Category: festivals

  • Durga Navaratri – Celebrating the Goddess

    Durga Navratri, or the nine (nava-) nights (-ratri) of Durga, are celebrated in the first 9 days of the bright half of the month (starting from the day after Amavasya) of Aswayuja/Asvina in the Indian lunar calendar (usually in end of September or early October). This period of nine days is the beginning of the…

  • Ganesha Chaturthi Mantras – Part 8

    Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day after the new moon in the waxing portion of the lunar fortnight of Bhaadrapada (usually in late August or early September). One way to celebrate the festival is to meditate upon the 108 names of Lord Ganesha. Each of the 108 names evokes a specific quality, power…

  • Ganesha Chaturthi Mantras – Part 7

    Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day after the new moon in the waxing portion of the lunar fortnight of Bhaadrapada (usually in late August or early September). One way to celebrate the festival is to meditate upon the 108 names of Lord Ganesha. Each of the 108 names evokes a specific quality, power…

  • Celebrating Makar Sankranti

    Makar Sankranti is observed on the 14th of January every year and is (incorrectly) thought to coincide the astronomical event of the northward motion of the sun (uttarayana) from the tropic of capricorn towards the tropic of cancer. In India, it also marks the end of winter and the onset of spring and the progression…

  • Lohri Festival – Origin, Traditions and Significance

    The festival of Lohri is celebrated mainly in Northern India and is celebrated on the night before Makar Sankranti (January 14th). Lohri is usually celebrated with great fervor in the state of Punjab and surrounding areas and is connected to the harvest, the winter solstice (according to the sidereal zodiac) and many more traditional events.…

  • Guru Poornima – Honoring the Guru

    Guru Poornima or Purnima is a festival celebrated on the full-moon day in July dedicated to honoring our Guru, our spiritual leader and teacher. Guru Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devoh Maheswaraha.