10 Most Popular Festivals in India
Diwali is undoubtedly one of the most famous festivals in India. Celebrated pan India, the festival of lights has several significances for diverse cultures in the country. However, everybody comes together to light up diyas and celebrate the festival of lights in unison. It is quite a spectacle.
As one of India's popular festivals, Durga Puja of Dussehra's celebrations are quite vibrant in the country. The 10th day of Navratri is welcomed with a massive celebratory spirit as Goddess Durga is worshipped. Similarly, massive effigies of Ravana are burnt as a means to showcase victory of good over evil as Lord Rama defeated Ravana to bring back his wife, Sita.
Also recognised as one of the very important festivals to celebrate in India, Navratri comes with myriad reasons for people to ring in the festivities. The one common goal is to worship the diverse forms of Goddess Amba as she takes on new forms to defeat demons.
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is quite famous in Maharashtra. It is actually a very important festival in India, too, as it signifies Lord Ganesha's birth following a tragic story. The 10-day carnivalesque affair has people bring home Ganesha idols or even raise pandals with Ganpati idols which stay for the duration before the idols are immersed in the sea.
As the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna in the Mathura prison, Janmashtami becomes one of the most popular festivals in India. There are illustrious celebrations that take place across the country, especially in Mathura and Vrindavan. There are prayers, dances, bhajans and other hymns sung through the night and day as Lord Krishna's birth is depicted.
Rakshabandhan is a very popular festival in India that aims to highlight and celebrate a brother and sister's bond. The festival signifies that a brother has the responsibility to take care of his sister through thick and thin. The rakhi is basically a symbol of the promise the brother makes to his sister. It is a very endearing festival which comes bearing gifts!
Undoubtedly one of the major festivals in India, Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the important festivals for the Muslim community around the world. As the festival observes the final day of celebration following a holy month of fasting, the festivities are quite magical. There are community prayer sessions that take place, a sacrificial event, a splendid feast and more where friends and family are called over.
Come Holi, and the streets are dotted with people applying dry and wet colours on each other's faces to celebrate the victory of good over evil! Holi is one of the top 10 festivals in India, celebrated with utmost gusto and fervour as people attend parties, indulge in dancing, throwing colours and water balloons and of course, indulging in some lassi!
Onam is practically a week-long carnival celebrated in God's Own Country, Kerala! The festival brings everyone in Kerala together as the streets are crowded with performances, elaborate feasts, boat races, processions and more! Visiting Kerala during Onam is an experience you will never forget.
Gurpurab is a significant festival for the Sikh community in India. It is a festival for the celebration of the first Guru of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev. On this occasion, all the Gurudwaras (Sikh Temples) throughout the country are beautifully decorated. All members of the Sikh community visit Gurudwara to offer their prayers. This is followed by the Langer (A meal that the community prepares and eats together at Gurudwara).