INDIAN festivals form a rich part of the heritage of the country.
Being a vast and diverse nation, the festivals of India vary not only from state to state, but between community to community as well.
Diwali is a five-day-long festival that symbolises the victory of light over darkness. Diyas are lit and placed in rows along temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams. Homes are decorated, and floors are covered with rangoli, which are elaborate designs made of coloured rice powder, sand, or flower petals. Diwali is generally a time for visiting family and friends, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off fireworks.
Holi is another major festival, second only to Diwali, marking the celebration of the victory of good over evil. On this day, people play with colours, water and flowers, smearing each other with gulal (coloured powder) and seeking the blessings of their elders. People also visit their friends and relatives and relish Holi delicacies like gujiya, thandai.
Onam is the biggest festival of the Indian state of Kerala. People celebrate the 10-day event with much enthusiasm by taking early morning baths, deep-cleaning their homes, decorating them with flowers and lights, making pookalam (a floral pattern) outside, and eating Onasadhya – a large feast served on banana leaves. Women wear white and gold sarees and everyone enjoys different activities and games to mark the occasion.
Bihu, the national festival of Assam, is actually a set of three festivals – Rongali celebrated in April, Kongali in October and Bhogali in January. Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three commemorating the Assamese New Year and spring festival. Bhogali Bihu is the festival of food, marking the end of the harvest season and Kongali Bihu, unlike the other Bihus, is sombre, and usually involves lighting an earthen lamp in front of the Tulsi plant and prayers offered for the wellbeing of the family and a good harvest.
Ujjain Kumbh Mela in the Ujjain District of Madhya Pradesh takes place every 12 years, on the banks of holy river of Shipra. During this most auspicious period, devotees bathe on the banks of the river, at the Ram Ghat, Narsingha Ghat, and various other ghats.
The festival commemorates the victory of good over evil. Devotees believe a dip in the holy Shipra River will wash away all their sins and bring an end to the cycle of rebirth. Other than the ritual bathing, devotees take part in singing and debates about mythology. The next Kumbh Mela will take place at Ujjain in 2028, between the month of April and May.
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