INDIAN CULTURE AND RITUALS: MAHA SIVARATRI

 Today many households will observe Sivaratri by praying all night to Lord Siva. At Haridwar near the Ganges the Maha Kumbh will be observed with many devotees taking the holy dip including mendicants and the Naga Sadhus. It is also called the Shahi Snan.
To learn more click on this
http://corpgypsy.blogspot.com/2010/02/temple-trail-sivarathri.html

Onam Visuals and Songs

Onam Festival & Greetings

Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala.This year there may not be much to cheer about but the Malayali never lets anything come in the way of celebrating this festival. You find families coming together, gifts being given to friends, grand "sadyas"(feasts), children and girls playing on swings which are tied from trees, decorations of flowers in the front yard of houses on all 10 days of the festival.Traditional art forms like kaduvakali are in evidence on the streets. Snake boat races are part of the pageant.It is believed that the legendary king Mahabali who ruled Kerala in ancient times and was banished by Lord Vishnu into the netherworld is allowed to visit Kerala and his subjects every year in recognition of his nobility and concern for his welfare and erstwhile kingdom.

Onam is a great time to visit Kerala and would compare to visiting Brasil during the Carnival, though the celebrations are more restraint and conservative:)

IN CASE YOU WISH TO SEE THE FULL CARD DOUBLE CLICK ON THE VISUAL

FESTIVALS IN INDIA : VISHU, BAISAKHI, BIHU, PUTHIYANDU, NEW YEAR

Greetings on this auspicious day of Vishu, Bihu, Baisakhi and Puthiyandu. Wishing you a great year ahead.
And for those in Gods own country...
Kodimundum, Kaineetavum,
Pinne orupidi konna poovum
Manasil nirachu orupadu snehavumayi
Oru vishu koodi varavayi
orayiram vishu ashamsakal

VINU aka VINOD NATESAN

For those who wish to learn about this festival, I would recommend
http://manojsangani.blogspot.com/2008/04/vishu-wishesvishu-smsvishu.html
The flower shown in Casia Fistula(botanical name) and is the State Flower of Kerala. It blossoms in summer during the month of April and the presence of this flower is regarded a harbinger of a healthy monsoon to come and prosperity during the harvest season to come which is during Onam (September).
Baisakhi too is an agrarian festival and denotes the end of the winter crop(rabi) and start of the summer crop(kharif) for the year ahead.Baisakhi is of major importance for the people following Sikh faith. As it was on a Baisakhi Day, in the year 1699 that the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh founded Khalsa Panth or the Order of Pure Ones and gave a unique identity to Sikhs. "Langars" or community lunches are organised this day.
The day of Baisakhi is of significance for the Hindus as it was on this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj - a reformed sect of Hindus who are devoted to the Vedas for spiritual guidance and have discarded idol worship. Besides, Baisakhi day is of relevance for the Buddhists as Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and Nirvana on this auspicious day.

For those of you who want to see a video with the famous song "kanni kanum neram, kamala nethrante, niramekum manja tukil charti,kanaka kingini valakal mothirum, aninju kannenam bhagawane...
The video is not great visually but I guess the audio and emotions overrule all that