Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir – An Insight to the Indian Cultures

I have always believed that festivals and fairs of Jammu and Kashmir are true reflection of India’s social heritage and diverse culture. Just like other states of India, J & K too abounds with assorted fairs and festivals round the year which speak high of Jammu and Kashmir Culture. During my stay on my recent trip to this destination, I actually realized that here, the festivals are celebrated with immense joy and fanfare, irrespective of any religion. Diwali or Id are equally celebrated with enthusiasm just like Lohri. Let me tell you about some major festivals and fairs of J & K: 

Baisakhi – Welcoming the New Year of Sikh Community

Celebrated in April, this festival has great significance for the Sikh Community as it marks the start of their new year. Since J & K has Sikh community in large number, this festival demands great celebration and enthusiasm. This festival brings along with it celebration and hosting of different fairs which last for some days and weeks. If you want to shop for traditional stuff, then visiting J & K during these days is an ideal idea. 

Id-ul-Fitr and Azha – Occasions of Celebration and Kurbani

These two festivals of the other Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir are prominent for the Muslim community and are celebrated with great zeal in Jammu and Kashmir because of large population of Muslims here. On this festival day, the Muslims offer prayer six times instead of five times. They exchange gifts, invite people on feasts and wear new clothes. On occasion of Ed-Ul-Azha, a goat is sacrificed where as in some places sheep and camel offer their kurbani. 

Hemis Festival – Popular Buddhist Festival of India

This festival is celebrated in J & K’s Ladakh region. People across the state enjoy and cherish this festival much. A large courtyard in a monastery is decorated, stories are recited to people, wearing of traditional dresses is encouraged and dance & music is held. 

Lohri – Marking the Oncoming of Spring Season

Also celebrated as Makar Sankranti, during Lohri people gather around bonfire, dance, and sing, throw rice into fire and exchange sweets. People clean their souls by taking bath in Holy River in Jammu. People wear new clothes while the young boys perform special dance. 

Other festivals which too are celebrated with great enthusiasm are Diwali, Dussehra, Urs, Christmas and New Year. Besides this, the state has many fairs too mainly Purmandal Mela, Jhiri Mela, Mansar Food and Craft, Bahu Mela, and Chaitre Chaudash. These fairs and festivals are considered perfect place where we get to see religion confluence beneath one roof. 

Influence of Tradition on Costumes of Kerala

In India, culture and tradition have heavy influence on the dressing style of its states. One such state is Kerala which comprises people of assorted religions like Christians, Muslims and Hindus. The religious faith of these people influences the costumes of Kerala. The dress code here is generally off white or white and very simple yet sophisticated in appearance. Dark and light shades of red are worn on special occasions like religious ceremony or wedding. Men and women have different kinds of clothing. 

Traditional dress for women in Kerala

In society the dress code for women carries high regard and importance.  The traditional garments are considered old yet they are worn by different generations as these dresses are integral part of their life. The traditional costume of women here is Mundum Neriyathum of which Mundu is lower worn garment while Neriyathu is the upper worn garment that is mainly slipped on a blouse or jacket. During the special or festive occasions, this dress is selected based on women’s marital status and age where green color is for unmarried ones and red for married ones. 

Sari and Salwar Kameez are another traditional and popular dresses worn by the women in Kerala. Infact sari has replaced the old traditional costume Mundum Neriyathu to large extent. But these dresses have kept the tradition of Kerala alive over all these years. In India the work done on saris in Kerala is acknowledged and respected greatly. 

Traditional dresses for men in Kerala

The traditional dresses for men in Kerala date back to old times. Men here wear Mundu which is made of cotton and is white in color. Similar to women clothing, this fabric is considered as lower garment of the body. Length of this cloth is from waist to toe and if men want then they can avoid wearing any garment on the upper body. It’s just that people of upper caste might prefer draping a cloth on upper body. Now with change in fashion and tradition, people have started wearing shirt or t-shirts over Mundu. The other dresses for men are Lungy and Kasavu Mundu. 

In Kerala, proper dressing is considered significant element of state’s culture for they believe that individual of both gender must be dressed elegantly in public. The fabric of their dresses is generally cotton which provides them relief and ease during the humid and hot climate. Over these years, there has been a great transition in clothing of men and women in Kerala.

Culture in Gujarat – The Perfect Example for Indian Diversity and Richness

The Indian State, Gujarat is well known for its cultural diversity. The entire state shines with vibrant colors of traditions and rich cultural heritage. Right from Harappa civilization, this place was one among the platform for various religions including Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Hinduism.  The culture in Gujarat is a perfect blend of values, language, traditions, customs, beliefs, arts, institutions, technology and language. The state of Gujarat is enculturated with people sharing common experience leading to the knowledge as well as appreciation of lifestyles and cultural traditions. Gujarat people also share their cultural patterns and traits with people of other regions and spread their values beyond boundaries. The state is correctly recognized as ‘Heart of India’ as one can sense multiculturalism throughout the state. The cultural background that they share with other people makes them feel more comfortable and confident to stand as an example in the global scenario.

 A blend of Cultural Diversity and Rich Heritage – Gujarat, The Flourishing State

The place got special significance in the Indian history as it is the birthplace of Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi. The cultural scenario at Gujarat is marked by its lifestyles, cuisines, music, folk dances, arts, crafts, fairs and festivals. The beliefs and customs of Gurjars are perfectly blended with moral characteristics and values. The culture and tradition of Gujarat is well known by their dressing trend too. Their dress reflects the changes happened in the state since decades. Their dress brightens the entire atmosphere with its attractive glossy shades. Along with their enriched outfit, Gujarati women dress up with fancy and esthetic jewelry and other fashionable accessories.

The Traditional Costumes of Gujarat

Clothing in Gujarat attracts people from all over the world. Gujarati males wear Kediyu and Chorno whereas women wear Choli and Chaniyo. Both of them prefer to wear rich ornaments and jewelry. Their outfits generally contain astragals, bead work; thread work, small patches etc... Gujarati embroiders display amazing creativity and fineness in their work. The enthusiastic Gujaratis dress up their best during festival seasons especially Navratri.  They perform folk dance during this nine days festival with men wearing tight and small long sleeve coat called Keviya. The keviya is embroided beautifully at the shoulders and other borders. Keviya is paired with Churidhar Pajama along with colorful turban. Women prefer to wear ghagra choli or lehenga choli during this season. It includes backless blouses and ankle length colorful skirts. They give final touch to their dress with dupatta or odhni which is heavily designed. They add extraordinary energy to their festival with bright and colorful dress and delicious varieties of sweets.

Atithi Devo Bhava Depicting the True Culture of India

Atithi Devo Bhava is a verse from Sanskrit, which means that guest is equal to god or be the person for whom guest is equal to god. This verse was obtained from an ancient scripture and has become a code of conduct in the Hindu societies. This explains the procedure between the host and his guest. Recently Indian Tourism Department took up this verse as their tag line to promote tourism in India. Taittiriya Upanishad comprises four mantras, namely athithidevo bhava, acharyadevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava and matrudevo bhava. The literal meaning of this mantras is , be the one for whom guest is equivalent to god, be the one for whom teacher is equivalent to god, be the one for whom father is equal to god, be the one for whom mother is equal to god. 

 

Atithi Devo Bhava Making India a Multifaceted Destination

In Sanskrit, Tithi refers to calendrical date. During ancient period, the route of communication was very limited and hence it was difficult for guest to inform their exact date of arrival and therefore atithi literally refers to ‘without fixed calendar time’. By euphonic combination, the term Devah was pronounced and written as Devo, which means God. Bhava refers to ‘Is or be’ – be the person for whom guest is equivalent to god. Indian subcontinent attracts millions of travelers from all over the world every year.  In order to attract more and more tourist, the Indian Tourism Department came up with their campaign carrying this verse with the central theme in the name of ‘Incredible India’. 

Incredible India – Journey of Your Lifetime 

This campaign was aimed to improve the social awareness in order to treat tourist with greater sense of humanity and friendliness. The campaign was targeted towards the public by focusing on stakeholders of tourism industry. Through this campaign, they provide various types of training and also orientation programs to police, immigration officers, tourist guides, taxi drivers and other personnel who are in the position to communicate directly with tourists. The various stages of this campaign are the sensitization process, screening process, process of induction followed by certification and then feedback from key stakeholders in order to develop the desired tourist-friendly ambience over gradual period. The culture of India is well known all over the world for its affection and warmth. This is the actual reason why millions of tourists love to visit India. Indian cuisines attract food lovers from all parts of the world. Indians display great hospitality and affection towards their guests.