Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 culminates

 

The final day of the grand Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 began on Wednesday, February 26, with devotees rushing to the Triveni Sangam in the wee hours for a holy dip, the last special 'snan', on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

With this, the six-week-long Mela, the world's largest spiritual gathering being held at Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, will conclude.

Maha Shivratri, as is, is a key occasion for Hindus as it commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. However, it holds a special place in the Maha Kumbh context. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva's crucial role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), led to the emergence of Amrit Kumbh (the pitcher of nectar), which is the key essence of the Kumbh Mela.

Maha Kumbh Mela, which began on January 13, witnessed six special ‘snan’, including three 'Amrit Snan' days. The first one being on Paush Purnima on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on January 29, Basant Panchami on February 3, Maghi Purnima on February 12 and finally, Maha Shivratri on February 26.

Quiet Day

Quiet Day is observed every year on February 25. As the name suggests, Quiet Day is about taking a pause and appreciating the sound of silence. Noise is everywhere — be it on the train, in a busy office, in the pub, in the classroom, or even at home!

Printers Day

Printers Day is observed on February 24th every year to commemorate the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. This revolutionary invention revolutionized the spread of knowledge and ideas by making books and printed materials more accessible to people worldwide.

The day serves as a reminder of the importance of printing in preserving history, culture, and knowledge. It also acknowledges the contributions made by printers and publishers in shaping societies and fostering intellectual growth.

Why Do We Celebrate Printers Day?

Preserving Cultural Heritage: Printing plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage by documenting stories, traditions, and historical events for future generations. Through books, newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials, we can delve into different eras and learn from diverse cultures.

Spreading Knowledge: The printing press has been instrumental in disseminating knowledge across borders. It has empowered individuals with access to education, literature, scientific discoveries, and advancements in various fields.

Promoting Freedom of Expression: Print media has long been an important platform for expressing opinions and advocating for social change. On World Printing Day, we celebrate the freedom that printing affords us to voice our thoughts openly.

Honouring Print Industry Professionals: This day recognizes the hard work and dedication of printers, publishers, writers, editors, designers, illustrators, and all those involved in bringing printed materials to life.

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah's Birth Anniversary

 

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah, born on 24 February 1304, commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of thirty years from 1325 to 1354, Ibn Battuta visited most of North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, the Iberian Peninsula, and West Africa. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling, but commonly known as The Rihla. Ibn Battuta travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km (73,000 mi), surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km (15,000 mi). There have been doubts over the historicity of some of Ibn Battuta's travels, particularly as they reach farther East.

George Frideric Handel's Birth Anniversary

George Frideric Handel, born on 23 February 1685, was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition and by composers of the Italian Baroque. In turn, Handel's music forms one of the peaks of the "high baroque" style, bringing Italian opera to its highest development, creating the genres of English oratorio and organ concerto, and introducing a new style into English church music. He is consistently recognized as one of the greatest composers of his age.

Play More Cards Day

Get ready to shuffle and deal because February 22 is Play More Cards Day! This unique holiday encourages us to put down our screens and pick up a deck of cards for some good old-fashioned fun. Did you know that playing cards have been around since the 9th century? They were originally used for fortune-telling, but eventually evolved into the games we all know and love today. Whether you prefer poker, blackjack, or crazy eights, there's no better way to spend this day than with friends and family, laughing and connecting over a friendly game of cards. So let's celebrate this timeless pastime on Play More Cards Day!

 

Harakh Chand Nahata's Death Anniversary

 

Harakh Chand Nahata, who passed away on 21 February 1999, was a prominent Indian businessman and social leader. Nahata was born in Bikaner, Rajasthan on 18 July 1936. His uncle, Agar Chand Nahata, and elder brother, Bhanwar Lal Nahata, were acknowledged authorities on Prakrit literature, Jain canonical literature and scriptures. The family has a private collection of more than 85,000 books, manuscripts, works of arts etc. at Abhay Jain Granthagar in Bikaner. His family has more than 175 years of business presence in the field of trading and distribution in Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Calcutta, Tripura and the former East Bengal (now Bangladesh).