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WJEC RELIGIOUS STUDIES: HINDU FESTIVALS (HOLI (THE STORY OF HOLIKA AND…
WJEC RELIGIOUS STUDIES: HINDU FESTIVALS
RAKSHA BANDHAN
WHAT IS RAKSHA BANDHAN
?
Raksha Bandhan is centred around females giving males a rakhi which is a band or an amulet
This ritual usually occurs between siblings but can happen between anybody
BHAVISHYA PURANA
In the Bhavishya Purana, Indra receives a rakhi from his wife, who had prayed to help him fight the war against King Bali
VISHNU PURANA
In the Vishnu Purana, Bali traps Vishnu in his palace, and so the goddess Laxmi wants Vishnu back so treats Bali like a brother by giving him a rakhi
She manages to allow for a request from him to allow Vishnu to leave
Why should we celebrate this festival?
Most countries celebrate a Mother and Father's day - why not also celebrate a day for siblings?
Does this festival enforce genders a specific way? e.g. men go to war and women as the ones who pray and make crafts
WHAT IS DIVALI?
HOW IS DIWALI CELEBRATED?
STORY OF DIWALI
Diwali remembers the story of Rama and Sita, when Sita was kidnapped and Rama had a long search to find her and a big battle to defeat her captor, the 10 headed demon Ravana
On their return home, Diva lamps were left out to show them the way home
ON THE FIRST DAY
People clean the front of their houses and make beautiful signs on the ground called
RANGOLI
using colourful powders
ON THE SECOND DAY
People at night light lamps and burn firecrackers to remember Lord Rama's re-establishing dharma and winning good over evil in Lanka and in his own kingdom
ON THE THIRD DAY
People worship Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth (Goddess Laxmi). This is an important day for businessmen who hope that the Goddess will bring them wealth in the coming year
DIWALI
It is also popularly known as the festival of lights
The world literally translates into row of lamps
It is traditional for adherents of Diwali - celebrating faiths to light small clay diva lamps (divas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil within an individual
Some Indian businessmen celebrate their financial year by opening new account books on the first day of Diwali for good luck for the following financial year
It is celebrated between September and October
Why should we celebrate this festival?
Allows for people to come together and celebrate goodness over evil and remember dharma
Hindus remember parts of the story that are righteous e.g. destroying evil
There are some parts of the story that are had to believe (for instance the 10 headed demon king and avatar of Rama)
HOLI
WHAT IS HOLI?
Holi is a seasonal festival that celebrates the coming of spring with the joys and hope for a year of abundances in nature and happiness in family relationships and friendships
It is one of the most joyful festivals and it is a time for fun as much as religious devotion
HOW DO HINDUS CELEBRATE HOLI?
There is a custom of lighting a bonfire on the eve of Holi and of roasting grains of popcorn, chicks peas and coconut in the fire as an offering to the Gods
When the fire is blazing, people walk around it carrying their children and babies and making offerings of grains into the fire
It is known as the festival of colours because it is celebrated with coloured powders and waters, which everyone throws at each other with lots of fun and laughter
This is a festival in which one is allowed to break some of the usual rules of behaviour. All barriers of caste and rank are forgotten and people throw coloured water at each other
Stories at Holi express the theme of goodness overcoming evil. The most significant of these is the one about Holka and Prahlad. This story reminds Hindus of the rewards of loyalty and devotion to God and how this faith can overcome evil
Other stories at Holi focus on Krishna as a young cowherd who enchanted the milkmaids with the music of his flute. Songs and dances tell his story of the love between Radha and Krishna. The total self-surrender of Radha and Krishna reminds HIndus of the need to surrender themselves in devotion with God
THE MEANING OF HOLI
The significance of the colours used to express the delight at the beauty of the world
The religious meaning is to express the happiness of being alive and to remove barriers of hatred and bitterness that cause conflict
It also reminds Hindus the importance of loyalty and devotion to God and the belief that goodness overcomes evil
The social meaning is to celebrate togetherness and unite in friendship with all
THE STORY OF HOLIKA AND PRAHLAD
There was a tyrant of a king who demanded that everyone should worship him as he considered himself to be the lord of the universe
However, his son, Prahlad, would only worship Vishnu
The king tried to force Prahlad to bow down to him, but he resisted
The king set out to kill him and persuaded his sister Holika to carry Prahlad into the flames of a furnace
She had promised her evil brother that she had a gift from the gods that would say her from being burnt
But this promise did not work and she was burned in the flames
Her brother, who was loyal to God, was miraculously saved
Why should we celebrate this festival?
People should remember they are equal everyday, the Brahmins should treat the Dalits equally
People have to all remember that we all have an atman that is part of Brahman and therefore, equal
The colours are spread across people's faces and this helps them to forget their differences
Although, Hindus believe that you need "
spiritual eyes
" to understand as stated in the Bhagavad Gita