Enjoy the Festival Tours in India of Colors, Culture & Traditions

by State Express Tour Operator in India

India is a land famous for its vibrant colors, elaborate traditions, sumptuous food and diverse cultures. The best time to experience this mix is when the people of this great nation join together to celebrate the various festivals of India. During this time, you get to see elaborate rituals that people and priests alike perform in their homes or at the place of worship to pay homage to the numerous Gods and Goddesses, seeking their blessings and showing gratitude for the good things in their lives. The rituals are quickly followed by delicious food, which is cooked specially for the unique occasion, along with songs and dance, on regional tunes.

Any tourist who has visited India and participated in the celebrations of these festivals will tell you that it is an extra-ordinary experience and one of the most memorable moments of their lives. It is an experience that you can't get from any other place in the world. Festivals like the Hindu festival of Holi are not just pious but also great fun, imagine the air drenched in wonderful colors and you getting completely soaked in cold water by little kids slinging water balloons and water guns. Similarly, during the Sikh Hola-Mohalla festival, celebrated in the state of Punjab, you get to witness acts of velour and bravery by Sikh people dressed in their quintessential turban and traditional attire.

Indians celebrate three types of festivals- national, religious and seasonal festivals. The national festivals - Independence Day and Republic Day - are celebrated with great patriotic fervor. On Independence day (15th August) the blue skies are swarmed by magnificent kites sparring with each other while on Republic day, 26th January, a splendid ceremony is performed by the Indian armed forces at the Raj Ghat in Delhi as an exhibition of India's military might involving parades and acrobat stunts by Jawans, an air show by the Indian air force and a display of indigenous developed weapons such as tanks and missiles.

India is not only a major military power but also a great cultural centre. The country is known for giving birth to various religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism to name a few). Religions which originated elsewhere are also practiced by millions of people living together in India in peace and harmony. Each religion celebrates its own set of religious festivals with great pomp and enthusiasm, the dates for which generally vary based on the lunar calendar.

Major Hindu festivals include Holi, Diwali and Janamashtmi. Diwali, also called the festival of lights, marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after vanquishing the evil forces of Ravana, an Asura who kidnapped Lord Rama's wife Sita. It is believed that Lord Rama along with his wife and kin returned on the day of Amawas (new-moon), hence, the people of Ayodhya lit diyas (oil lamps) and candles to light the way. Today, people from all walks of life continue that tradition, illuminating their homes with diyas and candles, distributing sweets among relatives and the little ones in the family burst fire crackers reveling their return.

It is said that "duty is God and work is worship". India is primarily an agrarian economy with over 75% of the population dependent on farming. Seasonal festivals are celebrated by farmers post crop harvesting, in a show of gratitude to God for the land and food. These are regional festivals and occur at different regions in the country at different times. The celebrations of these festivals also vary depending on the culture of the region and resources available to the people. For example, Onum, a seasonal festival celebrated in Kerala, is a favorite of tourists who come to enjoy the boat races, tiger dances, prayers and rituals that are performed on the day. Similar enthusiasm is exhibited in Ladakh on the occasion of Hemis festival, when men and women wear their traditional attires and Lamas perform their sacred masked dance called the Chaam.

Manish Chauhan is an author, who writes about Indian culture, festivals & how to plan a festival tour in India. If you want to explore about famous Indian festival tours than you should visit to https://www.stateexpressindia.com to get detailed information on most interesting festival tour programs.