Festivals in India

Seen as the land of endless mystics, India is high on the list of the adventure traveler. Offering untouched mountains, awesome rivers, lovely beaches and landforms that range from the peaks of the Himalayas to the flat Deccan Plateau, India is a dream come true for backpackers, who live to explore. Winter is a great time to visit the warmer southern regions, while summers can bring alive the mountains of Uttrakhand and Kashmir. But apart from the weather, you should plan your travel keeping in mind the festivities that the nation offers from time to time.

Just like its topography, India is rather diverse in its people too. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and many other ethnicities thrive here. This is why the country offers a large array of seemingly never ending festivals. In fact they say that if the nation declared a holiday for every festival that the people celebrate here, the entire year would be long vacation. However, there are certain festivals that are celebrated with great élan while others not so much. Visiting the country during these periods allows an insight into the age old belief system of the people here, their traditions and how they honor their Gods.

Diwali/Dipawali
This ‘festival of lights’ celebrates the home coming of Lord Rama after killing the evil Ravana. Celebrated in the evening and often compared to the Christmas of the West, Diwali sees everything right from colorful lights, ghee diyas, discounts at stores, lavish Indian sweets and also crackers that can be heard till the wee hours of next morning. The festivities that Diwali brings along engulf the entire nation, though the northern parts of the country seem to celebrate it with more pomp and show. Laxmi the goddess of wealth is worshipped on this day and people keep the doors of their homes open for her to walk in. The festival does not fall on the same date every year but is usually known to be sometime in the months of October/November and is considered to herald the coming of winters.

Ganesh Chaturthi
Another very important Hindu festival, this one is celebrated with great gusto, especially in the states of Maharashtra. The festival lasts for a total of 10 days, of which the last day sees the most action, since the idol of Lord Ganesha, the God with an elephant head, is immersed in the sea on this day. Huge processions are carried out on the 10th day with song, dance and color forming an integral part of the immersion ceremony. The festival is celebrated during the last few days of august and the early ones of September. Traveling to Maharashtra during this time will allow you to see the people here dressed in their traditions costumes and taste sweets that are peculiar to this festival.

Holi
Here the focus shifts since this one is a ‘festival of colors’ and celebrates the end of Hiranyakaship by Lord Vishnu. People throw colored water and dry color known as ‘gulal’ on each other and play holi during the first half of the day. The festival is very popular in the state of Gujarat while the in the regions of Mathura, Virndavan and Banaras it has almost cult status and is celebrated for a total of 16 days. Apart from color, the milk and weed based drink called ‘thandai’ and a sweet called ‘gujia’ is another peculiar feature of this Hindu festival. The festival is celebrated sometime during the month of March/February and heralds the coming of summer. Highly recommended for those with a zest for life and games.

Onam
A very important festival of southern India, this one is best celebrated in the state of Kerala. If you visit during this period, apart from the lovely clean backwaters, you can also get to enjoy 10 days of festivities that herald the harvest season of this region. The snake boat race is a huge attraction of this festival, which basically celebrates the return of King Mahabali after several years of exile. The performances of the various traditional dance forms like Kathkali and Kaikottikkali can liven up the evenings of Onam while the flower ‘rangolis’ are not to be missed at all. The festival occurs sometime in August/September, which is a good time to visit this region even in terms of the weather.

Pongal
Yet another significant festival of the southern region of India, this Hindu festival lasts for three days and celebrates the harvest season too. Indra the God of Rain is offered a sweet dish made of milk, jaggery and rice, which is later consumed by the devotees too. The cattle race held on the third day are fascinating beyond compare and can put any matador to shame. The ‘kolams’ (rangolis) in this festival are made of powdered color as opposed to flowers. The festival follows the sun calendar and is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of January.


Pushkar Mela
Annually held on the banks of the Pushkar lake of Rajasthan, this fair is not one to be missed by anyone traveling to this region. Held sometime during the winter months of November/ December, it is the ideal time to travel to this region of India. The cricket match between the locals and the tourists is highly entertaining as are the various competitions held during the fair.

Durga Puja/Dusherra
This festival celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and thus emphasizing that good shall always rein over evil. Ramlila is a huge part of this festival with the entire saga of the Ramayana being enacted which ends with the large figures of Ravana, Meghnath and Khumbhkaran being set afire. In Bengal the festival is known as ‘pujo’ and celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga killing the demon. The festival ends here with the emersion of Goddess Durga’s idol in the sea. The festival falls exactly 20 days prior to Diwali and is a must see especially in the city of Kolkata.

Kumbh Mela
Hosted by the cities of Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik, this Hindu pilgrimage is known as the largest gathering of humans on this planet. The festival is held every 12 years and was celebrated in January 2007. The holy dip in the Ganges is the highlight of this festival that sees devotees from all over the globe. A backpacker’s delight, this festival allows one to see the mystic sadhus and the chanting fakirs of India, all collect at one spot. (An Ardh Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar and Allahabad every 6 years too, though it is not as grand as the one held every 12 years.)

Hemis
This one allow tourists a glimpse into the culture and customs of the people of this region. Celebrated as the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava, this festival involves several ceremonies and processions. The mask dances of the Buddhist monks during this festival are designed to drive away all evil. Falling sometime in the month of June and July, this festival is at a time when the weather of the region is also ideal for backpacking.

Feast of Three Kings
Goa is a not to be missed destination of India and has some great Portugal culture to offer apart from the fantastic beaches. Celebrated by Hindus and Catholics with equal energy, the Feast of Three Kings worships the Lady of the Mount. The festival is great time to visit Goa since one can get to see the awesome processions with lovely Goan music and some authentic dressing. Celebrated on the 9th of January, this is the perfect time to visit this lovely port of India.

The diversity of the Indian sub continent in terms of its landforms, its people and also the technological development is fascinating beyond belief. To experience the flavor of this lovely country, it is best to backpack through the nation, rather than simply see it with colored glasses from a seven star hotel window.