Christians and non-Christians participate in some of the most popular Christmas traditions, many of which have no origins in Christianity. These customs include decorating evergreen trees—or, in India, mango or bamboo trees; feasting (picnics and fireworks are popular in warm climates); and exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.
People who follow Sikhism celebrate this festival to commemorate the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is the most important festival for the Sikh community and is celebrated with a lot of devotion and reverence.
Tulsi Vivah is the ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi plant (holy basil) to the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna. Tulsi Vivah marks the end of the Diwali festivities and the beginning of the wedding season in India. It is celebrated on the Ekadashi or the Dwadashi tithi of Kartik, Shukla Paksha.
The festival finds a mention in both epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. In Ramayana, it is said that Sita performed Surya Shashthi or Chhath Puja on the day Ramrajya was established, whereas in Mahabharata, the puja was performed by Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) after they escaped from Lakshagrih, on the banks on Ganga.
Govardhan Puja, however, falls on the same day and is associated with a tale from Hindu mythology that revolves around Lord Krishna. One of the most important festivals for Vaishnavas and Hindu denominations globally, the festival commemorates the incident where Lord Krishna lifted a hill called Govardhan to protect his devotees from torrential rains that could destroy the village of Vrindavan and its people.
The festival also known as Dhanatrayodashi will be celebrated on October 22 this year. Dhanteras mark the beginning of the five-day-long festival of Diwali. Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi is a Hindu festival celebrated to worship Lord Kuber, the god of wealth and Goddess Laxmi. People celebrate this auspicious day by buying gold, silver and utensils, symbolising prosperity and wealth.
On this day, married women dress up in mostly red as the colour signifies a married woman. They apply mehendi on their hands as a part of the festivities. They keep a fast the entire day and celebrate together by narrating a Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha and singing folk songs-- all of which make it a lively festival. Women also worship Goddess Parvati in the Karwa Chauth puja followed by Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and Lord Kartikeya. The fast is later broken after having a glimpse of the moon.
The festival is celebrated by establishing a Kalash and an idol of Goddess Durga in homes. People pray to the goddess for nine days. Navratri begins with worshipping Maa Shailputri and ends with the worship of Maa Siddhidatri.
The snake god finds mention in several Hindu scriptures. Lord Shiva's snake Vasuki is mentioned in many scriptures where it played a vital role during the Samudra Manthan or the episode of churning nectar from the ocean.
The population of wild tigers had dropped by more than 95 per cent since the beginning of the 20th century. When the global tiger numbers in the wild hit an all-time low of as few as 3,200 individuals in 2010, the governments of all 13 tiger range countries came together at the world’s first-ever global tiger summit and agreed on a “TX2” commitment to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.