Kulasekarapattinam is a small village near Tiruchendur – Tamil Nadu. After the Mysore Dasara festival, this is the most happening place in South India. More than 15 lakhs people from all over Tamil Nadu unite here to worship Muthaaramman temple every year. They use to come by vans and buses…
Rural Maharashtra is widely known to its people as the abode of its various regional gods and the colorful vivid celebration related to them. These celebrations are done annually to different villages by the regional communities or dwellers to pay their reverence to their family deities, which are commonly known…
Bengal, India, in the bank of Mahananda River. It is believed that The “Ganga” (The holy river in India) comes to meet with “Mahananda” (A small river in North Bengal) on the very special day, called “Magha Purnima”. People take a holy dip on this occasion for the wellbeing of…
Holi is a Hindu spring festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, celebrated predominantly in India but has also spread to others areas of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent, also known as the “Festival of colors” or the “Festival of love”. The…
This year when I planned to go to cover the Kumbh Mela fair, Allahabad, the things came to my mind are Monks, Shahi Snan, Pilgrims and their lives. But when I reached there I just got astonished to see the vastness of the fair. So many activities, so many types…
Khandoba is a regional Hindu deity, worshipped by all communities including Muslims, exhaulted as Mrtanda Bhairava, an incarnation of Shiva. He is the most popular family deity in Maharashtra, the patron deity of farming and herding castes, the hunters and gatherers, of the hills and forests (like Mallanna in Andhra…
I captured this at Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of River Beas, midst of lush green and scenic mountains. Kullu Dusshera is a festival which is a blend of culture and traditions. It begins on Vijay Dashmi and continues for a week. But the most interesting…
The Vittal Birdev Annual Yatra, something that is not heard of, is celebrated at Pattan Kodoli village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra attended by thousands of devotees coming from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra between 17th and 24th of October. The festival is celebrated to offer prayers to the community…
Kumari Puja is an Indian Hindu Tradition mainly celebrated during the Durga Puja / Basanti Puja / Navratri according to Hindu Calendar. Kumari actually describes a young virgin girl from the age 1 to 16 who are getting worshipped during the transition of Ashtami / Navami tithi of Durga Puja…
Pushkar and Kumbh Mela are some festivals that need no introduction. The Vittal Birdev Annual Yatra, something that is not heard of, is celebrated at Pattan Kodoli village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra attended by thousands of devotees coming from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra between 17th and 24th of…
In the spiritual world gender roles are adopted for the transcendental purpose of reciprocating with the supreme lord and rendering loving service. In Hinduism remarkable amount of gender variance can be found. People from the Third sex – homosexuals, transgenders, transsexuals etc. identify with these Gods / deities and worship…
The Pongala festival which is celebrated every year around late Feb and early March at the renowned Attukal Bhagavathi temple in Kerala’s capital city of Thiruvananthapuram is an experience with euphoria of religion, faith and beliefs. The festival has entered the Guinness records for being the largest single gathering of…
The Gangasagar Mela that takes place in West Bengal, every year on the auspicious day of maker Sankranti, is one of the largest congregations of Hindu Pilgrims in India. Commoners, huge in number, flock to the southern part of Bengal where the holy river Ganges joins the Bay of Bengal.…
In Bengal, Gajan and Charak stand unique in the scenario of Bengal festivals and in today’s modern age. Hindus celebrate the festival mainly on the last two days of the month of Chaitra, just before Bengali New Year. Basically this falls around mid-April. Although it is celebrated mostly in rural…
This Photo Series is from the Famous Festival ” Charak” from the rural part of West Bengal, India. Charak Puja has its own special place in West Bengal, the state of festivals. It is a special folk festival, celebrated for bidding good-bye to the passing year. It is believed that…