Navaratri
The festival of nine nights, preceding the Dussera is
a special feature of Gujarat when both males and females
congregate in village squares and temple compounds and sing
and dance. The festival ends on the Dussera day, when artisans
worship their instruments, agriculturists their ploughs,
warriors their weapons and students their books. The Navaratri
festival is closely followed by the Sharad Purnima, the
full moon night in the Asvina month; when under the moon
light people partake of prasad rice and milk.
Diwali
Asvina is a month which marks the end of the harvesting
season. This month ends with Diwali which is a four-day
festival. The first day of the festival starts with the
Laxmi Puja. The second day is considered as the day of the
casting off evils. The third day is the main Diwali day.
On this day every home is illuminated and decorated. The
fourth and the last day is the New Year for the Gujarati's
when people visit temples in colourful costumes and greet
each other. The day following the New Year is called Bhai
bij when brothers are invited by their sisters to partake
of sweets with them.
The full moon day of the Kartika month, with its preceding
eleventh (ekadashi) day is called the Dev-Diwali. On these
days the marriage of the Tulsi plant with the Shaligram,
symbolising Lord Vishnu, is celebrated in every Hindu home
in Gujarat.
Kite Festival
Kite Festival, another festival in Gujarat is observed
on the 14th of January, the day when the sun enters the
tropic of cancer. On this day young boys and girls and even
the old people, are on their house tops flying kites. This
is really a national festival for Gujarat.
Holi
Like the Diwali, the spring festival of Holi on the full
moon day in the month of Phalguna has a universal appeal.
While Diwali marks the end of the monsoon and therefore
the agricultural season of the Kharif crop, the Holi festival
marks the agricultural season of the Rabi crop.
Gujarat also celebrates festivals like the Ramnavami, the
Sivaratri and the Mahavir Jayanyti. Gauri puja is observed
by young, unmarried girls, who fast and pray for getting
'suitable husbands'. The Savitri Vrata is observed by married
women. They worship the banyan tree and offer their thanks
giving for their happy married life.
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