10 popular festivals in India you must experience in 2023

India is indeed the land of diverse cultures and beliefs. Each state in the country flaunts its own language, dialect, and cultural practices.

A long list of festivals is celebrated every year in India among different communities and religious groups. The majority of religious festivals here have a mythological story associated with them. These interesting stories get passed on from one generation to another to help people better understand the relevance of celebrating the festivals.

Read on for the ten most popular festivals you must experience this year.

1) Holi

Just like every other popular religious festival in India, the festival of colours also carries a mythological connection. This is the legendary story of evil king Hiranyakshyap and his son Prahlad. While Hiranyakshyap wanted the gods to worship him, his son became a devotee of Lord Vishnu. The evil king’s plan to kill Prahlad with the help of his sister Holika didn’t work, eventually leading him and his sister to their demise.

2) Dussehra

It marks the celebration of the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, usually interpreted as the victory of good over evil. Each state has a unique way of celebrating Dussehra. In the north, Ram Leela – a theatre enactment of the mythological story – is conducted for nine consecutive days before the festival. On the final day, massive idols of Ravana are set on fire.

3) Diwali

It’s the festival of lights, celebrated every year in October or November majorly among the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities. Every year, days before the festival, Indians clean their houses and do all the required renovations. And on the day of Diwali, people decorate their houses with diyas, candles, and colourful rangolis to welcome Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth).

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4) Navratri and Durga Puja

Durga Puja is a prominent festival in India, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country. This nine-day festival is celebrated as Navratri in the North and as Durga Puja in the East. It marks the celebration of the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasur who wanted to wage a war against the gods.

5) Ganesh Chaturthi

This ten-day festival involves the celebration of the birth of Lord Ganesha. Although Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across the country, Maharashtra is known for organising the grandest celebration. On the tenth day of the festival, the idol of Lord Ganesh is carried by scores of people throughout the city and then finally immersed in a water body.

6) Onam

It’s a prominent festival in the southern part of the country, especially in Kerala where people believe that Onam marks the homecoming of the ancient king ‘Mahabali’. The celebration includes traditional dances, carnivals on the streets, folk music, and mesmerising fireworks.

7) Krishna Janmashtami

This festival marks the celebration of the birth of one of the most loved Hindu deities, Lord Krishna. On this day, all Krishna temples across the country are meticulously decorated and a number of special cultural events are organised. Devotees fast all day till midnight as Lord Krishna is believed to have taken birth at midnight.

8) Eid-Ul-Fitr

The list cannot be called complete without mention of this important festival celebrated each year among the Muslim community in India. Every year, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims observe fasting for 30 days. Eid-Ul-Fitr is celebrated for three consecutive days after the fasting at the end of Ramadan.

9) Gurupurab

A significant festival for the Sikh community in the country, Gurupurab marks the celebration of the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev. All members of the Sikh community visit Gurudwaras on this occasion to offer their prayers. While all the Gurudwaras across the country are beautifully decorated at the time of this festival, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is particularly known for holding a grand celebration on this day.

10) Mahashivratri

It is celebrated to honour Lord Shiva. As per mythological stories, Mahashivratri marks the day Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvathi. On this occasion, the temples of Lord Shiva are beautifully decorated, devotees fast all day, and celebrations are carried out at night.

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