India being a multi cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals of various religions. Many states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographes. Popular religions festivals include the Hindu festivals of  Navratri, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dusshera. Several harvest festivals, such as Sankranthi, Pongal and Onam. ‘Nuakhai” (Orrisa harvest) are also fairly popular.

Certain festivals in India are celebrated by multiple religions e.g:- Diwali and Baisakhi Buddh Purnima. Islamic festivals, such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha and Ramadan are celebrated by Muslims across India. Adding many colors to the culture of India, the scarified Dree festival is one of the tribal festivals of India celebrated by the Apatanis of the zero valley of Arunanchal Pradesh.

Nukhai

Major festival of Orissa, celebrated over entire western Orissa, particularly Sambalpuri cultural area, Nukhai is observed welcoming the new rice-paddy of the season/agriculture based festival.

Dree Festival

The Dree festival is an Apatani agricultural rite. It involves the sacrifice of fowls, eggs and animals  to the Gods. The purpose is to appease the Gods to avord famine. The Apatanis, inhabitants of zero valley, Arunanchal Pradesh, are famous for their unique practice of rice cultivation. Gods and Goddesses are prayed during the Dree festival from July 4 to 7 of each year, to get bumper crop of rice.

Baisakhi

Baisakhi, celebrated on April 13, with music, duels and dancing, is New Year’s Day in Punjab. It was on this day that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood) in 1699.

Kullu Dussehra

Dussehra, symbolising the triumph of good over evil, is celebrated in Kullu region in Himachal Pradesh. The ten days of festivity is marked by Colourful processions of devotees bearing gold and silver images of gods and goddesses moving to Kullu from all parts of the valley.

Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Buddha is widely celebrated, on a full moon night in April/May. He achieved enlightenment as well as nirvana on the same date. On this day, Buddhists offer prayers in their temples. Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar are the main centres of celebration.

Deepawali

Deepawali or Diwali, the most pan-Indian of all Hindu festivals, is a festival of lights symbolising the victory of righteousness. on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Asvin (October-November). Different reasons in different part but most common one being Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14 year of exile.   This festive occasion also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year.

Another view is that Deepawali is meant to celebrate the destruction of the arrogant tyrant Bali at the hands of Vishnu when the latter appeared in his Vamana (dwarf) avatar.

In West Bengal, the Deepawali festival is celebrated as Kali Puja and Kali, Siva’s consort, is worshipped on this day.

Ladakh Festival

Celbrated In the month of September, in Ladakh . The people, fabulously bedecked with gold and silver ornaments and turquoise headgears throng the streets. The Yak, Lion and Tashishpa dances depict the many legends. Ancient monasteries sporting flags in a riot of colours, display of ‘tankhas’, archery competitions, a mock marriage, horse-polo, and an array of sumptuous Ladakh cuisine are the highlights of this festival.

Deep Diwali

This festival is observed in honour of Jain deities and the final liberation of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Teertahankar, from the cycle of life. He died on this day, at Pawapuri in Bihar. On this day, Mahavira is worshipped at midnight, Sacred scriptures are recited and houses are illuminated., celebrated with much zest in Girnar, in Gujarat.

Onam

Onam, the principal festival of Kerala, is celebrated for ten days . Onam (Thiruonam) is considered to be the day when King Mahabali comes from exile to visit his beloved people. Famous for elephants procession and Vallamkali (boat race) .

Good Friday

Good Friday is observed in India in April every year, broadly on the pattern adopted worldwide. Christians from all stratas of society visit the Church to attend the Mass held on this occasion. Easter Sunday, which follows Good Friday is celebrated with much joy and gaiety. Processions are taken out in some parts of the country.

Dussehra

Dussehra (tenth day) is one of the significant Hindu festivals, celebrated in the entire country on the first night in the month of Ashwin (September-October). The occasion marks the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king, Ravana, the victory of good over evil. On the tenth day, the Vijayadasmi day, colossal effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath are burnt.

Raksha Bandhan

Apart from myths, at most places, On this day, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers to protect them against evil influences. ?This is also the day set apart for Brahmins to change their sacred thread they wear. ?In Bombay, it is an occasion for offering coconuts to the sea.

Gurpurbs

Anniversaries associated with the lives of the Sikh Gurus are referred to as Gurpurbs (festivals). Of these the important ones are the birthdays of Guru Nanak and Guru Govind Singh and the martyrdom days of Guru Arjun Dev and Guru Teg Bahadur.

Guru Nanak’s jayanti,( birth anniversary )which falls in the months of October-November,

The Tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, was born on 2 December 1666 in Patna (Bihar). His Guruship is highly significant as he forged the distinctive identity of the Sikhs with five K and called gave the name Khalsa (the pure) to his followers. His birthday, which falls in December, is also marked by prayer readings, kirtans and processions.

Easter

On Easter, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, . This holy day celebrates the triumph of life over death. Easter Sunday moves between March 22 and April 25.

Ram Navami

Lord Vishnu is worshipped in his human incarnation as Rama, the divine ruler of Ayodhya, on his birth anniversary known as Ramnavami.

Id

The sizeable Muslim communities have their Ids in common with Muslims across the world. Idu’l Fitr, Idu’l Zuha and Id-i-Milad are the three festive occasions widely celebrated by Muslims in India. Id is celebrated with great enthusiasm wearing new clothes and visiting mosques.

Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Id)

Coming with the new moon, this festival marks the end of Ramzan, the ninth month of the Muslim year. It was during this month that the holy Koran was revealed. Muslims keep a fast every day

Id-ul-Azha or Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id)

The Id-ul-Azha commemorates the ordeal of Hazrat Ibrahim, who had been put to a terrible test by God when he was asked to sacrifice whatever was dearest to him and he decided to sacrifice the life of his son. In India, too, goats and sheep are sacrificed all over the country and prayers are offered.

Id-i-Milad (Barah-wafat)

The Prophet was born on the twelfth day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Muslim year. His death anniversary also falls on the same day, the word ‘barah’ standing for the twelve days of the Prophet’s sickness. During these days, sermons are delivered in mosques by learned men, focussing on the life and noble deeds of the Prophet.

Mahavir Jayanti

the birth anniversary of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism. This religious event is largely observed by the Jains, by visiting sacred sites and worshipping the Teerthankars. The event holds special significance in Gujarat and Rajasthan, due to the ancient shrines at Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat. Mahavira Jayanti is also celebrated at Parasnath temple in Calcutta and at Pawapuri in Bihar.

Muharram

Muharram is not a festival in the celebratory sense as it mourns the Karbala tragedy when Imam Husain, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was martyred in the early days of Islamic history. Profusely decorated taziyas are carried through city streets. Mourners beat their breasts lamenting and grieving over the murder, accompanied by drum beats.

Parsi Festivals

The Parsi community, small in number, is confined by and large, to the city of Mumbai. The Parsis have many festivals but no pilgrimage sites as such. The festivals are not marked by grand processions and music as is common to most of the other religions. According to the Parsis there are six seasons in a year and a significant festival occurs in each. The Gahambars, as the festivities are called have a religious significance. The Gahambars are days of great feasting and get-togethers.

Pateti

The New Year day of the older school of the Parsis, Pateti falls somewhere in September. Wearing new clothes, the Parsis offer prayers at the temples, give alms and arrange sumptuous feasts at their homes.

Khordad Sal

The birth anniversary of Zoroaster, Khordad Sal is celebrated on the sixth day of the Parsi month, Farvardin, by offering prayers at the temples.

Zarthost No Deeso

This day is observed as the death anniversaryof the prophet Zoroaster, who is believed to have died in a temple while praying. The day is an occasion of mourning, and discourses are held on the life and works of the Prophet.

Jamshed Navroz

Some Parsis follow the Fasli calendar and their New Year commences with the Vernal Equinox. The New Year celebration dates back to the times of the legendary king of Persia, Jamshed. It is the date when the Sun enters the constellation of Aries, as the beginning of the year. This day came to be known as Navroz or Jamshed Navroz day.

Rath Yatra

At the temple town of Puri in Orissa, the image of the god Krishna (known as Jagannath in the State) is taken out with great ceremony in June-July each year. Images of the god and his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are placed in giant raths which are then drawn by pilgrims.

Shivratri

All over India, Maha Shivratri occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. On a moonless night in February every year, occurs the night of Shiva, the destroyer. This is the night when He is said to have performed the Tandava or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction.

Ganesha Chaturthi

Festival is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Started by Chhattrapati Shivaji, , to dissemniate culture and nationalism, the festival was given a new impetus by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak to spread the message of freedom struggle and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies.

Holi

Holi, is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. Originally Holi is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land. The most popular legend concerns Prince Prahlad who blessed Hollika , sister of the king to be remembered once a year by people.

Gangaur

Gangaur is the most important local festival in Rajasthan. This spring festival is held in honour of Gauri, the goddess of abundance. Girls dress up in their finest clothes and pray for a spouse of their choice, while married ladies do the same for the happiness of their husbands.

Hola Mohalla

An annual festival held at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, Hola Mohalla was started by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, as a gathering of Sikhs for military exercises and mock battles on the day following the festival of Holi. On the last day a long procession, led by Panj Pyaras, starts from Takth Keshgarh Sahib, one of the five Sikh religious seats, and passes through various important gurdwaras like Qila Anandgarh, Lohgarh Sahib, Mata Jitoji and terminates at the Takth.

Janmashtami

Lord Vishnu is invoked in his human incarnation as Krishna on his birth anniversary in the festival of Janmashtami.. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Radha. The image of the infant Krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradle.

Pongal

Pongal is celebrated on the same day as Bihu, Lohri and Bhogi. But Pongal stretches over four days. The word Pongal literally means “boiling over” and celebrates the bounteous crops in the fields. This festival is the biggest event of the year for the Tamils as well as for the people of Andhra Pradesh.

Sankranti

Makar Sankranti marks the commencement of the Sun’s journey to the Northern Hemisphere (Makara raasi ), signifying the onset of Uttarayana Punyakalam, and is a day of celebration all over the country. The day begins with people taking holy dips in the waters and worshipping the Sun.Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time.

Tyagaraja Festival [January]

Tyagaraja was a South Indian composer and saint born in 1767, and is celebrated for many Telugu songs he composed in praise of Rama. At Tiruvaiyaru, about 13 km. from Tanjore, South Indian musicians gather at the composer’s memorial to sing in his memory. Young artistes believe that they will be blessed with a melodious voice if they anoint the shrine with honey and sing Tyagaraja’s songs at his memorial.

Lohri

Lohri marks the culmination of winter, and is celebrated on the 13th day of January in the month of Paush or Magh, a day before Makar Sankranti. For Punjabis, this is more of a way of life. People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice and popcorn into the flames, sing popular songs and exchange greetings.