Friday, February 28, 2014

TRAVEL SPECIAL.................. CARNIVALS AND FESTS INDIA SPECIAL



 CARNIVALS AND FESTS INDIA SPECIAL 

Plan a trip to Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa to coincide with their unique fests


    There’s drama, education, reverence and culture at the end of a brilliant travel experience. In our feature today, we celebrate it all. Each region in India is culturally rich and full of local flavours such as fests, traditions, customs, rituals and more. With travel becoming easier and quicker, celebrating all the local fests has just gotten achievable. (Thanks to discounts on various domestic flights, which is an added boon). Be it the legendary Elephant Parade in Thrissur or Celebrating the spring festival with the women of Rajasthan; Be it the loud, colourful parades and street festivals at the Goa Carnival or the Garba played during the nine days of Navratri in Gujarat, all this will surely set your hearts pulsing. There is so much of India to celebrate each day, which tune are you dancing to?
 
POMPOUS
THRISSUR POORAM
REGION:
Kerala
WHEN: May 9 Thrissur Pooram is a heady mixture of pomp and pageantry. Pack and plan to celebrate the world-renowned Thrissur Pooram, arguably the most famous festival of Kerala. Conceptualised by Raja Ravi Verma around 200 years ago, the festival is a spectacle. In the main parade held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple, two teams of 15 beautifully caparisoned elephants face off across the temple grounds. On each elephant’s back, a man holds a parasol taller than the elephant itself, while another waves a yak-tail fan. As the temple orchestra plays, the parasols are exchanged among the men standing on the animals. Throughout the day, one can hear drums and in the night there’s a majestic display of fireworks and pyrotechnics.
KEEP IN MIND: The Vadakkunathan Temple is one of the oldest temples in Kerala. It is said that only Hindus are allowed inside, but the crowd surrounding the temple during the festival is a
    mix of Christians, Muslims, Jews and other communities.

SPRING IT!
GANGAUR REGION: Rajasthan
WHEN: April 2-3 Gangaur , the Spring festival is dedicated to the Goddess of abundance, Gauri (Parvati). It is the celebration of spring, harvest and marital fidelity. Gana is a synonym for Lord Shiva and Gaur, which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolises marital bliss. The unmarried women worship her for being blessed with a good husband, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands and happy married life. THE FINALE: The festival reaches its climax during the last three days. The images of Gauri are dressed in new garments especially made for the occasion. Women decorate the images and make them look like living figures. At an auspicious hour in the afternoon, a procession is taken out while married women place them on their heads. Songs are sung about the departure of Gauri to her husband’s house.
FUN ZONE GOA CARNIVAL
REGION:
Goa
WHEN: Feb 28- 4 March The beaches of Goa will be dressed up with pomp, colour and vigour. The carnival is an annual weekly celebration filled with lively processions, floats, the strumming of guitars, graceful dances and of non-stop festivity. It is the traditional Parade led by King Momo, organised just before the beginning of 40 days of Lent. This carnival displays the Portuguese culture, which is predominant in Goa. Also the state was ruled by the Portuguese for nearly 400 years. Colourful parades are organised throughout the state with bands and grand dance balls held in the evenings. The festivities involves several public celebrations combining some elements of a circus and mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade for the parades. This year the carnival will feature float parades in four cities Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa. A Food and Cultural Festival will showcase the local Goan cuisine along with cuisines of 15 other Indian states. A blend of food, fun, local and live music performances, fashion shows, and entertainment will be the order of this week long event. During the carnival Goa’s diverse population comes together to form bonds of friendship and celebrate life. The carnival usually ends with an interesting red-and-black dance held by the Club National in Panjim on the final day.
GARBA TIME NAVRATRI
REGION:
Gujarat
WHEN: September 25 - 3 October Thousands of people from across the country flock to Gujarat to celebrate Navratri. The festival that worships Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati is also famous for its Garba and Dandiya-Raas dance. Over the course of the nine days, the Mother Goddess is worshiped in her nine forms of Shakti such as Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba or Jagadamba, Annapoorna devi, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika or Chandi, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika. The day after Navratri the 10th day, is Dussera which celebrates the victory of lord Rama over Ravana.
THE GARBA DANCE: 
 A clay pot symbolises the garba or the womb, which is the source of life on earth, is placed in the centre of the group. Usually women dressed in vibrant costumes dance around the pot, which is filled with water, a betel nut and a silver coin. A coconut is also placed on the top of the pot. The folk dance form of Garba derives its name from the iconic clay pot around which women whirl and dance. It is interesting to see even men play Garba along with women. Dandiya Raas is also an important feature during the festive season. The only difference between this form of dance and Garba is that the sticks are used for clapping instead of hands. Plan your next trip around this festival to experience Gujarat.    
   Compiled by Rashmi Henriques ETTR140227




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