Top 4 Indian Festivals For Foreign Visitors

The Diwali Festival is celebrated during the new year of the Hindu calendar. It is the most important day of the year in India, as a new beginning is celebrated. The festival lasts five days and takes place between mid-October and November.

All the actions that are carried out on this Indian holiday are for people to move towards the light of Truth.

For this holiday, Hindus buy and wear clothes. In addition, there are fireworks shows and sweets are shared with family and friends.

It is a tradition that houses are cleaned more thoroughly than normal and sometimes even painted. Likewise, different ornaments are hung, such as oil lamps and candles, which are lit at sunset, the home is also decorated with the same lights that are used at Christmas.

In the homes, they also place an altar for the goddess Lakshmi, in which they leave various offerings such as flowers, fruits, coins, and incense. Lamps or candles are placed on all the windows and doors of the houses since they believe that this way Lakshmi will remain in them for the rest of the year.

Republic Day is a holiday in India that celebrates the entry into force of the Constitution on January 26, 1950. (Not to be confused with Independence Day.) This symbolic celebration features an incredible military parade and delivery of awards.

The great military parade is a very interesting thing to see if you are in New Delhi during the Indian Republic Day celebrations. However, other activities also take place on this day.

The day was chosen, on that same date but in the year 1929, the Hindus proclaimed the Hindu Declaration of Independence in opposition to the dominance of the British colonization.

On the other hand, each region of the country has its own celebration, but the best known is the one that takes place in New Delhi (the country’s capital) and is broadcast to the rest of India on television.

The famous parade takes place on Rajpath Avenue for three days. It begins at the President's residence and passes through the India Gate and the Red Fort. In this parade, you will see different groups of the Navy, along with the Air Force and sailors. They all wear their corresponding ceremonial uniforms and distinctions. The musical bands accompany them as they walk in front of those present. Likewise, other forces such as policemen and air force planes can also be seen.

The Bikaner Camel Festival is a colorful and interesting celebration where these animals are honored. The activities that take place to revolve around camels, but there are also fairs, dances, and music.

The city of Bikaner is located in the state of Rajasthan and, during the date of this festival, thousands of locals and tourists travel there to enjoy it. The dates of the celebration are variable, but always between December and February. For two days and one night, various activities are carried out that revolve around these animals and the Hindu culture.

For this occasion, the owners of the camels decorate their animals to show them to the public. They give them a bath, cut their hair, and comb them. They are also dressed in saddles made by hand, which are usually very colorful and stand out in the brown of the desert.

Some of the activities that are organized during the two days of the Camel Festival in Bikaner are camel racing, dancing, and breed competition. The celebration begins with a parade of the groomed animals, which provides a spectacular panorama next to the Junagarh fortress. There are also competitions of hairstyles and haircuts of camels, so their owners put special effort when decorating them.

However, it is probably the camel dances that most surprise the public since the animals are agile and harmonious.

In addition to these activities with the camels, you can see locals dancing and enjoying their music and their fairs. On the last day, there is also usually a fireworks show.

It is traditional to eat sweets prepared with camel milk on those days; you can enjoy them accompanied with a typical tea of the region!

Surely you heard about Holi, the festival of colors since it is one of the best-known celebrations in the world because its celebration spread to many countries. Unfortunately, in western countries, the celebration of Holi lost its true meaning since people tend to throw colored powders at each other but without knowing why or what the origin of this Indian festival is.

The truth is that every year at the end of February or beginning of March, the cities and towns of India are filled with color with this festival in which, for two days, where the victory of good over evil is celebrated with the arrival of spring.

One of the Hindu legends that explain the origin of this celebration is the following: Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons who believed himself to be the only god, tried to kill his son Prahlada because he was a devotee of Vishnu. After several unsuccessful attempts, he ordered his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to stand in the center of a bonfire with her nephew in order to finish him off. However, protected by Vishnu, the son was saved and Holika died. This is why the triumph of good over evil is celebrated and is how this festival has the name Holi.

On the first day of the festival, a bonfire is held to symbolize the place where Holika died. Family and friends gather to sing and dance around the bonfire where they share food and sweets.

On the second day, the Hindus huddle together and throw colored powders at each other. The streets are full of people throwing these colored powders into the air, dancing, playing music, and playing games.