FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

ALL INDIA FESTIVALS

 MAHAKUMBHA MELA Once in 12 yrs

ARDHAKUMBHA MELA Once in 6 yrs
KUMBHA MELA 4 times in 12 yrs
There was a struggle b/n Asuras and Devas for
Kumbha(Pot) containing Nectar(Surabhi)
Drops of nectar fell at 12 places in the world
4 of them are in India Haridwar,
Ujjain,Prayag,Nasik
Mahakumbh and Kumbha melas are held at
these places

BASANT PANCHAMI
Spring festival
Vibrant yellow hue of the flowering mustard is
the colour of the day
Dance, sports and kite flying
Bengal, Bihar and UP Saraswathi (Goddess of
learning) is worshipped
Festival of honour of Saraswathi

SHIVARATHRI
SHIVA
3rd deity of Hindu trinity
Worshipping at this day is released from cycle
of birth and death
Religious people stay awake and chant prayers
the whole night
Processions to the festivals are followed by
chanting of mantras and anointing of lingams

HOLI

Prahlad
Advent of spring and the end of winters
Festival of colours
Bonfire and burning of holika > destruction of
evil
Mathura seat of celebration > lath Maar Holi
is famous

JAMSHED NAVROZ
Fasli sect of Parsi community
Dedicated to Jamshed ruled Persia
Worship at fire temple marks the occasion

MAHAVIR JAYANTHI
Birthday of Vardhamana Mahavira
Jains piligrims from all parts of country visit
Girnar, Palitana, Vaishali, Rajgriha
Day of prayer
Celebrations in all Jain temples and pilgrimages
to Jain Shrines

GOOD FRIDAY
Christians
Jesus Christ laid down his life for the good of
humanity

EASTER
Christians
In honour of Resurrection of Christ
Easter Sunday, which follows Good Friday is
celebrated with much joy

BAISHAKHI
1st day of Vaishakh beginning of Hindu
Calendar
On this day Guru Gobind Singh : 10th Sikh Guru
founded the Khalsa panth or the order of pure
ones
New years day in Punjab
Music and dancing celebrations
13th Apr once in 36 yrs:14th Apr

BUDDHA JAYANTHI
On full moon day of Vaisakha the birth
of Buddha was celebrated
Got enlightenment
Attained Nirvana
Buddha is supposed to have gone through
each of these experiences on the same day,
but of different years

SHAB-E-BARAT
Muslims belief : on this night God registers the
action of men and dispenses their fate
according to their deeds
Diwali of Muslims

ID-UL-FITR
Marks the end of Ramzan, the holy month of
fasting for the Muslims
On this day holy Quran was revealed
Completed with the new moon

Id-ul-Azha or Bakrid
Commemorates the ordeal of Hazrat Ibrahim
> terrible test by God and was ready to
sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail
Celebrated on the 10th day of Zilhijia when the
Haj celebrations at Mecca are rounded off by
the sacrifice of goats and camel

NAG PANCHAMI
5th day of lunar fortnight
Adisesha or Ananta on whom the God Vishnu
is believed to recline during the intervals b/n
the destruction of one universe and the
creation of another
Stone images of snakes are bathed in milk >
Belief: immunity from snakebite

KHORDAD SAL
Birth of Zoroaster prophet of 1st century BC
One of the most imp Parsi festival

GANESH CHATURTHI

Ganesh
God of wisdom and prosperity to ward off evil
Clay images are worshipped
Last day they are immersed in river amid loud
chants of Ganapathi Bappa Morya

JANMASHTAMI

Birthday of Lord Krishna

8th incarnation on Earth of Lord Vishnu
Celebrated in the month of Sravana
Maharashtra groups of urchins go in
processions breaking up pots of curd (Yogurt)
hung up in the streets
In S.India prize oil specatators squirt water at
them
Mathura and Vrindaban stay alive all night long as
Krishna was at midnight

MUHARRAM
Festival of piety for the Siah Muslims
1st month of Muslim yr dedicated to the
martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (grandson
of Prophet Mohammad)
Died on the 10th day of Muharram while
fighting the force of Yazid

DUSSEHRA

Festival of victory of good over evil

Durga killed Mahishasura
After 4 days of worship the clay images are
taken out in procession and immersed in
water
Most states celebrated as Lord Ramas
victory over Ravana and Ram Leela is enacted
for the 10th day of the festival

DIWALI
Festival of lights
Victory of good over evil
Ramas return to Ayodhya after the 14 yrs
exile
Lakshmi Goddess of wealth is worshipped
except in Bengal
Bengal Kali is worshipped on this night

GURPURAB
Birth Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh
10th guru
1699 Anandpur formed Khalsa militant
fraternity of the Pure panj Pyare
For 2 days and nights preceding the festival,
Granth Sahib is read continuosly from beginning
to end
On the day of festival, the Granth sahib is taken
out in an impressive procession through the
streets

ID-IL-MILAD
Also called Bara Wafat
12 th day of Muslim month

CHRISTMAS
Birth anniversary of Jesus Christ
Most imp festival of Christians
Xmas tree is decorated and Santa Claus an
integral part of this festival entertains children
Mass is held in churches

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

FAIRS OF NORTH INDIA

BANESHWAR FAIR
Jan or Feb
Tribal people of Rajasthan, Bhills
Shiva linga is worshipped and then a fair
precedes
Baneshwar is another name of Lord Shiva

TAJ MAHOTSAV

10 day event
From 18th feb
Shilpgram
Much awaited event
Indias extensive arts, crafts and culture are on
display
Folk music, Shayari and classical dance
performances along with elephant and camel
rides, games and food festival

MAHAVIRJI FAIR
March or April
One of the biggest fairs of Jain community in
Rajasthan
Offer prayers at Mahavirji temple
Acc. to legends the holy statue of Mahavirji
was discovered by a cowherd on this day

DESERT FESTIVAL
3 days
Folk songs and dances
Events turban tying competition, camel
races and acrobatics
Another imp event Camel festival and
Elephant festival in Rajasthan

TEEJ
Mainly celebrated by the married women
where they pray to the Gods for the welfare of
their families and husbands
In Jaipur it is a visual treat
Worship Teej matha or Goddess Parvathi

BRIJ FESTIVAL

Lord Krishna
Well known Raslila is performed
Celebrated just before Holi
Most predominant factor colour
No one is spared from splashing colours

SONEPUR CATTLE FAIR

Bihar
It is believed that there were 2 brothers, one
honest and another shrewd , who were devotees
of Lord Vishnu
Once they cast spells on each other and one
consequently became a crocodile and one an
elephant
When the honest elephant went at the
confluence of Ganga and Gandek on a Karthika
Purnima day, he was attacked by the crocodile

SONEPUR CATTLE FAIR

There, Lord Vishnu saved the good from evil
Cattle trade is the main focus of this fair
Attracts tourists from all over the country
through their traditional music dramas, circus,
fortune telling parrots

TARNETAR MELA
Exciting and unique fair held annually at Tarnetar
in Saurashtra
Coincides with the festival at the Trineteshwar
temple, celebrating the wedding of Arjuna with
Draupadi
Marriage market for the local tribals: Kolis,
Bharwads and Rabaris
Special attractions costumes, jewellery and lively
folk dances Garba, Ras, Haro
Tanetar Chattris umbrellas with intricate
embroidary and mirror work

POUSH MELA
Shantiniketan of Birbhum dt, West Bengal
Live performances of Bengali folk music,
especially Baul music is the most imp
Basis of poush mela is the acceptance of Brahmo
creed by Debendranath Tagore from Ram
Chandra Vidyabagish
On 21 st Dec,1891 a Brahma Mandir was
established in Shantiniketan and this fair was
organized for the 1st time to celebrate this
establishment
True cultural heritage tribal dances, sports