Hindus observe a wide range of festivals and religious celebrations, many of which are rooted in ancient Indian traditions, and often correspond with seasonal transitions. These festivals are scheduled according to either the solar calendar or the lunisolar calendar, and their observance often varies regionally. Many festivals are specific to certain sects or are primarily observed in particular regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Terminology Utsava Utsava is the Sanskrit word for festivals. It comes from the word ut meaning "starts" and sava, which means "change" or "decline".
Observance periods (tithi)
Hindu calendar dates are usually in accordance with a lunisolar calendar. In Vedic timekeeping, a māsa is a lunar month, a pakṣa is a lunar fortnight (two weeks), and a tithi is a lunar day.
There are two prevailing definitions of the lunar month: amānta, where the month ends with the new moon, and pūrṇimānta, where it ends with the full moon. Consequently, the same day may be associated with different but adjoining months. When a festival takes place during śukla paksha (the waxing phase of the moon), both traditions attribute it to the same month. However, if the festival occurs during kṛiṣhṇa paksha (the waning phase of the moon), the two traditions assign it to different, but adjacent months. Major Hindu festivalsFestivalmāsapakṣatithiamāntapūrṇimāntaGudi Padwa/UgadicaitraśuklaprathamaRama NavamicaitraśuklanavamīAkshaya TritiyaGuru PurnimaāṣādhaśuklapūrimaNaga PanchamiRaksha BandhanśrāvaṇaśuklapūrimaKrishna JanmashtamiśrāvaṇabhādrakṛṣṇaaṣṭamīGanesh ChaturthibhādraśuklacaturthīGanesh VisarjanbhādraśuklapūrimaPitru Paksha beginsbhādraāśvinakṛṣṇaprathamaPitru Paksha ends Sarvapitru AmavasyabhādraāśvinakṛṣṇaamāvasyāNavaratri beginsāśvinaprathamaDurga Ashtami (8th day of Navaratri)āśvinaaṣṭamīMaha Navami (9th day of Navaratri)āśvinaNavaratri ends Vijaya DashamiāśvinadaśamīKarva ChauthāśvinakārtikakṛṣṇacaturthīDiwali begins Dhan TerasāśvinakārtikakṛṣṇatrayodaśīNaraka Chaturdashi (2nd day of Diwali)āśvinakārtikakṛṣṇacaturdaśīDeepavali / Lakshmi Puja (3rd day of Diwali)āśvinakārtikakṛṣṇaamāvasyāAnnakut or Bali Padyami (4th day of Diwali)kārtikaśuklaprathamaDiwali ends Bhai DoojkārtikaśukladvitīyaVasant PanchamimaghaśuklapañcamīMaha ShivaratrimaghaphālgunakṛṣṇacaturdaśīHoliphālgunaśuklacaturdaśī
List and descriptions of the major Hindu festivals The tithi shown in the following list is as per the amānta tradition. Major Hindu festivals Photo Hindu tithi of observance DescriptionsBhogi (also known as Lohri in Punjab and Laal Loi in parts of North India)Bhogi marks the first day of the 4-day Sankrathi festivities and occurs one day before Makara Sankranthi, marking the transition of the Sun into Makara rasi. Bhogi is a festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Bhogi is a festival that symbolises renewal and transformation, during which people discard old, unused, or derelict items to make way for new beginnings. Post Jagran Article 15 January 2014Makar SankrantiorPongal or Uttarayana or Maghe Sankranti or Maghi or Magh BihuMakara Sankranti or Pongal marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rasi. It marks the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Pongal is the first day of Uttarayana and coincides with the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai. Pongal is a harvest festival in Tamil Nadu. Pongal occurs annually on January 14 (on the Gregorian calendar) and marks the beginning of Uttarayana (the sun's journey northward). The Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include the drawing of Kolam, swinging, Jallikattu, and the cooking of Pongal. , Pongalfestival.org.Vasant Panchami Fifth day of the waxing moon of Magh (Hindu calendar) Vasant Panchami (also called Saraswati Puja by Bengalis and Odias) is celebrated for the blessing of Goddess Saraswati, Hindu goddess of wisdom and the arts. ThaipusamorKavadiThe full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai. Thaipusam is a Hindu festival predominantly celebrated by the Tamils. The name Thaipusam is derived from the Tamil month Thai and Pushya, the name of a group of stars within the Cancer constellation. The festival marks the occasion when Parvati presented Murugan, the Tamil God of War, with a spear to defeat the demon Soorapadman.
Kavadi Attam (Tamil:காவடி ஆட்டம்), a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, emphasises debt bondage.Kent, Alexandra. Divinity and Diversity: A Hindu Revitalization Movement in Malaysia. University of Hawaii Press, 2005. () The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help Murugan.Hume, Lynne. Portals.Maha Shivaratri Thirteenth night of the waning moon of Magh (amanta) / Phalguna (purnimanta) Maha Shivaratri ("The Night of Shiva") is a Hindu festival dedicated to Shiva. It falls on the fourteenth night of the new moon in Phalgun (February – March). Shivaratri falls on the fourteenth night of the new moon in Phalgun (February – March). During the festival of Shivaratri, devotees observe a day-and-night fast and perform ritual worship of the Shiva Lingam, including ceremonial bathing with offerings such as milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, sugar, and water. Some devotees also perform ritual baths in sacred rivers such as the Ganges. Temples often hold night vigils (jagran), during which hymns and devotional songs are recited, and the fast is broken the following morning with prasad offered to the deity. Holi Full moon of the Phalgun month (Hindu calendar) Holi or Phagwah is a spring festival. Holi commemorates the slaying of the demoness Holika by Lord Vishnu's devotee Prahlad. Thus, the festival's name is derived from the Sanskrit words Holika Dahanam, which literally means "Holika's slaying". The festival is called Shigmo and Shimga in Goa and rural Maharashtra, respectively. In Odisha and West Bengal, it is also celebrated as Dol Purnima. Shigmo 5 days before full moon of Phalgun until the full moon of PhalgunShigmo is celebrated in Goa as one of the major festivals of the Konkani Hindu community. The main festival coincides with Holi.Rang Panchami In Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh, the festival of colours is celebrated five days after Holi on Rang Panchami.Gangaur Gangaur is a festival important to Rajasthanis, celebrated throughout the state by women who worship Gauri, the consort of Shiva, during the Hindu month of Chaitra (March–April). It is the celebration of spring, harvest, marital fidelity, conjugal blessedness, and childbearing. Unmarried women worship the goddess in hopes of being blessed with a good husband, while married women do so for the welfare, health, and long life of their husbands. Vasant Navratri First nine days of the Chaitra month (Hindu calendar) Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit, the term literally means "nine nights". During these nine days of the festival, devotees honor the forms of Shakti, or divine feminine energy, and observe fasting as an expression of devotion. Over the nine days, nine incarnations of Shakti (Maa Durga) are worshipped.Rama Navami or
Shri Rama Navami Ninth of the Chaitra month (Hindu calendar)Rama Navami or Shri Rama Navami is the celebration of the birth of Rama. Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra (March/April). In some regions, the festival is observed over nine days. This day is also celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita, known as Kalyanotsavam. Gudi Padwa, Cheti Chand, Yugadi, Navreh (Chandramana Nava Varsha), UgadiFirst Day of waxing moon of Chaitra (Hindu calendar) Gudhi Padwa / Cheti Chand is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu Lunar month of Chaitra, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Marathis, Konkanis and Sindhis. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world. Ugadi (meaning "the start of an era" in Telugu and Kannada) is New Year's Day for the Telugus and Kannadigas.Mesha Sankranti or Baisakhi First day of solar month of Vaisakha.Mesha Sankranti (also called Vaisakha Sankranti) represents the transition of the sun into the Mesha (Aries) Zodiac and marks the start of the solar new year in lunisolar calendars. Regional new year festivals are also observed on this day such as Vishu, Pohela Boishakh, Maha Vishubha Sankranti and Vaisakhi. Vishu Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala. It falls around 14 April of the Gregorian calendar. "Vishu" means equal in Sanskrit. Vishu is a symbol of the beginning of spring season. Vishu is a festival for the family.Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil New Year follows the Nirayana vernal equinox. It falls around 14 April of the Gregorian calendar.Rongali Bihu Vaisakha/Bohag (Assamese Calendar) – The first month of Hindu calendar Rongali Bihu (mid-April, also called Bohag Bihu), is a traditional ethnic festival that celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year (around 14 April) and the coming of Spring. Hanuman Jayanti Hanuman Jayanti is the celebration of the birth of Hanuman, Rama's loyal devotee. Hanuman is known for his great strength, power and his immortal devotion towards Lord Rama. He is considered to be one of the most powerful Hindu gods in India. On the auspicious day of Hanuman Jayanti, people apply red sindoor from Lord's feet on their foreheads. This is considered a ritual for good health and good luck. Sitalsasthi Sixth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyestha (Hindu calendar) In Odisha, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Sitalsasthi. It is celebrated as a carnival, and begins with the ceremonial marriage of the two deities.Vat Savitri or
Vat Amavasya Full moon of Jyeshta (Hindu calendar) Vat Pournima is observed in Maharashtra. Pournima means "full moon." Women pray for the prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree.Bonalu Bonalu is an annual festival centered on the Goddess Mahakali from Telangana. It is celebrated in both Hyderabad and Secunderabad between the months of July and August. This festival is dated back to 1813 in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Bathukamma Bathukamma is a festival celebrated during the months of September and October in the ten districts of Telangana. Celebrated for nine days, it is characterised by exotic flowers from the region.Rath Yatra Second to tenth day of waxing moon phase of month Ashadha (Hindu Calendar) Ratha Yatra is a procession where the wooden idol of Jagannath, Subhadra and Balbhadra is taken through the streets in a chariot.Raja Parba The second day (Raja Shankranti) signifies the beginning of the solar month of Mithuna. Raja Parba is a four-day-long festival. It inaugurates and welcomes the agricultural year all over Odisha. Guru Purnima Full moon of Ashadh (Hindu calendar) Guru Purnima is the day devotees offer puja (worship) to their Guru. This was also the day when Vyasa, author of the Mahabharata, was born.Mahalakshmi Vrata or
Varalakshmi Vratham 'Vara MahaLakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before the day of the full moon – Poornima – in the month of Shravana, which corresponds to the Gregorian months of July–August.Varalakshmi Vratham or Mahalakshmi Vrata is a puja performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of Mahalakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity. It is celebrated as Varalakshmi Vratham in South Indian states. It is performed by married women (sumangalis) for the well-being of all their family members, especially the husband and to seek progeny among other things. It is believed that worshipping the Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshipping Ashtalakshmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Wisdom, Love, Fame, Peace, Contentment, and Strength.Onam Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. Though it is traditionally observed in Kerala, contemporarily it is celebrated by the Kerala diaspora across the globe.