Most Popular Festivals of India with their significance

India is known for its rich, homogeneous and spiritual culture made unique by distinctive festivals celebrated by every religion and ethnic group within every state. These festivals do not bear an exact resemblance in the ways they are celebrated but the spirit and the different occasions follow a similar pattern. Festivals are time to rejoice, exchange gifts and pleasantries, be with family and eat delicacies meant for festivals. There are numerous and varied festivals celebrated right through the year giving a peek into the rich cultural heritage, but the most notable festivals find a mention below. From the delightful month of mid-September till January, with the onset of autumn, one starts getting the vibrations of celebration season mood in the air. It is greeted with a beautiful climate, a stage set for an invitation to start of major festivals. Let us start with the festival that is celebrated pan India with the same fervor with slight variation in their history, custom, and mode of celebrations.

Diwali

Diwali or “Festival of Lights” is one of the most celebrated festivals across India which gives thernmessage of “victory of good over evil”-नकेकाशका उसव!Though it is celebrated panIndia, it is the Northern region that celebrates to welcome Lord Rama to Ayodhya after conquering Ravana whereas in South India it marks the celebration of the triumph of Lord Krishna over demon Narakasura. Preparations to welcome Diwali begins almost 2 weeks in advance wherein people go for removing the clutter in the house followed by almost 5 day longrncelebrations. Clay lamps, candles, and lights are lit to welcome Goddess Lakshmi to homes,bringing wealth and prosperity. People also make easy rangoli designs for Diwali celebrations.

Holi

Holi – “Festival of Colors” - ेमका यौहार is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evilwelcoming the spring season to households, a sign of abundance and prosperity. It is usually welcomed in the month of March. People celebrate by burning effigies of “Holika” bonfires,smear dry and wet colored powders on each other, party and dance, consume Bhang and getrnwet and dirty.

Navaratri

Navratri, “नौ रात”,are Nine Days Of Fasting, belief, And Devotion, dedicated to worship of different forms of Goddess Durga. With the onset of Navratris, the festival of nights, for nine days fast and feast take preference over the routine life. Evenings of Durga Puja are celebrated with aratis and colorful traditional dances like Garba.

Dussehra

Dussehra, वजयादशमीया आयधु -पजू ा – another festival which celebrates the conquest of victory over evil. On the culmination of Navratris, on its 10 th day, Dussehra is celebrated to honor thernconquering of King Ravana by Lord Ram. Ramlilas are enacted to depict the life stages of Ramarnculminated by burning of effigies of Ravana (“Ravan Dahan” ) on the day of Dushhera. It alsornsignals the end of summer season and commencement of the winter season.

Ganesha Chaturthi

Another important festival of India is Ganesh Chaturthi - 'वनायकचतथु which is celebrated as a tribute to elephant-headed Lord Ganpati. This is an example of a secular festival binding the ocial fabric of India. It is also celebrated for 10 days wherein idols built in clay are purchased and installed in houses and in aesthetically constructed podiums. On the 11rnth day, in a procession through the streets, the idols are immersed accompanied by singing, dancing, andrnfeasting. To experience the beats of ीगणेश उसव,rna visit to Mumbai is a must.

Krishna Janmashtami

On the eighth day of a lunar fortnight in August-September, ीकृणजमाटमी,is celebrated.rnThis marks the birth of Lord Krishna and Mathura and Vrindavan are two places where the celebrations can be felt and seen in the true sense. As per rituals practiced, people fast the whole day, sing bhajans, visit temples pray and dance which peaks at midnight. In Mumbai, people celebrate with Dahi Handi by building a human pyramid and breaking open clay potsrnfilled with curd or coconut water

GuruParab - गुपवयापुपरब

It is to mark the celebration of anniversaries of the ten Sikh Gurus. Sikhs start celebrating joyous occasion 3 weeks before the date of Guru Parab by taking out religious processions and chanting peaceful hymns. This is considered to be the most important festival for Sikhs which they welcome by lighting up their homes with candles, organizing langars and assembling forrnteachings of gurus

Baisakhi

Another festival which holds importance in the region of Punjab and surrounding areas is Baisakhi - बसै ाख ी. It is a means to celebrate harvest festival, the new year of Sikh and initiation of Khalsa Panth.

Ramadan / Eid-ul-fitr

Eid is a festival observed to mark the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Ramadan is celebrated by Muslim fraternity to mark the occasion when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. This is Islamic month when Muslims observe fasting and abstain from drinking, smoking and eating with the objective to pay tribute to Allah by observing patience, humility, and spirituality. On Eid, when Ramadan culminates, people exchange gifts, organize feasts and come out in their best.

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated in many parts of India with joy and excitement amongst all communities. It marks the birth of Lord Jesus Christ and celebrated with decorations, special masses in churches and of course exchange of gifts