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List of Festivals
1. Shiva Ratri or Herat
13th day of dark fortnight of Phagan
This festival commences from the 1st day of dark
fortnight of Phagan. From the 5th to 9th day house cleaning is done by
leeping and washing. On the 10th day money according to tet scale
is sent to the daughters in their husband's houses. On the 11th fried fish
and bread are sent to the daughters. On the 13th day the head of the family
keeps fast and performs the puja of Shiva at night. The 14th day
is the feast day. The elders are given small presents of sugar or fruits
by the younger and cooked rice and meat are sent to the daughters. On the
15th day or the 1st day of the succeeding fortnight walnuts consecrated
at the puja are distributed among relatives and friends.
2. Tila Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Phagan
3. Chetar Choudas
14th day of dark fortnight of Chet
4. Sont
1st Chet (Sankrat)
A basket of unhusked rice, with a bread, a rupee,
a pen-case, a cup of curds, a few walnuts, a crumb of cooked rice and some
flowers, are kept overnight and seen the first thing in the morning by
the inmates of the house just on opening their eyes from sleep. Each picks
up one or two walnuts which are dropped in the river after bathing.
5. Naureh Mavas
15th day of dark fortnight of Chet
A fair is held at Vichar Nag, a northern suburb
of Srinagar.
6. Naw Warih
1st day of bright fortnight of Chet
The custom of unhusked rice, etc. being seen
in the morning as on the sont is observed. The sons-in-law are invited
and given a feast. On their return to their houses they are given money
presents.
7. Baisakhi
1st Baisakhi (Sankrat)
A fair is held at Gupta Ganga near the Nishat Bagh.
8. Durga Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Chet
A fair is held at Khir Bhawani (Tula Mulah)
9. Ram Nawmi
9th day of bright fortnight of Chet
A fair is held at Hari Parbat and at Raghu Nath
Temple.
10. Yag Ram Nawmi
10th day of bright fortnight of Chet
11. Shri Panchami
5th day of dark fortnight of Baisakh
This day is sacred to the goddess Saraswati (Minerva).
12. Shriddha of Rishi Pir
6th day of dark fortnight of Baisakh
A fair is held at the shrine of Rishi Pir at Batayar.
13. Vetal Shashti
6th day of dark fortnight of Baisakh
A fair is held at the different shrines of Vetals
in Srinagar.
14. Munda Dashmir
10th day of dark fortnight of Baisakh
A fair is held at the mound near the Dal Darwaza.
15. Achhen Trai
3rd day of bright fortnight of Baisakh
A fair is held at Kothar, a village in Tehsil Anantnag.
16. Ganesh Choudas
14th day of bright fortnight of Baisakh
A fair is held at the Ganesh Ghat in Srinagar.
17. Jeth Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Jeth
A fair is held at Khir Bhawani.
18. Nirjala Ikadashi
11th day of bright fortnight of Jeth
A fair is held at Dud Ganga.
19. Hara Saptami
7th day of bright fortnight of Har
Circles with lime and colours are made on the
floor in the house in resemblance of the sun.
20. Hara Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Har
A fair is held at Khir Bhawani.
21. Hara Nawami
9th day of bright fortnight of Har
A fair is held at Hari Parbat.
22. Mela Jvala Bhagwati
14th day of bright fortnight of Har
A fair is held at Khrew.
23. Biyas Puja
15th day of bright fortnight of Har
24. Rakhri
Full moon day of Sawan
Shiva puja is done in every house by thehead
of the family and a fair is held at Amar Nath, Mahadeva, Harsheshwara and
Shankracharya.
25. Chandan Shashti
6th day of dark fortnight of Bhadun
A fast is kept by women which is broken at the
time the moon rises.
26. Janam Ashtami (birthday of Sri Krishna)
8th day of dark fortnight of Bhadun
A fast is kept which is broken at the time the
moon rises by taking only fruits.
27. Vinayaka Chaturthi
4th day of bright fortnight of Bhadun
A fair is held at all the shrines of Ganesh.
28. Ganga Ashtami or Radha Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Bhadun
A fair is held ar Harmukata Ganga where ashes
of those who have died during the past twelve months are carried and thrown
into the lake there after performing the Shraddha. Another fair
is held at Ganga Jatan (Pratapsinghpora) where a bath is taken by the pilgrims
in the water oozing out from a precipice there. In leap years the fairs
are not held at Harmukata Ganga and Ganga Jatan, but at Sharda and then
it is called Sharada Ashtami.
29. Pan
Any auspicious day during the bright fortnight
of Bhadun
Bread are prepared and distributed among the
relatives and friends.
30. Indar Bah
12th day of bright fortnight of Bhadun
A fair is held at Kani-maji near Baramulla.
31. Vitha Truvah
13th day of bright fortnight of Bhadun
Birthday of river Jhelum.
32. Anant Choudas
14th day of bright fortnight of Bhadun
A new armlet of gold or thread is worn - by a
male on his right arm and by a female in her left ear.
33. Kanyagat or Kambari Pachh
Dark fortnight of Assuj
This fortnight is entirely devoted to the Shraddha
or offerings to the names of the pitris. It is a series of offerings
and feasts in honour of the dead. The day (Tithi) on which one dies is
represented in this fortnight by one corresponding to it for the performance
of his or her Shraddha.
34. Nava-Ratra
1st day of bright fortnight of Assuj
35. Durga Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Assuj and of Chet
A fair is held at Khir Bhawani.
36. Maha Nawami
9th day of bright fortnight of Assuj and of Chet
A fair is held at Hari Parbat.
37. Dasehra or Vizai Dashmi
10th day of bright fortnight of Assuj
This day is celebrated with great pomp. The weapons
and instruments of war are hallowed and then a campaign is opened. Three
immense figures, stuffed with gun-powder, are made to represent Ravana,
Kumbakarna and Meghanada and these are placed at the proper time in the
centre of a large open space without the city. To represent Rama, Sita
and lakhshman, three little boys are splendidly dressed and carried in
a palanquin to the same place. Crowds of people gather there and the Maharaja
sends all the troops with the guns, etc. At a given signal one of the little
boys, who is supposed to be Rama, steps forth from the palanquin attended
by the two other little boys and fires a small arrow at the big figure
representing Ravana, while the other boys discharge their arrows against
the other two figures. Of course at this moment the three monsters, ravana,
Kumbakarna and Meghanada explode with a tremendous noise and then the guns
rattle and the cannon roar and the people shout and eventually retire.
38. Devali
15th day of dark fortnight of Katak
Oil lamps are lighted in the evening in honour
of goddess Lakhshmi.
39. Annakuta
1st day of bright fortnight of Katak
Rice is distributed among the poor and the officials
are given sweetmeats by the State after
puja is performed at the
Basant Bagh.
40. Gopal Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Katak
41. Birthday of Kali
8th day of dark fortnight of Poh
A fair is held at Kali's shrine above Zaina Kadal.
42. Khetsri Mavas
15th day of dark fortnight of Poh
In the evening Khichri is cooked and a
plateful is kept outside the house in the compound for the god Kuvera.
43. Shishira Sankranti
1st of Magh (Sankrat)
Kangris with live charcoals and also rice, ghee
and salt and cash are given to the priests in the name of the dead.
44. Gauri Tritiya
3rd day of bright fortnight of Magh
This day is celebrated in honour of the goddess Saraswati. The priest writes hymns of the goddess on elaborately illumined
paper which he gives to youngsters. He is given presents of money in return.
45. Shruka Tsoram
4th day of bright fortnight of Magh
On this day the priest writes down a shloka
in Sanskrit which he gives to the young boys with his benedictions.
46. Bhishma Ashtami
8th day of bright fortnight of Magh
A fast is kept in honour of Bhishma Pitamaha,
this day being the anniversary of his death.
47. Bhimsen Ekadashi
11th day of bright fortnight of Magh
A fast is kept this day.
48. Shiva Chaturdashi
14th day of bright fortnight of Magh
A fast is kept this day and Shiva's puja
is performed.
49. Somavati
Monday on which Amavasya falls
It is observed as a fast. People bathe this day
in the river at the Somyar Ghat on the right bank of the river, this spot
in the Jhelum being sacred to the moon.
50. Zara-Kasai
This is the hair-cutting ceremony performed when
the boy is about 4 or 5 years old. A havan is performed and the
boy's head is shaved, leaving the choti at the highest point of
the skull. After the havan the relatives and friends are treated
to a feast.
51. Zuji
This is the ceremony of conjugal union. In the case
of grown up couple it is performed on the occasion of the wedding, but
in that of the couple being young it is deferred till they attain the age
of puberty. On this occasion the head-dress of the girl is changed, thenceforth
the cap being replaced by kalposh,
zuji,
taranga and
putsi
and she binds a girdle round her waist. Also her hair, instead of being
braided elaborately in a web, is thenceforth plaited in tress tied with
a tassel hanging down the back.
Excerpts from:
The Kashmiri Pandit
by Pandit Anand Koul
Thacker, Spink & Co.
Calcutta
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