Diwali Celebrations in India

Diwali or the festival of lights, generally falls in the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar, in other words in the month of October/November as per Gregorian calendar. The festivities of Deepavali last for five consecutive days i.e. two days before the Diwali festival that is known as Dhanteras & Narak Chaturdashi and Govardhan Puja & Bhai Duj respectively. Read on to know more about the different aspects of Diwali celebrations in India.

The Five Days Celebrations of Diwali Festival

The First Day: Dhanteras

The celebrations of Diwali festival start with Dhanteras. Dhanteras is also called Dhantrayodashi and falls on the 13th lunar day of Krishna Paksh, in the month of Kartik. As per the mythological legend, during the churning of the milk-ocean (Kshir Sagar) by gods and demons, God Dhanvantari appeared out on this day. Therefore the Dhanteras festival is regarded as an auspicious occasion for the purchase of utensils, gold and silver. On this day Hindu devotees light up a diya or lamp near a sacred tree in the home's courtyard. Along with the lamp sweet offering are also made to Yamaraj-the Lord of Death.

The Second Day: Chhoti Diwali or Narak Chaturdashi

The next day after Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi or Chhoti Diwali is celebrated. This occasion falls on the 14th day and marks the victory of good over evil as according the legend, on this day Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura for the well-being of mankind. On this day Hindus get up early in the morning and after massaging their body with fragrant oil take bath. Small earthen lamps and colorful rangolis are made the mark the celebrations. In the evening special prayers and sweets offerings are made to Goddess Laxmi and to the ancestors.

The Third Day: Laxmi Puja on Diwali

The third day of Diwali festival is the most important day that is observed with the Laxmi Puja ceremony in the evening. Hindus offer special prayers, chants hymns and mantras with sweets offerings to the Goddess Laxmi (goddess of wealth) and Lord Ganesha (god of auspicious beginnings). Clay diyas, candles, lamps and fire work are lit to mark the jubilations and seek blessings of well being and good fortune.

The Fourth Day: Govardhan Puja

The fourth day of Diwali festivities is called Govardhan Puja or Annakut and it is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Krishna over Lord Indra. As per the legend it is believed that Lord Krishna convinced the people to not to worship Lord Indra and to concentrate only on their sole Karma i.e. farming and cattle protection. Lord Krishna taught them to worship nature and stop worshiping Indra. With this Lord Indra got angered and flooded the whole village and protect the villagers and their cattles, Lord Krishna lifted mount Govardhan. Thus people on this day light up lamps and fire crackers to mark the jubilation. The same occasion is celebrated as Padva or BaliPratipada in the Indian state of Maharasthra. In Gujarat Govardhan Puja as the beginning of the New Year.

The Fifth Day: Bhai Duj

After Govardhan Puja and two days of Diwali comes Bhai Duj that is known as Bhai Bij in Gujarat and Bhai Phota in Bengal. On this special day brothers and sisters meet each other for the expression of affection and care. On this occasion the sister applies tilak with vermilion or sandal on her brother's forehead and performs an aarti of him, wishing him a long and successful life. In return, the brother blesses his sister and offers her sweets and gifts. With Bhai Duj celebrations the five days long Diwali festivities come to an end.

To know more about the Diwali Celebrations in India visit: http://www.surfindia.com/festivals/diwali.html

Importance of Dry Fruit Hampers For Rakhi Celebrations, This Raksha Bandhan

Indian festivals reflect the true spirit of rich Indian cultures and traditions. The unity with which people celebrate festivals and feelings that they nurture for one and all is what Indian culture means. There are many races, tribes and communities living in and around India and do follow their own peculiar trades and traditions. Therefore thousands of festivals celebrated every year in India and all have their own particular meaning and significance in its society. While all the festivals promote some common values such as harmony, well being and living life with joy and festivity, they all have very distinguished way of celebration and expressing gratitude towards natural and supernatural powers. Raksha Bandhan is one of the festivals which is celebrated in all parts of India by almost every group of people. This has so important a significance in Indian traditions that those who are living abroad also celebrate it with much interest.

Raksha Bandhan is a festival which strengthens the relations of brothers and sisters and keeps them associated for life, no matter where they live. It falls on the day Shravan Purnima (full-moon night) in month of August every year, which is due on 24th this year. Sisters tie a Rakhi thread on brothers wrist and brothers return Rakhi gifts to them with a lot of love and blessings. The festival provides a mean for sisters to seek support of their brothers if they need it. The ethical sentiments on the occasion encourage brothers to accept it as their duty to stand by her whenever she may need their support. The festival is celebrated with due ritual and enjoyed with delicious dishes, sweets.

Dry Fruits are very important offerings on festive occasions in India and are a must thing on the festive preparations. On Raksha Bandhan, sisters bring dry fruit packs with Rakhis for brothers. Sisters, if living abroad, send Rakhi with dry fruit to India for brothers. As it gets difficult to buy Rakhis with dry fruit in foreign countries, there are some online gift portals which come as a boon for these non resident Indians (NRIs). They place their orders online for Rakhi with dry fruit set, or dry fruit hampers and can send Rakhi to India, without much trouble.

Dry Fruit Hampers
Send Rakhi to India

Raksha Bandhan - Importance of Rakhi Celebrations For Indians Settled Overseas

I am a great lover of festivals. Joy, happiness and togetherness - I love the happy feelings and spirit they bring along. As people have scattered through out the world irrespective of their geographical boundaries, festivals are better know by communities than nations. Be it Holi or Dipawali of Hindus, Eed of Muslims, Baisakhi of Sikhs, or Christmas of Christians. They really bring a lot of pleasure to the people. There are very few festivals which are celebrated widely by almost all the communities. One of such festivals is Send Rakhi. Rakhi is celebrated by many of the communities all over India and abroad with a great sense of respect and commitment. This festival has very important social significance which makes it so much popular and unique.

I have many friends and relatives who have settled abroad this time. They do belong to different communities but they all celebrate Send Rakhi India with a great enthusiasm and traditional manner. Even my own sister has settled in California after her marriage. And it gets very difficult for her to come to India on Raksha Bandhan for the ritual, but it doesn't mean that she skips the festival and does nothing. In fact there has never been an incident when she has not followed the ritual in the very same manner as she used to do before her marriage. She still sends me Rakhis, sweets and even adds an amazing gift for me every year on Raksha Bandhan. Her parcel reaches me well before the due date.

I was really curious how she could manage all this, for the Rakhis that she sent me were really beautiful and best of the fashion here in India. Sweets were as delicious as we can expect them in India and everything would get delivered in perfect packing. She told me that she has been using online gift sites for this purpose. She has found a very good website which operates from Ahmedabad, hence everything is delivered here fresh and fine. She even send Rakhi to our cousin brothers in Surat, Mumbai and Pune, too. I was really surprised to see how technology has diminished the effect of distance and has made our lives comfortable. If you also want to send Rakhi India, online stores are always open, wherever you are.

GujaratGifts.com is offering exclusive services for Send Rakhi to India. We have got the best collection of Rakhis in online market. There is everything else that you may need to make your celebration perfect, Rakhi India, Rakhi Thalis, Sweet Hampers and much more.

New Year Gifts That Add Panache to the Celebrations

Come December, and we know it is that time of the year when revelers are set, to soak up the festive spirit, that celebrations bring with them. People across the globe are set to revel in Christmas and New Year celebrations, with much gusto. Christmas and New Year's Eve are the two very important events, awaited with superseding enthusiasm.

The celebrations are made complete with exclusive gifts for loved ones. Ideal New Year gifts are presents that imbibe the spirit of novelty and renewal of love, family ties and harmony. Gifts for the New Year may include just about anything which revitalizes the spirit of giving and receiving. The most prominent categories of gifts are as follows:

Floral Gifts: Flowers are an all time endearing gift. They can be gifted to people of all age groups. A bunch of fresh flowers arranged immaculately are excellent gift options. The bunch of flowers may be made more special with a personal message. A contemporary approach to gifting flowers may be to add a customized touch to the floral gift. Flowers may also be gifted with a vase, carrying a message for the New Year.

Mementos: Object d' art are amongst the most preferred gifts, as they last forever. They also include items that may be used on a daily basis. Exquisite crystal figurines, wall hangings, handicrafts, wind chimes are a few popular New Year gifts. The option to personalize gifts will go a long way, in ensuring that the gifts remain one of a kind.

Calendars: If you have seen or planned to design beautiful calendars, then New Year is the perfect time to gift them to your loved ones. They may include unique wall and table calendars. Photo calendars with customized pictures that reflect memorable moments and hand written messages make splendid gifts.

Gifts for music aficionados: Music lovers are bound to welcome New Year gifts which have a musical touch. Be it compact discs, mp3 players or a pass to a music concert, they will certainly cherish the thoughtfulness behind the present. Several online stores offer gift certificates which may be an excellent gifting option for music lovers who can then buy the music CDs of their choice.

In addition to the gifts mentioned above, one may also think up creative ideas to make the gifting truly special. New Year cakes, box of cookies, chocolates and candles make good gifts. Handicrafts, 'best out of waste' crafts, cards from recycled paper, trinkets, designer jewelry, handbags, wallets, totes, travel bags, holiday vouchers among others, make thoughtful and memorable New Year gifts. If choosing the most ideal gifts look like the hardest thing to do, do opt for gift vouchers. Gift cards are the surest way to let the recipients buy items of their choice. This New Year, plan in advance to surprise loved ones with exquisite and well thought out gifts. Online destinations are a good bet, as they are profuse with a wide range of gifts for all. You are bound to find the one that fits the bill at these online marts. Log in to get started and let splendid gifting experiences roll in.

Infibeam.com is an exciting online shopping destination that focuses on Electronics, Gifts, Mobiles, Books, Lifestyle products & Send New Year Gifts to India, and a lot more at guaranteed lowest price & free shipping in India.