Dev Deepawali
It is the Day when the Gods visit Varanasi to celebrate. Dev Deepawali, like Diwali, is a festival of lights. Varanasi springs to life on this day even more than usual. The holy city Varanasi looks stunning with the beautiful decoration and glittering lights. The river bank is beautifully decorated with flowers and millions of diyas or lamps to honor the gods. The Ghats, that Varanasi is famous for, are a spectacle to witness on the day of Dev Deepawali. Prayer sessions are organized for the auspicious day and a large number of devotees gather at temples and ghats for and the Ganga aarti performed on this day is capable of sending you into a trance. The day is the magical journey of lifetime….with the divine experience which will remains in the heart and soul forever.
HOLI : “Festival of Colours “
Every street, every city and every corner has a story to tell — all you have to do is listen. But it is tradition, culture, and celebrations that truly bring this country together. One of the most exuberant Festival in the country is called “Holi “-Festival OfColors.” It is vibrant and filled with beautiful colours. With the onset of spring, northern India gets into the colourful mood of Holi. This colourful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. This festival is celebrated in a grand style in Pushkar with high security by police officials. People spend the day smearing colored powder all over each other's faces, throwing coloured water at each other, having parties, and dancing under water sprinklers. Bhang (a paste made from cannabis plants) is also traditionally consumed during the celebrations.
Hornbill Festival
It is one of the most cherished festivals of Nagaland, India’s Far North Eastern state and celebrated by locals with much enthusiasm and zeal. The festival is named after Hornbill, one of the most venerated bird species in the state whose importance is reflected in a number of tribal cultural expressions, songs and dances. Almost 85% of Nagaland’s population still depends upon agriculture, so most of their festivals revolve around agriculture which they consider sacred. The Hornbill Festival is one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior tribes of Nagaland.
Thaipusam festival
Chanting and drumming fill the air as thousands of devotees form large, chaotic, noisy processions and march from temples to worship areas.You may have seen images of Hindu devotees fearlessly piercing their faces or dragging sleds attached to their bodies with hooks, but exactly what is Thaipusam? Why do they pierce their bodies?Thaipusam (sometimes also spelled as it is pronounced, "Thaipoosam") is a frenetic festival celebrated by Hindu Tamils to honor Lord Murgan — the Hindu god of war and a son of ShivaSome sects argue that Thaipusam is for celebrating Lord Murugan's birthday, while others claim the birthday to be in May or June during the Vaikhasi month.Regardless, Thaipusam commemorates Lord Murugan's gift of a vel (spear) from his mother, Parvati, the Hindu goddess of love and fertility. Frenzied participants shout "vel! vel! vel!" above the drumming in the procession.
Fairs and Festivals Of India