Introduction:
India is a nation of festivals and fairs. With a multiplicity of language and religion, a number of different festivals are celebrated all over India throughout the year.
The festivals in India are based on religion, seasons and some are also of national importance.
No matter what the festival is, the Indian people celebrate each one with a great enthusiasm and vigour.
Religious Festivals:
The religious festivals of India are Dussehra, Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Gurunanak Jayanti, Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Mahavir Jayanti etc. Though these festivals belong to different religions yet they are celebrated by the people all over India. They are celebrated on a grand scale and lakhs of rupees are spent in making the arrangements. Dussehra celebrations in West Bengal and Odisha are famous in the country. Similarly, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations of Maharashtra are one of the biggest in the country.
Seasonal Festivals:
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The seasonal festivals in India are Holi, Basant Panchami, Bihu, Pongal, Baisakhi etc. Holi is the festival of colours. It is celebrated by smearing the faces of relatives and friends with colour. Holi marks the beginning of the summer days and the end of the chilly winters. In the states of Punjab and Haryana, the festival of Baisakhi is celebrated to mark the harvesting time of the Rabi crop.
Similarly, in South India, Pongal is celebrated around the same time. The Basant Panchami marks the advent of the spring season in the country with flowers, fragrance and pleasant breeze. People celebrate this festival with great excitement and fun.
National Festivals:
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The festivals of Independence Day, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti etc are the national festivals of the country. They are celebrated by the people of all the communities in India. The Independence Day, which is celebrated on the 15th August of every year, reminds us of the soldiers who laid their lives in the service of the country against the Britishers. Our long-cherished freedom was given to us on that historic day.
The Republic Day is the day on which India became a republic. We now are a sovereign secular democratic republic with a Constitution of our own. The parade from Vijay Chowk to Red Fort is an important ceremony of the Republic Day. Gandhi Jayanti marks the birth of the Father of our nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It falls on the 2nd of October and the whole nation pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who laid down his life in the fight for India’s freedom struggle.
Conclusion:
The festivals of India make the lives of the Indian citizens enthusiastic and colourful. They bring the people of India together and unite them. The communal hatred existing in the country is forgotten during the festivities and a spirit of oneness unites the people. People visit the houses of their relatives with sweets and forget any ill-feeling which existed. Thus, the festivals in India are very important for the people of the country and their celebration is essential to keep the spirits of harmony and goodwill amongst the citizens of the country.