Religious Festivals Janmastami ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Janmastami (also known as Krishnastami or Gokulastami) is a festival dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna and commemorates his birth. Read More... Radhasthami ~ Romola Butalia Radhasthami, celebrated for the birth of Sri Radha is closely associated with the divine mystery of Sri Radha-Krishna. The context and spiritual significance of some of the associated legends. Read More... Guru Purnima ~ Romola Butalia Guru Purnima is celebrated in honour of the birth of Maharishi Veda Vyasa who compiled the four Vedas, authored the Brahma Sutras, wrote the 18 Puranas... Read More... Ganesh Chaturthi ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Ganesh-Chaturthi is the festival devoted to Ganesh the elephant-headed God. Read More... Nagapanchami ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Nagapanchami is a festival dedicated to the snake-god. It occurs on the fifth day (panchami) of the fortnight as is evident from it's name. Read More... Sri Ramanavami ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Sri-Ramnavami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama. It occurs on the ninth day (navami). The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign... Read More... Diwali - the Festival of Lights ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Diwali or Deepaavali means an Array of Lamps (Deep = Lamp, Vali =Array) Lamp, Vali =Array). This is one of the major festivals in the Hindu calendar. Read More... Basant Panchami ~ Romola Butalia It marks the end of winter and the advent of spring: a new beginning. Also celebrated as Saraswati Puja, the goddess of learning and wisdom is worshipped. Read More... Festival Calendar Festivals in India are commemorated with great passion, seemingly as a celebration of life itself. Rich in its cultural inheritance, festivals are an intrinsic part of the Indian ethos. Read More... Holi - Festival of Colour ~ Romola Butalia A spring harvesting festival, Holi is celebrated with gaiety and wild abandon. Read More... Mahashivaratri ~ Sudheer Birodhkar Mahashivaratri is associated with Shiva - the Lord of Mount Kailas who is portrayed as the Destroyer in the Hindu trinity (trimurti) along with Brahma (the Creator) and Vishnu (the Preserver). Read More... Kumbha Mela Legends of Kumbha ~ Romola Butalia A Kumbha procession defies description - it must be experienced to be known. It is heralded by the conjunction of planets at an auspicious time and place, and it is the convergence of a spiritual energy that has it's own compelling power. Read More... Ujjain Snan (Bathing Dates), 2004 ~ Romola Butalia The Simhastha will begin with the first bathing date on April 05 and end with the shahi snan on May 05, 2004. Read More... Simhastha at Ujjain ~ Romola Butalia Ujjain, on the banks of the sacred Shipra river, is in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in central India. Here, the Simhastha is celebrated every 12 years. This is also the centre of Hindu timekeeping. Read More... Sadhu-Sanyasins at the Kumbha ~ Romola Butalia Adi Shankaracharya classified the Adwaitvadi Sannyasins into ten groups : Giri, Puri, Bharti, Tirtha, Wan, Aranya, Parwat, Ashram, Sagar and Saraswati. This organisation is known as Dashnami Sangh. Read More... Regional Festivals Festivals of Jammu & Kashmir The tradition of collective celebration continues with every occasion, be it a wedding, birth, harvesting or even the flowering of plants and is marked by community celebration with dancing and singing of folk songs. Read More... Festivals of Kumaon Numerous fairs and festivals are celebrated all over Uttaranchal every year. The Kumaon hills celebrate their own festivals apart from the usual ones. Read More... Festivals of Rajasthan Rajasthan with its aura of romance and history is the land of colourful festivals and fairs. Read More... Festivals of Sikkim Costumed lamas with gaily painted masks, ceremonial swords and sparkling jewels, leap and swing to the rhythm of resounding drums, trumpeting horns and chanting monks. Read More... Festivals of Goa Goa celebrates festivals with gusto. In the midst of a year round atmosphere of festivity, here is a list of special festivals. Read More... Festivals of Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu is a land of many festivals. January marks the festival season in the state.

Karwa Chauth Karwa Chauth is a fast undertaken by married Hindu women who offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, well-being, and longevity of their husbands. It is said to have an extraordinary observance rate among married Hindu women. Following a bath early in the morning, well before dawn, the woman adorns new clothes and partakes of a meal of very select grains and fruit. For the remainder of the day, the woman is bound to abstain from food and even water, though the more strict rules of observance are not always kept. In the text-book version of this fast, various items including a karwa, an earthen pot with a spout, are collected and worship is offered to Siva and Parvati. In principle, the fast is not to be broken until the moon is sighted at night, and an elderly woman in the house is supposed to narrate the story of Karwa Chauth before the fast is terminated. It may well be a cloudy night; the moon may not be sighted; what then? Is the married woman to forgo her food until such time as the moon appears, howsoever long or howsoever many days that may be? In urban areas, as almost all children can attest, they are sent to the roof-top to see if the moon is visible; and if it is sighted, the news spreads quickly through the neighborhood, and women are seen making their way to the rooftop, where an offering of water and flowers renders the worship complete. Gandhi has some interesting observations on the performance of the Chaturmas fast by his mother. He narrates in his autobiography (Part I, ch. 1) that, like the other children, he was eager to inform his mother of the appearance of the sun [not the moon in this case] even when it had not been sighted, as he could not bear to see his mother suffer from want of food; however, Putlibai, whose devotion and discipline were not so easily shaken, insisted that she herself had to sight the sun. In this matter, as in many others, an extraordinary inequity obtains in the relations between men and women. It scarcely requires a feminist to point out that married Hindu men are not obliged to observe a similar fast in the interest of prolonging the prosperity, happiness, and longevity of their wives. Indeed, in many if not most Hindu households, the wife serves food to her husband and her children (if any) as she might on any other occasion, and the husband is scarcely required to forgo his customary dietary needs and pleasures. On the other hand, the nearly universal acquiescence of married Hindu women to this practice can by no means be adduced, as it often is among Hindu conservatives and alleged upholders of Hindu tradition, as an example of the fidelity and selflessness of Hindu women, the resilience of Hindu family values, and the tranquillity of the Hindu home. As it behooves the patriarch to understand that a tempest might be brewing in a teapot, so the feminist may well ask if the Karwa Chauth may only be read as an unequivocal sign of women's submission. Relying on old associations between nature and woman, are we not entitled to view the Karwa Chauth as a reminder of our ecological responsibility to the earth and equally as a warning of our failure to abide by this responsibility? The recent, and enormously popular, Hindi film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge offers a benign compromise and less subtle reading. Here, as the bride-to-be partakes (as she should not in her position as a virgin) of the Karwa Chauth, her beloved, who has yet to contrive his marriage to her and so free her of the burden of the wedding that is being imposed on her, similarly abstains from food and water. Such feelings of equity are, however, represented as natural to those in the first flush of love, and the politics of this representation is such as to avoid a more serious inquiry into a wholly gendered practice.                The Origin of Deepavali   According to Ramayana, Deepavali commemorates the return of Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita and Lakshman after killing the Ravan, a demon king. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and fireworks to celebration of the return of their king. In rural areas, Deepavali signifies Harvest Festival. Deepavali which occurs at the end of a cropping season has along with the above custom, a few others that reinforce the hypothesis of its having originated as a harvest. Every harvest normally spelt prosperity. The celebration was first started in India by farmers after they reaped their harvests. They celebrated with joy and offered praises to God for granting them a good crop. During the reign of Emperor Prithu, there was a worldwide famine. He ordered that all available cultivatable lands be ploughed.When the rains came, the land became very fertile and grains were planted. The harvest provided food not only to feed all of India, but for all civilisation. This harvest was close to Deepavali time and was a good reason to celebrate Deepavali with great joy and merriment by a wider community. When Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasur on the day before Deepavali, the news of it travelled very rapidly throught the land.It gave people who were already in a joyful mood, another reason for celebrating Deepavali with greater pride and elaboration. In the Adi Parva of the Mahabarat , the Pandavas returned from the forest during Deepavali time. Once more, the celebrations extended beyond the boundaries of India to wherever Hindus lived. In Sikh perspective, Deepavali is celebrated as the return of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji from the captivity of the city, Gwalior. History states two commonly known reasons for his imprisonment. One is that the Muslim Raja approached Guru Hargobind Ji upon his entering Gwalior and told the Guru to denounce his Sikh religion and to join the Muslim faith. With the intention of utilizing the Gurus great strength and fearlessness needed in battles. Being outraged by this request, the Guru rejected his proposition. In retaliation he captured the Guru and held him against his will. But eventually the Guru managed to free himself of this unjust imprisonment and returned to his beloved town of Amritsar. To commemorate his undying love for Sikhism, the townspeople lit the way to, Harmandhir Sahib (referred to as the Golden Temple), in his honour. It is on the same day of Amavasya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, that leonine sanyasin who was one of the first to light the torch of Hindu Renaissance during the last century, passed into Eternity. Swami Ramatirtha who carried the fragrance of the spiritual message of Hindu Dharma to the western world, also passed into eternity. The lights kindled on this day also mark the attempt of their followers to immortalize the sacred memories of those great men who lived to brighten the lives of millions of their fellow beings. The passage of these great men have indeed brought the national-cum-spiritual tradition of Deepavali right up to modern times.   Celebration: In Punjab, the day following Deepavali is known as tikka when sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an auspicious mark on their brothers foreheads as a symbolic gesture to ward off all harm. In North India on the day of the Deepavali the children emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers. Likewise, on the second day of the month of Kartik, the people of Maharashtra exchange gifts. In Maharashtra, it is the thirteenth day of Ashwin, the trayodasi, that is observed as a festival commemorating a young prince whom Yama, the God of Death, had claimed four days after his marriage. Filled, however, with compassion for the luckless youth, the legend goes, Yama promised that those who observed the day would be spared untimely deathand so the lamps that are lit to mark the festival are placed facing south, unlike on other festive days, because south is the direction mythologically assigned to Yama. Among the Jain festivals, Deepavali is one of the most important one. For on this occasion we celebrate the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira who established the dharma as we follow it. Lord Mahavira was born as Vardhamana on Chaitra Shukla 13 in the Nata clan at Khattiya-kundapura, near Vaishali. He obtained Kevala Gyana on Vishakha Shukla 10 at the Jambhraka village on the banks of Rijukula river at the age of 42. He initiated his shaashan (Jaina-shashana) on Shravana KrashNa 1 at his first assembly at Rajgrah. After having preached the dharma for 30 years, he attained Nirvana at Pava, at the age of 71 years and 6 and half months. For the Bengalis, it is the time to worship Goddess Kali , yet another form of Durga, the divine embodiment of supreme energy. KALI is the Goddess who takes away darkness. She cuts down all impurities, consumes all iniquities, purifies Her devotees with the sincerity of Her Love. Tradition: Deepavali is supposed to be a corruption of the word Deepavali, the literal meaning of which in Sanskrit is a row of lamps. Filling little clay lamps with oil and wick and lighting them in rows all over the house is a tradition that is popular in most regions of the country. In the north, most communities observe the custom of lighting lamps. However, in the south, the custom of lighting baked earthen lamps is not so much part of this festival as it is of the Karthikai celebrations a fortnight later. The lights signify a welcome to prosperity in the form of Lakshmi, and the fireworks are supposed to scare away evil spirits. For the grown-ups, there is also a custom of indulging in gambling during Deepavali. It is all in fun, though, in a spirit of light-hearted revelry, and merrymaking. The children can be seen bursting fire crackers and lighting candles or earthen lamps. This is a time of generously exchanging sweets with neighbors and friends. Puffed rice and sugar candy are the favorite fares. Deepavali is a time for shopping, whether for gifts or for adding durable items to ones own household. The market soarseverything from saffron to silver and spices to silks. Yet, symbolic purchases are to be made as part of tradition during Deepavali. Whatever may be the fables and legends behind the celebrations of Deepavali, all people exchange sweets, wear new clothes and buy jewellery at this festive time. Card parties are held in many homes. Deepavali has become commercialised as the biggest annual consumer spree because every family shops for sweets, gifts and fireworks. However, in all this frenzy of shopping and eating, the steady, burning lamp is a constant symbol of an illuminated.   CHHATH FESTIVAL Location : Bihar Dedicated to : Sun God. Held in : The months of October-November. Period Of Celebration : 4 days. THE COLOURFUL FESTIVAL Though there are many festivals that are celebrated by the Hindus of Bihar, but there is one Hindu festival that is uniquely Bihari, and that is the festival of Chhath. Observed mostly by the people of North Bihar, it is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and therefore, is also known as SuryaShashti. Chhath is considered to be a means to thank the Sun for bestowing the bounties of life on earth, as also for fulfilling particular wishes. The word Chhath denotes the number six and thus the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, corresponding to late October and mid November, depending on the year. It is one of the holiest festivals for Biharis and extends for four days. Beliefs : There is a popular belief that all the desires of the devotees are always fulfilled during Chhath. Also, an element of fear is present among the devotees who dread the punishment for any misdeed during Chhath. The city remains safe and experiences peace during this time when criminals too prefer to be a part of the good. The Days Of Festivity : The festival of Chhath is unique to Bihar and is marked by 4 day long celebrations and rituals. Day 1: To wash away their sins, the devotees take a dip, preferably in the holy river Ganges and bring the river water to prepare the offerings. Day 2: The devotees observe a fast for the whole day, which is broken in late evening, after performing worship at home. The offerings - typically a porridge of rice, puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) and bananas - are distributed among family and visiting friends and relatives. Day 3: It is spent preparing the offerings at home during the day. In the evening the devotees move to a riverbank or a pond. There, the offerings are made to the setting sun. At nightfall, the devotees along with the family and friends return home where another colorful celebration takes place. Under a canopy of sugar cane sticks, clay elephants containing earthen lamps, and containers full of the offerings, are placed. There the fire god is worshipped. Day 4: On the final day of the festivities of the grand festival, again the devotees, family and friends, move to the riverbank. Offerings are made to the rising sun, this time. At the completion of the offerings, there is great celebration. The devotees break their fast and the rich offerings are made to all the people around. The Festivities And The Rituals: Chhath is a very joyous and colorful festival. All the people dress up in their best and new clothes are a must. Clothes have to be unstitched and people sleep on the floor. Loud and devotional music reverberates in the air, purifying the whole atmosphere. Folk songs are sung both at home and on the riverbank. Millions of people throng the banks of river Ganges, In Patna. All the people are busy merry making. The streets are kept spotlessly clean by bands of volunteers, who also decorate all streets leading to the river with colorful festoons, ribbons, and banners. The offerings of deep fried and sweet rolls of stone ground wheat flour, grapefruit, whole coconuts, bananas, and grains of lentils are also very peculiar. These items are contained in small, semicircular pans woven out of bamboo strips.   Strict saltless vegetarian menu is observed (even onions and garlic are considered unwanted during the entire festival period), all earthen vessels are reserved for the period only and all possible purity of food is adhered to. The Places Of Activity: Renowned for their sun temples, in Aurangabad, Villages of Madhubani and Baragaon near Nalanda, are abuzz with activity. These are the places where the Chhath in Bihar can best be seen. The temple at Deo faces west, unlike other sun temples in India that face East, and during the festival time it is the most crowded place. Forgetting all the barriers of caste, creed and colour, all the devotees throng the banks of the river to offer their prayers to the Sun god. Bringing to the fore the jubilation and festive gaiety of the people.

 

Ganpati Festival The annual festival in honor of Ganesh or Ganapati, the elephant-headed deity who is known as the remover of obstacles and the god of auspiciousness, has been observed for at least 250 years, and perhaps at least since the twelfth century. It was at first an affair that lasted for two days or less, but by the middle part of the eighteenth century, in the reign of Madhavrao (1761-72), it began to be celebrated over six days. The modern history of the Ganapati festival dates back to 1894, when the Maratha politician and Indian nationalist, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, lionized as Lokamanya, or "Beloved of the People", gave it a distinct political face. Though the festival had largely been a private affair, where each family purchased an idol of Ganesh and then took it out in procession on Ganesh Chaturthi before immersing it in the river, pond, or tank, it had not been without its public and community aspect, since often several families joined in the procession, or otherwise pooled together their resources to buy a larger-sized idol. But one of Tilaks achievements was to make the Ganapati festival the vehicle, so to speak, for the aspirations of the Maratha people as well as those of other Indians who desired independence from British tutelage. Henceforth, the Ganapati festival was to become a largely public affair. The precise innovations introduced by Tilak consisted in making the Ganapati festival into a community-based enterprise. Subscriptions were collected on behalf of a residential area, market, or organization for the purchase of large idols of Ganesh, which were then placed on pavilions (mandaps) and made the object of collective worship. Secondly, whereas previously immersions had taken place on various days of the festival, Tilak sought to have all the immersions take place on the tenth and final day. Thirdly, various song-and-dance parties were attached to each mandap, and more often than not, the songs had strong political overtones. Fourthly, some of the mandaps were themselves made the site of political plays, and groups of young boys and men, who dressed in military uniform and shouted political slogans, staged marches in the community that was hosting the mandap. In this manner, Tilak sought to link the Ganapati festival to his political agenda, and as his newspaper Kesari openly editorialized (8 September 1896): "This work [of political education] will not be as strenuous and expensive as the work of the Congress. The educated people can achieve results through these national festivals which it would be impossible for the Congress to achieve. Why shouldnt we convert the large religious festivals into mass political rallies? Will it not be possible for political activities to enter the humblest cottages of the villages through such means?" Within two years, the Ganapati festival in its new form had been widely accepted across the Marathi-speaking parts of the Bombay Presidency, and Bombay, Nasik, Sattara, and other cities were to follow Punes example. But the politicization of the festival was to invite the attention of the British government, which though at first inclined to view the developments as devoid of much political significance, was soon to take the position that many of the active participants in the festival had little interest in religious affairs, but were certainly interested in fomenting political unrest. As long as the festival had been intended, as the British believed, to turn the Hindus away from Muharram, in which Hindu participation had not been an insignificant factor, they were not disposed to interfere; but when the festival took on "the character of an annual anti-Government eruption", to quote the words of the Bombay Police Commissioner in 1910, it was felt necessary to take some action. Moreover, the transformation of the festival was seen as an attempt by the Brahmins to regain their traditional leadership roles, and the British thought they also detected in this enterprise a glorification of the martial traditions associated with Shivaji and the Marathas. Consequently, by 1910, the Ganapati festival would be severely curtailed on the governments orders. In its present form, the Ganapati festival, which is best observed in Pune or Bombay (now Mumbai), retains to a very large degree the characteristics with which it was endowed by Tilak. The festival is observed for ten days, and immersions of the deity are carried out over the last twenty-four hours of the festival, and the honor of the last immersions, when immense crowds are gathered, falls to the most well-known or affluent communities. Pavilions are put up by various communities, residential blocks, streets, markets, wealthy merchants or industrialists, and organizations, and an image, usually quite lavish, of Ganesh is placed on each mandap. But political themes might predominate, as they did in 1999, when the sacrifice of the Indian soldier upon the heights of Kargil was repeatedly evoked. In one particular mandap in Pune by the name of "Vijay Maruti", an elaborate set featuring an assault upon one of the mountain tops where Pakistani soldiers had taken a commanding position provided the spectators with a live representation of the conflict and the eventual triumph of Indian forces. Thus, once again, in the Ganapati festival the interests of the nation-state are conjoined with patriotism as well as devotion to the deity. Notwithstanding its politicization, the Ganapati festival is an extraordinary testimony to the public place of religion in Indian life, the liveliness of Indian communities, the splendors of street life, the strength of popular artistic and artisan traditions, and the glorious malleability of one beloved Indian deity. Dussehra The effigies of Ravana and Meghnada in the community park at Sheikh Sarai, south Delhi. Ravana and his companions are proceeding in a float atop a truck, and he is shown taking a swig from a Pepsi bottle: evil finds evil! The truck winds its way through the streets of Sheikh Sarai, a community in south Delhi; when it arrives at the local park, Ravana will be engaged in battle with Rama and be defeated. The effigies are burnt at sunset. Though known by different Rama over Ravana, or the orces "good" over the forces of "evil". Large effigies of the ten-headed Ravana, the king of Lanka who abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and was subsequently vanquished in battle, are burnt as the sun goes down; on either side of him are the slightly smaller effigies of Meghnada, the son of Ravana, and Kumbhakarna, the full brother of Ravana whose name has become a household word in India for lethargy and laziness. (It is said that Kumbhakarna slept for six months and would then stay awake for a full day, no doubt to replenish himself.) The festival lasts ten days, and most communities celebrate it with great fanfare. During the festival, the Ramleela, or the story of Rama, is enacted by professional dance companies and amateur troupes. On the last day of the festival, young men and small boys, dressed as Rama, his brother Lakshman, Ravana, and other players in the drama, proceed through the streets of the community as part of a float that is sometimes quite elaborate. Rama and Ravana engage in battle; Ravana is defeated. Then Rama fires an arrow into the huge effigies of Meghnada and Kumbhakarna, stuffed -- as is the effigy of Ravana -- with crackers and explosives; finally an arrow is shot into Ravana's effigy, to the encouraging shouts of "Ramchandra ki jai", "Victory to Rama", and a large explosion ripples through the sky. In Bengal, Dusshera is celebrated as Durga Puja. Idols of the goddess Durga are worshipped for nine days, and on the tenth day immersed in a body of water, such as a river or pond. In Mysore, caparisoned elephants lead a colorful procession through the streets of the city. Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) The annual "festival" of Raksha Bandhan, which is meant to commemorate the abiding ties between siblings of opposite sex, usually takes place in late August, and is marked by a very simple ceremony in which a woman ties a rakhi which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative string around the wrist of her brother(s). The word "raksha" signifies protection, and "bandhan" is an association signifying an enduring sort of bond; and so, when a woman ties a rakhi around the waist of her brother, she signifies her loving attachment to him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bonds between them, and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her. The thread-tying ceremony is sometimes preceded by the woman conducting aarti before her brother, so that the blessings of God may be showered upon him, and this is to the accompaniment of her enunciation or chanting of a mantra, which may be in Sanskrit or one of the other Indian languages. In Punjabi, for instance, the mantra says: "Suraj shakhan chhodian / Mooli chhodia beej / Behen ne rakhi bandhi / Bhai tu chir jug jee", which can be roughly translated as follows: "The sun radiates its sunlight / the radish seeds / I (the sister) tied the rakhi / brother, may you live long." After the conclusion of the ceremony, she places a sweet in her mouth, and he might return the gesture. The brother bestows a small gift upon his sister, generally in the form of a small sum of money, such as Rupees 51, 101, 251, or 501. It is doubtless possible, from a feminist perspective, to view raksha bandhan as another expression of patriarchal culture, however well-intentioned. It is, after all, the brother who extends his protection to his sister, and the woman who, in a manner of speaking, agrees to place herself under the protection of her brother. Against such a reading, one could well argue that the festival seeks to celebrate simply the affectionate ties between siblings of opposite sex, and that the brother-sister nexus is, comparatively speaking, innocent. This is scarcely to say that the relationship is devoid of power, or that there are not habitual practices and customs which define the relationship. But the real significance of raksha bandhan may lie elsewhere. Though it has been common in most societies for the woman to leave her natal home at marriage for her husbands home, in India this is firmly entrenched as a social practice, and has often had undesirable consequences. Women who are subjected to harassment or life-threatening behavior on account of dowry by the husbands family have often been reluctant to return to their natal home, and similarly parents are reluctant to take back their married daughters on account of the immense stigma attached to the return of a married daughter. There is ample evidence to suggest that the problem of dowry has unquestionably been aggravated by the social sanction placed upon married daughters residing in their natal home. Consequently, raksha bandhan can be viewed as an occasion for reasserting a womans ties to her natal home. The brother conveys a message to his sister that she has not been abandoned by her biological kin; similarly, the woman conveys a message to her husbands family that she can well count upon her natal family to come to her assistance. Though in principle raksha bandhan is an observance between biological siblings of the opposite sex, the practice often extends more generally to people of the opposite sex who are not biologically related, or who are not related as siblings. On raksha bandhan day, a number of women may tie the rakhi around the Prime Ministers wrist (unless the Prime Minister be a woman), and similarly soldiers can expect to have women tie rakhis around their wrists. Thus, from ads placed on the occasion of raksha bandhan in the Times of India (Mumbai, 25 August 1999), col. 3: "Lets break the traditions of Sisters sending Rakhis to their Brothers this time and approach the widows of Kargil Heroes with Rakhis to tie", and "Let us all send a Thread to our Brave Soldiers in Kargil so that they shred their Pakistan opponents. Satnam Kaur." Everywhere, especially in north and western India, females might tie a rakhi around the wrist of boys and men without sisters. A man might acquire a muh boli behen, that is a sister who in every respect is such except in biological fact; or a woman may tie a rakhi around the wrist of her male first cousin who is without sisters. Imagining a person of the opposite sex as a sibling is certainly one way of obscuring the problem of sexual desire, and Indian texts are rife with the observation that men should look upon women as their sisters and mothers. Raksha bandhan is not entirely a pious affair, though sentimentality doubtless prevails. It has, thankfully, also become an occasion for some jest, humor, and mild ribaldry. Rakhi advertisements from the Times of India, Mumbai (25 August 1999), suggest that some men construe "raksha bandhan" truly as an occasion for taking their responsibilities as a protective brother seriously, as in this advertisement which deploys the familiar metaphor of the sheltering banyan tree: "Your Brother Banyan Tree will protect 5 branches Saroja, Vijaya, Laxmi, Thangam, Lalitha on auspicious Raksha Bandhan Day. A.R. Parshuram" (col. 3). A similar sentiment, with the sacred as its central trope, is expressed by this woman: "Dear Brother. Accept my blessing and affection through this sacred thread which tightens our relationship better" (col. 6). The supposition that a sister stands in place of a mother comes across in some ads: "Dear Sister Ruta, they say mothers couldnt be everywhere everytime, so God made sisters. Ani" (col. 5), and "My Loving Sister, for me youre like both mother & father. Youre next to God & your love is next to Divinity. Rays of your love & blessings enlivened me like Rays of the Ultimate. Symbol of love & sacrifice, I adore your feet today. Deeyech" (col. 7). But alongside the expression of these more conventional sentiments, one might consider the humor of the ad from one "Feh": "Dear Bro. Nirlek. You are the perfect Brother to have good height, strong built, lots of money, and no brain" (col. 5), or the lampooning of Indias family planning programs: "Adarniya [Respected] Bachelor Pradhanmantriji [Prime Minister] no solution for population control? Try popularising Raksha-Bandhan day all throughout India. God Bless You All. 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