Category Archives: Festivals

Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai

Posted on March 12, 2020 by secondsaturn

I used to be a Holi enthusiast in school; I simply loved Holi as a sport of running, ducking, springing surprise on one another with attacks of aabir or pichkiri and then of course the coming together of the adults … Continue reading →

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Bijoya Dashami versus Dussehra

Posted on October 3, 2017 by secondsaturn

On the day of the Bisorjon I get loads of happy Dussehra greetings. Bisorjon is a sad time and the Bijoya Sammilani a way of huddling together with friends and family to celebrate the aftermath of an exhausting festivity. The … Continue reading →

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Is Rama Really Purushottam?

Posted on October 29, 2015 by secondsaturn

Is Rama really a Purushottam? What does the term Purushottam, which denotes the ideal man, or even the ideal human really mean? When was the term Purushottam coined to describe Rama and what would the term meant during the time … Continue reading →

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Myth, Media and Poetry – Jagannath’s Rathyatra

Posted on July 21, 2015 by secondsaturn

The Rath Yatra of Jagannath is among the grandest sacred spectacle of India and till only recently, which is before the Bengalis discovered the Durga Puja, it was the grandest fair of them all. The rath, or the car festival … Continue reading →

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On Bhai Phnota Day.. Some Random Thoughts

Posted on November 3, 2014 by secondsaturn

When the autumn holidays and the delirious celebrations of the festivals would draw to a close and we would scurry everywhere to collect our school exercise books, pens, maps, atlases and the books and notebooks, bhai phnota would be our only … Continue reading →

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Chhath Puja, The Trail of the Sun Salutation

Posted on November 10, 2013 by secondsaturn

Four decades ago I went into the den of a famous Bhrigu astrologer in Kolkata with my grandfather and marvelled at a wall full of calendar art images of the various Gods of the raashi chakra. I was especially intrigued … Continue reading →

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