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Indian Art, Culture, Dance, Music and Heritage · Chapter 7

Festivals, Fairs and Religions' Cultural Calendar

What to remember

  • Most Indian festivals follow the lunar calendar, so their dates in the Gregorian calendar change every year. Makar Sankranti follows the sun and falls near the same date each year.
  • Festivals link to seasons (harvest), gods and stories of the faith. Every major religion in India has its own calendar of festivals.
  • Telugu festivals: Ugadi (new year), Sankranti (four days), Vinayaka Chavithi, Dasara, Deepavali, Bathukamma and Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara in Telangana.

Hindu festivals through the year

FestivalSeason / month (approx.)Meaning
Ugadi / Gudi PadwaChaitra (March-April)New year for Telugu and Kannada people (Ugadi); Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra
Sri Rama NavamiChaitraBirth of Rama
Vaisakhi / BaisakhiAprilHarvest festival of Punjab; Sikh Khalsa founding
Raksha BandhanShravanaBond of brothers and sisters
Krishna JanmashtamiBhadrapadaBirth of Krishna
Vinayaka Chavithi / Ganesh ChaturthiBhadrapadaBirth of Ganesha; clay idols immersed
OnamLate summerKerala harvest festival; return of King Mahabali
Navratri / DasaraAshwayuja (Sept-Oct)Durga's victory; Rama's victory over Ravana (Vijayadashami)
Deepavali / DiwaliKartika amavasya (Oct-Nov)Festival of lights; return of Rama; Lakshmi puja
Karthika PurnimaKartikaLighting of lamps; holy bath
Vaikuntha EkadashiDhanurmasaOpening of the north gate at Vishnu temples
Makar SankrantiMid-JanuarySun enters Makara (Capricorn); harvest
Maha ShivaratriMagha/PhalgunaNight of Shiva worship
HoliPhalguna (March)Festival of colours; Holika and Prahlada

Sankranti in different states. In Andhra Pradesh it is a three- to four-day festival: Bhogi (first day, bonfire), Sankranti (second day), Kanuma (third day, cattle worship), and Mukkanuma. In Tamil Nadu it is Pongal (the pot of boiled rice and milk). In Punjab it is Lohri. In Assam it is Magh Bihu.

Bathukamma is Telangana's flower festival, when women stack flowers in a cone and sing around it, during Navratri. Bonalu (Hyderabad) honours the goddess Mahankali.

Major fairs and gatherings

  • Kumbh Mela is held in rotation at four places: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Each place hosts it about every twelve years, and the Ardh (half) Kumbh comes in between. It is on the intangible heritage list.
  • Pushkaralu: a river festival held once every twelve years for each of the major rivers. Godavari Pushkaralu and Krishna Pushkaralu are held in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The river festival moves with the planet Jupiter (Brihaspati) entering a sign.
  • Rath Yatra at Puri (Odisha) honours Jagannath with giant chariots.
  • Tirumala Brahmotsavam is the big annual festival of Lord Venkateswara.
  • Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara at Medaram (Telangana) is held every two years; it is among the largest tribal gatherings in the world.
  • Pushkar Fair (Rajasthan) and Sonepur Fair (Bihar) are famous cattle fairs. Surajkund Mela (Haryana) is a handicraft fair.
  • Hornbill Festival (Nagaland) shows the culture of Naga tribes.

Festivals of other religions

ReligionFestivals
IslamEid-ul-Fitr (end of Ramzan fasting), Eid-ul-Adha / Bakrid (sacrifice), Muharram (mourning for Imam Hussain), Milad-un-Nabi (birthday of the Prophet)
ChristianityChristmas (birth of Jesus), Good Friday, Easter
BuddhismBuddha Purnima (birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha), Losar (Tibetan new year)
JainismMahavir Jayanti, Paryushan (days of fasting and self-reflection)
SikhismGuru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab), Baisakhi
Parsi (Zoroastrian)Navroz / Nowruz (new year)

Calendars in use

  • Vikram Samvat begins in 57 BCE (it runs about 57 years ahead of the Common Era).
  • Saka Samvat begins in 78 CE. India's national calendar is based on the Saka era. It starts on Chaitra 1, usually 22 March (21 March in a leap year).
  • Hijri calendar is lunar and is used for Islamic festivals. The year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so Islamic festivals move through all seasons.
  • The Telugu year has 60 named years (the Samvatsaras), starting with Prabhava.

Meaning, rituals and symbols

Many festivals share common practices. A puja (worship) is done with flowers, lamps and offerings. A vrata is a fast. Rangoli (muggu in Telugu) is a pattern drawn at the doorstep, especially in Sankranti month. Torana (mango leaves on doors) is hung at Ugadi. At Ugadi, people eat Ugadi pachadi, a mix of six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, hot and astringent) that stands for the different experiences of life. At Deepavali, people light oil lamps (deepas) to mark the triumph of light over darkness. At Holi, people light a bonfire on the first night (Holika Dahan) and play with colours the next day. At Vinayaka Chavithi, a clay Ganesha is worshipped for some days and then immersed in water. At Dasara, Durga is worshipped for nine nights, and Vijayadashami is the tenth day. In Andhra Pradesh, the Sankranti season has cockfights, kite flying, Haridasu singers and Gobbemmalu (clay figures) in some regions.

Tribal and regional festivals

Many tribal and regional festivals are linked to land and farming. In Telangana, Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara is a tribal gathering, held every two years at Medaram, in which devotees offer jaggery (bellam) as "gold". Bonalu honours Mahankali with offerings of cooked food in pots. In Kerala, the Thrissur Pooram is a temple festival with decorated elephants. In Assam, Bihu marks the farming year; Bohag Bihu is the spring new year. In Gujarat, Navratri is marked by the Garba and Dandiya dances. In Rajasthan, the Teej and Gangaur festivals honour Parvati. In Goa and Kerala, Christmas is very widely celebrated. In Ladakh, Hemis is a monastery festival with masked dances, and Losar is the new year.

Season calendar for quick revision

Season / monthFestival
Chaitra (Mar-Apr)Ugadi, Sri Rama Navami
Shravana (Jul-Aug)Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami follows
Bhadrapada (Aug-Sep)Vinayaka Chavithi
Ashwayuja (Sep-Oct)Dasara / Navratri
Kartika (Oct-Nov)Deepavali, Karthika Purnima
Pushya-Magha (Dec-Jan)Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Sankranti
Magha-Phalguna (Feb-Mar)Maha Shivaratri, Holi

Festivals are also national holidays. India lists days of public importance, such as Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October). These national days are fixed on the solar calendar, unlike the lunar religious festivals.

Festivals of Andhra Pradesh in a nutshell

Andhra Pradesh has a year-round festival cycle. The year begins with Ugadi. The Telugu people welcome the new year with Ugadi pachadi and a reading of the almanac (Panchangam). Sri Rama Navami follows within days, and many temples hold the wedding ceremony of Sita and Rama. The summer brings temple car festivals and the Brahmotsavams of many temples; the annual Tirumala Brahmotsavam comes in September-October, around Dasara. Rains bring Vinayaka Chavithi, with big idols in streets. Dasara and Deepavali follow, then Karthika masam, when people light lamps at dawn and visit Shiva temples. In winter, Dhanurmasa brings early morning worship and Sankranti brings harvest joy. Muslims and Christians celebrate their own festivals, and communities often join in each other's celebrations.

Exam traps

  • Lunar vs solar: Makar Sankranti is fixed to the sun; Ugadi, Diwali, Holi follow the lunar calendar.
  • Ugadi vs Gudi Padwa: Both are new-year festivals on the same day in different regions.
  • Kumbh places: the four are Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik; Varanasi is not one of them.
  • Pongal vs Lohri vs Bihu: Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Assam.
  • Pushkaralu are held on rivers every twelve years; Kumbh is a different event.
  • Eid-ul-Fitr vs Eid-ul-Adha: the first marks the end of Ramzan; the second recalls sacrifice.
  • Bathukamma is a Telangana flower festival, not a harvest festival of Tamil Nadu.
  • Mahavir Jayanti is Jain; Buddha Purnima is Buddhist.

One-liners

  • 1. Ugadi is the Telugu new year.
  • 2. Makar Sankranti marks the sun's northward movement.
  • 3. Bhogi is the first day of Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh.
  • 4. Kanuma is dedicated to cattle.
  • 5. Pongal is Tamil Nadu's harvest festival.
  • 6. Lohri is celebrated in Punjab.
  • 7. Onam is Kerala's harvest festival.
  • 8. The Kumbh Mela rotates among four places.
  • 9. The Rath Yatra of Puri honours Jagannath.
  • 10. Bathukamma is a flower festival of Telangana.
  • 11. India's national calendar is based on the Saka era.
  • 12. Navroz is the Parsi new year.

Practice questions

  1. Ugadi is celebrated as the new year by the

    1. Bengali people
    2. Assamese people
    3. Punjabi people
    4. Telugu and Kannada people
    Answer

    D. Telugu and Kannada people

    Ugadi falls in Chaitra and begins the new year.

  2. Makar Sankranti marks the day when the sun enters

    1. Mesha (Aries)
    2. Tula (Libra)
    3. Makara (Capricorn)
    4. Karka (Cancer)
    Answer

    C. Makara (Capricorn)

    The sun's entry into Makara marks Sankranti.

  3. In Andhra Pradesh, the first day of the Sankranti festival is

    1. Dasara
    2. Ugadi
    3. Bhogi
    4. Kanuma
    Answer

    C. Bhogi

    Bhogi is the first day, marked by a bonfire.

  4. Kanuma, the third day of Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, is dedicated to

    1. rivers
    2. cattle
    3. ancestors only
    4. the sun god alone
    Answer

    B. cattle

    Farmers honour their cattle on Kanuma.

  5. Pongal is the harvest festival of

    1. Tamil Nadu
    2. Assam
    3. Kerala
    4. Punjab
    Answer

    A. Tamil Nadu

    Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

  6. Lohri is celebrated mainly in

    1. Tamil Nadu
    2. Odisha
    3. Assam
    4. Punjab
    Answer

    D. Punjab

    Lohri marks the winter harvest in Punjab.

  7. Magh Bihu is a harvest festival of

    1. Goa
    2. Assam
    3. Gujarat
    4. Himachal Pradesh
    Answer

    B. Assam

    Bihu is Assam's festival.

  8. Onam is the main harvest festival of

    1. West Bengal
    2. Maharashtra
    3. Karnataka
    4. Kerala
    Answer

    D. Kerala

    Onam is associated with King Mahabali in Kerala.

  9. Bathukamma is a festival of

    1. flowers in Telangana
    2. lamps in Bengal
    3. boats in Kerala
    4. kites in Gujarat
    Answer

    A. flowers in Telangana

    Women stack flowers in a cone and sing around it.

  10. Bonalu in Hyderabad honours the goddess

    1. Annapurna
    2. Kali of Kolkata
    3. Mahankali
    4. Saraswati
    Answer

    C. Mahankali

    Bonalu offerings are made to Mahankali.

  11. Which of the following is NOT a venue of the Kumbh Mela?

    1. Varanasi
    2. Prayagraj
    3. Haridwar
    4. Ujjain
    Answer

    A. Varanasi

    The four venues are Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.

  12. The Rath Yatra at Puri honours

    1. Lord Hanuman
    2. Lord Ganesha
    3. Lord Venkateswara
    4. Lord Jagannath
    Answer

    D. Lord Jagannath

    Giant chariots carry Jagannath and his siblings.

  13. The Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara at Medaram is held

    1. every six years
    2. every two years
    3. every year
    4. every twelve years
    Answer

    B. every two years

    It is a biennial tribal gathering in Telangana.

  14. A Pushkaram on a major river is held once in

    1. six years
    2. three years
    3. twelve years
    4. thirty years
    Answer

    C. twelve years

    It is linked with the movement of Jupiter.

  15. Godavari Pushkaralu are a festival of

    1. a harvest of cotton
    2. a forest
    3. a river
    4. a mountain
    Answer

    C. a river

    Pushkaralu are river festivals.

  16. Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan is famous as

    1. a film festival
    2. a cattle fair
    3. a boat race
    4. a book fair
    Answer

    B. a cattle fair

    Pushkar is known for its camel and cattle fair.

  17. The Sonepur Fair is held in

    1. Kerala
    2. Punjab
    3. Odisha
    4. Bihar
    Answer

    D. Bihar

    Sonepur has a famous cattle fair.

  18. The Surajkund Mela is known for

    1. handicrafts
    2. kite flying
    3. cattle trading
    4. boat races
    Answer

    A. handicrafts

    It is a handicraft fair in Haryana.

  19. The Hornbill Festival is held in

    1. Nagaland
    2. Rajasthan
    3. Goa
    4. Sikkim
    Answer

    A. Nagaland

    It shows the culture of Naga tribes.

  20. Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of

    1. the Islamic new year
    2. Muharram mourning
    3. the Hajj pilgrimage
    4. the month of Ramzan fasting
    Answer

    D. the month of Ramzan fasting

    It follows a month of fasting.

  21. Eid-ul-Adha, also called Bakrid, recalls

    1. the flight to Medina
    2. sacrifice
    3. the Prophet's birth
    4. the fast of Ramzan
    Answer

    B. sacrifice

    It recalls Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice.

  22. Muharram is observed in memory of

    1. Prophet Ibrahim
    2. Mahavira
    3. Imam Hussain
    4. Guru Nanak
    Answer

    C. Imam Hussain

    Muharram is a period of mourning for Imam Hussain.

  23. Good Friday is observed by

    1. Parsis
    2. Christians
    3. Buddhists
    4. Jains
    Answer

    B. Christians

    It marks the crucifixion of Jesus.

  24. Buddha Purnima marks the

    1. start of the Hijri year
    2. founding of the Khalsa
    3. birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha
    4. birth of Mahavira
    Answer

    C. birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha

    It is the main Buddhist festival.

  25. Mahavir Jayanti is a festival of

    1. Jainism
    2. Sikhism
    3. Buddhism
    4. Zoroastrianism
    Answer

    A. Jainism

    It marks Mahavira's birth.

  26. Guru Nanak Jayanti is observed by

    1. Jains
    2. Parsis
    3. Buddhists
    4. Sikhs
    Answer

    D. Sikhs

    It marks the birth of Guru Nanak.

  27. Navroz is the new year festival of the

    1. Buddhists
    2. Parsis
    3. Sikhs
    4. Jains
    Answer

    B. Parsis

    Navroz is the Parsi (Zoroastrian) new year.

  28. India's national calendar is based on the

    1. Saka era
    2. Hijri era
    3. Gupta era
    4. Vikram era
    Answer

    A. Saka era

    The national calendar follows the Saka era.

  29. Ugadi pachadi is a mix of how many tastes?

    1. three
    2. four
    3. nine
    4. six
    Answer

    D. six

    It has sweet, sour, salty, bitter, hot and astringent tastes.

  30. Holi begins with a bonfire called

    1. Bhogi mantalu
    2. Kanuma pyre
    3. Holika Dahan
    4. Ravana Dahan
    Answer

    C. Holika Dahan

    Holika Dahan is the first-night bonfire.

  31. The tenth day of Navratri-Dasara is called

    1. Vijayadashami
    2. Raksha Bandhan
    3. Maha Shivaratri
    4. Karthika Purnima
    Answer

    A. Vijayadashami

    Vijayadashami celebrates victory of good over evil.

  32. Consider the statements: 1. Makar Sankranti follows the sun. 2. Diwali follows the lunar calendar. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  33. Consider the statements: 1. Pongal is celebrated in Punjab. 2. Lohri is celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Pongal is Tamil Nadu's and Lohri is Punjab's.

  34. Consider the statements: 1. Kumbh Mela is held at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. 2. Kumbh Mela is held at Varanasi. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Varanasi is not a Kumbh venue.

  35. Consider the statements: 1. Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramzan. 2. Eid-ul-Adha recalls sacrifice. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  36. Consider the statements: 1. Bathukamma is a flower festival of Telangana. 2. Bonalu honours Lord Vishnu. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Bonalu honours the goddess Mahankali.

  37. Consider the statements: 1. Mahavir Jayanti is a Buddhist festival. 2. Buddha Purnima is a Buddhist festival. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Mahavir Jayanti is Jain.

  38. Consider the statements: 1. Ugadi falls in autumn. 2. Ugadi falls in the month of Chaitra. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Ugadi is a spring festival in Chaitra.

  39. Consider the statements: 1. Navroz is the Parsi new year. 2. Losar is the Tibetan new year. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  40. Consider the statements: 1. Medaram Jatara is held every year. 2. Pushkaralu are held every six years. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    The Jatara is biennial and Pushkaralu come every twelve years.

  41. Consider the statements: 1. The Saka era is the basis of India's national calendar. 2. The Hijri calendar is lunar. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  42. Match the festivals with their states. (a) Pongal (b) Lohri (c) Bihu (d) Onam 1 Kerala 2 Assam 3 Punjab 4 Tamil Nadu

    1. a-1, b-3, c-2, d-4
    2. a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
    3. a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2
    4. a-4, b-3, c-2, d-1
    Answer

    D. a-4, b-3, c-2, d-1

    Pongal-Tamil Nadu; Lohri-Punjab; Bihu-Assam; Onam-Kerala.

  43. Match the festivals with their religions. (a) Eid-ul-Fitr (b) Christmas (c) Mahavir Jayanti (d) Navroz 1 Parsi 2 Jain 3 Islam 4 Christian

    1. a-4, b-3, c-2, d-1
    2. a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
    3. a-3, b-2, c-4, d-1
    4. a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2
    Answer

    B. a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1

    Eid-ul-Fitr-Islam; Christmas-Christian; Mahavir Jayanti-Jain; Navroz-Parsi.

  44. Match the events with their features. (a) Bonalu (b) Rath Yatra (c) Brahmotsavam (d) Pushkar 1 Puri chariots 2 Cattle fair 3 Tirumala 4 Mahankali offerings

    1. a-1, b-4, c-3, d-2
    2. a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2
    3. a-4, b-1, c-2, d-3
    4. a-4, b-1, c-3, d-2
    Answer

    D. a-4, b-1, c-3, d-2

    Bonalu-Mahankali; Rath Yatra-Puri; Brahmotsavam-Tirumala; Pushkar-cattle fair.

  45. Vaikuntha Ekadashi is mainly observed at temples of

    1. Lord Vishnu
    2. Lord Hanuman
    3. Lord Shiva
    4. Goddess Durga
    Answer

    A. Lord Vishnu

    Devotees pass through the north gate at Vishnu temples.

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