India is a secular
democracy, a state without a single religion, and
with the right guaranteed by the Constitution to every
citizen to practice his or her own religion. In the
larger Indian society, a major role of the festivals
is to promote unity in diversity, with emphasis on
communal harmony. Some religious festivals mark the
passing of the seasons, while some can be termed as
cultural events. Some are celebrated in isolated corners
of the country, while a few transcend barriers of
creed and are joyously celebrated all over the country.
Indian festivals mainly have a religious
note. Apart from rituals and prayers, festivals
are accompanied with fasts or feasts. In urban areas,
festivals attract large crowds from neighboring areas.
Fairs and amusements for children add to the festive
atmosphere.
| LIST
OF INDIAN FESTIVALS |
| Sankranti
|
January |
| Pongal |
January
|
| Republic
Day |
January
26 |
| Bakri-Id |
February
|
| Maha
Shivaratri |
March
|
| Mahavir
Jayanti |
March
|
| Holi
|
Festival
of Colors , March |
| Ugadi
|
Hindu
New Year |
| Rama
Navami |
April
21 |
| Buddha
Jayanti |
April
|
| India's
Independence |
15
August |
| Onam |
August
|
| Raksha
Bandhan |
August
22 |
| Krishna
Janmashtami |
August
|
| Ganesh
Chaturthi |
September |
| Gandhi
Jayanti |
October |
| Dasara
- Navaratri |
October |
| Karva
Chauth |
October
|
| Deepavali |
November
|
| Id
Ramzan |
1st
Shawal (Islamic Calender) |
| Christmas
|
December
25 |
Festivals
are also celebrated to mark changes in the season,
such as the advent of spring or the beginning of a
rainy spell. One can find traces of religion as well
as magic in these attempts to seek nature's munificence.
Some of the seasonal festivals include the Baisakhi
in Punjab, Uthran in Gujarat and Bihu
in Assam.
The Hindu festivals vary from the purely magical to
the highly sophisticated metaphysical levels. Compared
to the Hindus Muslims and Christians have closely-knit
rigid religious festivals and practices.
Apart
from religious festivals, India has some very important
secular festivals, like Republic Day, Independence
Day and Gandhi Jayanti. They evoke participation of
the entire population of the country.
In rural India, the attributes of a fair are the accessibility,
the shopping spree and a get-together. Some of the
famous fairs include Pushkar camel fair in Rajasthan
and Tarnetar fair in Gujarat. People from nearby towns
and villages gather to sell their wares at these fairs.
Some festivals owe their popularity to the cultural
landmarks. Three such examples are the Surajkund Crafts
Mela , Khajuraho Dance Festival and the Vasantha Habba.
Artisans from all over the country gather at Surajkund
to display their craft works. The Khajuraho Dance
festival and the Vasantha Habba is a celebration of
the various Indian Dances.
A
carnival rivaling the Rio celebrations is an annual
feature of Goa. A three-day prelude to the festival
of Lent, the carnival is a vibrant celebration. Men
and women dance to the tune of music. The celebrations
include parades, tableaus and games. People wear colorful
clothing and masks while participating in the carnival.
The
Hindu calendar contains a list of festivals
that are celebrated all around the year. Some of the
more important Hindu festivals are Diwali,
Dusshera,
Janmashtami,
Ramanavami,
Ganesh Chaturthi,
Holi,
Mahara Sankaranthi
and Raksha
Bhandan.
Diwali
or Deepavali
The
Festival of Lights, is one of the most
colorful occasions in India. Celebrated
in October-November, this festival spans
three days. Diwali is celebrated with
merriment and lights of various kinds.
It marks the advent of winter.
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Prayers are said to invoke the blessings of
Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.
The
origin of this festival can be traced to the Hindu
mythologies. According to a section of the population,
Lord Vishnu rescued Goddess Lakshmi from King Bali
on Diwali.
According to another group, Goddess Lakshmi emerged
on Diwali from the milky way (Ocean of Milk).
Diwali is also celebrated to mark the return of Lord
Rama from Lanka after his victory over Ravana. In
South India, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the
victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura.
The Muslim traveler and historian, Alberuni, refers
to Diwali as a festival when people dressed festively,
distributed gifts, visited temples to give alms and
played merrily with one another till noon. At night,
they light a great number of oil lamps and burst crackers.
In North India, on Diwali old lamps are thrown away
and new ones, fresh from the family potter, are lighted
and placed in the house. The new lamps are thought
to help the souls of the dead find their way to heaven.
In
Gujarat, Diwali marks the end of the old year and
the beginning of the new year. Being associated with
Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, Diwali is a day of
great economic significance to the business community.
In
West Bengal, the night of Diwali's new moon light
is reserved for the worship of goddess Kali. In Maharashtra,
songs are sung on Diwali to restore the rule of Bali.
Dusshera
or Navrathri
is
one of the most popular festivals of India.
This 10-day long festival is celebrated
in September-October. During these 10-days,
Goddess Durga is worshiped for Navaratri
(nine nights), and on the 10th day - Vijayadasami
Goddess Saraswati is worshiped.
Dusshera
is the anniversary of the victory of Durga
over the buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura,
giving the goddess her name Mahishasura-mardini
(the slayer of Mahishasura).
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Dusshera
also commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana
of Lanka. However, either way the theme of the festival
is the victory of good over evil.
Dussehra
was celebrated mainly as a royal festival. As the
war-goddess, Durga was worshipped by Kshatriya rulers
in ancient and medieval India. Many of these kings
selected Dusshera to invoke the blessings of Durga
and start military operations. Dusshera celebrations
differ throughout the country.
Janamashtami:
The birthday of Lord Krishna,
an incarnation of Vishnu, is celebrated
on the eighth day of the dark fortnight
in the month of Sravana (July-August)
in India. Men
and women fast and pray on the occasion
of Janmashtami. As it is the worship of
infant Krishna, who was fond of milk and
butter, women prepare a variety of delicacies
with milk products as offerings.
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According
to Hindu mythology, Krishna was born to destroy Mathura's
demon King Kamsa, brother of his virtuous mother,
Devaki. A celestial voice told Kamsa that he would
be killed by the eighth child of Devaki. Alarmed by
the message, Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and her husband
Vasudeva. Taking no chances, Kamsa went on killing
Devaki's children soon after birth.
Lord Krishna was born as the eighth
child of Vasudeva at midnight. But at Krishna's birth,
under divine instructions, Vasudeva left the prison
unnoticed with the baby. He crossed the mighty river
Yamuna which was in spate due to heavy rains. Without
any difficulty, he walked across the river protected
from rain by the mighty serpent Shesha, and reached
Gokul.
In
Gokul, on the same midnight, a girl named Yogamaya
had been born to Yasoda, wife of Nanda a herdsman.
The babies were exchanged, and Vasudeva came back
to prison with the girl. When Kamsa was told that
his sister had given birth to a child, Kamsa attempted
kill the child. But the baby who was Goddess Maya,
flew off to the heaven, warning Kamsa that Krishna,
who would kill him, had already been born and was
alive. Eventually, Krishna killed Kamsa, and released
his parents from the prison, and brought peace and
happiness to the common people.
Ramanavami
Rama was the eldest son of the King of
Ayodhya, Dasarath and Queen Kausalya.
He is regarded as one of the incarnations
of Hindu God Vishnu. The great Indian
epic Ramayana is based on the life and
hardship of Lord Rama. s.
The
birth anniversary of Lord Rama is celebrated
as Ramanavami in the Hindu month of Chaitra
(March-April).
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In
South India, offerings to the deity include sugar
candy, a sweet drink called Panagam, and a few spring
products. Sometimes, the orthodox people observe a
fast on Ramanavami.
Ganesha Chaturthi
The birthday of Lord Ganesha, is celebrated
in August-September. Ganesha is the
elephant headed son of Goddess Parvathi,
consort of Lord Shiva.
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A special sweet called Modhak is prepared on this
occassion. To mark the end of the festivities, the
clay idols are immersed in water. In Uttar Pradesh,
Lord Ganesha is worshipped in the month of January-February.
Ganesh
Chaturthi is not celebrated in West Bengal, Bihar,
Assam, Punjab, Kashmir and Kerala.
Ganesha Chaturthi
The birthday of Lord Ganesha, is celebrated
in August-September. Ganesha is the
elephant headed son of Goddess Parvathi,
consort of Lord Shiva.
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Holi
The full-moon day is celebrated in February-March.
The festival of colors--holi is a festival
of fun and gaiety for people of all ages. Bonfires
are lit and people smear colors on each other.
The
mythological origin of this festival varies in North
and South India. In the South, especially in Tamil
Nadu and Kerala, it is believed that Kama Deva, the
God of love, aimed his arrow at his wife Rati. The
arrow hit Shiva by mistake. Kama was burnt to ashes
by the fire coming out of the third eye of the enraged
God. Rati, who was also the daughter of Shiva, was
so grief-stricken that Shiva relented and granted
his daughter the power to see her husband but without
a physical form. In Tamil Nadu, the festival known
as Kaman vizha, Kaman pandigai, or Kama Dahanam commemorates
the burning of Kama.
In
North India, grains and stalks saved from the year's
harvest are offered to Agni, the God of Fire. Big
bonfires are lit and effigies of Kama are burnt, usually
late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
Holi fire, is a symbol of destruction of all filth
and impurity, physical and mental.
Legend
has it that a mighty King Hiranyakasipu ordered his
people to worship him as a God. But Prahlad, his only
son, refused to accept his father as a God, because
he believed only in Lord Vishnu. The King tried to
kill his son, but everytime Prahlad was saved as he
uttered the name of Vishnu. Finally, Prahlad's aunt
Holika, claiming herself to be fireproof, took the
child in her lap and sat in the fire to burn him alive.
When the fire subsided, the king found, the child
alive while Holika had perished.
Krishna,
an incarnation of Vishnu, is worshipped too during
Holi. In Mathura, where Lord Krishna spent his childhood,
Holi is celebrated with song and dance in addition
to the usual colourdaubing.
Mahara Sankaranthi
This festival coincides with the beginning
of the sun's northward journey, and
falls on January 14 according to the
solar calendar. According to legend,
Bhishma, a great hero of the Mahabharata,
though wounded mortally, waited for
this auspicious time to give up his
life.
In
many states, the celebration has a special
offering of rice and pulses cooked together
with or without jaggery and clarified
butter.
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In
Tamil Nadu, MaharaSankaranthi is celebrated as Pongal,
a three-day harvest festival. On Bhogi Pongal, the
house is cleaned and the discards are burnt, while
children sing and dance around the bonfire. On Surya
Pongal, sweet Pongal is prepared and the Sun God is
worshipped for a good yearly harvest. The last day
of Pongal, Mattu Pongal, is celebrated to pay respects
to the cows, the animal that is used in cultivation.
In
Uttar Pradesh, it is called the Khichri Sankranti.
Khichri Sankranti is a day when families remember
those who have left the fold, and assert ties with
relatives. In Gujarat, there is a custom of making
gifts to near relatives on this day.
MaharaSankaranthi,
known as Utharan, bears a festive occasion for the
people of Rajasthan. Kite Festivals are organized
on MaharaSankaranthi as it marks the period of winds.
Kite flyers from all over the world participate in
the festival. The sky gets dotted with kites of all
shapes and sizes as kite fliers try to keep their
kites aloft.
Raksha
Bhandan
is celebrated on the full-moon day in
the month of Sravana (July-August).
In North India, the occasion is popularly
called Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, the
tying of an amulet. On this day, sisters
tie an amulet, the Rakhi, around the
right wrist of their brothers praying
for their long life and happiness.
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Raksha
means protection, and in some places in medieval India,
where women felt unsafe, they tied Rakhi round the
wrists of men they could count upon, regarding them
as brothers.
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is similar to Karthikay
in Kartika (October-November) in South India. On this
day, sisters offer food to brothers to wish them a
long life. The festival is an occassion to strengthen
the bond between a brother and a sister. In South
India, The Raksha Bandhan full moon day is a household
festival for the men, where the sacred thread is ceremoniously
changed.
Rath
Yatra (Puri, Orissa) :
This spectacular chariot festival is
held at the famous Jagannath Temple
at Puri. Images of Lord Jagannath -
the Lord of the Universe, his sister
Subhadra and brother Balbhadra are taken
out in procession in three immense chariots.
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The
main chariot is 14 meters high and 10 meters square
with 16 wheels. Thousands of devotees pull these chariots
to Gundicha Mandir, a temple 1.5 km away.
Calcutta
Festival ( Kolkata Festival )
(Kolkata, West Bengal) :
Held every year in the centrally located maidan area
of the city of Calcutta. Ethnic food stalls displaying
Bengali cuisine and cultural events make this a lively
occasion.
Chapchar
Kut (Mizoram) :
A lively festival in Mizoram celebrates the arrival
of spring. It is an occasion for dance, music and
feasting.
International
Flower Festival (Gangtok, Sikkim) :
A rare show of exotic varieties of flowers, orchids
and other plants native to Sikkim. Held every summer
during the peak flowering season, this is a spectacular
event, attracting people from all over India. River
rafting and a Yak Safari are added attractions.
Rajgir
Mahotsav (Rajgir, Bihar) :
This colourful festival of dance and music is held
at Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadha kings
- the land where the Buddha meditated and preached.
Ka
Pomblang Nongkren (Shillong, Meghalaya) :
The most important festival of the Khasis in Meghalaya.
This five day long festival, held annually near Shillong,
is an occasion for thanksgiving for a good harvest
and the time to pray for peace and prosperity. Khasi
men and women, dressed in traditional splendour, perform
the famour Nongkrem dance.
Vishnupur
Fesitval (Vishnupur, West Bengal) :
The festival celebrates the rich heritage of the town
of Vishnupur, noted for its beautiful terracotta temples
and elegant silk sarees.
Konark
Dance Festival (Konark, Orissa) :
The Sun Temple - a magnificent structure designed
as the chariot of the Sun God, drawn by seven exquisitely
carved horses, stands in solitary splendour on the
beach at Konark. This is the venue of a joyous festival
of classical dance and music which is held annually.
A host of celebrated dancers from all over the country
perform in the open air auditorium. The sound of ghungroo
bell, flute and pakhauj fill the air and a marvellous
crafts mela, with a variety of handicrafts and delectable
cuisine, adds to the festive mood.
Durga Puja (Bengal) :
This is performed during the nine days of Navratri.
Community pujas in Bengal are organised in every locality.
Families visit each other to share feasts. On Bijoya
day, the idols are taken in elaborate processions
for immersion in the river or the sea.
Pataliputra
Mahotsava (Patna, Bihar) :
Patna, an ancient city with a glorious past, celebrates
its rich heritage with this lively festival.
Vasant
Panchami (North India and West Bengal) :
The ceremonail welcome to spring when people, colourfully
attired, especially in bright shades of yellow, dance,
sing and make merry.
In
West Bengal, 'Saraswati' - the goddess of
learning is worshipped. The festival is celebrated
with great fervour in the university town of Santiniketan.
Pushkar
camel fair:
This world famous event takes place each October/November
on the full moon of 'Kartik Purnima' (In Hindu chronology),
at Pushkar in Rajasthan. At this time, about 2,00,000
people flock to Pushkar bringing with them some 50,000
camel and cattle with them for several days of pilgrimage,
horse dealing, camel racing and colourful festivities.
Cattle
and animal fair:
At Sonepur near Patna the largest cattle and elephant
fair in the world, is held on the banks of the river
Ganges. The fair lasts for a month and is usually
held in November.
Desert
festival:
This annual festival is held at Jaisalmer. It has
camel races, dances, folk music, desert ballads and
puppeteers. A special tourist village is erected at
this time similar to the one at Pushkar.
Goa
carnival:
The carnival held in Goa around February/March
lasts a week. Goans celebrate with music,
dance and gaiety. Locals take out processions
with colourful floats and dancers. This
festival is much like the 'Mardi-Gras'.
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Onam
snake boat races:
Held in August/September, these unique races are held
in Cochin, Alleppey, Aranmula and Payipad.
