26th January Republic Day of India

26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. So, the 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India, ever since.

Today, the Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defense of sovereignty of their country. Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.

To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, from the Rajghat, along the Vijaypath. The different regiments of the army, the Navy and the Air force march past in all their finery and official decorations even the horses of the cavalry are attractively caparisoned to suit the occasion. The crème of N.C.C cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms.

The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. The parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the National Television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country.

The patriotic fervor of the people on this day brings the whole country together even in her essential diversity. Every part of the country is represented in occasion, which makes the Republic Day the most popular of all the national holidays of India.

History of Makar Sankranti(Uttarayan)

Makar Sankranthi, or Sankranti is a popular Indian festival. It is celebrated in many parts of the country and also in some other parts of the world with great zeal and enthusiasm. It is a harvest festival which is basically celebrated in the Hindu communities. In Indian, the states of Bihar, Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu celebrate the festival with great fervor and gusto.In Tamil Nadu the festival is known as Pongal, in Assam as Bhogali Bihu, in Punjab, as Lohiri, in Gujarat and Rajasthan, as Uttararayan. Outside India, the festival is given due importance in the countries like Nepal where it is celebrated as Maghe Sakrati or Maghi, in Thailand where it is named as Songkran and in Myanmar where it is called Thingyan.

The festival of Makar Sankranti marks the day when the sun begins its northward journey and enters the sign of Makar (the Capricorn) from the Tropic of Cancer. It is like the movement of sun from Dakshinayana (south) to Uttarayana (north) hemisphere. It is the one of the few chosen Indian Hindu festivals which has a fixed date. This day falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Hindu Solar Calendar. The festival is considered to be a day from where onwards all the auspicious ritualistic ceremonies can be solemnized in any Hindu family. This is thus considered as the holy phase of transition.

Shankranti means transmigration of Sun from one zodiac in Indian astrology to the other. As per Hindu customary beliefs, there are 12 such Sankrantis in all. But the festival is celebrated only on the occasion of Makara Sankaranti i.e. the transition of the Sun from Sagittarius (‘Dhanu’ Rashi ) to Capricorn(‘Makara’ Rasi). In this case, the zodiacs are measured sidereally, and not tropically, in order to account the Earth’s precession. That is why the festival falls about 21 days after the tropical winter solstice which lies between December 20 and 23rd. Here the sun marks the starting of Uttarayana, which means northern progress of Sun.

Makar Sankranti holds special significance as on this day the solar calendar measures the day and night to be of equal durations on this day. From this day onwards, the days become longer and warmer. It is the day when people of northern hemisphere, the northward path of the sun marks the period when the sun is getting closer to them. The importance of the day was signified by the Aryans who started celebrating this day as an auspicious day for festivities. The reason behind this may be the fact that it marked the onset of harvest season. Even in the epic of Mahabharata, an episode mentions how people in that era also considered the day as auspicious. Bhishma Pitamah even after being wounded in the Mahabharata war lingered on till Uttarayan set in, so that he can attain heavenly abode in auspiciuous times. It is said that death on this day to brings Moksha or salvation to the deceased.

Indian Festival Celebrations

Raksha Bandhan

Rakhi or Raksha Bhandan is a festival, celebrated to honor the emotional bond between brother and sister. Sister ties a holy thread around her brother’s wrist and takes a commitment from her brother that he will always be there beside her in hour of need. This thread, which vibrates with sisterly love and virtuous sentiments, is rightly called the ‘Rakhi’. A “bond of protection”.

Bhai-Dooj

Bhai-Dooj festival symbolizes the brother and sister eternal love for each other. Whereas sister prays for the long and prosper life of her brother by applying tilak on his forehead and in return brother promises to provide a life long protection to her sister. The festival falls on the second day after Diwali and is celebrated all over the country.

Dussehra

This hugely popular festival falls on the 10thday of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October). There is a fascinating array of myths and legends associated with Dussehra. On this day, Rama (the god-king and the hero of the great Hindu epicRamayana) vanquished the evil Ravana – the 10-headed demon-king of Lanka who had abducted Rama’s wife Sita.

Diwali

Deepawali or the Festival of Lights is perhaps the most popular of all Hindu festivals. Religious fervour paralleled with ample fun and merry-making marks the festival. Deepawali is celebrated in most parts of the country with equal enthusiasm and fervour. Like most festivals, Diwali, as it is more popularly known, comes with its own bagful of mythological and historical references.

Holi

Holi is celebrated at a time of the year when everyone’s had enough of the chilly winter and looks forward to the warmth of the sun. Trees get fresh new leaves that are at their glossiest best, and flowers  begin to pop open and claim their share of fun in the sun. Even grandmothers abandon their knitting for the glorious sunny days. They know that it’s time to give in to good cheer, for the harsh Indian summers are just round the corner.

Eid Ul Fitr

Eid Ul Fitar is the biggest Muslim festival. Eid is derived from the Arabic word ‘oud’ or ‘the coming back’ to signify the return of Eid each year. The festival is significant as much for its timing as for its religious implications. It is celebrated after the  month of Ramzan (the month of fasting and the ninth month of the Muslim year), on the first day of Shavval – a month in the Hijri year (Muslim year). It is believed that the Koran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the month of  Ramzan.

Baisakhi Festival

The people of Punjab, one of the richest states in India, are in their element during the festival of Baisakhi. Sikhism as a religion originated from this northern state and is home to some of the most sturdy and fun-loving people in this country. Hidden behind the celebration of Baisakhi are the months of hard labour that have gone into the production of the rabi crop, the first harvest of the  year

Durgapuja

The azure sky with fluffy white clouds and a nip in the air marks the advent of autumn. It is time for Bengal’s most popular festival – Durga Puja or the worship of the Goddess Durga. Actually the festival is celebrated twice a year – once in the month of March or April (Basant), and again in the month of September or October (Ashwin), during the moonlit fortnight. On both occasions, the puja  is a nine-day affair with the last day coinciding with Rama Navmi and Dussehra respectively. The Mother Goddess is venerated in one form or the other all over India, though she is most popular among the  Bengalis.