Fair & Festivals Tour of India
Holi Festival
Date: 22 March 2008
Is the most boisterous of all Hindu festivals, observed all over the North. It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of the Spring. The night before the full moon, crowds of people gather together and light huge bonfires to burn the residual dried leaves and twigs of the winter. People throw coloured water and
powders (gulal and kumkum) at each other and make merry. Singing and dancing add to the gaiety of the occasion.
In the northern, western as well as eastern regions, Holi celebrates the joyful raasleela of Krishna and the gopis. They play phag which is a game of many colourful hues. It is a joyous celebration of the rejuvenation of nature, and renewed hope of happiness and peaceful coexistence. Especially famous is the Lathmaar Holi of Barsana and Nandgaon. In Anandpur Sahib, Sikhas celebrate a special festival Hola Mohalla on the day after Holi . It marks a display of ancient martial arts and mock battles.
Holi is also an occasion for the celebration of the burning of Kama, the Hindu cupid, with the fire that emanated from Lord Shiva's third eye
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Orrisa comes alive in the month of June and July because this is the time 
when the famous Jagannath Rath Yatra takes place in Puri. People from all across Orrisa and from various parts of India come to take part in this auspicious occasion. Orrisa witnesses the inflow of about 7 to 10 lakhs of pilgrims during this Car Festival. Foreigners also enthusiastically participate in the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra.
The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgr../images of the Hindus. The procession commemorates the journey of lord Krishna to Mathura, leaving behind grieving Gopis. The massive procession begins at Jagdish temple in Jamalpur. The main chariots are dedicated to lord Krishna, his brother Balaram and sister Subadhra, followed by colourfully decorated elephants, trucks, motor vehicles, pilgrims on foot, acrobats and gymnasts. The significance of this procession is that Lord Jagannath, his brother and sister makes a visit at the garden house, Gundecha Ghar, for five days, also visiting his aunt on the way. At the end of the five days, the three siblings are brought back to the Jagannath temple in a procession called the Ultarath
.
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Pongal Festival
In the South Sankranti becomes Pongal. It is a celebration of the harvest which is observed for three days
in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andhra Pradesh. The first day is the Bhogi Pongal which is celebrated as a family festival. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the Sun (surya) when pongal (rice cooked in milk and jaggery) is boiled by women and offered to the sun. Friends greet one another by asking "Is it boiled?" and the answer given is "It is". It is followed by great rejoicing.
Mattu Pongal, the third day, is a day dedicated to the worship and veneration of cattle(mattu). The pongal that has been offered to the local deities is given to the cattle to eat. The cattle are bathed and decorated. Coloured balls of the pongal are also made and left in the open for birds. In Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore, a kind of bullfight, called the "Jellikattu" is held. Bundles containing money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and unarmed villagers try to wrest the bundles from them. With ingredients provided by the freshly gathered harvest, community meals are held at night
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