October 28th, 2009
The Traditions of Mumbai
Each year in the city of Mumbai, festivals are held which are anticipated the entire rest of the year. It is a good thing that so many different festivals happen throughout the country, as there is always a celebration to look forward to. The rituals for each may vary, but no matter which the festival, those rituals will be practiced in fully and with attention paid to their importance. For they are a celebratory time, but they are all of spiritual significance.
There are any Hindu celebrations as well as several Buddhist and Muslim ones as well. One such Muslim tradition, Azzan, is carried out each time a baby is born. Once the infant has had his or her first bath, the prayers and the songs are performed so that the name the baby first hears is the name of the god. No matter which religion is carrying out these traditions, they have done so for many years throughout history, and will continue to do so far into the future.
One of the festivals that is practiced in all the cities of India is Ganesh Chaturthi. However plan your rooms early for your stay in five star hotels, Mumbai is known for this particular festival that occurs for ten days at the end of August and the beginning of September. The ending ceremony is a sight to behold as a procession of people carrying huge statues of Ganpati are carried through the city with the final resting place being the beach at Chowpatty.
The day of the Coconut is another interesting tradition that signifies the end of the monsoon rains during the last few days of August. This is also a gesture to ensure the safety of the fishermen as the season begins. Instead of breaking champagne bottles on the bows of the ships, the coconuts are broken, and people dance, and sing and carrying lanterns and candles up and down the seashore. Many of the festivals, all of them really are filled with color and vibrancy. This particular one catches me for its simplicity and luminosity.