The tradition that celebrates greenery with livelihood
Each and every festival celebrated in the Indian subcontinent is associated with the changes in the seasons. Be it Holi which represents the basant Ritu(Indian Spring), Navratri which symbolizes the beginning of Sarat Ritu(Indian Early Autumn), Lohri which symbolizes Harvest, thus iconifying the Hemant Ritu(Indian winters), so on and so forth but the most interesting aspect of these festivals is how they preserve our Indian values and how tradition becomes a powerful example for sustainability
The Hariyali Amavasya which is celebrated for the reason of incorporating greenery with Livelihood comes in the month of Sravan. The month of Sravan comes with the monsoon winds, which are serene in experience but unfortunately boosts diseases. So, the importance of planting trees acts like a boon to provide natural remedies for the families.
Sravan is sacred for hindus as countless devotees maintain a moderate to strict penance for Lord Shiva, who is also known as Adi Guru( The eternal teacher).the belief is simple, a sign of gratitude for the eternal grace that they receive in return
Families maintain prevention from eating Non vegetarian diets and the festival of Hariyali Amavasya is more important as it imbibes the values of preserving the natural ecosystem around us.
To plant trees is regarded as of high value in this Particular Amavasya. Devotees engage themselves with planting trees such as NEEM for health, BANANAS for babies, TULSI for peace and AMLA for Lakshmi.
Now, all of these plants have medicinal value such as Neem is renowned for its curative properties, Bananas are known for providing a greater development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord, Tulsi is a natural antidepressant and Amla is one of the highly valued gynecological remedies.
It’s fascinating how Indian culture not only recognises the importance of sustainability but also teaches us to be compassionate and respectful for the natural ecosystem around us. This tradition is thousands of years old is a remarkable evidence for the world that how simplistically we are taught to preserve and conserve the world around us
Udaipur celebrates this festival with a grandeur. It initiates a MELA(fare) for two days, out of which one day which precisely allows only ladies is a story and tradition, specially found in India. This is one of the biggest fares that exist in Udaipur which hosts around 500 shops and spreads to a vastness of 3kms.
The story is of the year 1898 when Maharaja Fateh Singh came in with Maharani Chavri to experience the grandeur of the lake Fatehsagar, Astounded as they were, they made the decision to celebrate Hariyali Amavasya with a fare.
In this year 2022, the fare is being conducted after the pandemic, so the expectations are high among the Udaipur citizens. This year the Mela is happening on 28th and 29th July, along with a police force of 1500 and 200 Civil personnel who will make the security for the Mela, especially on day 2 of the event.
Hariyali festival is one of the many Indian festivals that carry a science which leads to a comfortable and healthy lifestyle that we all seek in our era of rapid modernization and Udaipur celebrates it with a bang come and be part of this amazing event and experience a moment of your life
