle, Kamsa and posing with his wives, Rukmini and Satyabhama . There is also Krishna as Parthasarthy , the charioteer of Arjuna in the Mahabharat war.


My first two rows are filled with Vishnu and his Dasavatharam and forms of the God in Ananthasayana pose with Brahma emerging from his navel to Hayagriva and Rama with his consort Seetha along with Lakshmanan and Hanuman. The Goddesses, Lakshmi , Saraswati, Durgai and Meenakshi are there to grace the Golu and the latter's wedding to Sundaresan or Shiva (where the Madurai temple is famous for) is celebrated grandly in my house. There is also Shiva learning the meaning of Om from his son and guru , Murugan which is one of my recent collection.


Most of the dolls are new, some are given to me by my mother and a few by my mother in law as well. In our culture, Navratri Bommais are usually handed down by the mothers to their daughters and it carries on as a family heirloom. The Gods give way to mortals as lives of common men and women are juxtaposed with a rich Kuberan and his wife.


The nine days are usually filled with visitors who come home , eat "sundal ", sing songs, comment on the collection and go home.Those who keep "kalasa" do puja every day and celebrate it in all religious zeal. To me however, I am more into the art and the cultural aspect of the festival and helps me connect with my roots..

Besides sundal and a few sweets or snacks, Navratri is unlike most Hindu festivals where food takes priority over anything. At least for me..so sorry if you are expecting a feast though.However the important thing that I meticulously plan is a gift for every guest (sorry -only women ) and I spend hours combing through the streets to buy something that represents the festive spirit. Usually it is my mother and my husband who are at the receiving end in this activity and this year also, I have something interesting..I hope the guests like it :)



So, do join me in the celebration and come home for Golu ! You could get one too !!

By the way, this post moves away from travel towards culture and festivals which I believe is a part of a traveller's life as well. In this case, it may be personal, but I will be veering more towards such subjects as well