THE LONG PROCESSION OF FESTIVALS IN INDIA!

The Indian calendar is a long procession of festivals. If you can find yourself in the right place at the right time, it is possible to go through your visit with a festival each day. The harvest festivals of the south, the immersion of Ganesh in Bombay, the Car Festival of Puri, Snake Boat races in Kerala, Republic Day in Delhi... every region, every religion has something to celebrate. Below is a selection of the major ones, but there are countless others; kindly inquire at the local Government of India Tourist Offices for details.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

Makar Sankranti - is the time of the year when the Sun enters Capricorn. It's a time of great festivities throughout the nation with people taking a dip in the holy rivers and seas. In Gujarat particularly, it is the time to witness and extravaganza of Kite flying in what has become an International Kite Festival.

Pongal - mainly held in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A 3-days colourful Tamil harvest festival.

Republic Day - held on 26th January every year, this is a National holiday that commemorates the establishment of the Indian Republic in 1950. It's a grand military parade and procession of colourful floats, dancers and so on.

Vasant Panchami - celebrated on a National level mainly in the Eastern region, it is a Hindu festival dedicated to Saraswati the Goddess of Learning. It is marked by people wearing yellow coloured clothes.

Floating Festival - held in Madurai in the State of Tamil Nadu, marks the Birthday of a local 17th century rule. Its main feature is the elaborately illuminated barge carrying decorated temple deities at the Mariamman Teppakulam Pool amidst chanting hymns.

Nagaur Cattle Fair - is held in Nagaur in the State of Rajasthan. Essentially an animal fair, it provides an opportunity to participate in some of the local sports.

FEBRUARY / MARCH

Shivaratri - is celebrated on a National level. It marks the wedding anniversary of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. It's a day of fasting for devout Hindus. Special celebrations are held in Shiva temples throughout the country like Chidambaram, Kalahasti, Khajuraho, Varanasi and Bombay.

Holi - celebrated mainly in North India, this is a very popular festival of colours. It marks the advent of Spring. Lively and much throwing of coloured water and powders marks this 2-day festival. This festival is also associated with legends of Lord Krishna

Mardi Gras - is a 3-day festival held in Goa. The main feature is the Carnival and the gaiety associated with it.

Ram Navami - celebrated at a National level, marks the birth of Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the hero of the epic Ramayana. It's a 9-day festival of fasting and is marked by plays and folk theaters.

Mahavira Jayanti - is a National level festival that marks the birth of Mahavira the 24th tirthankar (apostle) of the Jains and the founder of Jainism.

Good Friday / Easter - is celebrated at a National level.

Kumbha Mela - the oldest and most important of the Hindu festivals. It takes place every three years, at one of the four great holy cities - Nasik (Maharashtra), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Prayag or Allahabad and Haridwar (both in Uttar Pradesh). It is attended by millions of pilgrims who take a holy dip in the holy rivers.

APRIL / MAY

Baisakhi - celebrated mostly in North India, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, this marks the Hindu Solar New Year.

Pooram - celebrated in Trichur, in the State of Kerala, it marks the New Moon. The main feature of the festival is the spectacular sight of large number of elephants carrying ceremonial umbrellas going round the temple and the midnight fireworks display.

Id-ul-Zuha - or Bakr-id is a Muslim festival celebrated on a National level. It commemorates the martyrdom of Abraham and is marked by the sacrifice of lambs.

Id-ul-Fitr - is a Muslim festival that marks the end of the month of Ramzan, a month long period of fasting.

Meenakshi Kalyanam - celebrated in Madurai, this festival marks the marriage of goddess Meenakshi (another name of goddess Parvati) with Lord Shiva. It is a colourful 10-day temple festival wherein the deities borne by colossal chariot are taken out on a procession.

Urs - celebrated at Ajmer in the State of Rajasthan is a 6-days religious cultural and commercial extravaganza dedicated to a Sufi saint at the Dargah Sharif.

JUNE / JULY

Rath Yatra - celebrated mainly at Puri in the State of Orissa, is one of the greatest temple festivals in the honour of Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), a form of Vishnu. Three colossal chariots are drawn from the Jagannath temple by thousands of pilgrims. Similar festivals, on a smaller scale, take place at Ramnagar (near Varanasi), Serampore (near Calcutta) and Jagannathpur (near Ranchi).

JULY / AUGUST

Teej - celebrated in North India particularly in Rajasthan, marks the onset of the monsoon. In Jaipur, processions of elephants, camels, dancers etc are taken out. It is a colourful festival especially for women.

Raksha Bandhan - is celebrated mostly in North and West India. It's a legendary reenactment of sisters tying colourful 'rakhis' (bracelets or talisman) on their brother's wrists.

Amarnath Yatra - is a Hindu pilgrimage journey that takes one to the Amarnath Cave in the Lidder Valley of Kashmir at full moon. Pilgrims visit the place where Lord Shiva explained the secret of salvation to his consort Parvati.

Independence Day - celebrated on 15th August every year marks the day when India got her Independence. It's marked by celebrations throughout the country. In Delhi the Prime Minister delivers his annual address to the nation at the historic Red Fort.

Janmashtami - celebrated nation wide marks the birth of Lord Krishna. It is a day of fasting, temple celebrations, plays and folk theatres and colourful floats depicting the life and times of Lord Krishna.

Onam - is a harvest festival of the State of Kerala. The main feature being the spectacular snake boat races.

Ganesh Chaturthi - celebrated mainly in the states Maharashtra and Orissa, is dedicated to the elephant-headed God Ganesh. Giant models of the deity are taken out in a procession and immersed in the sea or rivers. It is a colourful festival and worth visiting on the Day of Immersion at Mumbai.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBERq

Dussehra - is a nation wide 10-day festival that is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the country. In the north and particularly in Delhi it is marked by plays known as Ram Lila that recalls the life of Rama and the episodes of the Ramayana. On the 10th day effigies of Ravana the king of Lanka are burnt amidst fireworks. In Kullu in the State of Himachal Pradesh, the festival is marked by a colourful fair. In Bengal and many parts of Eastern India it is known as Durga Puja and on the 10th day idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in the sea or the rivers. In South India it is celebrated as Navaratri (festival of 9-nights).

Gandhi Jayanti - is a National holiday that marks the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation.

Durga Pooja - Durga, the warrior Goddess is worshipped in colourful Puja pandals and the images are taken out in grand procession to the sea or rivers where they are immersed amidst chanting and singing

Diwali - is a nation wide festival that comes after 20 days of Dussehra. It is one of the most lively and colourful festivals in India. In some parts of the country, it marks the start of the Hindu New Year. In Eastern India, the goddess Kali is particularly worshipped; elsewhere, it is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, who is venerated. Everywhere there are magnificent illuminations and fireworks.

Guru purab - is a Sikh festival that commemorates the anniversaries of the ten gurus, spiritual teachers or preceptors of Sikhism.

NOVEMBER

Muharram - is a Muslim festival that commemorates Imam Hussain's martyrdom. Tiger dancers lead processions of colourful replicas of the martyr's tomb. It is a nation wide celebration particularly colourful in Lucknow, the capital of the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Sonepur Cattle Fair - celebrated in the State of Bihar, this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the world. It's a month long fair held on the banks of the Ganga at the town of Sonepur.

Pushkar Mela - is an annual Cattle Fair held at Pushkar in the State of Rajasthan. It's a colourful fair attended by people from miles around. Camel races, acrobatics and folkdance and music are some of its highlights.

DECEMBER

Christmas - is a nation wide celebrated festival. It is most exuberantly celebrated in Goa, Bombay and South India.

FESTIVALS OF THE YEAR IN INDIA!

India is a land of myriad festivals, in rhythm with the cycle of the seasons, with sowings and harvesting. and around them have grown legends, most depicting the victory of good over evil. These fairs and festivals lend color and gaiety to life and Indian calendar is marked by plethora of such big and small occasions. Some festivals are of religious nature, others are related more to, change of season and harvesting. They have a long past and many have undergone major modifications. Though the enthusiasm for some also seems to be fading, nevertheless they do bring about a change in the lifestyle of the people. Some festivals and fasts are religion specific protocols aiming towards communication with the divine. The liveliness of the people is reflected in the colorful vibrancy of the fairs and festivals. Processions, prayers, new attires, dance, music etc. are elements related to any such celebration.

The Puri-Rath Yatra, Allahabad

The Puri-Rath Yatra, Allahabad-Kumbha, Alleppey-Boat Race, Pushkar-Camel Fair, Goa-Carnival so on and so forth all reflect the diversity of the land and its people but common emotion of revived vigour, joy and sharing.

Vasant beckons spring. Scattered amongst the ripening wheat are the bright yellow flowers of mustard. Tender blossoms appear on the mango tree and 'song is bestowed upon the bird'. On that day everyone wears a special shade of yellow. The festival is dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of learning and the arts.

After about two months comes Holi, the very end of our cool season. It is a festival of colour, truly democratic and egalitarian. All barriers are down, all inhibitions shed. Boys and girls, men and women of all ages, all castes, and all classes participate. None is high and none is low. Anyhow, when a person is plastered with colour he is not easy to identify. On the eve of Holi bonfires are lit and Holi itself is celebrated by the throwing of colour, by gaiety and noise, one could even say, by wild abandon. In time the festival has also become associated with the 'Lila' of Radha and Krishna and has inspired some of our most sensuous poetry.

Of all the seasons it is the Sawan (Monsoon) which has evoked the largest number of songs. This is not strange, for summer in the plains of North India is long and hot. As months go by anxious eyes scan the sky. It is a time for renewal. Swings are hung at all likely places and women and children are seen swinging high into the branches overhead accompanied by joyous singing.

Raksha Bandhan - the bracelet of protection - is a festival belonging to the old days of chivalry. If the gift of a bracelet sent by a girl was accepted by a man, he henceforth became her adopted brother, pledged to support her in times of stress or war. Today it is just a ritual, though a charming one.

Close on its heels comes Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, and the most beloved of all gods. The Krishna legend has caught the imagination of our own people and now of many abroad. Krishna is intensely human. He's everybody's child, full of mischief. Stories of his pranks are recounted as recent happenings. As an ardent lover, he inspires our poets and artists, our music and dance.

Ganesh is the god of wisdom as well as of good fortune. As a granter of boons he is worshipped at the beginning of every prayer and auspicious occasion. Ganesh's birthday (Chaturthy) falls at the end of the monsoon and is marked by special festivities after which is image is immersed in the nearest river or the sea.

Every year in autumn, at the time of the full moon the Rajputs gather to honour Lord Brahma, the god of creation at the temple of Pushkar. This is the only temple dedicated to the god in the country.
The female as Shakti (Perennial Energy) has a central place in Indian tradition and Durga is its militant form. She is the Mother and at the same time the destroyer of evil forces. Her festival Dussehra heralds the new planting season and also celebrates her victory over the demon buffalo Mahishasura. These are also the days of the Ram Lila, an enactment of the story of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the hero of the epic Ramayana. It is extraordinary how this ancient story written in Sanskrit by Sage Valmiki and the people's spoken Hindi by poet Tulsidas and in other languages by renowned poets has permeated the hearts of our people and is relived year after year. On the day of Dussehra effigies of Ravana the king of Lanka are burnt at nightfall marking the celebration of the victory of Rama over Ravana symbolizing the victory of good over evil. 20 days later comes Diwali, the most beautiful of all festivals. It is dedicated to Lakshmi the goddess of prosperity. All buildings from the palatial to the humblest are illumined with millions of twinkling oil lamps, now being replaced by electricity, which though cleaner is not half-pretty. At dusk the sky is lit up and air reverberates with fireworks.

States have special harvest festivals such as Bihu in Assam, Onam in Kerala and Pongal in Tamil Nadu. The main attraction of Onam is a boat race on rivers swollen by the monsoon. At Arnamulla the long boats compete in speed on the Pamba River where water jousts are held. Each boat painted in the colors of its proprietor or village is manned by a hundred oarsmen, who chant in rhythm to speed up the beat of the paddles.

Kerala is a land of strange beliefs and of all of India it is here that pre Aryan customs have best been preserved. North of Malabar, the feasts of Therayattam are held from January to March. Masked dancers execute what seems to be a synthesis of all the different cults rendered to Devi the Great Goddess and to the ancestors. From daybreak to dusk masked divinities dance without ceasing. At Trichur, Pooram the feast of the Shaivite temples is enthusiastically celebrated in April or early May. The festival attracts millions of spectators to watch the celebrated procession of elephants in battle formation. Musicians play all day. Beating their drums in frantic rhythm, clashing their cymbals or blowing their bugles.

The Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year and is an occasion for functions of communal harmony. There is also the Prophet's birthday. Ramzan is a month of prayer and fasting.

The Sikhs observe the birthdays and days of martyrdom of their Gurus. The birthdays of Buddha and Mahavira are similarly observed.

For official and work purposes we follow the Gregorian calendar, but Hindu and Muslim festivals are calculated according to the Lunar calendar, so the dates change every year. Different groups of observe different New Years. For the Gujaratis Diwali marks the eve of the New Year. The Parsis celebrate Nauroz on 21 March, the same as in Iran. The Kashmiri Hindus New Year is the same as the 'Gudi Padwa' of Maharashtra, the Ugadhi of Karnataka and Andhra. Everyone has a different type of celebration. The Punjabis have Baisakhi, which falls on 13 April. Bengal and Assam observe the 1st of Baisakhi, which falls around the same time.

IMPORTANT INDIAN FESTIVALS!

Raksha Bandhan
Diwali
Durga Puja
Holi
Karwa Chauth
Bhai Dooj Festival
Ganesh Chaturathi
Sri Krishna Janmashthami
Dhanteras
Dussehra
Navratri
Christmas
Lohri
Pongal
Id-Ul-Fitr
Mahavir Jayanti
Pushkar Fair

FESTIVALS OF INDIA!

Every religion, community, caste or creed adds a piece or two to the kaliedoscopic cultural mosaic of India. India, a vast land, proud of its rich culture and heritage, puts in loads of joy in its every festival. The fine fabric of rich culture and tradition is decorated by the Fairs and Festivals celebrated in India with lots of zest and joy. Although, on the special occasion of festivals, certain traditional ceremonies and rituals are performed but there are some common aspects like sweets, flowers, songs, dance, lights, hymns, fasts and feasts which are an integral part of the festivals in India.

Festivals in India are an inseparable element of Indian way of life. The term festival indicates joy and celebrations and almost each day in some part of India a festival is celebrated for some joyous reasons. There are Seasonal Festivals in India to welcome the new year, the harvest or rainy season ; Religious Festivals to celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings and saints and National Festivals like Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayant that are celebrated with pride and joy.

The festivals in India are just as vibrant as its cultural fabric. They are colorful, full of life and most of all touch the very soul of its people. The entire country is lit up with the diyas of diwali and all corners of it hear the chimes of the Christmas bell. And, if Holi immerses the nation in its varied hues, the semiyan of Id are savored by one and all. Festivals of India enriches its unique ‘unity’ in ‘diversity’ as festivity breaks all barriers of religion, caste, creed and economic standing.