Fair and Festival In IndIA

India is worldly known as a land vibrant celebration; one can see the culture and life of India during the celebrations of various fair and festivals, celebrated with high sprit in each and every town in India. By and large the flow of festivals continues throughout the year in India. There are noble cause and meaningful identity behind each fair and festival, based upon rituals, traditions, legends, monsoon, history, while many express devotion to the deities of different religions. There are religious fair, historical fair, long life marriage based festivals, animal worship fair, cattle fairs, monsoon fair, changing season fair, all festivals denote vivacity, colour, high sprit, dedications, ebullience, peace, power, humanity messages, appetizing food, sports activities, artistic performance, prayers and rituals. Obviously, when it comes to tourism, fair and festivals are on the priority among the tourists to coincide the trip to witness amazing festivals of India.
The major Celebration in India include Holi, Eid, Christmas, Diwali, Pushkar Mela, Ganapati, Navaratri, KumbhMela, Republic day, Pongal, Onam, Goa Carnival, Snake Boat Race, Desert Festival many more, and these fair and festivals reveals diverse regions, religions and communities. During these celebrations of the fair and festivals, each of them reflects the life style and vigour of the people. Most of the celebrations are based on rituals of prayers, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, Jwellery, music, singing, and dance and feasting.
All Indian fair and festivals have lots of diversity according to the culture, life style, language, religion of each states and region, like Durga Puja (Navaratri) is major festivals of West Bengal, Ganapati in Maharashtra, also in the western and eastern parts of India, Pongal in Tamilnadu, Onam in Kerala, Goa Carnival, Christmas and New Year in Goa, car Festival of Puri, Pushkar fair in Rajasthan, Snake boat fair in Kerala, Holi in North India, KumbhMela in Haridwar and Varanasi, republic day in Delhi, Diwali is the festivals which is celebrated with almost same sprit all over India.

If someone wants to see the deep roots of the culture, belief, life style, living, food, art, traditions of India, the fair and festivals are the window to view the true colour of India.

Pongal
Pongal is one of the most wonderful and harvest festival of Tamilnadu. India being an agriculture country, where 70% of population of India live in villages and depends on agriculture. Therefore most the big events of fair and festivals are related to cultivation. The festival alike Pongal are celebrated in all over India with different name, identity and rituals. Pongal means “Boiling Over”. The Pongal: a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, jaggery and milk.
The 4 days festival celebrated held on 15th January every year, in different means and ideology. First day, "BhogiPongal", is a day for the family. The second day is called "Surya Pongal", is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, "MattuPongal", is for the worship of the cattle. . In several places of Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh a bull fight called Jallikatu, is held. And last and four day is dedicated to birds. During the festivals, people paint and renovate their houses, taking care of cattle, bathing and coloring their horn and bodies, The passion and the enthusiasm of the tamil people come alive during the four day with own individual significance: delicious dishes are made and homes are painted and decorated.
Doorways are coloured with vermilion and sandalwood paste with beautiful garlands of flower and leaves, beautify the outside of the homes of locals also displaying collections of pretty dolls and colourfulRangolis. Pongal is symbolization of destroying devils by cleaning and burning of rubbish.
All over India, Pongal is coinciding with MakraSankranti also called PongalSankranti, Lohri in North of India festival called Lohri, in Assam the festivals is named BhugaliBihu, In Bengal month Paush, this day thousands of devotes take bath in Gangasagar, where holy river Ganga merges in the sea to wash away all the earthy bad deeds and sins. By and large this wonderful festival is celebrated grandly through out the country.
BhugaliBihu in Assam while people in West Bengal, celebrate the last day of Bengali month Paush on January 14. Here, thousands of devotees take bath in Gangasagar, the point where the holy river Ganga meets the sea, to wash away all the earthly sins. The festival falls in January month every year, after the winter solstice. The date of the festival (14th January) is derived from Solar Calendar; almost date of festival remains same.

Diwali
Diwali is one of most pulsating and greatest festival among the all the festivals of India, Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over India, this festival comes after 20 days of Dusshera festival on Amavasya (15th day of dark fortnight). India is known as melting pot of races and religions. Diwali is also mark as the beginning of Hindu New Year Diwali falls during the month of October and November, initiation the winter season.
Every religion has its own distinctive manner of celebration. But Diwali (Deepawali), the Festival of Light, is celebrated with firecrackers, diyas (lights) and sweets. The festival symbolizes unity in diversity. The celebration of this five-day festival dedicated to Lord Rama and his wife Sita, while Demon King Ravana abducted Sita, Lord Rama had a victorious war with Ravana and rescued Sita, the day of victory is celebrated as Dussehra and Diwali is celebrated when Lord Rama return with his wife to their kingdom of AyodhyaThis is a major Hindu festival dedicated also to Goddess Lakshmi – the goddess of fortunate and wealth. It is believed the goddess Laxmi is had been emerged by stir up the ocean, and Goddess give priority to visit clean and well decorated homes. So the all the decoration, redoing of home are made and during the mid night, people worship Goddess Laxmi during the main day of Diwali for blessings of property, wealth and health. Diwali is a divine tradition, with lights of happiness which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness; light refers joy and success and darkness refers sorrows. Each and every household clean up their house, get painted and decorate in their own style with Rangoli (Indian folk art) on the entrance of their home, buying new households items, sweets, new clothes, gifts, plenty of tiny clay lamps (Diyas) and candles are lighten up and placed on the doors, roof and each and every part of their home and shops, inviting Lakshmi to visit their homesHowever, Diwali is celebrated in Grand way all over India, but the best place to witness and enjoy this festival is Jaipur, the pink city of Rajasthan, here there is amazing lighting all over the city, entire market is brilliantly decorated and lighten up with lights and colours, dazzling display of decoration with music and competition is also held for the best display. The city attracts tourists from overseas and India.

Holi
Holi is known ‘Festival of Colours’. The Holi is the most anticipated festivals on the Hindu religion. 'Holi' falls on the full moon, in the month of Phalgun, which spans the end of February and the beginning of March. Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Holi is a spring celebration and the exuberant ritual of putting color on each other. Holi promotes social harmony between the various classes of society which displays unity.
People embrace each other and smear color on the faces of each other. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons and passers by. Traditional drink i.e. Bhang is consumed on this day to further enhances the spirit of Holi.
People embrace each other and smear color on the faces of each other. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons and passers by. Traditional drink i.e. Bhang is consumed on this day to further enhances the spirit of Holi.
According to Hindu mythology, in ancient time demon King Hiranyakashyap, who gained boon by God that no one, can kill him. Due to this supreme power, he became threat to God, and he insisted people to worship him instead of God, However, his pious son, Prahlad was devotee of Lord Vishnu and denied worship of his demon father, finally Hiranyakashyap made up his mind to kill his own son and asked his sister Holika to enter a burning fire with Prahlad in her lap as Holika had a boon which made he immune to fire. Ultimately Prahlad was saved by lord himself for his extreme devotion and Holika was burnt to ashes on this day. Hence Holi is celebrated, which marks the win of Good over Evil. Later even Demon king was killed by Lord Vishnu.Uttar Pradesh is the best place in India to experience the true flavour and sprit of Holi.
Celebrations in Mathura and Varanasi are the most exciting amongst all of the celebrations. The essence of Holi celebrations in Brajbhoomi is said to be kept the same even today, as it was celebrated thousands years back (during Lord Krishna's era) also known as 'LathmaarHoli'. Holi celebration in Braj starts one week prior to rest of India. The concept of the Holi at Braj is that men from Nandagaon (Village of Lord Krishna) raid Barsana (Radha's village) to raise a flag on ShriRadhikaji temple.

Dussehra
Dussehra also known as VijayaDasami is celebrated as a victory of Ram over Ravana. On this day in SatyaYug, Ram (the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu), killed the ten headed king of Lanka, Ravana who had abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. Dussehra is the last day of Navratri; it falls on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October.
This celebration starts from Navratri and ends with the tenth day festival of “Dussehra”. Navratri and Dussehra is celebrated throughout the country at the same time, with varying rituals, but with great enthusiasm and energy as it marks the end of scorching summer and the start of winter season
Dussehra is the festival that commemorates this triumph of Good over Evil. Diwali comes exactly 20 days after Dussehra on Amavas (new moon), during fortnight of kartik, some time in October or November.
Dussera can also be interpreted as "Dasa-Hara", which means the cutting of the ten heads of Ravana. Songs are sung in praise of Rama and people in thousands witness 'Ramlila' - an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, which is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth day (Dussehra or Vijay Dasami), larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother - Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna are set to fire.
Dussehra is also the day of the Saraswati or the deity of knowledge and learning.

It is also believed in Puranas that on this day, warrior Goddess Durga defeated and killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura. In Bengal the festival is known as Durga Puja and is the single most important festival for the Bengalis

PUSHKAR Camel FAIR
Pushkar Fair Rajasthan's most spectacular events. The Pushkar Fair, also called the Pushkar Camel Fair or locally as Kartik Mela or Pushkar ka Mela is an annual multi-day livestock fair and cultural held in the town Pushkar (Rajasthan, India). The fair starts with the Hindu calendar month of Kartik and ends on the Kartik Purnima, which typically overlaps with late October and early November in the Gregorian calendar.The Pushkar fair alone attracts over 200,000 visitors. The Pushkar fair is one of India's largest camel, horse and cattle fairs. Apart from the trading of livestock, it is an important pilgrimage season for Hindus to the Pushkar lake. Pushkar fair has also become a significant tourist attraction for domestic and international travelers, given the cooler season, the abundance of colorful cultural themes.Cultural events and competitions include dances, tug of war between women teams as well as men teams, the "matka phod", "longest moustache" competition, "bridal competition", camel races and others
Thousands of people go to the banks of the Pushkar Lake where the fair takes place. Men trade their livestock, which includes camels, horses, cows, sheep and goats.Rural families shop at the handicraft stalls full of bracelets, clothes, textiles and fabrics. A camel race starts off the festival, with music, songs and exhibitions to follow. Between these events, the most waited for is the test of how the camel is able to bring the items. In order to demonstrate, the men go up on the group of camels one after another

Kumbh Mela.
Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela (mela means fair) is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hindus. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: the Allahabad (River Ganges- River Yamuna, Sarasvati rivers) Haridwar River Ganges, Nashik Nashik (Godavari), and Ujjain (Shipra).The festival is marked by a ritual dip in the waters but it is also a celebration of community commerce with numerous fairs, education, religious discourses by saints, mass feedings of monks or the poor, and entertainment spectacle. The seekers believe that bathing in these rivers is a means to Prayashitta.(atonement, penance) for past mistakes,and that it cleanses them of their sins.
The festival is traditionally credited to the 8th-century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara, as a part of his efforts to start major Hindu gatherings for philosophical discussions and debates along with Hindu monasteries across the Indian subcontinent. However, there is no historic literary evidence of these mass pilgrimages were called "Kumbha Mela" prior to the 19th-century. There is ample evidence in historic manuscripts and inscriptions[ of an annual Magha Mela in Hinduism – with periodic larger gatherings after 6 or 12 years – where pilgrims gathered in massive numbers and where one of the rituals included a sacred dip in a river or holy tank. According to Kama MacLean, the socio-political developments during the colonial era and a reaction to the Orientalism led to the rebranding and remobilisation of the ancient Magha Mela as the modern era Kumbh Mela,
The weeks over which the festival is observed cycles at each site approximately once every 12 years based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar and the relative astrological positions of Jupiter, sun and moon. The gap between Prayag and Haridwar festivals is about 6 years, and both feature a Maha (major) and Ardha (half) Kumbh melas. The exact years – particularly for the Kumbh Melas at Ujjain and Nashik – have been a subject of dispute in the 20th-century. The Nashik and Ujjain festivals have been celebrated in the same year or one year apart, typically about 3 years after the Haridwar Kumbh Mela. Elsewhere in many parts of India, similar but smaller community pilgrimage and bathing festivals are called the Magha Mela.
The Kumbh Melas have three dates around which the significant majority of pilgrims participate, while the festival itself lasts between one to three months around these dates.Each festival attracts millions, with the largest gathering at the Prayag Kumbh Mela and the second largest at Haridwar. According to the past data, 60 million Hindus gathered for the Kumbh Mela in 2001. The festival is one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world, and considered as the "world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims" It has been inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The festival is observed over many days, with the day of Amavasya attracting the largest number on a single day. An estimated 30 million attended the last Prayag Kumbh Mela.


Desert Festival
During the month of February, the sands of the golden city come to welcome the Desert Festival Jaisalmer. The brilliant colors, music, and laughter mix in the atmosphere. Spectators from all over the world gather here to witness this event displaying the true traditional colors of Rajasthan.This festival is organized by the Rajasthan Tourism Department every year.
Desert Festival no one knows for sure how this grand festival started, there is a popular story which does the rounds. According to folklore, Arjun, the third Pandava was informed by his dear friend, Lord Krishna that very soon a kingdom will be built on the Trikuta hill by the successor of the Yadav community. The prediction indeed came true in the year 1196, when the descendant of the Yadav clan, Rawal Jaiswal was successfully able to establish his kingdom in this city. A grand celebration was organized to honor Lord Krishna, as his prophecy came true. The celebration took the form of this annual occasion, which is celebrated every year.
A morning procession from the Jaisalmer Fort to the Shahid Poonam Singh Stadium marks the commencement of the Desert Festival Jaisalmer. There are several highlights of the event, some of which have been discussed below:
Dance and music : The event beautifully displays the local elements to draw tourists. Traditional dance forms and music fill the air with excitement and glee. The Gair dance and the fire dance are the popular dance forms performed in the event. The local nomads display their gymnastic acts. The Manganiars and the Bhopa’s Langhas create an enchanting atmosphere with their folk song recitals. Also, the jugglery performance will keep you glued to your seat.
Camel Performence : The ships of the desert are dressed in traditional attires and they are entered into the best-dressed camel competition. There is a special folk song, which explains the making of the Gorband, the camel’s necklace. Two unique events, the camel polo and the camel dance add more fun to the camel show. Another interesting event, the camel race is one of its kind of a race, which happens only in Rajasthan. Though the camel rides, polo matches, and safari rides are the main attractions, there are some unusually interesting activities awaiting you. You can participate in contests like the longest mustache contest, turban tying contest, and Mr. Desert pageant. The aim of organizing these competitions is to preserve the traditions of Rajasthan, which are symbolized by the mustache and the turban.
Local Food : This fete is a boon for all those foodies out there. There are numerous stalls and dhabas offering authentic Rajasthani delicacies. Though the Dal Bati Churma and the Gatte ki Sabzi are the favorites, you can try the Ker Sangri as well.
Shopping : Making a list of things which you can buy, while attending the carnival is a wise thing to do. Buying those beautiful home décor artifacts made by the traditional craftsmen can prove to be useful gifting options. Do not forget to buy those handloom jewelry pieces and vibrant attires adorned with meticulous thread and mirror work.

Department of Tourism of Rajasthan Government organizes multiple fairs & festivals during the year.  : Visit http://www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/

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