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The month of late September- late October is quite special this year. For nearly 1.5 billion people it is a month of fasting, reflection and celebration.

In the hindu community it is the month of Kartik and for muslims it is the month of Ramadhan.

Both of these end with two of the biggest celebrations in their religious calenders, with Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr.( which happen to be 2 days apart this year) mind you they can never be on the same day, cause divali is on a new moon and Eid-ul-Fitr must have a moon to spot.

SOO as the month progresses I'll update the page with various activites and celebrations that happen here in Trinidad and from around the world.

For me, I fast for 2 months, but its my absolute favourite time of the year. This evening is the start of Ramleela here in my town, which is a 10 day outdoor play depicting the story of the Ramayan. I love it, yes i know it by heart but i can never ever see myself missing it.

Stay tuned.

To the islamic world, have a good month.

I myself can't wait for November. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year. That and Christmas.

oh my, Divali and Eid.......... lots and lots of food.
plenty work for divali, but oh well its worth it.

And yeah Christmas........ food for weeks.

Originally posted by fini
oh my, Divali and Eid.......... lots and lots of food.
plenty work for divali, but oh well its worth it.

And yeah Christmas........ food for weeks. Ever notice around the time of holidays, whether christian or muslim...a lot of food and eating is involved? you gotta love it

what will a celebration be without LOTS and LOTS of food?

a good example. A hindu wedding is 3 days and you bet that there is food to feed over 100 people every single day ( ok the last two days try anywhere from 200-500)

Originally posted by fini
what will a celebration be without LOTS and LOTS of food?

a good example. A hindu wedding is 3 days and you bet that there is food to feed over 100 people every single day ( ok the last two days try anywhere from 200-500) I remember once when i was little and still in the philippines we were celebrating christmas..different from the states. the whole block where we lived roasted like 6 pigs and tons and tons of food and songs and singing and dancing and...yeah. lots.Originally posted by ADarksideJedi
Me too thanksgiving and Chunnaka and christmas!jm don't you just love it though!?!? ever since i've gotten americanised, i love that feeling on Thanksgiving...the cool crisp air, that happy feeling and xmas songs soon to be played!!! i'm such a dork bag

Originally posted by ADarksideJedi
Me too thanksgiving and Chunnaka and christmas!jm

I don't want to sound ignorant, but I also want to make fun of her....Chunakka is wrong, right?

Originally posted by Bardock42
I don't want to sound ignorant, but I also want to make fun of her....Chunakka is wrong, right? ahahaha...leave her alone maaaan

unless its a joke keep those comments outta here

but i know it is anyway,lol

you know...ever notice how peaceful and full of love people get during the holy months and holidays? too bad we can't have that all the time.

Originally posted by fini
what will a celebration be without LOTS and LOTS of food?

a good example. A hindu wedding is 3 days and you bet that there is food to feed over 100 people every single day ( ok the last two days try anywhere from 200-500)

Sounds like a Mexican wedding!

Originally posted by fini
The month of late September- late October is quite special this year. For nearly 1.5 billion people it is a month of fasting, reflection and celebration.

In the hindu community it is the month of Kartik and for muslims it is the month of Ramadhan.

Both of these end with two of the biggest celebrations in their religious calenders, with Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr.( which happen to be 2 days apart this year) mind you they can never be on the same day, cause divali is on a new moon and Eid-ul-Fitr must have a moon to spot.

SOO as the month progresses I'll update the page with various activites and celebrations that happen here in Trinidad and from around the world.

For me, I fast for 2 months, but its my absolute favourite time of the year. This evening is the start of Ramleela here in my town, which is a 10 day outdoor play depicting the story of the Ramayan. I love it, yes i know it by heart but i can never ever see myself missing it.

Stay tuned.

To the islamic world, have a good month.

Thanks Fini, same to you.

Originally posted by fini
oh my, Divali and Eid.......... lots and lots of food.
plenty work for divali, but oh well its worth it.

And yeah Christmas........ food for weeks. Did you say food???


OK, I'm for it.............any celebration is worth celebrating.............

Wow, now comes the time when i can finally start putting up pictures.

Today in my town it is the second to last day of Ramleela( an outdoor play held over 10 days).

In the play today Lord Ram( an incarnation of Vishnu) battles the evil King Ravana( pronounced Rah-one) for return of his wife and to rid the world/south india of his evil rule. When Ram defeat Ravana by shooting an arrow into his navel and then we burn an effigy of the King.

The Ramleela group here makes an effigy that is 65ft tall, its massive, that thing on fire looks amazing. But before, when they are tranporting it from the building site to the grounds where the play is being held, we have to load it on a trailer and then there is a small procession of the characters through the town. Here are some pics.

Here is them loading the effigy onto the trailer
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/Pics%20for%20forums/P1010016.jpg

Here is the trailer coming up the road, they usually have to clear the entire road because of the size of the effigy.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/Pics%20for%20forums/P1010030.jpg

Another look of the effigy on the trailer as it passes through the middle of the town
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/Pics%20for%20forums/P1010039.jpg

Some of the characters in the procession along the main road. The in the middle( with the black chest plate and crown) is the one who plays King Ravana
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/Pics%20for%20forums/P1010004-1.jpg



I'll be back later with pics of them putting up the effigy and tomorrow with pics after the burning.

Nov 23rd. Its the first time I see my family and home friends since late August!

Wahhh my camera is dying, so I gonna have to load old pics from ramleela.

The light the effigy by shooting it with a lit arrow. Here we have the guy playing Lord Ram, waiting for his que to fire of the arrow.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/P1010008.jpg

Here is just after he fired it
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/P1010009-1.jpg

And it burns
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/P1010011.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/P1010014.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Nirmala_pics/P1010025.jpg

That man maintined his composure very well despite being burned.

Hey fini.........looks like a cool holiday................just love them all.......Oh, and I forgot..........what belief are you again my dear? Hindu??

Yes. (psst....look at her AVATAR)

Ohhhhhhhhh................

Well then my guess was right them..............lol

tehehe

Got one on me,...........only sort of.

Alliance +1

I said sort of..............that mean equall..........not plus

I'm awesome.

Originally posted by Alliance
I'm awesome. I'm sure your mirror agrees.......

I don't own a mirror.

Originally posted by Alliance
I don't own a mirror. Quasimodo?

Go ring your bells...........lol

The bells! THE BELLS!

Originally posted by Alliance
The bells! THE BELLS! Yeah both of them.............

Originally posted by debbiejo
Quasimodo?

Go ring your bells...........lol

Wait... why didn't Quasimodo own a mirror? I thought it was vampires that didn't have reflective things around.

Ok. |:

Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
Wait... why didn't Quasimodo own a mirror? I thought it was vampires that didn't have reflective things around. He did though he is fictional..........lol................Don't listen to Alliance........

Besides beauty is skin deep..................poor him..............

god, why are we talking about him anyway??

Because...well...you know why.

LOL

yeah I am hindu debbie, as if that wasn't OBVIOUS enough

hehe

How did a Hindu like yourself end up in Trinidad of all places?

ummmm
There are plenty hindus in trinidad. In fact over 50% of the population has ancestors from India. And as a such the percentage of hindus in the country is close to 20%.

When slavery was abolished in the 1800s, they brought over labourers from India to work the sugar cane plantations. Trinidad and Guyana ended up with the majority of the indians , and the other islands got much smallers amounts.

Interesting.

*no comment*

I've been fasting all month. Monday's Eid.

4 days left

hehe...then party.

heh yeah.

Originally posted by fini
The month of late September- late October is quite special this year. For nearly 1.5 billion people it is a month of fasting, reflection and celebration.

In the hindu community it is the month of Kartik and for muslims it is the month of Ramadhan.

Both of these end with two of the biggest celebrations in their religious calenders, with Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr.( which happen to be 2 days apart this year) mind you they can never be on the same day, cause divali is on a new moon and Eid-ul-Fitr must have a moon to spot.


I would realy like to know why in the case of Muslims do they only fast during the day and are allowed to eat in the evening. What is the reason for fasting? Also are the children also fasting. Are you at least allowed to drink water?

No, muslims are not allowed to drink water when fasting. And children do not have to fast, neither old people or ill people.

Originally posted by Sam Z
heh yeah.



Originally posted by sonnet
I would realy like to know why in the case of Muslims do they only fast during the day and are allowed to eat in the evening.

This is how many religions do it, including Christianity and Judaism.

If you're going to fast for an extended period of time (say a week or month), you need to eat and drink sometime...its just been tradition foreverto not eat/drink when the sun is up.

Originally posted by Sam Z
No, muslims are not allowed to drink water when fasting. And children do not have to fast, neither old people or ill people.
Thanks

Originally posted by Alliance




This is how many religions do it, including Christianity and Judaism.

If you're going to fast for an extended period of time (say a week or month), you need to eat and drink sometime...its just been tradition foreverto not eat/drink when the sun is up.
Thanks.

2 days, guys.
Check this vid i found.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j41E8DN7yLA

Tomorrow is Divali, YAY!!!!

but omg the amount of work to clean this house, and the endless hours of cooking tomorrow.

But its all good.

It's only Saturnalia day at my house.........

OWWWW
my feet hurt, my back hurt, my hands hurt, and i am yet to light a deeya( a little clay pot that we light by the 10's or 100's on divali). But there is rain coming, so SO much for that, lol

And finally i learnt my lesson, dont try to make over 500 sweets in one afternoon....... make them in the days before, hehe

Divali is always so much work, but i love it.

Now its on to Eid ul Fitr............... cant wait to go by someone for some sawine and then some curry goat with roti
mmmmmmm

Hmmm the only downside to today was that there were a group of IDIOTS walking around and handing out papers and articles on hinduism being a false religion. HOW dare they come to a hindu household an insist that we read this crap??? F**K that, go to any household on Divali and giving out stuff like that.

GRRRRRR, Heck some people even refuse the sweets that we give out on Divali, saying that we prayed on it. We provided blessings for the sweets. If they went by someone and they said grace before the meal, would they refuse it also? Good grief the level of ignorance of people is astounding. Mind you there are a few people here in the religion section who would fall into that category quite nicely. The stupid c*nts.

Originally posted by fini
The stupid c*nts.

Yup, they're everywhere, but people have a right to free speech.

YEah, and so do I

hehe!!!!!

fini said the "C" word........

nah she didn't

I saw it.......she just made it special..................lol

And so what if I did!?!?

LOL , i say it a lot, among others words, hehe

No, no.....say it's not sooooo....

LOL

LOL

What made it worse was doing my degree. Imagine doing a 6 page mathematical proof and it was not working out........ and when i check it over, i made my mistake on the first page. OHHH lets the cusses flow, lol

I got kicked out of another forum, for cussing in IM....... dont know what that had to do with the forum, but it happened to me, lol

HAHAHAHA...........Evil girl..............hahahaha.........lol



*watches her smack people*

smack people???

I do it..........hahahaha.
....................all the time......."get a grip I say"

Woman, that doctor gave you those pills to TAKE EVERYDAY.
Take them nah, it shows when u dont.

hehehe

Oh?? LOL