Hinamatsuri, also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious (Shinto) holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3 March of each year. Platforms covered with a red carpet–material are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.
A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have been made as crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate art. Modern doll manufacturing has its roots in Germany, from the 15th century. With industrialization and new materials such as porcelain and plastic, dolls were increasingly mass-produced. During the 20th century, dolls became increasingly popular as collectibles.
A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a spring or hook in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to move around, or "bobble," hence the name.
Vijayadashami, more commonly known as Dassahra in Hindi-Urdu, and also known as Dashāhra or Dashain in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Nepali, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Durga Puja and Navarahtri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October, more specifically between 27 September and 26 October. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the waxing moon of the Ashvayuja month.
Japanese dolls are one of the traditional Japanese crafts.
Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victory over Mahishasura. It is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus and the Indian state of West Bengal. A 2019 study by the British Council estimated the economic value of creative industries associated with Durga Puja in West Bengal at ₹32,377 crores. West Bengal's capital city Kolkata's Durga Puja has been inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO in December 2021.
Vidyarambham, also rendered Akshara Abhyasam, and Mutal Eluttu is a Hindu initiation ceremony that is performed before a child begins their formal education. This ritual is dedicated to the goddess of learning, Saraswati. It is popular in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
Katyayani (कात्यायनी) is an aspect of Mahadevi and the slayer of the tyrannical demon Mahishasura. She is the sixth among the Navadurgas, the nine forms of Hindu goddess Durga who are worshipped during the festival of Navaratri. She is depicted with four, ten or eighteen hands. This is the second name given to the goddess Adi Parashakti in Amarakosha, the Sanskrit lexicon.
Golu is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the autumn festive season, particularly around the multiday Navaratri festival of Hinduism. These displays are typically thematic, narrating a legend from a Hindu text to court life, weddings, everyday scenes, and miniature kitchen utensils. They are also known as Golu, Gombe Habba, Bommai golu, or Bommala Koluvu.
Veeraraghava Swamy Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, located in Tiruvallur, Chennai Metropolitan City, an area and headquarters in Tiruvallur district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is counted as one among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. Vishnu is worshipped as Veeraraghava Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi as Kanakavalli Thayar.
Kanyā Pūjā or Kumārī Pūjā, is a Hindu holy ritual, carried out especially on the Ashtami and Navami of the Navaratri festival. The ceremony primarily involves the worship of nine girls, representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga (Navadurga). As per Hindu philosophy, these girls are considered the manifestation of the natural force of creation. Legend says that it was on the ninth day of Navaratri that Shakti had taken the form of Goddess Durga, on the request of the devas to kill the demon Mahisasura.
The Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Mullakkal, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. The temple was designed and built in the old Kerala style. The temple grounds is filled with jasmine plants, after which the place may have been named, since 'mullai' in Tamil and 'mulla' in Malayalam mean jasmine. There are several stories related to the origin of the temple and its foundation. The idol in the inner shrine is that of the goddess Durga. The temple is run by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Ayudha Puja is a Hindu observance that falls on the ninth day of the bright half of the moon's cycle of 15 days in the month of September/October, popularly a part of the Navaratri festival. While the Navaratri festival is observed all over the country, the festivity that is widely marked as Ayudha Puja possesses slight variations of veneration and practices across India.
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratris. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. There are 2 Gupta Navaratris or "Secret Navaratris" as well, one starting on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Magha Month and another starting in the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of Ashadha Month.
Haragapur is a village in Belgaum district in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is attached to NH-4. Places to visit are Shivaji Fort, Mallikarjun Temple & Navanath Mandir. Village is located on Hilltop. Language spoken here is [[Kannada] [Marathi]]
The Mangalore Dasara, is a festival in the Indian city of Mangalore organized by Acharya Mutt, was started by B.R.Karkera. It is also referred as Navarathri Festival, Vijayadashami. The tiger dance, lion dance and bear dance are the main attractions. The city is decorated with lights for the span of 10 days of the occasion.
Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami is the eighth day of the Navaratri festival celebrated by Hindus in veneration of the goddess Durga. In Eastern India, Durga Ashatmi is also one of the most auspicious days of the five days-long Durga Puja festival. Traditionally, the festival is observed for 10 days in Hindu households, but the actual puja that takes place in the pandals is held over a period of 5 days. In India, fasting is undertaken by Hindus on this holy occasion. People also get together on this day to perform the folk dance garba and wear colourful clothes. This day is also known for Astra Puja ; on this day, the weapons of Durga are worshipped. The occasion is also rendered Vira Ashtami to mark the usage of arms or martial arts on this day.
Durgadi Fort is a fort located in Kalyan, near Mumbai in Maharashtra, India.
Chowk-poorana or Chowkpurana is folk art practised in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the term chowk-poorana refers to decorating the floor with various designs using flour and rice and also the walls using designs specific to the region.
A drishti bommai (Tamil), drishti gombe (Kannada) or drishti bomma (Telugu) is a talisman represented as a doll, predominantly found in South India. Regarded to possess apotropaic properties, these dolls are prominently hung at construction sites, houses, residential buildings, and trucks, intended to ward off evil. They are regarded to be benevolent asuras, featured as intimidating in appearance to frighten malicious forces. Similar to the Gorgoneion heads of ancient Greece, the decorative wide-eyed, often red, yellow, or green moustached masks and can be seen in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, and the union territory of Puducherry.
