June 2023
Top 10 Festivals of India 2023
1. Diwali
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is India's biggest and most-anticipated holiday. It is also known as the Festival of Lights. It is a Hindu holiday that marks the triumph of light over darkness with fireworks, clay lamps called diyas, and string lights.
Most of the time, Diwali takes place at the end of October or the start of November. During the five days of the festival, the whole country is decorated with lit clay lamps and shiny ornaments. During this holiday, families get together, eat fancy meals, and give each other gifts.
Diwali is enjoyed all over India, but Delhi, Jaipur, and Kolkata are some of the most beautiful places to visit during the holiday.
2. Holi
Holi is a Hindu holiday that takes place every year in March. It celebrates the fact that good won over evil. People often call it the Festival of Colours because of the fun and colourful powder fights that happen all over the country during the events.
The story of Holi starts with the demon Holika, whom the hero Prahlada beat with the help of Lord Vishnu. On the night of the full moon in March, a Holika figure is burned in a symbolic way to mark the end of the demon. People celebrate the next day with colour fights, laughter, dancing, singing, and parades.
Holi is one of the most popular Indian celebrations among tourists, who are often drawn to it by the joy it spreads and the chance to take great photos.
3. The day of Ganesh
Ganesh is a Hindu god with the head of an elephant. His followers worship him because he can help them get rid of problems. Ganesh is respected all over India, but the city of Mumbai has a special love for him and has a big party every year in his honour.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day celebration that honours Ganesh's birth. During the festival, large, hand-made sculptures of Ganesh are put on show in pandals and temples all over Mumbai. Each part of the city tries to make the best and most beautiful Ganesh sculpture.
During the holiday, prayers and religious ceremonies are done for each sculpture until the last day, when they are all taken to the sea and submerged. Putting the figures in the ocean is a way to show that Lord Ganesh is leaving Earth and going back to the sky.
4. Durga Puja, Navaratri, Dussehra
The biggest holiday in Kolkata and West Bengal is Durga Puja. The goddess Durga beat the cow demon Mahishasura, and this five-day festival remembers that.
During the festival, big sculptures of the goddess Durga with her ten arms are made and put in temples or pandals all over the city. Similar to Ganesh Chaturthi, each neighbourhood in Kolkata tries to make the most beautiful pandal with the biggest and most impressive statue of Durga.
One of the best things about this event is going to all of the pandals all over the city. Each pandal is built around a different theme, like "Egypt" or "The Environment."
5. Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is a holiday that is enjoyed all over the world, but it is especially important in India because there are so many Muslims there. Islam has made a big difference in Indian culture, especially in North India, which has a long history of Islamic masters, like the Mughals, who built beautiful buildings like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort.
Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, comes to an end on Eid, a day of joy. Eid is a holiday that marks the end of the fast, so it is marked with big meals and delicious street food.
During Eid, you can walk through Delhi's Chandni Chowk market and see families leaving the Jama Masjid after morning prayers. The streets are full of sizzling kebabs and sweet pastries.
6. Onam
Onam is a harvest festival in Kerala that lasts for four days. This festival celebrates the return of the famous King Mahabali and shows off Kerala's culture and history.
Onam is a cultural holiday in Kerala. There are traditional dances, sports competitions, boat races, and Kathakali shows, among other things. Each family also makes a pookalam, a design made of flower petals and rice that is put at the front of houses and buildings.
When people go to Kerala for Onam, they can see the happy celebrations or eat at the Onam Sadhya, a big holiday meal where dishes are served on banana leaves.
7. Pongal
Pongal is a four-day festival in Tamil Nadu that marks the end of the second harvest season with family gatherings and lots of food. Pongal is also the day when the sun moves into the Northern Hemisphere and warmer weather starts.
During the holiday, farmers gather the rice, sugarcane, and turmeric they have been growing all year. They also clean their houses and give gifts to the Sun God to bring them happiness and success.
The cows and birds are honoured on the third and fourth days of the event. On the fourth day, cows are paraded through the towns while wearing garlands of marigolds and corn stalks. On the fifth day, food is left out for the birds as a way of saying "thank you" for helping with the harvest.
Visitors to Tamil Nadu during Pongal can also watch races for cattle, watch traditional dances, and eat a special dish called Venpongal.
8. Pushkar Camel Fair
Seeing the Pushkar Camel Fair is a great way to learn about Rajasthan's colourful desert culture.
In the Thar Desert, there is a small town called Pushkar. Once a year, thousands of camels and their owners meet there for a huge fair. The Pushkar Fair started out as a place to trade animals, but recently Rajasthan Tourism has made it a place to show off Rajasthani culture.
The event is full of interesting things to do, like camel races and beauty contests for camels. There are also street performances by snake charmers, musicians, and folk dancers. You can also watch the events for Best Moustache and Best Turban Tying.
People can have a good time at the fair, which can get pretty busy. If you'd rather avoid the people, a hot air balloon might give you a better view of the party.
9. Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan, which is also called Rakhi, is a traditional holiday that honours the bond between brothers and sisters. In Sanskrit, Raksha Bandhan means "tying a knot of protection." The name comes from the main ceremony of the holiday, in which a sister ties a band on her brother's wrist to wish him health and happiness.
Rakhis are bracelets that people wear during the holiday. They are made of colourful threads that are woven together and decorated with beads and stones.
When a sister ties the rakhi around her brother's wrist, he gives her sweets and gifts. The sister also prays for her brother's health and puts a red mark on his forehead called a tilak.
Raksha Bandhan is now celebrated not only by brothers and sisters, but also by friends, cousins, and anyone else who is like a brother or sister.
10. Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is an important day in Hinduism. It happens when the sun moves into the Northern Hemisphere, which means it will get warmer again. India celebrates this holiday in many different ways. Pongal is the name for this holiday in Tamil Nadu.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated in a special way in North India. Many Hindus go outside to pray to the sun god and take a bath in holy rivers like the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the Godavari to enjoy the sun's return.
North India also has big kite events on Makar Sankranti. The Jaipur Kite Festival is the best known of these. One of the most popular events in Rajasthan is the Jaipur Kite Festival.
At the event, there are kite competitions where people try to cut their opponents' kite strings. The last person to fly a kite gets a prize. The city of Jaipur also has a safe place for people to fly kites if they don't want their strings cut.