Numerous people over the centuries have made India their home. They follow some half a dozen religions, speak more than a hundred languages, follow countless traditions, making the country a land of bewildering diversity. This diversity reveals itself in many forms - cuisine, clothing, arts and crafts, and fairs and festivals. Every day, somewhere in the country, people will dress in new clothes, sing and dance, worship, feast, rejoice - all to mark yet another festival.

As the saying goes “there is a festival for every reason and for every season”. There are festivals dedicated to gods and goddesses and their incarnations which are referred to as the religious festivals. Some of the major religious festivals are Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra and Diwali.

Many festivals celebrate the change of season. For instance, Holi is celebrated to mark the coming of the spring season, Teej of Rajasthan marks the onset of the monsoon, Onam in Kerala and Bihu in Assam are celebrated to mark the harvesting season.

Then there are cattle fairs. India is an agrarian economy and cattle-rearing is an important occupation. Cattle are required for ploughing, milk, transportation, manure, leather, etc. and thus buying and selling of cattle is an important aspect of village life. Numerous cattle fairs are held all over the country round the year…the famous ones being the Nagaur and Pushkar in Rajasthan and Sonepur in Bihar.

Other festivals such as Konark Dance Festival, Khajuraho Dance Festival, and Desert Festival showcase the culture of India.

The major religious festivals are celebrated all over India, however, they may be known by different names in different parts of the country. Different regions and cultures also mean that different rituals are followed. What remains common is exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes and jewellery, music, dance and feasting.