Deepawali Festival 2012

One more festival pictures...

Deepawali or Diwali is the biggest Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights). Deepawali is four days of celebration.

Diwali, the festival of lights and it ssociated with many customs and traditions. Diwali also celebrates the return of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya from a war in which he killed the demon king Ravana. It is believed that the people lit oil lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness.

On this day entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs with foot prints of Devi Lakshmi (specially in Kumaon region known as Aipan) to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses.

Lamps are kept burning all through the night. Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils.

Autumn Festival 2012

After 3 years Lake City of Nainital has hosted Autumn Festival 2012 also known as" Sharadotsav 2012". The festival opened with a carnival on Mall Road. Uttarakhand Governor Dr.Aziz Qureshi presented there and enjoyed. Local artistes and students of various schools were part of this carnival and they exhibit their talent at the festival.

Handloom and handicraft items from various parts of the country will be displayed at the colourful festival. These festivities attract a large number of tourists after months of rain in the hills. Also, traders get a chance to get back their business on track after the rainy season.

 Fun, excitement and cultural program were part of this festival. Music shows, traditional dances and Photography exhibition,  displaying the locals art and crafts of the city are highly visited by tourists. 

In photography exhibition I also take part and exhibit some of my photograph... Governor Dr.  Aziz Qureshi inaugurated this exhibition...

Some pictures of this festival...

Carnival on the Mall Road

My Pictures in Photography Exhibition

This Yatch Was The Main Attraction of Festival 

Night Programmes 

Ramleela 2012

In Nainital Ramleela artist perform 'Kumaoni Ram Lila' as a part of the nine-day celebrations of Navratri. The verses are set to music using Hindustani classical ragas ranging from Jugiya, Khamaj, Bihagara, Piloo and Bhairan. 

Kumaoni Ram Lila is probably the longest opera performance in the world. This tradition has been developed and nurtured over the past several hundred years and sustained by the community as a regular annual festive activity at the grass root level. 

 The artistes depicted the various episodes like the "Vanvaas", Surpanakha incident and the abduction of Sita, the one incident that changes the course of the story. 

Tthis year Ramleela performed by artist in 15th October to 24th October 2012... Some pictures of this Ramleela...