The Celebration of Difference through Continuity and Change

The Broad Canvas

• India boasts of a 7,000 year (approximately) civilization which goes to proto-historic era of Indus Valley Civilization.

• India has a population of 1.2 Billion(aprox) people who speak various languages, profess different religions and are different in ethnicity, food habit and culture.

• India has a tiered economy as well, if the “I” of India stands for IT the “A” at the end would be for Agriculture.

Where do we draw our Festivals from?

1. Rooted in Ecological- Agrarian tradition (similar to the Gaia tradition of Ancient Greece), folk-lores, mysticism. These festivals are seasonal, attuned with nature and worship the soil and water (mainly the Ganges).

(Hindu Popular Culture)

2. Rooted in our two Epics, Mythologies, (Puranas), The Vedic scriptures.

(Hindu High Culture)

Sankranti: Festival of Harvests

Khumb Mela (Pitcher Fair)

DeepawaliThe Festival of Light (Source, The Epic , The Ramayana)Hindu Festival celebrating with fireworks, lights.It has different meaning and connotation and also way of celebrating in different parts of the country.

The celebration of Colours

• The celebration of Colours (Source: The Epic, The Mahabharata, Mythology of Lord Krishna)

• Celebrated in Spring.• Social significance: The otherwise strict caste

rules are relaxed.• The purpose of celebrating Holi is to celebrate

love, fraternity and the positive Karma that is innate in all individual.

The Riot of Colours (Source: The Epic, The Mahabharata, Mythology of Lord Krishna)

Celebrated in Spring.Social significance: The otherwise strict caste rules are relaxed.The purpose of celebrating Holi is to celebrate love, fraternity and the positive Karma that is innate in all individual.

Holi

Eid

The Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year, Eid-ul-Fitr and the other, which comes about 10 weeks later, is called Eid-ul-Adha.

(Around 18% Indian people, profess Islam)

EIDThe Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year, Eid-ul-Fitr and the other, which comes about 10 weeks later, is called Eid-ul-Adha.

(Around 18% Indian people, profess Islam)

Carnival of Goa

Goa, an erstwhile Portuguese colony, was added to India on 1965 as a Union Territory and later as a state.

Christmas (and New Year)

• Christmas is a very big event in India, surprising so, as only 2% of Indian people profess Christianity.

• Like every other religious festivities, Christmas also has transcended religious boundaries and December, 25 is marked in everybody’s calendar as a day filled with fun, cakes and outings....Indian winter being lovely as it is, makes it even better.

Christmas (and New Year)

How do we deal with so much difference?

• The anthropological reason: Syncretism

• Political reason: Secular state

• Multiplicity is an Indian trait.

The change and Contuinity

Corporatisation of festivals

Since the Indus valley....

The mother –cult, phallic worship, worshipping agents of nature still continues.....

So finally...

• Yes India is changing but it is not of touch with its roots.

• We choose our change...we apply “politics” of choice.

• Change has never been external ....it may have come from external forces but we have always internalised it.