Diwali

In Maharashtra, Diwali starts from Vasubaras which is the 12th day of the 2nd half of the Marathi month Ashvin. This day is celebrated by performing an Aarti of the cow and its calf – which is a symbol of love between mother and her baby.

The next day is Dhana Trayodashi. This day is of special importance for traders and business people. It is also considered an auspicious day for making important purchases, especially metals, including kitchenware and precious metals like silver and gold.

This is followed by Naraka Chaturdashi. On this day people get up early in the morning and take their bath before sunrise while stars are still visible. Bathing is an elaborate process on this day with abundant use of ‘ubtans’, oils and perfumes, and is preceded by an Aarti performed on the person by some lady, usually mother or wife. The whole process is referred to as ‘abhyanga-snaan’.

Then comes Lakshmi- pooja. It occurs on Amavasya i.e. no moon day. The dark night is illuminated by lamps and at dusk firecrackers are burst. New account books are opened after a pooja. Generally the traders do not make any payments on that day (according to their belief Lakshmi should not be given away but must come home). In every household, cash, jewellery and an idol of the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Friends, neighbours and relatives are invited over and celebrations are in full swing. The broom used to clean one’s house is also worshipped as a symbol of Lakshmi in some places .

Padwa’ is the 1st day of the new month – Kartik in the Hindu calendar. It marks the start of Hindu financial year. Its a special day for Husband and wife. The wife puts tilak on her husbands forehead and gets an expensive gift. In recent times there is a growing trend of organising a cultural event called ‘Diwali Padwa’ early in the morning.

Bhaubeej – it is the time when the bond of love between a brother and sister is further strengthened as the sister asks God for her brother/s’ long and successful life while she receives presents from her beloved brothers.  More can be checked at :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

TechModi has an official holiday on the 26th, 27th & 28th of August 2011 on the occasion of  Diwali.

Gudi Padwa

Gudi Padwa or Gudhi Padwa (Marathi: गुढी पाडवा often mis-pronounced as guDi padwa because ढी sounds like डी while speaking) is the Marathi name for the Hindu holy day of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.[1] It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.

gudi padwa

The word padwa is derived from the Sanskrit word Pratipada for first day of a lunar month i.e. first day after new moon day (Amavasya). A Gudhi is also erected on this occasion giving this festival its name. The term padwa or padavo is also associated with Balipratipada the third day of Diwali which is another celebration that comes at the end of the harvesting season.

Known as Gudhi Padwa in Maharashtra, this festival is also known as

• Samvatsar Padvo among Hindu Konkanis of Goa
• Yugadi among the rest of Konkani diaspora in Karnataka and Kerala
  
• Nav Varsha Samvat among the North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh
  

In other parts of India this festival is celebrated during

• Nau Roz in Kashmir
• Yugadi in Karnataka
• Baisakhi in Punjab
• Cheti Chand among the Sindhi people
  
• Goru Bihu in Assam
• Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and
• Yugadi in Andhra Pradesh
• Vishu in Kerala.

Being the first day of the first month of a year, Gudhi Padwa is the New Year’s Day for Marathi people. India is a predominantly agrarian society. Thus celebrations and festivals are often linked to the turn of the season and to the sowing and reaping of crops. This day marks the end of one agricultural harvest and the beginning of a new one. In this context, the Gudhi Padwa is celebrated at the end of the Rabi season.

TechModi has an official holiday on the 4th of April 2011 on the occasion of Gudi Padwa & would compensate for the same by working on the 9th April 2011.

Coming Soon……….

We are scratching our Brains and will come up with something on this topic.. In the meantime you could subscribe so we can let you know as soon as all our nerds think of something….

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1st March Holi is an Holiday

Wishing all our Clients & friends Happy Holi!

Festivals all over the world are means of expression of joy.

Techmodi wishing happy holi

The Indian community around the World and ofcourse in India is celebrating the festival of Holi on 1st March 2010. Holi is also called the festival of colors, the festival to celebrate victory of good over evil. The way to celebrate Holi might sound strange to you. In Holi the tradition is to spray each other with colors wet and dry. Basically the dry colors are called ‘Gulal’ and are like talcum powder. When you meet friends/family over Holi, they would plaster you with the colors and you return the favor. Its absolutely craziness and lots of fun. You can check more about holi at All About Holi Festival

If you have any Indian friends do wish them today on the occasion of Holi.

TECHMODI will have an official holiday on 1st March 2010 & to compensate for our clients loss the company has worked on Saturday 27th 2010 & all the employees will be compensated accordingly.

happy-holi

But “Holi” the delightful festival of riotous colors is unique to India, especially North India. India is a country of multi-cultures, languages, ethnic groups, innumerable segments and sub-sects of castes within the Hindu faith, food habits, life-styles, dresses and attires distinct to each State – but all of them are forgotten on occasions like “Holi”, proving to the world once again how people could live together in peace with unity in diversity.

Of all the reasons behind “Holi” the strikingly different one the forefathers of India thought fit to celebrate it is – this is a mass celebration of people in a village, in a locality or part of town to greet each other, chase each other funnily and apply riotous colors on everybody’s face and laugh away all the differences between them. There can be no other festival in comparison in any country, where such mass celebration outside individual houses takes place.

happy-holi

Otherwise there are other reasons for the “Holi” from Hindu mythology, of which different versions are there. Prahalada, a child devotee of Lord Vishnu, born to the father Hiranyakashib, who is disturbing the world with his arrogant actions, paves way for his destruction by none other than the Lord. Mahavishnu takes the avatar of Narasimha – a lion with human body and kills the brute. Prahalada is subjected to many tortures by his father, including throwing him in fire along with his sister demon Holika who is immune to fire. But ultimately by God’s grace, the evil burns into fire while Prahalada comes out unscathed. Some people say “Holi” is for rejoicing the destruction of evil Holika and so bone-fires are part of Holi.

Still some people relate Holi with the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, the mythological characters of the Lord Vishnu and is celebrated with much fan fare at Mathura, Vrindavan etc. What ever the reason behind Holi, it comes on the next of full moon in the month of March – the beginning of pleasant Summer after the grip of cold Winter in North India – the real reason for rejoicing by one and all. This month, Holi is scheduled at Monday, 1st of March 2010.

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Regards

Santosh Salve
http://www.Techmodi.com