'The whole world is but one family' - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Lord Hanuman and regard Him as the God of strength
and numerous people along with their families visit
temples to mark homage to Lord Hanuman on this
very festival. The celebrations are held at the world
famous Salasar and Mehndipur Temples in Rajasthan.
Lakhs of devotees come from all over to offer their
prayers to Lord Hanuman. A specially prepared Bhoga
or Prasad which is known as Churma is offered to
Lord Hanuman on this day. At many places specially
made chariots are taken out in procession by Bhajans
chanting groups.
Hanuman Chalisa
In Hindu mythology the described bravery and
prowess of Lord Hanuman is trusted and worshipped
by the Hindus with the recitation of the couplets of
Hanuman Chalisa. It is considered to be one of the
top most couplets ever written to scare away the evil.
Baisakhi
Baisakhi is a seasonal festival with a special accent.
It is celebrated on the first of Baisakh. This is the
time when harvest is gathered in and the farmer exults
in the fulfillment of his year’s hard work. He joins
the merry-making with full gusto and does not mind
walking for miles to be able to do so. Since this fair is
also an expression of prosperity, singing and dancing
constitute its most enchanting features. Punjab’s
famous Bhangra and Giddha are inextricably linked
with this festival. Many fairs in Punjab are held near
the tombs and shrines of Pirs. These fairs must have
originated in a spirit of devotion to those saints and
sages. The most famous among such fairs are the
Chhapar fair, the Jarag fair, and the Roshni fair of
Jagranyan. Baisakhi marks the beginning of New
Year, particularly in the northern part of India. It is
among the few Indian festivals that have a fixed date.
Baisakhi is always on April 13th. In Kerala, Baisakhi
is called as “Vishu” and in Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated
as “Puthandu”. Considered a holy day, the devout
celebrate Baisakhi with a dip in the holy rivers just
around the break of dawn. It is on this day that Sun
enters Aries, the first sign of Zodiac. This signifies
ushering of the New Year. In Punjab (the land of Green
Revolution) particularly and in the northern belt of
India in general, farmers perform their own prayers
and rejoice. On this day, they commence cutting their
harvest. The fields can be seen full of nature’s bounty.
Celebrations
Dressed in their typical folk attire, both men and
women, celebrate the day with Bhangra and Gidda.
Sweets are distributed, old enmities are forgiven and
life is full of joy, merriment and everyone seems to
enjoy. These are the main reasons for celebrating
Baisakhi. Baisakhi, however, has had a new dimension
added to it by Guru Gobind Singh. For it was on the
day of Baisakhi in 1669, that he established the Khalsa
Panth and gave a final impetus to the course of the
earlier nine Gurus of Sikhism. For the Sikhs the day
is a collective celebration of New Year along with the
commemoration of the founding of the Khalsa Panth
(Sikh brotherhood) by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
It also signifies the end of harvest of the main crop.
During Baisakhi the farmers give ‘thanks’ to the Lord
Almighty for their fortune and pray for a better crop
the next year. Baisakhi involves a lot of socialising
where friends and relatives are invited and delicious
meals are served. The holy book of the Sikhs, ‘Granth
Sahib’ is taken in a procession, led by the ‘Panj Pyaras’
(five senior Sikhs) who are symbolic of the original
leaders. The occasion is celebrated with great gusto
at Talwandi Sabo, where Guru Gobind Singh stayed
for nine months and completed the re-compilation of
the Guru Granth Sahib and in the Golden temple in
Amritsar. On Baisakhi day, water is drawn from all
the sacred rivers of India and poured into the huge
tank surrounding the golden temple.
Mahavir Jayanti
Mahavir Jayanti is regarded as the main Jain festival
of the year. The festival is celebrated in India to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira.
This year Mahavir Jayanti falls on 7th April. According
to the Digambar School of Jainism, Lord Mahavira
was born in the year 615 BC, but the Swetambaras
believe that He was born in 599 BC. But both the
sects believe that Mahavira was the son of Siddhartha
and Trisala. According to the legend, Devananda,
wife of a Brahmin named Rishabhdeva, conceived
him. The Gods, ingeniously, transferred the embryo
to the womb of Trisala. According to Swetambara
sect the expectant mother was believed to have seen
14 auspicious dreams. And according to Digambara
sect it was 16 dreams. The Astrologers interpreted
these dreams, stated that the child would be either an
Emperor or a Teerthankar.