|
|
| JAN/FEB |
 |
|
Sankranti
/
Pongal:
Mainly
Tamil
Nadu,
Andhra
Pradesh
and
Karnataka.
3
days
and
colourful:
Tamil
harvest
festival.
Republic
Day:
National.
establishment
of
Republic
1950.
26th
January.
Grand
Military
Parade
and
Procession
of
dancers
etc.
Delhi.
Vasant
Panchami:
National
(Mainly
in
the
Eastern
region):
Hindu
–
dedicated
to
Saraswati
the
beautiful
Goddess
of
Learning.
Women
wear
yellow
saris.
Floating
Festival:
Madurai:
Birthday
of
local
17th
century
ruler;
elaborately
illuminated
barge
carrying
decorated
temple
deities
at
the
Mariamman
Teppakulam
Pool
amids
chanting
hymns.
|
|
| FEB/MAR |
 |
|
Shivaratri:
National.
Solemn
worship
of
Hindu
deity,
Lord
Shiva.
Fasting
and
chanting.
Special
celebrations
at
Chidambarum,
Kalahasti,
Khajuraho,
Varanasi
and
Bombay.
Holi:
Mainly
northern,
popularly
called
the
festival
of
colors.
Advent
of
Spring.
Lively
and
much
throwing
of
coloured
water
and
powders.
Public
Holiday.
Mardi
Gras:
Goa:
Mainly
three
days
during
lent.
Unique
celebrations
at
this
carnival.
Ramnavami:
National:
Birth
of
Rama,
incarnation
of
Vishnu.
No
processions.
Plays
and
folk
theaters.
Mahavir
Jayanti:
National:
Jain
festival;
birth
of
Mahavira,
the
24th
and
last
Tirthankara.
Easter:
Good
Friday
/
Easter
Sunday
National.
|
|
| MAR/APR |
 |
|
Kumbh
Mela:
The
oldest
and
most
important
of
the
Hindu
festivals.
It
takes
place
every
three
years,
at
one
of
the
four
great
holy
cities;
Nasik
in
Maharashtra,
Ujjain
(MP),
Prayag
(Allahabad)
and
Hardwar
(both
in
UP).
It
is
attended
by
millions
of
pilgrims
who
take
a
holy
dip
in
the
sacred
Ganges
River.
|
|
| APR/MAY |
 |
|
Baisakhi:
Northern
India,
West
Bengal
and
Tamil
Nadu;
Hindu
Solar
New
Year.
Bhangra
dancing.
Women
wear
yellow
saris.
Pooram:
Trichur:
New
Moon.
Spectactular
sight
of
large
number
of
elephants
carrying
ceremonial
umbrellas
going
round
the
temple;
midnight
fireworks
display.
Id-Ul-Zuha:
(Bakrid):
Muslim,
National:
The
most
celebrated
Islamic
festival
in
India,
commemorating
the
sacrifice
of
Abraham.
Id-Ul-Fitr
(Ramzan
Id):
Muslim,
National:
Celebration
to
mark
the
end
of
the
month
of
Ramadan.
Meenakshi
Kalyanam:
Madurai.
Marriage
of
Meenakshi
with
Lord
Shiva.
Colourful
temple
festival.
Deities
borne
by
colossal
chariot.
Ten
day
festival.
Fair:
Rajasthan:
Urs
Ajmer
Sharif.
Ajmer,
6
days.
Religious
cultural
and
commercial
extravaganza
dedicated
to
the
Sufi.
Music;
no
procession.
|
|
| JUN/JUL |
 |
|
Rath
Yatra:
Mainly
Orissa.
Greatest
temple
festival
in
honour
of
Lord
Jagannath
(Lord
of
the
Universe).
Three
colossal
chariots
drawn
from
Puri
temple
by
thousands
of
pilgrims.
Similar
festivals,
on
a
smaller
scale,
take
place
at
Ramnagar
(near
Varanasi),
Serampore
(near
Calcutta)
and
Jagannathpur
(near
Ranchi).
|
|
| JUL/AUG |
 |
|
Teej:
Rajasthan-
Particularly
Jaipur:
Procession
of
the
Goddess
Parvati
to
welcome
monsoon;
elephants,
camels,
dancers
etc.
Women
wear
green
saris.
Colourful.
Raksha
Bandhan:
Northern
and
Western
India.
Legendary
reenactment,
girls
tie
rakhis
or
talismen
to
men’s
wrists.
Colourful
build
up.
Naag
Panchami:
Mainly
Jodphur,
Rajasthan
and
Maharashtra.
Dedicated
to
the
green
thousand-headed
mythical
serpent
called
Sesha.
The
day
is
also
observed
in
many
other
parts
of
Western
and
Eastern
India.
Amarnath
Yatra:
Hindu:
Lidder
Valley,
Kashmir
at
full
moon.
Pilgrims
visit
the
place
where
Lord
Shiva
explained
the
secret
of
salvation
to
his
consort
Parvati.
|
|
| AUG/SEP |
 |
|
Independence
Day:
(15th
August).
National:
Independence
Day.
Prime
Minister
delivers
address
from
Delhi’s
Red
Fort.
Janmashtami:
National,
particularly
Agra,
Bombay
and
Mathura;
Lord
Krishna’s
birthday.
Onam:
Kerala’s
Harvest
Festival;
spectacular
snake
boat
races
in
many
parts
of
Kerala.
Ganesh
Chaturthi:
Mainly
Pune,
Orissa,
Bombay,
Madras,
dedicated
to
elephant-headed
God
Ganesh.
Giant
models
of
the
deity
processed
and
immersed
in
water.
Colourful,
and
a
particularly
worth
visiting
on
the
Day
of
immersion
at
Bombay.
|
|
| SEP/OCT |
 |
|
Dussehra:
National:
The
most
popular
festival
in
the
country,
celebrated
in
different
ways
in
different
parts
of
the
country.
In
the
north
and
particularly
in
Delhi
(where
it
is
known
as
Ram
Lila),
plays
and
music
recall
the
life
of
Rama;
in
Kulu,
the
festival
is
also
very
colourful
celebrated.
In
Bengal
and
many
parts
of
Eastern
India
it
is
known
as
Durga
Puja,
and
in
the
South
as
Navaratri.
Fair
-
Himachal
Pradesh:
Kulu
Valley
to
coincide
with
Dussehra
(10
days).
Gandhi
Jayanti:
National:
Mahatma
Gandhi’s
birthday.
No
processions.
Diwali:
National:
One
of
the
most
lively
and
colourful
festivals
in
India.
In
some
parts,
it
marks
the
start
of
the
Hindu
New
Year.
In
Eastern
India,
the
goddess
Kali
is
particularly
worshipped;
elsewhere,
it
is
Lakshmi,
the
goddess
of
prosperity,
who
is
venerated.
Everywhere
there
are
magnificent
illuminations
and
fireworks.
Gurpurab:
Mainly
in
northern
India.
Anniversaries
of
ten
gurus,
spiritual
teachers
or
preceptors
of
Sikhism.
No
procession.
|
|
| NOV |
 |
|
Muharram:
Muslim.
Commemoration
of
Imam
Hussain’s
martyrdom.
Tiger
dancers
lead
processions
of
colourful
replicas
of
martyr’s
tomb.
Colourful,
particularly
at
Lucknow.
Bihar:
Largest
cattle
fair
in
the
world;
1
month
Sonepur,
Patna;
on
banks
of
the
Ganges.
Pushkar
Mela:
Pushkar,
near
Ajmer,
Rajasthan.
Important
and
colourful.
Camel
and
cattle
fair,
attended
by
Rajputs
from
miles
around.
Camel
races
and
acrobatics
etc.
|
|
| DEC |
 |
|
Christmas
Day:
National:
Most
exuberantly
celebrated
in
Goa,
Bombay
and
Tamil
Nadu. |
|
|
|
|
