Indian Festivals celebrated by varied cultures and through their special rituals add to the colours of Indian Heritage. Some festivals welcome the
seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints, and
gurus (revered teachers), or the advent of the New Year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be
called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.
Many festivals celebrate the various harvests; commemorate great historical figures and events, while many express devotion to the deities of different religions.
Every celebration centres around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new cloths, music, dance and feasting.
In India every region and every religion has something to celebrate. The festivals reflect the vigour and life-style of its people. Vibrant colours, music and festivity
make the country come alive throughout the year.
The emphasis laid on the different festivals differs in different parts of the country. For instance, Navaratri is celebrated with maximum fervour in West Bengal as compared
to that in other parts of the country. Holi is celebrated with gusto in the north, and although it is also observed in the western and eastern parts of India, in the south
it is almost unknown. There are also a few regional festivals like Pongal in Tamil Nadu; Onam in Kerala and the various other temple festivals devoted to the specific patron
Gods and Goddesses of the temples, which are celebrated exclusively in those areas, which may be limited to one or a few villages. This galaxy of festivals that exist do
contribute in inter-spicing Indian life with gaiety and colour as also in giving the country the distinction of having the maximum number of holidays.
The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. The central theme of Bahá'í is that humanity is
one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. The worldwide community of five
million Bahá'ís represent a large number of nations, races and cultures.
Buddhism, also known as Buddha Dharma, originated in northern India in the 6th century BCE, and rapidly gained adherents
during the Buddha's lifetime. Since, the religion was adopted mostly by the upper classes, its numbers in India remained
small—in the hundreds of thousands.
Christianity, according to tradition arrived in India in the first century (c.52-85AD) through the apostle Thomas. The
chronicle of his mission in India is recorded in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, and the lesser-known Apocalypse of
Thomas. In these books, Judas Thomas is regarded as the "Twin" of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Hinduism is the largest religion in India, counting approximately 900 million adherents, comprising 80.4% of the
population. Often considered a "way of life" rather than a religion, it arose in the Indian subcontinent during the
period 2000-1500 BCE.
Islam arrived in India as early as the 8th century A.D. During the following years, Islam contributed greatly to the
cultural enhancement of an already rich Indian culture, shaping not only the shape of Northern Indian classical music.
Jainism, along with Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, is one of the four major Dharmic religions originating in India.
Dating back to the first millennium BCE, the religion was well in place during the lifetime of its 24th tirthankar,
Mahavira.
Trade contacts between the Mediterranean region and the west coast of India probably led to the presence of small
Jewish settlements in India as long ago as the early first millennium B.C. In Kerala a community of Jews tracing its
origin to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D.
Sikhism, was founded in India's northwestern Punjab region about 400 years ago and Sikhs form the majority population in
the state of Punjab. As of 2001 there were 19.3 million Sikhs in India.
Zoroastrianism was founded by the Magi known as Zoroaster. His religion was popular on the Greater Iran. Subsequent to the
fall of the Persian Empire, after which Zoroastrianism was gradually supplanted by Islam, many Zoroastrians fled to other
regions in the hope of preserving their religious tradition.
