India is a culturally rich land which offers many festivals on its soil. Celebrating All those festivals in one is country is amazing to experience. The beautify of India is intensified by these festivals. Check out these most popular festivals of India
1. Diwali– Festival of Lights
This Indian festival is famous for lighting up our lives, Diwali is joyously celebrated globally now. Carrying a powerful message of the victory of good over evil, the festival is celebrated in every nook and corner of India.
Best Places to Celebrate Diwali:
- Varanasi
- Jaipur
- Delhi
2. Holi– Festival of Colors
Holi is popularly known as the festival of color. This festival is also slowly gaining popularity in the global sphere. Holi is celebrated by splashing and applying colors on each other and most of the people use water only instead of color.
Best Places to Celebrate Holi:
- Goa
- Delhi
- Mathura
- Rajasthan
Also, Read Top 10 Places To Visit In Jaipur – The Pink City
3. Christmas– Birth of Jesus Christ
The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with ecstatic happiness throughout India on Christmas. The warm smell of walnut cakes can be smelled in every household. People adorn Christmas trees in their homes with colorful stars and hanging balls and with lights. On this day, Most of the people also visit the Church to get the holy blessings of Christ on this auspicious festival.
Best Places to Celebrate Christmas:
- Shillong
- Mumbai
- Pondicherry
- Goa
- Kerala
4. Dussehra- Vijayadasami
The zenith of the 9 days of Navratri, end in the 10th day of Dussehra. The main charm of this festival is the burning down of the effigies of Ravan, which is a sign of when Lord Rama defeats Ravan in the epic tale of Ramayana. In addition to this, the days following up to Dussehra are marked by portraying the entire Ramayana through street plays called Ramlila.
Best Places to Celebrate Dussehra:
- Kulu
- Mysore
- Kolkata
- Varanasi
5. Durga Puja- Durgotsava or Navaratri
Durga Puja is a major festival for the Bengalis in India. The colorful and high energy festival is celebrated by decorating huge pandals in which a beautifully decorated idol of Goddess Durga sits. Then it is followed by a lot of dancing, singing, and wholesome enjoyment. Celebrations of Durga Puja in Kolkata is something you can’t miss it.
Best Places to Celebrate Durga Puja:
- Kolkata
- Assam
- Bihar
6. Janmashtami– Birth of Lord Krishna
It’s a Hindu God, Lord Krishna’s birthday which is celebrated as Janmashtami prominently in North India. However, this is mainly taking place in Vrindavan and Mathura which is the birthplace of Krishna. Here, the temples are filled with masses of people, fasting on this auspicious day and waiting for the temple priest to reveal the Krishna idol at the exact time of his birth.
Best Places to Celebrate Janmashtami:
- Mathura
- Vrindavan
- Dwarka
7. Ganesh Chaturthi– Vinayaka Chathurti
Mainly celebrated in the state of Maharashtra of India, the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is the example of a culturally charged environment. It lasts over a period of 10 days. The last day is seen as the maximum amount of celebration. On the last day, Lord Ganesha is carried to the seashore for the procession of Visarjan, pushing the idol inside the water body.
Best Places to Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi:
- Mumbai
- Pune
- Hyderabad
Also, Read 10 Must-Visit Places In Udaipur, The City Of Lakes
8. Eid-Ul-Fitr– Marks the End of Ramadan
Eid-Ul-Fitr is a significant festival for Muslims in India. The festival is celebrated by people visiting the mosque for an auspicious prayer, wearing new clothes and preparing delicacies like Sewainyan to be enjoyed. Children are given idi, a small token of money as a gift and relatives exchange sweets and gifts with each other. It is a festival that celebrates brotherhood among humanity.
Best Places to Celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr:
- Delhi
- Hyderabad
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
9. Onam– Harvest Festival of Kerala
Onam is an important festival of Kerala. People celebrate it by decorating their house with various decorative arrangements and woman wear the gorgeous white and golden border sarees. The festival is celebrated by Kathakali dances and theatrical plays of the artist dressed as tigers and hunters.
Best Place to Celebrate Onam:
- Kerala
10. Raksha Bandhan– Rakhi or “Bond of Protection”
Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the everlasting and powerful bond of brothers and sisters. On this day, All sisters tie a promising thread to their brothers’ wrist, as a symbol of protection. In return, the sister receives varieties of gifts and goodies from her brother.
Best Places to Celebrate Raksha Bandhan:
- Uttarakhand
- Orissa
- Maharashtra
Also, Read 70 Amazing Tourist Places To Visit In India Before You Turn…
11. Pongal– Tamil Harvest Festival
Pongal is a popular festival in south India. The festival is celebrated in a traditional costume, through dances, bonfires, and songs of celebration. People also decorate their homes with beautiful rangolis, using colored rice and power pedals, expressing the nurturing harvest produced by the farmers.
Best Places to Celebrate Pongal:
- Madurai
- Thanjavur
12. Gurupurab – Anniversary of A Guru’s Birth or Death
It is a celebration of the birth anniversaries of the Sikh Gurus. Gurupurab is a significant festival for the Sikh community. Kadha Prashad, a sweet and holy dish is served at langars and people even burst firecrackers in the night to celebrate Gurgupurab.
Best Place to Celebrate Gurupurab:
- Amritsar
13. Maha Shivratri – The Great Night of Shiva
Maha Shivratri, It means the night of Shiva is a Hindu festival dedicated to the destroyer, Lord Shiva. On this day, people visit Shiva temples and pray and chant auspicious hymns. Some people even fast the entire day to show their devotion to the Almighty.
Best Places to Celebrate Maha Shivratri:
- Varanasi
- Guwahati
- Haridwar and Rishikesh
- Srisailam
14. Hemis – Birth of Padmasambhava
It is an important two-day festival in the lovely panorama of Ladakh. Hemis festival is celebrated by a plethora of activities, including traditional dancing in traditional costumes, that attract many tourists from all over the world. It is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of the founder of Tibet Tantric Buddhism.
Best Place to Celebrate Hemis:
- Ladakh
15. Lodhi – Punjabi Folk Festival
A harvest festival of North India, Lodhi is a lively festival celebrated with warmth and harmony. The festival is meant to celebrate the winter harvest in January. It is enjoyed around a warm bonfire at night, where people eat popcorns and peanuts, basking in the fire and the love for each other in this glorious festival.
Best Places to Celebrate Lodhi:
- Amritsar
- Jalandhar
- Ludhiana
- Chandigarh
- Delhi
Also, read Top 10 Places To Visit In Jaipur – The Pink City
