Things To Do In India: Part 3
India is a very spiritual country and traditional festivals are the inseparable part of Indian life. Indian festivals are held throughout the year and are the best way of seeing and understanding the nuances of Indian lifestyle and culture.
The most popular and celebrated festivals are Hindu (Diwali, Holi, Pongal, Dusshera, Onam and many others), Christian (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter), Sikh (Guru Nanak Jayanti, Guru Purab, Holla Mohalla, Lohri) and Muslim (Bakra Eid, Eid ul Fitr, Muhorram).
Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest and the rain, others for worshiping numerous gods, saints and gurus (revered teachers) or are held for celebrating the advent of the New Year.
Diwali or the festival of lights (small oil lamps are lit and placed around the home) is probably the most widespread traditional festival in India. Although it is a Hindu festival, Jains, and Sikhs also participate in Diwali festivals. This five-day festival is among the few that is not celebrated in temples, but is observed at home, with family and relatives.
Holi, otherwise called the colorful festival, is celebrated in February to March. Depending on local traditions its celebration rules are a bit diverted, but the main point is spraying color on each other.
Onam is a ten-day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala that occurs in August to September. Onam is an ancient festival and therefore depicts the traditions and way of live of the people of Kerala, their faith and belief in their past.
Guru Nanak Jayanti is a Sikh festival devoted to the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. He is the founder of the Sikh faith and during these days (the celebration lasts three days) all the followers of Sikhism celebrate the foundation of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated in the month of Kartik (October or November), because Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 in this month.
Christmas is a Christian holiday widely celebrated all around the world, and India is not an exception. Christmas festivals are more common in Goa, because the influence of Christianity (once it was a Portuguese colony) was great in this smallest state of India. The celebrations of Christmas start from 24th of December and last till the arrival of New Year.
Each of these festivals and holidays has its own celebrations, but one thing is common for them — they all represent the centuries-old traditions and customs of the Indian nation.
Photo © Shrinis
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