FESTIVALS are the carriers of peace and joy in all communities. All nations of the world have certain religious and cultural festivals. However, India is one of the largest countries to celebrate numerous festivals. As India is a very cultural and diverse country, so are the festivals. They divide into three general categories of national, religious and seasonal.
As we can divide the Indian festivals into national, religious and seasonal, we see how they differ from each other. In general, national festivals are celebrated in honour of reputable people and events. The religious ones follow legends of faiths and their beliefs. The seasonal ones are celebrated with each season that we experience that varies from region to region.
The national festivals include Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, and many more. These festivals are celebrated all over India. All the citizens of the country celebrate them irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, colour and sex. Everyone celebrates them with great patriotism. These festivals are gazetted holidays all over the country and are enjoyed with great enthusiasm.
Moreover, they help in setting aside the differences of the countrymen and unite each other like never before. The capital of India, New Delhi, is the seat of national festivals. For instance, it witnesses the grand parade of the Republic Day celebrations. The flag hoisting takes place in New Delhi, which is broadcast live on national television for the whole country to watch.
The religious festivals are one of the most famous festivals, not only throughout India, but all over the world. Some of the most prominent religious festivals are Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Dussehra, Eid-ul-fitr, Christmas, Easter, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Baisakhi, Ugadhi, Bihu, Vishu, Gudi Padwa and Holi. Diwali and Holi are the most prominent festivals in Hinduism. They are very colourful and full of lights.
Eid-ul-fitr is an Islamic festival which marks the end of Ramadan. It is about delectable dishes and family gatherings. Christmas celebrates the birthday of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. It is also about Christmas trees and Santa Claus.
Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrates the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism. Bihu is a festival of Assam. Likewise, Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal and Kerala celebrates Onam. In addition, there is Basant Panchami which people celebrate throughout North India and West Bengal, as well.
Festivals are very important. They make us forget our cultural and religious differences. They unite people and they come together for the sole purpose of celebration and happiness. Other than that, festivals also help us embrace our culture and religion. They are very helpful in breaking the monotony of life. Moreover, people look forward to festivals all the year round. They spark joy and give people something to look forward to.
In short, festivals fill our lives with colours and enthusiasm. They bring us closer every year and eliminate any feelings of communal hatred. They also strengthen the bonds of the community and remove the malice from people’s hearts. Therefore, festivals are quite important and must be celebrated with great joy and passion.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Mumbai, India
(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)
