Onam celebrations with my family

Appa giving feast to my sister sakthi.☺️

Rigved Vyas

Grade 4 I

These are some glimpses of our cultural festivals and traditional dance performances.

Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu, beautifully represents our rich heritage.

We celebrate many festivals-Ganesh Chaturthi is one of our important cultural events, while Diwali is our main festival.

We also joyfully celebrate Christmas, reflecting the diversity of our traditions.

Pongal by mid of January -A harvest festival thanking the Sun God and farm animals.

• Celebrated over four days: Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal.

• People clean and decorate their homes, draw kolams (rangoli), and cook Pongal, a sweet dish made of rice and jaggery.

• Cattle are bathed, decorated, and worshipped on Mattu Pongal.

• On Kaanum Pongal, families go on picnics and social visits.

  
  

Tamil New Year (Puthandu) by Mid-April

Significance: Marks the beginning of the Tamil calendar year.

Celebration Method:

• Homes are decorated with kolams and mango leaf garlands.

• People visit temples and seek blessings.

• A special feast is prepared, often including mango pachadi, symbolizing different emotions of life.

I celebrated Eid this year with my whole family. My grandparents and cousins came from India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to spend time with us. We had lots of food and went to play areas. I had such a cherished time with everyone. I will surely miss them.

In olden days boys used to go Ashram for studies. Before going to Ashram they were having this thread ceremony.

In thread ceremony we have Ganesh pooja, Haldi program, Garba , mameru and Grahshanti.

At last we have Vargodo.

I love my culture.

For this we make a smooth batter of wheat flour, fennel seeds, oil and sugary water.

After heating up enough oil in the pan for deep frying, we add small balls of the batter to the oil for frying.

Once brown enough we take out the puas. Then on cooling down we offer this prasad first to the Gods and then to the rest of the family.

On Diwali, we enjoy a yummy festive dinner together. After that, we light diyas and play with sparklers. We love watching the little lights glow and spending time with my family.

For us, Diwali is not just about sweets and fireworks. It’s also about being together, following our traditions and feeling happy. That’s what makes Diwali so special!

Of all festivals, my most favorite is Bathukamma, where I get to prepare savory dishes and snacks with my mom and do all the colorful flower arrangements.

How we celebrate Bathukamma Festival?

Bathukamma is a vibrant 9-day flower festival in Telangana, celebrated during Navratri. Bathukamma - a form of worshiping Shakti as “Gowri Devi/ Gowramma in the form of flowers for health and prosperity of family by women. Women collect seasonal flowers like gunuka, tangedu, and marigold, arranging them in a conical structure on a brass plate called "taambalam". They dress in traditional attire, adorned with jewels, and gather in the evenings to sing folk songs, dance and offer naivedyam (sesame laddoo, maleeda, pulihora, etc.). The festival ends with the immersion of Bathukamma in a water body, symbolizing life cycles.

It's a celebration of Telangana's rich cultural heritage and identity.

Thank you🙏

like branches on a tree

We all grow in different directions

But our ROOTS

Remain same.

Bonding of LOVE.