Come Let’s Celebrate!

10 July 2013

Come Let’s Celebrate!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

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With Durga Puja and Ganpati Festival approaching, it won’t be very wrong to say that festivals and cultural practices are integral to our country India. It is a tradition that we Indians take pride of. Throughout the year we look forward to celebrations like Diwali and Navratri and once they are gone we started planning for the next year. These festivals are not only display of our cultural practices and religious beliefs; it is rather the celebration of the spirit of togetherness in full grandeur.

Ever since my childhood I have been a part of this culture and with a level of excitement that seemed to increase in leaps and bounds with every passing day participated in almost every celebration. The whole feeling about being a small yet significant part of something so celestial yet so real is one of the most enthralling feelings we can ever have.

There has been so much written and told about such celebrations yet there seems to be no dearth of word to pen-down the excitement each time somebody wishes to express their ecstasy. Ladies draped with beautiful saris and men all suited booted while the kids shone in their brightest and their most beautiful dresses, these festivals give us so many reasons to rejoice.

I have grown up watching Durga Puja being celebrated in my locality in its full grandeur. The sight of my mother and other ladies stand in queues with beautifully decorated Puja Thali in their hand, made me wonder did these ladies look any more charismatic and charming as ever before. It seems they took pleasure in paying a little more attention towards themselves during these days.

There are so many rituals, so many practices which is followed throughout the course of the festivities and each of them has their distinct fervor. But the enthusiasm and excitement surrounding them falter not even by an inch. Every region has their distinct practices and festivals yet the participation is so democratic. People voluntarily participate in the celebrations irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or gender.

In India festival is not only a mean to offer people a temporary reprieve from their daily grind. It is rather imbued with deep inner significance; each festival is a multifaceted celebration. Our society is colorful. There are people like us who take the pleasure of festivals from the mirth of celebrating happiness and togetherness with your loved ones and commemorating the personification of victory of good over evil, there are certain serious religious implications to these celebrations as well.

As per the ancient history these days have astrological significance due to which certain observance becomes important ritual. It is believed that following these rituals with honesty and devotion will yield manifold benefits. That is why Indian festivals are observed with certain observances such as fasting, praying, yajnas, abstinence etc.

No matter what the significances are what the cultural implications are, these festivals celebrated across India is yet another instance of how colorful our culture is and how we Indians seek festival in diversity.