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.
Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for use. Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, some species of these slow-growing trees have suffered over-harvesting in the past.
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, also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar. The festival which typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October.
Japanese dolls are one of the traditional Japanese crafts.
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 for Goddess Adi Parashakti in Amarakosha, the Sanskrit lexicon.
The Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, otherwise known as Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Kshetra, is in the Kudroli area of Mangalore in Karnataka, India. It was consecrated by Narayana Guru. It is dedicated to Gokarnanatha, a form of Lord Shiva. This temple was built in 1912 by Adhyaksha HoigeBazar Koragappa.
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.
Thiruvallur Veeraraghava Swamy Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, located in Thiruvallur, 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 as 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 Alappuzha, Kerala, India. The temple is also known as the Mullakkal Bhagwati Temple. 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 the honour of the goddess Durga also referred to as Adi Parashakti. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashwin (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 Navaratri. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri.
Rama Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu, to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya, Kosala. This festival is a part of the Chaitra Navaratri in the spring, and falls on the ninth day of the bright half of the lunar cycle of Chaitra (March-April), the first month in the Hindu calendar. Rama Navami is an optional holiday for government employees in India.
The Mangalore Dasara, is a festival in the Indian city of Mangalore organized by Acharya Mutt]]. 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.
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 parts of 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.
The Vaishno Devi Temple also referred to as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan is a prominent and widely revered Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vaishno Devi. It is located in Katra, Reasi on the slopes of Trikuta Hills within the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir in India. The temple is recognized as one of the 108 Maha (major) Shakti Peethas dedicated to Durga, who is worshipped as Vaishno Devi. Having the principal aspect of Durga, hindus consider Vaishno Devi as an incarnation of Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi. The temple is governed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), chaired by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir in August 1986.
