Eid-ul-Fitr is  the biggest festival of Muslims. It is celebrated across the world with a lot of fervor, more so because it is celebrated after the holy month of Ramadan, where followers of Islam fast for 30 days where they do not eat or drink during the day, but only eat twice during Sehri, which is right before sunrise, and Iftaar which is right after sunset. During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims also do charity and follow a lot of discipline.  After 30 days, according to the sighting of the moon, known as Chand Raat, Eid is celebrated the next day. On the day of Eid, people go to Eidgaah to pray, make sweets like Sevaiyaan, (giving the name "Meethi Eid" to this festival") and give Eidi to little ones. At several places Eid Fairs are held where people especially children do a lot of stall hopping.  Eid-ul-Fitr is a festival of happiness, joy and good will. To know more about it, listen to the Podcast.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Easter is a festival celebrated by Christians all across the world. Even in India, the followers of Christianity celebrated this festival.  This day marks the resurrection of Lord Jesus after three days of his crucifixion.  According to history, Jesus Christ had a huge followership among people. Fearing this, the royals arrested him on various charges and gave him an execution sentence. Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday known as Good Friday or Black Friday. The Following Sunday, he appeared in front of his followers, which is why this day is celebrated as Easter. On Good Friday people wear black clothes and go to churches to pay their respect and prayers, and on Easter Sunday they decorate eggs and Easter Bunnies and celebrate Jesus's resurrection. Listen in to know more about this famous festival. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi, the harvest festival, is observed in most of India to mark the start of the new spring season. Baisakhi is particularly significant in Punjab and Haryana due to the large Sikh population, which celebrates the festival with zeal and enthusiasm. The festival became closely associated with Sikhism at the end of the 17th century, when Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikh leader, chose the date of the festival to establish the Khalsa Panth. ‘Rongali Bihu’ in Assam, ‘Naba Barsha’ in West Bengal, ‘Vaishakha’ in Bihar, ‘Vishu’ in Kerala, and ‘Puthandu’ in Tamil Nadu are some of the names given to the festival of Baisakhi. This day is commemorated in Punjab as the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. To know more about Vaisakhi listen to the podcast!Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ram Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama.  According to mythology, Rama was the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was born to King Dashratha and Queen Kaushalya in Ayodhya. Lord Rama was born on Navami Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month. Therefore each year, the ninth day is celebrated as Ram Navami. Hindu households celebrate the Navratri by doing puja and on the ninth day, they perform Kanya Puja, where 9 girls are invited at home and offered prasad consisting of sooji halwa, Kala chana, and puri. The Hindus believe that young girls are the manifestation of Devi. Listen to the podcast to know more about this festival of India.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HIndi New Year is celebrated on the first day of Shukl Paksh ok Chaitr month according to Hindu Calender. It is believed that Lord Brahma created this world on this very day, thus its symbolic to New Beginnings.  Hindu Panchang also begins on this day. This New Year is celebrated in various parts of the country according to different customs like its called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Ugadi in Karnataka, Sajibu Nongma Panba Charioba in Manipur.  This day also marks the beginning of Chaitr Navratre. It is also believed that it was on this day that Lord Ram had his coronation ceremony. And this day also marks the day of establishment of Arya Samaj by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. This Indian Festival is celebrated with love and joy across the whole country.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holi is one of the most vibrantly celebrated festivals of India, celebrated in almost every part of the country, and by Indians belonging to every faith and belief. It is also famous as the “festival of colors” as on this day people get together forgetting all resentments and any bad feeling towards each others and play with colors. This Indian festival is celebrated on two main days on the Full Moon Day in the month of Falgun. It is celebrated with the name Holika Dahan or Choti Holi, when people light Holi fire and pray around it, next morning called Holi, people play with colors.   This festival is based on the legend of Bhakt Prahlad who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, much to the anguish of his father, the demon king Hrinyakashyap, who did not like to worship Lord Vishnu. He ordered his sister Holika to sit in fire and let Prahlad burn. Holika was blessed that she couldn't get burnt in fire, however Prahlad while sitting in her lap prayed to Lord Vishnu and got saved while Holika got burnt to death. In many parts of India, this festival is celebrated in different ways, like Barsaane ki holi, Lathmaar Holi, Dhol Yatra etc. This festival of love and friendship is very vibrant but we have to be careful when we celebrate it, like avoiding using artificial colors, using natural colors, taking care of pets and animals, and saving environment.   Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maha Shivratri is an Indian festival, celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva. It is in descending winter season, during the Spring season to be precise.  Maha Shivratri, means ‘the great night of Shiva’. According to legend, it is on this night that Lord Shiva appeared and also commemorates the night he performed his fury dance, Tandav. It is believed that fasting, and praying and offerings of Lord Shiva’s favorite things  can help one overcome their sins and take the path of righteousness. On Maha Shivratri many people celebrate it by reaching Shiva Temples by Kawariyas, who walk barefoot from long distances, and other people, praying all night and finally offering prayers at the Nishith kaal to Lod Shiva. Lord Shiva is offered milk, Bel Ptr, Various fruits including Ber etc.  This Indian festival has a lot if significance and id celebrated with different rituals in various parts of the country like: Madhya Pradesh: Devotees bathe in Shivsagar lake in KhajorahoWest Bengal: Four Shiv lings are made by the Ganges river Mud, and are prayed four times. Jammu and Kashmir: A 21 days festival is celebratedHimachal Pradesh: Shobha Yatra of Lord Shiva is performed.People take vows of honesty and fairness on this day.  Listen in to know more.      Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vasant Panchami is one of the special Indian festivals celebrated. It is commonly called as Shri Panchami or Sarwasati Panchami. The festival of Vasant Panchami takes place in India around the beginning of spring when mustard flowers bloom. The color yellow is associated with the festival which signifies happiness, excitement, and positivity of new beginnings. According to the Hindu calendar, this popular Indian festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Magh, which also foretells the arrival of Holi forty days later. Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge, is honored on Vasant Panchami. On Saraswati Puja, young children take their first steps toward education, as the day is considered the most auspicious for beginning of learning. This ritual is called Akshar Abhyasam or Vidya Arambham. People all over India celebrate the festival of Vasant Panchami by wearing yellow clothes, eating and distributing sweets, decorating their homes with yellow flowers, and doing a variety of other activities. In Punjab, the day is marked by the release of kites. In Maharashtra, newlyweds go to a temple to pray. People in Rajasthan wear jasmine garlands, and children in West Bengal worship their books in front of Goddess Saraswati. Best Places to Celebrate the Indian Festival of Vasant Panchami are: PunjabHaryanaBiharWest BengalUttarakhand Listen to the podcast, "Indian Festivals at a Glance" to know more about this glorious Indian Festival.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26th Of January is celebrated as Republic Day of our India. This Indian Festival is very special because it is celebrated by every Indian. This Indian Festival is a National Festival.  Though centuries of freedom Struggle, India got its independence on 15th August 1947, yet getting this freedom was not enough, India needed some rules and regulations to govern this huge country. Therefore a regulating committee was created under the leadership of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar to form the Indian Constitution.  It took almost 3 years to draft the constitution, finally it was implemented on 26th January 1950, and the day was declared as republic Day. This Day is celebrated with a lot of joy and fervor in the entire country, at local level various events are organized in schools, offices where adults as well as children participate in fun and frolic. At the national level parades and presentation happen in the national Capital New Delhi, at Rajpath and the entire ceremony is presided by the honorable President of India, who also addresses the nation.  Listen to the podcast to know more about this glorious Indian Festival.    Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Makar Sankranti is a major Indian Festival which is celebrated on 14th or 15th January, denoting the moving of Sun in the Makar Rashi. It is celebrated by donating various things like Khichdi, Gajjak, Oil, and money to the needy, and a Maha Snan is also held on this day in the holy Ganges.  It is celebrated in different parts in India with different names and customs. In Tamil Nadu its called Thai Pongal, In Assam its called Bihu, in Gujarat and Rajasthan it is called Uttarayan and is famous for flying kites, so much so that it is also called "The Kite Festival. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lohri is a very famous Indian Festival, which is a traditional winter festival, celebrated in North India, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Delhi. The origin of the festival can be traced back to the legend of Dulla Bhatti, a famous  hero of Punjab, who led a rebellion against Mughal emperor Akbar. Lohri also marks the end of the winter solstice, when the days start to become longer than the nights. It is also a time when harvest of the rabi crops is celebrated. One the day of Lohri, little children run between houses singing "Sundar Mundariye"  the tale of Dulla Bhatti, and ask for money which elders gladly pay as token of respect towards this legendary Hero In the night, Lohri, is celebrated by lighting a bonfire, which is considered to be a symbol of fertility. People wear radiant clothes, socialize, sing and dance around the fire on various folksongs. The highlight of Lohri is the products made from the January harvest, especially sugarcane. Things like Jaggery, gajjak, rewaries, chikki and popcorns.   Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Year is the biggest festival of the world. It is considered as one of the the global events. New Year is celebrated on 1st January every year. It is the day when at the stroke of 12 am, the calendar changes to a brand new year.  Normally the new year festivities are continued from the Christmas Day, the holiday season culminates with this day and new year is welcomes with opened arms.  In ancient times, New Year was celebrated in March, but around 45 BC, 1st January was decided as the New Day of the year.  In many parts of the world new year is celebrated with friends and family amid lot of pomp and show. Each country has their own count down to 12 midnight to wish each other a Happy New Year. Alternatively, in many parts of the world there are other significant days when people celebrate new year.  Listen in to know more about the New Year celebrations.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

December is the favorite time of the year as the holiday season begins this time. It is the time to deck the halls up with stockings, lights, stars, bells, candles, and not to forget traditional Christmas songs. For kids, Christmas is all about presents, chocolates, lights, holidays, family, and dinner. Children decorate Christmas trees and wait for Santa Claus to get them gifts. But does your child know about the story of Jesus Christ? Christmas is celebrated every year on December 25th, the date of birth of Jesus Christ. This festival is the biggest festivals of Christians and in some countries it marks the holiday season too. It is celebrated across the world with different customs and rituals with Christmas carols, and stars on Christmas tree.  The true spirit of Christmas lies in the birth story of Jesus Christ which is explained in our Christmas podcast.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gurpurab commemorates the birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji, the first Sikh Guru. Gurpurab, one of the most holy holidays, falls on the Guru Purniama of the Kartik month. Guru Nanak Jayanti otherwise called Gurpurab, is the main celebration for the devotees of the religion of Sikhism. The celebration is celebrated on arrival of Kartik Poornima, which is the fifteenth lunar day in the long stretch of Kartik as depicted by the Hindu schedule, and typically falls in the period of November by the Gregorian schedule. The celebrations in Gurudwaras begin two days before Guru Nanak Jayanti. Akhand Path is a 48-hour continuous recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib. A parade named Nagarkirtan is organised a day before Guru Nanak's birthday. The march is led by five men known as the Panj Pyare, who carry the Nishan Sahib, a Sikh three-sided flag. On the day of Gurpurab, a unique Langar is served. The concept of Langar was first started by Guru Nanak Ji himself. Night prayer sessions are also held at several Gurdwaras on this special day. The list of nine other Sikh Gurus who preached the teachings of Guru Nanak Ji are: Guru Angad JiGuru Amar Das JiGuru Ram Das JiGuru Arjan JiGuru Hargobind JiGuru Har Rai JiGuru Har Krishan JiGuru Teg Bahadur JiGuru Gobind Singh JiSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bhai dooj is one of the most loved and cherished Indian Festivals which celebrates the love between a brother and a sister. This Festival is celebrated after two days of Diwali. On this day brothers visit their married sisters with gifts and sisters put a tilak on their brothers' foreheads and accept gifts from them, celebrating the festival of Bhai Dooj Among the many Indian festivals, the significance of Bhai dooj is that, the sisters pray for the long lives of their brothers. According to the legend, Yamuna, Yamraj's sister requests him to lend long life to those brothers, whose sister's put a tilak on their foreheads. This gave way to the festival of Bhai Dooj. Bhai Dooj, like many other Indian festivals, is celebrated in various parts of the country with different rituals and names, like Bhaubeej in Maharashtra, Bhai Tika in Nepal, and Bhai Phonta in West Bengal, but one thing in common is the love between a brother and sister. For more Indian Festivals, listen to more episodes.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diwali festival is the festival of lights. It is one of the main Indian Festivals, which falls at a time when people are preparing the starting of Winters.  Diwali Festival is also called Deepavali, which means a row of lights. It falls on the New Moon Night of Kartik month according to Hindu calender.  Significance of Diwali is that it is celebrated to commemorate Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya after defeating demon king Ravana with the help of his brother Lakshman, Lord Hanuman and his Vaanar Sena and rescuing Sitaji from him. It is believed that this return was celebrated by the people of Ayodhya by lighting diyas and illuminating the entire city, thus it is called Festival of Lights. How people celebrate Diwali in India: People in the entire country start preparing for this one of the greatest Indian Festivals by starting to clean their houses, color them etc. They also celebrate this festival for at least five days. Day 1 is DhanTeras, Day 2 is Narak Chaudas, Day 3 is Main Diwali, Day 4 is Govardhan Pooja, and day % is Bhai Dooj. On the main day they wear new traditional clothes, pray to Goddess Lakshmi, illuminate their houses with candles, diyas and lights, and burst crackers to express their happiness. There are various other reasons why Diwali is celebrated as one of the popular Indian Festivals in the country, to know them, listen in to the entire podcast.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indian festivals are well-known throughout the world. Among all the Indian festivals, one stands out in the Hindu lunar calendar month of Kartik, It is Karwa Chauth. On this day, Hindu ladies anxiously wait for the moon to appear in the sky. It is an annual one-day holiday observed by married Hindu women during which they fast from dawn to moonrise and pray for their husbands. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are among the states that commemorate Karwa Chauth. Women dress up in new outfits and 'solah shringar' and offer prayers in order to ensure a happy and beautiful marriage. During the festival, ladies observe a 'Nirjala' fast, during which they do not eat or drink water for the entire day and give prayers to numerous Gods. Karva Chauth is linked to a number of mythological stories. One of the most well-known is the story of Savitri and Satyavan, in which the woman used her prayer and devotion to bring her husband back from Yamraj.  Veeravati, the only sister of seven loving brothers, has a similar story. The brothers couldn't stand seeing her fast for the entire day, so they tricked her into thinking the moon had appeared. Veervati broke her fast only to learn of her husband's death shortly after. She pleaded for a year, and the Gods were so happy with her devotion that they returned her husband back. The Karva Chauth celebrations begin before 4 a.m., when married women get up before the sun rises and get ready. The daughter-in-law is then expected to eat the Sargi (a dish eaten before sunrise on Karva Chauth) that her mother-in-law has prepared for her. Roli, rice, diya, Chalni, sweets, and a glass of water make up the puja plate. Women sit in a circle and pass their plates back and forth. They perform songs on this day and tell the story of Savitri and Satyvaan, as well as Veervati. When the moon is fully visible, women chant prayers while gazing at the moon and their husband through the chalni. The husband then feed their wife and offer water. Thus, this is how the Karwa Chauth fast is broken.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a Hindu festival that commemorates the triumph of good over evil.  Dusshera is celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin, the seventh month of the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar, which occurs between September and October in the Gregorian calendar. In different parts of the India, Vijayadashami or Dusshera is commemorated and celebrated for different reasons. Vijayadashami is the end of Durga Puja in India's southern, eastern, northeastern, and some northern states. The event is known as Dussehra in the northern, central, and western states, and it commemorates lord Rama's victory over Ravan at the end of Ramlila. In the famous Hindu epic Ramayana, Ravana kidnaps Rama's wife Sita in the Ramayana to take revenge on Rama and Lakshmana for cutting off Surpanakha's nose. In the end, Rama triumphs over Ravana and saves Sita. The triumph is then commemorated by the burning of the effigies of Ravana. The tenth day, Dussehra, is the end of Navratri's nine-day celebrations. According to another legend, Goddess Durga battled and killed Mahishasura on this day. The day is known as Vijayadashmi. The nine days leading up to Vijayadashami are dedicated to a different powerful manifestation of Goddess Durga.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Navratri, also called Durga Puja, is one of the major festivals in India. It is held in honor of the divine feminine. The festival is of nine days and nine nights is accompanied by dance, music, sweets, and worship of the most powerful goddess. During this festival, the nine avatars of Goddess Durga are worshiped each day.  One popular ritual of this festival is Kanya Puja. In this ritual, nine young girls are dressed as the nine goddesses portraying feminine power. They are worshiped with foot washing and are given offerings such as food and clothing. Navratri is celebrated differently in India’s various regions.  To know more about this festival, tune into our podcast. https://chimesradio.com/ http://onelink.to/8uzr4gSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is also known as ‘Vinayak Chavithi’.Lord Ganesha is considered to be a symbol of wisdom and good fortune. He is also addressed as Gajanana, Ganesh, Gajadant that are among his 108 names. This is a 10-day long festival. The festival is widely celebrated in the state of Maharashtra. People chant Ganapati Bappa Morya, paying respect to him.  Prayers are chanted, fasts are observed, and prasada (sweets) such as modaka, which is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh, are distributed. The festival concludes on the tenth day, when the idol is paraded through the streets and immersed in a nearby body of water.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.