Story of the Way of Life in India

“Festivals are a time to play the songs people know and are looking forward to hearing.”

India is a land of many cultures and together, there used to be a festival everyday – yes, 365 days of the year. From changing seasons, ploughing, to harvesting, birth & even death, we celebrated every aspect of life. Every day of our lives became part of a celebration.

All in all, festivals became an opportunity to rekindle life and enthusiasm in the varied communities. All the cultures came together as one in a state of complete surrender and celebration.

Once Siddhartha Katragadda wrote, “The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals,” and India, as a whole holds such diverse cultures that festivals become a tool to see through the wide spectrum of religions, occupations, and faiths.

We believe that first-hand experiences are the only key through which you can truly engage yourself in any festival in India, and get more in tune with the Indian way of life. But just to give you a heads up on how celebratory life becomes when it comes to festivals in India, we have made a list for you of all the major festivals in India, why they are celebrated – every festival carries a little story that differs from region to region and where to go if you want to get the best of our age-old traditions, and when?

Let’s take a look at some of the major Indian festivals

Holi

“Of the myriad of colours & vibrancy”

Remember the pictures with bright flashes of colours, the taste of nibbling on gujias (sweet fried snack filled with coconut, semolina and dried fruits) & bhang? That is just one part of the customary traditions of this vibrant festival of India.

Every part of India’s Holi celebratory custom is unique and believe us that you need to experience it first-hand. While there is a world-renowned week-long celebration at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, there is also the two-day celebrations of Lath mar Holi in Barsana that is one of the most unique and extreme ways people have been celebrating Holi.

Barsana is the hometown of Krishna’s lover Radha and people and continuing the traditions, men from Krishna’s village, Nandgaon travel to Barsana to tease the women. The women chase men and hitting them with sticks, hence the name. At Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, a 3 day long annual fair is held where members of the Khalsa demonstrate martial skills in simulated battles – Gatka (mock encounters with real weapons), tent pegging, bareback horse-riding, standing erect on two speeding horses and followed by kirtan, music and poetry competitions.

Jaipur hosts Elephant festival that elaborately parades decorated elephants, camels, horses, and folk dancing through the streets. And, the list continues

When: March

Where: Mathura & Vrindavan; Barsana in Uttar Pradesh; Holla Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab; Shantiniketan, West Bengal; Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Story-time: The origins of the festival vary from North to South; East to West. The legend says that Holi, in the South is celebrated as a depiction of the fate of the God of Love and Lust – Kama Deva. Once he aimed an arrow at his wife Rati that ended up hitting Lord Shiva instead. Burning with rage, Lord Shiva opened his third eye and burnt him to ashes. Thereafter feeling guilty of making Rati a widow, Shiva grants here the ability to see her husband but not ever again in flesh.

While in the North, according to the legend, there was a King who ordered every man on this earth to worship him as God. Everyone abided but his son. The son was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. One day, the King’s sister Holika, believed to be fireproof, takes the son onto her lap and set herself ablaze. However, when she did that, she burnt to death on the spot and the prince was saved. A day before Holi, effigies of Holika are burnt as a mark of celebration of devotion over wickedness.

Dev Deepawali

“When the gods gather to celebrate”

Everyone knows Diwali, the festival of lights is one of the major festivals celebrated in India. But Dev Deepavali is when the Gods visit Varanasi to celebrate Diwali, after 15 days. And, this marks the 5-day long affair called ‘The Ganga Mahotsav’, that spreads out on the 87 ghats – the flickering of Diyas over a radius of 7 km make for an otherworldly spectacle. Not only this, but Varanasi’s culture comes alive with music, dance and theatre along with the only chance to savour the delicacies of Banaras, all at a single place.  This is the only place in India where Diwali is celebrated thrice in a year & people from all corners of the world wait patiently for this festival.

Every part of India’s Holi celebratory custom is unique and believe us that you need to experience it first-hand. While there is a world-renowned week-long celebration at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, there is also the two-day celebrations of Lath mar Holi in Barsana that is one of the most unique and extreme ways people have been celebrating Holi.

When: The 15th lunar day of Kartik; November-December

Where: Varanasi

Story-time: Like any other festival in India, every corner has its own version. While people from the North celebrate Diwali to celebrate Lord Rama coming back to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana; in the South, people celebrate the victory of Lord Krishna over Narakasura.

For Dev Deepavali in Varanasi, legend says that this is the day when Lord Shiva, the creator defeated the Tripurasuras. It is believed that the Gods descend from heaven and light Diyas to celebrate the victory on the banks of Ganges in Shiv’s town Kashi.

Ganesh Chaturthi

“Of grand pandals, dandiya and Modak”

Lord Ganesh is a popular deity and most common in Hinduism, even in Jainism and Buddhism. Not only in India, but the elephant-headed God is also worshipped in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal and China. Ganesh Chaturthi marks the 11-day long celebration of the birthday of Lord Ganesha, who is believed to be an avatar of both Shiva and Vishnu.

Maharashtra is known for its grand celebration of the festival – from colourful pandals, Ganpati Visarjan (immersing of the idols in the river) to preparing Modaks that is a sweet dish prepared using rice or flour stuffed with grated jaggery, coconuts and dry fruits, everything is done with great pomp and show and worth a spectacle of this extravagant ceremonial processions.

When: Usually in September

Where: Mumbai & Pune, Maharashtra; Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Story-time: The birth of Ganesha is divided into two different stories. One legend says that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of dirt off her body. While Ganesh was guarding Parvati. Unaware of this fact, Shiva tries to enter the doors but Ganesha stopped him from entering. Angry Shiva severs his head off. The gods then went North in search of a head only the head of an elephant that was facing North. Shiva fixed the elephant’s head on the child and brought him back to life.

The other legend has it that Ganesha was created by Shiva and Parvati on request of the Devas, to be a vighnakartaa (obstacle-creator).

Kali Puja

“The Festival of Spirit, Power & Bengali Craftsmanship”

When it comes to Durga Puja, nothing can be compared to the celebrations in Kolkata. A five-day humungous celebration of themed pandals, traditional Pujas, food, and creativity,  and no pictures or texts can ever replace the first-hand experience of the festivities.

When: September / October (as per the Hindu Calender)

Where: Kolkata

Story-time: Traditionally, Kolkata still has some 200 odd family households that have been celebrating Kali Puja for centuries. They are far removed from the glitz and glamour of the neighbourhood festivals. The families still have preserved the traditional style of worship  in the dedicated areas of the households. A courtyard with raised platforms, is decorated with pillars and arches; old chandeliers.

Onam

“Harvesting Festival of Kerala”

For if you want to experience Onam in its full glory, visit Vamanamoorthy Temple in Thrikkakara, located around 15 kilometres northeast of Ernakulam near Kochi. It is believed that the festival originated in this temple and it is here that the King Mahabali visits Kerala every year.

The regular Onam celebrations witness street parade with decorated elephants and floats, musicians, and various traditional Kerala art forms. You can expect a lot of cooking and be a part of the joyous grand feast called Onasadya at the temple itself.

When: At the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham)

Where: Kohi, Thrissur, Trivandrum, Kottayam in Kerala.

Story-time: The legend goes that the state of Kerala was once ruled by a demon king called Mahabali who was greatly respected and considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. It is said that Kerala flourished and prospered during his era and people celebrate Onam to mark the golden era during the reign of King Mahabali.

Vaisakhi

“The day we realised the power of five”

“The day that transformed us to see all as equal”

Also, known as Basant Panchami, is the ancient festival of harvesting of Rabi crops in North India particularly in Punjab; it is also the Sikh’s New Year and founding date of Khalsa Panth.

When: April 13

Where: Punjab

Story-time: In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, Guru of the Sikhs, hosted his followers at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur and thousands of people had assembled to seek their Guru’s blessings. To their surprise, Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword and evoked courage in the crowd through his powerful words, “Every great deed was preceded by a great sacrifice”.
Five young men were called upon who were prepared to sacrifice their lives. One by one, the men entered the tent and every time, the Guru came out with blood -laden sword. People thought that the 5 young men were sacrificed, but later they all came out wearing turbans and saffron-colored garments. These five men were called Panj Piara or ‘Beloved Five’ by the Guru. This tradition is continued till date and an important part of the celebration of Vaisakhi.

Rath Yatra

“The oldest festival of India at Jagannath Temple”

Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in the country – particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand, and parts of Eastern India – as a part of worship of Lord Krishna ( Lord of the Worlds) with his siblings, his elder brother Balabhadra and his younger sister Subhadra, accompanied by the Sudarshana Chakra. The nine-day long ceremony is a part of the symbolic journey of Krishna back to his childhood.

The Jagannath’s chariot, Nandighosha, yellow in color is 45 ft high and has 16 wheels, each one seven feet in diameter. There are about 4,200 devotees that draw the chariot. You can estimate the grand size of the chariot. Balabhadra’s chariot is called Taladhvaja, which is blue in color and has 14 wheels. Subhadra’s chariot is the smallest, with 12 wheels called Deviratha.

Relish the temple food, also called the Mahaprasad or Abhada, cooked in the largest pressure cooker in the world. Savor the food on a banana leaf sitting on the floor. The meal consists of khichdi, dal, vegetables, and chhena-poda pitha (baked rasgulla) and Nolen-gud kheer (date-palm jaggery porridge).

When: July (dates may vary)

Where: Puri, Odisha

Story-time: The legend says that when the images of Lord Jagannath were being carved, the artisans specifically told the King not to open the doors. But the impatient king did open the door, Thus, the idol was left incomplete. Hence the images of the deities are always made of wood and cloth and resin. The images idols created for the festival are decorated with over 208 kg gold to complete their remaining limbs. Also, a popular legend states that Lord Jagannath, the incarnation of Vishnu once expressed his desire to visit his birthplace–Gundicha Ghat. Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana represent the four arms of Vishnu and therefore, each deity has its own massive chariot, which are replicas of the temple.

Hemis Festival

“Of dancing Lamas & Magic of Leh”

A spectacular celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. One can see the lamas dress up in burgundy and mustard yellow attires retelling the old ancient stories and folklore through dancing. From the old and young, everyone partakes. The real showstoppers are the masked performers, called The Chams, who wear horns, multicolored ribbons and brocade clothes dancing to the tunes of old musical instruments. In ancient Buddhist mythology, they were area part of the Tantric tradition.

During Hemis Festival, one can have a look at the fabulous Ladakhi handicrafts and indigenous goods that are marvelous pieces of work. From hand-woven rugs, wall hangings to shawls in bright colors; pottery, woodcraft, wicker baskets, woolens, bags, and trinkets, there is everything on display during the time of the festival. You can buy them too.

When: July (dates may vary)

Where: Hemis Monastery, Leh

Story-time: It is believed that Lord Padmasambhava (Gur Rimpoche) was a reincarnation of Buddha, born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year.

Eid

“A culinary feast”

A festival that teaches patience, spirituality, humility, and submissiveness to God. During this month-long fasting period as a tribute to Allah (God) – evenings are filled with feast and festivities. From Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal to Hyderabad, each city becomes a host to some of the major celebratory recipes and culinary delight. Some of the must-try dishes in India are Dahi vadey (Lentil dumplings soaked in a spicy yoghurt sauce), Haleem (a slow-cooked stew of meat, bulgur wheat, and lentils and Chicken 65 ( that is a spicy, bite-sized piece of chicken that are marinated and deep-fried.

So, whether you are religious or not, the holy month of Ramadan is one of the best time to visit India to enhance your experience and understanding of Islamic faith through celebrations and food.</p.

When: On sighting of the new moon on the ninth month of the year

Where: Jama Masjid, Delhi; Bara Imambara, Lucknow;  Char Minar, Hyderabad; Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer; Haji Ali, Mumbai.

Story-time: It is believed in Islam that it is during these days of Ramadan that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.