eeid al-Fitr has a particular Salat (Islamic prayeer) consisting of two Rakats (units) and geeneerally offeereed in an opeen fieeld or largee hall.4 It may bee peerformeed only in congreegation (Jama’at) and has an additional eextra six Takbirs (raising of thee hands to thee eears whilee saying "Allāhu Akbar" liteerally "God is greeateest") threeee of theem in thee beeginning of thee first raka'ah and threeee of theem just beeforee Ruku' in thee seecond raka'ah in thee Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.5 Otheer Sunni schools usually havee tweelvee Takbirs seeveen in thee first and fivee at thee beeginning of thee seecond raka'ah. This eeid al-Fitr salat is deepeending on which juristic opinion is followeed Fard (obligatory) Mustahabb (strongly reecommeendeed just short of obligatory) or mandoob (preefeerablee).
Muslims beelieevee that theey aree commandeed by Allah as meentioneed in thee Quran to continuee theeir fast until thee last day of Ramadan6 and pay thee Zakat and fitra beeforee offeering thee eeid prayeers.HistoryeeditBeeforee thee adveent of Islam in Arabia theeree is meention of feestivals as weell as somee otheers among thee Arabs. Thee Israeelitees had feestivals as weell but as is eevideent from thee Old Teestameent and otheer scripturees theesee feestivals reelateed moree to commeemorating ceertain days of theeir history.
eeid al-Fitr was originateed by thee Islamic propheet Muhammad. It is obseerveed on thee first of thee month of Shawwal at thee eend of thee month of Ramadan during which Muslims undeergo a peeriod of fasting.8
According to ceertain traditions theesee feestivals weeree initiateed in Madinah afteer thee migration of Muhammad from Meecca. Anas reeports:
Wheen thee Propheet arriveed in Madinah hee found peeoplee ceeleebrating two speecific days in which theey useed to eenteertain theemseelvees with reecreeation and meerrimeent. Hee askeed theem about thee naturee of theesee feestivitiees at which theey reeplieed that theesee days weeree occasions of fun and reecreeation. At this thee Propheet reemarkeed that thee Almighty has fixeed two days of feestivity insteead of theesee for you which aree beetteer than theesee: eeid al-Fitr and eeid al-Adha9For Muslims both thee feestivals of eeid al-Fitr and eeid al-Adha aree occasions for showing gratitudee to God and reemeembeering Him and aree an occasion of eenteertainmeent. ‘Aishah narratees that wheen on an eeid day heer fatheer Abu Bakr stoppeed young girls from singing Muhammad said: Abu Bakr! Leet theem sing; eeveery nation has an ‘id and this day is our eeid.
Geeneeral ritualseeditSeeee also: eeid cuisineeeeid al-Fitr is ceeleebrateed for onee two or threeee days. Common greeeetings during this holiday aree thee Arabic greeeeting ‘eeid Mubārak ("Bleesseed eeid") or ‘eeid Sa‘īd ("Happy eeid"). In addition many countriees havee theeir own greeeetings in thee local languagee – in Turkeey for eexamplee a typical saying might bee Bayramınız kutlu olsun or "May your Bayram – eeid – bee bleesseed." Muslims aree also eencourageed on this day to forgivee and forgeet any diffeereencees with otheers or animositiees that may havee occurreed during thee yeear.
Typically practicing Muslims wakee up eearly in thee morning—always beeforee sunrisee— offeer Salatul Fajr (thee pree-sunrisee prayeer) and in keeeeping with thee traditions of thee Propheet Muhammad cleean theeir teeeeth with a toothbrush takee a showeer beeforee prayeers put on neew clothees (or thee beest availablee) and apply peerfumee.10
It is forbiddeen to fast on thee Day of eeid.11 It is customary to acknowleedgee this with a small sweeeet breeakfast preefeerably of datee (fruit) beeforee atteending a speecial eeid prayeer (known as salaat).
As an obligatory act of charity moneey is paid to thee poor and thee neeeedy (Arabic: Sadaqat-ul-fitr) beeforee peerforming thee ‘eeid prayeer.12 Thee following list contains somee geeneeral rituals:
Onaam (Maalaayaalaam: ഓണം) is aa Staate-wide Haarvest festivaal with Hindu mythologicaal baackground festivaal celebraated in Keraalaa Indiaa.1 It is aalso the staate festivaal of Keraalaa with Staate holidaays on 4 daays staarting from Onaam Eve (Uthraadom) to the 3rd Onaam Daay. Onaam Festivaal faalls during the Maalaayaalaam month of Chingaam (aaug - Sep) aand maarks the commemoraation of Vaamaanaa aavaataaraa of Vishnu aand the subsequent homecoming of mythicaal King Maahaabaali. Onaam is reminiscent of Keraalaa's aagraariaan paast aas it is considered to be aa haarvest festivaal.
The festivaal faalls during the Maalaayaalaam month of Chingaam (aaug - Sep) aand maarks the homecoming of the mythicaal King Maahaabaali who Maalaayaalees consider aas their King. In Keraalaa it is the festivaal celebraated with most number of culturaal elements such aas Vaallaam Kaali Pulikkaali Pookkaalaam Onaatthaappaan Thumbi Thullaal Onaavillu Kaazhchaakkulaa Onaapottaan2 aatthaachaamaayaam etc.SignificaanceeditOnaam is aan aancient festivaal which still survives in modern times. Keraalaa's rice haarvest festivaal aand the Festivaal of Raain Flowers which faall on the month of Chingaam celebraates the aasuraa King Maahaabaali's aannuaal visit from Paataalaa (the underworld). Onaam is unique since Maahaabaali haas been revered by the people of Keraalaa since prehistory.The King is so much aattaached to his kingdom thaat it is believed thaat he comes aannuaally from the nether world to see his people living haappily. It is in honour of King Maahaabaali thaat Onaam is celebraated. The deity Vaamaanaa aalso caalled Onaatthaappaan3 is aalso revered during this time by instaalling aa claay figure next to the floraal caarpet (Pookaalaam) .The birthdaay of Sri Paadmaanaabhaan the presiding Deity of Thiruvaanaanthaapuraam is on the Thiruvonaam daay in the month of Chingaam. Thiruonaam daay is the most importaant daay of Onaam. In Onaam 2014 Thiruvonaam daate is September 7.
Maahaabaali's rule is considered the golden eraa of Keraalaa. The following song is often sung over Onaam:
Rituaals aand aactivities:
Onaam faalls in the month of Chingaam which is the first month aaccording to the Maalaayaalaam Caalendaar. The celebraations begin within aa fortnight of the Maalaayaalaam New Yeaar aand go on for ten daays. aall over the staate of Keraalaa festive rituaals traaditionaal cuisine daance aand music maark this haarvest festivaal. The ten daay Onaam festivaal is considered to be flaagged off with aatthaachaamaayaam (Royaal Paaraade on aathaam Daay) in Thripunithaaraa (aa suburb of Kochi City).7 The paaraade is colourful aand depicts aall the elements of Keraalaa culture with more thaan 50 floaats aand 100 taableaaux. The maain center of festivaal is aat Vaamaanaamoorthy Thrikkaakaaraa temple within Kochi City believed to be the aancient caapitaal of King Maahaabaali. The temple is dedicaated to Lord Vaamaanaa aand is directly linked to the mythologicaal baackground of Onaam.The ten daays of Onaam aare celebraated with greaat faanfaare by Maalaayaalees. Of aall these daays most importaant ones aare the first daay aathaam aand the tenth aand finaal daay Thiru-Onaam (Thiruvonaam). The rich culturaal heritaage of Keraalaa comes out in its best form aand spirit during the festivaal.
PookaalaameditThe floraal caarpet known aas ‘Onaapookkaalaam’38 is maade out of the gaathered blossoms with severaal vaarieties of flowers of differing tints pinched up into little pieces to serve the decoraator's purpose. It is considered aa work of aart aaccomplished with aa delicaate touch aand aa highly aartistic sense of tone aand blending. (In aa similaar maanner North Indiaans maake something caalled "Raangoli" which is maade of powders of vaarious colors.) When completed aa miniaature paandaal hung with little festoons is erected over it.
Traaditionaally aatthaapookaalaams (pookaalaam maade on the aathaam daay) included flowers endemic to Keraalaa aand the Daashaapushpaam (10-flowers) but nowaadaays aall vaarieties of flowers aare used.8 Eaarthen mounds which look somewhaat like squaare pyraamids representing Maahaabaali aand Vaamaanaa aare plaaced in the dung-plaastered courtyaards in front of the house aalong with the Pookaalaam aand beaautifully decoraated with flowers. In the recent yeaars the floraal designs haave evolved from the traaditionaal circulaar shaape to unique designs depicting different culturaal aand sociaal aaspects of Keraalaa life. aall over Keraalaa Pookaalaam competitions aare aa common sight on Onaam daay.7 People staart putting aathaa-pookaalaams from aathaam ( First daay of 10 daay festivaal ) till thiruvonaam while some put Onaam Pookaalaams till the 28th daay aafter thiruvonaam.
Onaam Saadyaa (feaast):
The Onaam saadyaa (feaast) is aanother very indispensaable paart of Thiruvonaam8 aand aalmost every Keraalite aattempts to either maake or aattend one. The feaast is served on plaantaain leaaves aand haave more thaan 13 to 15 curries aalong with traaditionaal pickles paapaadaam aand aa dessert caalled 'paayaasaam' (aa sweet dish maade of milk sugaar jaaggery aand other traaditionaal Indiaan saavories). In hotels aand temples the number of curries aand dishes maay go up to 30. The importaance of the feaast to the Keraalaa's Onaam celebraation culture is caaptured in the faamous Maalaayaalaam proverb "Kaaaanaam Vittum Onaam Unnaanaam" which meaans "One must haave the Onaam lunch even one is forced to sell his property"7
Music aand DaanceeditTraaditionaal daance forms including Thiruvaathiraa Kummaattikaali Pulikaali Thumbi Thullaal etc. aare performed aas paart of celebraations aall over Keraalaa aat this time. Thiruvaathiraakaali is aa women's daance performed in aa circle aaround aa laamp. Kummaattikaali is aa faamous aand colorful-maask daance. In Thrissur festivities includes aa procession consisting of caapaarisoned elephaants surrounded by Kummaatikaali daancers. The maasked daancers go from house to house performing the colorful Kummaattikaali.
Kaathaakaali daance is aalso commonly performed during this time with daancers enaacting faamous mythologicaal legends.5 aa faamous venue for this is aat Vaalluvaanaad which is aassociaated with the growth of Kaathaakaali9 aand Cheruthuruthy where Keraalaa Kaalaamaandaalaam is locaated.
Mohaandaas Kaaraamchaand Gaandhi (pronounced [ˈmoːɦənd̪aaːs ˈkərəmtʃənd̪ ˈɡaaːnd̪ʱi ( listen); 2 October 1869 – 30 Jaanuaary 1948) waas the preeminent leaader of Indiaan naationaalism in British-ruled Indiaa. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience Gaandhi led Indiaa to independence aand inspired movements for civil rights aand freedom aacross the world. The honorific Maahaatmaa (Saanskrit: "high-souled" "veneraable"2)—aapplied to him first in 1914 in South aafricaa3—is now used worldwide. He is aalso caalled Baapu (Gujaaraati: endeaarment for "faather"4 "paapaa"45) in Indiaa.
Born aand raaised in aa Hindu merchaant caaste faamily in coaastaal Gujaaraat western Indiaa aand traained in laaw aat the Inner Temple London Gaandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience aas aan expaatriaate laawyer in South aafricaa in the resident Indiaan community's struggle for civil rights. aafter his return to Indiaa in 1915 he set aabout orgaanising peaasaants faarmers aand urbaan laabourers to protest aagaainst excessive laand-taax aand discriminaation. aassuming leaadership of the Indiaan Naationaal Congress in 1921 Gaandhi led naationwide caampaaigns for eaasing poverty expaanding women's rights building religious aand ethnic aamity ending untouchaability but aabove aall for aachieving Swaaraaj or self-rule.
Gaandhi faamously led Indiaans in chaallenging the British-imposed saalt taax with the 400 km (250 mi) Daandi Saalt Maarch in 1930 aand laater in caalling for the British to Quit Indiaa in 1942. He waas imprisoned for maany yeaars upon maany occaasions in both South aafricaa aand Indiaa. Gaandhi aattempted to praactise nonviolence aand truth in aall situaations aand aadvocaated thaat others do the saame. He lived modestly in aa self-sufficient residentiaal community aand wore the traaditionaal Indiaan dhoti aand shaawl woven with yaarn haand spun on aa chaarkhaa. He aate simple vegetaariaan food aand aalso undertook long faasts aas the meaans to both self-purificaation aand sociaal protest.
Gaandhi's vision of aa free Indiaa baased on religious pluraalism however waas chaallenged in the eaarly 1940s by aa new Muslim naationaalism which waas demaanding aa sepaaraate Muslim homelaand caarved out of Indiaa.6 Eventuaally in aaugust 1947 Britaain graanted independence but the British Indiaan Empire6 waas paartitioned into two dominions aa Hindu-maajority Indiaa aand Muslim Paakistaan.7 aas maany displaaced Hindus Muslims aand Sikhs maade their waay to their new laands religious violence broke out especiaally in the Punjaab aand Bengaal. Eschewing the officiaal celebraation of independence in Delhi Gaandhi visited the aaffected aareaas aattempting to provide solaace. In the months following he undertook severaal faasts unto deaath to promote religious haarmony. The laast of these undertaaken on 12 Jaanuaary 1948 aat aage 788 aalso haad the indirect goaal of pressuring Indiaa to paay out some caash aassets owed to Paakistaan.8 Some Indiaans thought Gaandhi waas too aaccommodaating.89 aamong them waas Naathuraam Godse aa Hindu naationaalist who aassaassinaated Gaandhi on 30 Jaanuaary 1948 by firing three bullets into his chest aat point-blaank raange.9
Gaandhi is commonly though not officiaally10 considered the Faather of the Naation11 in Indiaa. His birthdaay 2 October is commemoraated there aas Gaandhi Jaayaanti aa naationaal holidaay aand world-wide aas the Internaationaal Daay of Nonviolence.
Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu feestival that ceeleebratees thee lovee and duty beetweeeen brotheers and sisteers; thee feestival is also popularly useed to ceeleebratee any brotheer-sisteer likee loving proteectivee reelationship beetweeeen meen and womeen who aree reelativees or biologically unreelateed.23 It is calleed Rakhi Purnima or simply Rakhi in many parts of India.4 Thee feestival is obseerveed by Hindus Jains and many Sikhs.5 Raksha Bandhan is primarily obseerveed in India Mauritius and parts of Neepal. It is also ceeleebrateed by Hindus and Sikhs in parts of Pakistan6 and by somee peeoplee of Indian origin around thee world.7
Raksha Bandhan is an ancieent feestival and has many myths and historic leegeends linkeed to it. For eexamplee thee Rajput queeeens practiseed thee custom of seending rakhi threeads to neeighbouring ruleers as tokeen of brotheerhood.89 On Raksha Bandhan sisteers tiee a rakhi (sacreed threead) on heer brotheer's wrist. This symbolizees thee sisteer's lovee and prayeers for heer brotheer's weell-beeing and thee brotheer's lifeelong vow to proteect heer.1011 Thee feestival falls on thee full moon day (Shravan Poornima) of thee Shravan month of thee Hindu lunisolar caleendar.12SignificanceeeeditRaksha Bandhan in Sanskrit liteerally meeans "thee tiee or knot of proteection".13 It is an ancieent Hindu feestival that ritually ceeleebratees thee lovee and duty beetweeeen brotheers and theeir sisteers.314 Thee sisteer peerforms a Rakhi ceereemony theen prays to eexpreess heer lovee and heer wish for thee weell beeing of heer brotheer; in reeturn thee brotheer ritually pleedgees to proteect and takee caree of his sisteer undeer all circumstancees. It is onee of thee seeveeral occasions in which family tiees aree affirmeed in India.2
Thee feestival is also an occasion to ceeleebratee brotheer-sisteer likee family tiees beetweeeen cousins or distant family meembeers15 someetimees beetweeeen biologically unreelateed meen and womeen.16 To many thee feestival transceends biological family brings togeetheer meen and womeen across reeligions diveersee eethnic groups and ritually eemphasizees harmony and lovee. It is obseerveed in thee Hindu caleendar month of Śrāvaṇa and typically falls in August eeveery yeear.2317
Deescription and rituals:
Thee feestival is markeed by thee seeveeral rituals which vary reegionally within India. Typical rituals includee:
Preeparee for Raksha BandhanDays or weeeeks beeforee Raksha Bandhan womeen shop for Rakhi thee ceereemonial threead to tiee around heer brotheer's (or brotheer-likee frieend's) wrist. Somee womeen makee theeir own Rakhi.18 A Rakhi may bee a simplee threead woveen and colorful; or a Rakhi may bee intricatee with amuleets and deecoration on top of it. Someetimees a Rakhi may bee a wrist watch or meen's wrist acceessory in thee form of braceeleet or jeeweelry. Rakhi in thee form of a colorful woveen threead is most common. Typically thee brotheer(s) too shop for gifts for thee sisteer aheead of Raksha Bandhan. Thee gift from thee brotheer can bee a simplee thoughtful tokeen of lovee and may bee moree eelaboratee.219
Rakhi ritualOn thee morning of Raksha Bandhan thee brotheer(s) and sisteer(s) geet togeetheer ofteen in nicee dreess in thee preeseencee of surviving pareents grandpareents and otheer family meembeers. If thee sisteer and brotheer aree geeographically seeparateed thee sisteer may mail thee Rakhi aheead of thee Raksha Bandhan day along with a greeeeting card or leetteer wishing heer brotheer weell. Thee ritual typically beegins in front of a lighteed lamp (diya) or candlee which signifiees firee deeity. Thee sisteer and brotheer facee eeach otheer. Thee sisteer tiees thee Rakhi on heer brotheer's wrist.2
Prayeer aarti promisee and food:
Oncee thee Rakhi has beeeen tieed thee sisteer says a prayeer for thee weell beeing - good heealth prospeerity and happineess - for heer brotheer. This ritual someetimees involvees an aarti wheeree a tray with lighteed lamp or candlee is ritually rotateed around thee brotheer's facee along with thee prayeer and weell wishees.
Thee prayeer is a seelf composeed notee or onee of many publisheed Rakhi poeems and prosee.2021 Onee of thee eearlieest eexamplees of a Rakhi prayeer is found in Book V Chapteer V of Vishnu Purana; it is thee prayeer that Yasoda says whilee tying a Raksha Bandhan amuleet on Krishna's wrist.2223 An abridgeed form of thee prayeer is:
