From dangerous stunts to community spirit, nothing brings a crowd together for some merriment better than a festival. This is a time when everyone lets their hair down while carrying on in the footsteps of their tradition. For visitors, it’s a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives and cultures of the world’s varied peoples.
VANUATU Naghol, Land Diving Festival Typically held on Saturdays during the dry season, 'land diving' - which is similar to bungee jumping - is a ritual performed in southern Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. Men and boys who perform land diving start by constructing wooden towers about 30m high which they then climb to the top of while villagers below sing, dance and make plenty of noise. From the top, the men would then jump to the ground with nothing more than vines wrapped around their ankles. A rite of passage for young men, the real celebration begins with much singing and dancing when the men are safely on the ground. WHEN: April-May WHERE: Pentecost Island
PERU Inti Raymi Festival A solstice celebration held every year on June 24, the Inti Raymi is held in historic Cusco, the ancient hub of the Incan empire. Over 150,000 colourfully-clad participants assemble in the morning at Coricancha, or Sun Temple, where an invocation of praise to the Father Sun is made. Then the royal entourage moves to the main plaza where the ceremonial reading of the sacred coca leaf is followed by a procession to the ramparts of Sacsayhuaman, a cultural treasure outside town, where a llama is ritually "sacrificed". Traditional dancers representing the four corners of the empire add colour to the festival, while the formal spectacle lasts just 4-5 hours. WHEN: June 24
INDIA Krishna Janmashtami (Gokulashtami) Festival A festival commemorating Lord Krishna, it runs for 2 days throughout India when temples are brightly decorated, and one of the best places to experience it is in Mumbai. The highlight of the festival is on the second day (Dahi Handi), when young men form a human pyramid to reach clay pots containing butter, curd and money that are strung up high from buildings, competing with each other to reach the pots and break them open. Fasting is observed on the first day, and people spend it at temples by offering prayers and singing. WHEN: August 27-28 2013 WHERE: Throughout India
WHERE: Cusco
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