Enjoy the 7 Festivals of India during Your Volunteering Period in the Country

India is known for her diverse culture and age-old tradition. This ancient civilization has evolved over centuries. Today, India is home to several festivals that underline the fun-loving nature of the people of the country.  If you visit Indian as a volunteer, you can get the opportunity to experience some of the most joyous and unique festivals in the country. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the most popular festivals celebrated in India.

Holi
 
This festival of colours is celebrated throughout India with zest and fervour. You will be lucky, if your volunteering India schedule matches ashes with the date of Holi. The festival heralds spring and celebrates the end of winter. There is however a mythological twist to the initiation of the festival. It is said that once upon a time there was a demon king called Hiranyakashap. He was destined to die in the hands of his son Prahlad. The king tried to kill his son in several ways. On one such attempt, his sister, Holika who was blessed with the power to not burn, offered to help her brother.
 
She sat with Prahlad and ordered some soldiers to put her on fire. She had hoped that she would not die while the child would burn to death. Holika was not supposed to kill a person by fire. So, the blessing backfired and she was burned to death. Prahlad was saved without a scratch.
 
From that day onwards, Holi is celebrated to rejoice the victory of good over evil.

Diwali

This is the festival of lights. Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and his brother Laxman from the forest after 14 years of exile. When Lord Ram returned the people of Ayodhya, the place where he was born, fired crackers and lighted clay lamps.
 
Till today, Diwali is celebrated in India with lots of cheers and merriment. Indians light candles and clay lamps. These days, they also decorate their homes with LED lights. People fire crackers; visit each others’ homes and share sweets and savouries.
 
Lohri

Lohri is celebrated on the day of winter solstice. It is mostly celebrated by the Sikh community. However, people from other communities also take full pleasure of this festival. Lohri is mostly celebrated in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
 
The people start a fire in a big area and dance around it. It is a fun-filled festival and involves eating lots of tasty food items.
 
Durga Puja

Come October and you can be a part of the greatest festival of the Bengali community in India. This 4 day festival rejoices the killing of the demon king Mahishashura in the hands of Goddess Durga. Legend has it that the Goddess travels to earth from her heavenly abode.
 
Easter
 
Easter is celebrated by the Christians. According to the New Testament, Easter is the day when Jesus Christ was resurrected. Christians attend Sunday Mass and feast themselves to Easter egg, cakes and special dishes.
 
Bohag Bihu

This festival of Assam is celebrated in the middle of April as the Assamese New Year. It also heralds the season of spring. The festival is celebrated for 7 days. People enjoy eating traditional Assamese dishes during this festival.
 
Songs associated with the festival are called Bihugeet.

Pariyapally Gajamela

The festival is celebrated by worshippers of Goddess Bhadrakali who is the deity of the Kodimoottil Bhagvathy temple in Kerala. 50 elephants are decorated and made to walk in a procession around the town. The locals believe that Goddess Bhadrakali blesses those who passionately offer prayers to her.
 
You can make the most of your volunteer opportunities in India by travelling to different parts of the country.
 
These and many more festivals define the essence of Indian culture and tradition. Visit India as a volunteer and be a part of the unique festivals in the country.