Book Title: Glimpses Of World Religions
Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Navbharat Sahitya Mandir

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Page 32
________________ Hinduism (The religion of the Hindus) ‘Makar' in the month of Pos, this is called “Makar-sankranti’. Sankranti, etymologically, means balanced or proper revolution. In India, this festival is celebrated in various ways in different states or provinces. In Gujarat, it is by flying kites, in Tamilnadu (Southern India) they celebrate ‘Pongal i.e. celebrating the holy occasion of the harvest, in Kerala, they celebrate by making decorations of Rangoli of flowers, as well as by organising the boat-races and by litting earthen lamps near the riverside and then offering the ‘Pooja' to those lamps as well as by making them float in the rivers and by taking holy bath at the confluence of rivers, in Maharashtra by offering mutually the sweet-meal (Laddus) made from til or sesame and by applying kumkum to cows, by giving alms to the Brahmanas and by giving them money as Dakshina, the said festival is celebrated. Mahā Shivaratri The fourteenth day of the month of Magh is regarded as ‘Mahāshivratri’. This particularly is not a festival but a day of fasting or vows. This is, for the devotees of Lord Shiva, the best parva or holy day of worship of God Shiva. It still inspires us even today, and the story of the hunter of the deer does the same, and gives a new lesson or morale. Let us meditate on God effortlessly and may we be favoured with the blessing of Shiva and get welfare (Shiva). We are expected to celebrate Shivratri by achieving complete identity with each and every throbbing that may be in the world. The 'Holi The full moon day of the month of Phalguna' is celebrated as the Holi festival. This is in memory of that day when the flames of fire, originally meant for burning the famous boy-devotee 'Prahlad', actually consumed and killed that demon of a woman named Holika and Prahlad was intact and was unhurt. "The

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