India – The land of many celebrations is a must-visit destination as various major festivals and events in September that are celebrated in different regions of the country. Here is a small list of the festivals to be celebrated during the month of September 2013, with great pomp and pleasure.
1. Athachamayam Thrippunithura
Athachamayam Thrippunithura is a colorful start to the popular Onam festival. This is probably the best way that helps in giving an enthusiastic start to the celebration. The celebration includes a street parade of decorated elephants, musicians, floats, traditional Kerala art forms, and more. The festival is marked with an interesting start which dates back to the time of Maharaja of Kochi. The royal used to march to the Vamanamoorthy Temple (Thrikkakara Temple) in Thrikkakara from Tripunithura. Nowadays, people follow the same trend and highlight like street stalls, decorations, floral arrangements, etc., make the celebration more colorful.
• Date: September 7th, 2013.
• Location: Tripunithura, near Ernakulam in greater Kochi.
2. Ganesh Chaturthi
The eleven-day celebration of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated with great show and grace in different parts of India. The celebrations begin with the sight of huge, elegant and beautiful idols of Lord Ganesha. The idols are installed in the podiums and homes and worshiped with customary traditions. For 11 days the atmosphere is high spirited and people enjoy the festive colors. On the 11th day, the idols of Lord Ganesha are marched through the streets and people accompany the parade dancing and singing. The parade ends at the ocean where the idols are submerged.
• Date: September 9th-18th, 2013.
• Location: Mostly in the states of Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
3. Onam
A customary 10-day harvest festival, Onam is celebrated with grace marking the homecoming of Mahabali the mythical king. This festival showcases the rich cultural heritage. To honor the king and welcome him, people create colorful patterns in front of their homes using flowers. People also buy new clothes, dance, take part in various games and sports, feast dished on banana leaves, snake boat races and a lot more.
• Date: September 16th, 2013 (celebrations start 10 days before and continue for around a week after).
• Location: Kerala. The outstanding celebrations take place in Thrissur, Trivandrum, and Kottayam.
4. Onam Pulikkali Tiger Play
Onam Pulikkali Tiger Play is a much-awaited festival as people dance to the traditional beats, wearing the costume of a tiger. The percussion instruments are one of the important features of the celebration. Thus, the showcasing of the Pulikkali art counts as one of the quirkiest festivals celebrated in India. People are in full enthusiasm and in the mood of celebration throughout the festival.
• Date: September 19th, 2013.
• Location: Swaraj Round in Thrissur.
5. Aranmula Snake Boat Race
The Aranmula Snake Boat Race is one of the important features of the Onam celebrations. In spite of being more of a contest, the race is a pleasure to watch and the participants also enjoy the race with full enthusiasm. The celebration marks the occasion when Lord Krishna crossed the river.
• Date: September 20th, 2013.
• Location: Along the Pampa River at Aranmula, near Chengannur, around 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Alleppey in Kerala.
6. Ladakh Festival
People wanting to witness a cultural extravaganza, Ladakh Festival is the best celebration to be a part of. The celebration includes various activities such as music concerts, motorbike/cycle expedition, polo-match, Thanka painting exhibition, river rafting, archery, folk songs and more. During this festival, the local transport and hotels also offer great discounts to tourists.
• Date: September 20th-26th, 2013.
• Location: Leh and surrounding villages
Indian Holiday invites you to be a part of the Indian cultural experience and participate in one or more of these festivals.
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I am amazed to see you post. Excellent post!! You describe so good and in easy language. The best thing about your blog is it is not too long to seem boring and not too short to seem hurried….Words are so simple and clear..Easy to understand.
Excellent Post Neelam! India is truly a country of various shades and festivals is what brings everyone together. Among all other major festivals like Diwali, Holi, Rakhi, my favorite is Diwali. Additionally I adore Lord Ganesha as he is Vighnaharta. Keep writing more.