India is called as the land of "Unity and Diversity" because of the numerous festivals depending on the regions,varying from religion to religion,creed, caste and states. It is a nation where the citizens are from different religions namely Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam,Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and many more. For all the occasions,from small or big there's festivals which is celebrated with joy, pomp and grandeur. People wait for certain festivals throughout the year and when it comes they buy beautiful clothes, decorate their homes, exchange gifts with family members, friends and neighbors.
These are festivals like Christmas, Diwali, Id, Holi and Durga Puja, celebrated all over the country by people from all walks of life. In India people are very much rooted to their religions and misunderstanding do often takes place in the name of religion but then when it comes to celebrating festivals they forget all their differences and celebrate the different festivals with love and peace. Then comes Pongal and Onam the major festivals in the Southern part of the country. In the North- Eastern part of the country lives the tribal people and so there are many festivals, be it the harvesting or New Year celebrated in a different and unique way depending on each tribes. Here the traditional dances performed by men and women wearing colorful ornaments and attire and also showcase rich varieties of food items. Lohri is the festival celebrated in Punjab.And there is Ganesh Chaturthi which is considered as a biggest festival in the state of Maharashtra (especially in places like Mumbai and Pune), this festival is celebrated in dedication to Lord Ganesh, the elephant headed God. Gurupurab is the birth anniversary of Guru nanak ( the founder of Sikhism religion), it is one of the most important festivals of Sikhs. Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna which is celebrated all over India, especially in North India and Gujarat. Maha Shivratri is the festival dedicated to Lord Shiva where the devotees keep fast for a certain period of time (or days). Good friday and Easter sunday are observed by the Christians in honor of the death and rising again of Jesus Christ. And Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in honor of the brothers which is to remind them that they are here to protect them, Independence day and Republic day are also worth mentioning.
There are thousands of festivals in India or many i should say ten of thousands and the simple reason behind this is that the ancestors of the Indians living in the country today migrated from different parts of the world and form one nation i.e INDIA. It might have happened thousands or millions of years back but then history is the backbone of our existence and so it is always re-told. In Hindu religion alone it is said that there are more than a million Gods and Goddesses and so we can all imagine from where these numerous festivals comes. people be it rich or poor, old or young do spend so much on these festivals to make it a grand celebrations (some have to save for months and months to celebrate their favourite festivals). Tourist from all over comes to witness and take part in the Indian festivals. No matter what but at the end of the day every Indians love their festivals in whatever way it is celebrated.
The Blogger
Shubra Chawla
