Festivals

That has been said enough that India celebrates every day. No wonder we do that, as we are a land of cultural diversity with a range of races and ethnicities dwelling here. Religion is no exception with India being home to umpteen religions. However, Hinduism dominates the list and has a widespread presence with a huge number of followers.

Hindus celebrate a lot of festivals in terms of the birth of Gods, death of Asuras, victory or marriage of gods, different phases of moons and more. Every occasion is graced with celebrations, dance and processions. However, there is a great religious reason behind it.

There are certain Hindu festivals that call for national holidays and are celebrated with great pomp and show. Furthermore, there are certain festivals, which mark the birth anniversaries or incarnation of gods and goddesses, and devotees observe day-long fast to seek their blessings. There are festivals like harvesting seasons, which have different times of celebrations in different parts of the country.

India is a land of gods, and everything from animals to trees is considered divine. There is a festival in the Hindu culture that is dedicated to snakes. This festival is known as Nag Panchami. On this day, people worship snakes and feed them with milk. Every events or festival is a reason for fun, music and dance. Though, this is only devotional in many cases and is followed by ritualistic feasts.

There are certain Hindu festivals, which have gained a global avatar and are celebrated all across the world. Diwali, Ganesh Chaturth and Durga Puja are to name few. Furthermore, there is an array of festivals, which are observed by a specific community of the people of a specific region. Onam, for example, is a festival which has great significance in Kerala whereas Skanda Sashthu is limited only to Tamil Nadu.

Furthermore, there are some festivals that have different significance and rituals in different parts of the country. For example, on Dewali, taking oil bath is a mandatory ceremony in Southern, while people in North India celebrate Diwali in altogether a different way by praying to Maa Lakshmi, lighting houses with candles and diyas, and bursting crackers.

Whatever is the mode of celebration, the reason behind it or the legend associated with it – festivals in India plays a significant role in our lives. They bring joy and happiness to the people, add colors, and bliss to the life of Indians.

Having said that, India and Hindu culture may seem a colourful and festival oriented too many, but this is of great importance to know that these festivals are not sprinkled around the dates just like that. There is a specific calendar available which mark these festivals according to the reasons associated with them.

Now, there may come a question that where can one find the complete Hindu calendar. At Astrospeak, we have provided you with the complete calendar with festivals and occasions associated with the dates. Click here to find the complete Hindu calendar