What to Expect on a Holidays to India
A festival is basically an occasion usually celebrating a common characteristic aspect of a people or community and centered around that characteristic. It could be cultural, social, economic or even political. Usually it is usually marked by a festive event, like a festival, mela, or holiday. Festivals are usually associated with new beginnings or new relationships, particularly with the coming of age in a society.
In Asia, the Chinese celebrate new year celebrations with much grandeur. Chinese New Year is highly regarded as the most crucial period for farming, harvesting and planting. For the Chinese, farming and harvesting always precedes the new year, so on this day they embark on a massive effort to buy all they need for the new year such as tools and farm produce to be used for the celebrations. The process of celebrating the New Year can best be seen in the way that large markets are set up throughout the region, especially in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Another very popular festival among the Hindus across India is Dussehra, which falls on the Hindu month of November. This is also one of the most widely celebrated religious festivals in the country, with millions of Hindus and devotees participating in the festivities. This festival is celebrated with much vigour by the people of Tamil Nadu, while Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore observe Dussehra with great joy.
South Asian countries like Pakistan and India celebrate various Harvest Festivals; these include Onam, Pongal, and Koh Samui. While Onam is a relatively small festival, it is celebrated with great pomp and colour in almost all parts of India, especially in the eastern coast. Pongal is the main celebration of the end of summer and is also known as Baisakhi in some parts of Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The main feast during Onam is the Laxmi Pooja, in which devotees offer prayers to the goddess of wealth.
There are also other relatively smaller Indian religious festivals that are celebrated around the world. In Indonesia and Malaysia, for instance, Orang Asli is a special festival. In Bangladesh, on the other hand, Khatu is a celebration of the religious garment, while Malaysia’s festival of Temegol is commemorated with great zeal by the people of Borneo. Turkey also has a number of important religious festivals, like Erguvan and Muharram, which are important to the people of the country. These festivals, however, are fewer in numbers compared to other major Hindu festivals.
The first recorded festival related to the Hindu calendar, Durga Puja, is celebrated during the last day of Amravati. It is celebrated to honour the goddess Durga, who is considered to be the daughter of the god Shiva and Parvati. The festival is marked by a lot of activities, which include dance, music, prayers and games. A list of notable celebrations related to the Hindu calendar would include Ashtavaidyam, Diwali, Karva Chauth, Navaratra, Pongal, Puri, Ram Navami, Shravanamasala, Sundareswaram and Vasant Panchami. However, if you are interested in celebrating any of the above Hindu festivals, all you need to do is get in touch with an India travel company and let them do the rest!