Eid and Ganesh Utsav

The fabric of India is interwoven with strands of several religions and we live harmoniously side by side.

India has the world' s 3rd largest Muslim population. Today is their festival of Eid -ul-Fitr, which is celebrated after a month long Ramadan fasting.

Our Muslim friends brought us some Eid food which was very nice as I did not have to cook dinner.

The is sweet vermicelli which is an Eid speciality. It is also called Sheer Korma.It is vermicelli cooked in milk and sugar, garnished with dry fruit.

Check out this website for an easy recipe HERE with illustrations

These are web photos but they also brought us chicken curry and rice similar to this.

For the Hindus today was the first day of a 10 day long festival in which the elephant god Ganesh is worshipped. This festival is most popular in Western India- the state of Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai (Bombay) but its catching up in other parts of India.

Special sweets , the favorite of Ganesh are eaten today and offered to him. Modak (photo above) is made with rice flour, milk, sugar and dry fruit etc. I have never had them though.













If a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears,however measured or far away.







HENRY DAVID THOREAU (Walden)



We 've had a good spell of rain this evening, its cooler.

My knees and back hurt quite a bit and I get tired rather quickly.

My desktop problem corrected itself. Now my blog appears normal.

I subscribe to blogs by Bloglines and they are going to end services on Oct. 1st. I am looking for an alternative feeder. Can anyone suggest a good one? I have Google Reader but its too cluttered..



I have noticed that some bloggers don' t allow a RSS feed so you can 't follow them. They will get more blog traffic if they permit RSS feeds etc.

Bond of Protection - Raksha Bandhan

On August 5th, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated

by Indians everywhere.

This festival commemorates the tie between

brothers and sisters.

Our Hindu friends give it a religious intonation,

but people of all beliefs celebrate it in their own way.

Sisters tie a rakhi or colorful thread

on their brother 's wrist, which is a tie

of protection and love.

I took some pictures of rakhi stalls near my house
These are the cheaper ones

Very colorful and intricately designed

You can make your choice

These days Chinese rakhis are in vogue

Depending on your pocket

you can buy the more expensive rakhis

These can cost anywhere

between a few hundred

to thousands of Rupees

The sisters give sweets to brothers

and they in turn give them gifts of money,

candy, fashion accessories, jewelry,

clothes and toys.

These are the bracelet types

Very finely crafted

Rakhis for kids

Encrusted with gems

Gold plated rakhi

You can order them online with a box of sweets

A display of Rakhi gifts

You can tie a rakhi on your blood brother 's wristor anyone you call a brother,

he can be an acquaintance, colleague,

school-mate , your husband 's friend.

You can even tie a rakhi on a guy

to show you are not

romantically interested in him.

I am posting videos which I think you will like

Here is another video from a TV show.
This takes place in a royal family.

Magh Mela - The Sacred Bath

Today the January Festival or Magh Mela opened

in Allahabad, my hometown, at Prayag on the banks of the Ganges River.

Magh is the eleventh month of the Hindu calender.Sangam is the spot where the 3 rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the unseen Saraswati have their confluence.According to Hindu belief bathing in the Sangam during holy auspicious times can wash away sins and help obtain moksha - freedom from the cycle of re=births.

The above photos were shot by my niece Mahima
2 years ago when she was 14.
________________________

(The following excerpt has been taken from http://www.hindublog.com/}

Magh Mela is an important annual Hindu ritual held on the banks of Sangam ( Rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) in Prayag (modern day Allahabad). Magh Mela is also known as mini Kumbh Mela and is held in Magh month as per traditional Hindu calendar followed in North India. The main ritual involves taking a holy dip (bathing) at Sangam on auspicious dates. In 2009, Magh Mela begins on January 11 and ends on February 23. It must be noted here that Magh Mela is not confined to the Magh month and the important bathing dates are spread over a period of 45 days.
The important dates during Magh Mela 2009 are:January 11 (Paush Purnima)January 14 (Makar Sankranti)January 26 (Mauni Amavasya)January 31 (Basant Panchami)February 9 (Maghi Poornima)and February 23(Maha Shivratri)
It is widely believed that taking a holy dip at the Sangam on the auspicious days during the period will wash away the sins and will lead to Moksha (merging with the Supreme Soul) – the ultimate aim of Hindus.
Important bathing dates during Magh mela attract nearly a million Hindu devotees. A temporary tent city is erected on the banks of Ganga in Allahabad. Numerous religious organizations and ashrams erect separate camps for their followers.
A major highlight during the period is the Kalpavasis – pilgrims who live in these camps during the period of the Magh Mela.

(The rest of the photos were taken from the Internet)

According to the Bible, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.Jesus shed His blood for us on the cross to pay the price for our sin. The Bible says without the shedding of blood there can be no remission or forgiveness of sin. Someone had to die in our place to obtain our freedom .

Jesus took our place on the cross.

Diwali Celebration

Today is the first day of the Hindu festival of Diwali or Deepawali.The goddess of wealth Lakshmi is worshipped tonight. The streets are suffocated with people buying kitchenware, household stuff and gadgets, jewelry , sweets and fire-crackers.

The videos I have posted will give you a glimpse of the celebration

I wish my Hindu friends a very happy Deepawali