Festivals
The colorful festivals of Mumbai fills the heart with joy and
entertainment. The Mumbaikars (locals of Mumbai) celebrate the
festivals with full vigour and excitement. There are processions,
prayers, songs, dances and relishes throughout Mumbai during
festivals. Homes, temples and shops are beautifully decorated during
festivals. The important festivals celebrated in Mumbai include:
Ganesh Chaturthi:
The festival is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the god of
wisdom and prosperity Ganesha. It is celebrated on the fourth day of
Bhadra ( a month in between August and September). The festival is
celebrated for a whole week. Ganesha, the elephant headed god is
worshipped all through the week and there is quite extended stup in
Mumbai. The adorned statues of different sizes can be seen almost
anywhere in Mumbai during that time. A huge procession is
commissioned on the last day of the festival when the idols of
Ganesha are immersed in the sea. The chants, devotional, songs,
dances fills the environment with heightened excitement.
Holi:
The festival of colors is celebrated with great enthusiasm in
Mumbai. The festival is celebrated after the full moon in the month
of March. Colors and fireworks are attributes by which holi is
remembered in Mumbai and in the rest of the country. The festival is
celebrated to pay homage to the triumph of good over evil. The
festival is followed by coating the houses with fresh color,
sprinkling of the color by the people, burning the effigy of Holika,
fireworks, songs and dances, festive foods and more. Holi is
actually fun as the people are caught unaware and drenched with
colors. The festival removes the distinction between caste, color
and age.
Diwali:
The festival is celebrated 20 days after Dussehra. Diwali in Mumbai
like the rest of India is earmarked with the oil lamps and
fireworks. Godess Lakshmi, the symbol of wealth and prosperity is
worshipped in all the homes. The renewal works are extensively
carried and houses and shops in the city are properly cleaned and
given a new look. Rangoli which is a colorful design pattern at the
entry can be seen in almost all hindu homes and the night sky is
illuminated with the fireworks. The festival marks the new year in
Hindu calender.
Gudi Padava:
Gudi Padava is the cities New Year Day. The festival is celebrated
all over Maharashtra with decoration activities all over the place.
The kalash which is a brass goblet over a silk cloth tied to a pole
is erected and worshipped.
Raksha Bandhan :
It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of Shravan, (Shravan is a
month in July / August according to Hindu calender). The festival is
celebrated popularly for the love of brother for his sister. On This
day sisters tie bands called Rakhis on the wrists of their brothers
to protect them from the forces of evil. The festival is also marked
by coconut offerings to the sea.
Janmashtami:
Janmashtami is celebrated in the month of Shravan according to the
hindu callender. The month falls in between August and September.
The festival is celebrated as the day of re incarnation of Lord
Vishnu as Lord Krishna. In Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra the
festival is celebrated with the practice of pot breaking by human
pyramids. The practice is followed to pay homage to Lord Krishna's
childhood plays.
Dussehra:
The festival is celebrated with great vigour all over India. In
Mumbai people (Hindus) burn effigies of Ravana, his brother
Kumbhakarna and son Meghnath.The practices follow the belief of
destroying evil Ravana, his brother and his son, by the hands of
Lord Rama.
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