Festivals of India: Lathmar Holi

Posted on March 22, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Lathmar Holi or the Holi with sticks is a festival celebrated in the Baj regions of Uttar Pradesh in the twin towns of Barsana and Nandgaon, also known as the towns of Radha and Krishna respectively. Every year, during Holi, thousands of devotees and tourists visit these towns to celebrate the festival. The festivities usually last for more than a week and end on Rang Panchami or Holi. The festival is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil and is a time for people to come together, dance, sing, and throw coloured powders at each other, creating a vibrant and joyful atmosphere.

Associated with the legend that is linked to the divine couple Radha Krishna, the festival seeks to recreate it. According to the legend, Lord Krishna who was a resident of Nandgaon and is considered the son-in-law of Vrishabhanu wanted to spray the colours on his beloved Radha and her friends. But, as Krishna and his friends entered Barsana, they were playfully greeted with the sticks by Radha and her friends who drove them out of Barsana. Following the same trend, every year on the occasion of Holi, the men of Nandagaon who are treated as sons-in-law of Barsana visit Barsana and are greeted by women with colours and sticks or lathis. The celebration is enacted in perfect good humour by both sides, the men of Nandgaon and the women of Barsana.

The Lathmar Holi festival is a celebration of the power of women and is a unique expression of the region’s rich cultural heritage. During the festival, named after the lath, a wooden stick that is used by women to chase men. The festival is celebrated on the day before the Hindu festival of Holi and is an expression of the love between Radha and Krishna. The women from the town of Barsana chase men from the neighbouring town of Nandgaon with sticks as a symbolic representation of Radha’s playfulness and power. The men, in turn, sing and dance in a show of reverence to Radha.

One of the highlights of the Lathmar Holi festival is the Lathmar Holi Mela, which is a gathering of people from the surrounding towns and villages. The mela is a lively and colourful affair, with stalls selling food, drinks, and handmade goods. There is also a wide range of entertainment available, including music, dance, and theatre performances.

Another important aspect of the Lathmar Holi festival is the traditional dance and music. The Braj region has a rich tradition of music and dance, and the Lathmar Holi festival provides a platform for these traditions to be showcased. The dances performed during the festival are an expression of joy and happiness and are performed by both men and women. The music played during the festival is characterised by its use of traditional instruments such as the dhol, nagara, and manjira.

One of the most unique parts of the Lathmar Holi festival is the ‘Rang Panchami’ ritual. During this ritual, people come together to throw coloured powders at each other, creating a vibrant and joyful atmosphere. The ‘Rang Panchami’ ritual is an important part of the Lathmar Holi festival and is a time for people to come together and celebrate the arrival of spring.

The Lathmar Holi festival is also a time for love and courtship. During the festival, young men and women come together to meet and get to know each other. If two people are interested in each other, they can exchange gifts and formalise their relationship. This exchange of gifts is known as ‘Rasm-e-Holi’ and is an important part of the Lathmar Holi festival.

The Lathmar Holi festival is a celebration of life, love, and joy and a celebration of the rich and diverse culture of the Braj region. It celebrates the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil and is an important part of the cultural heritage of the region.

Festivals of India: Bhagoria

Posted on March 13, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

The Bhagoria festival is a vibrant and colourful festival celebrated by the tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which was originally the Malwa region. The festival is held annually in the Hindu month of Phalguna, which corresponds to February or March in the Gregorian calendar. The Bhagoria festival is a celebration of the arrival of spring and marks the beginning of the harvest season. It is a time for the tribal communities to come together, dance, sing, and exchange gifts. The tribes who participate include the Bhil, Bhilala, and Pateliya.

The festival takes place in the Badwani, Dhar, Alirajpur, Khargone and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It has agricultural significance and coincides with the end of harvesting crops. It is celebrated for seven days in March before the Holi Festival. Traditionally, celebrants travel to the festival grounds with their families on decorated bullock carts. There they purchase the things required to celebrate Holi, dance to traditional musical instruments, sing songs called Lokgeet, and enjoy meeting family and friends.

The Bhagoria festival is unique to the tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh and northeastern Maharashtra and is one of the largest tribal festivals in India. It is a celebration of the vibrant and diverse culture of these communities and attracts visitors from all over the world. The festival is celebrated in different parts of Madhya Pradesh, with the largest celebrations taking place in Jhabua, Alirajpur, and Dhar districts.

One of the highlights of the Bhagoria festival is the ‘Bhagoriya Mela’ or fair. This fair is a gathering of tribal communities from all over the region and is a place for people to come together, socialise, and participate in various activities. The Bhagoriya Mela is a lively and colourful affair, with stalls selling food, drinks, and handmade goods. There is also a wide range of entertainment available, including music, dance, and theatre performances.

The Bhagoria festival is famous for its traditional dance and music. The tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh have a rich tradition of music and dance, and the Bhagoria festival provides a platform for these traditions to be showcased. The dances performed during the festival are an expression of joy and happiness and are performed by both men and women. The music played during the festival is characterized by its use of traditional instruments such as the dhol, nagara, and manjira.

One of the most unique and interesting aspects of the Bhagoria festival is the ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ ritual. During this ritual, married women apply turmeric paste and vermilion powder to each other’s foreheads. The ritual symbolizes the bond between the women and is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. The ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ ritual is an important part of the Bhagoria festival and is performed by women from all the tribal communities that participate in the festival.

The Bhagoria festival is also a time for love and courtship. During the festival, young men and women come together to meet and get to know each other. If two people are interested in each other, they can exchange gifts and formalize their relationship. This exchange of gifts is known as ‘Bhagoria Haat’. The Bhagoria Haat is an important part of the Bhagoria festival and is a time for the young people of the tribal communities to come together and celebrate their relationships.

The Bhagoria festival is a celebration of the rich and diverse culture of the tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh. It is a time for people to come together, socialize, and celebrate the arrival of spring and the beginning of the harvest season. The Bhagoria festival is an important part of the cultural heritage of India and is a unique and vibrant celebration that attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Bhagoria festival is a celebration of life, love, and joy and a time for the tribal communities of Malwa to come together and celebrate their culture and traditions. The Bhagoria festival is a true expression of the rich and diverse culture of India and is a celebration that should not be missed.

Festivals of India: Sekrenyi Festival

Posted on February 24, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Also known as Sokre-n and Phousanyi, Sekrenyi is a major annual festival of the Angami Nagas, in the northeast Indian state of Nagaland. It is observed for ten days from the 25th day of the Angami calendar month of Kezei, usually corresponding to 25 February in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is a time for purification, renewal, and thanksgiving, and is celebrated with a variety of rituals, feasts, and dances. It is a purification festival held to wash off all past sins. The objective of the festival is to renew and make holy by cleansing the body and the soul of the village as a whole, and to bring forth unity among all communities of Nagaland. It also marks the initiation of young people to adulthood and is considered an identity marker of the Angami. Christian converts among the tribals have gradually rejected these rituals.

Sekrenyi is a compound word formed by Sekre meaning sanctification and Nyi meaning festival. The festival calendar is linked to the agricultural cycle, which varies from village to village. Thus, the celebration is held between the months of December–March, and the duration also varies from ten to fifteen days. It is celebrated by both the Kruna Angami or Pfutsana and Christian Angami. The duration is reduced to five days for the Christian villagers who had earlier converted to Christianity but belonged to the same ethnic group; they participate in the festivities but they do not follow any of the rituals connected with it.

Many rituals and ceremonies are involved with the festival. On the first day, which is known as Kezie, people sprinkle themselves with a few drops of rice water drawn from a pot named Zumho. The water drops are first gathered into leaves, and the chief lady of the house reverently fixes the leaves at the three main corner pillars of the house. This is followed by the men assembling at the well to bathe. On the second day, young men of the village assemble in the village to perform ablutions. They adorn themselves with two new shawls, and then ritualistically sprinkle the holy water on their chests, knees and right arms as a mark of washing away all their sins and ill luck. When they come back from the well, a sacrificial offer of a cock is performed.

The fourth day of the festival marks the New Year of the Angamis. It begins with revelry by singing and feasting which lasts for three days. The young people, both men and unmarried girls with shaven heads gather and sing traditional songs the entire day; the songs relate to past days of valour and bravery. For the revelry of music and dance, the men and women of the community wear the traditional dress; while men carry head hunting spades, women carry baskets. The seventh day is devoted to hunting by the young men of the ethnic group. On the eighth day, the ritual involves pulling down a gate and replacing the old gate that demarcates the property. This is followed in the next two days by the people of villages formally exchanging visits and offering greetings. During the period of the ten-day festivities, field operations are suspended, In local terminology, this is called Penyu. Following the completion of the festival period, when men of the villages have cleansed themselves and sought blessings, cultivation, house building and marriages may restart for the year.

One of the most important rituals of the Sekrenyi festival is the offering of food and other items to the ancestors and the gods. This is done in the form of a feast, known as the Thuwali feast. The Thuwali feast is a grand affair, with a variety of dishes being prepared and served to the community. The food is prepared by the women of the community, who spend days preparing for the feast. This feast is a time for the community to come together and give thanks for the blessings of the past year, and ask for continued blessings in the coming year.

Another important ritual of the Sekrenyi festival is the performance of dances. The Angami people are known for their traditional dances, which are performed during the festival. These dances are performed by both men and women and are a form of storytelling. They tell the stories of the Angami people, their history, and their culture. The dances are accompanied by music, which is played on traditional instruments such as the nga or a bamboo flute and the dama or a drum. The dances are a vibrant and colourful spectacle and are enjoyed by the entire community.

The Sekrenyi festival is also an important social and cultural event, bringing together members of the community from across the region. During the festival, people from different villages come together to participate in the rituals and ceremonies. This is an opportunity for people to reconnect with friends and family, and to strengthen the bonds of the community. The festival is also an opportunity for young people to meet and mingle, and for potential partners to be introduced.

Festivals of India: Tyagaraja Aradhana

Posted on February 6, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Though technically not a festival in the way we have come to associate festivals with, the Tyagaraja Aradhana is an annual music festival that glorifies the Telugu saint composer Tyagaraja. The music festival is observed in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, primarily in Tiruvaiyaru in the Thanjavur district, where Tyagaraja attained Samadhi. The Aaradhana is observed on Pushya Bahula Panchami day when the saint attained samadhi when musicians render the saint’s Pancharatna Kritis.

A composer and Carnatic music vocalist, Thyagaraja or Kakarla Thyagabrahmam was born on the 4 May 1767, to a Telugu Vaidiki Mulakanadu Brahmin family in Tiruvarur in present-day Tiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries, Shyama Shastri and Muthuswami Dikshitar are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Thyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in Telugu and in praise of Lord Rama, many of which remain popular today, the most popular being Nagumomu. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Kritis or the five gems, which are often sung in programs in his honour, and Utsava Sampradaya Krithis or festive ritual compositions, which are often sung to accompany temple rituals.

Tyagaraja hero-worshipped the celestial sage Narada, a reference to this is Tyagaraja’s krithi Vara Nārada in Vijayaarī raga and in Adi taḷam. Legend has it that a hermit taught him a mantra invoking Narada, and Tyagaraja, meditating on this mantra, received a vision of Narada and was blessed with the book Svarārnavam by the sage. During his last days, Tyagaraja took vows of Sannyasa. Tyagaraja died on a Pushya Bahula Panchami day, or 6 January 1847, at the age of 79. His last composition before his death was Giripai Nelakonna in rāga Sahāna, Ādi tāḷam and was cremated on the banks of the Kaveri river at Thiruvaiyaru.

The Aradhana or ceremony of adoration is held every year on the anniversary of his death which is the fifth day of the waning moon in the Hindu lunar month of Pushya. The Aradhana is conducted by the Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha and is held in the precincts of the samadhi or memorial of the saint located at Thiruvaiyaru village in Thanjavur district. The Aradhana in its present format is less than a century old. A few days before his death in 1847, he formally renounced everything and become a sanyasi. When he passed on, his mortal remains were buried on the banks of the river Kaveri and a small memorial was built at the site. His disciples returned to their respective villages and observed his death anniversary at their own homes. The memorial soon fell into neglect and became quite dilapidated by 1903, when two of the last surviving students to have been taught by Tyagaraja happened to make a nostalgic visit to the site. These were the elderly and eminent musicians Umayalpuram Krishna Bhagavatar and Sundara Bhagavatar who were dismayed by the neglect and dilapidation and had to search for the memorial in the wild foliage of the riverbank. They arranged for the renovation of the samadhi and decided to commemorate the tithi or death anniversary of their guru every year at the Samadhi itself.

In the next year, efforts were made by musical stalwarts to observe the death anniversary regularly at Tiruvayyaru, and to use the occasion as an opportunity for his followers to converge and interact with each other. In 1905, a lavish ceremony, complete with the feeding of the poor and worship at the memorial as per Vedic tenets, was celebrated. Brothers Tillaisthanam Narasimha Bhagavatar and Tillaisthanam Panju Bhagavatar were the main financiers and organisers of the aaradhana. By the next year, the brothers had fallen out with each other and from 1906, each began conducting a parallel Aradhana. Various musicians also aligned themselves with one or the other and two rival factions came into being. The group and Aradhana celebration conducted by Narasimha Bhagavatar came to be called the Periya Katchi or the senior party since he was the elder, and that of Panju Bhat became known as the Chinna Katchi. Gradually, a convention emerged whereby the Chinna Katchi’s celebrations began five days before the Aradhana and concluded on the Aradhana day, while the Periya Katchi’s celebration began on Aradhana day and continued for four days after that. Both groups organised music performances and the feeding of the poor and so the public was the real beneficiary during the nine days. At one point, both groups were united and did not allow women to perform during the Aradhana as in those days, the only women who sang or danced in public were the devadasi or temple performers. Another point in common between the two groups was that they did not permit nadaswaram performances.

In 1921, the aged and childless Bangalore Nagarathnamma, an ardent devotee of Tyaharaja decided to dedicate her life’s earnings to preserving Tyagaraja’s legacy and perpetuating his memory. In 1925, she began the construction of a temple enclosing the memorial and according to some sources, she purchased the land on which the grave stood, whereas according to other sources, her construction was illegal, but tolerated by local residents due to its pious intentions. Nagarathnamma also had an idol of Tyagaraja sculpted and installed in front of the memorial. The consecration of the temple took place in early 1926. The two rival groups, while not interfering with all this, refused to let Nagarathnamma perform her music, or even Harikatha, within the temple which she herself had had constructed. Undeterred, Nagarathnammal began a third front which conducted its music programs at the rear of the shrine. This third event featured many women artists, and perhaps for that very reason, it began eating into the public popularity of the events hosted by the two Katchis. She also filed suits in the local courts demanding the prevention of the Katchis from entering the temple, claiming that it belonged to her by right. She lost the case, but the hours of worship were laid down by the courts, dividing the Aradhana day equally between the two Katchis and her group. Matters continued this way till 1940 when the groups united and it was in 1941 that the Aradhana as we know was first conducted and the choral rendition of the five songs was made an integral feature of the Aradhana. A huge complex is now under construction at Thiruvaiyaru at this site to accommodate the large audience that comes to the concert in ever-increasing numbers every year.

Festivals of India – Jallikattu

Posted on January 16, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Jallikattu, also known as Eru Thazhuvuthal and Mañcuvirattu, is a traditional event during the Pongal festival in which a bull, of the Pulikulam or Kangayam breeds, is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull’s back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape. Participants hold the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop. In some cases, participants must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull’s horns. Jallikattu is typically practised in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day, which occurs annually in January. The most popular Jallikattu is the one celebrated at Alanganallur near Madurai.

Ancient Tamil Sangams described the practice as yeru thazhuvuthal or bull embracing. The modern term jallikattu or sallikattu is derived from salli or coins and kattu or package, which refers to a prize of coins that are tied to the bull’s horns and that participants attempt to retrieve. Mancu virattu means bull chasing.

Jallikattu has been known to be practised during the Tamil classical period between 400 and 100 BC. It was common among the Ayar people who lived in the Mullai geographical division of the ancient Tamizh Nadu. Later, it became a platform for the display of bravery, and the prize money was introduced for participation encouragement. A seal from the Indus Valley civilization depicting the practice is preserved in the National Museum in New Delhi. A cave painting in white kaolin discovered near Madurai depicting a lone man trying to control a bull is estimated to be about 1,500 years old.

The popular myth revolving around this festival is about how Lord Shiva asked Basava, his bull, to convey two messages. This bull twisted the words of the messages and expressed them in another way. It is said that the bull was asked to tell the human beings on earth to take an oil bath every day and that food must be consumed only once a month for six months. Instead of this message, the bull conveyed that food must be consumed daily and oil baths must be taken only once a month. This debacle made Lord Shiva angry and he cursed the bull to aid humans in cultivating their land for all eternity.

Some variants of Jallikattu include the Vadi Manjuviratttu, the most common category of Jallikattu. Here, the bull is released from a closed space or Vadi vasal and the contestants attempt to wrap their arms or hands around the hump of the bull and hold on to it to win the award. Only one person is allowed to attempt at a time. This variant is most common in the districts of Madurai, Theni, Thanjavur, and Salem. In Veli Virattu, the approach is slightly different as the bull is directly released into open ground. The rules are the same as that of Vadi Majuvirattu and this is a popular variant in the districts of Sivagangai and Madurai. In the Vatam Manjuvirattu, the bull is tied with a 15 m rope where a vatam means a circle in Tamil. There are no other physical restrictions for the bull and hence it can move freely anywhere. The maximum time given is 30 minutes and a team of seven to nine members can attempt to untie the gift token that is tied to the bull’s horn.

Bulls enter the competition area through a gate called the vadi vasal. Typically, participants must only hold onto the bull’s hump. In some variations, they are disqualified if they hold onto the bull’s neck, horns or tail. There may be several goals to the game depending on the region. In some versions, contestants must either hold the bull’s hump for 30 seconds or 15 m. If the contestant is thrown by the bull or falls, they lose. Some variations only allow for one contestant. If two people grab the hump, then neither person wins. Bulls for Jallikatu are bred specifically and bulls that participate successfully in jallikattu are used as studs for breeding and also fetch higher prices in the markets.

With the introduction of the Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, by the Tamil Nadu legislature, before the event, a written permission is obtained from the respective collectors, thirty days before the event along with the notification of the event location. The arena and the way through which the bulls pass are double-barricaded, to avoid injuries to spectators and bystanders who may be permitted to remain within the barricades. The gallery areas are built up along the double barricades and necessary permissions are obtained from the collector for the participants and the bulls fifteen days prior. Final preparations before the event includes complete testing by the authorities of the Animal Husbandry Department, to ensure that performance-enhancement drugs, liquor or other irritants are not used on the bulls.

Incidents of injury and death associated with the sport, both to participants and animals forced into it, animal rights organisations have called for a ban on the sport, resulting in the court banning it several times over the past years. However, with protests from the people against the ban, a new ordinance was made in 2017 to continue the sport.

Between 2008 and 2020, more than 70 people died and about 10 4 bulls were killed in Jallikattu events. Animal welfare concerns are related to the handling of the bulls before they are released and also during competitors’ attempts to subdue the bull. Practices, before the bull is released, include prodding the bull with sharp sticks or scythes, extreme bending of the tail which can fracture the vertebrae, and biting the bull’s tail. There are also reports of the bulls being forced to drink alcohol to disorient them, or chilli peppers being rubbed in their eyes to aggravate the bull. During attempts to subdue the bull, they are stabbed by various implements such as knives or sticks, punched, jumped on and dragged to the ground. In variants in which the bull is not enclosed, they may run into traffic or other dangerous places, sometimes resulting in broken bones or death. Protestors claim that Jallikattu is promoted as bull taming, however, others suggest it exploits the bull’s natural nervousness by deliberately placing them in a terrifying situation in which they are forced to run away from the competitors which they perceive as predators and the practice effectively involves catching a terrified animal. Along with human injuries and fatalities, bulls themselves sometimes sustain injuries or die, which people may interpret as a bad omen for the village.

Animal welfare organisations such as the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations or FIAPO and PETA India have protested against the practice. The former Indian Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi denied the claim by Jallikattu aficionados that the sport is only to demonstrate the Tamil love for the bull, citing that the Tirukkural does not sanction cruelty to animals.

The Jallikattu Premier League is a professional league in Tamil Nadu for Jallikattu. The league was announced on 24 February 2018, to be organised in Chennai by the Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Peravai and the Chennai Jallikattu Amaippu. Kabaddi is usually played as a warm-up sport before the players enter the arena for Jallikattu.

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