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INDIA – CULTURAL UNITY IN INTEGRITY

Our country has a diverse culture, different ethnicities, and rich heritage. Every citizen of India realizes the
significance of festivals in the country. Numerous celebrations take place in India in a year with a wide variety of
festivals. From Holi to Diwali, from Shivratri to Eid, each day is commemorated with a distinct attribute.
Most Indian festivals glorifying the importance of religious deities and an occurrence that marks the day as
significant. Along these lines, there is Diwali, the most prominent festival of all for the Indians.
Festivals Signifying Religious Deities
Ganesh Chaturthi is an Indian festival of great significance, especially in Maharashtra and the five southern states.
The festival marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh. People celebrate the festival by placing idols of every size
of Lord Ganesha at every nook and corner. In some states, the festivities go for as long as nine days.
Talking about nine days, the Navratri is another important Indian festival. Celebrated by Hindus across the world,
the festival signifies the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasur. The festival spans over
nine nights where many Indians observe fasting. On the last day of the festival, known
as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, a figurine of Ravana is burnt to mark the victory of good over evil.
Hindus celebrate Diwali to signify the return of Lord Rama to home after defeating the evil King Ravana and
saving his wife, Goddess Sita. For all the Hindus, Diwali holds a great value in their hearts. People eagerly wait for
this festival, especially kids who like to burn crackers honoring Lord Rama’s triumph.
All the auspicious Indian festivals are celebrated in absolutely unique ways. n Holi, the festiwal of colors, where
the colors are thrown onto one another as a part of the celebration. And on Bhogi and Lohri, a bonfire is made to
celebrate the festival.
Secularism
In India, festivals like Eid and Christmas are celebrated with a sense of brotherhood among the Hindus, Muslims,
Christians, Sikhs, and others. It is common to see people exchanging festive foods on these festival days. This
signifies communal harmony in India.
Apart from these major festivals, the numerous tribes of the country celebrate hundreds of festivals, with
enthusiastic energy each distinct from the other.
Few more Festivals of India :-
Festivals in India are not only celebrated as a sign of a religious sacrament. Sankranti is celebrated on 15th
January to mark the end of Winter and the commencement of the harvest season. Similarly, Baishaki is another
harvest festival celebrated in Punjab. Onam is another harvest festival celebrated in Kerala. All these show the
regional diversity of festivals in India.
Additional, festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated by everyone in the nation
irrespective of religious or cultural variations.

Festival Economy
All these festivals in India are bound to attract some business. Every year, thousands of businesses experience
substantial growth during festival seasons. Businesses like gold, gifts, and sweets flourish during festival days.
The Togetherness
Indian festivals bring out charm and excitement in people, and they celebrate that through gifts. And sweets are
a natural part of happiness. It signifies a good event taking place.
A further reason why Indians honor the festivals is that families and friends gather around during that time. Not
only family but festivals bind all the citizens of the country as one for the day. Stress escapes
the minds of people, and they immerse themselves totally in the spirit of festivals. To see a
country unite and celebrate their special occasions, all the while respecting each other’s
ethnicities, it’s truly a wonderful site.

Dr. Monika Gupta, Suraj PG College Mahendergarh 36