FESTIVALS |
The Hindu calendar is called the Panchang. This lunisolar calendar based on the movements of the sun and the moon is very important in calculating the dates of festivals and auspicious times/days for performing various rituals.According to the Panchang, a year consists of the following 12 months–Chaitra, Vaishakha, Jyaistha, Ashadha, Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashwin, Kartika, Margashirsha, Pausha, Magha, Phalguna.
Each month is split into two fortnights (two pakshas) of 15 days. A month begins with the new moon called “Amavasya”. The waxing phase is called ShuklaPaksha and the waning phase the Krishna Paksha. The lunar days are called "tithis". Each month has 30 tithis, which may vary from 20 - 27 hours.
The festivals celebrated at Shri Vimleshwara Temple in Rivona are as follows: |
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Chaitra Month |
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Chaitra is first lunar month in the Hindu calendar. |
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Samvatsar (Saunsar) Pavdo or Yugadi:The Hindu New Year begins on Yugadi Day,the first day of the Chaitra month i.e. ChaitraShuklaPratipada. The newyear celebrations which heralds the advent of spring is also calledGudhiPadwa. |
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Ramnavami:Lord Rama was bornon the Navami day (9th day) of the ShuklaPakshain themonth of Chaitra. Each year this day is celebrated as birthday of Lord Rama. |
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VaishakhaMonth |
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Vaishakha is second lunar month in Hindu calendar. |
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Shankaracharya Jayanti:AdiShankaracharyaJayanti is the birth anniversary of Jagad Guru AdiShankaracharya, which falls on thePanchami day (5th day) of the ShuklaPaksha of the Vaisakha month. The 3 day Maharudra celebrations begin in the temple the same day. The 3 day Maharudra celebrations end on ShuddhaSaptami, which is also the day of Pindikotsava and Jeernodhara celebrations. |
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Vasanta Utsav:VasantUtsav is celebrated on the day of VaishakhaPoornima. |
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Shravana Month |
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Shravana is fifth lunar month in Hindu calendar. |
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Shravana month is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This whole month is considered auspicious to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. All Mondays or Somwar(s) which fall during Shravana month are considered highly auspicious.Many devotees fast during the month of Shravana and also sponsor celebrations in the Vimleshwara temple especially on Mondays (ShravanaSomwars). Palakhi procession is also a big part of the celebrations in the month of Shravana. |
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Ashwin Month |
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Ashwin is seventh lunar month in Hindu calendar. |
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Navrathri Ghatassthapana:Ghatassthapana celebrated on the first day of ShuklaPaksha in the month of Ashwin marks the beginning of nine days festivity of Navrathri. Ghatassthapana is the invocation of Goddess Shakti. |
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Mahanavami :Mahanavami celebrated on ShuddhaNavami marks the day when Goddess Durga killed Demon Mahishasura.One of the highlights of the Mahanavami celebration in the Vimleshwara temple is the Tarangautsav. The Taranga refers to a wooden pole (a wooden pestle) about 6 feet high which is wrapped with 9 colorful sarees and decked with marigold flowers. At the top of the wooden pole is a metallic mask adornment representing Lord Vimleshwara. This Taranga is placed on a wooden platform (patta) which is covered with rice grains.It is said that during the auspicious time of the Mahanavamiutsav, the spiritual energy in the Vimleshwara temple is summoned into the wooden pole for a brief time.After the aarti and prayers are performed, this Taranga stands by itself on the patta filled with rice grains without any support for a few minutes. It is said that in ancient times, when the spirit energy was invoked into the wooden pole, there would be a sharp sound and the Taranga would levitate by itself for a brief period of time. The TarangaUtsav is considered a very auspicious and important ceremony at the time of the Mahanavami festivities.The legacy of the Tarangautsav is attributed to Tamil poet saints (Alvars) who espoused Bhakti or devotion to God.
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Dassera:Dassera or Vijayadashamiutsavis celebrated on ShuddhaDashami (10th day) in the Ashwin month. This day represents a victory celebration of good over evil. On this day, the palkhi procession of Shri Shantadurga from the temple in Columbis welcomed into the premises of the Vimleshwara temple and then the Dassera celebrations begin in the temple. Dassera is celebrated with great fanfare in the temple. |
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Taranga Visarjan : The 13th day of the ShuklaPaksha in the month of Ashwin, is the day of Taranga Visarjan. |
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Diwali : Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated to honour Shri Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. Diwali celebrations start on the day of AshwinAmavasya.The Lakshmi-Kuberpooja is performed in the Vimleshwara temple, in the evening on the day of Diwal. |
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Kartika Month |
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Kartik month is the eighth month of the Hindu calendar. |
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Tulasi Vivah:TulsiVivah is the ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi plant (holy basil) to the Lord Vishnu or his avatar Krishna. It is celebrated on the 12th day of the ShuklaPakshain the month of Kartik. |
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Deepastamba pooja:On the day of KartikPoornima, the Deepastamba (Lamp-tower) in the temple premises is lit up with oil lamps after pooja and prayers. |
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Vanabhojan:Vanabhojan celebrations take place on the 1st day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. |
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Kala Utsav:Kala Utsav celebrations take place on the 3rd day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. |
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Margashirsha Month |
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Margashirsha month is ninth month in the Hindu calendar. |
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Kshretrapal Jatrotsav:Annual jatra celebrations are held in the premises of the Kshetrapal deity(guardian deity) temple on the day ofMargashirshaAmavasya. Local villagers gather for celebrations at the temple and perform pooja, aarti,naivadya etc. |
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Magha Month |
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Magha month is the 10th month in the Hindu calendar. |
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Satyanarayanpooja :In the month of Magha, Satyanarayanapooja celebrations are held in the temple of Shri Kamaleshwar in Rivona. Shri Kamaleshwara is one of the affiliate deities in the Vimaleshwara temple. |
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MahalaxmiVardhapan :MahalakshmiVardhapan is celebrated on the 6th day of the Krishna Paksha of the Magha month. |
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Mahashivarathri :Mahashivarathri -the grand night of Lord Shiva, is celebrated on the 14th day of the Krishna Paksha of the Magha month.Mahashivarathri is celebrated with great devotion and reverence by Hindus, in honor of Lord Shiva. Regarded as a very auspicious day, it is said that worshipping of Lord Shiva on Shivarathri bestows one with happiness and prosperity. It is one of the main festivals celebrated in Shri Vimleshwara temple. Celebrations are held throughout the night in the temple, which include pooja, aarti, and palakhi procession. |
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Phalgun Month |
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Phalgun month is the 12th month in the Hindu calendar. |
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GramPurushSamradhana :GramPurushrefers to the presiding deity in the village of Rivona. Once a year a festival is held in honor of the Gramadevata in which all the villagers take part. The 9th day of theShuklaPaksha in the month of Phalgun is the day of GramPurushSamradhana. |
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Holi :Holi, known as the festival of colors is celebrated by Hindus everywhere. It is regarded as the second biggest festival on the Hindu calendar after Diwali. It is celebrated on the day of Poornima in the month of Phalgun.This spring harvest festival glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. The festival of Holi called Shigmo in Goa is celebrated with fervor in many temples in Goa.
An important part of the festival celebrations in many temples in Goa is the performance of folk drama forms that narrate, often with songs and music, the stories of great epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and also project relevant, contemporary issues the society or the community is concerned with. The different forms of Goan folk drama are Jagar, Ranmale, Dashavatari, Kalo, Goulankala, Lalitkala and Rathkala. Some of these folk dramas and dances have a thousand year old tradition. These drama forms give local performers and artists a platform to showcase their talent.In the month of Kartik, KaloUtsav celebrated in Shri Vimleshwara temple includes the performance of nataks (folk dramas),bhajans and kirtans.
In the Shri Vimleshwar temple, the members of the Mahajan families have specific utsav days on which the family members come from near and afar to sponsor and partake in the utsav celebrations. TheMahajan family members sponsor many Shibikutsav’s in the temple throughout the year |
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