Different Types of Indian Festivals

India is well known for its cultural and traditional festivals all over the world. As it is a secular country
full of diversity in religions, languages, cultures and castes, every month some festival celebration
happens. Among these festivals, some are religious, some are based on the seasons while some
are of national importance. Each and every festival is celebrated uniquely in different ways according
to the various rituals and beliefs. Each festival has its own history, legend and significance of
celebration. Festivals bring bonding, love, cross-cultural exchange and happiness among people.

National Festivals
Festivals and fairs are significant parts of Indian cultural life. Some of the festivals are celebrated at
a national level whereas others are at a regional level. National festivals such as Gandhi Jayanti,
Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated by the people of all religions across the entire
nation. These festivals fill us with great pride and remind us of the freedom fighters who sacrificed
their lives to make India independent and free from British rule. The whole nation unites together to
celebrate these festivals and the spirit of togetherness, patriotism and nationalism can be found
everywhere.

Religious Festivals
There are some religious festivals which are celebrated as a whole by different communities.
These include Diwali, Dussehra, Rakhsha Bandhan, Id-ul-Fitz, Id-ul-Zuha, Christmas, Ganesh
Chaturthi, etc which are accompanied by religious rituals of one kind or the other. These traditional
festivals have two aspects. One is worship which is performed according to specific religious norms.
Another is composite culture, as the members of any community can participate and celebrate these
religious festivals. Thus, our festivals represent unity and encourage social bonding.
Seasonal Festivals
In India, most festivals are seasonal in nature. They announce the change in the season and mark
the harvesting seasons. All the seasonal festivals are celebrated during two harvesting seasons,
kharif (in the month of August and October) and rabi (in the month of March and April). Besides,
spring is another period of seasonal festivals. In Punjab, the Lohri festival indicates the harvesting of
the winter crop. Pongal, Bihu and Onam celebrations mark the harvesting of paddy crops. Similarly,
Holi and Baisakhi are celebrated to mark the harvesting of new rabi crops. Thus, these festivals
symbolise the arrival of joy and wealth to farmers’ lives.

Conclusion
It is said that “Greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals”. India has proved this saying as a
variety of festivals are celebrated with full joy and happiness across the country. Different cultures
and religions get tied together in bonds of love with invisible threads of celebrations. That’s why India
is also known for unity in cultural diversity. Festivals teach us how to fight evil and falsehood and
establish truth. The festivals are marked by fervour, hope, and prayers for a better tomorrow.