Hindu Festivals Continued...

For this blog you will need to know the spiritual successors of BAPS (my faith)

Swaminarayan Bhagwan (Lord)

Gunatitanand Swami (Ideal Devotee)

Bhagatji Maharaj

Shastriji Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj

Pramukh Swami Maharaj

• Pramukh Varni Din: On this day my Guru's Guru's Guru appointed Pramukh Swami Maharaj (my guru) as the president of BAPS. People in India visit to Ambli Vali Pol, the place where he was appointed.
• Yogi Jayanti: The birthday of my Guru's Guru. We celebrate it by remembering Yogiji Maharaj's life and work.
• Rath Yatra: The Rath Yatra festival, popularly known as the procession of chariots, originated in the pilgrimage city of Jagannath Puri. Shri Krishna, Balaramji, and Subhadra Devi, are placed in a colorful chariot. Devotees lovingly pull the chariots in a procession through the streets. Hundreds of thousands of people gather to perform puja of the murtis by sprinkling rice and gulal powder.
• Guru Purnima: This is to thank our guru for all the knowledge he has given us. We pray to him to give us strenght to progress on the spiritual paths, and to gain prosperity in life.
• Hindolo Utsav: People make creative swings and place Bhagwan on it and swing him.
• Raksha Bandhan: The sister ties a colorful string on the brother's hand to symbolize that she is protecting him from negetive influence. In return the brother gives her gifts, and vows to her that he will always protect her. 
• Janmashtami: Krishna Bhagwan was born on this day. We celebrate his birthday. When Lord Krishna was young he used to like yogurt; back then people would put it in pots and hang it high to the celing. Krishna would climb up to break these pots to eat the yogurt out of it. To celebrate this some cities in India hang Pots up high on buildings and there are big groups that will try to break it. Here's a picture:
• Ganesh Chaturthi: Lord Shiva's and Parvati's son is Ganesh. Lord Shiva was off to meditate in the mountains for a couple of months and told his wife Parvati that if she ever get lonely, she can make a baby out of clay and chant a mantra and the baby will become alive. When he was gone, she felt lonely and tried the mantra, and the baby came to life. One day she was going to bathe and told her son to guard the door. Lord Shiva came back from his meditation and saw this little boy, not knowing that this was his son, he said move out of my way, I need to meet my wife. The boy did not listen and told him that he was guarding the door for his mother. This made Lord Shiva mad and he cut the boy's head. When Parvati came out, she saw her son dead. She cried in despair over the loss of her son. To console her shiva told his people to go to the forest and get the head of the first animal they see. They saw a baby elephant and cut its head. Shiva then placed the elephant head on the child's head and brought him to life. To celebrate this, people bring an idol at home and keep it for certain days and then his idol is submurged into the ocean. In Mumbai they have a contest of which community has the biggest and the best idol.
• Jal Jhilani Ekadashi: People observe a waterless fast. This is the same day that the murtis of Ganesh is submurged into the water. People sing spiritual songs while taking the murti (idol) to the ocean.
• Navratri: Shakti/Strenght, the female goddes fought evil for 9 days. People fast for these days and dance at nights for the victory of good. 
• Vijaya Dashmi/Dashera: The day Lord Ram killed Ravan (evil). People make Ravan's body out of hay, other objects, and burn it to celebrate the death of evil.
• Sharad Purnima: Gunatitanad Swami was born. Also, that night Laxmi (goddess of prosperity) flies by the sky and blesses people that are awake with prosperity. People eat pauva (sweet delicacy)