India is known as a land of fairs and festivals. There are number of Indian festivals that are celebrated throughout the year as there are various religions in various parts of the country. They are Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists and many others. India is a land of mixed cultures; so every festival is celebrated in different fashion in accordance with the culture of people in different regions.
Hindu religion is such a colorful religion that celebrates even small feasts as festival. Whether it's the birthday of any of their Lord, death anniversary, any historical victory, marriage of any lord, the New Year, new moon, harvests, initiations, they all are celebrated in India.
In Hindu religion both animate and inanimate are considered sacred and that is the reason they have hundreds of festivals and fairs in Hindu calendar every year. There are many Hindu festivals but some of the most popular Hindu festivals are Dewali, Holi, Pongal, Dussehra, Onam and Rakhi.
Dewali is a famous festival among the Hindus. The festival is celebrated on the occasion of Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama killing a demon Narakasura. Another story behind the festival is that it celebrates the return of Rama and Sita to the kingdom of Ayodha after fourteen years of exile. Holi is also another famous festival; it commemorates the slaying of the demoness Holika by Lord Vishnu's devotee Prahlad. Pongal is celebrated in the mid January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan, sun's journey northwards. It is the harvest festival in the state of Tamil Nadu and celebrated with much enthusiasm and fervor especially in the rural areas to thank the Sun and cattle responsible for the good harvest.
The Dussehra festival marks the victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravana, which means the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. Beautifully decorated tableaux and processions depicting various episodes from Ram's life are taken out on the streets. The Onam festival is celebrated as a harvest festival by Malayalees. It is celebrated at a time when everything appears so wonderful in nature. It is regarded as the most important and the biggest festival of Kerala. But, there is a lot more to Onam than being just a festival. Onam reflects the faith of the people of Kerala; A belief in their legendary past, religion and power of worship.
Similarly, the Muslims in India celebrate their own festivals. The Muslims in India celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-ul-Fitr and Moharram. Eid ul Fitr is most celebratory of all Muslim festivals. It is celebrated after the fasting month of Ramzan on the first day of the Shavval month of the Hijri year. Legend says that the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the last ten days of Ramadan.
The feast of Bakra eid is an occasion to give and to sacrifice. It is a day to thank the Almighty for one's good fortune and to share it with the less fortunate brethren. Popularly, Bakra eid is marked by the slaughter of animals as sacrificial offerings, after which the meat is distributed among the needy and deprived.
Similarly, there are many other Indian festivals for the Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians and various other religions in India.
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