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...

Maha Mastakabhisheka Sharavana Belogola is a tiny town of Karnataka. It is often crowded with visitors. Every 12th year it becomes a major pilgrimage centre for Jain pilgrims. Jain pilgrims from all over India and abroad come to Sharavana Belogola to celebrate the Mastakabhisheka – the magnificent anointment or sacred head-anointing ceremony. The ceremony is organised at the 57-foot high statue of the Jain sage Lord Bahubali, also known as Gomateshvara....

Lohri Festival Lohri is a festival of harvest. This seasonal celebration falls on the thirteenth day of January in North India. The states of Punjab and Haryana generally observe the festival. Almost all communities of these states hold festivities with much fun and feasting. It is an evening festival. After the sunset a huge bonfire is collected and lit. People of all ages gather around the bonfire in gay clothes arid...

Ladakh Festival Beyond the Sylvam valley of Kashmir lays the enigmatic land of Ladakh. Leh a fabled city, looms as a sentinel on the ancient silk route from Sinkiang to West Asia and to the plains of India. In 400 A.D., the great Chinese traveller Fa-Hsien visited the city and was amazed by its natural grandour. Ladakh presents a mesmerizing blend of Buddhist and Muslim cultures. In the month of September,...

Kumbha Mela Kumbha Mela is the most important and biggest mela of India. Kumbha Mela is organised at Prayag in Allahabad where Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet. Although this mela takes place every three years at Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain and Prayag alternately, the ‘Puma Kumbha’ arrives after twelve years. The Mela is attended by hermits and sages from the higher reaches of the Himalayas. Pilgrims, swamis and missionaries from South India...