India is a land of often bewildering diversity. It is a jigsaw puzzle of people - of every faith and religion, living together to create a unique and colourful mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and for every season. 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 clothes, music, dance and feasting.

Since the Hindu religion follows a complicated combination of Lunar and Solar calendars Hindu festivals are celebrated on different dates of the Gregorian Calendar from year to year. The same issue arises with Muslim Festivals, as the Hijr calendar is Lunar. So only the months on which those festivals fall are given below.

Listed below are festivals for the Year 2005.

January 26th - Republic Day -Celebrates the adoption of the constitution and the day India became a republic

March 14th- Maha Shivaratri

March 17th- Holi - The festival of color. Stay away from the streets unless you want to be drenched in water and showered with colored powder. Mostly friendly...

May 1st - Martyrs Day / Labour Day

August 15th - Independence Day - Celebrates the birth of independent India

August/September - Krishna Janmashtami - Celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna

September - Vinayaka (Ganesha) Chathurthi - Celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha

October 2nd - Gandhi Jayanti - birthday of Mahatma Gandhi

October/November - Ayudha pooja - locals worship the Deity Durga and perform pooja for their objects of daily use. Workers are given sweets, cash bonuses, gifts, new clothes etc

Sometime around October - Dussehra - celebrated in different names in different parts of the country

November (occasionally end of October) - Deepawali - Festival of lights, celebrates the slaying of the demon Mahishasura. Probably the most lavish festival in the country, reminiscent (to US travellers at least) of Thanksgiving (the food) and Christmas (the gifts) combined. This is by far the most visually spectacular festival of all: houses are decorated, there is glitter everywhere, and if you wander the streets on Deepawali night, there will be firecrackers going off everywhere, including sometimes under your feet.

November - Id-ul-Fitr

December 25th - Christmas