WISH YOU ALL HAPPY NAVARATRI

As every year this are the colors of 2009.

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY NAVRATRI!

I am having these greetings from 2005 or 2006. I dont know who have made it but those are awesome. I will love to share these greetings with you guys.

http://www.talkgirly.com/2011/09/28/colors-to-wear-on-nine-days-of-navratri-2011/

Navratri colors to wear in 2011:

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY NAVARATRI

Colors of sarees to wear on nine days of navaratri 2009 is available at:

http://www.talkgirly.com/2009/09/16/colors-to-wear-on-nine-days-of-navratri-2009/

As last year also I have given colors of sarees to wear on nine days of Navaratri, swati told me to post colors for this year also.

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Goddess Parvati in her different forms.The Sharad Navratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra. The Dussehra of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.

In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, Sharad Navratri is celebrated by setting up of Golu. They invite their family members to home to celebrate the festivities with them.

The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where they are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places.

In West India, Sharad Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba dance.

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses as first three days the goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called Durga also known as kali in order to destroy all our impurities, then next three days the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshm and final three days is spent in worshipping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life.

Day and color	Color
Pratipradha (30th September): Red
Dvitiya (1st October): Sky Blue
Trutiya (2nd October): Yellow
Chaturthi (3rd October): Green
Panchami (4th October): Purple
Shashti (5th October): Orange
Saptami (6th October): White
Ashtami (7th October): Pink
Navami (8th October): Blue

Vijayadashami also known as Dussehra or Mohani Nakha is a festival celebrated across India. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja or Ashwina, and is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Dasara or Navaratri.

So Wish you Happy Dussehra in Advance. May you all Enjoy these nine days of Navaratri.

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY VALENTINE DAY!!

As everyone know Valentine’s day is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other. From the start of February people start thinking about what gifts to give, what things to be done, in which way I should express my love, will he/she will love my gift and many more… Its very common to give flowers and cards on valentine’s day. 14th Feb is second largest day for sending cards and out of those cards woman send 85% cards to their respective valentines. 14th Feb is associated with sending mutual love notes in the form of “valentines”. To read history go here.

According to me it is a special day to be with your loved ones. I spent my whole day with my loved one. But in India political leaders ban people to celebrate Valentine Day. I do not understand why to do that. They should ban those students who are under 18. I wish you all will make happy to your loved ones. So have a beautiful day.

We should celebrate Valentines day. What you all think, share with me.

History:

Rama was asked to go on exile because his stepmother, Queen Kaikeyee was tricked into asking King Dasaratha to exile him for 14 years. Rama’s wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana went with him willingly.

News of Rama staying at an ashram while on exile spread rapidly. A demon, Shoorpanakha found her way there and demanded that Rama or Lakshmana marry her. When both brothers rejected her, she threatened to kill Sita, so that Rama would then be single again. Lakshmana then cut off her ears and nose.

Ravana (Shoorpanakha’s brother) was incensed to hear what happened to his sister, and kidnapped Sita to avenge the insult. Many people say in Sita’s swayamvar (marriage) Sita rejected Ravana and got married to Ram. That was the second reason to take avenge. After nine days of battle on Dussehra Ravana was killed by Ram and Ram had victory over Ravana.

So this day is celebrated as “Victory Of Good Over Evil” And the Ramleela – an abridged dramatization of the Ramayana – is enacted with much public fervor all over northern India during the period of the festivities. Dussehra can also be interpreted as “Dasa-Hara”, which signifies the cutting of the ten heads of Ravana.

According to the great Hindu scripture, the Ramayana, Lord Rama performed Chandi-Puja (holy prayer). This was carried out in order to invoke the blessings of Durga Maa for the killing of Ravana. It is said that lord Ram was successful in the battle only when goddess Durga was evoked.

The main celebration glorifies the victory of good over evil and is symbolized by goddess Durga slaying the terrible demon Mahisasur, who terrorized the earth in the guise of a brutal water buffalo. The first nine days signify the nine days of ferrous battle between goddess Durga and the demon Mahisasur. The tenth day is the day when Mahisasur was slain and the last five days symbolize the celebration of the victory with the blessing of the goddess.

This is the reason in Bengal, the festival is celebrated as Kali Puja or Durga Puja, while in Tamilnadu, the festival incorporates worship of the goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Shakti and in Nepal, Dashain is celebrated with great rejoice, and goddess Durga is worshiped throughout the kingdom as the divine mother goddess.

On this day, the idols of Goddess Durga are finally immersed into water after the nine days of festivities. It is said that the people of the earth here adopted Durga as the daughter and thus, she visits the home of her parents every year during the last four days of Navratri along with her sons Ganesha and Kartikeya and daughters Lakshmi and Saraswati. She finally leaves for her husband’s place on the Vijayadashmi day.

How people celebrate this festival:

In preparation for this festival every home is cleansed and beautifully decorated as an invitation to the mother goddess, so that she may visit and bless the house with good fortune. During this time the reunions of distant and nearby relatives occur in every household.

It is believed that any new venture such as starting of business or purchasing of new household items on this day is bound to succeed. Many people buy computer, books or cars on this day. Because the day is auspicious, people inaugurate new vehicles, machines, books, weapons and tools by ceremonially asking god to bless the new items.

The day before Dussehra people spent night to make Torans (Floral Gateways). On Dussehra people decorate there home and shop with flowers. Kids enjoy watching beautiful crackers, fireworks.

On this day in Nepal people take tika and jamara from their elders and receive their blessing. They visit their elders in their home and get tika from them while our younger ones come to our home to receive blessing from us.

Not only in Nepal, but in India also people visit their elders in their home to receive blessings from elders. Bengali people visit each others house to wish their loved ones Shubho Bijoya. The children touch the feet of their elders as an expression of respect towards them. Similarly, adults embrace each other with heartfelt good wishes, which in Bengali known as Kolakuli.

In India, People present each other the leaves of apati tree as ‘sona’ or gold and wish Happy Dussehra to everyone.

Crackers are burnt and huge melas or fetes are organized. The burning of the effigies of Ravana on Vijayadashami, signifying the victory of good over evil, brings the festivities to a colorful close. I really enjoy burning of the effigies of Ravana.

I really enjoy this day. Hope u all Will enjoy. Happy Dussehra and Shubho Bijoya to all of you. May God bless you with good fortune.

The word Ramadan is derived from the word ramd “to burn”. The month is spent fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to dusk. The name came from the time before the Islamic calendar, when the month of Ramadan fell in the summer. Fasting during this month is often thought to figuratively burn away all sins. Muslims believe that the Quran was sent down to the earth during this month. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on which feasts are held.

I really feel the most prominent event of this month is the daytime fasting (sawm) practiced by most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat (sahur) and perform their fajr prayer. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.

Muslims are prohibited from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual intercourse from dawn (fajr) to sunset (maghrib). Fasting is essentially a means of seeking nearness to Allah and increasing one’s piety. One of the remote aims of fasting is to sympathise with those less fortunate ones who do not always have food and drink readily available. Also one must try to avoid cursing and thinking evil thoughts. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling one’s desires (of hunger, thirst, sexuality, anger) and focusing more on devoting oneself to God.

Reading Quran:

Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Quran by means of special prayers, called Tarawih(Extra Prayers), which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Quran (‘Juz’, which is 1/30 of the Quran) is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Quran has been completed.

Muslims also pay Zakaat (only applicable if one can afford it) during the month. They have to pay 2.5% of their wealth earn in that whole year. They can pay zakaat at any time of the year.

Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it. It is a festival time where Muslims buy new clothes, shoes, jewelery, other items of need, prepare special foods, invite people for Iftar (meal and snacks commemorating the breaking of Fast).

Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadan that begins after Eid ul-Fitr; these days need not be consecutive. According to hadith, one who fasts the month of Ramadan and six days during Shawaal will be rewarded as though he fasted the entire year.

I think its great culture. There are many benefits of fasting. They must be feeling healthy and pure as fasting burn away all sins. By thinking about it only, i can feel positive and spiritual energy. Hats off to those people who had fast for last 30 days.

Benefits of fasting:

Sawm is intended to teach believers patience and self-control in their personal conduct, to help control passions and temper, to provide time for meditation and to strengthen one’s faith. Fasting also serves the purpose of cleansing the inner soul and freeing it of harm. Fasting inculcates a sense of fraternity and solidarity, as Muslims can feel and experience that which their needy and hungry brothers and sisters feel. However, even the poor, needy, and hungry participate in the fast. Moreover, Ramadan is a month of giving charity and sharing meals to break the fast together, the latter offering more reward than if eating alone. Most importantly, the fast is also seen as a great sign of obedience by the believer to Allah.

Eid Mubarak To all of you.

Colors of sarees to wear on nine days of navaratri 2011 is available at:

http://www.talkgirly.com/2011/09/28/colors-to-wear-on-nine-days-of-navratri-2011/

This were for 2007 Many sites has given this for 2008. Which is really wrong.

Day	Color	Aspect Of Devi	About Devi
Pratipradha (12th October):		Amba	Amba (meaning “mother” in Sanskrit) is another name for Goddess Durga or Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva.
Dvitiya(13th October):		Chamunda	In Hinduism, Chamunda or Camunda is an aspect of Devi, the supreme mother goddess. The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters which Devi killed.
Trutiya(14th October):		Ashtamukhi	Ashtamukhi is another name of Goddess Durga.
Chaturthi(15th October):		Bhuvaneshwari	In Hinduism, Bhuvaneshvari is the fourth of the ten Mahavidya goddesses and an aspect of Devi. According to some Hindu traditions, Bhuvaneshvari, who is known for her beauty. Bhuvanesvari means Mistress of the World.
Panchami(16th October):		Upang Lalita	In Maharashtra (India), on the Fifth tithi, Bhakts observe fast (upvas) for the goddess “Upang Lalita”, a form of Meri Maiya.
Shashti(17th October):		Mahakali Mata	Kālī is the feminine of kāla “black, dark coloured”. It appears as the name of a form of Durga in Mahabharata, and as the name of an evil female spirit in Harivamsa. Kali’s association with blackness stands in contrast to her consort, Shiva,
Saptami(18th October):		Jagdamba	An impressive idol of Goddess Shree Durga who mediated between Shree Vishnu and Shree Shiva and stopped the fiercefull war going on between the two. She is flanked by Vishnu and Shiva on both the sides. She is known as Shree ShantaDurga Devi.
Ashtami(19th October):		Narayani	Narayani (wife of Narayan, Vishnu), is another name for Devi. She is always there to help the gods overcome the forces of evil. She describes many future acts, that she is destined to perform in the future, including the incarnation of Vishnu as Krishna.
Navami(20th October):		Renuka	Renuka was the name of a minor goddess of wanton death and destruction, although at certain times was also a symbol of creativity and vibrancy.
VijayaDashmi(21st October):		Durga	In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: “the inaccessible”, Bengali: দুর্গা) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. In Bengal, she is said to be the mother of Ganesha, Kartikeya as well of Saraswati and Lakshmi. Durga is depicted as a warrior woman riding a lion or a tiger with multiple hands carrying weapons and assuming mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti).

Vijayadashami also known as Dussehra or Mohani Nakha is a festival celebrated across India. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja or Ashwina, and is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Dasara or Navaratri.
The burning of the effigies of Ravana on Vijayadashami, signifying the victory of good over evil, brings the festivities to a colourful close.

So Wish you Happy Dussehra in Advance. May you all Enjoy these nine days of Navaratri.
For victory of good over evil, set the goal to control “Kam, Krodh, Madh, Lobh, Moh and Matsar”.

Navratri, which literally translates to – the festival of 9 nights. And three days each devoted to worship of Ma Durga (the Goddess of Valor), Ma Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) and Ma Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge). Different cultures across India celebrate this festival differently, but the essence of all these celebrations are the same. Feasting and fasting during these 9 days of Navratri are of important significance to Hindu (Indian) culture. There are different dances and celebrations done in the evenings in order to worhip Goddess Durga Maa.

1st – 3rd Day Of Navratri

On the first day of Navratri, a small paddy field-like area is created from mud and barley seeds are sown on it. These first three days are devoted to prayers to Maa Durga. Maa Durga’s different manifestations as Parvati, Kali, Amba are worshipped. Aarti and Bhajan’s (Devotional songs) play special significance during these days and meditation for gaining self-power is given importance.

4th – 6th Day of Navratri

These 3 days are devoted to the wordship of Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity. The 5th Day which is known as Lalita Panchami, is an educational tradition in which we gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or ‘diya’ to invoke Saraswati Maa, the Goddess of knowledge and art.

7th – 8th Day Of Navratri

These days are used to worship Saraswati Maa, to acquire spiritual knowledge. Different pujas play an important role to free our souls from the bondage of our body. Yagna (holy pyre) is ignited and the different materials, that represent our material desires are put into the fire.

Mahanavami (9th Day)

The last day of the festival starts with Kanya Puja. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. After the puja, a lot of celebrations take place in the form of dances.

Along with the above mentioned ideologies, different parts of India celebrate Navratri differently. States from Eastern India celebrate Durga Puja during this period, Idol of Durga is worshipped and Victory of Good over Evil is celebrated. Gujrat and Maharashtra have Garba & Dandiya played through the nine nights. South India celebrates it as Durga Puja and wordships different women goddess.

In the coming days, we will discuss special celebrations from different parts of India. Bring videos for different dances during these festivals. We will also bring to you how traditional fashion lights up during the festive season. So keep checking back for all the fun!!