Our country is a melting pot of different traditions, with its people hailing from varied cultural and religious backgrounds. This concoction of cultures means the following of several customs and celebration of many festivals. Among the countless festivals observed, below is our pick of the 9 festivals you can celebrate impressively in your apartment complex. And with CommonFloor Groups planning such an event has become easier than ever before.

1. Ganesh Chaturthi (August-Septermber) - The birthday of the elephant-headed son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, is celebrated for a stretch of 11 days. It would certainly be apt to distribute Modak, believed to be Ganesha’s favourite sweet, among your neighbours on this occasion.

 2. Onam (August-September) – It is believed that the mythical King Mahabali visits his kingdom during these 10 days of the Kerala harvest festival. This is celebrated with traditional clothes, an array of traditional dishes, feasts served on banana leaves, sports, snake-boat races, dance performances and the customary Pookalam rangoli. Organize the special Onam feast, Onasadya, and plan out some fun games for your neighbours to participate.

3. Dussehra/ Navratri/Durga Puja (September-October) – This splendid celebration is symbolic of the victory of good over evil. People take part in the auspicious carnival and exchange gifts and sweets. This festival calls for the ceremonial worship of the nine avatars of Goddess Durga in your apartment complex and, of course, the fun-filled Dandiya Nights (when the energetic and fast-paced Garba dance is performed) in the community hall.

4. Diwali (October-November) – This five day ‘Festival of Lights’ marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and the return of Rama, his wife Sita and his brother, Lakshmana to Ayodhya after a 14 year exile. Deck up the entire community area with lit ‘diyas’, symbolic of the triumph of light over darkness. Planning a fancy Diwali party and bursting fire-crackers with your neighbours and distributing assorted sweets among them are all must-dos on this occasion.

5. Christmas (25^th December) – In India, Christians and people from other communities celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on 25^th December every year. Christmas carols, exchange of gifts and family reunions are common on Christmas Day. Light up your residential community with bright lights, do up the community hall with decorated Christmas trees and probably follow all this with a lavish Xmas party with your neighbours.

6. Thai Pongal (14th-17th January) – This continues for four days of the ‘Thai’ month and marks the harvest season for Tamil Nadu. Make sure to decorate your community areas with colourful rangolis made of flour and adorn every entrance with mango leaf festoons. Distribute the special sweet dish prepared on the occasion, also called ‘pongal’, among all your neighbours.

7. Holi (February-March) - This ‘festival of colours’ honours the survival of Bhakt Prahlad, and the burning of the demoness, Holika and is celebrated with colours, water and a variety of sweets. This spring festival is incomplete without the consumption of bhang (a beverage prepared from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant). Take this opportunity to splash coloured-water at your neighbours and share some joyous, colourful moments with them.

8. Baisakhi or Vaisakhi (14^th or 15^th April) – This is one big day for Sikhs across the country, with the same day marking three major occasions; the harvest festival, the Sikh New Year and the birth of Khalsa. Conduct a Baisakhi Fair in your community and organize a special bhangra or gidda performance to celebrate the festival.

9. Ramadan/ Eid-ul-Fitr – The auspicious Islamic fasting month of Ramadan is the time of festivity for Indian Muslims. This is when Muslims are reminded of the importance of the virtues of patience, humility and empathy. Make Ramadan a community affair by arranging a sumptuous Iftar buffet feast with traditional Ramadan dishes such as Mezzeh and Ouzi on the menu.

Tell us which Indian festival is your favourite and why in the comment box below.

Now no more would you need to think twice before celebrating an event inside your complex! We offer you the perfect help with ‘How CommonFloor Groups Helps You Plan an Event’. Please send us your queries at support@commonfloor.com, should you have any.

Navratri’s Fascinating History: Stories You Must Know

‘Tis that time of year when people leave behind their worries and woes and gear up to celebrate the nine powerful avatars of Goddess Durga with fervour. During the nine days of Navratri, each day devotees invoke a different form of the Goddess.

As Indians, we come across numerous Bollywood movie plots that were originally inspired by the drama, appeal and mystic charm of our legends and myths. Just like any other Hindu festival, Navratri too has a few fascinating legends associated with its origin. Each part of India speaks of a unique and interesting history:

Legend of the Mighty Mahishasura (North):

The demon Mahishasura was an ardent devotee of Shiva. As soon as he attained eternity, he went on to slaughtering innocent people with the aim of conquering all three lokas. To save the world from the atrocities of this demon, The Trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu created a divine warrior, Goddess Durga. Mahishasura, enchanted by her beauty, asked her to marry him. Durga, at this point, struck a deal with the devil; she would marry him only if he could defeat her in battle. Mahishasura accepted the challenge and after a battle spanning 9 days, Goddess Durga decapitated him on the ninth night. These nine days came to be known as Navratri, and the tenth day that brought the triumph of good over evil was called Vijayadashmi.

The Legend of Daksha (East):

The king of the Himalayas, Daksha’s beautiful and virtuous daughter, Uma, was an admirer and worshipper of Shiva. Pleased with her devotion, Shiva finally descends down from the heavens to marry her. Daksha’s disrespect towards Shiva and displeasure with the marriage leads him to break all ties with his daughter. When Uma learnt that her father hadn’t invited Shiva to a yagna he was organizing, she jumped into the yagna’s agnikund, upon which she came to be known as Sati. It is believed that every year from that time, Uma visits her parents’ home during Navratri along with her children, Ganesh, Kartik, Saraswati and Laxmi, and her two friends, Jaya and Bijaya.

The Legend of Rama and Ravana:

In the Hindu epic, Ramayana, Rama invoked the blessings of Goddess Durga to gather the strength to kill Ravana, the demon who had abducted his wife, Sita. The nine nights he spent worshipping Goddess Durga came to be known as Navaratri. On the tenth day, also known as Vijayadashami, good triumphs over evil when Rama finally slays Ravana.

Did you learn some interesting facts about Navratri in this article? If you know of more legends behind the origin of this Hindu festival, please share them with us in the comment section below.

Here’s praying this Navrati brings you happiness, health and good fortune!