Fasts, Fairs and Festivals

                                      Fasts, Fairs and Festivals



    The entire structure of indian life is built on ever-enduring spiritual realities, on the eternal values, on truth and laws discerned and discovered by the ancient Indian sages. Fasts, Fairs and festivals were intended mainly for maintaining the body and mind health.

In ancient time, people had all the time and nothing too much to work for. So seers and thinkers deviced ways to keep their ( common people 's ) body and mind busy with good thoughts to prevent the idle man's mind from becoming devil's workshop. Infact, all the days of the week were dedicated to the worship of the various deities for the fulfilment of various desires like Monday dedicated to Lord Shiva, Tuesday to Hanuman, Kartikeya, Wednesday to Vishnu, Thursday to Dakshinamurthy ( Shiva in the form of preceptor ), Friday to Goddesses and Saturday to Venkateshvara ( Vishnu ), Hanuman and Saturn and Sunday to the god Sun. Apart from this, different periods of time of the day are allotted as auspicious for starting and doing different activities of men. The eleventh day of every fortnight was given for observing fasts. Modern medical science also admits the necessity of fast once a while for detoxification of the body. Feeding birds and animals, treating guests with honour and study of scriptures were a daily affair.

Fairs are also a sort of worship around pilgrimage centres. Fairs apart from being a religious worship, served as centres for trade of articles, cattle and other things and for recreation and fun rides on animals like camel, elephant and merry go round wheel and games. Festivals are held at regular intervals taking into account the planetary conjunction especially the position of moon. It is a well-known fact that mind is influenced by the moon. On full moon days festivals are organized at temples by group participation in dance and music, as a part of worsip of the god to sublimate the turbulent mind. And the new-moon day is devoted to the remembrance of the departed ancestors. Major festivals mark the change of seasons. Accordingly the new produces from the fields are offered as 'prasad ' ( offering) to the deities as a gesture of gratitude and partaken by all poor and rich. Different festivals are devoted to different deities. The striking factor is the variety in celebration and offerings giving delight to the palate with a solid logic and scientific basis.

Thus religius worship happily gives way to an upsurge of a celebration of life as it becomes aeriod of intense soul searching digging out age- old social customs, musical and fashion traditions and cultural roots and observing them to the tiniest detail.

Festivals form one of the most important components of this strong structure of life and each festival carves in itself a multifold purpose.
1 A deep spiritual import.
2 A many sided hygienic activity - Bath in the early morning personal hygiene, cleaning the house and premises outside to maintain the atmosphere pure, free from germs.
3   A high social significance -  Equal participation by all promotes brotherhood. Economy is also given a boost as small vendors put shops to sell the articles needed and get a chance to earn money.
4     Preserving and fostering family-bond-relationship.
5  an ample measure of individual mirth and joy thus driving away fatigue and stress and adding freshness and spice to life.

On these days of festivals  people engaged in various kinds of job and work find much needed relief and the necessary atmosphere for religius thought, reflection and activity. Every festival reminds them of the glory of God all around and the need for God -realization and thus temds their mind towards the things of enduring value. The stories of Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Durga and others have always been sources of great spiritual inspiration, encouragement and advancement in moulding of life, conduct and character of the Indians. Some festivals are celebrated enriching the relationship of sister-brother, wife-husband, student-teacher. So through these, the highest standard of conduct and ideal of life is inculcated into the minds of the masses. Annual festivals spread out throughout the year and the current of the spiritual thought and ideal is constantly kept up throughout the year. Thus they serve to purify the body and heart of the worshippers.