Punjabi Hindus celebrate a number of religious festivals.
Bavan Dvadasi Bavan Dvadasi is a festival dedicated to the Hindu God
Vamana. The festival is held during the lunar month of Bhadra. Singh writing for the Tribune in 2000 states that "Tipri, a local version of dandia of Gujarat and a characteristic of the Patiala and Ambala districts, is losing popularity. Its performances are now limited to the occasions of Bavan Dvadsi." According to Singh (2000) "Bavan Dvadsi is a local festival celebrated only in the Patiala and Ambala districts. Anywhere else, people are not aware of it. Now, tipri is performed during this festival only." Singh then states that Bavan Dvadsi "is to celebrate the victory of Lord Vishnu, who in the form of a dwarf, had tricked Raja Bali to grant him three wishes, before transforming into a giant to take the Earth, the sky and Bali's life". Tripri competitions are held during the festival. Dancers dance in pairs, striking the sticks and creating a rhythm whilst holding ropes.
Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan, also
Rakshabandhan, or
Rakhi, is a popular, traditionally
Hindu, annual rite, or ceremony, which is central to a festival of the same name, celebrated in India, Nepal and other parts of the
Indian subcontinent, and among people around the world influenced by Hindu culture. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman, or
amulet, called the
rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers, symbolically protecting them, receiving a gift in return, and traditionally investing the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care. Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the
Hindu lunar calendar month of
Shraavana, which typically falls in August. The expression "Raksha Bandhan,"
Sanskrit, literally, "the bond of protection, obligation, or care", is now principally applied to this ritual. Until the mid-20th-century, the expression was more commonly applied to a similar ritual, also held on the same day, with precedence in ancient Hindu texts, in which a domestic priest ties amulets, charms, or threads on the wrists of his patrons, or changes their
sacred thread, and receives gifts of money; in some places, this is still the case. In contrast, the sister-brother festival, with origins in folk culture, had names which varied with location, with some rendered as
Saluno,
Silono and
Rakri. In rural north India, where village exogamy is strongly prevalent, large numbers of married Hindu women travel back to their parents' homes every year for the ceremony. Their brothers, who typically live with the parents or nearby, sometimes travel to their sisters' married home to escort them back. Many younger married women arrive a few weeks earlier at their natal homes and stay until the ceremony. The brothers serve as lifelong intermediaries between their sisters' married and parental homes, as well as potential stewards of their security. In urban India, where families are increasingly
nuclear, the festival has become more symbolic, but continues to be highly popular. The rituals associated with this festival have spread beyond their traditional regions and have been transformed through technology and migration, the movies, social interaction, and promotion by Hinduism, as well as by the nation state. Among women and men who are not
blood relatives, there is also a transformed tradition of
voluntary kin relations, achieved through the tying of
rakhi amulets, which have cut across caste and class lines, and Hindu and Muslim divisions. In some communities or contexts, other figures, such as a matriarch, or a person in authority, can be included in the ceremony in ritual acknowledgement of their benefaction.
Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami, also known simply as
Janmashtami or
Gokulashtami, is an annual
Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of
Krishna, the eighth
avatar of
Vishnu. It is observed according to the
Hindu lunisolar calendar, on the eighth day (
Ashtami) of the
Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in
Shraavana or
Bhadrapad (depending on whether the calendar chooses the new moon or full moon day as the last day of the month), which overlaps with August or September of the
Gregorian calendar. Dance-drama enactments of the life of Krishna according to the
Bhagavata Purana (such as
Rasa Lila or Krishna Lila), devotional singing through the midnight when Krishna was born, fasting (
upavasa), a night vigil (Ratri
Jagaran), and a festival (Mahotsav) on the following day are a part of the Janmashtami celebrations. It is celebrated particularly in
Mathura and
Vrindavan, along with major Vaishnava and non-sectarian communities found in Manipur, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and all other states of India. Krishna Janmashtami is followed by the festival
Nandotsav, which celebrates the occasion when
Nanda Baba distributed gifts to the community in honor of the birth.
Mahashivratri Maha Shivaratri is the great night of
Shiva, during which
followers of Shiva observe religious
fasting and the offering of
Bael (Bilva) leaves to Shiva. Mahashivaratri Festival or 'The Night of Shiva' is celebrated with devotion and religious fervor in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of Hindu Trinity. Shivaratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in
Phalgun (February – March). Celebrating the festival of Shivaratri devotees observe day and night fast and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to appease Lord Shiva. To mark the Shivratri festival, devotees wake up early and take a ritual bath, preferably in river Ganga. After wearing fresh new clothes devotees visit the nearest Shiva temple to give ritual bath to the Shiva Lingum with milk, honey, water etc. On Shivaratri, worship of Lord Shiva continues all through the day and night. Every three hours priests perform ritual pooja of Shivalingam by bathing it with milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water amidst the chanting of "Om Namah Shivaya' and ringing of temple bells. Jaagran (Nightlong vigil) is also observed in Shiva temples where large number of devotees spend the night singing hymns and devotional songs in praise of Lord Shiva. It is only on the following morning that devotee break their fast by partaking prasad offered to the deity.
Holi Holi is the spring Hindu festival of colours which is celebrated by throwing colours on each other. The festival is celebrated on the full moon day of
Phalguna Month of
Hindu Calendar. The festival is primarily celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs. In the Indian state of
Punjab, Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before. On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours on each other. During Holi in
Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to
rangoli in South India,
mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. This art is known as
chowk-poorana or
chowkpurana in Punjab and is given shape by the peasant women of the state. In courtyards, this art is drawn using a piece of cloth. The art includes drawing tree motifs, flowers, ferns, creepers, plants, peacocks, palanquins, geometric patterns along with vertical, horizontal and oblique lines. These arts add to the festive atmosphere.
Sanjhi Sanjhi is celebrated mainly by women and girls in parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Sanjhi is the name of a mother goddess, after whom images are made of mud and molded into various shapes such as cosmic bodies or the face of the goddess, and they get different colors. The local potters make images of various body parts like her arms, legs, face decked with ornaments and weapons. These additions make the image look beautiful and gracious. The additions to the image this way depend upon the economic means of the family. The image is designed on the first day of the nine days of
Durga Puja or Navratri. Every day women from the neighborhood are invited for singing bhajans and performing aarti. The young girls also gather there and offer their adoration to the mother who is believed to get them suitable husbands. The aarti or the bhajans are chanted daily and some elderly woman guides others. It is usually an all females event. Sanjhi image is prepared on the wall by those families who seek fulfillment of their wishes termed mannat by Punjabis. Some people also seek her blessings for the marriage of their daughters. Kirtan is performed and the image is immersed in water on the last day. The Sanjhi festival ends with the immersion of Sanjhi on the day of
Dussehra. The girls offer prayers and food to the goddess every day.
Maghi Maghi is the regional name of
Makar Sankranti or Magh Sankranti While Hindus gather near
Mandirs. The
Magha Mela, according to
Diana L. Eck – a professor at Harvard University specializing in Indology, is mentioned in the Hindu epic, the
Mahabharata, thus placing this festival to be around 2,000 years old. Maghi happens to be the day when
Bhishma, the octogenarian leader of
Kauravas emacipated his soul from bondage of body, by conscious act of will after discoursing many days on mysteries of life and death.
Vaisakhi Vaisakhi, also pronounced as
Baisakhi marks the beginning of
Hindu solar New year. Vaisakhi marks the first day of the month of
Vaisakha and is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year. This holiday also is known as
Vaisakha Sankranti and celebrates the Solar new year, based on the
Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar. Vaisakhi is a historical and religious festival in
Hinduism. It is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year. For Hindus, the festival is their traditional solar new year, a harvest festival, an occasion to bath in sacred rivers such as Ganges, Jhelum, and Kaveri, visit temples, meet friends and take part in other festivities. In other parts of India, the Vaisakhi festival is known by various regional names. In
Undivided Punjab, the Hindu Shrine of
Katas Raj was known for its Vaisakhi fair. It was attended by around 10,000 pilgrims who were mostly Hindus. Similarly, at the shrine of
Bairagi Baba Ram Thaman, a Vaisakhi fair was held annually since 16th century CE which was attended by around 60,000 pilgrims and
Bairagi saints from all over India used to throng the shrine. The Vaisakhi fair is at
Thakurdwara Bhagwan Narainji at Pandori Mahatan village in
Gurdaspur district of
Punjab where the fair lasts for three days from 1st
Vaisakha to 3rd Vaisakha. The celebrations start in form of procession on morning of 1st Vaisakha, carrying
Mahant in a palanquin by
Brahmacharis and devotees. After that
Navgraha Puja is held and charities in money, grains and cows are done. At evening,
Sankirtan is held in which
Mahant delivers religious discourses and concludes it by distributing
prasad of Patashas (candy drops). Pilgrims also take ritual bathings at sacred tank in the shrine.
Dussehra In most of northern and western India, Dasha-Hara (literally, "ten days") is celebrated in honour of
Rama. Thousands of drama-dance-music plays based on the
Ramayan and
Ramcharitmanas (
Ramlila) are performed at outdoor fairs across the land and in temporarily built staging grounds featuring effigies of the demons Ravan,
Kumbhakarna and
Meghanada. The effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening of Vijayadashami-Dussehra. While Dussehra is observed on the same day across India, the festivities leading to it vary. In many places, the "Rama Lila" or the brief version of the story of Rama, Sita and Lakshaman, is enacted over the 9 days before it, but in some cities, such as
Varanasi, the entire story is freely acted out by performance-artists before the public every evening for a month. The performance arts tradition during the Dussehra festival was inscribed by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008. The festivities, states UNESCO, include songs, narration, recital and dialogue based on the Hindu text
Ramacharitmanas by
Tulsidas. It is celebrated across northern India for Dussehra, but particularly in historically important Hindu cities of
Ayodhya,
Varanasi,
Vrindavan,
Almora,
Satna and
Madhubani.
Diwali festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the
Hindu lunisolar month
Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with
Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to
Sita and
Rama,
Vishnu,
Krishna,
Yama,
Yami,
Durga,
Kali,
Hanuman,
Ganesha,
Kubera,
Dhanvantari, or
Vishvakarman. Furthermore, it is, in some regions, a celebration of the day Lord
Rama returned to his kingdom
Ayodhya with his wife
Sita and his brother
Lakshmana after defeating
Ravana in
Lanka and serving 14 years of exile. In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants will prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with
diyas (oil lamps) and
rangolis. During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with
diyas and
rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of
Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where
mithai (
sweets) and gifts are shared. Diwali is also a major cultural event for the Hindu and
Jain diaspora from the Indian subcontinent. The five-day long festival originated in the
Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts. Diwali is usually celebrated twenty days after the
Dashera (Dasara, Dasain) festival, with
Dhanteras, or the regional equivalent, marking the first day of the festival when celebrants prepare by cleaning their homes and making decorations on the floor, such as
rangolis. The second day is
Naraka Chaturdashi. The third day is the day of
Lakshmi Puja and the darkest night of the traditional month. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and
Balipratipada (Padwa). Some Hindu communities mark the last day as
Bhai Dooj or the regional equivalent, which is dedicated to the bond between sister and brother, while other Hindu and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as
Vishwakarma Puja and observe it by performing maintenance in their work spaces and offering prayers.
Fasts Karwa chauth Karu-ay is the Punjabi name for the fast of
Karva Chauth. This fast is primarily traditionally observed in the
Punjab region but is also observed in parts of
Uttar Pradesh and
Rajasthan. Although the mode of performing the
Karva Chauth fast requires the woman to see the Moon through a sieve and then her husband's face through the same sieve before she eats, in the Punjabi Karu-ay da varat, traditionally a brother will collect his married sister who will keep the fast at her natal home. Jharkri is a clay pot in which dry sweet dishes are kept. Mothers are required to eat something sweet in the morning and then fast all day. Jhakrya fast is observed four days after
Karva Chauth and is related to
Hoi Mata. A mother who keeps Jhakrya da varat for the first time will distribute the sweets kept in the Jhakri to her husband's clan. She will also give her mother-in-law a Punjabi suit. On subsequent fasts, mothers will fill the Jhakri will water and jaggery and rice. When the moon rises, an offering is made to the stars and then the sons. Other food will also be given to the sons. Thereafter, mothers will eat something sweet to break the fast.
Ahoi Ashtami is a
Hindu festival celebrated about 8 days before Diwali on Krishna
Paksha Ashtami. According to Purnimant calendar followed in North India, it falls during the month of
Kartik and according to Amanta calendar followed in Gujarat, Maharashtra and other southern states, it falls during the month of
Ashvin. However, it is just the name of the month which differs and the fasting of Ahoi Ashtami is done on the same day. The fasting and puja on Ahoi Ashtami are dedicated to Mata Ahoi or Goddess Ahoi. She is worshiped by mothers for the well-being and long life of their children. This day is also known as
Ahoi Aathe because fasting for Ahoi Ashtami is done during Ashtami
Tithi which is the eighth day of the lunar month. Ahoi Mata is none other than Goddess
Parvati.
Bhoogay Bhoogay falls on the fourth day of the first half of the lunar month of Poh. The day is also called
Sankat Chauth. The fast is kept by sisters for the well-being of brothers during the Punjabi month of Poh (December–January). Sisters will break their fast by eating sweet balls made of sesame, jaggery and flour
Pinni. == Sikh Festivals ==