pride
Salute to Valour: Maharana Pratap Jaynati
The vast cultural and historic occurrences in India have always added to its colourful list of events. Considering the emotions and sentiments of varied communities and religious groups in India, India ranks at the top with 21 public holidays in a year; according to a report by Times of India. Recently even the Uttar Pradesh government is demanding a holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap that falls on May 9. So may be an addition in the list of state holidays for the lucky ones. But anyhow his birth anniversary i.e. Maharana Pratap Jayanti is celebrated every year on 3rd day of Jyestha Shukla phase as a full-fledged colourful festival. This year it is on 21st May 2015.
The renowned patriot is well known for his valour, pride, enthusiasm and love for his motherland. In the entire journey, he was committed and dedicated towards getting the lost Chittor back. The well-known Battle of Halidighati is the epitome of Pratap’s bravery and passion to get his state back. It is said that the yellow coloured soil of Haldighati turned completely red during the battle in 1576. So not only the battle but his intelligence, good conduct and grounded attitude made him praise worthy among all.
Thus to celebrate the victory and courage of this hero, Haldighati festival is also organized every year in Mewar, Rajasthan. The cultural events includes the bright decorations with traditional handicrafts stalls and cultural music; that gives the feel of a mini traditional India. All the stalls are designed as per the local requirements and represent the chivalrous acts of Pratap. Thousands of tourists join this multi-cultural fair to pay homage to the brave ruler and be a part of this colourful celebration.
Special pujas and processions are also organized in other states along with cultural events at Schools to celebrate the victory of goodness over evil. This day acts as an inspiration for Indians to hold that faith and compassion for their motherland and adopt the virtuous attributes like him.
Revering the God of Creativity:Lord Vishwakarma
The creative son of Brahma, lord Vishwakarma is the official creator of the magical residing palaces of Gods. He is the sole designer of the eternal Universe and maintains the unique connection between Earth and Heaven. The peculiar trait weapon and flying chariots of gods have also been innovatively designed by Lord Vishwakarma. The God of Manufacture is worshipped by the skilled class of devotees majorly being architects, engineers, craftsmen, potters, carpenter, goldsmiths, blacksmiths and other factory workers.
Day of Celebration:
Lord Vishwakarma is actually worshipped on the last day of the Bengali month i.e. Bhadra or Kanya Sakranti which falls on 17th September; but it is also celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali festival on Padyami. This festival has a major craze in Karnataka, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Tripura, but widely celebrated by Indians globally.
Holiday for machines and equipment:
As the highest ranked creative God is being worshipped on this day and the entire industrial class revers him, this day is an official holiday for the industries. It is believed that the machines should take a peaceful rest on this particular day and let the glory of Vishwakrama fall upon them and make them more efficient. Factory owners also prefer buying new equipment or machinery on this day, as it is considered lucky and prosperous for their working.
Relevance of this day:
The day is not only auspicious for industries and machinery but also has further unique add on s. Govardhan Puja is also celebrated on this day to remember the miracles of Lord Krishna, when he saved the entire city of Gokul from the outrage of Lord Indra. To increase the bond of love between couples, Gudi Padwa is celebrated in which the newly wed couples are invited for special treats by the bride’s family.
This festival spreads the message of adoring creativity and boosting the talented God and his man power. It brings together people from the varied classes and leaves no distinction among them. When the entire working class comes together, it removes the pride of their ranks and they simply cherish their skills. Kite flying is also an important custom on this day, and Bihar and West Bengal arrange special kite flying festivals.
Architectural creations by Lord Vishwakrama:
The laurels of Vishwakarma’s innovation have been mentioned in mythology and Vedas. He has been credited for the flawless creation of God’s abodes in the four ‘yugas’.
‘Swarg lok’ or heaven has been created by the talented Lord Vishwakarma, which is the abode of Gods and is ruled by lord Indra.
During the ‘Treta yug’, Vishwakarma built the beautiful golden city for Lord shiva and Parvati. This was later demanded by Ravana in return of ‘dakshina’; since then it was called as the ‘Raavan’s sone ki Lanka’.
The city of Lord Krishna, Dwarka has been established by Vishwakarma in the ‘Dwapar yug’, which is now a renowned pilgrimage for Hindu devotees.
Lord Vishwakarma’s magic is also evident during the ‘kali yuga’, when the pandavas were ordered to live on a piece of land named ‘Khaandavprastha’. He transformed this barren land into a magical city of Indraprastha, which was known for its architectural beauty.
Contributed By: Meenakshi Ahuja
Shubhpuja.com 