Holi Festival

Holi is a spring festival also known as festival of colors, and sometimes festival of love It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities.

It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and other regions of the world with significant populations of majority Hindus or people of Indian origin. The festival has, in recent times, spread in parts of Europe and North Americas as a spring celebration of love, frolic and colors.

Holi celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where people gather, sing and dance. The next morning is free for all carnival of colors, where everyone plays, chases and colors each other with dry powder and colored water, with some carrying water guns and colored water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. 

The frolic and fight with colors occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People move and visit family, friends and foes, first play with colors on each other, laugh and chit chat, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up, visit friends and family. It is a national holiday in India. 

Holidays of India in 2014

Day	Date	Holiday
Wednesday	Jan-01	New Years Day
Tuesday	Jan-14	Pongal, Uttrayan, Makarsakranti
Thursday	Jan-23	Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti
Sunday	Jan-26	Republic Day
Wednesday	Feb-19	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti
Friday	Feb-28	Maha Shivratri
Monday	Mar-17	Holi
Monday	Mar-31	Ugadi
Monday	Mar-31	Telugu New Years Day
Tuesday	Apr-08	Ram Navami
Sunday	Apr-13	Mahavir Jayanti
Monday	Apr-14	Dr Ambedkar Jayanti
Friday	Apr-18	Good Friday
Thursday	May-01	Gujarat Day / Maharashtra Day
Tuesday	May-13	Buddha Purnima
Friday	Aug-15	Independence Day
Sunday	Aug-17	Janmashtami
Wednesday	Aug-20	Parsi New Year
Friday	Aug-29	Ganesh Chaturthi
Thursday	Oct-02	Mahatma Gandhi Birthday
Friday	Oct-03	Dussehra
Sunday	Oct-05	Bakrid
Monday	Oct-06	Vijaya Dashami
Wednesday	Oct-22	Deewali , Deepawali
Saturday	Oct-25	Muharram
Thursday	Nov-06	Guru Nanak Birthday
Thursday	Dec-25	Christmas Day

*** Please Verify Holiday Date and plan accordingly.

Kankaria Carnival Ahmedabad Festival

The 15th century Kankaria Lake is a recreational hub of Ahmedabad with a fine zoological park, children’s part, boulevard and other recreational facilities having come up around the lake in the 1950s and 60s. The lakefront has been redeveloped as a traffic-free zone with wide-ranging facilities like rides, amusements for children, water-based activities, an infotainment zone, mini-train, food plaza, etc. This ultimate family entertainment zone hosts an annual carnival with adventure sports, fun activities, rides, music, dance, fireworks, shows and lighting. Held during the winter holidays in schools, it has become a big draw for families.

When it start: 25th to 31st December

Address : Kankaria Lake, Ahmedabad

Source : Gujarat Tourisam

Free Diwali Rangoli Design

Free Diwali Rangoli Design:

CHRISTMAS TREE

CHRISTMAS TREE

A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as spruce, or pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. An artificial Christmas tree is an object made to resemble such a tree, usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which with electrification could also be replaced by Christmas lights. Today, there are a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or star may be placed at the top of the tree, to represent the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.

Fact about Chrismas Tree:

Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska in USA.

sachin tendulkar retirement

SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR: GOD SAYS NO MORE CRICKET

ABOUT SACHIN:

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of his generation.
Born: April 24, 1973 (age 40), Mumbai

Height: 1.65 m

Spouse: Anjali Tendulkar (m. 1995)

Children: Arjun Tendulkar, Sara Tendulkar

Awards: Wisden Cricketers of the Year, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, More

Parents: Rajni Tendulkar, Ramesh Tendulkar

**Above Detail  from : Wikipedia

SACHIN CRICKET MILESTONE:

TEST CRICKET:

Test debut: Pakistan v India at Karachi, Nov 15 1989 

*Last Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai, Nov 13 2013

ODI CRICKET:

ODI debut Pakistan v India at Gujranwala, Dec 18, 1989
Last ODI India v Pakistan at Dhaka, Mar 18, 2012 

T20 CRICKET:

T20I South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 

IPL CRICKET:

TEAM : MUMBAI INDIAN

Christmas Festival

About Christmas Featival

The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world, varying by country and region. Main elements in celebration of Christmas around the world include the lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas carols may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus , Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Christkindy or Grandfather Frost.

The sending of Christmas cards, the exchange of Christmastime greetings and gift , observance of fasting and/or special religious observances such as a midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents.

Along with Easter, Christmas time is one of the most important periods on the Christian calendar.

Celebration In India:

Many Christians in India celebrate Jesus Christ's birth on on Christmas Day, which is annually held on December 25. The celebrations are most noticeable in states where there are many Christians. Christmas Day is a gazetted holiday in India.

Chrismas Tree

Chrismas Greering Card

Uttrayana

On the 14th January, people of Gujarat  gather on terraces to fly kites of various colours to celebrate Makar Sanskranti or Uttrayana. The Sky becomes full of Colorful Kites in the early Morning. Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown in the sky.On this day main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites. For this, people find their better kites with  strong resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension. The kites are attached to a thread of manja. The Manaja or Firki special kite-string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be as sharp as possible for cutting strings of rival kites.  Bazaar, the special kite market that appears in the old city. For the week preceding the festival, it is open 24 hours a day for all kite lovers to stock up for the festivities.

Uttarayan is celebrated in many parts of the country and also in some other parts of the world with great zeal and enthusiasm. It is a harvest festival which is basically celebrated in the Hindu communities. In Indian, the states of Bihar, Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamilnadu. In Tamil Nadu the festival is known as Pongal, in Assam as Bhogali Bihu, in Punjab, as Lohiri, in Gujarat and Rajasthan, as Uttararayan. In Uttar Pradesh it is celebrated as Khichdi or Donation festival. In Bihar it is known as Til Sankranti or Khichdi festival. Outside India, the festival is given due importance in the countries like Nepal where it is celebrated as Maghe Sakrati or Maghi, in Thailand where it is named as Songkran and in Myanmar where it is called Thingyan.

Bhai Dooj

Bhai-Dooj

Bhai Dooj is a festival celebrated by Hindus on the last day of the five-day-long Diwali festival. This is the second day of the bright fortnight or Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Tika ceremony, and brothers give gifts to their sisters.

History of Bhai-Dooj:

Legend says Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yami on this particular day. She put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, garlanded him and fed him with special dishes. Together, they ate the sweets, talked and enjoyed themselves to their heart's content. While parting Yamraj gave her a special gift as a token of his love and in return Yami also gave him a lovely gift which she had made with her own hands. That day Yamraj announced that anyone who receives tilak from his sister will never be thrown. That is why this day of Bhai Duj is also known by the name of Yama Dwitiya

Bhai Dooj Celebration:

On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal often including their favorite dishes. The whole ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, as well as a sister's blessings for her brother.
Carrying forward the ceremony in traditional style, sisters perform aarti for their brother and apply a red tika on the brother's forehead. This tika ceremony on the occasion of Bhai dooj signifies the sister's sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother and treats him with gifts. In return brothers bless their sisters and treat them also with gifts or cash.

Diwali Diya Decoration

Diwali Diya:

Diwali is the festival of Lights. People are celebrating Diwali using decorating Diya and making lights at home. Diya is a Symbol of remove dark and spread lights, means removes darkness from our lives and comes with new lights, new energy in our life.

Here are the some sample decorative Diya .

Diwali Diya:

Image source : homeshop18.com

Diwali Rangoli Design

Diwali Rangoli Designs

Diwali Rangoli Designs of different shapes and sizes can be found anywhere in India during the time of Diwali, decorating floors and entrances of houses, rooms, streets, Offices and shopping malls. They are also very popular for other occasions and festivals such as weddings and certain holidays.

Being a century old tradition in India, it is a real art to created Rangolis in such great detail and perfection. Rangoli are usually made of coloured sand or rice or flowers which is carefully sprinkled by hand to mostly pre-drawn patterns.  However, some artists are able to create wonderful Rangoli patterns just from their memory and special idea or occasion.Diwali Rangoli, also referred to as "Kolam" is a traditional Indian art. Although several generations have already passed, as the devotees keep using the ancient symbols for the Rangoli making, the art and tradition of Diwali Rangoli has been kept and reserved.

Diwali Rangoli Materials

Diwali Rangoli are usually made of different materials like  colours, rice, flower petals and sand. There are different rangoli design patterns being used in particular every state. In Gujarat people use colour and traditional design ,In Tamil Nadu, people use Kolam etc.

Diwali Rangoli Material List:

•  Rice
• Colours
• Flowers 
• Flowers petals
• Sand
• Lights
• Diya
• Glass

Rangoli Samples:

Add caption

More Rangoli Design

Karva Chuth

What is Karva Chuth ?

Karva Chuth is a one of the most important fast by Married Hindi Wives. Married Hindu women pray for the long life of their husband. The festival is popular in married women in the India specially  in North States Utter Pradesh, Rajasthan, Hariyana, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Gujarat.


When Karva Chuth Comes?
This Festival comes after 4 forth day after Sarad Purnima of Hindi Calender Asho month. It comes in October - November Month.

How to do Puja ?

Hindu married women taking fast on Karva Chauth. It start before Sun rise and end when worshiping of the Moon at night. Women takes fast on this day even they are not taking water and food. They takes food and water after worshiping at night and after watching face of her husband.

Preparation for Karva Chuth:

Women wear new clothes specially red color sari on this day. They design mehndi on their hand. They wear new Bindi on her face. Husband buys gift his wife. Family member also buy gift.

Gift for Karva Chuth: 

• New Apparels Gifts
• Special Chocolates
• Dry Fruits Gifts
• Feng Shui Items Gifts
• Beautiful Flowers
• Fruit Baskets
• Electronics Gadgets & Gizmo Gifts
• Games & Toys Gifts
• God Idol Gifts
• Handbag Gifts
• Handicrafts Gifts
• Home Appliances Gifts
• Home Furnishing Gifts
• Jewelry Gifts
• Gifts for Wife
• Personal Care Gifts
• Sarees
• Sweets
• Watches  

Karva Chuth celebration:
Karva  Chuth is mainly celebrated in most of the region of India including Utter Pradesh, Rajasthan, Hariyana, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Gujarat. Many family member celebrate at one places. Indian television and films also give more weights on Karva Chuth celebration.

 

Celebrate Diwali Festival at Office

Diwali, which is also called Deepavali or Dipavali. Diwali is a Hindu festival. It also called as the festival of Lights. Diwali is the Five day festival so people are celebrate it in different ways.

Just as Christians regard Christmas as a special and important holiday, Diwali is a festival that has as much meaning for Hindus. Aside from Hinduism, other religions that celebrate this festival are Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Whatever your faith, you can join in the festivity that is "The Festival of Lights"

• Cubical / Cabin DecorationYou can have a cabin/cubicle decoration contest :Have teams work on it and see the results (you would be amazed how teams work together to get the best results out )
  Start this early, so that you can welcome the diwali spirit at office...

• Diya making or lightening competition: If you have an open area available on your premises and lighting festive Diyas wont be a problem, you could have a contest on lighting diyas and have teams work on it. The team lighting maximum diyas in given time will wins the competition.