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FESTIVALS OF INDIA

It is well known that no other country holds so many festivals of antiquity as does India. Each festival brings an episode of some remote past back to the memory. Owing to its religious and regional variations, India has a number of festivals.

There are said to be more number of festivals in India, than there are days in a year. The religious and national ones are celebrated with great gaiety. The cultural ones attract many great artists from all over India. Hardly a day passes without a festival taking place somewhere in India. They range from small one-day village or temple functions to weeklong art functions.

In India, during the pre-historic Indus valley civilization (3000BC to 1500BC) people had been celebrating various occasions of joy. This is evident from the archaeological excavations at Mohenjadaro and Harappa. Those practices continued during the Epic and Vedic times (800-300BC). During the Mauryan times functions like birthday, marriages, return from a victory were indeed a grand show of wealth and pomp. Festive assemblies like Utsavs were held by the Kings to entertain people where delicious food and drinks were supplied. Such social festivals continued to be popular during the imperial Gupta age too. Festivals accompanied the worship of Gods and Goddesses.


Only a few of the festivals take place on a particular date. Most of them follow the lunar calendar and hence the exact date of the festivals varies from year to year. Muslim holidays and Muslim festivals follow the Islamic calendar. Most of the cultural festivals take place during the winter season. Most of the days of the festivals are not determined by the pre-set dates of a linear calendar, but according to the waxing and the waning of the moon. Fairs and festivals are moments of remembrance and commemoration of the birthdays and the deeds of great gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, gurus, prophets and saints. Seasonal or secular festivals underline the unity that draws together seemingly diverse groups.

For the men, festivals mean display of valour and virility through various races like the boat races of Kerala, or wrestling matches and animal fights. For the women it means cleaning the house and decorating it according to their artistic inclinations and proving their culinary skills to satisfy their wards and their hubbies. For the children, it is a time to be away from the tedious schools, with savories to munch all the time, new costumes and plenty of free time to roam around with their friends. Festivals also reinforce the presence of God in the life of the individual, the family and the community as a whole.

LIST OF FESTIVALS - 2022

New Year's Day 1st, January Id-Ul-Fitr * 3rd, May
Lohri 13th, January Independence Day 15th, August
Makara Sankranti 14th, January Raksha Bandan 11th, August
Republic Day 26th, January Gokula Astami 18th, August
Vasanth Panchami 5th, February Id - Ul - Zuha * 9th, July
Maha Shivratri 1st, March Muharram 8th, August
Holi 18th, March Gandhi Jayanthi 2nd, October
Good Friday 15th, April Dussera 5th, October
Easter 17th, April Diwali 24th, October
Ram Navami 10th, April Govardan Puja 26th, October
Baisakhi 14th, April Guru Nanak Jayanthi 8th, November
Tamil New Year 14th, April Id- Ul - Milad * 9th, October
Mahavir Jayanthi 14th, April Christmas 25th, December

RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS OF INDIA - (2022)

Hindu Festivals

Makara Sankranthi/Pongal January, 14th
Maha Shivratri March, 1st
Holi March, 18th
Telugu New Year April, 2nd
Tamil New Year April, 14th
Ram Navami April, 10th
Mahavir Jayanthi April, 14th
Onam festival September, 8th
Gokula Ashtami August ,18th
Ganesh Chathurthi August,31st
Dussehra October,5th
Diwali October,24th

Christian Festivals

Palm Sunday April,10th
Good Friday April, 15th
Easter Day April, 17th
Christmas Day December, 25th

Buddhist Festivals

Paranirvana Day February, 15th
Wesak(Buddha Day) May, 16th
Dharma Day July, 13th

Jewish Festivals

Purim March 16th - March 17th
Passover 1st Day April 15th - April 22nd
Jewish New Year September 25th - September 27th
Day of Atonement October 4th - October 5th
Tabernacles October 9th- October 16th

Sikh Festivals

Birthday of Guru Gobind January , 9th
Baisakhi April, 14th
Martyrdom of ArjanDev June, 3rd
Gurunanak Jayanthi November, 8th
TeghBahadur Martyr Day November, 28th

Islamic Festivals

Id-Ul-Zuha * July 9th - July 10th
Al- Hijira( Muslim Newyear) July 29th - July 30th
Muharram August, 8th
Milad-Un-Nabi* October 7th - October 8th
Id-e-Milad October 7th - October 8th
Lailat-Al-IsrawaAl-Miraj February , 28th
Ramadan 1st May , 3rd
Id-ul-fitr May 2nd - May 4th
Ramzan Id May 2nd - May 3rd
* Subject to appearance of Moon

NATIONAL FESTIVALS OF INDIA - (2022)

Valentines' Day February, 14th
Doctor's Day March, 30th
May Day May, 1st
Mother's Day May, 8th
Father's Day June, 19th
Friendship Day August, 7th
Teacher's Day September, 5th
Grand Parent's Day September, 11th
Children's Day November, 14th


           2016 Festivals in India