Durga Puja 2016 Dates

Durga Puja 2016 Dates - Durga Puja Calendar in 2016 with Time

Durga Puja is the biggest festival dedicated Goddess Durga in Hinduism.
Durga Puja is also known as Durgotsava.

Durgotsava denotes to all five days festivity and these five days are observed as Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Vijayadashami.

The Durga Puja traditionally starts on the Mahalaya in A

Another important date, before the start of Durga Puja, is Mahalaya. On this day, Goddess Durga is welcomed to come to the earth, and the eyes are drawn on the idols of the Goddess. In 2016, it falls on September 30.

Durga Puja 2016 dates in India
September 30, 2016 - Shubho Mahalaya
October 7, 2016 – Maha Sashti
October 8, 2016 – Maha Saptami
October 9, 2016 – Maha Ashtami or Mahashtami
October 10, 2016 – Mahanabami or Mahanavami
October 11, 2016 – Vijaya Dasami or Vijayadashami

On the Shashti day, Kalash is prepared and it is kept in the house and with it starts customs and celebrations.
shwin month, a day when Chandi Stotram is recited as an invitation for Goddess Durga to descend to earth.

Observe Bhadrapada Purnima Vrat 2016 Celebrations

Bhadrapada Purnima Vrat 2016 = 16th September(Friday)

According to Hindu calendar, Bhadrapada is an auspicious and sacred month. The celebrations of this Vrat are dedicated to Ganesha in this month. However, As an exception, This Purnima is the festivities on this day are dedicated to Satyanarayana.

The festivities are celebrated with great devotion in the state of Gujarat.

How to celebrate Bhadrapada Purnima In 2016

The day is celebrated by the people with great zeal throughout the state of Gujarat. All the devotees take special measures to offer worship to Goddess Ambaji. A special fair is organized at Ambaji Temple and devotees coming from all the corners of Gujarat state seek the blessings of the Goddess on this day.

It Ambaji temple, folk dances are organized by Gujarati women and get her blessings. As per Hindu mythology, the temple is located at the place where the heart of Goddess Sati fell after her body was cut by Lord Vishnu.

 The temple has its own unique sense that it does not have any idol of Ambaji, yet her glory continues to attract the people from all regions across India. Goddess Ambaji is represented by a symbol of Shri in the temple. This symbol is covered by a triangle and is known by the name of Vishwa Yantra across the world.

Rituals to Perform Bhadrapada Purnima

On this auspicious occasion of Bhadrapada Purnima, Satyanarayan, who is a form of Vishnu is worshipped by the devotees. People offer fruits, supari, til, and pan to Lord Satyanarayna and decorate the idol of Satyanarana with Kumkum and roli. Panchamrit is offered to the Lord. A paste prepared by using red sandalwood is also applied to Lord Satyanarayana on Bhadrapada Purnima.

Devotees observe the fast on this day. They take mixture of sugar and wheat at evening time before breaking the fast. Different stories of Satyanarayna are narrated on this day and devotees listen to the same along with the stories of Lord Shiva, Brahma and Goddess Laxmi.

On the occasion of Bhadrapada Purnima, the devotees donate clothes and food to Brahmins. To make this day auspicious, all the devotees take a bath in Holy Rivers throughout the country. Performing Satyanarayana Puja on Bhadrapada Purnima brings good luck for the people. The day is also considered auspicious for Griha Pravesh ceremony.

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Kerala Onam 2016 Festival Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvonam 2016 Dates India

First Onam 2016 = 14th September(Tuesday)

Thiruvonam 2016 = 15th September(Wednesday)

Onam is one of the greatest and grand festivals of Kerala, Indian state. This is the festival which is celebrated by Keralites with great zeal without any caste difference and religion. On this occasion, different sports games and festivities are organized in Kerala. Kerala is an Indian state where one third of the area is low lying, covered with canals, lakes and backwaters. The people take their boats and country crafts into the water to celebrate this harvesting festival. Colorful festivals are organized in sacred river Pamba.

After three months of heavy rains, the sky becomes clear blue and the forests are deep green. These all make a very beautiful sight. The brooks and streams come alive, the lakes and rivers overflow and lotuses and lilies are in full bloom. It is the time to reap the crop and to celebrate. The harvest festival Onam is similar as the Malayalam New Year, Chingam.

The Onam festival of Kerala attracts thousands of people towards itself even outside of Kerala. During the festival period from four days to ten days, all the activities like worshiping, music, dances, sports, boat races and good food are organized. It is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam that is ending of august and starting of September. Onam is a harvest festival, and celebrated as the reward of nature after a year of hard labor. Elaborate procession of Trichur and spectacular snake boat races are held on River Pampa and mark as the merry-making nature of the festival. The women dress up in new saris and heavy Jewellery and make elaborate and intricate designs of 'Rangolis' with colored rice paste and Pookkalam in front of their houses.

Onam is celebrated till ten days. People welcome the King Mahabali by putting flower mats in front of their houses. There is competition for the laying of flower mats. They wear new dresses and visit almost all the temples and perform lots of dances Thiruvathira kali and Thumbi Tullal and the most important thing is the grant lunch they have on the Thiuruvonam day which is also known as ‘Fourth Onam’. People of Kerala never miss the grant lunch. During these activities a Malayalam quote is to be said “Kanam Vittu Onam Unnanam” which means "We should have the Thiruonam lunch even if we have to sell all our properties".

Kerala Onam Festival Videos

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Last Day of Ganesh Chaturthi 2016 - Anant Chaturdashi, Anant Chaturthi

According to Hindu mythology, ‘Anant Chaturdashi’ or ‘Anant Chaturthi’ is the last day of ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ festival celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the last and Tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi which is observed on 14th day of the bright Bhadrapada, the 6th month of Hindu calendar. On this day, all the devotees of Lord Ganesha immerse the idols of the beloved Ganesha and welcome the next year with equal fervor. Some people observe a fast in honor of Lord Vishnu, which is kept for 14 years is supposed to bring wealth.

Anant Chaturdashi 2016 = 15th September(Thursday)

Anant Chaturthi 2016 = 15th September(Thursday)

Anant Chaturthi Legends

The Hindu mythology tells that, there lived a Brahmin named as Sumant with his wife Diksha. They both had a daughter named Sushila. As the time spent, one day Diksha had died and Sumant married Karkash, who was not caring to Sushila. She gave her lots of trouble. Sushila married to Kaundinya and decided to leave the house to avoid the troubles of her step mother. On their way. Kaundinya went to a river bank to take bath and Sushila joined a group of women who were worshiping 'Lord Anant'. Sushila was very eager to know the fact of worshiping. The women explained her, the aim of this fast to obtain divinity and wealth, and kept for 14 years.

Sushila decided to keep ‘Anant fast’ and effectively they became very rich. One day Kaundinya saw a string called Anant string, on Sushila’s left hand. This is the string that is usually tied on left hand by the women folk during the Anant fast. When Kaundinya heard about the story of the Anant fast, he was disappointed and said that they had become rich due to their knowledge and efforts not for Anant. He took the Anant string from Sushila’s hand and threw it into the fire.

After this incident, they were reduced extreme poverty. Kaundinya realized the effect of the Anant fast and decided to undergo hard austerity until the appearance of the God himself. He went into the forest in search of Anant. There, he saw a mango tree but was covered with worms. He asked the tree, if he had seen Anant but he got negative reply.

After that, he asked the same question from lakes, cows, donkey, elephant but each time he got negative reply. At last he prepared a rope to hang himself. But suddenly, Anant appeared in front of him in the form of an old Brahmin and advised Kaundinya that if he made the 14 years fast, he would get back all his wealth and happiness. Lord Anant also explained the incidents occurred during the course of his way to meet him.

Anant Chaturthi Celebrations

On the auspicious day of Anant Chatudashi, the idols of Lord Ganesha are installed at homes and various ‘Mandaps’ are taken to ponds, lakes, rivers or a sea in great procession with slogan: “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Agle baras jaldi aana” means father Ganpati, come again next year. On this day, people go into the water with the idols, big and small, dancing and singing in large procession. The 10 day long festival comes to an end after the immersion ceremony is over.

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