Festival of IndiaSomeone once remarked that in India, there is a festival on every day of the year. There are innumerable national, regional, local, religious, seasonal and social festivities that give credence to this statement. This is not surprising considering the innumerable gods, goddesses, saints, gurus and prophets who are worshipped in India. Festivals of India are characterized by color, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and a variety of prayers and rituals. Foreign travelers are struck by the scale and multiplicity of the festivals that have evolved in the Indian society. Major Festivals of India
Dussehera
 This festival is celebrated as a remembrance of the victory of Lord Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu) over Ravana, the king of Lanka who had abducted Sita, wife of Rama. And also to commemorates the victory of the goddess Durga (an incarnation of Parvati, consort of Shiva) over the demon Mahisasura. It Dussehera is celebrated at the end of Navaratri, a nine-day festival. Images of Durga are worshipped during the Navaratri festival and stories related to the goddess and to the conquest of good over evil are told. Navaratri is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Prayers, devotional songs and colorful rituals mark the occasion of Navaratri and Dussehera. Ramlila is another exciting feature of this festival where the story of Rama, the God King of Ayodhyaya is depicted in a dance-drama form on all ten days of celebration. On the 10th day i.e. the day of Dussehera, buffaloes representing the buffalo-demon Mahisasura are sacrificed to the goddess. The evening of Dussehera sees the burning of the colorful effigies of Ravana, complete with 10 heads and curling moustaches, and those of his son and brother. This spectacle is marked by setting off of a fusillade of firecrackers and the triumph of good over evil is commemorated once again. Deepawali Or DiwaliDeepawali is a festival of lights symbolizing the lifting of spiritual darkness. It is a family festival, which is celebrated 20 days after Dussehera. Continuing the story of Rama, this festival commemorates his return to Ayodhyaya after completion of his fourteen-year exile and after his victory over the evil king Ravana. Twinkling oil lamps or diyas light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country. The goddess Lakshmi (consort of Vishnu) who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity is also worshipped on this day. This festive occasion also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and Lord Ganesha, the elephant god, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on the Deepawali day. The occasion of Deepawali sees the spring-cleaning and whitewashing of houses and decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes. Deep Diwali Jainism, which is based on an appreciation of the hard reality of life and an emphasis on salvation, does not lend itself to colorful celebration and gaiety. Deep Diwali, marking Mahavira's liberation from the cycle of life, is celebrated ten days after Diwali. Lights and illumination are an endeavoring to mitigate the darkness, supposed to have been caused by the passing away of the light of the world. Holi It is spring time in India, flowers and fields are in bloom and the country goes wild with people running on the streets and smearing each other with brightly hued powders and colored water. This is the festival of Holi, celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The story centers around an arrogant king who resents his son worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlad emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation. This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with colored powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality. JanmashtamiVishnu is invoked in his human incarnation as Krishna on his birth anniversary in the festival of Janmashtami. The temples of Vrindavan witness an extravagant and colorful celebration on this occasion. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Radha. The image of the infant Krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradle. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over Northern India. In Maharashtra, Janmashtami witnesses the exuberant enactment of the god's childhood endeavors to steal butter and curd from earthen pots beyond his reach. A matka or pot containing these is suspended high above the ground and groups of young men and children form human pyramids to try and reach the pot and eventually break it. Eid Besides Hinduism, India is also the home of innumerable other faiths and the religious and cultural diversity of this nation is manifested in the large number of non-Hindu festivals. The sizeable Muslim communities have their Eids in common with Muslims across the world. Eidu'l Fitr, Eidu'l Zuha and Eid-e-Milad are the three festive occasions widely celebrated by Muslims in India. Eid is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country, and one can see Muslims of all age groups and from all stratas of society attired in new clothes, visiting mosques to offer namaaz. The tombs of many Sufi saints attract devotees of all religious persuasions, especially during the urs or death anniversaries. The best-known urs are centered at tombs in towns like Ajmer, Delhi, Manakpur, Nagore and Dongri. Guru Nanak's BirthdayNanak Jayanti or Guru Nanak's birthday is widely celebrated by the Sikhs in India. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith was born in Punjab in 1469. His birth anniversary is marked by prayer readings and processions, especially in Amritsar in Punjab and Patna in Bihar. This festival usually occurs in the month of November. Christmas The Carnival, preceding the Lenten period of penance is the most important event at Goa. Similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it is an extravagantly colorful occasion. A carnival parade, full of color and zest, it is virtually a celebration of life itself. Muharram Muharram is not a festival in the celebratory sense as it mourns the Kerbala tragedy when Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was martyred in the early days of Islamic history. Profusely decorated taziahs (bamboo and paper replicas of the martyr's tomb), embellished with gilt and mica are carried through city streets. Mourners beat their breasts lamenting and grieving over the murder, accompanied by drumbeats. Wrestlers and dancers enact scenes depicting the battle at Kerbala and at each step young men beat their breasts crying "Hussein! Hussein!" in collective sorrow. Some mesmerizing processions can be witnessed on the occasion of Muharram in the cities of Agra, Lucknow, Delhi and Hyderabad. ShivaratriOn a moonless night in February or March every year, occurs the night of Shiva, the destroyer. This is the night when He is said to have performed the tandava or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Devotees of Shiva fast during the day and maintain a long vigil during the night. In temples all across the country, bells ring, and sacred texts are chanted and traditional offerings of leaves and milk are made to the shiv lingam, the phallic symbol of the god. Pongal Certain Hindu festivals are associated with the annual cycle of seasons. Pongal in the South and Sankranti in the North are celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. Pongal festivities are spread over several days. Like Deepawali in the north, the advent of Pongal is associated with spring-cleaning and burning of junk, symbolizing the destruction of evil. Decorative designs or rangolis are traced on floors and on the day of the Pongal, the newly harvested rice is cooked in homes to acclaim the bounty of the gods. Rath Yatra At the temple town of Puri in Orissa, the image of the god Krishna (known as Jagannath in the State) is taken out with great ceremony in June-July each year. Images of the god and his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are placed in giant large yellow chariots or raths, which are then drawn by pilgrims. The chariots are 45 feet high and have 6 wheels. The procession or Rath Yatra draws huge crowds from all over the country. An atmosphere of almost hysterical devotion prevails on this day and in earlier years, devotees were known to have thrown themselves under the wheels of the Rath in the hope of obtaining instant salvation. Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in some parts of India as a festival to honor the sea god Varuna. However, at most places, it celebrates the love of a brother for his sister. Brothers and sisters exchange gifts, the sister tying a thread known as a rakhi on her brother's wrist. Brahmins, after a day of fasting, change the sacred thread they wear. OnamOnam is the principal festival of the state of Kerala. It is an unusual festival, in the sense that it reveres the memory of a local demon king, Mahabali, who was ousted from his kingdom by Lord Vishnu. So attached was the king to his country and subjects, that he asked for and was granted permission to return once a year. Onam is considered to be the day when the king returns to his kingdom. Houses are cleaned and floral decorations put up to welcome the beloved ruler. Snake boats manned by around a hundred oarsmen each, rowing to the rhythms of cymbals and drums, race in thrilling contests at Aranmula, Champakulam and Kottayam in Kerala. In Trichur, a vibrant procession with resplendently caparisoned elephants is taken out. Baisakhi To the Hindus, Baisakhi is the solar New Year, celebrated with joyous music and dancing. To the Sikhs, this festival is the anniversary of the foundation of the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood) by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. Processions and feasting follow readings of the holy scripture of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib. Ganesha Chaturthi Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival in his honor and is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. To appreciate this occasion, one must go to Mumbai where preparations begin months in advance. Images of Ganesha are installed within homes as well as in places of assembly. Elaborate arrangements are made for lighting and decoration and Ganesha is fervently worshipped for about 7-10 days. On the day of the Chaturthi, i.e. the last of the days dedicated to the elephant-headed god, thousands of processions converge on the beaches of Mumbai to immerse the holy idols in the sea. This immersion is accompanied by drumbeats, devotional songs and dancing.
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