Bank Holidays in July
With the rains come the holidays. If you’re still looking for excuses to go on any of these monsoon treks these holidays should help you plan your breaks better!
Jagannath Rath Yatra (July 6, Wednesday) in Odisha
Photograph: Wikipedia (Under Creative Commons license)
This is without a doubt the most awaited festival of the year in Odisha. The Jagannath Puri Yatra or the Chario Festival falls on July 6 this year and involves a procession at the center of which are three large chariots with idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra that are drawn by hundreds of people. Traditionally people would throw themselves under the wheels of these chariots to attain salvation, a practice that has all but ceased in modern times. The English word juggernaut (an Anglicized version of Jagannath) meaning ‘a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force’ has its origins in the Jagannath Puri Yatra. Needless to say, all of Puri comes to a standstill on this day.
Eid ul fitr (July 6, Wednesday) in all of India
Photograph: Sandip Debnath/Flickr (Under Creative Commons License)
Eid ul fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan (or Ramadan). The festival marks the end of the holy month of dawn-to-dusk fasting which marks the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed. Eid ul fitr is celebrated across the country and banks remain closed on this day.
Kharchi Puja (July 12, Tuesday) in Tripura
Even though Kharchi puja lasts seven days in Tripura, banks in the state remain closed on just one day. This year Kharchi Puja bank holiday falls on July 12. Kharchi Puja is a major festival of Tripura and involves a ‘cleansing’ process of mother earth. It is performed 15 days after Ama pechi or menstruation of the Mother Goddess or Mother Earth. On the day, soil isn’t ploughed and digging of any sort in the ground is discouraged. Kharchi Puja is a process that is performed to ‘cleanse’ the earth after its ‘menstruation’.
Bhanu Jayanti (July 13, Wednesday) in Sikkim
Bhanu Bhakta may have been a Nepalese poet but he holds a place of special importance in the lives of Sikkimese people in part because the Nepalese language is lingua franca in the Sikkim-Darjeeling region. July 13 marks the birth anniversary of Bhanu Bhakta who has been awarded the status of ‘Adhikavi’ or ‘First Poet’ in Sikkim. Bhanu Bhakta is credited with the translation of Ramayana in simple Nepalese and his birth anniversary is celebrated with events such as poetry recitation competitions and literary seminars. Needless to say banks and most public institutions remain closed on the day in Sikkim
Ker Puja (July 26, Tuesday) in Tripura
Celebrated in the honour of Ker the guardian deity of the vastu devata, Ker Puja is meant to safeguard people from calamities and external aggression. For the duration of the festival, entrances to the capital are shut and people are discouraged from wearing shoes, lighting fire or dance or sing. Banks and all major institutions remain closed on this day.
