Writer K. Phaniraj said on Saturday that festivals reflected the lifestyles of a region and promoted harmony.
He was delivering a talk on “The importance of festivals and harmony” organised by the Udupi District Minorities Forum here. The tri-monthly issue of the Kannada journal Samparka , brought out by the forum, was released on the occasion.
Prof. Phaniraj said a festival denoted a region and its unique cultural aspects rather than religion. Many festivals were celebrated by followers of different religions together. But unfortunately the celebration of festivals in some places had got politicised because of the rise in extremist elements, he said. There was more to the celebration of festivals than just the religious aspects, he remarked.
