India is a land of festivals. People of different communities belonging to different religions live here. As a result, some kind of festival or the other is seen being celebrated with joy and fun on almost all days of the year. These festivals make life colourful and charming as they take people away from the dull routine of life. Since they infuse life with fun and frolics, they are celebrated with zeal and jubilation.
The festivals commemorated in India are of various kinds. Some festivals are religious; some are based on seasons and others are of national importance. The prominent religious festivals of India are the Diwali and the Dussehra, Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Zuha, X-mas Day and the New Year’s Day, Mahavir Jayanti and Budha Jayanti, Jhule Lal, Guru Nanak’s Birthday and so on. These festivals are celebrated by the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the Jams, the Buddhists, the Sindhis and the Sikhs respectively. Though these festivals are marked by the communities they represent, yet they are celebrated by all alike without any communal hatred or ill-will. They are, strengthening the feeling of oneness as Indians.
The important seasonal festivals are the Holi, the Baisakhi and the Vasant. The. Holi, which is the festival of colours, marks the end of the winter season. On this day, the enmities of the past are forgotten and people embrace one another with a feeling of brotherhood. They apply ‘gulal’ on the forehead and sprinkle coloured water on one another. The Baisakhi which is the seasonal festival of the Punjab, declares the end of the harvesting season. On this day people have ‘Bhangra’ dances, wrestling matches, etc. They celebrate it with great gaiety. Then comes the Vasant which heralds the arrival of spring, the season of flowers and plants, vigour and vitality. On this day, the people prefer to wear yellow clothes matched with the colour of mustard flowers growing in the fields.
Besides these, there are national festivals as well which are celebrated with great joy by the people of all communities throughout the country. They are the Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti. The Independence Day is celebrated on August 15, because on this day we got freedom from the British rule. The Prime Minister of India unfurls the national flag on the Red Fort and addresses the nation on this great historic day. The Republic day falls on 26th January. On this day there is a colorful parade which starts from Vijaya Chowk and ends at the Red Fort. Many colorful pageants and cultural items are witnessed by the people of India. And then comes Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. On this day we pay honour to Mahatma Gandhi for leading us to the path of truth, non-violence and fearlessness. We pledge to walk upon the path set before us by him on this day.
In this way, we find that festivals bring a current of joy in our lives. They all teach us the noble ideals of life and create a feeling of togetherness.
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