Hindu Festivals

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Devotees carry an idol of Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, into the water from Girgaum Chowpatty beach before immersing it in the waters of the Arabian Sea on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, on September 11, 2011. Idols are taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing and singing, to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual send-off of his journey towards his abode in "Kailash", while taking away with him the misfortunes of all mankind. (Reuters/Vivek Prakash)

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An Indian girl wearing traditional attire poses for photographers as she along with others perform the Garba, a traditional dance of western Indian state of Gujarat, as part of preparation for Navratri festival in Ahmadabad, India, on September 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

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A Hindu priest holds a traditional oil lamp as he performs prayers on the banks of the River Ganges in Allahabad, India, on June 17, 2011. Allahabad, located on the confluence of the Rivers Ganges and Yamuna, is one of Hinduism's holiest centers. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu devotee smokes marijuana after taking part in a "Bol Bom" pilgrimage in Kathmandu, on July 25, 2011. The faithful, chanting the name of Lord Shiva, run some 15 km (9 miles) barefoot to Pashupatinath temple seeking good health, wealth and happiness. (Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar)

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Indian youths make a human pyramid to reach and break the 'Dahi Handi', an earthen pot filled with yogurt, as they celebrate Janamashtami, the birth anniversary of Hindu God Krishna in Mumbai, India, on August 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

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Indian youths make a human pyramid to reach and break an earthen pot, celebrating Janamashtami, the birth anniversary of Hindu god Krishna in Mumbai, India, on August 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

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A Nepalese child sits near a giant mask of Bhairav during the Indra Jatra Festival in Hanuman Dhoka, in Katmandu, Nepal, on September 9, 2011. Indra is considered the Hindu god of rain and the week long festival marks the end of the rainy season. (AP Photo/ Binod Joshi)

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A man carries an idol of Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha to immerse it in the Arabian Sea on the fifth day of the ten day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, on September 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

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K. Surya Prakash, an Indian artist, puts the final preparations on an ecologically friendly idol of the Hindu God Lord Ganesh made from paper cups, at his workshop in Hyderabad, on August 29, 2011. Prakash made the 17 foot tall Idol, for the upcoming Ganesh festival starting September 1, by using 30,000 paper cups with help of five workers to create awareness by making ecologically friendly Ganesh Idols to minimize harm to the environment when they are thrown in the rivers. (Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images

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Indian students of a Hindu religious school wrap themselves with saffron cloth after bathing on the occasion of Shravan Purnima in Allahabad, India, on August 13, 2011. Shravan Purnima, a full moon day, is an auspicious day in Hinduism. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A girl dressed as Krishna poses at the Janmashtami Hindu Festival at Bhaktivedanta Manor on August 22, 2011 in Watford, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

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Hindu devotees walk towards the Pashupatinath Temple for Shravan festivities to offer prayers to Lord Shiva, Hindu god of destruction, in Sundarijal on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on August 1, 2011. According to the Nepali calendar Shravan is considered the holiest month of the year with each Monday of the month known as Shravan Somvar when worshipers offer prayers for a happy and prosperous life. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images

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A Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu devotee dances with hooks inserted into his skin in the Adippura religious festival in the capital Colombo, on August 6, 2011. Tamils, who are mainly followers of Hinduism, are the main minority community in the island which is emerging from nearly four decades of ethnic conflict which had claimed up to 100,000 lives. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images)

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Two eunuchs share a laugh after performing at the Raksha Bandhan festival celebrations in a red light area in Mumbai, on August 12, 2011. During Raksha Bandhan, an annual Hindu festival celebrating the bond between sisters and brothers, sisters tie a sacred thread "Rakhi" around their brother's wrist for his well-being, in return for their brother's vow to protect them. (Reuters/Danish Siddiqui)

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A man, wearing a mask of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, holds up a corn cob at a roadside stall on the fourth day of the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the southern Indian city of Chennai, on September 4, 2011. (Reuters/Babu)

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A clay idol of the Hindu goddess Durga lies on the ground for drying at a workshop in Kolkata on September 6, 2011. The idols will be used during the Durga Puja festival from October 2-6, which is the biggest religious event for Bengali Hindus. Hindus believe that the goddess Durga symbolises power and the triumph of good over evil. (Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri

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Nepalese Hindu devotees take a holy bath and preform rituals near the Gokarneswar Mahadev Temple at Gokarna, on the outskirts of Kathmandu to observe the Kuse Aunse, Father's Day, festival, on August 29, 2011. During the festival Nepalese Hindus from all over the country, whose fathers have passed away, come to the Gokarneswar Mahadev Temple to worship, take holy baths, and present offerings. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)

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An idol of a demon stands under the foot of Hindu Goddess Durga, ahead of Durga Puja festival in New Delhi, India, on September 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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A black bull sarcophagus is set on fire during the Hindu Royal cremation of Anak Agung Rai Niang -- also know as the Pengabenan -- at Puri Ubud, on August 18, 2011 in Ubud, Bali. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

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Indian Hindu devotee of goddess Mahankali, M.Ramadass carries two limes in his seven-foot-long mustache as he poses during a Swarnalatha Rangam ceremony at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad, on July 18, 2011. (Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images)

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Artisans work on semi-finished clay statues of Hindu goddess Durga in Kumartoli, the idol makers village of Kolkata, on August 22, 2011. Ongoing monsoon rain has made it difficult for artisans to finish idols on schedule, with the recent economic slowdown and high inflation adding to the difficulties of the idol-makers ahead of the festive season. (Dibyangsh Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

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Living Goddess Kumari attends the Changu Narayan festival in Kathmandu, on August 10, 2011. The Kumari, a young pre-pubescent girl who is a manifestation of a Goddess, is worshiped by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. The Kumari emerges from her temple about 12 times a year for religious occasions. (Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

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A Hindu devotee offers milk to a snake as part of a ritual on Naag Panchami festival in Jammu, India, on September 2, 2011. The Hindu festival of Naag Panchami is a day dedicated to snake worship. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

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Hindu pilgrims are carried on palanquins by Muslim bearers over a glacier near Amarnath Cave, 150 km (93 mi) from Srinagar, India, on July 28, 2011. At least half a million devotees make the pilgrimage to the icy cave which lies 4,115 m (13,500 ft) above sea level in Indian-controlled Kashmir amid tight security. Hindus worship a stalagmite inside the cave as an incarnation of the Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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Nepalese Hindu women dance after paying homage to Shiva, Hindu god of destruction, as they celebrate the Teej festival in Kathmandu, on August 31, 2011. The three-day long Teej festival, celebrated by Hindu women in Nepal and some parts of India, is observed by married women fasting during the day and praying for their husband's longevity, while unmarried women wish for handsome husbands and happy conjugal lives. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)

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A dancer in body paint waits for his performance during festivities marking the start of the annual harvest festival of "Onam" in the southern Indian city of Kochi, on August 31, 2011. The ten-day-long festival is celebrated annually in India's southern coastal state of Kerala to symbolize the return of King Mahabali to meet his beloved subjects. (Reuters/Sivaram V)

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Nepalese people watch as a straw effigy of Ghanta Karna burns during celebrations of the Hindu festival of "Gathemangal", also known as Ghanta Karna, in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on July 29, 2011. The Nepalese festival, which celebrates the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna ("bell-ears"), is celebrated by performing the legendary drama in the streets. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)

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Indian devotee Swarnaltha (center), who undertook a vow of chastity and devoted her life to the Hindu goddess Mahankali, answers questions while allegedly in a state of trance during a 'Rangam' ceremony at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad, on July 18, 2011. Swarnalatha Rangam is a ritual where it is believed that the goddess Mahankali enters the body of an unmarried woman and predicts the future. (Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images)

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Devotees drink traditional alcohol flowing from the mouth of a statue of the deity Swet Bhairav during the second day of the week long Indra Jatra festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 10, 2011. Indra Jatra festival, which is celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists, marks the end of the monsoon season and beginning of autumn. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha

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A Hindu holy man gestures to the photographer at Kamakhya temple, situated on a hilltop, ahead of the Ambubasi festival in Gauhati, India, on June 21, 2011. (AP Photo/ Anupam Nath

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Hindu married women perform rituals around a Banyan tree during the festival of Vat Savitri in Ahmadabad, India, on June 15, 2011. Vat Savitri is celebrated during the time of the full moon, when women tie cotton threads around a banyan tree and pray for the longevity of their husbands. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

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Visually impaired students form a human pyramid as they attempt to break a clay pot during celebrations on the eve of the Hindu festival "Janmashtami" in Mumbai, on August 20, 2011. (Reuters/Danish Siddiqui)

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A Hindu holy man performs morning prayers after taking a dip in the River Ganges in Allahabad, India, on September 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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From the grand parades of bejewelled elephants to the spicy aroma of authentic cuisine, Dussehra (or Dasara) offers up a tasty banquet of Indian cultural delights. - Celebrated over a period of 10 days from 8th to 17th October , this famed Hindu festival draws thousands of tourists to India’s exotic sandy shores.

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Holi Festival is also known as the festival of colours. It is a spring festival celebrated across everywhere in India and many nations abroad. It is also popularly known as Dolyatra or Vasantutsav. The most popular Holi celebrated in India is in Braj, the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

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Ganesha Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the birthday of Lord Ganesha who is widely worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune

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Indian women hold sticks, also known as Lahti's, which are playfully used to hit local men during Lahtmar Holi celebrations of the Hindu festival of colors in the village of Jaav, India, Monday, March 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer

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A Hindu devotee carries a Kavadi offering cage takes part in a procession during the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of people - many with hooks pierced through the skin of their backs - thronged temples across the country Saturday to celebrate a Hindu festival following tensions after a recent string of attacks on houses of worship in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Picture: AP

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A Hindu devotee gets pierced with a metal rod during the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hundreds of thousands of people, many with hooks pierced through the skin of their backs, thronged temples across the country Saturday to celebrate a Hindu festival following tensions after a recent string of attacks on houses of worship in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Picture: AP

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A Hindu devotee with skewers pierced through her cheek and tongue, carries a milk pot as she makes way for her pilgrimage to the sacred Batu Caves temple during Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Picture: Reuters

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A Hindu devotee gets his body pierced with hooks to carry fruit for pilgrims near the Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on January 30, 2010. The Hindu festival of Thaipusam, which commemorates the day when Goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Muruga an invincible lance with which he destroyed evil demons, is celebrated by some two million ethnic Indians in Malaysia. Picture: AFP

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Hindu devotees, restrained with hooks pierced through their backs, make their way towards the Batu Caves temple at sunrise during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Picture: AFP

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Devotee dressed as Hanuman comes on the occasion of Shivaratri festival, a Hindu festival outskirts of southern Indian city of Hyderabad REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder (INDIA) , Ganesha Chaturthi – or Ganesh Festival – which honors the Hindu deity Ganesh, known as the Remover of Obstacles.

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Traditional Galungan festival Bali Galungan Festival is 10 day festival held through out the whole Bali Island, celebrated every six months. The festival celebrates the Hindu gods and most importantly the triumph of good over evil. It is believed during these 10 days the Balinese gods descend to earth for the festivities other then that also the ancestral spirits join the gods and descend to be part of the festivities. For this reason lavish decorations are done through out the island to honor their arrival.

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Ram Navami is also known as Sri Ram Navami (IAST SriRam-navami Ram janamdivas ).It is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Ram to Raja Dasharatha and Rani Kausalya of Ayodhya.

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Devotees displayed their muscles during the annual Hindu festival Rath Yatra, or chariot procession, in Ahmadabad, India, Thousands of devotees pulled specially made chariots called raths in a grand procession. (Ajit Solanki/Associated Press)

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Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP - Indian students of Sri Vishnu Mahadeo Ved Pathshala wrap themselves with saffron cloth after bathing on the banks of the River Ganges on the occasion of Shravan Purnima in Allahabad, India. Shravan Purnima, a full moon day, is an auspicious day in Hinduism when several festivals are held.

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Saeed Khan / AFP - Getty Images - A Hindu devotee carries a milk pot, known as "kavadis", for pilgrims near the Batu Cave before sunrise during the Thaipusam festival outside the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur . The Hindu festival of Thaipusam, which commemorates the day when Goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Muruga an invincible lance with which he destroyed evil demons, is celebrated by some two million ethnic Indians in Malaysia. The centerpiece of the celebration is held at Batu Caves, where worshippers pierced with hooks and skewers in their tongues, cheeks, chests and backs shoulder heavy structures called kavadis as they walk barefoot up the temple's 272 steps in a form of penance.

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Stephen Morrison / EPA A devotee with a large cheek piercing leaves Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple during the Thaipusam Festival in Singapore on .

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Sivaram V / Reuters Hindu devotees with their tongues pierced, take part in a procession as part of the Thaipusam festival in the southern Indian city of Kochi

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Stephen Morrison / EPA A devotee with metal nail sandals leaves Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple during the Thaipusam Festival procession in Singapore

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Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters Hindu pilgrims worship the sun god Surya after taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges river and the Bay of Bengal at Sagar Island, south of Kolkata

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Krishna Janmashtami in India is celebrated all - Hindus, Muslims and even atheists. And so, naturally, there are many different traditions of this holiday.

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Indian Hindu devotees gather with large statues of the elephant-headed Hindu God Ganesh, before immersing them in the Arabian Sea, on the final day of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, India, (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

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Hindu holy men chant mantras and pray in the Varuna Yajna ritual to appease the rain God at the Sankara Mattham in Mumbai. Ten priests stood neck deep in water for over 4 hours to perform a special prayers for the arrival of rains. (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

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A Hindu priest performs morning rituals with a traditional oil lamp on the banks of the River Ganges in Allahabad, India, (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu devotee gets his mouth pierced as he takes part in an annual religious procession called "Shitla Mata" in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. Hindu devotees subject themselves to painful rituals during the religious procession to demonstrate their faith and as a penance to the deity at a temple dedicated to the goddess Shitla. (REUTERS/Ajay Verma)

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People in traditional costumes participate in the celebration of the Indrajatra festival in Kathmandu. Nepal's Newar community began celebrating the Hindu festival of Indrajatra with the worship of the Kumari and the god of rain, Lord Indra. (REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar)

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Hindu devotees offer food to a cow and a calf, and pray as part of the "Pind Daan" rituals performed for the soul of departed ancestors on the banks of the river Ganges in Allahabad, India (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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An artisan gives finishing touches to an idol of Hindu snake god Mansa at a workshop in the eastern Indian city of Siliguri . Hindus across India and Bangladesh will be celebrating the "Nagpanchami" festival by worshipping snakes on Monday. (REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri)

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A presentation by Nubia Nubia_group@yahoo.fr http://nubiagroup-powerpoint-collection.blogspot.com/