The Halloween festival is celebrated on the last day of October. It marks a pivotal time of year when seasons change, but more importantly, observers believe that the boundary between this world and the next is especially thin at this time, enabling them to connect with the dead.
While the world gets decked for celebrating Halloween, check the desi versions of the festival.
Bada Badua Daka, Odisha
Bada Badua Daka is a festival celebrated in the Indian state of Odisha. Performed on the day of Diwali, this special puja ritual is performed for the forefathers praying and requesting them to come in the dark and depart in light. People light up sticks and point them up in the sky and pray to their dead. It is celebrated on the holy steps of the famous Jagannath Temple in Odisha.
Mahalaya Amavasya during Pitru Paksha
People in India celebrate Pitra Paksha, which is a sixteen-day phase wherein Hindus remember and pray to their ancestors. The last day of Pitru Paksha is the most significant and is known as Sarvapitri Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya. During this whole time, family members perform Shraddha (a ritual) wherein food and water are offered to the departed souls. This is done to make sure that the souls of our ancestors are looked after even after and they continue to live in heaven.
Bhoot Chaturdashi
Then comes the Bhoot Chaturdashi, also known as the Narak Chaturdashi. According to the Hindu rituals, the day is celebrated on the 14th day of Krishna Paksha in Kartik month (according to the Hindu calendar). In North India, Chhoti Diwali is celebrated on the same day; however, in the far east, this is the day when evil spirits are shooed away. On this day, 14 forefathers are called and then warded off; rituals also involve 14 types of vegetables that are cooked and 14 earthen lamps lighted on the same day.
Shab-e-Barat
Shab e-Bara is observed on the 14th night of Sha’aban, and people offer prayers to the Lord while He writes their destiny. Also known as the Night of Records or the Night of Fortune and Forgiveness, it is believed that the lord writes people’s destiny based on their deeds. As a part of the celebrations, people visit the graves of their loved ones and pray for them.
Happy Halloween.