Indian Festivals

Essay No. 01

A festival is a celebration of life. It is a celebration entertainment or series of performances of a certain kind, often held periodically. Festival breaks the monotony of life. They bring peace and joy to the masses. All nations have their religious and cultural festivals. Indian festivals are numerous. They are harmonious rich varied and colorful.

Indian festivals are as varied as the people themselves. They can broadly be divided into three categories national or political religion and seasonal. Most Indian festivals have their in religion or in the myths and legends of popular faiths. Some are connected with the memory of very respectable men and events. They are intended to keep alive the memory of those events and personalities and inspire people to follow their examples.

National festivals like the Republic Day, The Independence Day , Gandhi Jayanti ,etc are celebrated with great patriotic zeal. These days have been declared as national holidays and are celebrated in all parts of the country with a lot of enthusiasm holidays and are celebrated in all parts of the country with a lot of enthusiasm. The capital New Delhi is the seat of national celebrations on such occasions. It witness one of the most majestic parades on the Republic Day. Apart from the Armed Forces School children from across the country also participate in this parade.

Diwali is the most prominent of Hindu festivals. It is the festival of lights. on this day Hindus celebrate the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after the victory over Ravana. The houses are cleaned and whitewashed. People wear new clothes. Businessmen start their new accounts. Sweets are distributed. On its day people from all walks of life light up their homes. Crackers are burst and the children as well as the youth enjoy them.

Ram Navami is celebrated s the birthday of Lord Rama. Janmastmi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna. Durga Pooja is celebrated in Benal Assam Orissa and some other parts of India. It is celebrated with great pomp and shoe. Goddess Durga is worshipped for five days. On the fifth day the statue of the goddesses immersed in water in Northern India , dusserra is observed as Vijaya Dashmi celebrating victory of good over evil of Rama over Ravana. In Maharashtra lord Ganesha is worshipped with the great pomp and show.

Holi is celebrated at the end of winter season. Raslila a cultural dance of Manipur is staged during this festival. The dance is dedicated to Lord Krishna and the glop is. Holi is a festival of colors. People throw color on one another. It is celebrated in honors of Prahlad. It celebrates the victory of good over evil,.

Chath is celebrated in Bihar and also in other parts of India. Sun god is worshipped early in the morning on this day. Sweets and fruits are offered to sun god.

Guru Nanak Dev birthday is celebrated by Sikhs and members of other communities. On this occasion religious congregation are attended lamps are lit and crackers are burst. The days of martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev and Guru Teg Bahudur are also of special significance to the community.

Christmas is the most important festival of Christians. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ on 25^th December. The Christmas tree is decorated with artificial stars , lights , toys ect on this days. Cakes and puddings are served. Children get dressed in new clothes. Any person disguised as Santa Claus distributes sweet among children. Prayers are offered in churches.

Jews celebrate their festivals in a similar fashion as those of Christians. They go to the synagogue to pray before the Almighty. The parses celebrate Naoroz during August September each year. It is the beginning of their new year.

The seasonal festivals are celebrated in different ways all over the country. Bihu is celebrated with great pomp and show in Assam. Baisakhi is celebrated as a mark of harvesting the wheat crops in Punjab. Onam is celebrated in Kerla as a harvest festival.  Pongal is also a similar festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Basant Panchami is celebrated throughout North India and West Bengal.

Festivals also have a negative influence on our society. The brushing of crackers during Diwali pollutes the atmosphere. Gambling disturb public life. During Holi , drunkards brawl in the streets. Temples are decorated at the cost of millions of rupees. The money used for such events could be utilized for the economic development of the country.

Color is an essential part of Holi. But it must not be sprayed on people who resent it. The bursting of crackers should be minimized. Festival should be celebrated with simplicity. People belonging to other communities should be invited during religious festivals. This will help in promoting national integration and communal harmony.

 ( 806 Words )

Essay No. 02

Festivals of India

The rich variety and diversity of Indian culture and people has given the country many colourful and gay festivals. Perhaps no other country had as many festivals and celebrations as does India. It is said that there are only seven days in a week, but there are at least nine festivals in a week in India. All these festivals and fairs are observed with great enthusiasm and abandon. They are related with mythical heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses, change of seasons harvesting and national events. Thus, festivals serve so many purposes, social, cultural, religious, national and psychological.

Festivals mark the grand, gay, happy and free moments in the life of masses in India. These are the occasions of family gathering, exchange of sweets and greetings, thanks-giving, relaxation, joy, praying, fasting, ceremonies, and invoking favours from gods and elders. They come around year after year and enthuse the people with a new spirit of colour, joy and festivity. Some of these are observed as closed public holidays on all India basis and others on a limited or selective basis. These festivals very well reflect the country’s unity in diversity. These are entrenched in the consciousness of the masses, and therefore, are not mere formalities. A foreigner is amazed and fascinated not only by their numbers, but also by their colourfulness, pageantry, enthusiasm and fervour with which they are observed.

Right from the dawn of civilization in India, festival has played a very important social and religious role. They are a great source of recreation, social gathering, communal harmony and mutual relaxation. They are very special occasions for women and children. They look forward to and prepare many days in advance for the festivals. The important festivals in India are: Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, Janmashtmi, Buddha Purnima, Shivaratri, Muharram, Id-ul-Zuha, Christmas, Vaisakhi, etc. Republic Day, that is, 26th January is another National festival.

Holi is the most colourful festival. It is as much boistrous as colourful. It comes in March-April at the advent of spring reason and ripening of the crops. Men and women throw coloured water, powder and perfumes at one another in gay abundance. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of music and enjoy to their heart’s content. At this time the season is at its best. Then it is neither hot nor cold and the ripe crop is golden yellow, and trees are in their colourful blooms. The festival lasts for two days. On the first day a bonfire is lit in the evening. The next day people indulge in throwing coloured water at one another through big syringes. People embrace one another and offer sweets and soft drinks, etc.

Dussehra or Vijai Dashmi is observed to mark the victory of good over evil. On this day prince Rama of Ayddhya defeated and killed Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Ravana was the embodiment of evils, while Rama was the personification of all that is best in man. The great and popular Ramayana epic is presented in dance-drama form on specially erected stages all over India during the preceding nine days. This enactment of the Ramayana is popularly known as Ramlila. The effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarana and son Meghnad are burnt and fireworks are there. It is followed by Bharat Milap, an occasion of family reunion of Rama. In Mysore and Kulu there are special observations on the occasion. In West Bengal it is observed as Durga Puja.

Diwali, the festival of lights and illumination falls in October-November. It is also the occasion of much fireworks. At night earthen lamps, candles, etc., are lit illuminating the dark night, sweets and greetings are exchanged and Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity is worshipped. The businessmen close their old accounts and open the new ones. It is celebrated to commemorate the crowning of Rama on the throne of Ayodhya after his triumphant return from Lanka. Houses, etc., are cleaned and whitewashed and bazaars, etc., are tastefully decorated on this occasion. Men and women and children in their best colourful costumes visit one another exchanging greetings and sweets.

Buddha Purnima marks the Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and nirvana. On this day special celebrations are held at Sarnath, Boddh Gaya and Buddhist temples. Gautama the Buddha was born, got enlightenment and the nirvana on the same day of the full moon, but in the different years. Baisakhi is very special to Sikhs. On this day the Hindu Solar New Year begins. People visit temples and shrines after holy baths in rivers, tanks, lakes and ponds regarded as holy.

Christmas is celebrated on 25th December with great fervour all over the country, specially by the Christians, followed by the New Year celebrations. Muharram commemorates the martyrdom of a, grandson of the Prophet Mohmmad. In big cities and towns mourning processions are taken out to the loud beating of drums with Tajias. Id-ul-Fitr  is another important Muslim festival of rejoicing and feast After month long fasting and prayer during Ramazan. Namaj is offered and money and food articles, etc., are given in charity on this day. The Hindus and the Muslims embrace one another and exchange greetings on the occasion.

26th January is a major festival when very spectacular parade followed by cultural tableaus is held in Delhi all along the Raj Path. Folk dancers from all over the states and union territories came to Delhi to perform on this occasion. The President of India takes the salute. This day is also celebrated in State capitals with equal enthusiasm and preparations.

There are many other festivals and celebrations and local festivals which create a feeling of joy, happiness, oneness, integration, and mutual sharing among the masses. The biggest of the fairs, Kumbha Mela is held at Hardwar, Prayag, Nasik and Ujjain in rotation when millions of people gather there to have a holy dip. This comes round once in 12 years. The religio-social significance of these so colourful festivals is great. They make the Indian calendar an unending procession of festivals, observations and celebrations.

 ( 1008 Words )

Essay No. 03

Indian Festivals                          

A festival is an occasion for family rejoicing and community celebrations. In India, festivals are as varied as the people themselves. Festivals are of different kinds – political, religious and seasonal. Each festival is celebrated in a particular manner.  Whatever may be the reason, festivals have their special gaiety and value. They break the monotony of daily life. They have a great social, cultural and commercial value.

The very word festival conjures up scenes of gaiety and merry making. Festival time is an occasion for family rejoicing and community celebrations. Rich and poor, men and women, young and old all are a like happy on the festive occasions.

All communities, all religions all nations have their festivals. But nowhere do they form such an integral part of the life as they do in India. Indian festivals are as varied as the people themselves. Every religion, every region has something to offer. They can broadly be divided into three categories-national or political, religious and seasonal. Most Indian festivals have their origin either in religion or in the myths and legends of popular faiths. Some are connected with the memory of venerable men and events and are therefore commemorative in nature. They are intended to keep alive the memory of those days and people and inspire people to emulate their “examples. Then there are festivals which punctuate the ever-changing “seasons of the year.

National festivals like Republic Day. Independence Day, Gandhi Ajanta, etc are celebrated with great patriotic fervor. This day are declared as national holidays and are celebrated in different parts of the country and in State capitals with a lot of enthusiasm. The nation’s capital, New Delhi witnesses one of the most majestic parades on Republic Day. People from all over the country start pouring in to Delhi to see the display of the countries splendor.

Religious festivals and ceremonies are as varied as the people. Their customs beliefs and faith The Hindus. the Mohammedans, the Christians, the Parsees, the Sikhs, the Buddhists, all have a large number of festivals in the course of year Dussehra, Diwali, Basant  Panchami, Janmashtami Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi ,Id, Mahavir Jayanti, Budh Purnima, , Onam, Pongal, Naoroz, Easter and Christmas are some of the well known lndian religious festivals. Each of these is celebrated in particular manner which becomes traditional and therefore, acquires the character of custom. For instance, Dussehra is celebrated all over the country; though in different ways in northern India, it is observed as Vijaya Dashmi celebrating victory of go over evil of Rama over Ravens.  in Bengali is Durga Puja and it, become more of a cultural festival of music, dance and drama. Gujarat, it is Navaratra, or the festival of nine nights. It is Celebrated in temples and shrines of Goddess Durga in her manifestation of Shakti (Power) as Amba (Mother Earth). Navratra is identified with garba.

Diwali, the festival of lights is one of the gayest of all Hindu festival It is celebrated in a Splendid manner in all parts of India in one form or the other Many commercial firms and businessmen close the yearly accounts on this day and open new account books. It is 11 only a festival of illuminations but also of fireworks and sweets.

Krishna Janmashtami is one of the most colourful and popular Hindu festivals. It marks the birthday of Lord Krishna. People celebrate with day long prayers and tasting and by taking Prasad  at various temples at midnight. The celebrations are most remarkable in and around Mathura where the Lord was born.

Baisakhi is another well-known festival. It marks the beginning off new year arriving Hindus, just as “Naoroz which falls sometime in August-September  is the Parsee new year. Hindus go to a holy dip in river Ganga or Jamuna on Baisakhi day. Fairs are held on the banks of these rivers and Everybody enjoys with abandon. .Parsees on the other hand go to the Fire temples and make offerings of sandalwood to the Holy fire. They wear their traditional clothes and spend the day in feasting and visiting friends and relatives.

ld ul fitar is an important Muslim festival and is celebrated to mark the end Ramjan.  It Was during the month of Ramzan that Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad. Muslims fast the who month and break the fast on ld with feasting and merry making.  They go to Idgahs wearing new clothes and offer prayers. On id, no beggar are refused alms as a practice of alms giving has a special bearing Islam.

Christmas is a festive occasion for Christians. Although, the festival is religious in nature, celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, many at the Customs and celebrations are not religious. A Christmas tree which is a small fir tree is placed m the living room. It is decorated by the members of the family Special Christmas puddings and cakes are made much in advance. This is a special day for children who are, “led to believe that Father Christmas will bring those gifts. Children are very excited and wake up early to find that their stockings have been filled with presents. Elders also exchange gifts with their friends and relative. Which are put on the Christmas tree one or two days in advance?

Then we have seasonal festivals like Basant Panchami. It is celebrated various ways throughout the country in Bengal specially, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped and children are initiated into the art of writing and reading. People put on yellow colored clothes, Fly kites and eat special dishes of rice. This festival marks the end of winter and heralds the advent of spring.

Festivals have a great value and are indispensable to break the monotony” of life. They offer a welcome break from the daily routine.  The gaiety, joy of meeting friends and relatives give a new vitality and energy to everyone. Poor also celebrate festivals for getting their worries for once. Besides, the religious and national festivals have a purifying effect on the mind and bring to the fore the value of piety, prayer, charity and other noble qualities they have a cultural and Social value, and help not only to bring people together, but also keep traditions alive. They help in acquainting the new generation with the cultural heritage of their country, and make them aware the sacrifices made by great saints and leaders. They ensure a sort of continuity of life by bringing to peoples mind the past glories of their race and nation.

 
Nevertheless, people should not indulge in pretentious” display of wealth to attract attention. Festivals should be celebrated in a spirit of brotherhood with restrain and austerity”. There should not be any hooliganism and in tolerance of other people’s faith.  Festive Occasions should not be used to spark communal riots and disturb the harmony. The very purpose of festivals to defeated when people resort to tanning the communal sentiments on such days. Festivals are meant to bring people together and inspire them to forget their narrow differences and welcome each other with open arms.

 ( 1180 Words )

Essay No. 04

Indian Festivals: Gaiety and Glee

Festivals are an integral part of Indian culture. They play an important part in promoting communal togetherness. Festivals are those very special occasions when people get together and indulge in traditional ceremonies and rituals. In India numerous festivals are celebrated.

Many festivals mark the birth anniversaries of Gods. Ganesh Chathurthi is the festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. Huge clay idols of Lord Ganesh are brought home with much fanfare. After ten days the idols are immersed in the sea amidst a lot of firecrackers and festivities. Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna. In Maharashtra, dahihandi that commemorates Janmashtami involves a pot of curd (now replaced by a pot of money) tied up several feet high between two tall buildings. Groups of youth make pyramids standing one on top of the other to get to the pot. Tableaus depicting the birth of the Gods are common to all festivals that commemorate the birth of Gods.

One of the most important festivals of the Hindus is Diwali – the festival of lights. It is celebrated with lights, crackers, sweets and feasts all over India. It marks the beginning of the New Year. Goddess Laxmi is worshipped on this day. New account books are also inaugurated on this day. Bhai dooj marks the end of the Diwali festivities.

Holi is the festival of colours. Fun and frolic marks this festival. People throw gullal (coloured powder) on each other. On the day before, a bonfire is lit; fire symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The nine auspicious days which fall in the month of Ashwin are celebrated as Navratri. In Gujarat these nine days are celebrated on a grand scale with the dandi yaraas. Men and women dress in traditional finery and dance all night long. During these nine days the goddess is worshipped.

Rakshabandhan is another festival that is very dear to the people of India .On this day, sisters tie a rakhi, a little string, on the wrist of their brothers which is symbolically meant to keep brothers safe from harm. Brothers give gifts to their sisters and promise to protect them.

Christians celebrate Christmas with midnight mass. Muslims celebrate RamzanEid. Muslims fast during the entire month of Ramzan. Parsis celebrate Pateti which marks the beginning of the Parsi New Year by offering their prayers at the fire temple.

The main occupation orthe people in different states of India is agriculture, so harvest festivals are celebrated on a big scale. Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu and Makara Sankranti is the harvest festival celebrated in Western India. The most beautiful aspect of this day is the multicolored kites that cover the sky. In Punjab the harvest festival is celebrated as Baisakhi. Folk dances are performed with much gusto and gaiety. Men perform the Bhangra and the women do the Gidda dance. People celebrate this day with new clothes, deliciously mouthwatering food, dancing, singing and visiting family and friends.

Indian festivals are largely bright and happy. Colourful lanterns festoon the homes. While strings of paper adorn the walls, colourful flowers adorn the places of worship. Some people draw colourful rangolis outside their homes which are works of art. While lanterns light up the homes, fire crackers brighten up the skies. Everyone comes together to celebrate festivals irrespective of their castes or creed. Music blares from loud systems and often youth are found breaking into dance near road side pandals. Dance, music, prayer and sweets form an integral part of all festivities and impart the gaiety and glee that Indian festivals are famous for.

 ( 600 Words )

Indian Festivals

Every country has its own festivals. Festivals bring gaiety and charm in the routine life of the masses. They act as a great cementing force among the various sections of the society. India, in particular, is a unity in diversity. It is a multi-racial and multi-lingual country. That is also the reason why so many festivals are celebrated with zeal in India.

Most of the festivals have some mythical or legendary base. They depend on popular faith and have a thing of religious belief in them. However, some festivals are based on political history of a country and are characterized by national fervour. Still, there are some festivals which can be called seasonal and some others may be regional, being confined only to a particular state or region.

Among the most significant national festivals of India, we have the Independence Day, Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti. All these days are declared national holidays and all offices and educational institutions are closed on these days. On the Independence Day, the Prime Minister delivers a speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

He highlights the country’s economic position and her foreign policy and the social conditions prevailing in our country. He also brings to people’s notice the achievements of the government during the year. He explains future plans and the policy regarding the solution of various problems facing the country. On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti the people are exhorted to follow the footsteps of the Father of the Nation and adhere to the golden principles of truth, non-violence, patriotism, etc. On the Republic Day, the most fascinating thing is the majestic parade comprising military personnel, school-children, folk dancers and others besides weaponry and state tabloids, etc. in Delhi.

The most pompously celebrated festivals in India are Diwali, Dussehra and Holi. Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil, In Bengal, it is celebrated as Durga Puja. On the occasion of Diwali, houses are illuminated with electric and earthen lamps and candles. This festival is celebrated all over India by the people of almost all the communities.

It is believed that while on the day of Dussehra Lord Rama killed the cruel demon king Ravana, on the day of Diwali he returned to Ayodhya. Holi is celebrated to mark the destruction of Holika by fire as she wanted to burn the devout, truthful Prahlad who remained unscathed by it (fire). People merrily throw colours on one another to mark the victory of truth over falsehood.

There are several other festivals which are celebrated in India. Among them we have Ramnavami, Shivratri, Janamastrni, Raksha Bandhan, Buddha Jayanti, etc. Muslims celebrate Id-ul-fitar after Ramzan that is fasting for one month. Sikhs celebrate the Parvas of their Gurus. The most important festivals of the Christians is Christmas which is celebrated with great merriment. Similarly people of other communities such as Jains Parsis etc. celebrate their own festivals.

( 486 Words )