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Delhi is a dynamic city that is flexible and adaptable. But that does not mean the city has lost its connection to its roots-its culture.
The basic character of the city has remained same over the years. Delhi has this uncanny habit of blending itself with different cultures without losing its own color. Perhaps this is what has survived the culture of Delhi despite various outside influences in the past.
New Delhi has been a part of a rich and varied culture. The old city of New Delhi boasts of rich legacies of the time when Mughals were great patrons of arts and crafts.
To know more about the culture of New Delhi view the popular classical dance forms at the Kamani Auditorium or Siri Fort of New Delhi.Many dance and music festivals are organized at every corner of the city of New Delhi.
Delhi has a mini India feel to it. People from different corners of the country have come and made Delhi their home.
The culture of Delhi, thus, is liberal and tolerable. People from different parts of India live in peace and harmony in the capital and practice all their customs and rituals without any hindrance. This is reflected in various fairs and festivals that are celebrated in Delhi.
You can see Bengalis celebrating Durga Pooja with same fervour and gaiety, as north Indians celebrate Diwali or Holi. During Jagrans, one can find Shri Sai Baba and Guru Nanak Dev sharing space with gods of the Hindu pantheon.
The festivals in New Delhi form a great part of the ethnic culture of the city. There is an endless list of festivals in New Delhi, which includes, Id-Ul-Fitar, celebrated to mark the end of Ramzan, the Muslim month of fasting. It is an occasion for fasting and rejoicing. Makar Sakranti is a major harvest festival of India.
This festival is not only celebrated in Delhi, but in Tamilnadu, Karnataka, and AndhraPradesh also. Republic Day is also one of the main festivals in New Delhi; the celebrations include a magnificent parade of the armed Forces, folk dances, and floats from all the different states of India.
Delhi has a rich cultural life. You can enjoy a number of cultural programmes that are a regular affair at India Habitat Centre, India International Centre, Dilli Haat and Triveni Kala Sangam. You can enjoy theatre at Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts and National School of Drama.
Cultural events in Delhi
India’s calendar of festivals draws upon the nation’s Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist and Christian communities, with a sprinkling of non-religious festivals thrown in for good measure. Most will be celebrated to some extent, somewhere in Delhi.
Republic Day, a week of celebration kicks off on 26 January, with a military parade along Rajpath.
A guard of honor stands to attention at Raj Ghat on Martyr’s Day, 30 January, to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Spring exuberance erupts on the day after the full moon in early March, during Holi, when people running through the streets bombard each other and stray tourists with brightly colored powder and water, to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land. It is often an occasion for indulging in a drink or two.
The Raslila is performed across India recreating the life of Krishna on the anniversary of his birth, Janmasthami, which falls in August/September. The city celebrates most flamboyantly at Lakshmi Narayan Mandir.
Diwali (Deepavali), the most pan-Indian of Hindu festivals – coinciding with the onset of the Hindu and Jain new year – symbolizes the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness by commemorating Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom, Ayodhya, after his 14-year exile.
(Dates are calculated according to the Hindu calendar, which varies against the Gregorian calendar.) |
