Festivals of India

Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, features the famous Snake Boat Race (Vallam Kali) as a major highlight.

Hornbill Festival is celebrated annually in Nagaland to encourage inter-tribal interaction and promote the cultural heritage of the state.

Losar is the Tibetan New Year, celebrated with great fervor by the Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh and other Buddhist communities in the Himalayas.

Rongali Bihu (or Bohag Bihu) is the most important festival of Assam, marking the Assamese New Year and the onset of the harvest season.

Sunburn is an electronic dance music festival that gained prominence in Goa before expanding to other locations.

Rann Utsav is a three-month-long festival organized in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, showcasing the local culture and white desert landscape.

Ambubachi Mela is an annual fair held at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam, marking the menstruation period of the Goddess.

Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and his sister Chhathi Maiya, mainly observed in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Jallikattu is a traditional event held in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival celebrations.

Baisakhi marks the day in 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth.

Karthigai Deepam is an ancient festival of lights celebrated by Tamils, where rows of oil lamps are lit in homes and temples.

Hemis Festival is a major religious festival celebrated at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh to commemorate the birth of Guru Padmasambhava.

Ratha Yatra is the famous annual chariot festival held in Puri, Odisha, where deities are taken out in grand processions.

Gangaur is a major festival celebrated in Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh, dedicated to Goddess Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva.

Durga Puja is the biggest religious and cultural festival in West Bengal, commemorating the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura.

Lathmar Holi is celebrated in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon near Mathura, where women playfully hit men with sticks.

Nuakhai is a major harvest festival in Odisha, celebrated to welcome the new rice of the season.

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival celebrated in January, known by different names such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Lohri in Punjab.

Chapchar Kut is a traditional festival of Mizoram, celebrated after the completion of the most arduous task of jhum cultivation.

Navroz (or Parsi New Year) is celebrated by the Zoroastrian community, signifying the beginning of the Persian calendar year.

Bonalu is a major folk festival of Telangana, celebrated to honor Goddess Mahakali in the month of Ashada.

Sajibu Cheiraoba is the traditional new year festival of the Meitei people of Manipur.

Attukal Pongala is celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Hareli is an agricultural festival in Chhattisgarh where farmers worship their farm equipment and the earth.

Wangala is a post-harvest festival of the Garo tribe, dedicated to Saljong, the Sun-god of fertility.

The Pushkar Fair is an annual camel and livestock fair held in the town of Pushkar, Rajasthan.

Losoong (also known as Namsoong) marks the Sikkimese New Year and is celebrated by the Bhutia and Lepcha tribes.

Shimga is the local name for Holi in the Konkan region, marked by processions of the village deity.

Pola is a thanksgiving festival for bullocks, which are vital for farming in rural India.

Puttari is the traditional harvest festival of the Kodava community in the Coorg district of Karnataka.

Bishnupur in West Bengal is famous for its terracotta temples and the traditional arts festival held there.

Sekrenyi is a major festival of the Angami Naga tribe, representing purification and sanctification.

Sohrai is the cattle festival celebrated by the tribal communities of Jharkhand after the harvest of paddy.

Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makara Sankranti at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.

Gangaur is a vibrant festival of Rajasthan dedicated to Gauri (Parvati), celebrated by women with traditional processions.

Kharchi Puja is a major festival of Tripura involving the worship of the fourteen gods of the royal dynasty.

Kullu Dussehra is a unique international-level mega event held in the Dhalpur ground of Kullu Valley.

Aadi Perukku is a Tamil cultural festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month Aadi to pay tribute to water bodies, mainly the River Cauvery.

Gajan is a traditional folk festival in West Bengal associated with Lord Shiva, Dharma Thakur, and Nil Thakur.

Chilla-i-Kalan is the local term for the harshest 40-day winter period in Kashmir, which carries deep cultural significance.

Tai Pusam is a festival celebrated predominantly by the Tamil community in honor of Lord Murugan.

Myoko is a significant festival of the Apatani tribe, which celebrates friendship and lasts for several days.

Oonjal (swing) is a traditional ritual performed during the Navratri festival, particularly in Tamil Nadu.

The Sair festival is celebrated in Himachal Pradesh, traditionally marking the time when cowherds return from high pastures.

Tusu is a folk harvest festival celebrated in parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, particularly by rural and tribal communities.

In the Tulu Nadu region (parts of Karnataka), the Tulu New Year is celebrated as 'Bishu' (not to be confused with Kerala's Vishu).

The Pangsau Pass Winter Festival is held at Nampong in Arunachal Pradesh, near the Myanmar border.

Phool Dei is the 'harvest festival of flowers' in Uttarakhand, marking the first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra.

Madai is a famous tribal festival celebrated in Chhattisgarh, involving traditional dances and community feasting.

Teej refers to various festivals like Hariyali, Kajari, and Hartalika, all dedicated to the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.