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Halloween Costume Party Ideas: Customs around the World:
India
The Day of Mahalaya
.Mahalaya is a religious ritual in the Hindu
community that revolves around awakening dead
spirits. The holiday is a great spiritual day for
the Hindus. The principle meaning of the day is to
celebrate the love of spirit, and to stop man's
trivial desires. Once the ritual is completed, their
soul's gain peace for the remainder of the year. On
this day, all of those who have died in the region
of Yama come back to earth and visit with their
mortal descendents.
The cycles and position of the moon mark the day of Mahalaya. It is celebrated on September 27th, the
last day of Aswayuj (a special time that is
considered sacred for making offerings to the dead).
The moon during this period is considered to be very
important for the rites of offering. The event
begins in the early morning hours, and is considered
the prelude for "Sharadiya Durgoutshab", the most
important religious festival for the Hindu
community.
The religious hymns and mantras are broadcast all
over the country on the radio and signal the Day of
Mahalaya. In each region a sect recites the immortal
verses of the "Chandipath" that narrate the
reincarnation of the Durga Goddess. When darkness
falls, the people pray to the Goddess for help
against evil demons. Some take sacred baths in the
Ganges River, and pray for their deceased relatives.
Food also plays an important role in the ceremony;
it is essential to offer splendid dishes to the
dead. The Hindu's consider the human body to be the
most important vehicle to get closer to God, and
they cannot pray on an empty stomach.
Hindu mythology states that the hero, Mahabharata
Karan, went to heaven after abandoning human life.
Unfortunately thing's did not go as planned. In
heaven he found mounds of gold, but there was little
food. Apparently, during his mortal life Mahabharata
offered many jewels, but limited amounts of food.
The hero prayed to God of Death, and was granted his
wish: The hero was sent back to earth, where he was
given two weeks to correct his errors. During that
period he fed the poor, and made the correct
offerings. Soon after, he returned to heaven, and
found an abundance of food for his new life. |
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