Essay On Indian Festival

Advantages of Festivals

Advantages of Festivals – 1

Festivals celebration is the the culture we got from our past generations.According to the history these festivals are celebrated when they achieve something (symbol of victory),or on the occasions where they are benefited (crop gain,happy with some gatherings etc).

These festival celebrattions have got following advantages:

1. Increase the relations among the people

2. Create an opportunity to the people of community to share their feeling and exchange their ideas and thoughts.Additional help to discuss their problems also.

3.If we consider the families , they gather together and have some fun with all the relatives which is a great mental relaxation and enrich family relations.

4.Will help to be...show more content...

These rituals for Indina festivals have been followed for past several centuries with the same respect that was used several hundred years ago.

Every Indian festival have different rituals and prayers that are followed. Every day of weekday have a differnt stories (see hindu fasts) and different reason behind having these seven days.

Apart from just Hindu festivals there are also several muslim festivals that follow rituals of their own and is known as Azzan and is performed when a child is born or after the new born baby is given its first bath. This ritual is followed and prayers are offered to god. This process is followed so that the first name that the child hears is that of the god.

Hence festivals are more important for countries like india.

Advantages of Festivals – 3

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

Essay On Classical Dance Of India

Bharatha Natyam Classical Dance in India

Dance has a very long history in India, and just like religion, it is derived from myths and legends. However, the most credible argument is that India's dance style originated from ancient worship and pleasing of the god's in a variety of different styles which, after considerable time; evolved, adapted and helped to shape modern dance.

Indian dance has a variety of styles. Like other different Indian culture, different types of Indian dances also originated in different fields ofIndia. Meanwhile, it also combined a number of diverse elements from other different countries as well as local Indian traditions.

The classical dances of India have traditionally been held in temples and are regarded as to be forms of worship to the Gods of India, for example, one of dance is known as BHARANATYAM. This particular dance originated in southern India in the third Century ad, which is performed in three categories of various elements; the...show more content... Moreover, a successful show should be able to evoke the emotions of all the audiences by invoking special gestures or other facial expressions of the performance. Classical dance differs in many ways by comparing with folk dance due to the regulation under the rules of the Natyashastra. In addition, all classical dances are allowed to perform only in conformity to the rules.

Tracing back to 1000 BC, Bharatanatyam is a classical dance from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. At present, it is mainly practiced by women and the dance usually starts along with the classical Carnatic music.[7]

Bharatanatyam is a major sort of Indian classical dance that stemmed from the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu and neighboring regions. Conventionally, Bharatanatyam has been a solo dance that was performed merely by women,[8] and it expressed various themes of Hindu religious and spiritual ideas of Vaishnavism and Shaktism, especially

since Indian people are becoming more modernized. They totally get involved in style and want to look trendy. They get annoyed hearing Indian music which have Ragas, Talas which give us pleasure. But on the other hand the GEN–Y'ers only like pop, rock and hip–hop. India offers a number of classical dance each of which can be traced to different parts of the country and because of the western outlook most of them tend to follow it. Some festivals are associated with renowned historical or cultural places like the Khajrao festival, Taj Mahoutsav, etc. we must give equal importance to the Indian culture as we are Indians and shouldn't let any culture to come in our way. Jai Hind!

Yes I think the Indian culture is influenced by the western...show more content...

Scientific advancement is another sphere where India as a country needs to deve

CHEERS", and the party starts. With booze, fags and skimpily dressed girls who move their bodies to be the cynosure and to attract males. Everyone is wearing branded clothes, imported watches, designer accessories and what not. These things have become the necessities of the Indian youth and even the older generations. A father–son duo sitting together and enjoying their drinks, women going to pubs and discos and getting involved in obscene acts and girls taking their boyfriends to their homes to have a jolly time with parents and otherwise too. What can one infer after reading the above lines? I guess, the first answer would be that India is changing over the course of time. India, as the name flickers, one thinks of religion, traditions, art and culture and it's apt to think so because India is the country which is famous for its diversity in these aspects. The land where the great Raja Ram Mohan, Tagore, Gandhi transformed the thinking of people and removed the social stigmas like sati pratha (the practice of widows being forced to sit on the pior of their husbands), untouchability and many more. India was known as "Sone Ki Chidiya" (The Golden Bird) but the shine has faded away gradually with the change in I, YOU and WE. Indian society has evolved into a mixed breed of Western and Indian culture. People are becoming too much casual in both their personal and professional lives, how a

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Spring Festival Festivals and traditions are important part of human cultural. Many countries has their special festivals and traditions: People in Thailand celebrate Water–Sprinkling Festival at April every year. They splash water to each other and believe they can start a new year with beauty and purity; Indian splash colorful powder to each other at March to express their best wishes; Spanish celebrate Carnival to show their love for freedom and peace. China, which is a strong country with five–thousand–year history, has their own festivals as well and Spring Festival is them. There are many unique traditions in this festival like lucky money and couplets. I believe these traditions should be maintained because it is cultural and...show more content...

This festival includes knowledge and belief of Chinese for the last four thousand years. Through celebrating this festival, people can more comprehensively understand Chinese culture, especially for children. They can learn some knowledge about history and culture and be proud of their country. As the same time, it offers people a chance to reunite with their family. Many parents have to leave their children because they have to work in other places. Spring Festival is almost the only chance that they can get along with their children face by face and enjoy the company with their families. They can create many happy memories with their children by playing firecrackers and telling the story behind this festival to them. Children will understand the love and hard working from parents. It is also an important period for people to refresh their mind and release their soul so that they have energy and passion to face new challenges next year. Moreover, it creates a big market and promotes consumption. Before the festival, people purchase food for reunion dinner and new clothes for their family. Firecrackers, couplets and other festival mementos are not only essential for people to express good wishes to the new year, but also a big market to sell

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Festival and Its Environment Impact

Festivals of India

Indian festivals are both colourful and extremely joyous. People enjoy the festivals with family and friends. The religious significance of the festivals too can hardly be denied. Here are some of the very popular festivals that take place throughout India. There are many festivals in India like Durga Puja,Navratri,Dussehra,Ganesh Chaturthi,Holi,Diwali,etc.

In India, festivals do not just offer people a temporary reprieve from their daily grind. Imbued with deep inner significance, each festival is a multifaceted celebration. The day on which a particular festival is celebrated has a special astrological significance, and certain observances on these days yield manifold benefits. That is why Indian festivals are marked...show more content... Plaster is a man–made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is non–biodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, non–biodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach. Recently there have been new initiatives sponsored by some state governments to produce clay Ganesha idols.[15] On the final day of the Ganesh festival thousands of plaster idols are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals.[16]

Holi

Holi is a spring festival celebrated as a festival of colours. It is a Hindu religious festival which has also become popular with people of other communities. Holi is of particular significance in the Braj region, which includes locations traditionally connected to the Lord Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh, and Barsana, which become tourist destinations during the season of Holi.[1] As per the Hindu calendar, Holi is celebrated on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon), which comes in February or March in the Gregorian Calendar.

Environmental Impact of Holi

An alleged environmental issue related

Descriptive Essay About A Festival

My excitement was almost palpable as I drove past Lake Okeechobee, watching sunlight bounce reflectively off the massive body of water. My 6 best friends and I were moments away from entering into the majestic festival land. Entering the festival grounds, we where bursting with excitement and energy, partly because we were sitting still in a cramped car for 2 hours. The car was moving only several inches per minute, but as the car took covered more territory, so did my eagerness. There were only a couple of feet distancing our car from the next; everyone else was as enthusiastic as I. I saw smiles and excitement and heard electronic music in the background, all while sitting and waiting in a vehicle. It can to my realization that this was the first time I was surrounded by a whole spectrum of unique people. Some attendees looked like they had just stepped out of a Madonna music video, with neon colored clothes and asymmetrical patters; others wore shorts and a tank top. However, there were two similarities among us: we came to dance to each beat of the music and we all suffered from the humid, swampy, hot weather.

Although my friends and I wanted to park the car and head straight to the festival, we had some housekeeping to do. Three tents and a camp area later, we were ready to start dancing to the electronic music and enjoying our three day festival weekend. The summer heat was unbearable, as the humidity engulfed the air and the sunrays kept reluctantly burning our Get more content

Advantage Of Art Festivals

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." By Pablo Picasso. Over the years, some have had the privilege of appreciating art by visiting different art galleries and institutions. In recent times, however, art festivals have become a popular event where everyone can participate, explore and enjoy different art works. Art festivals are events that feature different combinations of artworks using various mediums by several artists. These festivals are usually held at a public setting and they celebrate both the art and the artists. It is important to have such festivals since they benefit the artists, the public and the general audience of art. Art festivals can be an excellent advantage for indigenous artists who are trying to gain recognition and enumerating the art pieces they produce. Throughout the years, upcoming artists have found a great deal of difficulties trying to find different occasions to showcase their work, since most of the opportunities they have had was trying to exhibit their art at different art institution. Artists face a lot of competition and challenges in terms of getting galleries to represent, show or sell their art. Only an insignificant percentage of artists will be successful in achieving recognition for their work. "imaginative was originally founded in part as a response to issues as self representation, back in 1999 there wasn't an annual place or meeting where indigenous artists had an exclusive opportunity to

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Throughout Indian culture, music and dance are the most distinguished art form within. The range of musical variety in India expands far beyond simple melodies to intricately formed classical sagas. India is the seventh biggest country in the world and the 3rd largest in the northern hemisphere. Of the 29 states, it consists of a population of 1.32 billion citizens. Due to its vastly increasing population, it's culture continues to adapt and thrive within an ever–changing society. The most vital and key ingredient within any Modern society is the ability to adapt to this tool, this segways towards a wide variety of different sights and sounds flowing all around the area. Despite the fact that Indian culture is well known for its exotic animals, foods and much more. It is beloved for their art and music. Shortly after the sweet birth of music, came dance; which originally served a spiritual purpose and described a spiritual energy that connected its people with several figures within the Hindu religion. It wasn't till around 1960 when dance art forms began turning towards more modern and western themes. In 1899 the first Bollywood short film was screened for the first time, which planted seeds for pop culture to take root within music and redesigned what Hindi music was and will ever be. In a western society like the United States, Bollywood takes on the role of squashing the many stereotypes that linger and taint the image that defines what exactly Indian

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Diwali rituals

Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the important and widely spread holidays celebrated in India. It is a celebration of lights, and for many, it is truly a sensory experience; some families decorate their houses with all sorts of lights and open up to the neighbors, sharing their love and their food.

Those celebrating Diwali spend time with family and friends. They perform religious ceremonies to bring in wealth and prosperity for a new year, cook and eat delicious food, design rangolis, light up their lives bylighting diyas (small earthen lamps), candles and sometimes, by lighting fireworks.

Diwali is celebrated in honor of the lord Rama, who on this day returned from a forest exile. Diwali is actually the...show more content... All homes are decorated and lit up by Diyas.

The fourth day is called New Year of Bestavarsh. The fifth day is called Bhai Dhooj. It is about brothers and sisters. Diwali is a time for fun and joy. On Diwali kids light firecrackers and everyone enjoys.

Diwali in the Modern World

A growing number ofscholars and people debate the need and justification of using fire crackers to celebrate Diwali for a number of reasons. One is the amount of money that goes into flames every year in the name of celebrations towards the purchase of firecrackers . Secondly, many companies that are engaged in the manufacturing of these fire crackers said to employ child labor and hardly follow the safety rules or welfare measures. Thirdly, there is hardly any control on the quality of the fire crackers manufactured by these companies, which often results in injuries and deaths due to accidents or poor performance. Fourthly, it is not uncommon to see irresponsible youth in various parts of India using firecrackers to tease women and trouble helpless people in streets and public places. Fifthly, excessive use of fire crackers often lead to communal clashes and social tensions. It also exposes the children of poor families to a lot of despair and loss of self esteem when they see

other children playing with them. Lastly the firecrackers are a source of pollution, although on the positive side people claim that the smoke and smell drive away the insects and clear the air.

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A Speech On Indian Festivals

Name: Anusha Bontha

Topic: Indian Festivals

General Purpose: To Inform

Specific Purpose: After listening to my speech, my audience will have a better understanding of the scientific and practical explanations behind certain rituals and customs of Indian festivals.

I.Introduction

A.Many of us identify Indian festivals to be of colorful dresses and rituals, rainbow of food choices and lots of music and dancing.

B.Have any of you ever wondered the reasons behind all this pomp and show?

C.According to Kunzig from National Geographic, India has a population of over 7 billion."

1.Dallas area is a cultural "hot–spot" for Indians, especially for festivals.

a.According to Boardman, "Census numbers show that from 2000 to 2010, the population more than doubled, going from 49,181 to 106,964 for Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant counties."

D.Today, I am going to be telling you about the scientific reasoning behind certain Indian customs and rituals for festivals.

E.We will be looking into two main festivals– Deepavali, the festival of lights, and Holi, the festival of colors.

F.First, I will give an introduction of the festivals and then talk into more details about the time of the year these two festivals come in and the environmental conditions during these times. Finally, I will discuss more about the scientific significance behind the festivals' rituals and customs. Let us start with a brief introduction about these two festivals: Diwali and Holi

II.Body

A. Get more content

Folk Art

India had always been known as the land that portrayed cultural and traditional vibrancy through its conventional arts and crafts. The 35 states and union territories sprawled across the country have their own distinct cultural and traditional identities, and are displayed through various forms of art prevalent there. Every region in India has its own style and pattern of art, which is known as folk art. Other than folk art, there is yet another form of traditional art practiced by several tribes or rural population, which is classified as tribal art. The folk and tribal arts of India are very ethnic and simple, and yet colorful and vibrant enough to speak volumes about the country's rich heritage.

Folk art in India apparently has a great potential in the international market because of its traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. The rural folk paintings of India bear distinctive colorful designs, which are treated with religious and mystical motifs. Some of the most famous folk paintings of India are the Madhubani paintings of Bihar, Patachitra paintings from the state of Odisha, the Nirmal paintings of Andhra Pradesh, and other such folk art forms. Folk art is however not restricted only to paintings, but also stretches to other art forms such as pottery, home decorations, ornaments,...show more content...

These are not just aesthetic objects but in fact have an important significance in people's lives and are tied to their beliefs and rituals. The objects can range from sculpture, masks (used in rituals and ceremonies), paintings, textiles, baskets, kitchen objects, arms and weapons, and the human body itself (Tattoos and piercings). There is a deep symbolic meaning that is attached to not only the objects themselves but also the materials and techniques used to produce

A festival is an occasion for rejoicing and celebration. It conjures up scenes of gaiety and merrymaking. It is an occasion for family rejoicing and community celebrations. Festivals break the monotony of life, bring peace and joy to the masses and above all promote social interaction and harmony. All nations have their religious and colorful festivals. Being a multi–religious, multilingual and multi–racial country, Indians celebrate a number of festivals all through the year. However, Indianfestival are known to attract the world due to their harmony variety, color and excitement. But now we see their significance has been eroded by their commercialization. Now these have become just important occasions, to promote personal and...show more content...

The capital, New Delhi is the seat of national celebration on all occasions. It witnesses one of the most majestic parades on the Republic Day. Apart from the Armed Forces, school children from across the country also participate in the parade. The normal practice is that the states exhibit their talents depicting the states resources or recent achievement and the best one achieve rewards. But now, it is an open fact that achievement has nothing to do with the reward. One, who has great source of authority, places can get the place in the line. Moreover, the glory of those reward doesn't last long. The winners steal the media's show for the time being. After a time, they are lost in commercial gloom as the commercializing agents make hay while the sun shines.

The same is the case in religious festivals. Diwali is celebrated all over India. On this day, the people worship Lakshmi, the goodess of wealth. On this day, everybody illuminates his house with rows of lights. Every town or village appears gorgeous on this night of mirth and festivity. Lights of all descriptions from the ordinary clay lamp to the costliest chandelier are artistically displayed with splendid effect but the ordinary clay lamp to the costliest chandelier are artistically displayed with splendid effect but to show personal supremacy. In the larger cities, gas and electric lights of various colours and degrees of luminosity make the night as bright as

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My Nepal Festival

Splash. One second I could feel my body touching the surface of the water and the next second I was completely immersed in it. I went so deep I could feel the water pressure. Was I going to die? I moved my hands and feet vigorously as if a shark was chasing me. I wanted to get out, breathe a gulp of air and feel the air. I wanted to cry. With my eyes still closed and my heart beating rapidly all I did was shout, "help me, help me" but no one came. I was sure there were around 5 people out there who were supposed to save us. And even though I was there, shouting for help with all my might, no one approached me. I slowly opened my eyes and tada, there I was floating in the river (uI forgot I had air jacket on for safety) shouting for help and stamping my hand in the water. They must have thought I was crazy. Well, it was a beautiful, sunny morning. We were all having breakfast. As usual I was having toast with yak butter and sugar and I was talking with my Indian friend who came to visit us on her holiday. We were comparing the food, culture and language of Nepal and India. Even though most of the expressions, food, festivals, of both the countries are similar we have difference in the way we celebrate them. Our main festival is Dashain which is celebrated by receiving blessings and tika (made by red colour and rice) from elders, eating good food and wearing nice dresses. We like things to be quite and smooth. Whereas in case of Indian culture things get intense. They Get more content

Religions. There are many religions that started in India. The two most well known religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. The other religions include Jainism and Sikhism, while Christianity and Islam are also practiced in India. The graph below shows the dispersion of religion in India14:

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The majority of people in India are Hindus as they make up 80.5% of the population, whereas Islam is in second with 13.4%. Hinduism is considered to be one of the oldest religions and the only major polytheistic religions that is currently being practice, making it unique compare to other major religions. Unlike Christianity or Islam, Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses, where the ideas of...show more content... The role of gods and goddesses makes Hinduism a distinctive religion because different groups of Hindus worshipped different gods or goddesses. The gods that most Hindus worshipped are Shiva, Vishnu, and Sakta, which focus on the Goddess Devi. Although many Hindus chose this path, there is certainly great diversity within the religion. They are also very flexibile, "many Hindus such as those of Smarta tradition are free to accept various manifestations of the divine as their chosen deity for worship." With many options in Hinduism, there are the universal beliefs of Brahman, "in the Trimurti system, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer or transformer".18

Caste System. In Ancient India and today's Indian rural area, the caste system plays a major part in the culture. This social structure has been in practice for years, which was to keep society from chaos. There are five levels of hierarchic system, which are Brahman, Kashtriya, Vaishya, Shuda, and Harijans. The caste systems were set of unofficial rules that mandates who a person can interact with, work with, or even marry. This social system has been a long tradition in parts of the Hindu religion but other religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism differentiate themselves from Hinduism by not following the caste system. Although other parts of the world had similar concept to the Indian caste

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ABSTRACT:

Cultural industries implies a 'massification' of culture and entertainment, as such, festivals are found to be a cultural industry, involving large numbers of people working in organisation, administration, promotion, marketing, and the creative and performing arts. Festivals come in different forms including agricultural, cultural, historical, horticultural, and arts festivals to specific audiences and sub–cultures (fringe festivals). Culture is about, and has been used to shape and to govern, identity; therefore as Australia is a multicultural country rich with a complex migrant history. Australia's identity, as such, is demonstrated as festivals are perceived to be a vehicle for...show more content...

This is demonstrated as festivals and the arts activities are perceived to be a vehicle for 're–imaging' cities, playing a major role in the contemporary marketing of Australian cities as national and global destination, for example, Sydney's annual Mardi Grasfestival is considered to have an international following as people come from all different parts of the world to participate (Cryle n.d.). As Bennet and Carter (2001, p. 5) point out, Australian culture is itself an international culture, just as Australia is, in many fields, a culture exporting nation. Gibson (2001); and Trotter (in eds. Bennet and Carter 2001 p. 4) states that above all, culture is about, and has been used to shape and to govern, identity; also Community–based arts, festivals and cultural programs could be seen as a valuable way of exploring our Australian identity and developing a way to bring about diversity and harmony within and between cultures. Across the nation, festivals thrive, from national events (i.e. Australia Day and Anzac Day), major capital city events (i.e. The Sydney Royal Easter Show, The AdelaideArts Festival) to street fairs in the smallest rural towns (i.e. Morpeth Jazz Festival, The Woodford Folk Festival).

From festivals celebrating 'gay' and 'lesbian' lifestyles to those that praise multiculturalism or rural life, barely a weekend passes in this drought–stricken land and island

Jacqueline Calvo, BBus, CQU.

Growing Up On The Indian Reservation

So many of the Indians on the reservation had given up on trying to move on from their poor lifestyle and have decided to stay with their Indian culture. However, this is not the case for Junior. Despite the fact that he grew up with a variety of medical problems and unlucky experiences, he still did not give in. Now why didn't he just stay within the reservation he was on? It would have been much simpler if he just stayed there with his family than travel outside of the reservation (not to mention the low chances of him succeeding in getting anywhere). So why bother? The simplest reason would be that he's determined to get a better life. Even though we have our answer, it still leaves us to wonder the reason(s) behind it. What makes him so

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Hindu Rituals

The model worshiper for the Hindu religion would be one that expresses one's devotion in every action that they take. Though the this is true in most religion's the Hindu religion is different in that rituals, festivals and other such type of practice are not the same as worship in the Hindu religion. Worship only occurs at a special time, place and occasion. As in the religion's like s worship and ritual are performed mostly at the same time. The Hindu religion has many different types of rituals that are performed for different occasions. Some of the rituals can only be performed by certain social classes.

Many of the rituals that take place can be found in the Vedicliterature. The majority of the rituals are...show more content... It is different in how it is not as restrictive as the yajna ritual and the puja can also be practiced in the lower caste systems where the yajna could not. The puja is also different in the way that it sometimes practiced in a temple or a permanent sacred place where rituals are held. Sometimes there are also gods or goddesses brought to the temple to be worshipped upon. This ritual represents that the person or persons are devoting their life to the gods or goddesses that were brought to the temple. In the puja ritual their are three different actions that can be taken. The first action involves the devotee giving presents such as food, flowers and other things that the gods may like. In the second action the devotee can get a quick look at the image of the shrine . In the third action the devotee excepts the blessing that is given to he or she. The second action is the most important of the three and is usually a major event for all the worshipers. In the puja ritual, the gods are not equal to that of the worshipers. The gods do not depend on that of the devotee to be strong in fact the devotees depend on the gods to be strong.

Shaddha is the ceremony that is performed at the death of a Hindu worshiper. These ceremonies normally last about twelve days after the death. Directly after the death has occurred the body is cremated. The eldest son is the person that lights the flame to the body. After the

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Hindu Festivals

HINDU FESTIVALS

Hinduism is the world's oldest religion. Its roots date back to 4000 BC. Hinduism is widely spread out in India and around South–East Asia. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, believing in many gods. Most of the festivals in Hinduism are centered on one or more gods. Hindus celebrate thousands of festivals every year at every part of the world. Each of the Hindu festivals is celebrated in a similar manner. They all include chanting prayers to the gods and making sweets or snack items in honor of the gods. These festivals are usually joyful occasions, but they can also have serious side.

DIVALI Divali, Festival of Lights

Divali, the festival of lights is one of the most important Hindu festivals. It is marked...show more content... On the day of the festival, it is placed on raised platforms in homes or in elaborately decorated outdoor tents for people to view and pay their homage. Other festival include Janmashtami (celebrates the birth of Krishna), Raksha Bandhan (when sisters thank their brothers for the love and protection they have shown them, Makara Sankranti (the day on which the sun begins it journey northwards) and Kumbh Mela (spiritual festival which takes place near Allahabad,India, every 12 years).

Most Hindu festivals express spiritually in its happiest aspects. Group enegry attracts the gods to overcome evils, and humorous abandon helps merry–makers transform fears. Sixteen religious holidays are honored by the government so that everyone can leave work to join in the throngs of worshippers. These are calcuated partially on a lunar calendar so dates vary from year to year.

References: Web

Living Religions Fourth Edition by Mary Pat Fisher

Living Religions by Lynne Gibson

How to Be a Perfect Stranger – A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies, Volume 1 by Arthur Magida and Stuart Get

Indian Music

The music of India is one of the oldest unspoken musical traditions in the world. The basis of for Indian music is "sangeet." Sangeet is a combination of three art forms: vocal music, instrumental music (Indian music). Indian music is base upon seven modes (scales). It is probably no coincidence that Greek music is also base upon seven modes. Furthermore, the Indian scales follow the same process of modulation (murchana) that was found in ancient Greek music. Since Greece is also Indo–European, this is another piece of evidence for the Indo–European connection (Dance and music of India).

The vocal tradition is especially strong in Indian music. It is understood that the song is probably the most ancient form of...show more content... It is linked to the Sanskrit word "ranj" which means, "to colour" (Indian music). Therefore, rag may be thought of as an acoustic method of colouring the mind of the listener with an emotion. It is not a tune, melody, scale, mode, or any concept for which an English word exists. It is instead a combination of different characteristics. It is these characteristics, which define the rag. There must be the notes of the rag. They are called the swar (Indian music). There must also be a modal structure. This is called that in North Indian music and mela in carnatic music (Carnatic music). There is also the jati. Jati is the number of notes used in the rag. There must also be the ascending and descending structure. This is called arohana/avarohana. Another characteristic is that the various notes do not have the same level of significance. Some are important and others less so. The important notes are called vadi and samavadi (Indian music). There are often characteristic movements to the rag. This is called either pakad (Indian music).

The Indian rhythm is known as tal. Tal means "clap". The tabla (Indian drum instrument) has replaced the clap in the performance, but the term still reflects the origin. The basic concepts of tal are tali, Khali,vibhag, matra, bol, theka, lay, sam, and avartan. Tali are a pattern of clapping. In addition to the claps, there are also a number of