India.... a country of Festivals...!!

They say India has way too many holidays... And I think that's true... Festivals, national holidays, bandh/protests... Something is up round the year...

The major culprit for these holidays are festivals.... Our history, its incidents and the cultural diversity therein have ensured that we end up celebrating most festivals on the planet (there are many many which we are not even aware of... I am referring to the major ones that are celebrated worldwide)... Eid (Ramzan & Bakri), Christmas, Easter, Diwali, New Year's and many many regional festivals... We have them all...

Its season time now... A season that begins mid August and covers pretty much the rest of the year.... Ganesh Chaturthi followed by Navratri, Diwali, Christmas, New Years and both the Eids dropping somewhere in between...

Every festival having its own beliefs and rituals.... But I am not really sure if it is restrictive... The rituals and beliefs are still intact but the celebrations are a part of everyone's life...

Chaturthi involves participation from every age and caste...

Navratri is leg tapping period for everyone...

Eid and Sheer Kurma have their fans...

Christmas & Santa (with his gifts) followed by New Years are the most awaited evenings of the year...

Its Diwali week... You look around and its easy to feel the hype and preparations all around... 

Kids are all done with their exams (how much I miss my school days and the elongated Diwali celebrations)... 

You pass by a bunch of houses and you can surely smell something delicious cooking inside... 

Kids, uncles, aunties (I know its aunts in english... But just doesn't sound right with the lingo :D), grandparents everyone is set with their plans...

Diwali - A Festival of Lights.... Everything from the windows to door panes to shops and malls will justify this... And this continues till the beginning of the new calendar year... 

You walk on the roads and you see a bunch of kids bursting crakers... Chor sipahi is the in game with fire cracker gun being the toy of the season.. I am not a supporter of fire crackers (though I like fuljharis :D)... but observing these kids at play is enjoyment in itself...

Similarly... Its fun to talk to a lady who is preparing for diwali... The house has to be cleaned (for laxmiji's welcome)... Varieties have to be prepared for guests and relatives... Its one of the busiest period ever...  but you hardly hear them complaining... Infact they are all excited (May be coz of the shopping they get to do... :P)

Men in the house are busy helping ladies in cleaning and lighting the house (ofcourse besides paying all the bills)...

Grandparents are busy with religious stuff and story telling...

When they say India is a secular country... These festivals will prove this... its celebrations will justify it... A country where Non-Hindus participate in Ganpati Visarjan... Non-Muslims follow Rozas to cleanse their bodies & minds and savor Sheer Kurma and Non-Catholics follow easter rules and ask for gifts from Santa...

They say India has way too many holidays... But looking at the life that it carries... I don't think I am complaining...!!!