Celebration Across the Subcontinent: India's Regional and National Festivals

Fairs and Festivals of India

Three National Festivals:

• 26th January — Republic Day
• 15th August — Independence Day
• 2nd October — Gandhi Jayanti

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Diwali (Deepawali)

• Also called: Festival of Lights; 'Krishna Chaturdashi' by some Hindu clerics
• When: Amavasya (new moon) in the month of Karthik (October/November)
• Significance: Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14-year exile; victory of light over darkness; emergence of Goddess Lakshmi from Samudra Manthan
• Day before: Naraka Chaturdasi — marks Lord Krishna's victory over demon Naraka
• Rituals: Lakshmi Puja, Chopad Puja (Karma Yoga connection), lighting of homes
• Jain significance: Day when Mahavira attained Nirvana
• Regional variation: In Bengal, Goddess Kali is worshipped instead of Lakshmi

Sharad Purnima

• Falls 15 days before Diwali on the full moon — called Navanna Purnima
• Ritual: drinking saffron-coloured milk under moonlight = Kojagiri
• Torch-lit procession of Goddess Durga = Chhabina

Holi

• Also called: Festival of Colours
• When: Month of Phalgun (end Feb/early March); marks beginning of spring
• Two days: Chhoti Holi (Holika Dahan — burning of demoness Holika; good over evil; saving Bhakt Prahlad) + Rang (Day of Colour — celebrates Krishna-Radha love)
• Regional versions:
  • Vrindavan/Mathura → Lathmar Holi (women beat men with sticks)
  • Rural Maharashtra → Rangapanchami
  • West Bengal/Assam → Basant Utsav or Dhol Jatra

Makar Sankranti

• When: Usually 14th January
• Dedicated to the Sun God; celebrates Sun's movement to northern hemisphere
• Makar = Capricorn; Sankranti = transition
• Marks beginning of Uttarayan; associated with harvest, kite-flying, cattle fairs
• Pilgrims visit Ganga Sagar and Prayag for holy dip

Janmashtami

• Birth anniversary of Lord Krishna
• When: Month of Shravan (July/August); calculated by lunar calendar
• Marked by Ras Leela and Krishna Leela performances
• Key locations: Dwarka (Gujarat), Mathura, Vrindavan
• Maharashtra: called Dahi-handi — human pyramid to break an earthen pot (matki)

Dussehra (Vijaydashami)

• Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over Ravana
• 10th day after nine days of Navratri fasting
• Effigies of Ravana, Meghnad (son), and Kumbhkaran (brother) are burnt
• Ram-lila performances; 'Lanka Dahan' is a major scene
• Regional variations:
  • Mysore → Chamundi Temple celebrations
  • Andhra Pradesh/Karnataka → Bommai Kulu (dolls) decorations
  • Himachal Pradesh → Natti Dance for 9 days; Lord Raghunath worshipped

Ram Navami

• Birth anniversary of Lord Rama
• When: Month of Chaitra (March/April)
• Special locations: Ayodhya (Ram Janambhoomi) and Puducherry (Kanaka Bhawan Temple)

Durga Puja

• Celebrates Goddess Durga's triumph over demon Mahisasura
• When: September/October
• Bengali Durga Puja: Five days from Shashti (6th day); culminates on 10th day (DurgoPujo); clay idol immersed in river (symbolises Durga's return to Lord Shiva)
• Mysore → called Dasara
• Gujarat → called Navratri (with Garba and Dandia dances)
• Tamil Nadu → 9 days: first 3 = Lakshmi, next 3 = Durga, last 3 = Saraswati

Ganesh Chaturthi

• Birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha (son of Shiva and Parvati; elephant face; first among Hindu gods)
• When: 4th day of Bhadra (August/September)
• Major states: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
• Initiated by Shivaji to promote Hinduism against Mughals
• Revived in 1893 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak to unite people against British ban on public gatherings
• Idol immersion = Visarjan

Karva Chauth

• Observed by Hindu women for their husband's well-being
• When: 4th day after full moon in Karthik (October/November) — also called Karthikki Chauth
• Fast starts before sunrise; broken only after sighting the moon
• Ritual food from mother-in-law = Sargi; Goddess invoked = Gaur Mata

Rath Yatra (Puri, Odisha)

• Location: Puri (Neelachal Srikshetra), Odisha — one of the biggest festivals
• When: 2nd day of Ashadha (June/July)
• Three deities: Lord Jagannath (Nandighosha rath), Lord Balabhadra (Taladhwaja rath), Goddess Subhadra (Devadalana rath)
• Idols (made of wood) taken from Sri Mandir to Shri Gundicha temple for a week
• Return journey = Bahuda Yatra (commences on Asadha Sukla Dasami, 9th day)
• Celebrations date back to at least the 9th century

Mahashivratri

• Celebrates Lord Shiva
• When: 14th day of Magha (February/March) — darkest day of the month
• Lord Shiva manifested as Jyotirlinga (flaming lingam); performed Tandava dance
• Devotees carry Ganga water to offer at Shivalinga; fast + night vigil

Chhath

• Dedicated to Sun God (Surya); Vedic origins
• When: 6th day of lunar fortnight of Kartik — six days after Diwali
• State festival of Bihar; also celebrated in northern and eastern India and Nepal
• 4-day festival with rigorous fasting, holy bath, offerings to rising and setting Sun

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Eid-ul-Fitr

• Celebrated at the end of Ramadan (9th month of Islamic calendar)
• Falls on 1st day of Shawwal (10th month) after moon sighting
• Ramadan significance: Quran revealed (~27th day); Prophet won Battle of Badr; martyrdom of Ali on 21st day

Id-ul-Zuha (Id-ul-Azha / Bakr-Eid)

• When: 10th day of Dhu-al-Hijjah (12th month)
• Commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's devotion to Allah (sacrifice of son; God accepted goat)
• Ram is sacrificed; 1/3rd meat given to the poor
• Marks beginning of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

Milad-Un-Nabi (Barah-wafat)

• Birth + death anniversary of Prophet Muhammad
• When: 12th day of Rabi-al-Awwal (3rd month)
• Barah = twelve; wafat = death (12 days of sickness before death)
• Scholars recite Qasida al-Burda Sharif (13th century poem by Arabic Sufi Busiri); also sing Nats
• Prophet's relics displayed at Hazratbal Shrine, Srinagar (Kashmir)

Muharram

• When: 1st month of Islamic calendar (Islamic New Year on 1st day)
• 10th day = Yaum-al-ashura — day of mourning for Shia Muslims
• Commemorates martyrdom of Hussain Bin Ali (grandson of Prophet) at Battle of Karbala in 61 Hijri (680 AD)
• India: processions called Tajia; black clothes; sherbet distributed

Shab-e-Barat

• 'Night of Emancipation' — observed between 14th and 15th day of Shaban (8th month)
• Destiny of every person believed to be determined on this night
• Shia Muslims celebrate 15th Shaban as birth anniversary of Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (12th imam)

Shab-e-Miraj

• 'Night of Ascent' — Prophet's spiritual journey to nearness of Almighty
• When: 27th day of Rajab, 2 years before Hijra
• On this journey, five daily prayers were made obligatory for Muslims

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Christmas

• 25th December — Birth anniversary of Jesus Christ
• Midnight mass on night of 24th–25th December
• Traditions: Christmas Tree + Santa Claus

Easter & Good Friday

• Easter = Resurrection of Jesus (3 days after crucifixion); triumph of life over death
• Date fixed by Council of Nicene (325 AD): first Sunday after first full moon following vernal equinox (~21st March = Paschal full moon)
• Good Friday = Crucifixion of Jesus Christ; falls in April

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Gurpurab

• Birth anniversaries of all 10 Sikh Gurus; most important: Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh
• Important martyrdom Gurpurabs: Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur (both martyred by Mughals)
• Rituals: Akhand Path, Prabhat Pheris (congregational singing of Shabds), procession of Guru Granth Sahib on floral float, Panj Pyare (five beloved men = 5 armed guards with Nishan Sahibs)

Parkash Utsav Dasveh Patshah

• Birthday of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh — celebrated on 31st January

Maghi

• When: 14th January
• Celebrated in Muktsar in memory of 40 Sikh martyrs (Chalis Mukte) who fought the Mughals
• Guru Govind Singh died fighting Wazir Khan (Mughal emperor) in 1705

Hola Mohalla

• Beginning of Sikh New Year; held at Anandpur Sahib on 2nd day of lunar month Chett (March)
• Started by Guru Govind Singh for mock battles, military exercises, kirtan and poetry
• Also known as 'Sikh Olympics'

Vaisakhi

• 13th or 14th April every year
• Celebrates Sikh New Year and birthday of Khalsa Panth
• Spring harvest festival

Lohri

• 13th January (day before Makar Sankranti); month of Magh
• Celebrates fertility; bonfires; victory of light over darkness

Sodal Mela

• Main fair of Punjab; held in Jalandhar in month of Bhadon (September)
• Pays homage to Baba Sodal; Sodal ka Sarovar (holy tank)

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Mahavir Jayanti

• Birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira — 24th Tirthankara, founder of Jainism
• When: 13th day of rising moon in Chaitra
• Idol bathed with milk (Abhishek); carried in procession; saffron flag displayed
• Special relevance: Parshvanath Temple (Kolkata), Hastinapur (UP), Pawapuri (Bihar)

Paryushana

• Annual festival of Jains in Bhadrapada (August/September)
• Svetambara sect: 8 days; Digambara sect: 10 days
• Rituals: visit to Upashrayas, discourses on Kalpa Sutra, Pratikraman (meditation)
• Ends with Kshamavami (forgiveness day): phrase — "Micchami Dukkadam"

Mahamastakabhisheka

• Held once in 12 years at Shravanabelagola, Karnataka
• Holy bathing ceremony of 57 ft high statue of Siddha Bahubali (son of Rishabhdev)
• Bathed with milk, sugarcane juice, saffron paste; sprinkled with sandalwood, turmeric, vermilion

Other Jain Festivals

• Gyana Panchami — 5th day of Kartika; 'Knowledge Day'; holy scriptures displayed
• Varshi Tapa / Akshay Tritiya — related to 1st Tirthankara Rishabhdev's 13-month-13-day fast
• Maun-Agiyara — 11th day of Magshar month; complete silence + fasting + meditation
• Navapad Oli — 9-day period of semi-fasting; one meal/day; comes twice a year (Mar/Apr and Sep/Oct)

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Buddha Purnima (Buddha Jayanti)

• Birth anniversary of Lord Buddha
• When: April/May; celebrated in North-East India
• Called Saga Dawa (Dasa) in Sikkim; Vishakha Puja in Theravada tradition
• Key locations: Sarnath (UP), Bodh Gaya (Bihar)
• Mahayana Buddhists: large procession with gyalings and rabdungs; read Kangyur texts
• Theravada Buddhists: only ceremonial prayers

Hemis Gompa

• Held at Hemis Gompa Monastery, Ladakh
• Birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) — founder of Tibetan Buddhism
• Main attraction: Mask dance by Lamas

Losar Festival

• Marks Tibetan New Year; celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh
• Celebrated by Mahayana Buddhist tribes: Sherdukpens, Khamba, Memba, Monpa
• Begins 11 February; 3 days:
  1. Offerings to Palden Lhamo (Dharampala); greeting = Tashi Delek
  2. Gyalpo Losar — national leaders and kings remembered
  3. Choe-Kyong Losar — offerings to elders; prayer flags tied to rooftops

Ulambana (Ancestor Day)

• 1st to 15th days of the 8th lunar month
• Gates of Hell believed open; ghosts visit for 15 days; food offered
• 15th day = Ulambana/Ancestor Day — cemetery visits

Songkran

• Buddhist festival observed as spring cleaning (mid-April); sprinkle perfumed water on monks

Losoong Festival (Sikkim)

• Celebrates Sikkimese New Year; celebrated in December in Sikkim
• Festival of Bhutia tribe (now also Lepchas)
• Traditional wine = Chaang; dances: Cham Dance + Black Hat Dance

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• Chaliho Sahib — 40-day fast (July–August); prayers to Lord Jhulelal; ends as Thanks Giving Day; origin: Muslim invader Mirkshah troubled Hindus of Thatta; they prayed to Varun Devta for 40 days
• Cheti Chand — Sindhi New Year; 1st day of Chaitra; birth of Jhulelal (patron saint of Sindhis); Baharana Sahib taken to river

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Gangaur Festival

• Most important spring festival of Rajasthan; roots in medieval Rajput times
• Celebrated in honour of Goddess Parvati (Gauri) — wife of Lord Shiva
• Celebrates spring, harvest, and marital fidelity; unmarried women pray for good husband

Khajuraho Dance Festival

• Instituted in 1975 by Government of India in collaboration with MP Kala Parishad
• Purpose: promote tourism; highlight beauty of Khajuraho temples

Regional New Year Names

Teej

• 3rd day of Shravan (July/August); celebrated in Rajasthan, Bihar, UP
• Three types: Haryali Teej, Kajari Teej, Hartalika Teej

Sair-e-Gulfaroshan (Phool Walon Ki Sair)

• Annual festival of flowers in Old Delhi; symbol of communal harmony
• Pankhas (flower-decorated palm leaf fans) taken from tomb of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki (Mehrauli) to Jog Maya Temple
• Origin: Queen Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Mughal emperor Akbarshah II (19th century)
• Banned by British; reinstated in 1962

Tyagaraja Aradhana

• Commemorates Samadhi day of Tamil saint-composer Tyagaraja
• Held annually in January near Thanjavur on banks of Kaveri
• Trinity of Carnatic music: Tyagaraja + Muthuswami Dikshitar + Shyama Sastri

Raksha Bandhan

• 'Bond of protection'; sisters tie silk threads on brothers' wrists
• When: Full moon day in Shravan; also significant for Jain community

Onam

• State festival of Kerala; month of Chigam (first month of Malayalam calendar)
• Harvest festival + celebrates homecoming of King Mahabali from Patala
• Feature: Vallamkali (Snake Boat race) — most popular at Punnamada Lake → winners get Nehru Boat Race Trophy
• Traditional games: Onakanikal

Pongal

• Harvest festival of Tamils; celebrated 13–16 January
• Marks beginning of Uttarayan (Sun's northward journey)
• Pongal = 'to boil' in Tamil; held in month of Thai
• Boiling of first rice is the main ritual

Sarhul

• New Year festival for tribals of Jharkhand
• Celebrated by Munda, Oraon and Ho tribes
• Literally means 'Worship of Sal'; spring season (month of Phagun)

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• Unity in Diversity: India's 3 national festivals and dozens of religious/secular festivals reflect the constitutional vision of a plural democracy where all communities coexist.
• Religion–Agriculture–Calendar Linkage: Most Indian festivals (Pongal, Onam, Bihu, Makar Sankranti, Chhath, Wangala) are directly tied to harvest cycles and seasonal transitions, reflecting the agrarian roots of Indian civilization.
• Cultural Preservation via Festivals: Festivals like Hornbill (Nagaland), Wangala (Meghalaya), and Dree (Arunachal Pradesh) serve as living museums of tribal traditions, language, costume, and music.
• Syncretic / Composite Culture: Sair-e-Gulfaroshan (Phool Walon Ki Sair) and several Sufi-linked observances reflect India's composite heritage that transcends religious boundaries.
• UNESCO Recognition: The Kumbh Mela was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2017 — the world's largest peaceful gathering.
• Modern Relevance: Ganesh Chaturthi's revival by Tilak in 1893 shows how cultural festivals have been instruments of political mobilisation and national consciousness.
• Interlinks: Rath Yatra ↔ Puri Temple architecture ↔ Odisha heritage; Kumbh Mela ↔ Samudra Manthan mythology ↔ pilgrimage geography

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• Diwali is on Amavasya (NEW moon), NOT Purnima (full moon) — most common confusion.
• Chhoti Holi = Holika Dahan (burning), NOT the colour-playing day; Rang is the colour day.
• Dahi-handi is Janmashtami in Maharashtra — NOT a separate festival.
• Dussehra effigies: Ravana + son Meghnad + brother Kumbhkaran — NOT his wife or other relatives.
• Ram Navami special locations: Ayodhya AND Puducherry (not Varanasi or Mathura).
• Rath Yatra deities: Jagannath (Nandighosha), Balabhadra (Taladhwaja), Subhadra (Devadalana) — wrong pairing is a common trap.
• Bahuda Yatra = return journey of Rath Yatra (not same as Rath Yatra itself).
• Ganesh Chaturthi: Initiated by Shivaji; revived by Tilak in 1893 (not initiated by Tilak).
• Milad-un-Nabi = Barah-wafat — it is BOTH birth AND death anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.
• Yaum-al-ashura is 10th day of Muharram (not 1st); mourning is by Shia Muslims, not all Muslims.
• Shab-e-Barat is in month Shaban (8th month), NOT Rajab or Ramadan.
• Shab-e-Miraj is on 27th Rajab — this is when 5 daily prayers were ordained.
• Mahavira is the 24th Tirthankara (NOT the 1st; Rishabhdev is the 1st).
• Paryushana: Svetambara = 8 days; Digambara = 10 days — do not reverse.
• Mahamastakabhisheka is held at (NOT Pawapuri or Varanasi).

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• Diwali → Amavasya, Karthik, Lakshmi Puja; Bengal = Kali Puja; Jain = Mahavira Nirvana day
• Holi → Phalgun; Lathmar Holi = Vrindavan/Mathura; Rangapanchami = Maharashtra; Basant Utsav = W. Bengal/Assam
• Makar Sankranti → 14th Jan; Sun God; Uttarayan begins
• Janmashtami → Shravan; Dahi-handi = Maharashtra
• Dussehra → 10th day after Navratri; Vijaydashami; effigies of Ravana + Meghnad + Kumbhkaran; Dasara = Mysore; Navratri = Gujarat (Garba + Dandia)
• Ganesh Chaturthi → Bhadra 4th day; initiated by Shivaji; revived by Tilak 1893; immersion = Visarjan
• Rath Yatra → Puri, Ashadha 2nd day; Nandighosha (Jagannath), Taladhwaja (Balabhadra), Devadalana (Subhadra); return = Bahuda Yatra
• Chhath → Bihar state festival; Sun God; 6 days after Diwali
• Eid-ul-Fitr → end Ramadan; 1st Shawwal
• Bakr-Eid → 10th Dhu-al-Hijjah; Ibrahim's sacrifice; marks Hajj
• Milad-un-Nabi = Barah-wafat → 12th Rabi-al-Awwal; birth + death anniversary of Prophet
• Muharram → 1st month; Yaum-al-ashura = 10th day; martyrdom of Hussain at Karbala 680 AD
• Shab-e-Barat → 14th/15th Shaban; night destiny is determined
• Shab-e-Miraj → 27th Rajab; 5 daily prayers ordained
• Gurpurab → Sikh; martyrs: Guru Arjan Dev + Guru Tegh Bahadur (by Mughals)
• Vaisakhi → 13/14 April; Sikh New Year + Khalsa Panth birthday
• Hola Mohalla → Anandpur Sahib; 'Sikh Olympics'
• Mahavir Jayanti → 24th Tirthankara; Chaitra 13th day; Abhishek ritual
• Paryushana → Svetambara 8 days; Digambara 10 days; ends with Kshamavami; 'Micchami Dukkadam'
• Mahamastakabhisheka → 12 years; Shravanabelagola, Karnataka; Bahubali statue (57 ft)
• Buddha Purnima → Apr/May; Sarnath (UP), Bodh Gaya (Bihar); Saga Dawa in Sikkim
• Hemis Gompa → Ladakh; birth of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava); Lama mask dance
• Losar → Arunachal Pradesh; Tibetan New Year; 11 Feb; Mahayana Buddhist tribes
• Kumbh Mela → 4 sites; river pairings: Allahabad=Ganga+Yamuna+Saraswati, Haridwar=Ganga, Nashik=Godavari, Ujjain=Shipra; Maha Kumbh every 144 years