| India
has over 20 states, each with it's own rich tradition of festivals and
fairs celebrated not only locally but also all over the nation as well.
Nobody has ever counted the total number of fairs and festivals that
are celebrated all through the country but a rough estimate of 365 in
a year would not be wide off the mark. These include religious festivals, those that mark the passing of the seasons and those that can be termed culture events. Whether they are celebrated in isolated corners of the country or transcend the barriers of caste and creed throughout the country, they make pleasant interlude for the visitors and some are even worth the effort of a special trip. Unity in diversity is what India is truly about. It is this multi-cultured India that attracts admiration from the world over. Our mother land has borne the co-mingling of the various cultures and nothing more stands evidence to this fact than the numerous festivals that are celebrated throughout India. |
DIWALI The
festival of lights which is the most well known and celebrated by millions,
roughly marks the incoming of winters. It is celebrated to mark the
return of Lord Rama after defeating Ravana.People all over the country light up their houses with rows of tiny oil lamps to mark the occasion. Everyone shops around for new clothes, utensils and sweets and other gifts for their loved ones. Prayers are offered to take the blessings of Laxmi and Ganesha. People exchange sweets and gifts with their family members, friends and business associates.  |
DURGA
PUJA The
eastern city of Calcutta comes alive at Durga Puja when hundreds of
idols of the goddess Durga are carried aloft through the streets to
be immersed in the Ganga rivers. The festival is celebrated not only
in Bengal but all over the country especially by the Bengalis along
with hundreds of people of other states. The religious aspect is only
one facet of this celebration - a number of fairs are held where all
gather to attend cultural shows of dances and music and shops offer
special rates on everything from clothing to food.At the western end of the country, another aspect of the worship of Goddess Durga is celebrated, around the same time, in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is marked by all night Garba and Dandia dancing in which people of all faiths join in. |
CHRISTMAS Christmas,
the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ is celebrated with much fanfare
in India as all over the world, especially in the metropolitan cities.
Numerous Christmas parties are organized and attended by the people
of all faiths. People also attend the midnight church services on the
eve with Santa Claus visiting all good children in the country.
|
ONAM Further
down in the beautiful southern state of Kerala, many temples hold annual
temple festivals, complete with a procession of caparisoned elephants.
Colourful courtyard programmes conducted all through the night mark
these festivals and forms the state's rich heritage of classical dance.
The state's most popular festival is Onam, a part of which is the magnificent
boat race in which teams of oarsmen compete against each other cheered
on by the spectators from all corners of the country. |
ID-UL-ZUHA
& ID-UL-FITAR The
Muslims all over India celebrate Id-ul-Zuha and Id-ul-Fitar, when thousands
gather at mosques all over the country to offer prayers. Shrines of
saints like Sheikh Mohuddin Chisti in Ajmer, have their own following
too, that transcend all barriers of creed. People of all faiths gather
to participate in the colourful celebrations that ensue on the anniversaries
of those saints. |
HOLI Holi,
the festival of colours is celebrated all over India with great gusto
in the spring season. Here crowds of merrymakers spray coloured powder
on one-another in an atmosphere of exuberance. All barriers of social
status are let down this day as prince and pauper alike enjoy a bout
of revelry. |
SPRING
FESTIVALS Baisakhi
in Punjab and Bihu in Assam are spring festivals celebrated with folk
dances to mark the passage of winter season and the sowing and harvesting
of crop. |
OTHER
FESTIVALS Not
to be left behind are the smaller states like Sikkim and Ladakh that
play host to the equally spectacular series of Monastery festivals.
Men and women wearing a profusion of turquoise and silver jewellery
perform masked dances against a backdrop of colossal silk paintings
attend these festivals The Hemis festival in Ladakh is perhaps the best
known of these though by no means the only one.Down south in Karnataka at Sravanabelagola, the 57 foot Jain statue of Gomateswara is the venue for a celebration every 12 years that does justice to the size of the statue. A scaffolding is erected which is bathed by priests with precious ointments. Like other Indian festivals, members of other faiths too attend this. The Sikhs celebrate the birth anniversaries of each of the 10 gurus by carrying out processions to the Gurudwaras (the place of worship of Sikhs) through out the country.
Packed with fun and excitement, festivals are occasions to clean and decorate houses, to get together with friends and relatives and to exchange gifts. New attire, dance, music and ritual, all add to their joyful rhythm. It is a time for prayer, for pageantry and processions… a time to rejoice. The colourful mosaic of Indian festivals -- as diverse as the land, is an expression of the spirit of celebration, that is an essential part of the country. Observed with enthusiasm and gaiety, festivals are like gems, ornamenting the crown of Indian culture. They are round-the-year vibrant interludes in the mundane routine of life.
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