India is undoubtedly, a land of festivals. Probably, there is some festival being celebrated in some corner of India everyday. There are festivals for every season, every legend and myth, every religious place and every region. Some are exclusive to certain communities and religions while others have a national and secular character about them. Although the festivals of India may differ in their celebration and rituals we cannot ignore the underlying spirit running through them all -- one of joy,
sharing and brotherhood transgressing the narrow divides of caste, creed and color. Colorful processions, devout prayers, gleeful dances and joyous music mark most of the Indian festivals.
As in ancient civilizations India too has festivals with significant religious associations. Prominent among them are Holi, Dusshera, Diwali, Janmashtami, Muharram and Shivratri, which also have a national significance. Among these festivals, like Diwali and Holi have been a unifying force which have served to bind the diasporic Indian communities across the globe. There are scores of festivals in different states, like Onam celebrated in Kerala, Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Bihu in Assam. which celebrate the harvesting of crops exemplifying the rural character of India
India is a land of strange beliefs and fascinating rituals associated with festivals. Some interesting festivals are the Puri-Rath Yatra, Allahabad-Kumbha Mela, Alleppey-Boat Race, Pushkar-Camel Fair, Goa-Carnival, which also reflects the unity despite the diversity of the land and its people. Some festivals like Raksha Bandhan embody the once-venerated values and chivalry by reaffirming the faith and commitment in a brother.
All religions and communities celebrate festivals which have a global status. Muslims celebrate Eid and Ramzan while Christians celebrate the universally celebrated Christmas and Easter. The Sikhs observe the birthdays and days of martyrdom of their Gurus, the most prominent being the Guru Parab. The Buddhists and Jains observe the birthdays of Buddha and Mahavira as Buddha Purnima and Mahavir Jayanti respectively.
It is also interesting that different communities observe the same festival on different days. For instance, different groups observe different New Years. Diwali marks the beginning of the New Year for the Gujaratis while Parsis celebrate Nauroz in March, the same as in Iran. The Kashmiri Hindu New Year is the same as the Gudi Padwa of Maharashtra and Ugadi of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Punjabis have Baisakhi, which falls on 13 April. West Bengal and Assam observe the 1st of Baisakhi, which falls around the same time.
Travel.mapsofIndia takes you on a colorful and fascinating tour of the popular Festivals of India. The history of the festivals gives you an insight into the legends and myths related to the festivals and the historical significance of the festivals. The time of the festivals is for those who wish to travel to any place in India to take part in the fun and frolic of the festivals. The celebration of the festivals elaborates the interesting rituals associated with the celebration of festivals.
| Festivals Of India- Monthly Calendar 2017 | |
Last Updated on : 16/09/2013
Festivals in India
