Its Festival Time in India

An Indian priest gives the finishing touches to the Hindu Goddess Durga at a makeshift place of worship in New Delhi. Photos: AFP

It's that time of the year again when Indians, irrespective of their denomination or persuasion, are taken over by a festive mood and the entire country appears to be celebrating a religious or cultural occasion with prayers, food, songs and dance.

Vehicles move through illuminated streets decorated for the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga at a makeshift community worship place in Kolkata. Photos: AFP

Whether it is the Hindu festivals of Navratri, Durga Puja or Dusshera the religious element is an integral part. The month-long festival gala, that began earlier this month, ends with Diwali, the grand festival of lights.

Hindu holy men perform the ritualistic "Nabapatrika Snan" bathing a banana tree in the Ganges river, on the second day of the Durga worship in Kolkata. Photos: AFP

Apart from the fasting and prayers by Hindus during Navratri , the festivals are also major social and cultural events where people congregate in hundreds in community marquees, whether they be the Ram Lila and Navratri in the north and south, the Dandia Raas in the west and the Durga Puja in the east.

Women balance pots of water on their heads in a ritual procession during the Durga Puja festival in Kathmandu. Photos: AFP

Most south Indian homes are decorated with elaborate rangoli designs of rice paste on the floors and mango leaves on the doors.Idols of Hindu deities are arranged artistically for the Navratri 'golu'. Women visit one another's homes, sing before the golu and exchange gifts of coconut, vermilion and turmeric considered auspicious by Hindus.

A Nepalese Hindu priest offers a prayer to the Hindu Goddess Durga at a temple in Kathmandu . Photos: AFP

In West Bengal and in places where there is a considerable Bengali population, including in Delhi, the Durga Puja fever takes over. It is a time for creativity as well with the idols of goddess Durga sitting astride a lion and slaying the demon Mahishasura and also of the rest of her pantheon in the forms of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik, crafted with great care and love by the artisans.

Devotees worship Hindu goddess Durga during evening prayers during the traditional religious festival 'Durga Puja' in Calcutta . Photos: Reuters

In Gujarat, Maharashtra and even in Rajasthan, it is dandia time. As evening falls, colourfully lit marquees come alive with men and women dancing with dandia sticks to traditional and Bollywood rhythms late into the night.

Devotees receive blessings from flames as they perform a ritual after 'Sandhi Puja' during the traditional religious festival of Durga Puja in Kolkata . Photos: Reuters

Durga Puja is being celebrated at over 200 marquees all over the city with the Bengali-majority Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi being the prime attraction.

Indian dancer Bhattacharya and her students rehearse a dance sequence of Hindu goddess Durga during a photo call in Kolkata. Photos: Reuters

"For me and my family, it's the best period of the year with lots of food, new clothes, meeting with friends and most importantly the worship of goddess Durga," said Swapna Roy, while purchasing sweets from a south Delhi market.