lohri by Sun Pictures / Lakshman on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Sikh boy spinning fire, on the streets of Kalkaji.
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Lohri, is celebrated every year on 13th of January. It is a festival to worship fire. Lohri Festival is celebrated with great pomp in North India. At this time Earth starts moving towards the sun marking the auspicious period of Uttarayan. First Lohri is very important for the newly wed and the new born babies as it marks fertility. At night, people gather around the bonfire and throw til, puffed rice & popcorns into the flames of the bonfire. Prayers are offered to the bonfire seeking abundance & prosperity. People make merry by dancing & singing traditional folk songs.
Not all indians are polite hospitable and vegetarian by EyalNow on Flickr.
NDLS by owenstache on Flickr.
Expression by Zuhair Ahmad on Flickr.
Puja_12 by Mukul Banerjee (www.mukulbanerjee.com) on Flickr.
Dhunuchi Nritya, Durga Puja 2011 by Mukul Banerjee (www.mukulbanerjee.com) on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Dhunuchi Naach - the dance with effervescent smoke
India is known for her diverse traditions and this diverse tradition is the origin of the folk art. Folk Dances are based on religious and festive occasions. They reflect the basics of life. Folk dances are aimed at providing entertainment and which involves group participation. The dances are very rhythmic and the lyrics and music have the typical overtone of the specific locality or festival.
‘Dhunuchi nritya’ or ‘the dance with effervescent smoke’ is a traditional dance form Bengal,
which is performed in front of the idol of the Goddess Durga to the sound of dhak, the traditional drums.
In the evenings, an elaborate aarati is performed. After the aarati, young men perform Dhunuchi Naach (Dhunuchi Dance) before the Goddess Durga.
A dhunuchi is an earthen pot with a funnel base and an open top. Burning coconut shells is put inside and then powdered incense, known as Dhuno, is poured over it to create the atmosphere. A sweet smelling thick white smoke spreads and engulfs your senses. Then with the Dhakis and their drum beats, the Dhunuchi dancers balance the earthen pots, with the base delicately placed on their palms, between their teeth or on foreheads. Then they gyrate their bodies to the drum beats with the burning Dhunuchis. The deep percussion of the dhak, embellished sometimes with long white or multi-coloured feathers, and rhythmic movement of the dhakis, is inseparable part of the Durga Puja celebrations.
KL4_2556 - Pilgrims by koen_photos on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
India – Delhi – Pushkar
Pilgrims along the edge of the Lake Pushkar
KL4_2553 - 4 Pilgrims by koen_photos on Flickr.
KL4_3083 - Reflection by koen_photos on Flickr.
