Diwali symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional diyas (as illustrated). Fireworks are associated with the festival in some regions of the country.
Diwali is the festival of sweets. Days before the festival , the ladies of the family start preparing traditional delicacies for the family and friends. On Diwali they distribute these sweets to the friends and neighbours and the needy. We cannot imagine Diwali without sweets and savouries that are specially made at home. These sweets are very family specific. Each family has its own recipe of the cuisines which they use year after year.
Pongal:
The spirit of Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, is giving thanks to God for a bountiful harvest as people prepare a special dish called 'Sarkkarai Pongal' and pray for the blessings of the Sun God. One of the most popular Tamilian festival, it is celebrated on January 14th every year coinciding with Makar Sankranti in the North, Lohri in Punjab, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Bhogi of Andhra Pradesh. Mainly a three-day festival, the fourth day just after the festival is dedicated to outdoors and excursions.
Pongal also marks the beginning of a New Year and is the day to praise and thank God with full devotion and faith and sincerity of heart. Old vices and past should be abandoned forever on this day as we get ready to start life afresh. The festival covers all living beings including humans, cattle and birds and crops. Even the insects have not been overlooked and are offered rice flour to feed on in the form of 'Kollam' on the entranceway of the houses. Thus, Pongal is a day for peace and happiness for all.
Onam:
Onam Festival is one of the most important festival of Kerala or South India. It is a bright and colourful festival that celebrates the bounties of nature and a year of good harvest. The festival stretches on for ten days - days filled with feasting, boat racing, singing and dancing. Rituals along with new clothes, traditional cuisine, dance, and music mark this harvest festival. Women dress up in new saris and heavy jewelry and make elaborate and intricate designs of 'rangolis' (with colored rice paste) and 'pookkalam' (with flowers) in front of their homes.
Ganesh Chaturathi:
Ganesh Chaturathi is a day of worship of Lord Ganesha or Ganapati. Ganesha or Ganapati is an extremely popular God in India. He is called Vighneshvara or Vighnahartaa, the Lord of and destroyer of obstacles. People mostly worship Him asking for siddhi, success in undertakings, and buddhi, intelligence. He is worshipped before any venture is started. He is also the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.
Holi:
Holi also known as festival of colors has a traditional significance of social harmony between the various classes of society. It is the day when all classes of people are free to draw all parts of society into a celebration including passers by. The celebrations of holi festival in india are usually carried out on people of different class on each other, thus representing a time for breaking down barriers.
Navratri:
Navratri is one of the holy festivals of hinduism. Nav' means 'nine' and 'ratri' means 'night', thus, 'Navratri' means 'nine nights'. It is a festival of nine nights, during which we worship goddess of shakti.
When the supreme being begins to manifest its cosmic energy, it is variously known as Sakti, Devi or Divine Mother, who assumes many forms according to the tasks to be preformed by her. She is also known as Durga, Lakshmi or Sarawati in her destructive, protective, and knowledge giving roles respectively. These three aspects of the Divine Mother are worshipped during Devi Navaratri puja, the nine nights. It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine manifestations of Durga. During Navaratri (the word literally means "nine nights") devotees of Durga observe a fast.
Indian Festivals - Hindu Festivals
