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The celebration of this festival is followed according to the Indian calendar and hence the month in the English calendar varies every year. The festival is celebrated for as many as ten days in areas like Maharashtra, Pune, and nearby areas. Rakshabandhan is an unspoken pledge exchanged between a brother and sister cementing their fraternal relationship. This also reinforces their protective bond against all ills and odds. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the day of Shravan Poornima that falls in the month of August every year.
On this very day, the sisters tie a delicate, sometimes decorated, thread on the wrist of their brothers as a symbol of love and affection. This makes the brothers bound to protect their sisters from any trouble or wound. The mantra recalls how the demon king Bali had become very powerful with the Rakhi on.
The power of the mantra is supposed to protect the wearer from evil influences. This shows how dependent and secure a sister feels when she has a brother. Tying this Rakhi or Raksha signifies the re-strengthening of the bond between the siblings of opposite sexes. Raksha Bandhan is the most awaited festival of the year for every girl.
It is celebrated in the month of August on the full-moon day known as the Shravan Poornima in India. The celebration of this festival is followed according to the Indian calendar, and hence the month in the English calendar varies every year. Several Indian festivals coincide with the harvest time and Baisakhi is one of them.
Baisakhi is celebrated by the people of Punjab with vigor and joy. It is celebrated by different names and with different rituals almost all over India, when the Rabi crop is ready for harvesting. The Vaishakha period of April and May is filled with festivals of fun, frolic and merry-making and Baisakhi, derived from the word Vaishakh, falls in this auspicious period. Based on the Indian solar calendar, this festival falls on April 13 every year and on April 14 once every 36 years.
Held every year in the month of November, Pushkar fair is the ideal occasion to witness the charisma of Rajasthan in full bloom. Every ingredient that makes Rajasthan a distinct place can be spotted in the fair including men dressed in colorful traditional clothes, women in mirrored skirts and vivid shawls, embroidered clothes, exquisitely designed jewelry, pots and ornaments. This four-day long fair full of fun and frolic falls on the full moon of Kartik Purnima and offers an unique opportunity for a shopping spree while giving an edge to the consumer product marketing in rural Rajasthan.
Improved accommodation facilities have made it an International event A large camel fair in which traders from all over Rajasthan participate to parade, race and trade their camels, horses and cattle give it a fascinating touch. The acrobats, jugglers, snake charmers and fire-eaters will leave you mesmerized with their skilled performances.
Cruise on a camel safari and get the real flavor of the fair. The otherwise sleepy town of Jaisalmer reverberates with enthusiasm and zeal during the Desert Festival that provides it with an occasion to parade its exuberant charm to the world. The fire dancers are the special highlights of the festival.
Held in the month of January-February the major attractions include turban-tying competition, Gair dancers and fire-dancers presenting enchanting displays of folk dance and music The various interesting contests including turban tying and Mr. Desert contest, the Camel races, acrobatics, dances and camel polo are sure to leave you spellbound.
An awe-inspiring fusion of traditional dances backed by the folk music of the desert is sure to give you a time of your life. The major attraction of the festival remains the music and dance performance on the sand dunes. Nagaur awakes to the thronging of cattles, horses and camels during the time of cattle fair, which is reputed as one of the biggest in the country. The Nagaur bulls are renowned for their fleet-footedness and attract buyers from all over the world.
Their owners with large moustaches and colorful costumes add a unique charm to the fair. Renowned for trading in cows, bullocks, camels and horses Held every year during the month of Magh Jan-Feb Provides an opportunity for a shopping spree to the locals The fair comes to an end with a series of exciting games including tug of war, camel races and strains of ballads that create a joyful atmosphere. Mirchi Bazaar Red Chilly Market is the main attraction and wooden items, iron crafts and leather accessories are also available in abundance during the fair.
A unique blend of color, rhythm and melody. The festivity advances to the open sandspreads of the Polo Grounds, followed by camel races, camel milking, fur cutting design, the best breed competition, camel acrobatics, camel bands and watching all this, are the gaping spectators. The camel display amazing foot-work, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction of their riders. Colourful bridles, bejewelled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadows on dusky sands, cast a magic spell.
The jubilant, skirt-swirling Gair dancers, the awe inspiring Fire dance, and dazzling fire-works light up the fortified desert city of Bikaner. The most important local festival in Rajasthan, Gangaur is held about a fortnight after Holi and the celebrations go on for eighteen days. The festival is held in honor of Gauri, a manifestation of goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva.
The festival is celebrated by girls and married women throughout Rajasthan. Images of Gauri are ornamented and offerings are made. This is also an auspicious time for young people to select their life partners. Colorful processions with the town band, horses, and elaborate palanquins make it a fascinating spectacle. The Gangaur festival is celebrated throughout Rajasthan with great enthusiasm but the celebrations in Jaipur and Udaipur have their own special charm. The festival is also celebrated with great pomp and show in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Marathwara and Jaisalmer.
Girls worship the goddess throughout the fortnight. Colorful images of Gauri, beautifully dressed and bejeweled, are taken out in a procession accompanied by the town band. A boat procession is taken out on the Pichola Lake in Udaipur. Women balancing several brass pitchers on their heads add to the gaiety of the Udaipur celebrations. Thousands of people from the countryside come to take part in the procession of Gangaur, which goes around from village to village.
Tribal men and women get the opportunity to meet and interact freely and during this time, they select partners and elope to marry. An unusual, romantic custom sanctioned by the community, it helps many young people find their life partner. The courtyard of Hemis- the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, is the stage of the famous Hemis Festival, that celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. Splendid masked dances are performed to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns. A colourful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival.
Yes, I reached home in a comf ortable way, thank you for your requestion. It was a very nice travelling with your company through Rajasthan and we were glad to do this with you. Thank you very much to manage our tour India is worldly known as a land vibrant celebration; one can see the culture and life of India during the celebrations of various fair and festivals, celebrated with high sprit in each and every town in India.
By and large the flow of festivals continues through out the year in India. There are noble cause and meaningful identity behind each fair and festival, based upon rituals, traditions, legends, monsoon, history, while many express devotion to the deities of different religions. There are religious fair, historical fair, long life marriage based festivals, animal worship fair, cattle fairs, monsoon fair, changing season fair, all festivals denote vivacity, colour, high sprit, dedications, ebullience, peace, power, humanity messages, appetizing food, sports activities, artistic performance, prayers and rituals.
Obviously, when it comes to tourism, fair and festivals are on the priority among the tourists to coincide the trip to witness amazing festivals of India. During these celebrations of the fair and festivals, each of them reflects the life style and vigour of the people. Most of the celebrations are based on rituals of prayers, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, Jewellery, music, singing, and dance and feasting.
If someone wants to see the deep roots of the culture, belief, life style, living, food, art, traditions of India, the fair and festivals are the window to view the true colour of India. Pongal is one of the most wonderful and harvest festival of Tamilnadu. Therefore most the big events of fair and festivals are related to cultivation.
The festival alike Pongal are celebrated in all over India with different name, identity and rituals. Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival. It is celebrated throughout India as a harvest festival when farmers bring home their harvest. It marks the beginning of the sun's journey from Dakshinayana to northern hemisphere the Uttarayan when it enters the sign of Makar the Capricorn.
The Festival introduces kite enthusiasts world-wide to Read More. Diwali is one of most pulsating and greatest festival among the all the festivals of India, Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over India, this festival comes after 20 days of Dusshera festival on Amavasya 15th day of dark fortnight. India is known as melting pot of races and religions. Diwali is also mark as the beginning of Hindu New Read More. Holi also, known as Festival of Colors, Holi is the most anticipated festivals on the Hindu calendar.
Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Holi is a spring celebration and the exuberant ritual of putting color Read More. Dussehra also known as Vijaya Dasami is celebrated as a victory of Ram over Ravana. Dussehra is the last day of Navratri; it falls on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month Read More.
The Tyagaraja festival is celebrated in the memory of Tyagaraja.
Indulge in Indian culture by being a part of popular fairs and festivals of India. In a land of cultural and geographical diversities one gets to enjoy and experience wide varieties of cultures, fairs and festivals and India is the epitome of such.
Tyagaraja, a South Indian composer and saint was born in He has composed a number of Telugu songs in praise of Lord Rama. Many young poets and musicians are inspired by this man's amazing work. Every year, South Indian musicians assemble at Thiruvaiyaru- 13 kms from Tanjore, to sing in his praise. People, young and old, sing in perfect harmony. The melody is such that one cannot remain untouched by its sheer devotion and divine resonance.
Gangasagar Mela is the largest and the most important fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where a nexus is formed by Ganga and Bay of Bengal. Hence the name Gangasagar Mela. This festival is a major attraction for millions of pilgrims from all over India.
It is said that a dip in the Ganga purifies their 'self' and thus 'punya' can be. A special 'puja' is performed which is offered to the Sun God as a thanksgiving for good harvest. It is also believed that the girls who take the holy dip get handsome grooms and the boys get beautiful brides. The ceremonial welcomes spring when people, colorfully attired, especially in bright shades of yellow, dance, sing and make merry. In West Bengal, 'Saraswati' - the goddess of learning is worshipped.
The festival is celebrated with great fervor in the university town of Santiniketan. All over the country, Shivratri is observed as the night, when Lord Shiva danced the 'Tandav' - his cosmic dance. Fasts and prayers mark the day and devotees throng the temples. Holi is one of the most exuberant Hindu festival that brings the message of the onset of spring. It is the festival of colors and is celebrated by throwing colored water and powder on each other. Huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.
The festival of Holi is being celebrated since centuries with the same zeal and zest. The most important local festival in Rajasthan, Gangaur celebrations last for eighteen days. It is dedicated to Gauri, a manifestation of goddess Parvati. The festival is celebrated by girls and married women throughout Rajasthan.
The images of Gauri are ornamented and offerings are made. This is also an auspicious day for young people to select their life partners. Colorful processions with the town band playing, horses and elaborate palanquins make it a fascinating spectacle. Teepam is widely celebrated every year in Tamil Nadu from mid-January to mid-February during the full moon month which in Tamil is known as Thai.
Fantastically dressed and bejeweled images of the goddess Meenakshi and her consort undaresvara are floated on rafts. All along the shore, the devotees chant hymns as a bevy of bands beat drums in tempo with their chants. The desert festival celebrated in the golden city of Jaisalmer has an aura of its own. The festival becomes lively with legions of puppeteers, acrobats, and folk dancers add splashes of color. Camel races are of great significance and camel polo is a big attraction. The turban-tying competitions and the best-dressed Rajput contests add to this three day long festival.
Nagaur bustles with life during its annual cattle fair which is one of the largest in the country. Exciting games and camel races are part of the festivities. Owners of cattles from all over Rajasthan come and camp around the outskirts of Nagaur while they buy and sell animals. This fair is also famous for the various sports events that are organized in it, Tug-of-war, camel races and cockfights. At nightfall, folk music and songs bring out a magnificent musical touch to the quiet ambience of the desert.
Mahasivratri marks the festival of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism. It commemorates the birth of Mahavira. It is mainly celebrated by Jains with great zeal and enthusiasm. They visit sacred sites and worship Teerthankaras on this day. The festival is celebrated on a large scale in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Ramnavmi celebrates the birth of Rama, a human incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Ayodhya and Pondicherry, the places which are said to have witnessed the events of Ramayana, are the main centers for this festival. Temples are decorated and prayers are offered. Chariot processions of Ram, Seeta and Lakshman are taken out from the temples with great zest. This Christian festival marks the memory of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Just as it is celebrated around the world, Good Friday is observed in India, too, in April every year. All Christians attend Mass held in the churches on this day. Following Good Friday comes Easter Sunday, which is also celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It represents the victory of life over death.
Easter is a celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. Vishu is the New Year's Day for the Keralites. The New Year is supposed to bring better knowledge and understanding between all humans. The festival is celebrated with much joyous and happy minds and forgetting all the differences. On this day, there is a general festivity and rejoicing throughout the state. On this day, the cattle are washed and decorated. They are smeared with turmeric and are treated to Gur Jaggery and Brinjals. This festival is the New Year's Day of the Bengalis.
It welcomes the New year with early morning processions, songs and dance. Beautiful designs called Alpana are made on the floor by the house-wife.
Gudi Padva is widely celebrated in Maharashtra. The day is very auspicious for the people of Maharashtra. It is generally believed that any venture started on this day gives nothing but success. Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is believed that Lord Brahma started creation on this day. Ugadi is the Telugu New Year's Day. On this day mantras are chanted and predictions made for the New Year. It is celebrated as the Tamil New Year's Day. At Tiruvadamarudur near Kumbakonam a big car festival is held. This festival reflects the tradition and culture of the Sindhis.
It is celebrated as the birthday of Asht Dev. Hi is believed to be the community God of the Sindhis. His birthday falls on the second tithi occasion of Chaitra the first month of the year according to the Hindu calendar. This day is considered to be very auspicious and is rejoiced with much pomp and splendor. But it is very popular in Sarnath and Bodhgaya. The Buddhists offer prayers in their temples on this day. The Buddha was born on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakh in B.
He achieved enlightenment as well as Nirvana on the same date. Ramzan means the 'festival of breaking the fast'. Fitr is derived from the word 'fatar' meaning 'breaking'. Ramzan Id is celebrated on a day when the new moon appears. Prayers are offered in mosques and Idgahs and elaborate festivities are held. The festival is celebrated by the Muslims with great fanfare. Held on first 'Baisakh'- the 13th April - Baisakhi is one of Himachal's most important festival. Rooted in the rural agrarian tradition, it bids a final farewell to winter. The Sikhs celebrate this as a collective birthday, filling the atmosphere with gaiety, music, dancing and good cheer.
This festival is an opportunity in villages to enjoy with sheer abandon because they know that a season of hard work follows soon after which is the time for harvesting corn and other grains. The dramatic festival of Karaga begins from the Dharmaraja temple in Bangalore. A devotee is chosen and a Karaga or a clay pot is placed on his head. The pot represents Shakti, the mother-goddess of archaic strength. The devotee has to balance the pot as he has a staff and a sword that occupy his hands. This 10 day festival takes place at the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, to celebrate the mythical marriage between Siva and Meenakshi.
The Meenakshi temple is one of the most spectacular excessive displays of architecture on earth.
The temple has nine towering gopurams and thousands of pillars, covered from top to bottom with some 30 million colorful carvings and gypsum images of gods, demons and animals. This four story wooden temple is located in the middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar.
The Goddess is worshipped by the local women, who arrive in their colorful dresses to perform the ritual dance before her in order to appease her. Legend states that the king who commissioned the temple was so highly satisfied with the results that he cut off the craftsman's right hand to prevent him from duplicating it elsewhere. Bakrid is celebrated with ritualistic fervor particularly in Andhara Pradesh. Bakrid is an important festival of Muslims falling in the last month of Islamic Calendar.
The significance of the festival is the commemoration of the ordeals of Prophet Ibrahim. On this day prayers are held and goats are sacrificed. This spectacular chariot festival is held at the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri. Images of Lord Jagannath - the Lord of the Universe, his sister Subhadra and brother Balbhadra are taken out in procession in three immense chariots.