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The city of Mumbai is a microcosm of India. It is home to millions of people with different culture, tradition and and faith. No wonder, the festivals of Mumbai is a combination of the culture and tradition of the Hindus, Parsees, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Jains. Though the festivals are diverse and the faith different, the spirit of celebration, however, remains the same everywhere. Every now and then the city of Mumbai is bedecked with festive color.
Buddha Purnima:
 Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Buddha, the propagator of Buddhism. This is the most important day for the Buddhist and the the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. On a full moon day in the month of either April or May Buddha Purnima is celebrated. The day, however, has a special significance simply because it was on this day he attained enlightenment or "nirvana" and it was on this day he died. These three coincidences make the day very important for the Buddhists. People decorate their houses with festoons and paintings depicting the tales from the Jatakas.
Dussehra and Diwali:
 These two festivals are celebrated in the months of October and November. The festival of Dussehra is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over the wicked demon Ravana. This is a very auspicious day and it symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil. People exchange the leaves of the Apta tree with friends and relatives.
Diwali is the festival of light and joy. Streets and houses are illuminated with lamps and are decorated with colored powder. The designs made out of this colors are called Rangoli. At the night of Diwali, the entire city throbs with life. You can watch some beautiful fire-works here. Diwali is one of the most happening festivals of Mumbai.
Ganesh Chaturthi:
 The city of Mumbai comes to an absolute stand-still during the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Lord Ganesh symbolize wisdom. Huge idols of Lord Ganesh are worshipped. Often these are 10 to 40 feet high. Ganesh festival was traditionally a household affair but now it is a public festival and you will find an entire community involved in the celebration. The whole of Mumbai is bedecked for the festive occasion.
Holi:
 Celebrated in the month of March, this festival celebrates life. People splash color on each other and enjoy the day in feast and merriment. On the day of Holi, even strangers celebrate the occasion together. Bon-fires are lit the night before Holi and people cutting across community participate in the fun.
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