Holi Festival in India

Holi - the festival of colors is one of the most popular festivals of the country. It is celebrated during the Spring season and embodies all the festivity, liveliness and exuberance of the season. Holi is the festival of young hearts. Spraying colors, dancing on traditional Holi songs, rhythmic drum beats and wild processions are the common scenes that one comes across during this festival. The festival is associated with various legends but the most popular among them is the tale of Hollika. According to legends there was a demon-king named Hiranyakashipu who was very cruel and ordered everybody to worship him and not God. He was against Lord Vishnu. However, his little son Prahlad refused to do so and continued to worship the almighty Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God. He tried hard to kill him but every time Lord Vishnu saved him. One of the sisters of the king named Holika had a boon to remain unscathed by fire, so she followed her brother's wishes. However, with this sinful act against Lord Narayana's devotee, Holika's boon ended and she was burnt to ashes, while Prahlad came out safe. From that day onwards Holi is celebrated as the festival of the victory of good over evil. Even today, bonfires are lit on the night before Holi in memory of the event and burning of the evil Holika. It symbolizes the victory of Good over evil.

Krishna Janmashtami India

Eight days after the full moon of Shravan, falls the festival of Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. Krishna Janmashtami is an important festival in the Hindu calendar. The first day is Krishnashtami or Gokulashtami. The second day is called Kalastami or more popularly Janmashtami. It is celebrated with great devotion through out the country. Vrindhavan, Mathura, Dwaraka are the most popular Krishna temples as it is beleived that Lord Krishna lived here. In all these locations, janmashtami is celebrated with lot of splendour. The image of the infant Bala Krishna is bathed and is cradled in the midnight time. The conch shell is blown and the devotees celebrate the birth of the Protector of the world by singing devotional songs and by dancing with great joy. In these places Janmashtami celebration has a special significance as these places has an association with Lord Krishna. So the rituals associated with the festival are followed. In some part of the North India, Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated for three days. The first two days are celebrated in a colorful manner. On the second day of the festival a popular ceremony known as 'Dahi Handi' takes place where the pot containing curd or butter or milk is broken by the youths. Dahikala or Govinda, as the festival of tying pots of yogurt and milk, and breaking them is called, is a special event in Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra.

Diwali Celebration in India

Diwali is regarded as one of the most important festival of the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated across the nation with great pomp and excitement. The festival is mainly associated with lights as it is called the festival of light. On the day of the festival diyas (small clay lamps) are lit in everybody's home irrespective of their social status. The name Diwali signifies 'rows of lighted lamps'. Diwali is a five-day festival, beginning on the 15th day of the Hindu calendar month of Kartika (Ashwin). By the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls in October or November. Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu and Gujarati New Year and is celebrated with the lighting of lamps and candles, and lots of fireworks. People decorate their home with beautiful diyas and making rangoli pattern in the courtyard and in front of the gate. They put flowers and mango leaves on their doors and windows.Diyas and candles are placed on rooftops, rooms, and kitchen and even in the bathrooms. On this day, people worship Lord Ganesha, the foremost of all Hindu Gods and Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. It is time to exchange gifts and sweets with friends, relatives and neighbors.

Durga Puja Celebrations

Durga puja is regarded as the most important festival of West Bengal. The city of Kolkata dresses up in a new look for the five days of the festival. The celebration lasts for five days starting from Maha Shashti (the sixth day) and ends with Bijoya dashami (the tenth day). The first day of the celebration starts with Bodhon on Maha-Shashti, which is like welcoming Goddess Durga and ends with immersing the idols in the nearby rivers, lakes and seas on the evening of Dashami. However, it is considered to immerse the idols in the sacred waters of the River Ganges. According to mythology Goddess Durga descends to the Earth on Shashthi and returns to her abode on Dashmi. The clear blue sky, the cool pleasant air, the beautiful fragrance of Shiuli (a type of flower of this season), the lush green fields and chanting of mantras and shlokas of Goddess Shakti, all sum up together to create the perfect ambience for the celebration of Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalis. The preparations for the festival are done way in advance as beautiful pandals are build in different areas of the city these are mainly community pujas, which are mainly financed by the local people or sponsorship from big corporate houses. Even the idol making also starts way in advance. Clay idols of Bengal are famous worldwide for the traditional way in which they are made. The people of Bengal start preparing for the festival from Mahalaya (the starting of the festive season) they decorate homes, buy gifts for fiends and relatives and new clothes for themselves and relatives for the festival. The shopping plaza and markets are totally packed up from one month before the festival.

Eid

There are various festivals in the Muslim calendar. But Bakriid or Id-ul-Zuha is one of the most celebrated festivals among Muslims all over the world. It is a day of sacrifice for the Muslims. According to legends. It all started with a dream in which Allah directed the patriarch Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail. It was Ibrahim's faith in Allah and his son's faith in his father that were on test. Before performing the sacrifice Ismail tied a cloth around his father's eyes. But when Ibrahim opened his eyes he found his son safe and sound. In his place lay a dead dumba or ram. It is in honour of this test of faith that Muslims around the world sacrifice an animal on the occasion of Id-ul-azha to show their allegiance, faith and sincerity towards Allah. In India the Muslims mainly sacrifice the goat, which is why the occasion is spoken of in Urdu as Bakhr or Bakri-Id. The festival is to celebrate the strong faith of those devoted to Islam.

Christmas

Christmas the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, is celebrated in India with great fervor all over India by the Christians. People decorate their houses, erect Christmas trees, make cribs with figures of baby Jesus, Mother Mary, Joseph, the three kings who come to visit the baby and shepherd boys and their herds grazing around depicting the scenes of Jesus's Birth in the Bible. They decorate the Christmas tree, hang stars, gifts and illuminate them.On the Christmas day, people enjoy a sumptuous Christmas lunch. Christmas cakes and wine are served to visitors and exchanged as gifts among friends and relatives.Christmas celebrations vary in different parts of India. In some parts, small clay oil-burning lamps, mango leaves etc are used as Christmas decorations and mango and banana trees are decorated. All the major Indian cities wear a festive look. Shops and bazaars are decorated for the occasion and offer attractive bargains.

Baisakhi

Baisakhi is a seasonal festival with a special accent. It is celebrated all over the State on the first of Baisakh. This is the time when harvest is gathered in and the farmer exults in the fulfillment of his year's hard work. He joins the merry-making with full gusto and does not mind walking for miles to be able to do so. Since this fair is also an expression of prosperity, singing and dancing constitute its most enchanting features. The Punjab's famous Bhangra and Giddha are inextricably linked with this festival. Many fairs in the Punjab are held near the tombs and shrines of pirs. These fairs must have originated in a spirit of devotion to those saints and sages. The most famous among such fairs are the Chhapar fair, the Jarag fair, and the Roshni fair of Jagranyan.Baisakhi marks the beginning of New Year, particularly in the northern part of India. It is among the few Indian festivals that have a fixed date. Baisakhi is always on April 13th. In Kerala, Baisakhi is called as "Vishu" and in Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as "Puthandu".