Diwali/Deepavali
Diwali is also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali or the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (October/November) in the Hindu calendar. Lamps, fireworks and bonfires illuminate this holiday, as the word “Deepawali” means “a row or cluster of lights” or “rows of diyas (clay lamps)”. The festival symbolizes the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness.
Bestu Varas Celebrations
Gujarati New Year is celebrated among all the major festivities in the month of October/November. It is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. Gujarati New Year is synonymous with sud-ekam of the kartik month – it is the first day of first month of Gujarati calender.
Bestu Varas is New Year in Gujarati
Tradtional customs and rituals are performed to welcome the New Year and bid farewell to the by gone time. It’s a day of blooming desires and zest. Bestu Varas is the time to reitre all the pains, sufferings and memories of past year.
Gujarat Divas
Gujarat State came into existence as a separate state on 1st May 1960. So, we celebrate 1st May as Gujarat Sthapna Divas. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the north, Maharashtra to the south, Madhya Prasad to the east, and the Arabian sea as well as the Pakistani province of Sind on the west. Gujarat Sthapana Din on 1st May, Gujarat is home to the Gujarati-speaking people of India. Gujarat Sthapna Divas is also celebrated all round the world, where GUJARATI people live.
Navratri
Gujarat’s Navratri Festival, is “a circle of ecstasy” that throbs non-stop for nine nights with millions of fantastically costumed devotees swaying in a fusion of dance and devotion. Although this festival is celebrated throughout India, nowhere is it performed with more panache and fervor than in Gujarat.
The significance of Navratri is offering devotion to Goddess Amba (Durga), who is believed to exist in many forms. These Goddesses are believed to be known as “Shakti” as the tales narrate their power over killing of demons. Parvati, the wife of Shiva is said to have taken different forms of goddesses. Devotees perform the ‘devi-sthaapna’ in their homes wherein they invite the Goddess and perform ‘pooja-path’ for nine days with fasting.
Holi – Festival of colours
There are many stories associated with the origin of Holi. For some Holi marks the day when devotees of lord Vishnu, Bhakt Prahlad who was seated on the lap of demoness Holika was saved from the effect of the fire by God and instead the demoness got burnt. For others the festivals relate to the death of demon Putana at the hands of lord Krishna while some associate the festival with the worship of Karma, God of pleasure and destiny.
Holi is basically a harvest celebration, marking the end of winter and bonfires are lit marking the ending of evil. The two-day festival, Holi is a day of fasting and in the evening, offer prayers to the lit bonfire. People offer raw mangoes, coconut, corn, toys made of sugar, khoya to the ‘Holika’ and apply tilak on each other and hug their dear ones. Virgins from Gujarat create images of their goddess ‘Gauri’ out of the ashes left by the bonfire of the night before.
Dhuleti, the second day is marked by sprinkling of colored water and applying gulal on each other. Singing, dancing, eating delicacies and mingling with friends and family.
Uttarayan
Uttarayan is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated.[1] Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.
The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching which is called Makara Sankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest day in India. Many cities in Gujarat organize kite competition between their citizens where the people all compete with each other. In this region of Gujarat and many other states, Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday in India for two days.[2] During the festival, local food such as Undhiyu (a mixed vegetable including yam and beans), sesame seed brittle and Jalebi is served to the crowds.[3][4] Days before the festival, the market is filled with participants buying their supplies. In 2012, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat mentioned that the International Kite Festival in Gujarat was attempting to enter the Guinness World Records book due to the participation of 42 countries in it that year.
Bhajan
Devotional singing, known as bhajans or kirtan, can help to quiet the mind so that the heart can open to the divine, allowing us to taste the blissful reality that is our true nature. Rather than being a performance in which the audience listens to musicians, it is a participatory spiritual practice in which everyone is encouraged to sing and express their inner joy. Devotion, not musical ability, is the most important aspect of kirtan.
With this in mind the Denmark Gujrati Samaj organises regular bhajan and kirtan evenings to ensure we as a community do come together and share the joy of remembering the almighty while providing yet another opportunity to connect with fellow gujrati’s
Sports
Sport develops a sense of friendliness among the us and develop team spirit. It helps us to develop mental and physical toughness. Sport shapes their body and make it strong and active.
DGS plans to roganise various events at different levels to promote our mental and physical development while taking care of our routine day-2-day chores in our life.
Picnic
Picnicking is a well-known staple activity of gujrati socializing. From casual lunches and instant dhokla’s with close friends and colleagues to a long day out for a family reunion, picnics provide an easygoing environment to catch up and entertain all kinds of company.