RAM NAVAMI

Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama is a major Hindu festival celebrated all over the country by all sects of the Hindu fold. Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu was born on the ninth day of the bright half of the lunar month chaitra.

The festival preparations start early in the morning with people taking bath in the holy waters and coming to the temple of Lord Ram. They keep fast till 12, noon, when the avatar is supposed to have taken place. People take "Phalagar" only in the afternoon. It consists of a sweet made of khoya, potatoes or calacosia made in any form without the use of Haldi, garlic and onion. All kinds of root vegetables are consumed and no green vegetables. Fruits are allowed. The puja is done in the noon by singing various slokas, hymns and ending with the distribution of Panjeeree, chranamrita, fruits and sweets.

In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Sri Ram, the temples are heavily decorated and great festivities take place. Ramayana is read and recited and great fairs are held here on that day. Ran Navami is also celebrated as the Vasanta Navarathri festival with the celebrations starting from the first lunar day of the bright half of the chithrai month.

Marques are the new way to Celebrate

More and more are people using marquees outside for weddings and birthdays. More and more we are seeing programmes on TV such as the sweet 16 on MTV where the parents of 16 year olds will set up a big birthday party for there children, but the current phase of these parties are the way they are set up. No more are the high and flying using top class buildings and venues such as the Ritz. The new way forward is to get there own marquee or hire one and the things you can decorate them with is amazing, you can put bands, studios and restaurants.

Although marquees were along time considered a use for circuses they are now seen as much more extravagant and even A list celebrities are using them for there own concert events.

The overall growth of the marquees has to be down to the way they are now developed, a few years back it would have cost a fortune and it was very hard to set up your own marquee, but now they are easy to set up with poles, have a much cleaner look.

We all remember the millennium dome and how much money was spent to make that, I feel if that was to be made now in 2008 it would cost them less than half of what they initially paid. So if you are planning to have a party or celebration a marquee is the way forward.