Holidays & Festivals in India – Mumbai
Holidays & Festivals in India – Mumbai
Holidays & Festivals in India – Mumbai
MUMBAI DECKS UP FOR FESTIVALS
Hindu festivals are celebrated mostly as per the Hindu lunar calendar and the dates, of these festivals change every year accordingly. Check out the festive time before your visits or you may find yourself stranded due to traffic jams or public holidays that you may normally not be aware of. Most (not all) of the festivals listed are also public holidays, and government offices and banks remain shut on those days.
MAKAR SANKRANTI (14TH JANUARY)
This is the Hindu festival that marks the harvest season and the beginning of the sun’s stow journey to the Tropic of Cancer. Families and friends exchange Sesame sweets with the promise of sweeter relationship. Mostly celebrated by the Gujaratis and Marathis, women also perform the ‘Haldi Kurnkum’ smearing each others’ forehead with turmeric and saffron in an act of feminine bonding.
BAKRIEID (13TH FEBRUARY)
God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael, and Abraham complied, shielding his eyes from the gruesome deed. When he removedtheblindfold hefoundthata ram layslainattheattar. On Bakri Eid, Muslims slaughter fattened goats at their doorsteps to commemorate Abraham’s piety. The meat is distributed to relatives and friends.
MUHARRAM (15TH MARCH)
A ten-day period of intense mourning precedes Muharram, to mark the martydom of Imarn Hussain, grandson of Prophet. Mohammed, who was killed en route to India. Muslims flog themselves with leather cords to express their sorrow.
HOLI (MARCH)
A festival that heralds the advent of spring. Celebrated by smearing colorful powder, a symbolic ritual while kids squirt each other with water bombs. Avoid wearing good clothes, as they are likely to get smeared with the colours and water bombs.
GUDI PADVA (APRIL)
The start of the Maharashtrian New Year marked by the erection of gudis (bamboo sticks) decorated with colourful cloth and topped by an upturned drinking vessel.
MAHAVIR JAYANTI (APRIL)
A Jain festival celebrating the birth of Lord Mahavir, the founder
Of Jainism.
GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER (18TH & 20TH APRIL)
Indian Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ in true Western traditions. But after morning mass, ttie Easter lunch is likely to be fish curry and pork vindaloo washed down with sweet, red wine.
NAGA PANCHAMI (2ND AUGUST)
The period between the dissolution of universe and its recreation, a giant Cobra- Ananta, offered himself as a couch to Lord Vishnu. Snakes images are prayed to and snakes fed milk on this day and it is believed that snakes have power over monsoon and keep evil out.
NARIYAL PURNIMA (11TH AUGUST)
Essentially a fisherman’s (Koli’s) festival. The fisher folk after coconuts and flowers to the sea god Varun and sea goddess to protect them from the turbulent monsoon water and it marks the end of the monsoons. It marks the new fishing season; the festival is best seen at fishing communities in Colaba and Versova.
RAKSHA-BANDHAN (12TH AUGUST)
This Hindu festival symbolizes the emotional bond between the siblings. Sisters tie beautiful silk threads or Rakhi decorated with pearls and gold beads etc on the brothers’ hand for protection. All through the month of August, flittering tinsel rachis crowd the counters of every small shop.
GOKULASTAMI (20TH AUGUST)
Lord Krishna’s birthday is celebrated all over Mumbai in a unique way. One of the exploits of the mischievous blue deity in his childhood days is enacted on the streets. Youths form human pyramids in a bid to reach the earthern pots filled with ‘dahi’ or curd (loved by the Lord), sweets etc hung from tenement balconies, and smash it just like the much loved Lord did in his childhood.
GANESH CHATURTHI (AUGUST-SEPTEMBER)
Mumbai’s principal festival, this 10- day festival dedicated to Ganesh is the biggest event of the year in Mumbai. Giant clay images of the elephant-headed god are erected and prayed to forten days. On the last day, the idol is taken to the nearest shoreline and immersed witli a lot of pomp and gaiety.
PATETI AND NAVROZE (21ST AUGUST)
Mumbai’s Zoroastrian community commemorates its for fathers’ escape from Persia to escape Islam isation and reached Gujarat where they were cordially invited by the hospitable Hindu king. It is celebrated by visiting the fire temple, friends and indulging in legendary feasting.
MOUNT MARY FAIR (8ST SEPTEMBER)
Also known as the Bandra Fair, the feast day of the Virgin Mary is celebrated by all religions at the Basilica of Mount Mary in Bandra. The festival is a week long fairthat opens with the Holy Mass with all the excitement of a small carnival.
DASSEHRA/NAVRATRI (OCTOBER)
Dassehra is the day when Lord Rama’s victory over the demon king of Lanka, Ravana is celebrated alt over by burning the effigy of Ravona, the ten headed demon in public places symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Navratri – orthe ‘nine nights’ priorto Dassehra celebrated by Gujaratis dedicated to the fiery Goddess of power ‘Durga’ (who travels on the tiger). People gather in the evening and perform ‘garba’ (traditional songs sung in praise of the Goddess, dancing around the decorated earthern pot with ‘diya’ (earthern lamp) in it, symbolizing the presence of the Goddess ‘devi’).
DIWALI (25TH OCTOBER)
The five-day festival celebrates the return of Lord Rama from exile, one of the happiest festivals in the Hindu calendar. Decorative oil lamps are lit in every house no matter how rich or poor, on this day. It a family festival and the day is marked with visits to the temple and sweets exchanged with friends and relatives. It is also dedicated to the Goddess Laxmi -the Goddess of Fortune. It is the beginning of the new financial year according to the Hindu calendar.
RAMZAN EID (26TH NOVEMBER)
Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramzan in obedience to Prophet Mohammed’s decree that abstaining for some time cures gluttony. They fast from sunrise to sunset which is broken by the lftaar meals. When the moon is sighted, Ramazaan Eid marks the end of the month long fast.
CHRISTMAS (25TH DECEMBER)
In Mumbai, Christmas is not just celebrated by Christians. Thousands attend the Midnighrt Moss and the more westernized organise Christmas dances. On New Year’s Eve, hordes of revelers take to the streets, others crowd discos and private parties until the wee hours of morning.
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