Indian culture goes back several thousand years, and its customs have remained almost unchanged over the centuries. Celebration is a big part of Indian life, and consequently, the nation’s calendar is filled with a host of festivals. Let’s look at five well-known and popular festivals, namely Holi, Diwali, Mahashivratri, Dussehra and Ganesh Chaturthi in India.
Holi
Holi is the festival of colors. Friends, family and even strangers come together to splash each other with powdered colors or soak everyone with spray guns. The revelry is a celebration of the coming of spring time around February or March. The festival begins with the Holika bonfire at midnight. Music, singing and dance carry on through the entire day as the carnival of color is unleashed. The merriment is topped off with some bhang, a drink made from cannabis leaves.
Diwali
Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrated around October. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, embodied in the tradition of lighting up houses with hundreds of oil lamps, usually made of clay. Diwali in the last few decades has also become synonymous with firecrackers, as both children and adults revel in bursting patakhe or fireworks.
Mahashivratri
Mahashivratri is one of the most significant festivals in India’s spiritual tradition. Dedicated to Shiva, one of the trinity of Hindu gods, the festival is celebrated around February and March. Staying awake the whole night with an erect spine is said to bring great spiritual benefits.
The chanting of Om Namah Shivaya, a mantra sacred to Shiva, is considered to be of great importance on Mahashivratri, as is the reading of the Shiva Purana, the scripture that enumerates Shiva’s qualities.
Dussehra
Dussehra is a ten-day festival in honor of the goddess Durga in her various forms. Dussehra is usually celebrated in two phases in October. The first nine days are called Navratri or “nine nights”, during which the goddess is worshiped in many different aspects. Classical dance and music performances are popular at this time, as is the Dandiya, a folk dance performed by young men and women. Vijayadashami, the tenth day of Dussehra is the day of victory, and is celebrated as the day Durga overcame her enemies.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvathi. Celebrated around August or September, the festival’s highlight is the many idols of Ganesh that are prepared for the duration of the festival, only to be finally immersed in the sea or a nearby lake. Some of the effigies sponsored by various communities can be huge, reaching 50 feet in height. Domestic celebrations include the preparation of sweets and several special dishes, and the chanting of mantras sacred to Ganesha.
Visiting India during its festivals can be a great way to absorb and appreciate the culture. Tour prices and packages won’t be cheap at these times of the year though, so plan well and book early.
