The Balloon Festival of Varanasi is an annual event that takes place in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a celebration of adventure sports and cultural tourism and is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. The festival is held in the month of February and attracts a large number of visitors from across India and the world. 

One of the main highlights of the festival is the display of hot air balloons, which are launched from various locations across the city. The balloons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and the sight of them soaring high in the sky provides a breathtaking and unforgettable experience. The festival provides a platform for participants from India and around the world to showcase their designs and compete against one another in various categories, such as the most creative, the most colorful, and the most innovative.

In addition to the hot air balloons, the festival also features several other adventure sports, such as paragliding and skydiving(supposed to be launched in 2023). These sports provide a thrilling experience for participants and spectators alike, and the festival provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the thrill of adventure sports in the beautiful and historic city of Varanasi.

The Balloon Festival of Varanasi also showcases the rich cultural heritage of the city, with a variety of cultural performances and events taking place throughout the festival. Local artists, musicians, and performers come together to showcase their talents and provide a glimpse into the rich and diverse cultural traditions of Varanasi. The festival provides a platform for local artisans to display their traditional crafts, and for local food vendors to offer a taste of the city’s delicious cuisine.

The Balloon Festival of Varanasi is an important event for the city and the state of Uttar Pradesh, as it helps to promote Varanasi as a destination for adventure sports and cultural tourism. The festival provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the beauty and rich cultural heritage of Varanasi, and its growing popularity has helped to boost the city’s economy and enhance its reputation as a tourist destination. Whether you are an adventure sports enthusiast, a cultural lover, or simply someone looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, the Balloon Festival of Varanasi is an event that you won’t want to miss.

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Introduction to Nakkataiya Mela

Nakkataiya/Nakataiya/Nakataia or Nak Kataiya is an annual procession that takes place in different areas of Varanasi every year. The term Nakatiya means nasal amputation and is specifically related to an incident from the Indian epic Ramayan. The Mela usually takes place around midnight between 12 AM to 3 AM after the play of Ramleela where the Nakatiya scene is imitated.

History & Legend related to Nakkataiya Mela

Nakkataiya Mela was initially started by Baba Fatehram in the Chetganj area of Varanasi in 1887. Nakkatiya Depicts the scene from the Ramayan where Meenakshi AKA Shurpanakha the sister of Ravan stumbles upon Lord Ram in the forest of Panchvati. She ends up being mesmerized by his charm of Ram & expresses her desire to coitus with him but Ram being loyal to Sita politely denied her proposal. Shurpanakha kept insisting and to get rid of her Ram asked her to pursue Laxman.

When Shurpanakha tried to pursue Laxman, he also denied her and tried to get away from her. This dual rejection made her angry and she tried to attack Sita to take out her frustration. Enraged Laxman stopped her in between and cut off her nose & ears out of anger. This event is one of the most important parts of Ramayan as it sets the plot for the further story where Sita is abducted by Ravan and Ravan is killed by Ram.

In 1887 when Fatehram started this Mela he had a very different purpose behind it. In the late 19th century, India was still under British rule & the urge to get freedom was growing among the citizens but it was very hard to unite everyone as protests were not allowed. Baba Fatehram got a unique idea to execute the impossible. He got permission for a religious procession and organized it with the help of wealthy merchants.

In the procession, tableaus full of metaphors and sarcasm were presented to hint at the atrocity of the Britishers and aware the locals to stand up for their rights and freedom. The Nakkataiya Mela was also attended by Britishers but they couldn’t do anything as it was related to religion. Since then the Mela is organized every year.

Later on the Nakkataiya Mela was regularly attended by freedom fighters. Late Chandra Shekhar Azad used to organize the annual meet-up of freedom fighters around the time of Nakkataiya which was attended by rebels like Bhagat Singh, Manmath Nath Gupta, and Sachindra Nath Sanyal to name a few. These rebels also enjoyed the sarcastic tableaus.

Fast forward to today you can expect tableaus on different social issues and reforms. The Nakkataiya of Chetganj has been attended by more than a lakh of people(speculated) every year and is famously called one of the Lakka Melas that one can attend in Varanasi. You can also witness the tableaus depicting the different scenes from the epic Ramayan.

Location of Nakkataiya Mela

The Nakkataiya Mela is a procession of tableaus that circles the city. The most famous one starts from the Chetganj area and the other few are organized from Choti Pyari, Jaitpura, Aurangabad, Shivpur, Kashipura, Ardali Bazar, etc.

Date of Nakkataiya Mela

Nakkataiya Mela of Chetganj takes place on the occasion of Karva Chauth while the Nakkatiya of all areas falls on different days as per the Ramleela schedule of the respective area. This year Nakkataiya Mela of Chetganj will take place on the night of 13 October 2022.

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Holi, the festival of colours and love, is one of the widely celebrated festivals in India. A day we celebrate with our friends and families by applying colours on each other and eating luscious sweets. It marks the beginning of spring each year. In most parts of India, it celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. Though here in Varanasi, even holi is associated with its favourite dweller, Lord Shiv. We observe three varieties of Holi in Varanasi: the regular Holi, Rangbhari Ekadashi, and Masaan ki Holi. While the first one is nothing different from what is celebrated nationwide, the latter two are Kashi’s very own versions.

Rangbhari Ekadashi is celebrated five days before Holi to commemorate the reunion of Shiv and Parvati where Gods and his devotees join in the procession. A day after Rangbhari Ekadashi, Shiva visits masaan to celebrate the same holi with his Ganas(attendants), Ghosts, and spirits that live at the cremation ground which we call as Masaan ki Holi. The juxtaposition of these two events symbolizes how contradictory life can be. One reflects the engagement of Shiv with the world (Shakti) & its Moh Maya. While the other is completely dedicated to the Shiv who is a destroyer & ruler of shamshan, sanyas & renunciation from the world.  

As per the traditions, locals, Naga Sadhus and Aghoris flock to Manikarnika ghat to play Holi with ashes of burning pyres. The festival starts with a grand aarti at the Masaan temple located near Manikarnika ghat. Devotees smear the Shivling with ashes surrounded by the roaring sound of damru. The energy gets so high that you can feel it pulsating in your nerves as soon as the event starts.

Banaras, also known as the city of Moksha, make people embrace death as a blessing. Here the fire burns perennially on the ghats of river Ganga. Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ground at Banaras, witnesses this unique tradition amidst the gloom of cremation. The sight of Shiv with his bhoot ganas (ghostly hosts) dancing and celebrating with the ashes can be disconcerting. But the Lord of the cremation ground, wrapped in tiger skin, adorned with mundmala (the garland of skulls) playing with the last colour of life (i.e., the colour of ash), high on bhang (cannabis) is unaware of his surroundings and enjoys to the fullest.

Masaan Holi Date 2023

Masan ki Holi will be celebrated on the 4th of March this year (2023). Starting from Mahashamshan nath temple situated in Manikarnika ghat at 10 a.m.

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The eleventh day of the waxing moon according to the Hindi month of Phalgun is celebrated as Rangbhari Ekadashi in Varanasi. It is a Hindu festival that marks the beginning of the festival of colours, five days before Holi. Particularly celebrated in the Northern region of India, it is commonly known as Phalgun Shukla Ekadashi. It is the only Ekadashi that is dedicated to Lord Shiv while the rest of them are associated with Lord Vishnu. On the day of Rangbhari Ekadashi, Rudrabhishek, special worship of Lord Shiv is performed.

 

 

 

 

 

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Rangbhari Ekadashi is also known as Amalaki Ekadashi, Amla Ekadashi or Amalaka Ekadashi. It is dedicated to amalaka or amla tree (Indian gooseberry) which is ritually worshipped on this day. Lord Vishnu who is revered on this day, is believed to dwell in this tree. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Why is Rangbhari Ekadashi celebrated?

According to the traditions, Lord Shiv got married to Goddess Parvati on Mahashivratri and stayed back at Parvati’s maternal home for a few days. Two weeks later, it was on Rangbhari Ekadashi that Mahadev brought her to his city Kashi for the first time after his marriage. Rangbhari Ekadashi is celebrated to commemorate the reunion of Shiv and Shakti. Since it was the first visit of Goddess Parvati, all the Gods joined in the celebration and showered petals and colours from heaven on the newly married couple. The ceremony of Gauna (a tradition practised in UP and Bihar when the bride returns to her maternal home after marriage) with all its customs starts a few days before the Ekadashi. The bridegroom arrives at the house of the Mahant (the chief priest) of Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple a day prior to the Ekadashi.

On the day of Rangbhari Ekadashi, a procession is carried out every year on this day. Devotees charged up with infinite energy dance and play with colours. The procession starts from Mahant’s house in Tedhi Neem and ends at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The silver idols of Shiv and Parvati are taken on a palanquin to the main temple which is a few yards away. The pair enters the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple for special puja and prayers. The narrow lanes of Vishwanath Gali are packed like sardines with people and colours as the procession moves along. The very next day of Rangbhari Ekadashi, Shiv visits masaan to celebrate the same holi with his Ganas, ghost, and spirits that live at the cremation ground which is called Masaan ki Holi. Thereafter, the festivities are continued for the next six days in the city until holi. 

Rangbhari Ekadashi 2023 Date – Varanasi

Rangbhari Ekadashi will be celebrated on the 3rd of March 2023. It is the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the waxing phase of the moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna, which usually falls between February and March in the Gregorian calendar.

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Maha Shivratri or the great night of Shiv is Kashi’s most celebrated night of the year. It is celebrated on the moonless night of the new moon during the Phalgun Maas as per the North Indian Hindu calendar while the same day is considered to fall in Maagh Maas Krishna Paksh as per South Indian Hindu calendar. Though the fourteenth of every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar is a Shivratri, the one that occurs in late Winter and before the arrival of Summer (February/March) has the most spiritual significance.

The Significance of Maha Shivratri

There are various prevailing legends related to this festival. The most significant of all is that the festival marks the wedding of Shiv and Parvati. On this day, two devotees are dressed as Shiv and Parvati, whom the whole crowd follows dancing.

It’s not just a one-day celebration but all the other wedding customs by Kashi Vishwanath temple are also performed with grandeur with a chain of events. The main participation is by the Mahant Family of the temple who host ceremonies such as Tilak on Basant Panchami, Haldi – one day prior to Mahashivratri, marriage on Maha Shivratri & Gauna on Rang Bhari Ekadashi. All the rituals are performed on a silver idol of Lord Shiva with five heads & Parvati beside him.

The Mahant Family has two ceremonial idols of Kashi Vishwanath, one is used for Mahashivratri and another one is used on Rang Bhari Ekadashi. Finally, the Mahant performs Kanyadaan after the wedding. Along with all the customs, there is a different kind of Shringar being performed on this occasion which culminates with the Jhoola Shringar of the Lord.

It is marked as one of the darkest nights of the year. It is also believed that Shiv performed his famous Anand Tandav Nritya or a dance-drama of creation, preservation, and destruction on the eve of Maha Shivratri.

Another legend is related to Samudra Manthan or the churning of the ocean. Samudra Manthan was an elongated process. All types of herbs were put into the ocean and many great entities were produced from the ocean that got divided into Devas(Gods) and Asuras(Demons).

During this process, a pot of poison was also produced along with other things. Neither of them was ready to accept the poison as it was calamitous. Hence, Lord Vishnu approached Lord Shiv for protection. Shiv swallowed the poison and stored it in his neck to prevent it from going into his stomach. Thus, it stayed in his throat making it appear bluish in color, after which he came to be known as the “Neelkanth”. Shiv was advised to stay awake for the whole night as a part of therapy.

Thus, Gods kept a vigil on him and kept him awake by amusing him with dances and music. Since then, this night is celebrated as Maha Shivratri and Shiv’s devotees fast, keep vigil, sing, and dance the whole night.

Shiv Baraat in Varanasi

The most remarkable thing to witness in Kashi is Shiv Baraat. The whole of Varanasi comes together to be a part of this procession. It is basically re-enacting the wedding ceremony of Shiv and Parvati. Right from the morning, you will get glimpses of Jhankis or Tableau. Hundreds of saffron-clothed sadhus and Naga saints join the procession.

The morning procession starts from the Tilbhandeshwar temple and ends in the Gauri Kedareshwar temple, where the idols of Shiv and Parvati are installed a day before the big event. While the evening procession starts from Mrityunjay Mahadev Temple in Daranagar and wraps up in Godaulia.

This is one of the few places in India where people dance in processions after drinking bhang (a sweet drink made of milk and a type of cannabis). Mangala Aarti is performed from 3 am to 4 am after which devotees are allowed continuous darshan. Since devotees are awake throughout the night, no Shayan aarti is held on that day and the rest of the aartis are performed at 10 am, 12 am, 2 pm & 3 pm.

Another big event Panchkroshi Yatra is also performed on this day in which hundreds of devotees walk for almost 80 kilometers barefoot.

Maha Shivratri 2023 Date – Varanasi

This year, Maha Shivratri is going to be held on 18th March 2023. If you ever get a chance, witness this unparalleled experience at least once in your life!

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