12 RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS

12 RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ SYMBOLS OF TWELVE MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

8.3.12

HAPPY HOLI / DOL PURNIMA

Wish You Happy Holi / Dol Purnima

Holi festival (To read about Holi Click here) is celebrated as Dol Purnima or Dol Jatra or Dol Yatra in Bengal. It is celebrated on Falgun Purnima, the Full Moon day in Falgun month. This festival is dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna and the festival is also celebrated as Basantotsab or Vasantotsav. Dol Purnima 2012 date is March 8. This festival has a great significance as it is the last festival in Bengali calendar or Bengali Panjika or Panchang.

On this auspicious day, an image of Krishna, richly adorned and besmeared with colored powder, is taken out in procession, in a swinging palanquin, decorated with flowers, leaves, colored clothes and papers. The procession proceeds forward to the accompaniment of music, blaring of conch shells, trumpets and shouts of 'Jai' (victory).

Dol Purnima becomes all the more significant for Bengalis, because this is also the birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1485-1533). He popularized modern sankirtana and elevated the passion of Radha and Krishna to a high spiritual plane. He underlined the emotional at the cost of the ceremonial side of devotion. Followers of Chaitanya School of Vaishnavism believe Chaitanya to be the manifestation of Sri Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed that the essence of sadhana is always the loving remembrance of Hari.

HOLI IN MADHURA AND VRINDAVAN
Holi, the festival of colours, is the largest festival celebrated in Mathura and  Vrindavan. This festival celebration lasts for 40 days. Holi 2012 date is March 7 and 8. Holi festivities start on Basant Panchami (28 January 2012) which marks the onset of Vasant rithu (Spring season).

It is believed that Lord Krishna used to play Vasantotsav with gopis during these days in Madhura, Uttar Pradesh. The 40-day festival attracts a large number of tourists of India and foreign countries as well. Holi Purnima is also known as Madan Purnima or Vasant Purnima or Holika Poornima or Dol Poornima.

Read More on Holi Festival [Click here]

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