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India is a very festive place, full of life and celebration. One of the main attractions for travelers visiting India is the many fairs and festivals that celebrate different events. Some of the fair celebrate the change of seasons and some celebrate the birth of lords and gods. If you are looking for a celebration to attend while in India, there is never a long wait until the next one.
In Kanpur, India many festivals are going on all year long. One of the biggest festivals is the festival of Holi which is celebrated to mark the beginning of the spring season. The month of March is when the celebration is held and it is met with great enthusiasm from the locals that live in the area. The legends say that evil Holika, who was blessed that she could not be burnt by fire, tried to kill her nephew in a fire. However, her nephew was saved from the fire and Holika died as a result. Therefore, the festival of Holi is to celebrate the burning of self-conceit, greed lust, hatred and all of the demonic tendencies that humans have. The festival starts at mid-night with the burning of a huge bon fire which is used to mark the death of Holika. The very next morning the celebration starts with people wearing brightly colored costumes and painted faces. Once the evening comes, people dress in their best clothes and go meet friends and relatives. Holi is the one festival in which social harmony between the various classes of society is exhibited. In Kanpur, Holi is celebrated for seven days which is a relatively new concept. It is believed that during British rule in India, many were arrested for celebrating Holi, which involves masses of people. Therefore, once the British rule was no longer in place in India, many in Kanpur decided to celebrate Holi for seven days. Many freedom fighters, organized a fair called Ganga Mela which is still celebrated in Kanpur today and is more celebrated than Holi. One of the most colorful events in all of India, the festival of Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and eagerness. As a mark of the end of winter and the coming of spring, Holi is a time to celebrate all the good things that humans have to offer each other. Peace, acceptance, love and kindness are among these things. |
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