Just like in America, families all over India celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May each year. to celebrate their mothers, known as maata in Hindi. Although this is a fairly new tradition for India, historically the country has long celebrated mothers, in various religious festivals. Durga Puja is a day devoted to honoring mother Durga, a Hindu goddess, and the day of Kali Ma is set aside to celebrate the eponymous Great Mother. A more secular festival is observed in Bombay and parts of southern India called the Festival of Pâthâre Prabhu. It is based on a legend about a mother whose children kept dying after only one year of living. Celebrants intend to honor her courage and soothe her grievance on this day. Although it is also referred to as ‘Mother’s Day,’ it has no relation to the modern holiday, now celebrated throughout India thanks to globalization.
Mother’s Day in India is quite similar to its American counterpart. Children present their mothers with gifts in the form of candy, flowers and cards. Sometimes they will prepare a special meal or go out to eat in order to give their mothers a day off from the kitchen. In a very ethnically and religiously diverse country, Mother’s Day transcends these boundaries, as everyone can relate to the idea of honoring the woman who has worked so hard to raise them.
Mother’s Day was founded in 1909 by Anna Jarvis, a particularly devoted daughter who wanted to honor her mother after her death. She succeeded in achieving national recognition for the holiday but soon became disappointed with its commercialization and began to regret its founding. She spoke out against those who did little more than send their mother a printed card, believing that mothers deserved much more than that. Make Anna Jarvis (and your own mother) proud this Mother’s Day by taking the time to recognize mom’s hard work. Treat her to a special meal at Bombay Spice, where we will be offering a complimentary appetizer of Bombay Chaat along with your meal. She’s certain to feel both satisfied and appreciated!