Festivals and Fairs of India
India will amaze you. This has been said too often but not without a reason. Not only the geography and the demography but the varied culture of India is that amazes you. A virtual melting pot of the all the religions and their rituals, India is the kaleidoscope of the whole world when it comes to religion.
The Indian calendar is full of festivals starting form the birthdays of Deities, saints and prophets to celebration of various seasons and mythological stories. Some of the festivals are celebrated as national days. It is said that every third day in India is celebrated in some place or the other.
The huge subcontinent has ancient civilization and is an inheritor to a rich and diverse cultural tradition. Festivals and Fairs play a definite role to add to the enchantment, and help exploring the rich 4000 year old culture of India.
The Fairs and Festivals celebrated across the length and breadth of the land present a fascinating pageant and showcase the resplendence of its arts and crafts tradition. Some festivals are of religious nature, others are linked with the lives of the people, change of seasons and harvesting. Each festival is unique in style and is characterized by colour, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and heterogeneity of prayers and rituals. And although each religion celebrates their own festivals, they also participate in the other festivals with equal enthusiasm and fervour making the festivals typically Indian. Though the festivals carry a legend, a story, a reason behind them, it has come to light that most of these festivals also have some scientific reason attached to it. The night of Diwali is the new moon night and supposed to be the darkest nights of the year, this gives a reason to light innumerous lamps all around. The food that is supposed to be taken on the day of the festivity, is specifically suited for the time of the year.
India is a vast country with different demography hence every region and state have their own ways of celebrating their festivals. Some of them are celebrated in a common way while some are very regional festivals.