From Gobindghat a trek of 14 km brings us to Ghangaria a tiny settlement located about 3km from valley. For those who trek occasionally taking a mule or a pony is the best idea as the path is narrow and steep and filled with the mule dung, which fills in the air and hit your nostrils real bad. It seemed as the journey will never end, but for the first timers remember patience is virtue. The valley starts near a gorge over the Pushpawati River and is spread over an area of 87.5 Sq. Km and is 3,250 meters above the sea level, with no human settlement in or around the area and prohibited for animal grazing too, its fragile beauty compliments the Nanda Devi National park which is all rugged with the mountain wilderness. An accidental discovery by Frank S. Smythe an English mountaineer, who was lost while his way back from an expedition to Mt. Kamet, was declared a National Park in 1982 and now is a World Heritage Site.

This place gives you all the reason to become an escapist from the daily challenges of the busy city life. If you are ardent nature’s lover, you can find solace here, the chromatic florid picturesque and the mild fragrance of the abundant flowers mixed with the air can soothe you to the core. The pleasant coolness in the weather makes the whole experience exquisite in itself. Gazing the burst of bright colors and hues, while taking a quiet stroll, enjoying the quietness around and taking in the purest form of oxygen in, feeling the squeaky and clean air patting your cheeks, the crystal clear water, tastes like mineral water so clean that we were not reluctant to fill our bottles for our way back.
The hard experience of the journey that seemed eternal and taxing was all ignored once you reach here; all you have with you is the rejuvenated you, amidst the flowers and the meadows and all this beauty can be captured digitally and cherished forever.

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The genesis of this garden was around 1957 by Mr. Nek Chand who came from Pakistan during the partition. Here in India he worked as a road inspector for the Public Works Department (PWD) in Chandigarh. That time Chandigarh was an aspiring project to be, massive work of development was going on to recreate this city  into a well planned and developed city just as the cities of the west, and this work was done by the French/Swiss architect Le Corbusier. This big project was executed and implemented by the PWD of Chandigarh. And Nek Chand being one of the employees here was in charge of junk store of this very department.
It was around this time that he actively starts working on a piece of land beside the PWD stores he was in charge of. The land was near the High Court building in Sector -1. The stores provided Nek Chand with loads of material, space and labour, which he utilized to develop this small patch of land. He collected rocks, gathering from the Shivalik hills, the seasonal Sukhna lake, Patiala Rao and Ghaggar rivers. The largest river Nek Chand quarried was the Ghaggar, located approximately eight miles from Chandigarh and all this collection of rocks and stones was done on his bicycle.

With the rocks, other waste materials were collected that came from those villages that were demolished to make space for the new city of Chandigarh. These fragments were the remains of the villages, and consisted largely of everyday mundane possessions such as broken pots and bottles. While you take a walk in this garden you can very well relate to it.
At some stage in 1965 a more conscious effort was made to transform and spruce up the found fragments and rocks into a pro forma display. This site being in a dense forest area was also needed to be cleared and concrete and mud flooring was prepared and initial structures made up of oil drums and iron shuttering, The PWD stores provided Nek Chand with an abundant and free supply of cement, bitumen, steel reinforcement bars and oil drums, free labour all of which he required to develop the site. The massive construction site that was Chandigarh provided a suitable decoy for Nek Chandís covert hobby. Provided everyone was ëworkingí or ëlooking busyí it seems that very few questions were asked.
His commitment to his work was so strong that he continued on his camouflaged project working evenings and carried it till four year, though being nervous that if discovered will lead to the termination of his employment. But still this worldly enlightenment did not put a pause in his cryptic work.

At this point sometime in 1969 Nek Chand decided to visit the cityís chief architect, M.N. Sharma, a disciple of Le Corbusier, to unravel his work. On seeing the magnificent, super innovative, and ultra dazzling and splendid work, he faced a dilemma sort, a conflict between his own duties (as the work was illegal) and the creative potential of Nek Chand. So M.N Sharma promised him all the support to get recognition for his work and later his work got all the applause and appreciation and the authorities took over, and the garden was inaugurated as a public space in 1976, presently taken care by the Rock Garden Society. But in 1990 it has face a threat from the administration as they sorted out the permission to demolish this artifact to make a bypass to connect a village. The machineries reached the site to demolish it but they were resisted by a mega human shield, enveloping the site. Later the government intervened and and an alternate way was made.

I am finding hard to portray this garden in words. Its too humongous sized, the walking around can be taxing but still it creates in you a unique excitement to move around further. The mega water fall is really breath taking, only by imagining the massive ordeal carried out to create it. You will find the broken earthen pots stacked, the olden days plug sockets engraved in the wall, broken bangles creating skirts of the ladies images there, iron rods make barriers, broken ceramic tiles arranges in a mosaic pattern beautifully glisten when the sunrays fall onto them, the beautiful work of art, the imagination knows no limitation and that can be gorgeously witnessed in here.

Top of it Chandigarh is the best planned city in India and visiting Sukhna Lake here which is another man made piece makes whole experience complete. Rock Garden is still under construction and is been now completed in phase. A theater is also being constructed to allow the cultural programs to be held here. Itís an exotic place and you can devote a complete day for this visit.

The railways are the best way to commute, helping you to remain kinda fresh by the time you reach there. There is a daily overnight train from Delhi till Kathgodam Junction (The Delhi Kathgodam Ranikhet Express no. 5013; leaves Old Delhi station at 22:45 and arrives at Kathgodam 6:15 am; the return train is no. 5014, leaves Kathgodam at 20:45, arrives in Delhi at 4:45).

Trains from Delhi and any other destinations should arrive at either Kathgodam or Haldwani. From where you are supposed to take a taxi, which will first pass through Bhimtal, the town nearest to the ashram, continue to Mehragaon (5 km further), 3 kms farther there will be a fork in the road turn left for Sattal Estate. Sattal Ashram is 1.5 km past the estate, on a gravel road. This drive should take between 1-2 hours. If you are already in the Nainital area, inquire about local buses to Bhimtal, and then they will take you there.

I have tried the train and the roads as well to reach the Ashram. The train as mentioned is an overnight journey, and is a safe mode as compared to the road journey. But you can catch the excitement when take a taxi till the Ashram. Though the journey via roads is more exciting but dangerous (almost no barriers on the road side). The roads go in circle around a mountain and you can feel the pressure in your ears as you reach the higher altitude. The pine and oak trees get agitated when wind tries to make way through them, giving that hissing sound. But the Mother Nature is drop-dead gorgeous. Really. The bus cannot go down to the main estate, so take you knapsacks on you back and march along the red soiled make a-way- kind of road. Your legs and feet might beg for mercy, but this march is worth its each step it takes. Better still go slow, that way you can buy more time to hog on the charismatic view.

This is the Mecca for adventure and sports people, and Rome for religious people. The best landscape for mountain biking, rock climbing, night trekking, nature trail, backpacking, angling, kayaking, rafting, rappelling, river crossing, bird watching, swimming, boating and night camping in the deep jungle.
Suicide Rock is one the most popular climbs here, and the Burma bridges attract thrill seekers interested in making a daring river crossing. Even if you are not prepared for this high level drama of adventure, the untouched landscape will give you a bite of mild rush of adrenaline. The estate is all surrounded by forest and you go anywhere – uphill or downhill, adventure will find you. One of my trips was during rainy season and mind you those blood-sucking leeches are so smart that they penetrate through your leather shoes. Bad!! In this adventuresome place there are no cell phone signals, which leave you with nothing but just to rely on your senses, because who can trust friends nowadays… ☺ but if you are the lucky one who have trustworthy friends, then also, please rely on your senses…. do not depend because the experience you take back home are always with you and are your own.

The sober lot of people should never get disappointed. The solace and peace that is offered to you by this Ashram is doubled with the nature’s explicit beauty. The silence can be heard. The quietness is sometimes deafening. The cricket sings choruses and sometime sings in parts, all to their glory. The early mornings are perfect to meditate. Somehow we just get lost in the beauty, which is so gracious and splendid. The twilight when shows up on mountains and on tree tops, feels like the perfect way to celebrate God’s creation. The Chapel is also there, totally in sync with Indian traditions. It does not have pews arranged or a grand alter. The ashram provides you with the mats, to sit on the floor.

Not to forget food is simple but good. But they expect you to wash your dishes on your own, which we never mind as this how you enjoy the adventurous or your spiritual journey.

Address: Sattal Christian Ashram
P.O. Mehragaon
Distt:Nanital – 263132
Uttarnchal – India
Phone: 05942-247058 / 247355 / 247029

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Change is always welcomed. The vicious cycle of seasons is always constant but still the onset of a new season has its own beauty. Mewar Festival is one so very important fest of Rajasthan that celebrate the advent of the spring season. When the flowers bloom and the nature gets dressed up in her ‘ The best Attire’!!

Female genre is the most excited one. With ‘ I’ am ~Soo~ Excited’ feeling the girls adorn themselves in colorful traditional dresses called ‘Ghaghra – Choli’. Mehendi is tattooed on the hands; the wow factor is always there as the designs that are created are always unique and different on each hand.

Women folks assemble to dress the images of Isar and Gangaur to carry them in a ceremonial procession through different parts of the city. When the procession reaches to the Gangaur Ghat at Lake Pichhola, the Gods are transferred to special boats amidst much singing and festivity.

The passion of the festival draws out it’s own refined pleasure of celebration. Dancing and singing in its way is the expression of your gleefulness and The Princely City – Udaipur has enough reasons to enjoy the majesty of the Mewar festival. The raw Rajputana feel, engulfs your thoughts and mesmerizes the very own inner self as the aura of this festival lives up in its traditional dances and folk songs.
The impressive fireworks displayed at the end will leave you with the feeling to come back.

Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar kingdom, which was ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 Years. The foundation of the city has an interesting legendary story attached with it. Accordingly, Maharana Udai Singh, the founder of the city, was hunting one day, where he met a hermit meditating on a hill overlooking the Lake Pichhola. This hermit blessed the Maharana and asked him to build a palace at this favorable location, which was a fertile valley watered by the stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an amphitheater of low seated Aravlli Mountains. Maharana followed the advise of the hermit and founded the city in 1559 A.D.
Lot of activities, of this festival, keeps us in a joyfully busy for the entire three days. Purrrrfect way to enjoy the spring season and to be grateful to the Gods that we can celebrate their seasonal moods in such a phenomenal way!!!!!!!

History
Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 Years. The foundation of the city has an interesting legend associated with it. According to it, Maharana Udai Singh, the founder, was hunting one day when he met a holy man meditations on a hill overlooking the Lake Pichhola.The hermit blessed the Maharana and advised him to build a palace at this favorable located spot with a fertile valley watered by the stream, a lake, an agreeable altitude and an amphitheater of low mountains. Maharana followed the advise of the hermit and founded the city in 1559 A.D.

Places to see
Udaipur is famous for City Palaces, Saheliyon-ki-Bari, The Suraj Gokhada, Pratap Memorial and many more.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

A week before Holi is all spent in its preparations. The local Bazaars are perfectly, colorfully decked up. The different hues paint the town in all colors, making it so vibrant and gleeful and why not, this is the soul of Holi festival. The giant tubes called pichkaris are the staple toys for the juniors here. They some how relate that this big syringe is the only way to do all the pranks on Holi. There tiny imaginations want to soar high like a kite, but somehow the bony skull cage does not allow that and then they rely on these pichkaris to fulfill their goofy pranks on people. Smarter lot among these kids somehow graduated and came up with something like throwing water or colored water filled balloons on people walking on the streets. Once, when I was on the way to work, this frail child came from behind and banged a water filled balloon on my back. Aarrrrrggghhh!! I turned back furiously, but this kid started dancing in front of me and singing “Bura na mano,Holi hai”(Don’t get offended, its Holi). And I just left, having a smile on my face.
While children are all dutifully doing their job of pranksters, the housewives are all busy doing shopping and preparing the lip smacking snacks for the big day. Gujiyas, potato chips, Dahi Bada, kanji, mathri and different kinds of sweets etc are prepared at home. To bypass all the labor that goes into the preparations of these goodies, some prefer buying them from the market, and then that is how the business of food stores flourish. The sweet shops are filled with the savories and sold at quiet a high price. But then who cares, we just need to enjoy. Right!!!

The celebration is for two days mainly in Northern part of India (still each state have there cultural diversification). Before the main Holi, we celebrate Choti Holi (like a mini celebration) where a Bon Fire is created accompanied by singing and dancing. The significant historical tale goes like this ~ In some mythological epic, Hiranyakashipu, who was a demon, was blessed by God Brahma, that almost made it impossible to kill him. He offered a long penance, to be blessed by God and had demanded that he not be killed “during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or on sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra nor by shastra (weapons)”. All this turned him arrogant and bighead, he attacked the Heavens and the Earth demanding that people should stop worshiping gods but worship him.

Hiranyakashipu’s own son Prahlada, did not listen to him, he worshipped Lord Vishnu. Prahlada continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu despite all the threatening from his father. He was poisoned but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth, tried, trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed, was put in a room of poisonous snakes still survived. In nutshell his dad failed. The final attempt was a bad plan when he asked young Prahlada to sit in the lap of demon’s sister, Holika, (who could not die from fire by virtue of a shawl) and Holika sat on a pile of wood that was to be set on fire. Prahlada readily accepted his father’s orders, but prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. But when the fire started, the shawl flew from Holika, and moved to cover Prahlada. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi. Which is, ‘victory of Good over Evil.’

Later Lord Vishnu came in the form of a Narasimha (who is half-man and half-lion) to take a revenge from Hiranyakashipu at dusk (which was neither day nor night), on the steps of the porch of his house (which was neither inside the house nor outside) by restraining him on his lap (which is neither in the sky nor on the earth) and mauling him with his claws (which are neither astra nor shastra).

Thus, this Goodness is celebrated in form of Badi Holi (big celebration). The colors are the celebrities. Everyone wears white clothes, making an amazingly generous background for the colors to show off their brightness. The powder color is used to color your loved ones, while the more playful and enthusiastic lot (mostly the young generation) mix the color with water to throw onto each other. This may sound messy, but its fun, really.
It is a real special day for people who are in love. The newly wed duo waits for the day. The man generally tries to put on color to his new wife, and the lady shy away, resisting the husband, finally give into the colorful play. Sounds too sweet!! Its sort of Indian valentine, I suppose. Well this also has it’s own history ~ Lord Krishna is believed to have hyped the festival by playing pranks on the girls of his village. Krishna once complained to his mother about the contrast between his dark skin complexion and Radha’s (who was supposed to be his beloved) fair skin complexion. Krishna’s mother applied color to Radha’s face. The celebrations officially usher in spring, the celebrated season of love.

When we were kids, this festival had its own charisma. All the friends came over calling us at our home, Mom scolding not to dirty the house, and eventually kicked us out of the house; supposedly the other mom’s did the same with their kid that’s why we were all out in groups. In the middle of the road, we put colors on to each other, soaked in watercolors sprayed by pichkari’s, threw color on other people, and nobody was offended, all smiled and put color on our cheeks. The whole afternoon goes by like this only and then when hunger pangs start to hurt our tiny stomach, we missed our homes. .

The spring season, in which the weather changes, and is a cause of many types of viral fever, flu and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of natural colored powders has a medicinal significance: the colors are traditionally made of Neem tree flowers, saffron turmeric, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic (Medicin from plants) doctors.

A special drink called thandai is prepared (commonly made of almonds, pistachios, rose petals etc), sometimes containing bhang (Cannabis sativa) which can leave you in transcendental states. For wet colours, traditional flowers of Palash are boiled and soaked in water over night to produced yellow coloured water, which also had medicinal properties. Unfortunately the commercial aspect of celebration has led to an increase in the use of synthetic colors, which in some cases may be toxic.

Tips – If you are traveling India during this time of the year, do participate in Holi celebrations, but a caution attached, be in your groups or better still be with a Indian family who can allow you to celebrate with them. Beware of synthetic colors. They can be harmful to the skin. Stick to the dry colors as they can be easily be taken off. And don’t roam alone in the city, whichever city you are in, as bad elements are always there, and celebration spoil them more, so don’t give anybody a chance to make it nasty for you. Enjoy and be safe.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The actual journey began once we reached our destination. To be honest I was claustrophobic. There were men, women, children and again men, and women…. No end. And our team of people was another addition. If I had to do a head count I would have failed miserably. The smell in the air was full of dust and ashes. Yes, the sadhu’s cover them fully with the ash dust. The ‘Bhagwa Vastra’(saffron coloured wrap) is what all the sadhu’s wear which separate them from the other people. But then there are other sets of sadhu’s who prefer not to wear anything, (referred as ‘Naga Sadhu’) and still manage to dwell in the extreme cold of North India.

We checked in our hotel, which disappointed me a bit. With so many people how can you expect luxury? We had to settle down in a hotel below average, it did not even had a facility of hot water!! Amazing!! I was in no mood to even look at the icy water. Sitting on the hard mattress, I was thinking about bungee jumping or something that thrilled me.
But, hey wait… what if I took a bath with this ice-cold water. Is this not an adventure in itself? Sure it is!!!! And, there you go… I don’t have to typecast adventure. It’s right here. Fortunately, the country I dwell in have adventure at every step… be it’s a celebration or fest/fair like these.
I was following my cousin and his team as they went in different directions to shoot the best pictures. I was gaping at the face of every sadhu near me, like a child who is trying to search for someone he knows in an unknown place. Really, I did not connect with any of them. But, still I had a feeling to stay there for some more time.
The main tradition is to take bath in the river Ganga. Seeing these Sadhus going and immersing them in the chilled water made me go weak in my knees, made my nerves endings go numb (though the dirty ghats will never impress me). Well, now it was becoming a lot easier to relate it to an Adventure. These Sadhus have some strength that they could survive any condition.

The best part is that there were these serious seminars, conferences, and debates held by different Sadhu Sangathan (big sadhu groups) To my delight these Sadhu’s were eating once a day- mostly dinner. Govt. of India provides tents, water, and electricity for the devotees and Sadhus.
My friends started interacting with a group of Sadhus and they told us the historical tale of Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela dates back many centuries in Ancient India to the Vedic period, where the river festivals first started getting organized. In Hindu mythology, its origin is found in one of the popular creation myths and the Hindu theories on evolution, the Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of milk), which finds mention in many Vedas.
The Gods lost their strength, and to get it back, they thought of churning the ocean of milk for amrit (the nectar of immortality), which required them to make a temporary agreement with the demons, to work together and promise of sharing the nectar equally. However, when the Kumbha (pot) containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the Gods and demons fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed that during the battle, Lord Vishnu flew away with the Pot of elixir, and that is when drops of amrita fell at four places on earth: Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, and that is where the Kumbh Mela is observed every twelve years.
An outbreak of cholera occurred at the 1892 Mela at Haridwar, which lead to the rapid improvement of arrangements by the authorities and the formation of Haridwar Improvement Society, and in 1903 about 400,000 people attended the fair. During the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede at Allahabad, around 500 people were killed, and scores were injured.
Ten million people gathered at Haridwar for the Kumbh on April 14, 1998.In 2001, around 1 million people from outside of India and from around the world participated in the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela’ at Allahabad, with a total participation of approximately 60 million. The dates for this mela were special due to the planetary positions that repeat only once in 144 years. In 2007, over 60 million people attended the holy gathering.

The history mesmerized me. So many people gather here only because the Vedas describe that these places had a drop of amrit on it’s soil. Stampede or any disease has not stopped them from coming here. That’s devotion!!!
It was a day schedule, as we had to drive back the next morning. Frankly, Kumbh may have its spiritual aspect, its own set of devotion, but I realized that you could find adventure or thrill in almost anything. Dipping in ice cold water in the middle of severe winters, living with acceptance with so many people for almost 4 months, spending the cold nip night singing bhajans and maintaining the spirit of coming back again to this severity even when history marks it’s brutality of killing so many.

I am not sure if I would like to taste this adventure again but for sure that is the Spirit of India!!!

Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India. Due to the geography and size of India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and location.
There this another intresting story in the Hindu mythology, which say that on this day Surya (Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn), who is the ruler of Makar Rashi (Zodiac Capricorn). Though the father & son duo did not get along nicely, the Sun God made it a point to meet his son on this day. He, in fact, comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day thus symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry his fathers dream and the continuity of the family forward.
This super cool ‘Kite –Flying –Syndrome’ we have for the day continues by the night when instead of kites people leave lite-up kites (called Kandila’s here) in the sky marking the end of a festival or may be welcoming the setting-in of longer days, leaving behind the gloominess of winters. But you know most of the kids just cannot let the hangover vanish. Following days after the 14th are more adventurous, especially in the city area of Jaipur, where the streets are crammed, roofs of the houses are common; traffic is in full swing, but these tiny brave hearts manage to run a marathon to own a kite. They are able to dodge the traffic, jump from the wall, and get into a brawl – just to own a kite!! Lot of them gets hurt, but the aim is to collect as many kites as you can. For many of us it may be chaos but for me it is Spirit of India!

According to a folk legend, 400 kilometers of the Great Wall, moved by the heartbreaking cries of a woman for her dead husband, simply crumbled.

The woman was known as Meng Jiangnu. The story goes that during the reign of the First Emperor of Qin, Meng’s husband was drafted to build the Great Wall and after three years had not returned home. His wife decided to bring him some warm clothes and traveled for days before she finally reached the construction site at Shanhaiguan, the very east end of the Great Wall, only to learn that her husband had been worked to death and was buried at the bottom of the wall. Overwhelmed with grief, she could not stop crying. Suddenly the wall fell and she found the remains of her husband. In China’s history, Meng Jiangnu is by no means the only woman left crying at the wall.

There is a Love Story behind the festival. The legend tells about a cowherd Hikoboshi and a weaving girl Orihime who leaved in different sides of the heaven Amanogawa River (Milky Way). Once met they were so fascinated by each other that they neglected their work. This angered Tentei, the God of the sky and he separated two lovers across the Amanogawa River. They were obliged to work hard and allowed to meet each other only once a year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month of the Lunisolar calendar.  But even then Hikoboshi and Orihime could not embrace each other as there was no bridge through Amanogawa River. Orihime cried so much that the birds herd her cry and came to make a bridge through the river with their wings, but when it rains birds can not come and the lovers can only contemplate each other and dream to unify next year.  

Actual astronomic phenomenon  called “the Summer Triangle“, it is formed by three 1st-magnitude stars Vega, Alter, and Deneb. The Summer Triangle is a big formation and it can be easily observed in mid-northern latitudes (40°N).

Since Tanabata celebrates stars’

meeting, the main activities are held at night. The most famous outdoor celebration takes place in the city of Sendai (north of Tokyo). During the festivals the streets are decorated with colorful paper streamers, people write their wishes on the little slips of star-spangled paper which are often made by children and serves as a decoration. Celebration of the festival varies in different areas of Japan, in some places the bamboo decorations are set afloat on the river or burned at midnight. Tanabata may also be linked to the O-bon season – Buddhist festival at which the spirit of the departed are welcomed back for feasting to their former homes; buddhist may spent the Tanabata cleaning tombstones of their ancestors and Buddhist house altars. 

Japanese culture is reach of traditions and full of symbolism. The Zodiac ( in Japanese Kanshi or Eto)  complexed system based on astronomy and cosmology is one of Japanese specialities. In ancient times Zodiac served for time calculation, to define years, months, days and so on.  Adopted from China  Zodiac calendar solidly merged into Japanese system of believes and customs. Each of the 12  Zodiac animals (Juuni Shi), patrons a year once in a circle of 12 years.  The symbol of the coming year is printed on the post stamps and lottery tickets to bring a good luck. 

Typical New Year decoration is pine and bamboo settled together in front of houses and shops called kadomatsu. Pine symbolized longevity while bamboo signifies straightness and sincerity, added freshly cut plum branch stands for new life and new beginning. Japanese decorate facades of their houses with colorful kazari – house wearing  to attract fortune. 

Celebration lasts for 2-3 days so most of the companies are closed during this time. Family spend the day playing traditional games. Diner menu includes rice-cake and special New Year soup  o-zoni. Culmination of the celebration is the Emperor appearenace in front of the people from his Imperial residence in Tokyo. 

Cook your own O-zoni:

http://theanimeblog.com/japanese-recipes/japanese-recipe-ozoni/

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