Onam Festival – The Harvest Festival of Kerala

Onam festival is one of those festivals of India, which is celebrated mainly in the Southern part of India. To be precise, Onam festival is celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala. It holds the status of being the biggest festival of Kerala. The first day and the last of this ten day long festival are the most important of all. The great popularity of Onam festival and the rich cultural presentation of Kerala during this time of the year made Onam the National Festival of Kerala since 1961. The very imagination of Onam festival in Kerala conjures up images of snake boat race, decorated elephants, folk songs and dances, elaborate feasts and flowers.

Kerala Onam dates

Onam festival is traditionally celebrated during the month of Malayali Chingam which is sometime within August to September. In this season, Kerala glows up in its magnificent best with pleasantly sunny weather, lush paddy grains and fruit and flower laden trees. The festival of Onam commemorates the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. The Onam carnival lasts for 10 days and within those beautiful gleeful days brings out the very best of the culture and tradition of Kerala. The Kerala 2010 Onam falls on 23^rd August.

Legend of Onam festival

According the legendary tale of Onam, Mahabali was a demon king, under whose reign the people of his kingdom were always happy. However, his only shortcoming was his ego and to put an end to the mighty king’s ego and ever growing popularity, the Gods from the heaven above brought an end to his reign abruptly. However, because he was otherwise a good king and was immensely attached to the people of his kingdom, he was granted the boon to make annual visits to his people by the God. So, every year Onam is celebrated to mark the legendary king’s homecoming.

Onam rituals

The first day of the ten days Onam festival is called Atham and the last day is called Thiru Onam. Onam Atham is marked by people taking early bath and offering prayers in the temples. This day also begins the Onam Pookalam ritual. The preparations of Thiru Onam also start on the same day and the ritualistic breakfast for the following festival days becomes steamed bananas with fried pappadam. The ninth day of Onam festival is called Utradam, when the Tarawads or tenants/depends of a joint family and villagers offer Onam greetings and Onam gifts to the elder most in the family or Karanavar. This Onam gifts are called Onakazhcha. On the day of Thiru Onam, people wake up very early in the morning, clean the house and smear the courtyards with cow dungs. Then conic shapes called 'Trikkakara Appan' are formed and placed in the important parts of the house. This ritual again as another legend associated with it. Elaborate poojas and prayer are performed and Nivedyam is prepared to be offered to God, followed by merry shouts or 'Aarppu Vilikkukal'. On this day, the eldest member of the family or Karanavar offers Onam gifts or Onapudava to the younger members. This is followed by a grand lunch called Onam Onasadya feast. Houses are lit with lamps or diyas in the evening and Lord Ganapathy is worshiped.

Onam dances and folk performances

Men and women join in to perform special traditional Kerala dances to beautify the glorious Onam festival all the more. The popularly performed Onam dances are –

* Kaikotti kali

* Thumbi Thullal

* Kummatti kali

* Pulikali

Onam celebrations

The best part of Onam celebrations is the grand Onasadya feast. The Onam Onasadya feast is prepared on the 10^th day of Onam festival. The Onasadya feast is a nine course meals which essentially comprises 10 to 13 different varieties of traditional Keralan dishes. The Onam Onasadya feast is served traditionally on banana leaves and people relish the food sitting on a floor laid mat. The enchanting feature of the Kerala Onam festival is Vallamkali. The Onam Vallamkali is a Snake Boat Race which is held on the Pampa River. During Kerala Onam, there also lives a strong tradition of playing games. These Onam games are collectively known as Onakalilal and are the next most popular event after the Onam boat race. These include rigorous men oriented sports like Onam Talappanthukali (ball game), Onam Ambeyyal (Archery) and Kutukutu. Then of course there are these combats called Onam Kayyankali and Onam Attakalam. Onam Pookalam is another attraction. Onam Pookalam is basically a floral mat intricately designed by the women to welcome King Mahabali.

picture source: thecolorsofindia.com, rajuindia.com, allinclusivekerala.com, keralamoments.com, festivals.iloveindia.com, wismalayalee.org

How the Recent Landslides in the Hills Haven Taken a Toll on Indian Tourism

The Panorama of Leh Town in Ladakh

Floods and landslides dominated the hill tourism scene of India for at least half of the August month. One of the first places to have got affected was Himachal Pradesh. Owing to the flash floods that washed away a portion of Leh earlier this month, the National Highway -22 leading to Himachal Pradesh, got blocked. This got trapped several foreign and domestic tourists, not to mention that several tourist arrivals to Manali and nearby tourist places were called off or delayed. The British travelers were issued a travel advisory by their country to not to travel to Leh in Jammu & Kashmir.

Darjeeling Toy Train On a Fine Day

Roadways connecting Leh to Manali and Srinagar were closed to motor vehicles and this disrupted tourism in both the states all the more. Last year, Himachal Pradesh had drawn some 400,583 foreign tourists. Manali is a hotspot for backpackers from US, France, Italy, Britain and Germany because of its superb adventure tourism conditions and facilities and most tourists love to drive or trek the scenic 475 km long Manali-Leh highway. The heavy rains caused landslides in the Himalayan Buddhist Circuit along the Manali-Keylong-Kaza route and this also came as a tourism setback in India. Later, in the middle of the month, the traffic in the closed roads were partially restored, though, the highways connecting Upshi and Rumptse in Ladakh are still not out of their landslide debris. Only small vehicles are plying the partially restored routes.

Konkan Railway

The cloudburst of August 6 in Choglamsar village of Leh created fresh wounds in the face of Indian tourism after taking several lives and washing away homes and buildings with mud slides and flash floods. The roads in West Bengal's Darjeeling district also caved in owing to landslides. Not only did it upset major road links linking the hill district internally, but also suspended the Darjeeling toy train services. Around the same time, down in the southern part of India, landslide disrupted the Goa-Mumbai Konkan railway route. We can only pray for the priceless lives lost in the Leh cloudburst incident and extend the maximum support to the existing life in the village while we look up to the government with hope filled eyes to restore the face of Indian tourism in the hills as early as possible.

picture source: asiagrace.com, excusemeworld.com, travelmarg.com

Sri Krishna Janmashtami – The Birthday Celebration of Lord Krishna

Radha-Krishna Idols

Sri Krishna Janmashtami is the gleeful celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. Major rituals of the Sri Krishna Janmashtami are performed in the middle of the night, as; Lord Krishna is believed to have been born in that hour. The important rituals of the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations rope in bhajans (devotional songs), fasting and pujas (worshipping).

When is Janmashtami 2010

Krishna Janmashtami in India is held in the month of August or September according to the English calender. Sri Krishna Janmashtami 2010 falls on the 2^nd of September. According to the Hindu calendar, Janmastami falls on the 8^th day (ashtami) in the month of Savana or Sravana. Janmashtami generally falls on the 8^th day after the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Baby Krishna Being Bathed

Legend of Sri Krishna

Lord Sri Krishna is believed to have been born some 5,227 years ago. Detailed stories of Lord Krishna can be found in the ancient Indian scriptures like Puranas. As per the legend of Janmashtami goes, Lord Krishna was born to Vasudev and Devki, who were under the imprisonment of King Kansa, Devki’s evil brother. Kansa killed all of Devki’s and Vasudev’s children one by one, but, Krishna who was born as the 8^th child to the couple, was saved by miracle as Vasudev smuggled baby Krishna to Gokul, to be parented by his friend Nand and his wife Yashoda. Later, Lord Krishna grew up to kill his evil maternal uncle Kansa.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations

Lord Krishna Temple

The festival of Janmashtami is a two days long celebration. While the first day of the Janmashtami festival in India is called Krishnashtami, the second day is called Kalasthami. Even though the celebrations begin in the morning itself, it reaches its peak in the midnight, when the sacred sounds of hymns, conch blowing, and arti fill the festive air. The idol of Lord Krishna is first bathed in a mixture of ghee, milk, Gangajal, honey and oil – called Panchamrit and then this mixture is accompanied by sweets and distributed as Prasad to the devotees of Lord Krishna.

Ceremony of dahi handi

Dahi Handi

The celebration of Lord Krishna’s birthday includes a number of fun and interesting ceremonies like Jhanki, Raslila and Dahi handi. Dahi handi in Janmashtami is the most popular ceremony. This ceremony is an enactment of the Lord’s effort of stealing butter from an earthen pot called matka. The matka is suspended on a rope tied to high poles or roofs of buildings. This ceremony is performed on the second day of Janmashtami festival in India. The matka is filled with dry fruits, milk, and ghee and is hung with rope at a height of 20 to 30 feet from the ground. The rope is lined with silver coins and is later distributed as prize to the winners who reach the matka and break it.

Rasleela Dancers

Sri Krishna Rasleela

The Janmashtami Rasleela is the divine kreeda or sport which Lord Krishna played in Vrindavan with the gopis or the village belles on the banks of the sacred River Yamuna.

Janmashtami celebrations in different parts of India

Chappan Bhog

Janmashtami is one of the most celebrated festivals of India. Janmashtami in Mathura is majorly celebrated in the Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir, where the Lord is worshipped and offered fifty six different dishes called ‘Chhapan Bhog’. Raleelas are performed and Jhankis are placed. The other attractions are Jhulanotsav and ghatas. Janmashtami in Vrindavan starts 7 to 10 days before the actual festival. There are 5000 ancient and modern Krishna temples where the Janmashtami rituals are performed. Devotees keep fast and Krishna rasleela is performed in Vrindavan’s madhuban. Janmashtami in Dwarka is celebrated in the Dwarkadhish temple and the rituals are performed by priests called Aboti Brahmins. The main rituals are mangla arti, banta bhog, mangla arti with Panchamrit, shringar, darshan, shringarbhog, shayan bhog and shayan arti. Janmashtami in Bengal is popularly known as Jhulan or Gupt Vrindavan. During the celebration of Janmashtami in South India, Lord Krishna is offered sweets made of curd and milk called Murukku and Seeddai. Dahi handi holds the major attraction of Janmashtami in Maharashtra and the ritual of Nag-Nathaiya Leela holds the central part of Janmashtami in Uttar Pradesh.

Photo Courtesy:

bhagavadgitausa.com

1.bp.blogspot.com

harshadnarvekar.com

netglimse.com

iloveindia.com

flicker.com

o3.indiatimes.com

karshnivanaspati.in 

Kathak, the Soul of Indian Classical Dances

Kathak is a fascinating Indian dance and one of the 8 classical dances of India. The Kathak classical dance originated from the Northern part of the Indian sub-continent. ‘Kathak’ derives its name from a Sanskrit word - ‘Katha’, which means story and ‘Katthaka’ means someone who tells a story. In the modern times, Kathak has taken the first position as the Classical Dance of India.

Origin of Kathak classical dance

The origins of Kathak can be traced back to the ancient north Indian nomadic bards. These nomadic bards used to be popularly known as ‘Kathaks’, which meant ‘storytellers’. These kathaks performed their dances in the temple courtyards and village squares. The Kathak dance form is majorly based on the moral tales and mythological stories inscribed in the ancient Indian scriptures. In the Kathak dance form, the recitals are expressed through facial expressions and hand gestures. To enliven the enigmatic mythological stories, the Kathak dance in the ancient times, used to be accentuated with vocal and instrumental music and stylized gestures.

Influences

The modern Kathak dance carries only traces of the ritualistic and temple dance moves and has a strong influence of the Bhakti movement. During the 16the century, Kathak classical dance absorbed a great deal of Persian dance form alongside the dance form of Central Asia. These dance forms were majorly performed in the royal courts during the Mughal era.

Schools of Kathak dance

The classical dance form of Kathak has three ‘gharanas’ or schools. These three schools of Kathak dance have left their strong influences in shaping the modern Kathak of India. These three gharanas of Kathak dance are –

v  Kathak gharana of Jaipur - born in the royal court of the Rajput kings of Kachawaha

v  Kathak gharana of Lucknow - born in the royal court of the Nawab of Oudh

v  Kathak gharana of Benaras - born in the royal court of the Varanasi

Besides these three prominent Kathak gharanas, there is also a less prominent gharana in Kathak dance form. It is known as the Raigarh gharana of Kathak. This Kathak gharana inherited and amalgamated all three gharanas of Kathak, but, became popular for its own unique compositions.

Types of Kathak Dance

Kathak classical dance can be categorized into two types, which are –

v  Nritta or pure dance

v  Nritya or expressive dance

Music to Kathak

For Kathak dances, music is usually provided by the sitar and tabla players.

Stages in Kathak dance


v  Vandana
v  Thaat  
v  Aamad
v  Salaami
v  Kavit
v  Paran
v  Parmelu /Primalu
v  Gat
v  Ladi
v  Tihai

Costume of Kathak

Ghunghru forms one of the integral most parts of Kathak dance costume. Ghunghru or ghungroo, as they are often spelled, are tiny bells which are wound around the ankles of the Kathak dancer. The Kathak bells are woven along a string and each ankle has around 100 of these bells. Lehenga choli with the combination of odhni (veil) is the traditional costume for Kathak dancers. Sometimes though, the lehenga is replaced by a similar costume called ‘ghaghra’. The mughal costume for women Kathak dancers is the ‘angrakha’ combined with a legging called the ‘churidaar’. The accessories worn with this Kathak costume include a cap called ‘bandi’ and a belt made of precious stones or zari.


picture source: 
voiceofdance.com
nrityagram.org
jhanakdanceacademy.com
asavari.org

North East Motorcycle Thrills for Indian Adventure Freaks

It’s time to hit the dirt tracks and scoot up the hills of North East. The preparations for the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland are in full swing! Zig-zag your way down the muddy tracks of the Kaziranga, shake hands with the feared head hunters of yesteryears and sip a cup of steaming tea with the village folks. Paahun presents this incredible road journey exclusively for the Indian roadies! So, set your vagabond spirit on fire and become one of the six special bikers to join Paahun for a wild bike trip to North East.

Itinerary

Nov 25 – Day 1 – Guwahati - Kaziranga National Park – 280 km

Start early to avoid road traffic. Riding will be mostly on good roads with only a few kilometers of bad stretch owing to road construction. Cross the historical town of Tezpur and enjoy a smooth ride up till Kaziranga National Park. Reach the park in the late afternoon. Stay at a dry riverbed resort, tucked away some distance from the Central Range of the Park. The resort includes bamboo houses standing on stilts, amidst lush and serene vegetable fields, without any other settlement in vicinity. (Note: Power is shut down after10 pm). Enjoy a night bonfire under starlit sky.

Nov 26 – Day 2 – Kaziranga

Embark upon an early morning jeep safari to the central range of the park to join for an hour’s elephant safari into the interiors. Witness endangered great one horned rhino, herds of wild elephants, deers, wild bores, wild buffalo and a diverse fauna.

After the elephant safari, join in for another safari in the jeep of about two and half hours right away or in the afternoon. In the late afternoon, visit a tea estate and learn the complex method of tea manufacturing. Enjoy yet another starlit night bonfire.

Nov 27 – Day 3 – Kaziranga – Mon – 250km

Wake up for an early trip and hit the roads for a relatively smooth ride. Enter the district of Mon in Nagaland, the headquarters of the feared warriors - Konyak Nagas. Upon arrival, enjoy a tented accommodation at a hilltop resort.

Nov 28 – Day 4 – Mon

Traverse 42 kms to reach the tribal Longwa village at the Myanmar border, which, passes right through the middle of the Chief’s (called Angh) house. The chief controls 50 villages inside Myanmar. Meet the headhunters or the Konyak warriors now in their fifties, who, used to be tattooed on bringing home the cut off heads of enemies. Witness the true culture and tradition from close while also, studying their amazing wood, bamboo, bone and copper artefacts and muzzle loading guns. Enjoy firing some old guns as well.

Nov 29 – Day 5 – Mon – MKG – Wokha – 170km

Gear up for the roads of the tour. Ride for 6-7 hours less trafficked roads and reach the small town of Wokha in the evening. Next, check into the hotel.

Nov 30 – Day 6 – Wokha – Kohima - 85km

Do an early morning tour of the village, meet the locals and then ride off to Kohima. After a smooth two hour ride on scenic hilly roads, check into the hotel on arrival. Later, visit the War Cemetery.

Dec 1&2 – Day 7 & 8 – Kohima

Stay in Kohima for 2 days and enjoy the wonderful Hornbill Festival. Witness the tradition and culture of all the tribes of Nagaland and also of some of the neighbouring states and countries.

Dec 3 – Day 9 – Kohima – Dimapur – Kaziranga – 220km

Ride down to Kaziranga and go for a repeat safari (optional).

Dec 4 – Day 10 – Kaziranga - Guwahati – 271km

Gear up for the home run. Ride back to Guwahati and reach by evening. Tour ends.

Price – Rider Rs 25,000/ head, Pillion rider – Rs 17,000 per head

Price includes Bike rental, all petrol, stay, all meals (10 days only), sightseeing, etc.

One group accommodates 6 riders & so 6 pillion riders due to logistics constraint. Those who are interested must ring up (080-42021383) to book your place.

The above itinerary is a fixed date one. However, if you have a group of 5 riders and you are interested for this tour, we have whole October available for you. We will take you to Tawang and Dirang in place of Kohima where this Hornbill festival is going to take place.

You can mail the company at info@paahun.com or manishjha@paahun.com for more details about this tour.