The Festivals

India is a country of festivals and fairs. Virtually celebrating each day of the year, more festivals are celebrated in India than anywhere else in the world. Each festival is related to different occasions, some people welcome the season of the year, harvest, rain or full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, birthdays of celestial beings and saints, or the arrival of the New Year. The number of these festivals is common in most parts of India. However, they can be called by different names in different parts of the country or celebrated differently. Some of the festivals celebrated all over India are mentioned below. However, this section is still subject to increase. Many other important festivals are celebrated by various communities in India and this section will be further enriched with information about them.

Janmashtami

In the festival of Janmashtami, Lord Vishnu is invited in his human incarnation as Krishna on his birth anniversary. In India, this Hindu festival is celebrated with great reverence on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Shravan (July-August). According to Hindu mythology, Krishna was born to destroy the demon king Kamsa of Mathura, who was the brother of his divine mother Devaki.

Men and women fast and pray on the occasion of Janmashtami. The temples and houses are beautifully decorated and decorated. The temples of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh witness an extraordinary and colorful celebration on this occasion. The presentation is made to recreate events from Raslila Krishna’s life and to celebrate her love for Radha. This festival is also known as Krishnaswamy or Gokulswamy.

The image of Shishu Krishna is bathed at midnight and placed in the cradle. Devotional songs and dances throughout North India symbolize the celebration of this festival.

In Maharashtra, Janmashtami observes Krishna’s childhood efforts to steal butter and yogurt from pottery beyond his reach. The matka or matka hangs high above the ground and groups of young men and children form human pyramids to reach the pot and eventually break it.

Christmas

The word Christmas is derived from Christy Massey or ‘Christ’s Mass’. The first Christmas is estimated to be about 336 A.D. in Rome. is. is. It is celebrated worldwide on 25 December, in commemoration of the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ. It is considered to be the most important of all Christian festivals. It is a public holiday in India and most other countries.

There is a widely accepted Christian narrative of the New Testament concerning the birth of Christ. In the story, God sent the angel Gabriel to a girl named Mary, who was a virgin. Gabriel tells Mary that she will give birth to a son of God and the child will be named Jesus. He will grow up to be a king, and his kingdom will have no boundaries.

Angel Gabriel also goes to meet Joseph and tells him that Mary will give birth to a child and advises him to take good care of her, not to sacrifice her. That night when Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to register their names. They took refuge in a stable where Mary gave birth to Jesus at midnight and placed him in a manger. Thus, Jesus, the son of God, was born.

The Christmas celebration begins with the Midnight Mass, which is considered an essential part of the celebrations, followed by the wedding. Children in brightly colored dresses, accompanied by an orchestra of drums and cymbals, perform group dances using gay-colored sticks.

St. Benedict, aka Santa Claus, is a splendid chubby old figure, dressed in red and white attire, riding a reindeer and an important part of the celebration, especially for children. He loves children and receives chocolates, gifts and other desired gifts for them, which he keeps in his stockings at night.

People sing carols in the glory of the Lord during Christmas. They go from house to house conveying the message of love and brotherhood.

The Christmas tree is popular worldwide for its grandeur. People decorate their houses with trees and hang millets in every corner. After church, people join in friendly visits and banquets and spread a message of peace and goodwill by greetings and the exchange of gifts.

In India, especially in Goa, there are some popular churches, where Christmas is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. Most of these churches were established during Portuguese and British rule in India.

Some of the major churches in India include St. Joseph’s Cathedral and Medak Church in Andhra Pradesh; St. Cathedral, The Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa; St. John’s Church in Wilderness and Christ’s Church in Himachal Pradesh; Santa Cruz Basilica Church and St. Francis Church in Kerala; Holy Christ Church and Mount Mary Church in Maharashtra; Christ the King Church and Velankanni Church in Tamil Nadu; and All Saints Cathedral and Kanpur Memorial Church in Uttar Pradesh.

Rakshabandhan

Celebrated on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Sravana (July / August), this festival celebrates the love of a brother for his sister. On this day, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers to protect them against evil influences, and pray for their long life and happiness. They in turn, give a gift which is a promise that they will protect their sisters from any harm. Within these Rakhis reside sacred feelings and well wishes. This festival is mostly celebrated in North India.

The history of Rakshabandhan dates back to Hindu mythology. As per Hindu mythology, in Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas had torn the corner of her sari to prevent Lord Krishna’s wrist from bleeding (he had inadvertently hurt himself). Thus, a bond, that of brother and sister developed between them, and he promised to protect her.

It is also a great sacred verse of unity, acting as a symbol of life’s advancement and a leading messenger of togetherness. Raksha means protection, and in some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tie Rakhi on the wrist of men, regarding them as brothers. In this way, Rakhi strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, and revives the emotional bonding. Brahmins change their sacred thread (janoi) on this day, and dedicate themselves once again to the study of the scriptures.

Deepawali

Deepawali or Diwali, is a festival of lights symbolizing the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. The word ‘Deepawali’ literally means rows of diyas (clay lamps). This is one of the most popular festivals in the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (October / November). This festival commemorates Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile.

The most beautiful of all Indian festivals, Diwali is a celebration of lights. Streets are illuminated with rows of clay lamps and homes are decorated with colors and candles. This festival is celebrated with new clothes, spectacular firecrackers and a variety of sweets in the company of family and friends. All this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, signify the victory of divine forces over those of wicked.

The Goddess Lakshmi (consort of Vishnu), who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day. In West Bengal, this festival is celebrated as Kali Puja, and Kali, Shiva’s consort, is worshipped on the occasion of Diwali.

In the South, Deepawali festival often commemorates the conquering of the Asura Naraka, a powerful king of Assam, who imprisoned thousands of residents. It was Krishna who was finally able to subdue Naraka and free the prisoners. To commemorate this event, people in Peninsular India wake before sunrise and make imitation blood by mixing kumkum or vermillion with oil. After crushing underfoot a bitter fruit as a symbol of the demon, they apply the ‘blood’ triumphantly on their foreheads. They then have ritual oil baths, anointing themselves with sandalwood paste. Visits to temples for prayers are followed by large family breakfasts of fruits and a variety of sweets.

Another story of king Bali is attached to the Diwali festival in South India. According to the Hindu mythology, King Bali was a benevolent demon king. He was so powerful that he became a threat to the power of celestial deities and his kingdoms. And Lord Vishnu came as the dwarf mendicant Vamana, to dilute Bali’s power. Vamana shrewdly asked the king for land that would cover three steps as he walked. The king happily granted this gift. Having tricked Bali, Vishnu revealed himself in the full glory of his godhood. He covered the heaven in his first step and the earth in his second. Realizing that he was pitted against the mighty Vishnu, Bali surrendered and offered his own head, inviting Vishnu to step on it. Vishnu pushed him into the nether world with his foot. In return Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge to light up the dark underworld. He also gave him a blessing that he would return to his people once a year to light millions of lamps from this one lamp so that on the dark new moon light of Diwali, the blinding darkness of ignorance, greed, jealousy, lust, anger, ego, and laziness would be dispelled and the radiance of knowledge, wisdom and friendship would prevail. Each year on Diwali day, even today, one lamp lights another and like a flame burning steadily on a windless night, brings a message of peace and harmony to the world.

Id-ul-zuha

Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id), is a festival of great rejoice, special prayers and exchange of greetings and gifts mark this festival of Muslims. Id-ul-zuha, the festival of sacrifice is celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety in India and the world. It is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or ‘bakr’ in Urdu. The word ‘id’ derived from the Arabic ‘iwd’ means ‘festival’ and zuha comes from ‘uzhaiyya’ which translates to ‘sacrifice’.

According to Islamic belief, to test Ibrahim, Allah commanded him to sacrifice his son Ismail. He agreed to do it but found his paternal feelings hard to suppress. So he blindfolded himself before putting Ismail on the altar at the mount of Mina near Mecca. When he removed his bandage after performing the act, he saw his son standing in front of him, alive. On the altar lay a slaughtered lamb. Joyous festivities and somber rituals mark this event. Every Muslim owning property worth 400 grams of gold or more is expected to sacrifice a goat, sheep or any other four-legged animal during one of the three days of the festival. This symbolises devotion to Allah and his desires. The sacrificial meat is then distributed and partaken of after the Id prayers.

The festival also marks the completion of Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia).

Ramnavami

Ramnavami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama, the son of king Dashrath. He is known as ‘Maryada Purusottama’ and is the emblem of righteousness. The festival commemorates the birth of Rama on the ninth day after the new moon in Sukul Paksh (the waxing moon), which falls sometime in the month of April.

Lord Rama is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign. He is considered to be an avatar or reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who came down to earth to battle the invincible Ravana (demon king) in human form. Ramrajya (the reign of Rama) has become synonymous with a period of peace and prosperity.

On the Ramnavami day, devotees crowd the temples and sing devotional bhajans in praise of Rama and rock images of him in cradles to celebrate his birth. There are recitations of Tulsi Ramayan, the epic, which recounts the story of this great king.

Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama is the focus of great celebrations of Ramanavami festival. Rathayatras or the chariot processions of Rama, his wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman, are taken out from many temples.

Ramnavami is commemorated in Hindu homes by puja (prayer). The items necessary for the puja are roli, aipun, rice, water, flowers, a bell and a conch. After that, the youngest female member of the family applies teeka to all the members of the family. Everyone participates in the puja by first sprinkling the water, roli, and aipun on the Gods, and then showering handfuls of rice on the deities. Then everybody stands up to perform the aarti, at the end of which ganga jal or plain water is sprinkled over the gathering. The singing of bhajans goes on for the entire puja. Finally, the prasad is distributed among all the people who have gathered for worship.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak Jayanti, the foremost of all the Gurupurabs or anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus, is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, who ushered in a new wave in religion. The first of the 10 Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak was born in 1469 at Talwandi, near Lahore. The disinclination to accept the practice of several religions in society, professing different deities drove the much-traveled leader to break free from the shackles of religious diversity, and establish a religion based on a single God who is the eternal truth. The festive event of Guru Nanak Jayanti includes the three-day Akhand Path, during which the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs is read out from the beginning to the end without a break. On the day of the main event, the Granth Sahib is ornamented with flowers, and carried on a float in a proper procession throughout a village or city.

The procession is headed by five armed guards, representatives of the ‘Panj Pyaras,’ who carry the Nishan Sahibs or the Sikh flag epitomising their faith. Religious hymns from the Granth Sahib are sung throughout the procession, marking a special feature of the event. The procession finally leads to a Gurudwara, where the gathered devotees get together for a community lunch, which is called Langar.