Archive for June, 2010
The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race Posted by kunthra on Jun 28, 2010
The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race commemorates Raja, and his journey by boat. Raja wanted to obtain an idol of Krishna for his new temple. He went to a village of Christians and was surprised by their devotion to help him. From then on Raja declared that there be a boat race festival, or so the…
The Ambubachi Mela Festival Posted by kunthra on Jun 25, 2010
The AmbubachiMela is a fertility festival celebrating the menstrual cycle of the goddess Kāmākhyā. The goddess Kāmākhyā is depicted as a young woman, with twelve arms and six heads (pictured below). Around this time of the year, devotees flock to the Kāmākhyā temple in Guwahati city, India. Devotees place a red cloth on a yoni…
The Hemis Festival Posted by kunthra on Jun 22, 2010
The Hemis Festival takes place in June, and culminates in a dance dedicated to the reincarnation of Buddha. The festival takes place in Hemis Monastery. Pilgrims flock to the festival because it is believed that watching the performance will bring good luck. The performance consists of a mask dance, where masked dancers dance to…
The Founding Fathers of India Posted by kunthra on Jun 19, 2010
On the twentieth of June, some Indians will be celebrating Father’s Day in India. In honor of Father’s Day, I’ve dedicated a post to a few founding fathers of India. All these founding fathers have one thing in common; they have all contributed to Indian society in one way or another. Probably the most famous…
Indian Football Posted by kunthra on Jun 16, 2010
Unfortunately, India failed to qualify for the World Cup Games 2010 in South Africa. However, that doesn’t mean Indians won’t be glued to the tv set for the next couple of weeks. Football is a game played in almost every Indian school, and almost every male Indian schoolchild has some memory of playing it. Although…
Marriage Law Posted by kunthra on Jun 13, 2010
The Indian government has proposed a new law that would make “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” as a cause of divorce. The new law would make it easier for one party to obtain a divorce without the consent of the other party. This new law is creating a controversy in India, and both proponents and opponents…
Hindi Literature Posted by kunthra on Jun 10, 2010
Hindi literature spans a multitude of genres and themes. For instance, Veer Gatha Kaal (वीरगाथा काल) (1050-1375) is a period in Hindi literature praising the exploits of warriors and gods in epic poetry. Vidyapati Thakur is a famous poet of this period. He’s written poetry about love, Lord Shiva and nature. For instance, Bhakti Kaal (भक्तिकाल) (1375-1700) is…