Dhanteras

Dusshera is over and the festival of lights - Diwali is just upon us. Interestingly, not all people know that the festival of Diwali is actually a five day long celebration which begins with Dhanteras. The festival of Dhanteras falls in the month of October-November on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight, as the word ‘Dhan’ literally means wealth and ‘Teras’ comes from the date thirteenth. It is celebrated two days before the festival of lights and also known as ‘Yamadeepdaan’.

On Dhanteras, Lakshmi – Goddess of wealth is worshipped to provide prosperity and well being. Hindus also worship Lord Kuber as the treasurer of wealth and bestower of riches, along with Goddess Lakshmi.

Case in point bring up the word ‘Dhanteras’ and chances are everyone around you will immediately talk of buying Gold, Silver, Diamonds, Clothes, Utensils, electronics and other items of value. Of course it is an occasion to seek wealth and prosperity, but how this tradition comes about?

As the legend goes, the horoscope of king Hima’s sixteen year old son read that he would die on the fourth day of his marriage by a snake bite. On that particular day, the prince’s young wife laid all her ornaments, gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband’s chamber, lighted lamps all over and starting singing songs and narrating stories. When Yama arrived in the form of snake, his eyes got dazzle and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and jewellery and he couldn’t enter the prince’s chamber. In a trance like state, he sat on top of the heap and spent the whole night listening to the melodious songs, thus missing his deadline and sparing the prince’s life.

For this reason, this is considered an auspicious time to buy gold and silver and light earthen lamps or deep and these are kept burning throughout the night glorifying Yama (God of death). 

The First lamp of Diwali are lit on this day. People hang up paper lanterns with festoons and send out the message of the arrival of Diwali. Dhanteras is not all about material wealth, it is also a time to develop spiritual wealth and family bonding. All family members arrive at ancestral home on the day. Grandparents and Parents wait for the day as sons, daughters and grandchildren arrive from distant places.

Happy Dhanteras to all of you!

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A Beautiful Tradition - Karwa Chauth

October 19th is Karwa Chauth. Karwa Chauth - an annual festival which is filled with colors, zeal and enthusiasm. The name Karwa Chauth comes from the words Karwa meaning pot and Chauth meaning fourth in Hindi. Thus, the festival comes on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha, or darker night on the Indian month of Kartik. It has both cultural and social significance since ancient times and is celebrated with huge fervor. Hindu women all across North and North western India practice fast from sunrise until moonrise on this special day and get dressed in their best attires with solah (sixteen) shringar and pray for their husbands long life and to enjoy the company of friends and relatives. Even unmarried women or girls keep this fast in prayer of a good husband. There are many stories that relate to the history of Karwa Chauth. The festival also coincides with the wheat sowing time. Big earthen pots in which wheat is stored are called Katwas, so the fast may have begun as a prayer for a good harvest in this pre-dominantly wheat eating region.

The morning begins with activities like applying intricate henna designs in hands and dressing up for the festival. After having the traditional pre - dawn Karwa chauth meal called sargi, women fast for the entire day. By evening, vibrantly dressed women gather in a house or nearby temple for Karwa chauth pija celebration. There is a tradition of reading karwa chauth story and puja thali for this special occasion is decorated with flowers and a small pitcher or karwa filled with wheat is placed in the center. All the women sit in a circle and as the story continues, ladies circulate their thalis. After the puja, this thai is handed over to the eldest female member of the family who blesses every women to get all the happiness in life. The moment moon rises, they would a glimpse of the moon and their husband. Next, the women would drink water to break their fast. This marks the culmination of the rituals of Karwa chauth which is followed by feasting.

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Shila Mata

The Shila mata (Stone Goddess) temple at Amber fort (Jaipur, Rajasthan) is dedicated to the Goddess Durga. Thousands of people from Jaipur and surrounding areas come here to pay offerings to Shila mata.

 Although Jaipur is known for its Murtikars (idol carvers), this particular idol was not made in Jaipur, but came to Jaipur from far away Bengal. It is believed that Maharaja Mansingh brought the statue of the Goddess Shila mata from Jessore (now in Bangladesh) in 1604. Legends say that Maharaja Mansingh received a defeat at the hands of king Kedar. Humiliated and depressed, the Maharaja worshipped goddess Durga to bless him. Goddess appeared in his dreams and asked him to recover her statue lying under sea near Jessore (now in Bangladesh) and install it in a temple. The idol was recovered from the sea in the form of a shila (slab) and brought to Amber, when cleaned and washed, the present idol appeared. This is why the goddess is named as Shila mata.

It took 10 long years to build the temple. The temple is made out of white marble and the idol is black in colour. An idol of Lord Ganesha is carved here out of a single piece of coral. Extremely beautiful is the whole conception of the temple. Adherence to the principles of vastu has made it as ideal work of architecture. The fort and the temple are on a hill and are cozily nestled in the lap of Mother Nature. The surrounding hills of Amber reverberate when special pooja is offered and drums are beaten. The visitors and tourist find that moment a most memorable life time experience.

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Jaisalmer Fort

"At the break of dawn, Jaisalmer Fort shines like a golden tiara atop the lofty hill"

Jaisalmer fort is a monument worth visiting and worth retaining in your conscious mind. It is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO. It is situated in the city of Jaisalmer,Rajasthan(India). It is the second oldest of Rajasthan's major forts after Chittorgarh. It was built in 1156 AD by the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaiswal. The fort stands amidst the sandy expanse of the great Thar desert on Trikuta hill, and has been the scene of many battles. Its massive yellow sand stone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, fading to honey gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow desert. For this reason it is also known as Sonar Quila (Golden Fort). The fort is 1500 ft long and 750 ft wide and is built on a hill that raises above a height of 250 ft above the surrounding country side and about 5000 people still resides in its imposing walls.

The fort is on a site that legend says Maharaja chose on the advice of a wise hermit. The mystic tells the Jaiswal that the Hindu deity Lord Krishna had praised the spot and therefore, a fort built there would be almost invisible to the king's enemies. Indeed, from 30 miles away, visitors see only a sheer golden cliff. He built this fort as his capital, as the earlier fort Lodurva was too vulnerable to invasions.

The soft yellow Jurassic sandstone makes up every part of the Jaisalmer fort, from its outer walls to the palace, temples and houses within. The fort is 250 ft tall and from it, one can see almost every part of the town. It has as many as 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647 to be used as gun platforms.  There are 4 huge getaways named as Ganesh Pol, Suraj Pol, Bhoot Pol and Hawa Pol. There was death well, where traitors and criminals were thrown into by the second gate. The road to the main chowk is by the fourth gateway where many acts of Johar (self-immolation) have taken place. 

While the city was built, there exists many beautiful Havelis and group of Jain temples. There are thousands of carved deities and dancing figures housed here. Inside the temple there is a Gyan bhandar (library). It contains more than 1000 old manuscripts. It has also a collection of Jain, pre-mogul and Rajput paintings.

The fort also has a peculiar gadget hoisted on top of its ramparts, this was used to forecast the weather. Every year in April a flag would be placed in its center, and based on the direction in which it blew, the weather for the entire year was forecast. If it blew northwards it indicated famine and if it went westwards, it indicated fine monsoon. It may seem a bit primitive today but the system was probably just as accurate or inaccurate as the meteorological department office nowadays.

The famous Indian film director Satyajit Ray wrote the Sonar kella ( The golden fortress), a detective novel, based on the fort and he filmed it here. 

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Jaipur- The City of Love

When one talks about romantic getaways, Paris or Switzerland are the first to come in mind but what if India’s very own ‘Pink City’ Jaipur with its royalty and grandeur attached to its name has been listed as one of the 25 most romantic cities in the world being at 18^th position adding another feature to its glory. There is something in the air of the Pink city that makes it effortlessly romantic. It’s walls painted in red and pink, markets covered under the veil of bright sunny colors, the new striving with the old Jaipur brings something for everyone. It beholds the mixture of love, culture and remains from the past.There are forts, temples,luscious green gardens and street bazaars to explore hand in hand with your partner.

Take a elephant ride to the Amber fort through the cities bustling and sultry  streets will awaken all of your senses with its  rich culture and regal history and enjoy light and sound show at Amber. Let your loved one know what’s in your heart and mind while all the lights around you are lit bright.

Go for hot air balloon ride with the love of your life. Just imagine a scene where you are thousands of feet above the ground and soaking the beauty of Pink city with your loved one.

Watch the Polo match, the game of royals.

Nahargarh Fort ,definitely worth a visit. Located on the rocky ridge of Arravali hills,it offers the most striking view of Jaipur’s scenic landscape.During the night, when the entire city gets lit up, its sparkling view  from the windows of fort are just mesmerizing.

Visit Jal mahal , a dream like palace standing in the middle of a vast lake in the town of royals.

Walk through the Jaldhara water fountain and park ;have high tea at the Taj Rambagh Palace and ride a motorcycle up-to Jaigarh Fort at sunset for unparalleled city views.

So whether its your honeymoon, anniversary, valentine’s day,marriage or just a surprise getaway, Jaipur is full of classical Indian heritage and balances a perfect amount of cultural sights and relaxation. This is an ideal place for a couple who want to experience something completely new.

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Immerse yourself and your loved ones in the spirit of Rajasthan with a wide range of vibrant outfits ,home furnishing and accessories choices at Ethnic Rajasthan.