Indian Fair and Festivals

India is a land of festivals and celebrations. All the major fairs and festivals organized throughout the year not only enhance the spirit of humanity but boosts universal brotherhood as well. India is a secular state, and it is a matter of pride that these fairs and festivals are enjoyment and unanimous efforts of all Indians. Here are few of the most prominent fairs and festivals that the Indians observe with verve and fervour.

Festivals

Dusshera
Celebrating the triumph of good over evil, Indians join hands to observe the Dusshera festival during the autumn season (generally in the month of October). According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama along with brother Laxman and ardent follower, Hanuman, defeated the villain Ravana, who had abducted his wife Sita by unfair means. To mark this victory, Dusshera is celebrated with fun and frolic. Effigies of Lord Rama and Ravana are made and placed at various places where the effigy of the latter is burnt and blown up by bursting crackers and fireworks.

The people of West Bengal, India, celebrate Durga Puja with equal enthusiasm during this time. It is celebrated to venerate the triumph of Goddess Durga over the demon in disguise of a bull, Mahishasura.

Mysore Dasara
Mysore is famous for its palaces, festivals – especially the Dasara festival. The name of the city, Mysore, is supposed to be derived from the name Mahisha, meaning Mahishasura or a demon in Hindu mythology. Mysore is the capital of the state of Karnataka in South India. The place is situated on the south-west part of Bangalore. This ten day festival was introduced by Raja Wodeyar. On the ninth day the royal sword is taken on a procession of horses, camels and elephants. On the tenth day, known as Vijayadashami, a regal procession of Goddess Chamundeshwari is carried on a platform placed on the back of an elephant followed by a huge mass, tableaux, bands of musicians, dancers, horses, camels etc. The procession initiates from the Mysore Palace and comes to an end after reaching the Banni Tree at Bannimantapa where it is worshipped. Finally the celebrations conclude with a torch light procession, also known as Panjina Kavaiyatthu. Thousands of tourists flock into the city to witness this festival.

Diwali
Following Dusshera, Diwali is the next fun-filled festival that marks the arrival of the trio, Ram-Laxman-Sita, from their fourteen years exile period, as believed by the Indians (and mention in the Ramayana, the oldest Indian epic). Children, men and women, young and old, dress up in colorful clothes and attractive jewelry. Music, colourful decorative lights and lanterns, sweets, visits to the bazaar and the preparation of special dishes are important aspects of the festival.

Ratha Yatra
The city of Puri in Orissa, hosts the famous temple of Lord Jagannatha or Vishnu, one of the most prominent Gods of Hinduism. The word Jagannath means Lord of the Universe. The temple not only endorses a great implication to the people of the state, but Hindus from all over the country and across the globe as well. The extreme veneration reverence of the Lord Jagannatha shoots to the pinnacle during the annual festival of Ratha Yatra in the month of June – July. During this festival, the idols of Lord Jagannatha, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are taken in conventionally richly adorned gigantic chariots, hauled by countless aficionados to the Gundicha Ghar where they lodge for a week. The entire practice is recurred when the deities are returned to the temple. Earlier, the devotees used to throw themselves underneath the wheels of the giant chariots.

Holi
This is a colourful spring festival celebrated by the Indians. People smear and throw colours at each other making the festival fun-filled. Music, sweets, and the preparation of special dishes are chief features of the festival.

New Year
Goa is considered as the smallest state of India with a meager population ratio. The state is situated in the Konkan region on the western coastline of India. Goa is a wonderful beach resort with exquisite picturesque locations, lush green meadows, pristine sea beaches, world heritage architecture, churches and temples. Well known for its New Year celebrations, Goa attracts thousands of tourists during the Goan Carnival. The place takes pride in hosting innumerable number of nationwide and global tourists throughout every year.

Fairs

The Pushkar Mela
Pushkar is known for the holy Pushkar Lake and the many temples that dot the area. Puskar is associated with Lord Brahma and is the only place in India, which has a temple dedicated to Lord Brahma. It is believed that whoever takes a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake on Karthik Purnima day is absolved of all their sins. Pushkar is located in north-west of Ajmer and it is well connected by road with Jaipur and Delhi. Pushkar festival is not about camels only but it is also about horses, cows, goats and sheep and most importantly about the lively people of Rajasthan, who come to the Pushkar fair in their best attires. The festival looks like a riot of colors with men wearing colourful turbans and women in pleated ghagaras (ankle-length skirts) of different hues. The festival offers a wonderful opportunity to see the people selling and buying camels, goats, horses etc. Bargaining, negotiations and transactions remain order of the days during the festival. Pushkar is a religious town and is one of the important pilgrimage centers of Hindus. In the evening as dusk descends on Pushkar, thousands of butter lamps are lighted atop delicate leaf boats, which are released in the serene water of Lake Pushkar. The sight of thousands of flickering butter lamps makes a truly eternal sight. This fair is the world’s most fascinating desert festivals.

The Surajkund Mela
A very successful and praiseworthy initiative by the Haryana Tourism, the Surajkund Crafts Mela (Fair) started in the year 1981. The India was not only to portray the vivacious cultural heritage of India to global tourists, but also to facilitate the glimpses of the entire country in a capsule form. The fair is organized every year in mid – February at Surajkund village in the Faridabad district on the Delhi-Agra national highway. It is basically a handicrafts mela. Stalls from various states of India are put up in the form of huts with thatched roofs. Apart from colorful and attractive handicrafts items, there are also food stalls from almost every state of the country. Often folk artists from different regions colour the air with their foot thumping musical performances.

Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is considered to be the most sacred of all Hindu pilgrimages. It is attended by lakhs of people on the auspicious day – sanyasis, saints, monks – all ardent devotees of God are eager to take the pious dip in the holy water. This mass pilgrimage takes place four times every twelve years at four various locations – Haridwar, Ujjain, Nasik and Allahbad (Prayag) respectively. Other than the holy bath, people participate in devotional musical performances, religious talk shows, mass feeding etc.