Fairs and Festivals are very colorful, full of joy and are a significant segment of our social system. They also reflect the socio-economical and religious lifestyle of the people and project various aspects of people’s sentiments. At the same time, these fairs and festivals are also associated with different seasons and agriculture. Many festivals are devoted to Gods and Goddesses and other religious deities. Even many fairs are held and festivals are celebrated in the memory of national and at many places for local heroes. There are several fairs which are linked with the agricultural process of the country like Baisakhi, Beehu and others. Similarly many festivals are associated with mythological legend. Some are linked with Ramayna while some are linked with the tales of Puranas and Vedas. Festivals are also associated with the birth of Gods like Ramnavmi with the birth of Lord Rama and Janmashtami with the birth of Lord Krishna. In the same way Navratras are devoted to Goddess Durga and her different incarnations. In Bengal special nine days ‘Durga Puja’ is held with religious fervor and enthusiasm. Dussehra is associated with the victory of Lord Rama over the Demon King Ravnaa. And the festival of lights which in some way has assumed a status of national festival is celebrated as a welcome to Lord Rama who returned to Ayodhya after completing his fourteen years exile and also victory over Ravana. Day after Diwali a unique festival called ‘Bhaia Dooj’ is also celebrated across the country. This festival is associated with the pious love of brothers and sisters. On this day Sisters put a ‘Tilak’ on the forehead of their brothers and pray to God for their healthy, wealthy and happy life. Another festival linked to the pious relation of brother and sister is celebrated in the month of August. This festival is known as ‘Raksha Bandhan’ which is also known as the festival of ‘Threads’. The name of the festival is self explanatory, which means promise of security. On these festivals, sisters visit the house of their brothers and tie a colored thread on his wrist, who in return promises to provide security to her throughout her life. There is hardly any month when a festival is not celebrated or a fair is not held in any part of the country. As such India is also called the land of fairs and festivals.
