Makar Sankranti or Pongal

Makar Sankranti or Pongal marks the transition of the Sun into Makar rasi. It marks the gradual in rease of the duration of the day. #$ %an Pongal is the first day of !ttarayana and oin ides "ith the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai.

Thai Pongal Festival at temple in Colombo

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festivals of southern India& mainly Tamil 'adu& Karnataka and (ndhra Pradesh. Pongal happens in the middle of %anuary every year and marks the auspi ious beginning of !ttarayan )sun*s +ourney north"ards,. The Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations in lude a dra"ing of Kolam& s"inging - the ooking of deli ious Pongal../0 This day oin ides "ith Makara Sankranti.

Kite flying in the rooftops of Varanasi Vasant Pan hami

Vasant Panchami )also alled Fifth day of the Saraswati Puja by 5engalis& 6riyas "a2ing moon of /4 %an and 5iharis, is elebrated for the Magh )3indu blessing of Saras"ati& goddess of Calendar, "isdom and the arts..70

1oddess Saras"ati during Vasant Pan hami in the streets of Kolkata Thaipusam or Kavadi The full moon %an 8 day of the Tamil Feb month of Thai Thaipusam is a 3indu festival elebrated mostly by the Tamil ommunity. The "ord Thaipusam is derived from the Tamil month name

Murugan during Thaipusam

Thai and Pusam& "hi h refers to a star near the lo ation of the moon during the festival. The festival ommemorates the o asion "hen Parvati gave Murugan a spear so he ould van:uish the evil demon Soorapadman. Kavadi Attam )Tamil; , is a dan e performed by the devotees during the eremonial "orship of Murugan& the Tamil 1od of <ar..$0 It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasises debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physi al burden through "hi h the devotees implore for help from the 1od Murugan..=0

*Kavadi* at a temple. in Vavuniya& 9anka Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri is the great night of Thirteenth night Shiva& during "hi h follo"ers of of the "aning #/ Mar Shiva observe religious fasting and moon of Magh the offering of 5ael )5ilva, leaves )3indu Calendar, to Shiva.

( statue depi ting Shiva meditating 3oli Holi or Phagwah is a popular spring festival. 3oli ommemorates the slaying of the demoness 3olika by Full moon of the 9ord Vishnu*s devotee Prahlad. Phalgun month # Mar Thus& the festival*s name is derived )3indu Calendar, from the Sanskrit "ords >3olika ?ahanam>& "hi h literally mean >3olika*s slaying> 3oli being elebrated at a temple in 'e" %ersey

Shigmo

Shigmo is elebrated in 1oa as one Feb B of the prominent festivals of the Mar Konkani 3indu ommunity.

@oung boy at the Aigmo Vasant 'avratri Navratri is the 3indu festival of "orship and dan e. In Sanskrit the term literally means >nine nights>. moves ?uring this festival the forms of Shakti are "orshipped& and effigies are burned. Bhajan in Coimbatore& Tamil 'adu Cama 'avami

/$ Mar

Rama Navami is the elebration of the birth of Cama.

( 3ome shrine "ith images of Cama& Sita& 9akshmana and 3anuman& on Sri Cama 'avami Gudi Padwa is elebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month& and is elebrated as 'e" @ear*s ?ay by First ?ay of Marathis and the Konkanis. "a2ing moon of /7 Mar ( ording to the 5rahma Purana& Chaitra )3indu this is the day on "hi h 5rahma Calendar, reated the "orld.The date keeps hanging every year in the month of mar h.

1udi Pad"a

1udi !gadi

gadi )meaning >the start of an era> in Telugu and Kannada, is 'e" /$ Mar @ear*s ?ay for the Kannadigas and Telugus. It takes pla e on the same day as 1udi Pad"a.

6bbattu or 5hakshalu83oligey Dprepared on !gadi in Karnataka and (ndhra Pradesh. Vishu

Vishu is a 3indu festival elebrated #78#$ in Kerala. It falls around #$ (pril of (pr the 1regorian year.

( traditional vishu !ani setting Tamil 'e" @ear The Tamil 'e" @ear follo"s the 'irayan vernal e:uino2. it falls #$ (pr around #$ (pril of the 1regorian year. Hanuman "a#anti is the elebration 74 Mar of the birth of 3anuman& Cama*s loyal devotee.

3anuman %ayanti

Shri 3anuman Mandir 5ihu

Congali 5ihu )midD(pril& also Vaisakha B The alled 5ohag 5ihu,& the most #$B#= first month of popular 5ihu elebrates the onset of (pr 3indu Calendar the (ssamese 'e" @ear )around #= (pril, and the oming of Spring.

5ihu dan er playing a *pepa* )horn, The marriage of Shiva and Parvati is Si2th day of the elebrated as Sitalsasthi. It is bright fortnight elebrated as a arnival& in "hi h of the month of %un people and artists from different %yestha )3indu "alks of life parti ipate& making it Calendar, more beautiful and bringing out the true olour of life. Vat Pournima is observed in Full moon of Maharashtra. Pournima means >full %yeshta )3indu moves moon.> <omen pray for the Calendar, prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree. Bonalu is a elebration for a Mother 1oddess ) su h as the goddesses (ug Po hamma& @ellamma& et ., in the Telangana Cegion.

Sitalsasthi

Vat Pournima

5onalu

<omen "ith 5onam performing parikrama 5athukamma

Sep 8 6 t

Bathu!amma is a festival elebrated during the months of September and 6 tober in #4 distri ts of Telangana region of (ndhra Pradesh.

<omen dan ing around their 5athukammas Cath @atra

#7 %ul

Rath $atra is the festival asso iated "ith %agannath.

The Cath %atra in the 1rand (venue at the %agannath Temple& Puri& /44E Ca+a Parba )6riya; , The se ond day)Ca+a Shankranti, %ul signifies beginning of the solar month of Raja Par%a is a four day long festival. It inaugurates and "el omes the agri ultural year all over 6rissa.

Mithuna

Ca+a ?oli khela& 6riya festival 1uru Purnima

Full moon of (shadh )3indu Calendar,

Guru Purnima is the day devotees offer pu+a )"orship, to their 1uru. /= %ul This "as also the day "hen Vyasa& author of the Mahabharata "as born.

( sanyasi performing V#asa puja traditionally held on 1uru Purnima day& as a part of Chaturmas rituals Mahalakshmi Vrata Mahala!shmi Vrata is a pu+a performed by married 3indu moves "omen to seek the blessings of Mahalakshmi& goddess of "ealth and prosperity.

6nam

&nam is a harvest festival& elebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. 9ike many other religious /7 (ug festivals in India& 6nam is elebrated by people a ross all astes and faiths.

Thiruvathira Kali during 6nam in Kerala

Intri ately de orated Pookalam Caksha 5andhan Ra!sha Bandhan is a festival Full moon of elebrated mainly in northern Indian Shravana )3indu /$ (ug states. Cakhi is a spe ial o asion to Calendar, elebrate the haste bond of love bet"een a brother and a sister. Cakhis Krishna %anmaashtami

Fighth day of "aning moon of #B/ Shravana )3indu Sep Calendar,

Krishna "anmaashtami is the 3indu festival elebrating the birth of Krishna. It is a tually alled as Krishna %ayanthi. The date falls not only on the eight day of the "aning moon& but al"ays on Cohini 'akshatra.

1ovinda Pathaks forming human to"er to break the ?ahi handi Gowri Ha%%a is elebrated in Karnataka& (ndhra Pradesh& and Tamil 'adu. 1o"ri is "orshipped for her ability to besto" ourage to Moves her devotees. 'e"ly "ed ouples are invited to the house of the groom*s parents and served "ith varieties of food. Fourth day of the "a2ing moon of Gan'sh (haturthi is the elebration ## Sep 5hadrapada of the birth of 1anesh. )3indu Calendar,

1o"ri 3abba

1anesh Chaturthi

1anesh Visar+an in Mumbai 'uakhai Nua!hai is elebrated to "el ome Fifth day of the the ne" ri e of the season. This is "a2ing moon of #/ Sep an agri ultural festival mainly 5hadrapada observed by people of <estern )3indu Calendar, 6rissa )Kosal,.

'avarathri

5agbaGar Sarbo+onin ?urgapu+a

Navarathri is the 3indu festival of First nine nights "orship and dan e. In Sanskrit the of the "a2ing H 6 t term literally means >nine nights>. moon of (shvin ?uring this festival the forms of Shakti are "orshiped.

1oddess ?urga deity in 5hubanes"ar& 6rissa

Gar%a dan e in (hmedabad during navratri festivities

Vi+ayadashami

Tenth day of "a2ing moon of Vija#adashami is the 3indu #E 6 t elebration of good over evil. ?urga Pu+a elebrations in ?hakesh"ari 'ational (shvin )3indu Calendar, Temple& ?haka& 5angladesh

Fffigies of Cavan and his brothers to be burnt by Cama ?eepavali

Cangoli& de orations made from oloured po"der& is popular during ?i"ali

'e" moon of (shvin )3indu Calendar,

)''pavali "hi h means >ro" of lights8lamps> in Tamil and Sanskrit is alled >?ivali> in 'orth India& ?eepa means lamp and in 3indi a lamp is mostly alled a ?iya or ?i. The festival is elebrated on the = 'ov o asion of 9ord Krishna and his "ife Satyabhama killing a demon 'arakasura. (nother story says the festival is elebrated for the return of Cama and Sita to the kingdom (yodhya after fourteen years of e2ile.

( hakra fire"ork 5hai doo+ Se ond day of Bhai dooj& also referred to as the "a2ing moon E 'ov Bhau%''j& is the eremony of Kartik )3indu performed by 3indus& generally& on

Calendar,

Kartik Poornima

#=th of the Full moon day of Kartik )'ovemberB ?e ember,

the se ond day of ?eepavali. It is elebrated among brothers and sisters and is similar to Ra!sha Bandhan& e2 ept there is no tying of ra!hi involved. ( uni:ue festival is elebrated in Varanasi this day "hi h is alled Dev Devali. The Kartik Purnima Moves festival also oin ides "ith the Jain light festival and Guru Nanak Jayanti

Chhath

(hhath is mainly observed in 5ihar and Terai& but is also elebrated ##B#/ else"here. It is a festival dedi ated 'ov to the Sun 1od for besto"ing the bounties of life and fulfilling "ishes.

Morning "orship at %amshedpur& %harkhand Prathamastami is a festival that originated in 6riya. It is held on the eighth day of the month of (grahayana& "hen older female relatives pray for the prosperity of their eldest hild. The festival is follo"ed by rituals and re itations of the 1lory of Mahalakshmi and Shashti devi.

Prathamastami

(fter H days of Kartik Purnima

@atra

$atra )also *atra and jatra, refers to the pilgrimage festivals elebrated at 3indu temples. Idols and murtis 6 t B are taken out on spe ial pro ession Mar in a pal!hi )a palan:uin, or a hariot alled the rath. Fvery temple observes this festival on e a year on the traditional day. ?nyanesh"ar*s palkhi )palan:uin,& holding the foot"ear of the saint& is arried "ith honour in a silver bullo k art from (landi to Pandharpur. Karthi!ai )''pam is an an ient festival of lights elebrated by Tamil 3indus on the full moon day of Karthikai month 'ov 8 )'ovember8?e ember,. This o urs ?e on the day "hen the moon is in on+un tion "ith the onstellation Karthigai )Pleiades, and purnima. It is the same as Karti! PoornimaI

Karthikai ?eepam

ho"ever& sin e Tamils follo" the 3indu Solar alendar "ith orre tion for pre ession of the e:uino2es& the Tamil date mat hes the a tual onstellation. Pithalai vila!!u )5rass lamps, during the o asion of Karthigai ?eepam from a house at 'erul& 'avi Mumbai& India "ith typi al Maakolam in front of the house. Pan ha 1anapati ( <inter Solsti e elebration that lasts five days. Pancha Ganapati is a modern /#B/= 3indu festival elebrating 9ord ?e 1anesha& the FiveDFa ed Maha 1anapatiJ9ord of Categories.

Kumbh Mela

/44# Kumbh Mela at (llahabad

The Purna ) omplete, Kumbh takes pla e every t"elve years& and is an ordinary large Kumbh Mela. The (rdh )half, Kumbh Mella& a smaller ( pilgrimage Kumbh Mela& is elebrated every made every four /E %ul si2 years. The normal Kumbh Mela years to the B E Sep is elebrated every $ years. The 1anges river Maha )great, Kumbh Mela& a spe ial large Kumbh Mela& o urs every #/ *Purna Kumbh Melas*& or #$$ years.

( pro ession of (kharas mar hing over a makeshift bridge over the 1anges river& Kumbh Mela at (llahabad& /44# ?i"ali8?ivali other"ise kno"n as the festival of lights represents the Camayana. 6n the night of ?i"ali everyone lights their houses and the street "ith ?iya andles to fight of darkness and lead the "ay for Cama and Sita.