| Encyclopedia of Tours and Travel to Punjab, featuring information on Fairs & Festivals, Wildlife, Excursion, Adventure & Weather of Punjab. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Fairs and Festival
The festivals in Punjab have always been celebrated with much exuberance and fanfare. For the masses these festivals are popular occasions for social interaction and enjoyment. The festivals of Punjab have one common objective of bringing people together to participate in the happiness of the occasion. The important festivals and fairs celebrated in Punjab are: Gurupurab This is known as akhand path. It is concluded on the day of the
festival. On the Gurpurab day, the Divan begins early in morning
at about 4 or 5 a.m. with the singing of Asa-di-var and hymns from
Guru Granth Sahib. Sometimes it is followed by katha (discourse),
religious and Sikh Historical lectures and recitation of poems in
praise of the Guru. Kirtan-Darbars and Amrit Sanchar ceremonies
are also held in the Gurdwara hall. After Ardas and distribution
of Karah Parshad (sweet pudding) the Langar (food) is served to
one and all and there is kirtan till late in the night, the distribution
of langar continues to the end of the programme. The Granth Sahib
is also carried in procession on a float decorated with flowers.
Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession
carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands play religious
music and marching schoolchildren form a special part of the procession.
Sikhs visit gurdwaras where special programmes are arranged and
(religious songs) sung. Houses and gurudwaras are lit up to add
to the festivities. On the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev sweetened
milk is offered to the thirsty pass Birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Guru Arjan's martyrdom day Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom day Lohri Maghi The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhab, on 29 December 1705. The bodies were cremated the following day, the first of Magh (hence the name of the festival), which now falls usually on the 13th of January. Largest assembly takes place at Muktsar in the form of a big fair during which pilgrims take a dip in the sacred sarovar and visit several shrines connected with the historic battle. A mahala or big march of pilgrims from the main shrine to gurdwara Tibbi Sahib, sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, marks the conclusion of the three-day celebration. Maghi is also celebrated in the Gurudwaras. Holi Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The story centres around an arrogant king who resents his son worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlad emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation. This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality. Holla Mohalla There are also a number of durbars where Sri Guru Granth Sahib is present and kirtan and religious lectures take place. Sporting shining swords, long spears, conical turbans, the Nihangs present a fierce picture as they gallop past on horseback spraying colors on people.On the last day a long procession, led by Panj Pyaras, starts from Takth Keshgarh Sahib, one of the five Sikh religious seats, and passes through various important gurdwaras like Qila Anandgarh, Lohgarh Sahib, Mata Jitoji and terminates at the Takth.
For people visiting Anandpur Sahib, langars (voluntary community kitchens) are organized by the local people as a part of sewa (community service). Raw materials like wheat flour, rice, vegetables, milk and sugar is provided by the villagers living nearby. Women volunteer to cook and others take part in cleaning the utensils. Traditional cuisine is served to the pilgrim who eat while sitting in rows on the ground. Like all other festiva, this festival is also celerated at all the Gurudwaras with same enthusiasm. Holla Mohalla is an occasion for the Sikhs to reaffirm their commitment to the Khalsa Pantha. Basant Panchami Baisakhi The tenth guru Guru Govind Singh selected the auspicious day of
Baisakhi to form the order of the Khalsa. On the13th of April in
1699, at a meeting in Anandpur in Punjab, the guru called upon his
people to come forward to sacrifice themselves for the good of the
clan. Initially there were no response from the audience. However,
after several calls from the guru five persons- Daya Ram Khatri,
Dharm Das, Mokhan Chand, Sahib Chand and Himmat Rai -were ready
to offer themselves. Guru took each of them to the tent nearby They sat on the dais while the guru prepared water to bless them. In an iron vessel, he stirred the batasha that his wife, Mata Jitoji had put into water, with a sword called Khanda Sahib.The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called amrita. It was first given to the five volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed to the crowd. All present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members of the Khalsa Pantha. Those five men were christened the Panch Pyare. He discontinued the tradition of gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha Sahib as their eternal guide. The suffix Singh derived from the Sanskrit word singha meaning 'lion', was added to the name of all male Sikhs, while the women were to call themselves Kaur, assistants to the Singh. The celebrations of Baisakhi are similar to the three-day schedule of the celebrations of other Gurpurabs. It is generally celebrated on 13th April every year. Teej heralds the onset of Sawan (monsoon), which is essential for the agricultural prosperity of the state. Dressed in all their finery, with menndi on their hands, the womenfolk converge to welcome the rains and pray for the long life of their husbands. 'Teej' or Teeans, which is celebrated in the month of Sawan (July), is also a source of entertainment for girls. Teej festival starts on the third day of Sawan and continues for about thirteen days. This is a period when rainy season is at its best, having said good bye to the scorching heat, people are out to enjoy the rains. It is also the time for sowing. The whole atmosphere is relaxed and people have a sigh of relief. The girls celebrate it by having swings. One sees girls, even today, on the swings all over the villages during the rainy season. They have new clothes, special dishes to eat and special songs for the occasion. This festival has also made inroads into the urban society. Dussehra Bandi-Chhorh Divas (Diwali) However, the Guru was not to be outmanoeuvred in this way. He asked for a special coat to be made with 52 coat tails - same number as the rajahs in prison with him! And so the rajahs were freed and the Guru became known popularly as the "Bandi Chhor" (Deliverer from prison). The Sikhs celebrate this day as Bandi Chhorh Divas i.e., "the day of release of detainees", He arrived at Amritsar on the Divali day and the Har Mandar (now known as the "Golden Temple") was lit with hundreds of lamps i.e. he was received in the same way as the Lord Rama and the day came to be known as the "Bandi Chhor Divas" (the day of freedom). The Sikhs on this day, which generally falls in october-November, hold a one-day celebrations in the Gurdwaras. So in the evening, illuminations are done with Deewé (earthen oil lamps) or candles and fireworks. The celebrations are held both in the Gurdwaras and in homes. Another important Sikh event associated with Divali is the martyrdom in 1734 of the elderly Sikh scholar and strategist Bhai Mani Singh, the Granthi (priest) of Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple). Diwali Continuing the story of Rama, this festival commemorates Lord Rama's return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling oil lamps or diyas light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country. The goddess Lakshmi (consort of Vishnu), who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day. This festive occasion also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. Another view is that Deepawali is meant to celebrate the destruction of the arrogant tyrant Bali at the hands of Vishnu when the latter appeared in his Vamana (dwarf) avatar. The occasion of Deepawali sees the spring-cleaning and white-washing of houses; decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes. In West Bengal, the Deepawali festival is celebrated as Kali Puja and Kali, Siva's consort, is worshipped on this day. Tika Chhapar Fair Jarag Fair Roshni Fair Other Celebrations
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ers-by
to commemorate the death of the Guru.
day
of Phagun. Holi is a festival of colors. It is spring time in India,
flowers and fields are in bloom and the country goes wild with people
running on the streets and smearing each other with gulal and coloured
water.
and every time he returned alone with his bloodied sword. Then the
guru went to the tent yet again, this time for a long time. He reappeared
followed by the five men, clad in saffron-colored garments.