Special Interest

Onam is an ancient harvest festival celebrated in God’s own country, Kerala. This community festival sees people from all religions and walks of life celebrating with great enthusiasm, and flower carpet competitions are held all over the state. The first day is called ‘Atham’ and the flower carpets are made for ten whole days, up to ‘Thiruvonam’ day, when the grandest one is made.

The Pushkar Fair is held in the Northern Indian State of Rajasthan in the Hindu month of Kartik (October – November). It is celebrated for five days from Kartik ekadashi to Kartik Poornima, the full moon day; this is the most important, as it is believed that the Hindu god Brahma sprung up the Pushkar Lake on this day. Hundreds of thousands of devotees converge at Pushkar to take a dip in the holy lake.

The Hemis Gompa, or monastery, was built sometime before the 11th century, and is situated in Hemis, Ladakh, close to Leh. This two-day festival pays homage to Lord Padmasambhava, believed to be the reincarnation of Buddha; he is also the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the Tibetan Lunar month.

The Chaam is a dance performance by Buddhist Lamas wearing elaborate masks, with the booming sound of drums, cymbals and long horns playing in the background.

Pongal is celebrated from the last day of the Tamil month ‘Margazhi’ to the third day of the ‘Thai’ month (in mid-January) and marks the beginning of the sun’s six-month journey northwards (Uttarayanam).

It is essentially a harvest festival, and a time to offer gratitude to Nature – especially the Rain God and the Sun God for bestowing their munificence for a good harvest. It is a time to celebrate the cycle of seasons, as this time marks the last lap of winter in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.