India, being a multicultural and multireligious society, celebrates holidays and festivals of various faiths and special interest groups. There are three national holidays: Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Hindu festivals of Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, Ugadi, Dussehra, Sankranthi/Pongal and the Islamic festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Muharram, and Ramadan are the most popular religious festivals in India. A number of festivals are common to most parts of India. In addition, many states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. It has been suggested that Statehood Day be merged into this article or section. ... Republic Day is the name of a public holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they first became republics. ... Gandhi, taken in 1931. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... Lord Ganesh Ganesh Chaturthi, (Ganesh Festival) is an occasion or a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, makes his presence on earth for all his devotees. ... Celebration of Holi in Pune, India. ... // Introduction Ugadi (literally - the start of an era) is the new years day for the people of the Deccan region of India. ... Dussehra (also transliterated as Dasara) or Vijaya Dasami is an important Hindu festival. ... Sankranthi, or Sankranti, is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of India. ... This article is about the Pongal festival. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) marks the end of Ramadan. ... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) is second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. ... Muharram (Arabic: محرم ) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. ... This article is about Islamic religious observances in the month of Ramadan. ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ...

The following is a List of Festivals in India:

Hinduism

Main article: Hindu festivals

People celebrating Holi.

The largest religious gathering on Earth. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela at one of the Hindu Holy city Prayag (India).

Hindus celebrate a number of Festivals all through the year. From celebrating the advent of spring to celebrating the win of good over evil, Hindu religion and culture provide its followers endless reasons to celebrate. Given below is the list of just a few of these festivals that are celebrated with great zest and fervour. The Hindu religion has many festivals. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2259x1215, 765 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Holi ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2259x1215, 765 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Holi ... Celebration of Holi in Pune, India. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (721x721, 88 KB) Summary Image may be used for illustration and publishing purposes with the credit of spaceimaging. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (721x721, 88 KB) Summary Image may be used for illustration and publishing purposes with the credit of spaceimaging. ... The 2001 Kumbh Mela. ... Map of India. ...

• Diwali or Deepawali
• Ganesh Chaturthi
• Dussehra or Daserra
• Ugadi
• Sankranthi
• Pongal
• Holi
• Raksha Bandhan
• Krishna Janmastami
• Gudi Padwa
• Durga Puja
• Navratri
• Maha Shivaratri
• Basant
• Bonalu
• Teej
• Bhaubeej (Bhai Dooj)
• Ramanavami
• Hanuman Jayanti
• Chhath
• Guru Purnima
• Baisakhi
• Onam
• Karwa Chauth
• Thaipusam
• Ratha Yatra
• Gita Jayanti
• Kumbh Mela
• Thrissur Pooram
• Laxmi puja
• Kumar Purnima
• Saraswati Puja
• PrathamAstami
• Vasant Panchami
• Amavasya
• Kojagiri Purnima
• Anant Chaturdashi
• Ekadashi
• Nag panchami
• Sankranthi
• Vat Pournima
• Zatra

Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Lord Ganesh Ganesh Chaturthi, (Ganesh Festival) is an occasion or a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, makes his presence on earth for all his devotees. ... Dussehra (also transliterated as Dasara) or Vijaya Dasami is an important Hindu festival. ... // Introduction Ugadi (literally - the start of an era) is the new years day for the people of the Deccan region of India. ... Sankranthi, or Sankranti, is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of India. ... This article is about the Pongal festival. ... Celebration of Holi in Pune, India. ... Raksha bandhan or Rakhi is a Hindu festival to signify and extend the brother-sister relationship. ... Krishna Janmaashtami, also known as Krishnaashtami, Gokulaashtami, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanthi or sometimes merely as Janmaashtami, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. ... // The celebration of springtime and harvest Gudi Padwa is a holiday celebrated in India. ... A priest worshipping a contemporary idol of Durga, shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahisasur. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dussehra. ... Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna(as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar. ... Basant, sometimes called Jashan-e Baharaan (Urdu:جشن بهران or Spring Festival), is a Pakistani festival celebrating the arrival of Spring. ... Bonalu - This is a famous festival in Telangana of offering to Godess Mahankali. ... Teej (Nepali: तीज)is a fasting festival for Hindu women of some parts of India and Nepal. ... Bhaubeej/Bhau-Beej (in Marathi) or Bhai-Dooj (in Hindi) or Bhai Beej (in Gujarati) is a festival or ceremony performed by Hindus on the second day after Diwali, which is the second day of the new year. ... Rama Navami falls on the ninth day of a Hindu lunar year (or Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami). ... Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god widely venerated throughout India. ... Chhath or Dala Chhath is a Hindu festival, which is unique to Bihar state, India and Terai of Nepal. ... The day of full moon, Purnima, in the month of Ashadh of the Hindu calendar is traditionally celebrated as Guru Purnima by Hindus. ... Traditional fervour and gaiety mark the celebrations of Baisakhi, which stands for the dawn of a new year in north India. ... Onam (Malayalam: ഓണം) is an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. ... Karwa Chauth is celebrated by married women in India by fasting for the long life of their husbands. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Thai Poosam Kavady. ... Ratha Yatra is one of the major festivals associated with Lord Jagannath, Puri, Orissa state, India. ... Gita Jayanti or Gita Jayanthi is the celebration of the birthday of sacred Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. ... The 2001 Kumbh Mela. ... Among the varieties of festivals celebrated in Kerala, Thrissur Pooram is the most thunderous, spectacular and dazzling. ... Saraswati Pooja is celebrated in India and Bangladesh to invoke wisdom and consciousness in human beings. ... Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, and art. ... Amavasya - A Hindu Custom Amavasya is nothing but the no-moon day. ... This festival is observed on the night of full moon in the month of Ashvina (September-October). ... Anant Chaturdashi is the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganeshotsav. ... Hindu Sindhis observe Ekadashi or Gyaaras by fasting on that day Ekadashi means Ek +Dus=11 Gyaaras comes from the word gyaarah which means 11 It refers to the 11th day of a fortnight belonging to a lunar month--the bright and the dark. ... Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus in most parts of India. ... Sankranthi, or Sankranti, is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of India. ... Vat Pournima is a celebration observed in Maharashtra, India. ... Zatra is a occasion which occurs in the Hindu temple. ...

Islamic

• Chand Raat
• Eid-ul-Azha (or Eid-ul-Adha)
• Eid-ul-Fitr
• Muharram (day of mourning observed by Shiites only)
• Milad-un-nabi

In Islamic Pakistani culture Chand Raat or night of the moon as it translates marks the end of Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان ) and the start of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر). Since the Islamic Calendar is lunar the advent of... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) is second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. ... The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) marks the end of Ramadan. ... Muharram (Arabic: محرم ) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. ...

Christian

• Good Friday
• Easter
• Christmas

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Sikhism

• Diwali
• Guru Nanak's Birthday Jayanti
• Guru Govind Singh's Birthday Jayanti
• Guru Teg Bahadur's Martyrdom Day
• Baisakhi

Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... Guru Nanak The religion of Sikhism preaches that there is one God but that he is formless. ... Traditional fervour and gaiety mark the celebrations of Baisakhi, which stands for the dawn of a new year in north India. ...

Zoroastrian

The Traditional Haft Seen for Navroz

The Parsis account for less than 0.007% of the Indian population, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, they are "in number beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare." The same could be said of their festivals. Unfortunately, like the Parsis themselves, these are private and celebrated primarily within the community. The Parsis use the Shahenshahi ("Imperial") version of the Zoroastrian calendar, which differs significantly from the Qadimi ("Ancient") version that their Iranian co-religionists use. For example, New Year is celebrated in the spring by Iranians but falls in late summer for Parsis. In addition to seasonal festivals, called Gahambars, the most eminent celebratory occasions are listed below. Image File history File links Haft_Seen. ... Image File history File links Haft_Seen. ... A Parsi (IPA: ), sometimes spelled Parsee, is a member of the close-knit Zoroastrian community based in the Indian subcontinent. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Demographics of India. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Gujarati: , Hindi: , IAST: mohandās karamcand gāndhī, IPA: ) (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) was a major political and spiritual leader of the Indian Independence Movement. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ...

• Maidyozarem Gahambar - Mid-Spring Festival. Early October.
• Maidyoshahem Gahambar - Mid-Summer Festival. Early December
• Paitishahem Gahambar - Festival of bringing in the harvest. Mid February.
• Ayathrem Gahambar - Festival if bringing home the herds. Mid March.
• Maidyarem Gahambar - Mid-Winter Festival. Lit. 'Mid-Year'. Early June.
• Hamaspathmaidyem or Muktad - All Souls Festival. Cf. Día de los Meurtos
• Pateti - New Year's Day Eve. August-September.
• Jamshed-e Navroz - New Year's Day, (Norouz). August-September.
• Jashan-e Sadeh - Festival of Fire. Lit. the 100th day (before Navroz).
• Jashan-e Mehragan - Festival of Mihr. A day of thanksgiving dedicated to the highest Angel, Mithra (c.f. Metatron).
• Jashan-e Tirigan - Festival of Tir. A day dedicated to Tishtrya, Angel of the star Sirius and rain.
• Farvardigan - Festival of the Farohars ('guardian angels').
• Khordad Sal - Birthday of the Prophet Zarathushtra.
• Zartosht No-Diso - Anniversary commemorating the death of the Prophet Zarathushtra.

See also: Zoroastrian calendar Dia De Los Muertos redirects here. ... This Article is for New Year Celebration among Iranians and Kurds, For Mazandaranis, See: Neowrez Norouz (Persian: ‎ also spelled Nauryz, Noe-Rooz, Nawroz, Norooz, Noruz, Novruz, Noh Ruz, Nauroz, Nav-roze, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nevruz, Наврӯз, Navruz, or Nowrouz) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan... This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... This Article is for New Year Celebration among Iranians and Kurds, For Mazandaranis, See: Neowrez Norouz (Persian: ‎ also spelled Nauryz, Noe-Rooz, Nawroz, Norooz, Noruz, Novruz, Noh Ruz, Nauroz, Nav-roze, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nevruz, Наврӯз, Navruz, or Nowrouz) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan... Festival of Fire celebrated in India by Zoroastrians. ... Mehregān (Persian:مهرگان) or Jashn-e-Mehregān is an ancient Iranian autumn festival, observed on the ninth or tenth of October, and dedicated in honor of Mehr, also known as Mithra, the Persian god of Light and Love. ... Metatron (Hebrew מטטרון or מיטטרון), is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christianity. ... Tiregan or Jashn-e Tiregan is is an ancient Iranian rain festival, observed on the first of July. ... Zoroaster was a Iranian prophet, one of the great teachers of the East and the founder of Zoroastrianism, which was the national religion of Persia from the time of the Achaemenidae to the close of the Sassanid period. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ...

Jain

• Mahavir Jayanti
• Kshamavaani
• Mahamastakabhisheka
• Paryushana
• Kali Chaudas

In Jainism, Mahavir Jayanti is the most important religious holiday. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Mahamasthakabhisheka (or Mahamasthak Abhishek) is an important Jain festival held once every twelve years in the town of Shravanabelagola in Karnataka state, India. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

Others

• Buddha Purnima (Buddha Jayanti or Vesak), Buddhist
• Ayya Vaikunda Avataram

Categories: Stub ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... The Vaikunda Avataram is celebrated on the 20th day of the Tamil Month of Masi, the date at which Lord Vaikundar arose from the sea of Thiruchendur as the son of Mummorthies to destroy the evil spirit of Káli, not the Hindu deity, present in this Kali Yuga and...

Unofficial

• New Year's Day
• Valentine's Day, mostly in urban areas
• April Fool's Day
• Children's Day, 14^th November
• Vijay Diwas (Victory Day)

This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... Saint Valentines Day or Valentines Day is on February 14. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Czechoslovak poster celebrating the International Childrens Day Childrens Day is a holiday in many countries around the world, mainly the holidays purpose is to simply honor children. ... (Redirected from 14 November) November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) is celebrated in India on 16 December every year to mark the Indian victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. ... Victory Day is the name of a public holiday in various countries to commemorate the victory in an important battle or war in the countrys history. ...

External links

• Kamat's Potpourri: Indian Festivals
• Zoroastrian Religious Calendar
• Hindu Festivals Calendar
• Deccan Herald Festivals Article
• 2006 Hindu Festival Calendar