Muslim Festivals Calender

Muslim Festivals Calender - Muslims forms an important part of India's unique culture and tradition. Muslims in India follow and celebrate all famous Muslim holidays that are celebrated in different parts of the world. These Muslim Holidays in India are based on Islam Calendar and there dates keep on changing every year. Some of these festivals are marked by death anniversaries and birth of prominent Muslims like Prophet Muhammad.

The famous Muslim festivals that are celebrated in India are Ramzan (Ramadan), Muharram, Id-e-Milad and Bakr-id. Prayers are offered in the mosques and sweets are distributed among friends and relatives. Ramzan is the most important Muslim festival in India celebrated with lots of enthusiasm and fun. This festival starts with fasting for 40 days. Muslims areas in India becomes lively and bright towards the night as compared to day time. Eid prayers are offered for 4 to 5 times in a day. Almost all the institutions, colleges and universities including government offices in India remains closed on this Muslim Holidays. Ramzan is the most important of these holidays in India. India is the second most populous Muslim country in Asia.


Muslims Festivals Calendar 2012

February 2012 04 Saturday Milad un Nabi
(Birthday of the Prophet), Sunni
February 2012 09 Thursday Milad un Nabi, Shia

July 2012 20 Friday Ramadan Begins

August 2012 19 Sunday Id-Ul-Fitr, Ramadan Ends

October 2012 26 Friday Eid-Ul-Adha

December 2012 15 Thursday Al-Hijira/ Muharram begins

December 2012 24 Saturday Ashura

Sikh Festivals in India

Sikh Festivals in India - Sikhism is one of the important religions in India and there are many festivals celebrated by Sikh/Punjabi community. Most of the Sikh festivals are events to commensurate the birth and teachings of 10 gurus of Sikhs and their teachings. The birthdays of all Gurus especially the first and last Sikh Guru is celebrated on a grand level. The other festivals that hold significant importance in Sikh festival calendar are Baisakhi, Hola Mohalla and Diwali.

Sikhs do not practice worshipping an omnipresent divine power. They rather venerate their Gurus, various milestones achieved by the gurus and their teachings. Some of the Hindu festivals like Diwali are also celebrated by the Sikhs but with a completely different reason and philosophy.


Sikhism directs all forms of worship to Guru Granth Sahib Ji - a holy scripture for the Sikhs, which was compiled by their first Guru Nanak Sahib ji. His successors further edited and added on into the holy book. Devotees even circumambulate this Holy Scripture and bow their heads in devotion before it. Various festivals celebrated in Sikhism are celebrated by taking the scripture out in public processions.

Sikh festivals mainly encompass the birth days of their ten gurus. The birthday of gurus is celebrated with an unmatched vigor and Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the scripture is taken out from gurudwaras on a decorated palanquin and public processions follow it. Fireworks, distribution of sweets as Prasad and feasts at the gurudwara are all an inseparable part of these festivities. Music is considered to be the strongest medium to connect with the Supreme in Sikhism hence playing of gurbani (musical reading of the scripture); hearty dances and their martial arts display treat the eyes of viewers during the festivals.

Some of the most important Sikh festivals include birthday celebration of their first Guru Sri Guru Nank Dev Ji, his successors' birth days, Hola Mohalla, Baisakhi and Deepawali. Hola Mohalla can be equaled to an Olympics event. It is celebrated in the month of March and may co-incidentally fall on the day of Sikh New Year even. It is a week long event where Sikhs camp out and enjoy public display of their bravery and prowess. These displays are further followed by musical kirtans. Another quite interesting aspect of the festivals is that the entire Sikh sangat partaking in the festivities eats in parallel queues, also known as pangats. Vegetarian meal only is served in such feasts. On the concluding day of this festival, a military like long procession is taken out. Baisakhi is another major Sikh festival that commemorates the foundation of Khalsa panth. It is therefore celebrated with unmatched enthusiasm. Devotees flock the birthplace of their Khalsa philosophy, that is, Anandpur Sahib gurudwara. Other main places of worship including Golden temple in Amritsar and Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib Ji in Delhi also celebrate Baisakhi with great fanfare.

Know more on famous Sikh holidays and festivals celebrated by Sikhs and Punjabis all over India and worldwide.

Sikh Festival Calender 2012
Sikh Holiday Dates in 2012

January 2012 05 Thursday Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh
13 Friday Lohri
31 Tuesday Birthday of Guru Har Rai (Nanakshahi calendar)

March 2012 09 Friday Hola Mohalla

April 2012 13 Friday Baisakhi (Khalsa)


18 Wednesday Birthday of Guru Angad Dev (Nanakshahi calendar)
18 Wednesday Birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar)

May 2012 02 Wednesday Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar)
23 Wednesday Birthday of Guru Amar Das (Nanakshahi calendar)

June 2012 16 Saturday Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar)

July 2012 05 Thursday Birthday of Guru Hargobind (Nanakshahi
calendar)
23 Monday Birthday of Guru Har Krishen (Nanakshahi calendar)

October 2012 09 Tuesday Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar)

November 2012 16 Tuesday Diwali
24 Saturday Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar)

28 Thursday Guru Nanak Jayanti

Hindu Festivals 2012

Hindu Festival Calender - India is a land of cultural diversity and its essence lies in an assorted range of races and ethnicities dwelling here. Religion also is no exception to this and the country is home to people with diverse faiths and beliefs. Hinduism however dominates all the other religions because of its wide-spread presence (in terms of geographic area) and number of followers.

One of the most peculiar characteristic features of Hinduism is that it observes many festivals encompassing celebrations, festivity and fasts. Several festivals celebrated by the Hindus call for national holidays and are celebrated with great pomp and show whereas some are celebrated in different regions. Some festivals celebrate diverse incarnations of gods and goddesses and the devotees observe fasts on the day of the festival. Some other festivals on the other hand commemorate harvesting seasons, relationships or/and Vedic principles.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that Hindus celebrate almost anything to everything and that too with equal fervor. Right from the full moon to birth of a god or goddess and from death anniversaries of demon characters to initiations - every event is celebrated with equal vigor and show. Harvesting seasons, plenitude of harvests, seasons, moons and even creatures like snakes too call for a festivity (Nag Panchami) on scheduled days. Every event that is celebrated as a festival is a reason for fun and frolic, music and dance, though devotional only in some cases, and is followed by ritualistic feasts.

Furthermore, all these celebrations have a quintessential divine aspect to them. Hinduism in fact evolved as an organic culture in the medieval times and every animate or/and inanimate thing or being possible was categorized in the 'to be worshipped' category. Astronomical events like lunar or solar eclipse also have certain rituals and taboos attached to them. In short, each event in Hinduism basks in the overtones of religion. For every festival, there definitely is a deity who presides over all his/her counterparts for the day of the festival and all the festivities encompass the deity's likes. For example, during Navratri, women put on all the Shringars, which appeal to the presiding deity of the festival - Durga. People usually dress up in red or tones of red and devotional songs singing her praise only are played in puja pandaals. These festivities are considered to be a form of thanksgiving to the deity by his/her devotees and it is believed that those who take part in the events enthusiastically are blessed by the deity.

Some of the Hindu festivals such as Deepavali and Ganesh Chaturthi have by now gained a global avatar and are celebrated all over the world. However, there exist a plethora of community or/and location-specific festival as well that are celebrated to commemorate the importance of a god, any religious event or good harvest. Onam for example, is a specific Keralite festival whereas Skanda Sashthi is limited only to Tamil Nadu.

There are many Hindu festivals celebrated throughout the country with equal passion and devotion. The Hindu festivals in India involve lots of customs and rituals. There is a distinctive festival for every event of one's life and for season. Some of the Hindu festivals are region and community specific depending on the importance a certain God enjoys like Onam is celebrated only by Keralites. There are many Hindu festivals like Deepawali to Holi, Raksha Bandhan to Lohri, all full of color, fun and a deep religious importance.

Having said so much about Hindu festivals, India might appear a celebrative land to readers however the festivals are not sprinkled evenly on the calendar. The festive season in India starts in the middle of August - September and continues until November. Some festivals though have various legends attached to it that differ from one region to another. The festivities also differ a lot depending upon the geographical location. For example, an oil bath is a must on Deepavali in southern parts of India whereas north India celebrates deepavali in a completely different manner.

Whatever be the mode of celebration, reason to celebrate and/or legend behind it - festivals in India are a ritualistic riot and strengthen the bond of brotherhood amongst people. They leave indelible imprints of happiness and joy in the minds of people until another festival arrives, which again adds more color and joy to the life of Indians.


Hindu Religious Celebrations in 2012

Hindu Holidays Calender 2012

January 2012 13 Friday Lohri
14 Saturday Makar Sankranti

14 Saturday Pongal
23 Monday Mauni Amavasya
28 Saturday Vasant Panchami
February 2012 20 Monday Mahashivratri

March 2012 08 Thursday Holi
09 Friday Hola Mohalla

April 2012 01 Sunday Ram Navmi
06 Friday Hanuman Jayanti

12 Thursday Bikrami Samvat (Hindu New Year)
14 Saturday Baisakhi

24 Tuesday Akshaya Tritiya/ Akha Teej

May 2012 30 Wednesday Ganga Dussehra

June 2012 21 Thursday Rath Yatra

July 2012 03 Tuesday Guru Poornima
24 Tuesday Naag Panchami

August 2012 02 Thursday Rakh / Raksha Bandhan
09 Thursday Sri Krishna Janmashtami
29 Wednesday Onam

September 2012 19 Wednesday Ganesh Chaturathi

October 2012 16 Tuesday Navratras begins
20 Saturday Durga Puja Begins
24 Wednesday Dussehra

November 2012 01 Friday Karva Chauth
11 Sunday Dhan Teras
13 Tuesday Diwali
14 Wednesday Govardhan Puja
15 Thursday Bhai Duj
17 Saturday Chhath Puja Begins (Nahai Khai)
20 Tuesday Chhath Puja Ends (Suryodaya Argh)

Indian Festival Calender 2012

January 2012
01 Sunday New Year
05 Thursday Guru Govind Singh Jayanti
13 Friday Lohri
14 Saturday Makar Sankranti

14 Saturday Pongal
23 Monday Mauni Amavasya
23 Monday Chinese New Year
26 Thursday Republic Day
28 Saturday Vasant Panchami

February 2012
04 Saturday Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet), Sunni
09 Thursday Milad un Nabi, Shia
14 Tuesday Valentines Day
20 Monday Mahashivratri

March 2012
08 Thursday Holi
09 Friday Hola Mohalla
18 Sunday Mothering Sunday (UK)
21 Wednesday Navroz
23 Friday Gudi Padva
26 Monday Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra in Fasli Calendar)

April 2012
01 Sunday Ram Navmi
01 Sunday Palm Sunday (Western)
05 Thursday Mahavir Jayanti
06 Friday Hanuman Jayanti
06 Friday Passover (Till 13th April)
06 Friday Good Friday
08 Sunday Palm Sunday (Orthodox)
08 Sunday Easter (Western)
12 Thursday Bikrami Samvat (Hindu New Year)
13 Friday Baisakhi
15 Sunday Easter (Orthodox)
24 Tuesday Akshay Tritiya

May 2012
06 Sunday Buddha Jayanti / Buddha Purnima
13 Sunday Mother's Day
June 2012
16 Saturday Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi Calendar)
17 Sunday Father's Day
21 Thursday Rath Yatra

July 2012
03 Tuesday Guru Poornima
19 Thursday Jamshedi Noruz (Zoroastrian New Year in Qadimi Calendar)
20 Friday Ramadan Begins
22 Sunday Parents Day
24 Tuesday Naag Panchami

August 2012
02 Thursday Rakhi /Raksha Bandhan
05 Sunday Friendship Day
10 Friday Sri Krishna Janmashtami
15 Wednesday Independence Day
19 Sunday Id-Ul-Fitr, Ramadan Ends
29 Wednesday Onam

September 2012
05 Wednesday Teachers Day
09 Sunday Grandparents Day
19 Wednesday Ganesh Chaturathi

October 2012
02 Tuesday Gandhi Jayanti
16 Tuesday Navaratra Begins
16 Tuesday Boss Day
20 Saturday Durga Puja Begins
24 Wednesday Dussehra
26 Friday Eid-Ul-Adha
31 Wednesday Halloween

November 2012
02 Friday Karva Chauth
11 Sunday Dhan Teras
13 Tuesday Diwali
13 Tuesday Kali Puja
14 Wednesday Govardhan Puja
14 Wednesday Children's Day
15 Thursday Bhai Duj
15 Thursday Al-Hijira, Muharram Begins
17 Saturday Chhath Puja Begins (Nahai Khai)
20 Tuesday Chhath Puja Ends (Suryodaya Argh)
22 Thursday Thanksgiving Day
28 Wednesday Guru Nanak Jayanti

December 2012
08 Saturday Hanukkah (After sunset till 16th December)
25 Tuesday Christmas

Shopping Malls in Delhi

Delhi, the nation capital is the melting pot of various cultures that belongs to the various regions and communities of India. Delhi is considered as the second largest market in the country in terms of size and socioeconomic profile. It is a paradise for shopalics.

This modern cosmopolitan city of India has no dearth of shopping centres or malls. With a booming economy, these new lavish shopping malls are the true manifestation of India's changing scenario. Each and every corner of Delhi has at least one or more shopping malls which are the latest hangout zones for the Delhiites.

There are basically two two types of shopping malls, one specializing in a single field and another an amalgamation of wide variety of stores under one single roof. Almost all the malls of Delhi are multiplexes malls that means a place where you will get exclusive shops overflowed with various artifacts but also have restaurants and movie halls. So, these shopping malls are the ideal destination for entertainment for an entire family as you can enjoy latest movie, shop and also satisfy your appetite with a delicious meal.

Here, are some of the renowned shopping malls of Delhi that cater to the need of every shopper.

Ansal Plaza, Khel Gaon marg, Andrews Ganj:- Ansal Plaza at Hudco place in Andrews Ganj is the first mall in Delhi. It is a place for fashionista people. Here, you will get good collection of designer clothes and exquisitely designed jewelry. It boasts some of the best brands for apparels such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Marks and Spencer. Apart from the shops, other major attractions of Ansal plaza are the music shows, art exhibitions and poetry programme that are organize by the makers at a regular basis to give shoppers a pleasant shopping experience. Ansal plaza is really a masterpiece of modern contemporary architecture, which is decorated with well designed gardens and fountains.

AEZ Square, Near PVR Cinema, Vikaspuri :- It is one of the multiplex shopping mall, located at Vikaspuri near PVR Cinema, West Delhi. It is total entertainment zone as this shopping mall is comprises of glittering shops, eating zones and indoor games for the children. There is a Music World store available in this mall, which has a rich collection of various kinds of melodious music. For all you beauty conscious people, there is a beauty clinic established by the famed beautician of our country Shahnaz Hussain. So, visit this beauty clinic and get rid of all your beauty problems.

Emporio Mall, Vasant kunj:- One of the luxurious shopping mall in Asia, Emporia mall was opened in August 2008 at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. It is one of the most expensive mall of Delhi city and developed by the DLF Universal group. This lavish mall is designed by Mr. Mohit Gujral. He had used Italian marbles and gold linings to give a royal touch to the decoration of this mall. This mall comprises of 130 brands among which 70 are the international brands namely Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi Armani, Versace, Hugo boss, Escada and some watch brands like Piguet, Chopard and IWC. EVEN You can dressed yourself with the beautiful collections of 34 Indian fashion designers that are available here. Beside shopping, you can even check out the restaurants, a salon, a member's club and a spa for some added entertainment.

Select City Walk Mall, Saket:- It is one of the first large scale shopping mall ie is constructed at the Saket District Centre in the South Delhi. This premier shopping mall have a multiplex, serviced apartments, offices and public spaces. It was a joint venture between Select Group and Aarone Group. It is again divided into three broad zones namely Staple Traditional( family), Celebration (centre stage) and High Voltage (youth). There are eight anchor tenants includihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng Goodearth Verandah, Pantaloons, Crossword Bookstore, Mothercare, Arcelia, and Home Stop. The mall also has 125 stores representing over 500 major Indian and international brands of clothes and apparels including Aldo, Calvin Klein, Esprit, French Connection, Gant, Guess, Kipling, La Senza, Levi's, Mango, Next, Pepe Jeans, Replay, Tommy Hilfiger, and United Colors of Benetton. In addition, there are stores by Clinique, Lancôme, L'Occitane, MAC and The Body Shop. The mall also houses a PVR Cinemas multiplex, an open amphitheater and many more attractions.

Apart from these Shopping malls their are some more fabulous shopping centers available within the territory of Delhi city such as Metro Walk Mall, Sector 10, at Rohini, Cross River Mall at Shahdara, Mamram Majesty Mall at Pitampura, North Ex Mall near Kadambari at Rohini, Manish Mega Mall, Dwarka etc.

For more info on Online Shopping malls of Delhi city, click on to http://www.MyGrahak.com

Top 10: Online shopping sites in India

Shop online: Online shopping has become a popular trend in India now. People have been enjoying the convenience of having their order shipped right to their doorstep. But people often get confused in selection of reliable sites as there are a plethora of sites, and everyone claims to be reliable. But in actual only few are up to the mark. Thus to facilitate you, here is our pick of top 10 online shopping sites.

ebay.in:eBay is one of India's leading online marketplace. It is an online marketplace where anyone can trade practically anything. It is a platform for the sale of goods and services by a diverse community of individuals and businesses. eBay users trade in more than 50,000 categories including collectibles, antiques, sports memorabilia, computers, IT and office, art, antiques, toys, dolls, stamps, comics, magazines, music, pottery, glass, photography, electronics, jewellery and gemstones, claims the company.

fashionandyou.com: Fashion and You is an invitation-only online destination. It features the best International & Indian designer brands in luxury, hi-fashion and lifestyle experiences for men, women, children and your home.

flipkart.com: It is an online chopping site that lets users shop various items including books, mobile accessories, cameras, game consoles, MP3 players, home and kitchen appliances and much more, online at discounted prices. It offer multiple methods to make payments for order: credit card, debit card, net Banking, e-gift voucher and cash on delivery. The order is generally delivered within 3-4 working days.

mygrahak.com: MyGrahak.com is said to be India's largest online SuperMarket. It sells a wide range of products like FMCG, Food, Non Food, Grocery, Rice, Gourmets and others. Attractive offers are also available for shopping online at MyGrahak.com.

futurebazaar.com: It is one of India's largest online retailers and is part of Future Group %u2013 owner of brands like Big Bazaar, Pantaloons & Central. It offers a wide range in cameras, consumer durables, home decor, home entertainment, appliances and electronics, mobile.

homeshop18.com: Homeshop18 is a virtual retailer operating in a multimedia environment that includes television, web, catalogue and print to sell high quality products and services directly to consumers across the country. It deals in books, movies and music, gifts and flowers, mobiles and accessories, camera and camcoders, electronics, computers and peripherals, toys and games and much more.

myntra.com: It is an online shopping destination for fashion and lifestyle products. It lets you shop online from the latest catalog of original branded products in apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and kids.

snapdeal.com: The website claims to offer 50-90 per cent off daily discount deals in major cities of India. It is touted to be the one-stop-shop for availing discount coupons/vouchers for restaurants, spa, gyms, travel/holiday packages and other cool things in your city.

letsbuy.com: Letsbuy.com is an Internet retailer of branded Consumer electronics and IT products, which claims to offer more than 9000 products from top international and domestic brands. The company deals in technology products like notebooks, printers, networking, digital cameras, storage and Consumer electronics such as LCD TVs, mobile phones, MP3 players, gaming and home electronics.

mydala.com: It is a platform which gets you great deals you want in your city. It claims to offer deals each day - 40-95 per cent off on the best of restaurants, shopping, salons in your city.

Festivals of India

India is often referred as the land of the festival. Through out the year various festivals are celebrated all over the country. Different types of people based on the religious, caste and cultural background exist in the country. Though there is so much of diversity, these people live in complete harmonious way. Being a secular country, India offers it's citizens freedom of practicing any religion and culture unless it creates communal disharmony. Festivals are one occasion which brings best out of Indians. During festivals they forget all enmities and open their arms to every visitors. These festivals are celebrated amidst much fanfare and on most occasion people from different community join each other in their moment of joy.

People in India have lot of respect for each others religion. The active involvement in the celebration of each others festivals bring unity among the general population and has led to the continuity of its secular credential. There are varied reasons for the celebrations of festivals in India. Some of them are celebrated to welcome new season, the rains or the full moon. Others are celebrated on religious occasions, birthday of religious saints, gurus and spiritual leaders. Most of these festivals are commonly celebrated in every part of India though with a different name. The celebrations are in the form of traditional rituals or prayers, seeking blessing, exchanging of friendship, beautifying the house, wearing new clothes, dancing and feasting.

Important Festivals of India

Home to some of the major religions of world like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, etc, people of India celebrate every festivals quite devoutly and joyfully. Each region and religion have something to celebrate across the year. These festivals kind of reflect the life styles of people of this country. Colourful culture, traditions and festivity always keep people on their feet. Add this to joyful celebration in the form of feet tapping dances, exchanging of gifts etc, festivals are truly an occasion to treasure in India.

Sheer number of festivals celebrated all over the country makes it quite tough to keep a tap on all of them. The list of the festivals celebrated in Indian may go on and on. Some of the major festivals celebrated are Deepawali, Holi, Dussehra, Navratri, Raksha Bandhan, Christmas, Buddha Purnima, Ramadan, Eid, Baisakhi, Mahavir Jayanti, etc. There are some regional base festivals like Pongal, Onam, Bihu etc. Apart from them independence days, Gandhi Jayanti and republic day are important national festivals. They are celebrated in equally pompous way as others.

Types of Festivals

People in India celebrate different variety of festivals. Each of these festivals are as important as others.

With the globalization festivals too have become globalized. Many international festivals like Father's day, Mother's day, Valentine day, etc too are celebrated in quite popularly. There are many other national and local level festivals celebrated in India. All these festivals have become the essential part of the country's day to day life.

International festivals: People in India also join world community in celebrating major international festivals. Being global citizen they pride in celebrating these festivals. Some of the major international festivals celebrated are Christmas, Father's day, Mother's day, Valentine days, Daughter's day, etc.

National Festivals:

There are some festivals which are simultaneously celebrated through out the country. Though they may be named differently in some regions. Some of the important national festivals celebrated though out the country are Deepawali, Holi, Dussehra, Christmas, Eid, Rakshabandhan, Independence day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti, etc. Dussehra which is a very popular festival is celebrated at one time with different name through out the country. In some parts of country like Bengal and Assam it is celebrated as Durga Puja. Deepawali is perhaps the most popular festival of India. According to the legend, this festival of light is celebrated in honour of the return of lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.

Though it is basically Hindu festival, during Deepawali people from every religion join in the celebration.

Local or Regional festivals:

In India every region have their own local or regional festivals. These festivals are an important occasion for community bonding. In fact these festivals are celebrated in as grand affairs as others. Some of the important regional festivals are Pongal, Onam, Bihu, Lohri, Baisakhi, etc. Pongal is an important regional festival of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the most important Tamilian festivals and celebrated every year on the 14th January.

For further info :MyGrahak.com

Top 10 Festivals in India

Colours, songs, dance, prayers and oil lamps are typical for Indian festivals.

The large population across the vast region of India is consist of different religions that celebrate their own religious festivals. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism are major religions in India, among others. Some festivals are unique to local regions while there are other vibrant festivals celebrated throughout the country. The following describes some of the widely celebrated festivals in India.

Durga Puja and Dussehra

Travels during the later part of year to any Hindu region of India, will present visitors the Durga Puja, one of the biggest and most popular festivals in the country of the Hindus. This festival is in worship of the the Hindu Goddess of Power, Goddess Durga. Although the festival is a ten-day affair, observation of rituals and ceremonies are performed in the last six days. The last day of Durga Puja is known as Dashami or Dussehra.The festival takes place generally between the months of September and November and is widely celebrated in Eastern India. States from other parts such as Delhi and Karnataka also celebrate this festival. Thus, we can say that celebration of this festival takes place with great gusto all over India.

Diwali

Diwali or Deepavali for the Tamils, is the festivals of lights. Celebration of Diwali is also celebrated grandly throughout India. As India boasts of diverse cultural heritage, every region celebrates Diwali in its own special and unique ways as the visitors on different tours will witness. However, the history behind the celebration of Diwali is the same throughout all regions and is based on the legendary victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravan. Mainly, five days are observed as Diwali. Dahnteras, Choti Diwali, Badi Diwali or Lakshmi Puja, Govardan Puja and Bhai Duj are the five days of the Diwali celebrations. Each of these days has its own significance and history related to the divine celebration.

Ramzan Eid (Id-Ul-Fitr) In Id-Ul-Fitr, the word Id means festivity and Fitr means breaking of fasting. Therefore, the term means breaking of fasting and having celebrations. Id-Ul-Fitr indicates the end of the Muslim month of fasting, Ramdan. Id-Ul-Fitr takes place when a new moon is seen after a month of fasting. The Muslims visit the mosques and offer prayers to Almighty Allah. Id-UL-Fitr is a three-day celebration. Some devotees may even choose to travel on a pilgrimage tour to Mecca, considered as the Islamic Holy Land. This festival is celebrated not only in India, but also all over the world where Muslims can be found such as Pakistan, United Kingdom, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, just to name a few.

Holi

Tours to many regions in India during March will surely include Holi, the festival of colors. It signifies the victory of good over evil and celebrations are through a carnival of colors. The main occasion takes place on the day of full moon in March every year. This popular festival is celebrated throughout India. Holi started in Mathura at Vrindavan which is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. People celebrate this day smearing each other's face with colors, known as "abir".

Janmashtami

Janmashtami signifies the day of the birth of Lord Krishna, who is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The date of the festival is not fixed. It depends on the cycle of the moon, according to the HIndu calendar. However, it usually takes place in the month of August or September. The first day is spent on fasting and offering prayers until midnight, when Lord Krishna was believed to be born. Many Hindu devotees travel to Dwarkadhish temple in Dwarka- Gujerat as part of pilgrimage, and Shri Krishna Balaram temple, in Orissa are some of the venues, where the main celebrations are performed.

Ram Navami

Ram Navami signifies the birthday of Lord Rama. Celebrations of Ram Navami take place on the ninth day of "Sukla Paksha" in the months of March and April, determined by the Hindu calendar. The day of the festival begins with offering of prayers to the sun and then singing devotional songs during the midday, the time when Lord Rama was believed to be born. Celebrations are the most grand in Ayodhya, the place of birth of Lord Rama, and a popular tour destination especially for HIndu devotees.

Ganesh Chaturthi

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is dedicated to the Remover of obstacles, Lord Ganesha, son of Lord Shiva. It is a ten-day long festival. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great gusto in Maharashtra and other South Indian states. People buy Ganesh idols and worship it for ten continuous days. After the tenth day, the idol is immersed in a river or sea. During this festival, cultural programmes and feasts are also held to liven up the occasion even more and such events are interesting additions to any travel itinerary.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak Jayanti is the main festival of the Sikh religion. It is the birthday of the founder of Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev. It is celebrated in the month October or November on the day of full moon. Sikhs celebrates this festival by visiting the Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and offering prayers. They start the day with a morning procession from the Gurdwaras proceeding to respective localities singing hymns. There are also other practices such as distribution of Langar or common meals to everyone in the community and lighting up earthen lamps in homes are observed in this festival.

Onam

Onam is a widely celebrated festival in the state of Kerala. This ten-day festival signifies the harvest season which also corresponds with Chingam, the Malayalam new year. During the festive period, people wear new clothes, visit temples, perform traditional dances like Kaikottikkali. The main theme of this festival that one cannot miss is the rowing of boats in huge rows to the rhythm of drums. Tours to the renowned Keralan backwaters during this festive season can include the exciting boating event that is sure to enthrall any traveller.

Ooty Summer Festival

The summer festival in Ooty is held in the month of May. This festival is held at Botanical Garden. This cool region in India with greeneries all around and so it is just perfect for the Ooty Summer Festival. Many fairs and shows such as Flower Shows, Fruit Shows, Boat Races comprises of the Ooty Festival. Cultural programmes traditional classical arts are also a part of the festival. Sports such as trekking are also arranged for people who love sports.