Hindu Festivals, Fairs And Fasts

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The aim of this book is to apprise the human being to utilize his privileged rare faculty of reasoning and discriminating between good and evil. The study of traditional sacraments, fasts, festivals and fairs, described herein, aim at one's utilizing the rare opportunity to rise to level of the divine.

The trend in the modern times has very much changed the very basic concept of the festivals. The modern generation, particularly in Northern India, celebrates the festival, more as a show of gaiety, rather than a worship of the deities and the gain of spiritual knowledge. Old Indian traditions and cultural rites, at the time of festivals, are still being retained in the east, west and the south of India.

The description of customs and ceremonies, given in the book, is brief and not exhaustive. If one were to describe each in details, it would require many volumes; but the details, howsoever little given in this book, will be found useful by the reader to enlighten his mind.

THE SCRIPTURES, the study of sacred books, throw light on the philosophical texts and the performance of Samskaras. The Vedas, the fountain head of Indian glory, which are divine revelations, codified by Vyasa, give the message through many other works. The scriptures contain the details of man's religious duties, the rites and rituals he should perform, customs, traditions and all other details, help him to keep his mind pure and enable him to do good only and eschew evil. All the sacraments are in Sanskrit and thus Sanskrit plays a main role. Spiritual exercises, singing hymns and visiting temples are necessary, but if devotion is combined with the observance of these duties, the benefits will be far greater and the mind can be cleared of all impurities.

In ancient days, everyone used to conduct worship in his house (as noted by Hanuman in Vibhishan's place in Sri Lanka or in various dramatic scenes in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Sri Krsna staged in television serials) and carried out other duties and went to temples.

The aim of this book is to apprise the human being to utilize his privileged rare faculty of reasoning and discriminating between good and evil. The study of traditional sacraments, fasts, festivals and fairs, described herein, aim at one's utilizing the rare opportunity to rise to the level of the divine.

In present time, when a man is so busy in his materialistic adventures, all that one can do is to study scriptures, carry out worship in the house and when time permits, visit temples and attend sermons by saints. Devotion at all occasions is essentially desired. Almost every festival and fast in India has a link with our spiritual outlook. The festivals are convened for the worship of the gods and goddesses. Generally these festivals are related to the Leela (amorous sport) of one or the other God. The aim of the festivals is to remember the deeds of the gods and goddesses, to worship them and thereby purify the mind.

EVERY COUNTRY has some particular traditions. They are so interrelated with the culture and heritage of that country, that they become a mark of identification of that country or state. As an instance, Bhangra dance immediately gives the recognition of Punjab (India). The origin and reasons for such customs and ceremonies are so difficult to explain that even the sociologists of that country can hardly do so. However, an attempt has been made to trace their origin from authenticated sacred books of the East. Such customs and ceremonies, during the long course of the time, have become a part and parcel of the life of the people of a particular community and country. These traditions have become so rooted in the society that howsoever a modern man of scientific age may consider them unbelievable or superfluous, yet these continue since ages.

Law is an important factor in the maintenance of social discipline in the society. The society recognizes many rules of behaviour which have been adopted by all. These include folkways, modes, and customs. Any breach, in the observance of these, is a social crime punishable by law or society. These rules are traditional and called customs in the society, based on long lasting traditions. For instance marriage is an institution, but there are different traditions for it, prevailing in different communities and tribes. Institutions are a skeleton of tradition, which by virtue of passing from one generation to another, have become permanent and in due course of time develop as customs, based mainly on behaviour rather than habit. Habit means ban acquired facility to act in a certain manner without resort to deliberation or thought". It is an individual phenomenon. Persons tend to react in the manner to which they have become accustomed. The acquisition of habit makes an action easy and familiar, relatively effortless and congenial. To break old habits (drinking, smoking, drug addiction and others leading to superstition and inactivity) of the individuals and establish new habits in their place, requires cautious approach. As against habits, customs are a social phenomenon. A custom is formed on the basis of habit gaining the sanction and influence and therefore the social significance which is peculiar to it. Customs are social habits which through repetition become the basis of an order of social behaviour. Customs are those folkways that persist over relatively long period of time, so as to attain a degree of formal recognition and so as to be passed down from one generation to another. As an instance the landlords were in the habit of distributing prizes and sweets in a jubilant mood, at the time of the ripening of the wheat crop. This habit of a few gradually became common and began to celebrated as the festival of Baisakhi.