Travelling in India During Festival Time
India’s Festivals Are A Colourful And Noisy Experience
Jul 7, 2009
One of the most famous of India's festivals is Diwali, the festival of lights. It could just as well be called the festival of noise. This event, between mid-October and mid-November, celebrates the return of the Hindu god Rama from his exile and his victory over the evil King Ravana. Oils lamps are lit to show Rama the way home. The goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is also celebrated.
Diwali lasts five days and is mainly celebrated by setting off millions of incredibly loud firecrackers. Every year hospitals treat victims of firecracker incidents gone wrong. Those who visit India during Diwali should bring earplugs and be prepared to sleep very little for a few days. Many tourists also complain of respiratory problems caused by firecracker smoke.
Dasara (Dussehra) Or Durga Puja
Durga is the fierce Hindu goddess who slayed the evil demon Mahisashura. The Durga Puja festival celebrates her victory every year around October.
Celebrations are especially triumphant in the South Indian city of Mysore, where the festival is known as Dasara (Dussehra) and Durga is known by the name Chamundeswari. During the ten days of Dasara there are daily concerts, performances and other events, and the festival highlight is a parade that includes elephants trained specifically for this occasion. The parade usually attracts a crowd of millions to the streets of Mysore.
Those who don’t like large crowds should stay at home and watch the show on TV instead, and lone females may feel very uncomfortable in a large festival crowd.
Holi, Or Getting Doused In Colour
Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, and is usually much more lively in North India than in the South, although holidaymakers in beach resorts such as Goa usually get their share of the Holi experience. During Holi, usually celebrated in March, colourful powder, or a mix of colourful dye and water, is thrown liberally at any unsuspecting passer-by. Crowds of young men and boys are happy to douse each other and especially passing tourists in colour.
Unfortunately, the colours used during Holi are often far from natural and are definitely not allergy tested, and tourists have complained about skin reactions or worse. Holi is also celebrated with a lot of alcohol and bhang (marijuana), and female tourists especially should think twice before venturing out alone.
Those who want to experience Holi should wear something old that can be thrown away after being covered in all colours of the rainbow.
Ganesh Chaturthi Or Ganesh's Birthday
The elephant-headed god Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, is one of India’s most loved gods. The Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Ganesh and is celebrated in August and/or September. During the ten-day festival, giant clay statues of Ganesh are installed inside homes and out on the streets. The statues are worshipped for ten days, and on the eleventh day they are carried through the streets and immersed in a river or in the sea. Many tourists witness the celebrations in Mumbai, where figures of Ganesh are carried through the city in large processions to the sea.
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