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Important Festivals of India
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 13th, 2023
Importance of Festivals in India: Festivals are a way for Indians to express their beliefs, culture, and tradition. Every festival has its distinct personality. Seasonal and state-based festivals are observed throughout India. The primary goal of these events is to promote joy and strengthen bonds between friends and family. Many local festivals take place on different dates each year. In India, festivals are held to honor a god at a specific temple, to commemorate the agricultural cycle, or to commemorate a religious story or event. This article provides in-depth information on the importance of festivals in India.
Table of content
India is a country with great diversity, rich culture, colorful festivals, and a variety of dance and music. Festivals are the way to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of India, religious diversity, seasons, and femininity. India is an agricultural country thus; many of its festivals also celebrate harvests. The table given below incorporates a few of the important festivals of India.
Important Festivals of India
|
State |
Festival |
Description |
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Brahmotsavam |
It is a nine days long festival celebrated at the Venkateshwara Temple, Tirupati. |
|
Ugadi |
Telugu New Year |
|
|
Dasara |
It celebrated the victory of good on evil. |
|
|
Makar Sankranti |
It is celebrated when Sun transit from the Capricorn. |
|
|
Arunachal Pradesh |
Solung |
It is the agriculture festival, celebrated by the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. |
|
Losar |
Tibetan New Year |
|
|
Murung |
It is a festival of prosperity celebrated by the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh. |
|
|
Reh |
It is a festival of the Idu-Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. They worship goddess Nayani Inyitaya for the welfare of their family. |
|
|
Mopin |
It is an agricultural festival of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated by the Galo tribe. |
|
|
Boori Boot |
Celebrated by the Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh for the successful harvest of the year. |
|
|
Monpa |
New Year of Monpa Tribe |
|
|
Myoko |
People worship Sun and Moon during the festival. |
|
|
Dhree Festival |
It is an agricultural rite observed by Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh. Fowls, eggs, and animals are presented to Sun and Moon Gods to avoid famine in the region. |
|
|
Assam |
Ambubachi |
It is a Hindu festival where a fair is held at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam. It honours the femininity by celebrating the annual menstrual cycle of Devi Kamakhya. |
|
Bihu |
It is set of three festivals, namely Rongali Bihu, Kati Bihu, and Bhogali Bihu. It marks the harvesting of Paddy crop. |
|
|
Baishagu |
Baishakhi of Assam celebrated by the Bodo tribe. |
|
|
Dehing Patkai |
Celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Assam. |
|
|
Bihar |
Bihula |
People worship Devi Mansa for the welfare of their families. |
|
Chhath Pooja |
Sun God, along with his wife Usha is worshipped during this festival to thank them for bestowing life on Earth. |
|
|
Madhushravani |
Mainly celebrated by the Maithil Brahmins of Bihar. It marks the arrival of Monsoon in the region. |
|
|
Chhattisgarh |
Bastar Dussehra |
It is the longest celebrated Dussehra in the world. It is celebrated for 75 days from August to October. |
|
Goa |
Ladainha |
Thanksgiving festival of India |
|
Mando festival |
It is a dance festival where people perform Mando dance. |
|
|
Chikalkalo |
Monsoon mud festival of Goa. |
|
|
Gujarat |
Navratri |
It is a nine days long festival where people worship nine forms of Devi and perform Garba and Dandiya dances. |
|
Uttrayana |
Celebrated to mark the transit of Sun northwards from tropic of Capricorn to tropic of Cancer. Kite festival is organized on this day. |
|
|
Haryana |
Baisakhi |
It celebrates the harvest of Rabi crops in Haryana and Punjab. |
|
Himachal Pradesh |
Magha Saaji |
Makar Sankranti of Himachal Pradesh. |
|
Jammu & Kashmir |
Dosmoche festival |
It is celebrated on the last day of New Year celebrations in the Leh region. |
|
Matho Nagrang |
It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Tibetan Calendar in the Matho Monastery. |
|
|
Losar |
Celebrated in the Ladakh region. It is the Tibetan New Year. |
|
|
Galdan Namchot |
It is celebrated in the Leh region. It marks the birthday of a great Buddhist saint Tsongkhapa. |
|
|
Jharkhand |
Sarhul |
It is a spring festival which marks the new flowers at the Saal trees. |
|
Karma |
It is a harvest festival dedicated to Karma dev for bestowing with power and youthfulness. |
|
|
Hal Punhya |
It celebrates wrinkling. It marks the beginning of the ploughing. |
|
|
Rohini |
It is a harvest festival and marks the start of the sowing season. |
|
|
Tusu |
It is a harvest festival celebrated in January every year. |
|
|
Karnataka |
Makar Sankranti |
It is celebrated when Sun transit from the Capricorn. |
|
Kerala |
Onam |
It is the most important harvest festival of Kerala celebrated in the month of September. |
|
Vishu |
New Year of Kerala. |
|
|
Alpashi Utsavam |
It is the celebration of the annual bathing ritual of deities in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. |
|
|
Madhya Pradesh |
Bhagoria Haat Festival |
It is the festival of love where young girls and boys try to entice each other and if both like each other, then they put red powder on their partner’s face. |
|
Maharashtra |
Gudi Padwa |
Maharashtrian New Year |
|
Manipur |
Yaoshang |
Holi of Manipur |
|
Chavang Kut |
It is the harvest festival celebrated by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo Tribes of Manipur on 1st November of every year. |
|
|
Sajibu Cheiraoba |
Manipuri New Year |
|
|
Meghalaya |
Nongkrem Dance Festival |
It is a dance festival that celebrates harvest and thanksgiving by the Khasi tribe. |
|
Wangala festival |
It is the post-harvest festival of Garo Tribe. |
|
|
Mizoram |
Chapchar Kut |
It is the harvest festival and marks three different stages of the agricultural cycle. |
|
Nagaland |
Hornbill Festival |
It is organized by the government every year to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland and to promote inter-tribal harmony. |
|
Moatsu festival |
It is the harvest festival of the Ao tribe. |
|
|
Odisha |
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra |
It is a very famous festival in Odisha. It is also known as Gundicha Yatra, Chariot festival, Dasavatara or Navadina Yatra. The festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath/Krishna, his sister Subhadra and his elder brother Balabhadra. |
|
Nukahai Festival |
Nukahai or Nabanna is the harvesting festival held in the months of August and September. |
|
|
Raja Praba |
It is a three days long harvest festival where the first day is called Pahili Raja, second day is called Raja Sankanthi and third day is called Basi Raja. |
|
|
Punjab |
Lohri |
It is celebrated on 13th January every year. It marks the ending of winters, as Sun moves from Winter Soloists to Equinox. Sun God is worshipped during the festival. |
|
Rajasthan |
Gangaur |
It is a festival which is celebrated by females and dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati as the symbol of love and successful marriage. |
|
Teej |
It is celebrated to mark the onset of monsoon and prosperity in the region. Women dress in green attire and wish for the health and well-being of their husbands. |
|
|
Braj Holi |
It is celebrated in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan before Holi. Lord Krishna is worshiped during the festival. |
|
|
Sikkim |
Saga Dawa |
It celebrates the rich culture of Sikkim. |
|
Tendo Lho Rum Faat |
People worship mountains, rivers, lakes, and caves during the festival. |
|
|
Tamil Nadu |
Pongal |
It marks the last day of a Tamil Year. |
|
Thaipusam |
It is celebrated by the Tamil and Malayali Hindu community to mark the victory of good over evil. |
|
|
Jallikattu |
It is Indian Bullfighting |
|
|
Natyanjali Festival |
It is an annual dance festival devoted to Lord Shiva. |
|
|
Telangana |
Bonalu |
It is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Mahakali. |
|
Batukamma |
It is the nine days long floral festival which starts on the first day of Navratri and ends on Durgashtami. |
|
|
Tripura |
Kharchi Pooja |
It is a Hindu festival where 14 Hindu Gods are worshiped, including the Earth. |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
Kumbha Mela |
It is a mass Hindu pilgrimage where Hindus bathe in the holy river of Ganges. It is celebrated every 12 years. |
|
Kicheri |
It is a harvest festival and involves ritual bathing. |
|
|
Uttrakhand |
Ganga Dusshera |
It is celebrated for ten days in the month of May-June every year to mark the descent of holy river Ganga from heaven. |
|
West Bengal |
Durga Pooja |
It is one of the oldest traditions of the Hindu community in Bengal. They worship Goddess Durga during the festival. Women put red powder on each other’s faces. |
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