Introduction
Festivals are an important part of our life. Most of the festivals in India are associated with religion. India is a multi-religious country. Festivals are also for remembering our culture. Every festival has its importance. All these festival teach us the common thing that is the make good for others, help poor and remove the darkness in mind. The article Indian Festivals presents the list of the festival of respective states.
Importance
The main purpose of the festival is to remember the events occurred on that particular day. Different religion, community have different reasons to celebrate different festivals. In India, multiple festivals are being celebrated by different religious people.
Andhra Pradesh - Makar Sankranti:
Andhra Pradesh - Deccan festival:
Arunachal Pradesh - Siang River Festival:
- Everyone can meet all the relatives even those are away from their families.
- A Festival can help us to make new friendships.
- A Festival can help to take new resolutions with a positive attitude.
- A Festival can help to forget all the worries.
- A Festival connects us with our culture.
- Even if we are spending a lot of money at the festival time, but we get double happiness through these festivals.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh |
|
- Another Name: Pongal
- Religion: Hindu
- Significance: Harvest Festival
- God: Surya
- Celebration Date (2019): January 15
- Type of holiday: Traditional, Seasonal
- Activities: Kite flying, surya puja in river, feast
- Day 1 – Bhoghi (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra)
- Day 2 – Makara Sankranti, the main festival day
- Day 3 – Kanuma (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)
- Another Name: Yugadi
- Religion: Hindu
- Celebration Date (2019): Saturday, 6 April
- Type of holiday: social, cultural
- Activities: Kolam-Rangoli, visiting Temples, Feast with Ugadi pachadi
- Ugadi is the New Year's Day for the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, states in India.
- Another Name: Sri Venkateswara Brahmotsavams
- Religion: Hindu
- Activities: The vahanams will be led by Brahmaratham, devotees performing cultural dances and music, Archakas chanting sacred hymns, Elephant, horse march-fast etc.
- This Brahmotsavam will be celebrated in overall 9 days.
- The Brahmotsava is performed over a nine-day period in the beginning of Āśvina Masa as per the Hindu Lunar Calendar(in parallel with Navarathri/Dasara festival).
| Day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| First Day | Pedda Sesha Vahanam | |
| Second Day | Chinna Sesha Vahanam | Hamsa Vahanam |
| Third Day | Simha Vahanam | Mutyapu Pandiri Vahanam |
| Fourth Day | Simha Vahanam | Mutyapu Pandiri Vahanam |
| Fifth Day | Mohini Avatharam | Garuda Vahanam |
| Sixth Day | Hanumantha Vahanam | Swarnarathotsavam & Gajavahanam |
| Seventh Day | suryaprabha vahanam | chandraprabha vahanam |
| Eighth Day | Rathotsavam | Ashwa Vahanam |
| Ninth Day | Chakra Snanam |
- Held in: Hyderabad
- Organized By: The tourism Department of Andhra Pradesh
- Purpose: To keep the tradition and culture of the Deccan area alive
- Start Date: 25/02/2019
- End Date (2019): 01/03/2019
- Activities: A riot of colors ,music, spices and fairs.
- There is also a food festival arranged during the Deccan Festival, where the visitors can taste the different delicious and renowned cuisine of Hyderabad.
- Type: Pooja
- Observed By: All South Indian states except Kerala
- Significance: Religious
- Date: 24 August 2018
- Activities: Women worship Goddess Lakshmi with utmost devotion offering fruits, sweets and flowers, usually a kalasam (representing the deity) will be decorated with a saree, flowers and gold jewelry
- Held in: Nagarjunsagar
- Organized By: Department of Tourism of the Government of Andhra Pradesh
- Purpose: To observe the significance of Buddhism and celebrate the religion.
- Start Date (Last Year): 15/12/2018
- End Date (2019): 17/12/2018
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Arunachal Pradesh |
|
- Earlier Name: Brahmaputra Darshan Festival
- Purpose: To observe the significance of Buddhism and celebrate the religion.
- Day: December
- Activities: A lot of adventure and fun activities like elephant race, traditional boat race, Didi – the mock war game of Mishmis, River rafting, Food Festivals, Folk dances, Cultural Shows, Hot air balloon & Paragliding and Exhibition of local model house
- Place: Nampong
- Purpose: The festival joins the tribes of both North East and Myanmar and gives them the opportunity to showcase their culture and traditions to each other.
- Day: January 20 – 22, 2019
- Activities: Perform folk dances and sing folk songs
- Earlier Name: Sunburn Festival
- Activities: Folk acts
- Community: Adi
- Field: Agriculture Festival
- Activities: Ponung dance performance, which is done by the ladies of all age group.
- Community: Adi
- Field: Agriculture Festival
- Activities: Ponung dance performance, which is done by the ladies of all age group.
- Another Name: Tibetan New Year, Lhochhar
- Date: Tue, 5 Feb, 2019 – Thu, 7 Feb, 2019
- Observed By: Tibetans, Bhutanese, Tibetan Buddhists and certain ethnic groups in Nepal and India.
- Tribe: Apatani
- Field: Agricultural
- Activities: Throughout the three day festival games and sports are actively partaken and this results as a source of entertainment.
- Tribe: Nyishi
- Field: Agricultural
- Activities: Festival begins with various competition like tug of war, folk dance, and archery.
- Purpose: A special puja is performed by the priest- Nibu, followed by an animal sacrifice for the mankind to be blessed with prosperity and be free from diseases.
- Name History: Cha meaning paddy; Lo, which means season, and Loku, which means festival.
- Field: Paddy (Chalo Loku is a harvest festival )
- Highlights: Rice bear
- Tribe: Khampti
- District: Lohit
- Day/Date: 14th February every year.
- Beleive/Date: This festival is also regarded as the festival of water; it is believed that sprinkling water shows a sign of respect and a cleansing ritual to welcome the New Year.
- Highlights: During this festival, there is a ritual to bathe the idol of Buddha and on the final day, the idol is installed back in the main temple.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Assam |
|
- The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
- Bohag Bihu or Rangali Bihu also called Haat Bihu (seven Bihus) is a festival celebrated in the state of Assam and northeastern India and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year.
- Bwisagu or Baisagu is one of the most popular seasonal festivals of the Bodos of Assam. In the Assamese language, it is called as Bihu. The Bodos call this popular festival as Baisagu, which means the start of the New Year.
- Majuli festival is celebrated on the banks of the River Luit in Majuli, Assam, which is the biggest river island in the world.
- The Dihing Patkai Festival is a once-a-year festival held at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district of Assam.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Bihar |
|
- Bihula is a prominent festival of eastern Bihar and is especially famous in the district of Bhagalpur.
- Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival historically native to Nepal and Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
- Madhushravani Festival or Madhu Sravani Puja is the main festival observed in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and some other North Indian regions.
- Rajgir Dance festival is a celebration of classical dance and music that takes every year with great enthusiasm at Rajgir in the state of Bihar.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Goa |
|
- The week-long Fontainhas Festival of art celebrated every year in Goa.
- Sunburn is a commercial EDM (Electronic Dance Music) Festival held in India.
- It was previously in Vagator, Goa, India every year, but now has been shifted to Pune.
- It is Asia's largest music festival.
- Mando or Manddo is a musical form that evolved during the 19th and 20th century among Goan Catholics of Goa, India.
- The first-ever festival in honor of the Goan mud instrument, Ghumot, is being held at Siridao beach.
- Chikal Kalo is a local Goan festival – one of the many that you see only in Goa. It is celebrated on the 12th day of the month of Ashadh that roughly falls in 2nd or 3rd week of July.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Gujarat |
|
- The International Kite Festival is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.
- The Saptak Annual Festival of Music is an annual thirteen-day Indian classical music festival held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Jammu & Kashmir |
|
- Dosmoche is a festival celebrated in Ladakh, India. It is celebrated in Leh, Likir and Diskit monasteries.
- Matho Nagrang or the festival of the oracles is one such monastic festival in Ladakh, Jammu nd Kashmir.
- Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh, India.
- Galdan Namchot is a festival celebrated in Ladakh, India.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Jharkhand |
|
- Sarhul festival is one of the most popular festivals celebrated across the Jharkhand region. 'Sar' refers to Year and 'Hul' means set to begin. Sarhul means the worship of trees.
- RaniKarma Puja, one of the most popular festivals of Jharkhand is related to the harvest and a tribute to the Karam tree. This tree symbolizes fertility, prosperity, and everything that is auspicious.
- Jharkhand Hal Punhya Festival is a local tribal festival which begins with the fall of winter. The first day of Magha month, known as”Akhain Jatra” or ” Hal Punhya”.
- Rohin is a popular festival, which is celebrated in Jamshedpur of East Singhbhum District, Jharkhand. It marks the beginning of sowing seeds in the field.
- Bandana is one of the most famous festivals celebrated during the black moon month of Kartik (Kartik Amavasya). This festival is mainly for the animals and celebrated in Jharkhand.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Karnataka |
|
- Pattadakkal Dance Festival is an annual dance festival which is held annually in Pattadakkal, a small town located in the southern state of Karnataka, India.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Kerala |
|
- Onam is an annual Hindu festival with origins in the state of Kerala in India.
- The annual Vaikathashtami festival of Vaikom Kottayam in Kerala, India.
- Vishu, Bisu sankramana in Arebhashedialect is the astronomical new year festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh |
|
- Kalidas Festivalis an important festival of Maharashtra, usually held in Ramtek, Nagpur.
- It is celebrated in the honor of great Indian poet Kalida.
- Gudhi Padva is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional new year for Marathi Hindus. It is celebrated in Maharashtra on the first day of the Chaitra month.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Manipur |
|
- Yaosang is a festival celebrated in Manipur for five days in spring, starting on the full moon day of the month of Lamda (February–March).
- Chavang-Kut,the autumn post-harvest festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Kuki, Chin and Mizo tribes in the hill districts of Manipur.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Meghalaya |
|
- Nongkrem Dance is famous religious dance festival of Meghalaya, celebratedin the month of November in North East India.
- Wangala Festival of Meghalaya is a most popular festival among the Garosof Meghalaya, India.
- Ahaia is a winter festival that was planned to boost culture and heritage of tribes living in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Mizoram |
|
- The Chapchar Kut is a festival of Mizoram, India. It is celebrated during March after completion of their most arduous task of Jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Nagaland |
|
- The Hornbill Festival is a celebration held every year from 1 -10 December, in Nagaland, Northeast India. It is also called the 'Festival of Festivals'.
- The Moatsü Mong festivalis celebrated by the Ao people of Nagaland, India. Moatsü is celebrated in the first week of May every year.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Odisha |
|
- Konark Dance Festival is a five day dance festival held every year in the month of December mostly from 1 to 5 in backdrop of the Sun temple in Konark, Odisha in India.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Punjab |
|
- Lohri is a popular winter time Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region of Indian subcontinent.
- Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is the harvest festival of Punjab. The name originates from 'Baisakh', the first month according to the Bikram Sambat Hindu calendar.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Rajasthan |
|
- Gangaur is a festival celebrated in the Indian state of Rajasthan and some parts of Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.
- Bundi Festival is a cultural festival held in Bundi city of Hadoti district of Rajasthan.
- The Jaisalmer Desert Festival is an annual event that takes place in February month in the beautiful city Jaisalmer.
- It is held in the Hindu month of Magh (February), three days prior to the full moon.
- Brij Mahotsav is a festival that is celebrated for three days in Shukla Paksha of Phalgun. It is celebrated in the Brij region, located in the Bharatpur district, Rajasthan in the month of March.
- The Matsya Festival is one of the most popular and important festivals of Rajasthan and is held in Alwar and is known for showcasing the rich social and cultural heritage of the region.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Sikkim |
|
- Saga Dawa Festival is one of the most popular and biggest festivals of Sikkim.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Tamilnadu |
|
- The Pongal is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God.
- It is a four-day festival which according to the Tamil calendar is usually celebrated from January 14 to January 17.
- The Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
- Thaipusam or Thaipoosam is a festival celebrated by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai.
- Jallikattu is atradition practicedto worshipcattle stock, celebrated during the festival of Pongal, mainly in Tamil Nadu.
- Natyanjali Dance Festival is celebrated in Chidambaram near Chennai.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Tamilnadu |
|
- Bonalu or Goddess Mahankali bonalu is a Hindu Festival, Goddess Mahakali is worshiped. Bonaluis an annual festival of Telangana celebrated in Twin Cities Hyderabad, Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana, India.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Tripura |
|
- Kharchi puja is a Hindu festival from Tripura, India. Performed in Agartala in July or August, the festival involves the worship of the fourteen gods forming the dynasty deity of the Tripuri people.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh |
|
- Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela, inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred or holy river.
- Traditionally, four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Allahabad Kumbh Mela, the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, and Ujjain Simhastha.
- Taj Mahotsav is an annual 10-day event at Shilpgram in Agra, India.
- This festival invokes the memories of the old Mughal era and nawabi style prevalent in Uttar Pradesh in the 18th and 19th centuries.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| Uttarakhand |
|
- Ganga Dussehra, also known as Gangavataran, is a Hindu festival celebrating the avatarana (descent) of the Ganges.
- Ganga Dussehra is observed by Hindus mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, where the river flows.
| State | Festival |
|---|---|
| West Bengal |
|
- Nandikar's National Theatre Festival was started in 1984. It is arranged annually in Kolkata, India, between 16 and 25 December.