Narali Poornima
NāraLi pournima is a ceremonial day observed by Hindu fishing communities in Maharashtra particularly around Mumbai and the Konkan coast. It is held on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan which falls around July or August. The ocean was worshipped with rice, flowers and coconuts as offerings. Another ceremony involves women tying a rakhi or amulet on the wrists of their brothers.[1]
In Bombay the festival formerly involved large numbers of people assembling at the beach between Malabar Hill and Colaba with coconuts and floral offerings being cast into the sea. It was celebrated towards the end of the monsoon and marked the beginning of calmer seas and safe sailing.[2][3]
References
- ^ Gupte, B.A. (1919). Hindu holidays and ceremonials with dissertations on origin, folklore and symbols (2 ed.). Calcutta: Thacker, Spink and Co. p. 178.
- ^ Newell, H.A. (1912). Bombay. A guide to Places of Interest with Map (2 ed.). p. 112.
- ^ Villiers, Allan (1952). Monsoon Seas The Story Of The Indian Ocean. pp. 111–112.