Monday 3 December 2012

Festivals of India in the month of December



Nabanna





West Bengal, the state of India, has numerous festivals that gave the name "baro mase tero parban" (thirteen festivals in twelve months) to the land of Bengal. The Nabanna parban (festivals) is one of them. Nabanna literally means 'Nobo (new)-Onno (food or rice)', or New Rice. This is a Bengali harvest celebration usually celebrated with food, dance and music. It is somewhat different from other ones since it's not connected to a religion. It is a festival of all communities. No religion is associated with this festival. Hindu, Muslim participate in this new crop festival with same enthusiasm. This festival is similar to the 'Thanksgiving' festival in U.S.A.
During the start of winter when new crops are taken home from fields, Bengal celebrates this festival. This is a festival of food. Different delicious Bengali cuisines are prepared at home. Rice cake, 'pithe' is prepared in many families during this new crop festival. Some villages arrange fair, cultural programs on Nabanna. Date of Nabanna varies from village to village. 


Celebration: with dance and music.


Nabanna is a form of thanksgiving for prosperity. It typically honors the Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and fertility. It is celebrated in different parts of Bengal with local flavors and styles. According to folk custom, a community cannot enjoy the new rice crop until Lakshmi is first offered nabanna ("new food" or "new rice"). Farmers will cut and husk a special variety of rice and typically offer it prepared as rice porridge. In some cases, ancestral spirits and local deities are also the intended recipients of the offering. Other customs during the festival include greeting the moon with lamps, giving children gifts and sweetened milk, and offering rice and other types of food to crows.

No comments:

Post a Comment