Fairs and Festivals in India in month of April

Mahaveerji Fair, Mahaveerji, Rajasthan : 20 - 25 April 2013: Mahaveerji fair is held every year at The Mahaveerji Temple dedicated to Mahavir Swami, the 24th Tirthankara of Jains. The fair is structured in Chandan Gaon, located about 6.5 Kms away from 'Shri Mahavirji' Railway Station of the Western Railway on the Delhi-Mumbai broad gauge line. It is located 176 kms away from Jaipur, 29 kms from Karauli & 18 kms from HInduan. The fair is celebrated with great zeal by the Jain community specifically by Digamber sect. Jains from far and wide come to pay reverence to the Saint. Mahaveerji Fair falls between Chaitra Shukla Ekadasi and Baisakh Krishna Dwitiya or March-April of English calendar. The devotees congregate at the temple to meditate and serve the saints to seek their blessings. The major attraction is the Rath Yatra. The fair of Mahavirji reaches its peak on Baisakh Krishna Dwitiya when the image of the deity is taken to the bank of river Gambhiri in a grand procession for Kalash Abhishek. The golden chariot (rath) is drawn by bullocks. Four persons wave chanvars (fly whisks) over the image and the site resounds with "bhajans" and religious songs with intermittent slogans of 'Shri Mahavir Swami Ki Jai'. After the ceremony, the procession returns with the same grandeur and the image is restored to the temple. The pilgrims gather at the temple to worship, meditate and seek the blessings of the saint with folded hands. During the evening offering the temple is illuminated with lights. Permanent shops exist at the site, selling food grains, cloth and general merchandise. Temporary shops spring up at the fair and cater to the needs of the visitors. Lots of Rajasthan handicrafts are at a display during this fair.

Ram Navami: 19 April 2013: All across India, the day of Ram Navami is celebrated as the birthday of the Lord Ram, one of the most familiar and loved deities in the Hindu pantheon. Lord Ram is known as the seventh incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu and was born to the Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. The Ram Navami festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra according to the Hindu calendar.The nine days leading up to Ram Navami are days of fasting and prayer for the devout, and the day of the festival itself is marked by pujas and satsangs (public gatherings). The period is also known as Shri Rama Navratra. Although this festival is celebrated everywhere in India, there are two cities- Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and Pondicherry which are especially renowned for their Ram Navami celebrations. Both these places are mentioned in the epic Ramayana.

Baisakhi, Punjab: 14 April 2013: Baisakhi Festival marks the beginning of the solar year. People of North India, particularly Punjab thank God for good harvest. Visit to Gurudwaras, Vaisakhi processions and traditional performances are the highlights of the day. Baisakhi has special significance for Sikhs as on this day in 1699, their tenth Guru Gobind Singh Ji organized the order of the Khalsa.

Thrissur Pooram, Thrissur, Kerala: 21 April 2013: Thrissur Pooram is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala state is celebrated every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar Sakthan Thampuran, the then ruler of Cochin, united the 10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan Temple and organized the celebration of Thrissur Pooram. Thrissur town plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants. The richly decorated elephant, as seen during the Thrissur pooram, is now globally recognized, and its association with Kerala. On the pooram day, fifty (50) or more elephants pass through the very center of Thrissur town, theVadakkunnathan temple. The main features of the pooram (festival) are these decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), beautifuliy crafted kolam, decorative bells and ornaments etc. Add to this is the panchavadyam, the rhythmic beating of the drum, and what would be a cacophony otherwise is turned into an organized but spontaneous symphony. The fireworks display in the early hours of the next day, rival shows held anywhere in the world], without even using many of the modern and newer pyrotechnics.

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