Gandhi Jayanti

Gandhi Jayanti is a national festival celebrated in India to mark the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born 2 October 1869. It is celebrated annually on 2 October, and it is one of the three national holidays of India. The UN General Assembly announced on 15 June 2007 that it adopted a resolution which declared that 2 October will be celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated yearly on 2nd October. It is one of the official declared national holidays of India, observed in all of its states and union territories.

Gandhi Jayanti is marked by prayer services and tributes all over India, including at Gandhi's memorial in New Delhi where he was cremated. Popular activities include prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political institutions. Painting and essay competitions are conducted and best awards are granted for projects in schools and the community encouraging a non-violent way of life as well as celebrating Gandhi's effort in the Indian independence movement. Gandhi's favourite bhajan (Hindu devotional song), Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, is usually sung in his memory. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi throughout the country are decorated with flowers and garlands, and some people avoid drinking alcohol or eating meat on the day. Public buildings, banks and post offices are closed.

Balagangadhar Tilak Jayanti

One of the stalwarts of India’s freedom movement, Balagangadhar Tilak also known as Lokmanya Tilak was born in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra on July 23, 1856. He is known for his famous quote “Self Rule is our birthright, and We shall have it!” He was reverently addressed as Lokmanya (or “Beloved of the people” or “Revered by the world”).

After completing his graduation, Tilak began teaching in a private school in Pune and went on to become a journalist. He was very vocal in his criticism of the Western education system and set up the Deccan Education Society to educate India’s youth. Tilak founded the Marathi daily Kesari (Lion), in the pages of which he actively propagated the cause of freedom. He joined the Indian National Congress. He was known for his hardcore Hindu views. In 1907, the Congress Party split into the two factions.

The British authorities charged Tilak with sedition and he was imprisoned from 1908 to 1914 in Mandalay, Burma. He re-joined the Indian National Congress in 1916 and helped to found the All India Home Rule League in 1916-18.

He wrote many books on Indian culture, history and Hinduism like The Orion or Researches into the antiquities of the Vedas (1893), Arctic Home in the Vedas, Geetarahasya and others. He passed away on August 1, 1920.

Bakrid

Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid is also known as the 'festival of sacrifice'. Bakrid celebration lasts for about three days.

It honours the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, the messenger in Islam who was ready to sacrifice his son Ismail to prove his obedience to God. While he was about to sacrifice, God moved by his obedience, stopped him and replaced the child with a lamb and asked him to sacrifice the animal instead of his son.

Muslim communities around the world celebrates the festival by sacrificing a male goat in the honour of sacrifice. The festivals begin with Eid prayer in Mosque and followed with their prescribed ritual of sacrificing goat which is later distributed in three proportions: poor’s, relatives and themselves. They visit family, friends to offer wishes and celebrate together.

As per Islamic calendar, Bakrid generally falls on the tenth day of the Dhu al-Hijjah which is the last month of the lunar year. Annual Hajj pilgrimage also takes place in this month. Celebrating Eid-al Adha is an act of sacrificing gratitude to Allah by sacrificing animals.

In our lifetime, we give up on a number of things that are important to us, for a bigger purpose, similarly the sacrifice of animals is a symbol of willingness to sacrifice and stay true to our purpose.

Bakra-Eid dishes include mutton biryani, mutton keema, mutton korma, etc. and sheer kurma and kheer among desserts.