Indias on vaid kolm riiklikku püha: vabariigi päev, iseseisvuspäev ja Gandhi sünniaastapäev. Hindud, moslemid, skihid, kristlased, budistid, džainid ja muud religioonid tähistavad ühtekokku vähemalt 60 suuremat usupüha. Lisaks pisemad regionaalsed ja etnilised pühad, millele numbri andmine India kultuuridemiksis oleks kohatu, ning üle 20 teisejärgulise tähtpäeva. Kui see niiviisi perspektiivi panna, siis 6-päevane töönädal tundub nüüd täitsa loogiline.... Kuna enamik pühasid on kindla religioosse või etnilise grupi pärusmaa, siis seda enam tuleb rõõmustada kõiki ühendava festivali üle!
India has only three national holidays: the Republic Day, the Independence Day and the Birth Anniversary of Gandhi. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and other religions celebrate at least 60 bigger religious holidays all together. In addition, smaller regional and ethnic holidays which are uncountable in a country with such a vast culture and more than twenty secular holidays. A 6-day working week seems quite rational when putting it into perspective now.... In a melange of religious and ethnic holidays an uniting non-religious festival is a reason for joy!
India has only three national holidays: the Republic Day, the Independence Day and the Birth Anniversary of Gandhi. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and other religions celebrate at least 60 bigger religious holidays all together. In addition, smaller regional and ethnic holidays which are uncountable in a country with such a vast culture and more than twenty secular holidays. A 6-day working week seems quite rational when putting it into perspective now.... In a melange of religious and ethnic holidays an uniting non-religious festival is a reason for joy!
Photo from National Geographic (http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/456/cache/girl-kite-india_45674_990x742.jpg)
Tuulelohed tunduvad olevat sotsiaalseid segmente ühenav tegevus: seda armastavad nii noored kui vanad, nii poisid kui tüdrukud, nii kunstnikud kui insenerid, nii laisklejad kui edukütid, nii hindud kui moslemid, nii vaesed kui rikkad. Veel rohkem armastatakse aga enda tuulelohe nööriga teiste lohesid õhus "maha lõigata", mis on väga lõbus tegevus oma osavusega eputamiseks ning võimalus sõbralikult käru keerata.
Tuulelohemüüjad ilmuvad tänavatele oma hääd ja paremat müüma juba detsembri lõpus, kuid tõeline pidustus, tuulelohefestivali, peetakse 14. jaanuaril - niiviisii äratatakse jumalad talveunest. Kõige populaarsemad on bambuspulkadest ning krepppaberist/kilest pisikesed väga värvilised tuulelohed. Nende lennutamine tundub ülikerge, aga... Kuna need on üsna pisikesed, siis on neid palju raskem alguses juhtida ja lennutada kui meile harjumuspäraseid suuri tuulelohesid.
Kuna see on ka töölt-koolist vaba päev, siis on tavaks saanud sõpruskonna parimal katusel grillida (Indias on see tavaliselt hoopiski lõkke peal üheskoos karri vaaritamine), tšillida, oma muusikat kogu ümbruskonnaga jagada ja lohesid lennutada. See on üks vinge ja lõbus päev!
Flying the kites is an activity which is loved intensively in all segments of Indian society: the young and old, boys and girls, artists and inseners, slackers and go-getters, Hindus and Moslems, the poor and the rich. In addition to just flying the kite people enjoy "cutting" the others' kites in the air with their threads - an excellent opportunity for showing off your skills and pulling your friend's leg.
In December the kite vendors start popping up like mushrooms after the rain selling their finest kites, usually very colorful rather small-sized made from bamboo sticks and crepe paper or plastic. It' seems like the easiest thing in the world, but... Since they're quite small, as a rookie, it's also harder to control and fly them than the Western ones which are considerably bigger. Even though flying a kite is a popular past-time in the winter season, the main festival happens on 14th of January. It's a colorful way of waking the Gods from their winter sleep.
Since it's a holiday from work and school, it's a tradition to barbeque (in India it's mostly cooking a curry on the fire all together), chill out, listen to the music (loudly! sharing is caring as they say...) and fly the kites in the finest rooftop of the circle of friends. It's a super fun and awesome festival!
Tuulelohemüüjad ilmuvad tänavatele oma hääd ja paremat müüma juba detsembri lõpus, kuid tõeline pidustus, tuulelohefestivali, peetakse 14. jaanuaril - niiviisii äratatakse jumalad talveunest. Kõige populaarsemad on bambuspulkadest ning krepppaberist/kilest pisikesed väga värvilised tuulelohed. Nende lennutamine tundub ülikerge, aga... Kuna need on üsna pisikesed, siis on neid palju raskem alguses juhtida ja lennutada kui meile harjumuspäraseid suuri tuulelohesid.
Kuna see on ka töölt-koolist vaba päev, siis on tavaks saanud sõpruskonna parimal katusel grillida (Indias on see tavaliselt hoopiski lõkke peal üheskoos karri vaaritamine), tšillida, oma muusikat kogu ümbruskonnaga jagada ja lohesid lennutada. See on üks vinge ja lõbus päev!
Flying the kites is an activity which is loved intensively in all segments of Indian society: the young and old, boys and girls, artists and inseners, slackers and go-getters, Hindus and Moslems, the poor and the rich. In addition to just flying the kite people enjoy "cutting" the others' kites in the air with their threads - an excellent opportunity for showing off your skills and pulling your friend's leg.
In December the kite vendors start popping up like mushrooms after the rain selling their finest kites, usually very colorful rather small-sized made from bamboo sticks and crepe paper or plastic. It' seems like the easiest thing in the world, but... Since they're quite small, as a rookie, it's also harder to control and fly them than the Western ones which are considerably bigger. Even though flying a kite is a popular past-time in the winter season, the main festival happens on 14th of January. It's a colorful way of waking the Gods from their winter sleep.
Since it's a holiday from work and school, it's a tradition to barbeque (in India it's mostly cooking a curry on the fire all together), chill out, listen to the music (loudly! sharing is caring as they say...) and fly the kites in the finest rooftop of the circle of friends. It's a super fun and awesome festival!
Inimesed katusel Jaipuris. / People on the rooftops in Jaipur.
Tuulelohefestival Gujaratis, kus see on üks aasta suurimaid pidustusi terves osariigis. Ülivinge! /
In Gujarat the kite festival is one of the biggest festivals of the year in the whole state. Super awesome!
Photo by Sandeepa and Chetan
(http://sandeepachetan.com/makar-sankranti-festival-kites-india-gujarat/)