Bring together a billion people, speaking more than a thousand languages, following some half a dozen different religions and bound by countless traditions- and what will you get? India. A land so amazingly diverse that it’s really more a continent by itself than just a single country. India’s diversity reveals itself in many forms- in cuisine, clothing, language, arts and crafts- and festivals. And in a land as vast and complex as India, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that every day is a holiday.

Everyday, somewhere or the other, in some corner of the country, people will dress in new clothes, sing and dance, worship, feast, rejoice- all to mark yet another festival. Whether it’s religious or secular, whether it marks the birth of a well-loved god or the beginning of the sowing season- a festival is more than just another day. It’s a time to forget the worries and cares of daily life; a time to celebrate and let your hair down.

So join in the happiness- get a feel of India’s festivals. Not just religious festivals, but also touristy events which highlight the crafts and culture of a region; not just vibrant carnivals, but also solemn processions which pay homage to a revered saint.