Indian Festivals 

Is the most boisterous of all Hindu Festivals, observed all over the North. It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of the Spring. The night before the full moon, crowds of people gather and light huge bonfires to burn the residual dried leaves and twigs of the winter. People throw coloured water and powders (Gulal and Kumkum) at each other and make merry. Holi celebrates the joyful raasleela of Krishna and the gopis. They play Phag, which is a game of many colourful hues. It is a joyous celebration of the rejuvenation of nature, and renewed hope of happiness and peaceful coexistence. In Anandpur Sahib, Sikhs celebrate a special festival Holi Mohalla on the day after Holi. It marks a display of ancient martial arts and mock battles.

This festival is celebrated by girls and married woman throughout Rajasthan. This festival is dedicated to Gauri, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati and lasts for 18 days. This is also an auspicious day for young people to select their life partners. Colourful processions with the town band playing, horses and elaborate palanquins make it a fascinating spectacle.

The Parsis don their new clothes and decorate their homes with Rangoli patterns drawn with metal moulds and flowers. Sweets are exchanged and later Parsis visit the fire temple where thanksgiving is performed.

The birthday of Lord Rama is enthusiastically celebrated on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra. Temples are decorated, religious discourses are held and the Ramayana is recited for ten days. People sing devotional songs in praise of Rama and rock images of him in cradles to celebrate his birth.

Is a muslim festival celebrated all over India. Prayers are offered in the mosques and special delicacies are prepared and served among the family and friends on the occasion.

The birth anniversary of the Jains, Mahavir , the founder of Jainism , is celebrated by the Jain Community. People meditate and offer prayers all over India.

Is a week long festival of classical dances held at Khajuraho Temples, built by the Chandela Kings.

This festival is held in Jaipur where Elephants are the centre of attraction. They stride majestically parading their decorated trunks and tusks. The festival begins with a procession of elephants, camels and horses, followed by lively folk dancers at their entertaining best. The most hilarious highlight of the festival is a tug of war between elephants and men.

Is a dance festival held at Hoysala Temples (Karnataka) of Belur and Halebid of Karnataka.

Is a festival of dance and music organized in the splendid surroundings of the magnificent Ellora caves.

The oldest and most important of the Hindu festivals. It takes place every three years, at one of the four great holy cities; Nasik in Maharashtra, Ujjain (MP), Prayag (Allahabad) and Hardwar (both in UP). It is attended by millions of pilgrims who take a holy dip in the sacred Ganges River.

The festival of Urs are held every year at the dargah of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, commemorating his symbolic union with God. Pilgrims from all over the world gather here to pay their homage. Qawalis ( Poems) are sung in the Saint’s honour.

In this festival ten days are devoted to the worship of the River Ganga. According to the legends, Gangavataran or the descent of the Ganga, happened at this time. Devotees touch the River water, bathe in it, and take the river clay home to venerate. In Haridwar, aratis are performed at twilight and a large number of devotees meditate on her serene banks.

This festival is celebrated at Hemis, the biggest Buddhist Monastery in ladakh to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhave. Splendid masked dances are performed to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns, A colourful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival.

This is a festival celebrated at the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri. Images of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra and brother Balbhadra are taken out in a procession in three chariots to their summer temple for a week. The main chariot is 14 meters high and 10 meters square with 16 wheels. The ropes of the huge chariots are pulled by millions of devotees who also believe that this act bestows salvation upon them.

A special worship is performed on this day to all teachers and is called Guru Purnima. Worship of the great Vyasa, the author of the great epic, Mahabharata, is part of the celebration. On this day students visit their elders, teachers and guides in order to show respect to them with gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets. These gifts are called Gurudakshina. Discourses are held in community gatherings to hear the readings of the holybook, Bhagwad Gita.

The birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu is observed all over India. It is celebrated with great fervour at Mathura and Brindavan where Lord Krishna spent his childhood. Nightlong prayers are offered and religious hymns are sung in temples. In Maharashtra, earthen pots of curd and butter are hung high up over the streets. Young men enacting an episode from Krishna’s childhood form human pyramids by climbing on each other’s shoulders and try to break the pots.

Onam is Kerala’s most popular festival, celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is primarily a harvest festival celebrated to welcome the spirit of the pious King Mahabali from eternal exile and to assure him that his people are happy and wish him well. At Trichur, caparisoned elephants take part in a spectacular procession. There is also a magnificent display of fireworks. The Vallumkali (boat race) is one of the main attractions of Onam, and is best seen at Aranmulai and Kottayam.

Nag Panchami is the festival when snakes, the symbols of energy and prosperity are worshipped. In Maharashtra snake charmers go from house to house with dormant cobras ensconced in cane baskets, asking for alms and clothing. Women offer milk and cooked rice to the snakes and gather around to see the snakes spread their hoods to the tune of the Pungi. In Kerala, snake temples are crowded in this day and worship is offered to stone or metal icons of the cosmic serpent Ananta or Shesha.

This is a Hindu sister’s day when brothers and sisters reaffirm their bonds of affections. Sisters tie colourful threads or rakhis on their brothers wrists. The brothers in turn promise to protect their sisters and give them gifts.

Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival in India, especially in Maharashtra dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed God of all good beginnings and success. It is believed that Lord Ganesha was born on this day and every chaturthi is considered auspicious. Thousands of the clay idols of Lord Ganesha are made in every size, pose, form and colour and worshipped at community or family festivals which last between one to ten days. These images are then taken in large processions, amidst the rhythm of bells and drums and immersed in flowing water.

This is an exciting and unique fair held annually at Tarnetar in Saurashtra. The fair coincides with the festival at the Trineteshwar Temple, celebrating the wedding of the legendary Mahabharat hero, Arjuna with Draupada. The fair is a kind of a marriage market for the local tribals- the Kolis, Bharwads and Rabaris. The traditional costumes, exquisite jewelry and wonderful Tarnetar “Chhatris” (Umbrellas) with intricate embroidery and mirror work are sold. AN added attraction is the lively folk dance performances such as – garba, ras, and haro.

Navratri is the longest Hindu festival that continues for nine consecutive nights in praise of Lord Rama. Continuous chanting from the great epic Ramayana, along with evening performances from the episodes of his life, is held for nine days. It is a combination of many concepts. It is believed that Durga. The Goddess of power and vitality, has nine forms called Navadurga and on each day of the nine days, she takes a new dorm, with an arsenal of weapons, to ride a lion and fight the demon Mahishasura. Lord Rama is said to have worshipped the Goddess, seeking her blessing in order to overpower the evil- force of Ravana, the abductor of his beloved Sita.The most joyous celebration of Navratri is seen in Gujrat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Bengal. Every night people gather in courtyards to dance the dandiya raas and garba, a community dance in which men and women dressed in festive clothes, dance in pairs with painted wooden sticks.