Kids Songs Around the World with English Translations
or French Translations
or Spanish Translations
Mama Lisa's World Blog
English Nursery Rhymes
Mother Goose in French
Wizard of Oz Audiobook
Poetry for Kids
ML Reviews
Mama Lisa's Hub
This is the Hinduism Archive Page
- No categories
Categories
- 1512 (1)
- Arts and Crafts (21)
- Books (56)
- Children's Songs (432)
- Countries & Cultures (912)
- Customs (42)
- Folk Lore (6)
- Folk Songs (76)
- Food & Nutrition (4)
- Games (40)
- Gardens (2)
- History of Nursery Rhymes (8)
- Holiday Calendar (1)
- Holiday Songs (154)
- Holidays Around the World (340)
- Languages (723)
- Learning (37)
- Lullabies (40)
- Mama Lisa (422)
- Movies & TV (23)
- Music (63)
- Nursery Rhymes (161)
- Parenting (72)
- People (18)
- Photos (27)
- Podcasts (29)
- Poetry (96)
- Proverbs (20)
- Questions (309)
- Quotes (7)
- Recipes of the World (74)
- Recommendations (62)
- Recordings of Nursery Rhymes (19)
- Recordings of Songs (101)
- Rhymes by Theme (42)
- Seasonal (29)
- Songs by Theme (69)
- Teaching (41)
- Traditional Songs (2)
- Traveling (35)
- Video (23)
- Words & Phrases (16)
- YouTube (70)
My Tweets
Archive for the 'Hinduism' Category
Contents
Posts
Ram Navami a Hindu Festival
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009Ram Navami is April 3rd this year. It’s a Hindu Festival that’s also called Ramanavami. It’s a celebration of the birth of Rama.
Vishnu is the supreme God according to the Hindu religion. There are 10 incarnations of Vishnu – they are known as the “Dasavatara” (dasa means 10 in Sanskrit). Nine of the incarnations of Vishnu are thought to have appeared in the past and the 10th is supposed to come in the future. Rama is the 7th incarnation. Ram Navami celebrates his birthday.
The Ramayana is a great epic poem of India. Rama is the hero of The Ramayana (”Romance of Rama”). On Ram Navami, people tell stories from this great poem.
The stories involve Rama, his brother, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Rama’s wife, Sita. In some places there are Rama Navami processions with chariots carrying people dressed up as these four personages.
Some people also fast for this festival and exchange gifts with their loved ones.
Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009We’d love it if you’d join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you’d like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and Music…
Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…
Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!
Mama Lisa
A Hindi Children’s Song with an English Translation
Tuesday, March 14th, 2006Tomorrow is the Colorful Hindu Holiday called Holi that’s celebrated in India. I thought, for the occasion, I would share with you this new Hindi song I recently received…
Ek kawwa pyasathaa
(Hindi)Ek kawwa pyasathaa
jugmay thOdaa paaneethaa
kawwa laayaa pathar
paani aayaa oopar
kawwaa peeyaapaani
Hogaya kahaaniThere Was a Thristy Crow
(English)There was a thirsty crow
A jug has a little water
Crow brought pebbles
Raised up the water
Crow drank the water
End of the story.Many thanks to G.Kavitha for sending me this song and for translating it into English!
-Lisa
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World India Page for more Songs from India.
Holi – A Celebration of Spring and Color in India
Saturday, March 11th, 2006Holi is celebrated every year on the night of the full moon that comes in late February or early March and also on the day after the full moon. This year it will be celebrated on March 15-16th.
Holi is a celebration of the beginning of spring and the first harvest of the year.
The Origin of Holi
There are different legends behind the origin of Holi. The most well-known is about the triumph of good over evil.
The story is that in ancient India there was an evil demon king called Hiranykashipu, who wanted everyone to worship him instead of the supreme Hindu god Vishnu. He declared that no one was to worship Vishnu and that if they did, they would be killed. However, the demon king’s son, Prince Prahlad, continued to worship Vishnu. The demon king warned him that if he did not stop he would be killed, but Prahlad continued anyway. The demon king tried to kill him but failed. He tried poisoning him and he tried to have him trampled by elephants, but his son survived. Finally the demon king asked his sister Holika for help. Holika thought she was immune to fire so she took her nephew Prahlad into a big fire. Much to everyone’s surprise, Holika was burnt to death and Prahlad was unharmed.
The name of the holiday Holi comes from the defeat of Holika.
Nowadays, huge bonfires are lit on the night of the full moon of Holi. The fires are supposed to burn away the evil spirits. The bonfires also symbolize the coming warmth of Springtime.
Spraying Village Girls with Colored Powder and Water
To understand the next part of Holi’s traditions, it’s important to know a little about Hindu avatars. In Hinduism avatars are earthly manifestations or reincarnations of the God Vishnu. Krishna is one of the avatars of Vishnu.
Krishna literally means “dark” or “black”. He is called “the dark one” because of his dark complexion. He is also known to be a prankster.
The legend is that Krishna would spray the village girls with colored powder and water. At first they were annoyed at him, but they liked him so much that eventually it became a game and all the boys of the town joined in.
Today in India on Holi you’ll see colored powder in the air. Sometimes it’s mixed with water and everything turns into a rainbow of color.
Krishna and Radha
Many of the village girls were called Gopis which are cowherd girls. Krishna fell in love with one of the Gopis whose name was Radha.
One day Krishna asked his mother why he had such dark skin while Radha was so fair. His mother said to him, why don’t you smear her with color so that she can be any color you want. So he did!
People in India still smear each other with color on Holi. There’s an element of courtship behind this ritual echoing the love between Krishna and Radha. Thus, Holi is also a celebration of the love that comes in the springtime.
Holi is a great festival of color in which there is much dancing, singing and rejoicing. What a happy time it is when spring is in the air!
Happy Holi!
Lisa
Many thanks to G.Kavitha for helping me learn about the tradition of Holi in India.
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World India Page for Songs from India.
JUST POSTED: A Hindi Children’s Song!
________
Help Support
Mama Lisa's World!
$5, $10, $25
or any amount welcome!
