Festivals & Events:

Indian celebrate a huge number of festivals, most of them highly spectular and filled with colours. Therfore, it is a huge task to list all of them over here. However, given below is the list of some prominent festivals & events of India.

[1] Republic Day - is celebrated on 26th January, every year. This is the day when India adopted the constitution and became a republic.

[2] Holi - the festival of colour is celebrated some time during the month of February/March It marks the beginning of spring and is one of the most colourful Hindu festivals in the north of India. People throw coloured water and powder to each other.

[3] Muharram - the 10-day Shi\'ite festival, also celebrated in February/March, commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed\'s grandson. It\'s marked by a grand parade in which participants scourge themselves with whips in religious fervour.

[4] Kumbh Mela - this huge festival commemorates an ancient battle between suras (gods) and asuras (demons) for a pitcher (kumbh) containing the nectar of immortality. During the fight for possession, four drops of nectar fell from the pitcher and landed in Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain. The mela is held every three years rotating through these four cities.

[5] Ram Navami - is birthday celebration of Lord Rama and involves religious observances.

[6] Independence Day - Indians on August 15 every year celebrate the birth of independent India.

[7] Rath Yatra - the procession in Puri, every year in June/July involves the temple car of Lord Jagannath making its annual journey, pulled by thousands of eager devotees.

[8] Ganesh Chaturthi - celebrated widely, but with particular enthusiasm in Mumbai and Pune is dedicated to the popular elephant-headed god, Ganesh. Festivities go on for 10 days during which the idol of Ganesha (or Ganpati) is worshipped at homes and every street corner. On the tenth day (or earlier in some cases) it is ceremonially immersed in the sea or a lake after being taken out in a lavish procession.

[9] Gandhi Jayanti - October 2, birthday of Mahatma Gandhi is a National holiday, every year.

[10] Dussehra & Durga Puja - September/October is the time to witness the Dussehra and Durga Puja Festivals, which are celebrated almost all over in India, but is perhaps at its most spectacular in West Bengal, Kullu, Mysore, and Ahmedabad.

[11] Diwali - the festival of lights is the happiest festival of the Hindu calendar and is celebrated over five days in October/November. Sweets, oil lamps and firecrackers all play a major part in this celebration in honour of a number of gods. Fall some time in October/November every year.