Mubarram Muharram or the sacred month marks the beginning of the Muslim year. This month is now primarily associated with the period of mourning the Shias observe in commemoration of the martyrdom of Ali’s son and Muhammad’s grandson, Hussain. On the tenth day of Muharram, Hussain was brutally murdered by the troops of the Ummayyad Caliph Yazid. Hussain fought bravely till he was slain, the last on the battlefield. His violent...

Modhera Dance Festival There is a place named Modhera in Mehsana district in North Gujarat. The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat organizes an annual festival of dance here. It is held every year in January for three days. The beautiful Sun Temple acts as the backdrop during the festival. The Sun Temple at Modhera was built during the reign of the Solanki King Bhimdev I. The temple is now in ruins. It...

Mioko The Mioko festival of the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh is dedicated to prayer. The Apatanis go over the hills and into the jungles to find the right omens. The Apatanis are followed by Nyibu (priest) chanting- rhythmically. Most of the chants were recited to ward off bad spirits and to pray to the good spirits. As soon as Apatanis get rid of the red monkey, the villagers start singing and...

Mauni Arnavasya The month of Magh in the Hindu calendar year is one of the most sacred months for a pious Hindu. One of the most justifiable reasons for it is the celebration of Mauni Amavasya. It falls on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight of Magh. It is a unique festival of Hindus because it is the only day in a calendar year’s festival when holy men and devotes...

Makar Sankranti The only festival which falls on the same day every year is Makar Sankranti. It is celebrated on January 14. Makar literally means `Capricon’ and Sankranti is the day when the Sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. Although geographically, on this day, the sun passes from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricon. That is, the sun enters the constellation of Makar...

Mahavira Jayanti Mahavira Jayanti falls on the thirteenth day of the Chaitra month. The festival is celebrated in the memory of Lord Mahavira. According to Jainism, Lord Mahavira is the founder of the Jain religion. This religion upholds twenty-four religious Tirthankaras or Lords. The last Tirthankara Swami Mahavira was also known as Jina. Mahavira got his holy birth in 599 B.C. to Siddhartha of Kundanpur and the Lichhavi princess Trisala. He...

Maha Shivratri Maha Shivratri is celebrated during the month of Phalgun. Lord Shiva, the great Hindu god, is known as the destroyer of the universe. On this day, Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati are worshipped by young girls and even men, in the hope of getting a perfect mate for themselves. Myth logically, a hunter having failed to find any prey in a forest climbed a bel tree towards the...

Mahamagam Festival Mahamagam Festival is celebrated at Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. People from all parts of India throng to this place for a dip in the holy Mahamagam Tank in the town and in the river Kaveri. The religious importance of Kaveri has been dealt at length in all the ancient scriptures. Kaveri is the Vedic Marud arudha and Kumbakoanam is one of the five important sacred...