Tag Archives: India Culture & Traditions Q&A

The main religious significance of Diwali is to forgive and forget, to clear the mind of evil and reflect over the past year’s events. In preparation for Diwali, house and shops are scrubbed clean and doorsteps are decorated with multi-colored designs called ‘Rangoli‘. Houses are painted inside and outside. New pots and pans are bought. Even the animals are washed, …

Diwali, ‘Festival of Lights’, is celebrated with great fervor and gaiety. Diwali is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, throughout the country to dispel darkness and light up their lives. The festival symbolizes unity in diversity as every state celebrates it in its own special way. The celebration of the four-day festival commences on Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdasi and …

Diwali is the one Hindu festival that unites the whole of India. It is traditionally known as the “festival of lights”, for the common practice is to light small oil lamps (called diyas) and place them around the home, in courtyards, gardens, verandahs, on the walls built around the home and also on the roof tops. In cities, especially, candles …

While a furious battle between Rama and Ravana was under way, the great rishi Agastya came close to Rama and told him about the secret as to how Ravana would be killed and told Rama to pray the Sun in order to kill the demon king of Lanka. Then Rama prayed the Sun, and purified himself with water-sipping, and was …

It is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram but not the Islamic month. It is also called Yaumu-l ‘Ashurah, or simply Ashura meaning, ‘the tenth day’. It is well-known because of historical significance and mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic …

Every year in mid-summer, Lord Jagannath, with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes on vacation, traveling on grand chariots, from his temple in Puri, to his garden palace in the countryside. This belief of the Hindus has given rise to one of the biggest religious festivals in India – the Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival. This is …

What every Indian should know about the Islamic doctrine that prophesizes Islamic rule over India and the conversion of all Hindus to Islam As per Tarek Fatah: The issue of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (Islam’s Prophetic War against India) came up for discussion on my new talk show in India on Zee News. Two facts emerged: First Islamic clerics didn’t wish to discuss …

Palm Sunday is the first Day of Holy Week. It is when Christians remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem (Israel) riding on a donkey. It is called Palm Sunday because the people were so happy to see Jesus and knew that he was very important, so they took branches from the Palm and Olive Trees that lined the road. They waved …

Lava and Kusha were the two sons of Rama and Sita who were born while Sita was staying in the hermitage of the great sage Valmiki. The birth of the two sons of Rama was described in the Uttara Kanda of Ramayana. While Rama ruled the kingdom of Ayodhya with peace and prosperity, Sita, dwelling at the hermitage of Valmiki gave …

Lord Rama had three brothers; Lakshman, Shatrughna and Bharata. Dasharatha was a descendant of Raghu and was the father of Rama, the heroic prince of the Ramayana and an avatara of the god Vishnu according to Hindu tradition. Dasharatha had three wives namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Lakshman and Shatrughna were the sons of …