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Festivals
for year
2004
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Festivals
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2004
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2005
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2006
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Jan
13 to 15
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Jan
13 to 15
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Jan
13 to 15
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Jan
21 to 23
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Jan
19 to 21
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Jan
18 to 20
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Aug
23
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Aug
12
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Aug
31
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Sept/Oct
28 to 7
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Oct
17 to 25
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Oct
7 to 14
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International
Kite Festival
 The
International Kite Festival is always held in Ahmedabad on January
14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti.
It is a joyous day, with a bright sun, clear skies and breezes
strong enough to to lift innumerable kites aloft. It is infact
a celebration to mark the end of winter, when the heat of summer
is still to come.
Kites
are flown all over Gujarat, and Ahmedabad and Baroda become cities
of Kite-flyers, when all other work is forgotten and cares are
put aside for the morrow.
Kite-flying
starts at dawn and continues without a pause throught the day.
Friends, neighbours and total strangers battle one another for
supremacy and cries of triumph rend the air when someone cuts
the line of a rival. A tremondous variety of kites is seen and
the connoisseur can ahoose precisely what he wants. Even the lines
with which the kites are flown are specially prepared by the experts
before the great day.
Modhera Dance Festival
The
ruins of 11th centuary Sun Temple at Modhera in North Gujarat,
are an impressive sight. It stands on a knoll in the village of
Modhera, eighteen miles south of Anhilvad, the former Hindu capital
of Gujarat. Modhera was evidently a site of great importance at
one time. The style in which the temple was built bears a strong
resemblance to that of the Jain temples at Mount Abu. The outer
walls of temple are covered with sculptures in which figures of
Lord Surya are natuarally prominent. The Idea that inspired the
festival is to present calssical dance forms in an atmosphere
similar to that in which these were originally presented.
So
successful was the presentation, that a decision was taken to
make it an annual event. The dance festival is scheduled to be
held during the third week of January every year, after the festival
of Uttrayan.
Janmashtami
at Dwarka
 Dwarka,
the city of gold.
Dwarka, the abode of Shri Krishna. This is how devotees think
of the city where Lord Krishna settled over 5000 years ago after
leaving Mathura for ever, and where he reigned for 100 years.
For pilgrims dwarka's presiding deity remains Shri Krishna, and
they flock there in their thousands from all parts of India and
Abroad.
Janmashtami,
the birthday of Shri Krishna, is celebrated with great splendour.
Rows of lights are lit everywhere, kirtans and bhajans are sung,
sermons are delivered and Krishna is worshipped in his infant
form.
Thousands
of people go to Dwarka to visit the temple and participate in
the fair. After visiting the main temple, the devotees go to Shankhoddhar
Beyt. There are also some other important temples which can be
visited, both old and new.
Navratri
 Navratri,
meaning 'nine nights', is an ancient and colourful festival. It
honours the one Divine Shakti or Force which supports the entire
universe, and is personified as the Mother Goddess. She protects
her worshippers, destroys evil and grants boons to her children.
The Mother Goddess has seven well-known forms, depending upon
the special powers she manifests. Throughout Gujarat, Navaratri
is celebrated with joy and religious fevor.
Another
interesting feature of navratri is the garba,
a
circular dance performed by women around an earthenware pot called
a garbo, filled
with water. As the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and
a drummer provide the musical accompaniment.The
participants clap in a steady rhythm.
Another
dance which is also a feature of Navratri is the dandia-ras or
'stick' dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding
small polished sticks or dandis. As they whirl to the intoxicating
rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together,
adding to the joyous atmosphere. So popular are the garba and
the dandia-ras that competitions are held to assess the
quality of the dancing. Prizes are given to those judged to be
the best.
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