This is one of the few holidays observed according to the solar calendar and marks the end of the winter solstice. It is celebrated differently across India with kite flying, bonfires, fairs, sun worship, ceremonial cooking in special pots, sweets based on sesame seeds, dance, etc. It is also a harvest festival.
This is the “festival of colors" or the "festival of love. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and a festive day to meet others and plaster each other with colored powders and colored water. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.
On this day, the bonds between sisters and brothers are celebrated. Sisters of all ages tie an amulet, called the rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers, symbolically protecting them, receiving a gift in return, and traditionally investing the brothers with a share of the responsibility for the well-being of the sisters. More Information
The festival celebrates the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stages) with ornate statues. The festival ends on the tenth day with a public procession and immersion of the idols and statues; in Mumbai alone, […]
The festival literally means "nine nights” and is celebrated differently in various parts of India with prayer, elaborate pandals, folk dances, displays of dolls, sharing of sweets and bonfires. It symbolizes the triumph of good over evil; for example, it commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura and the restoration of […]
Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is a gazetted holiday in India, which is marked on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja), according to the Hindu calendar
One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated. The preparations and observances typically last five days.
The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names in different parts of India and the Hindu world. Names include Magh Bihu, Maghi (preceded by Lohri), Thai Pongal and so on. It also marks the day of Winter Solstice as per the Hindu tradition. Makara Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colorful decorations, rural children going house […]
Saraswati Puja, also called Vasant Panchami, is celebrated to honor Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. Hindu temples and households are full of activity on this day. This 'Panchami' is also known as Saraswati Day, because it is believed that on this day, the goddess Saraswati was born, bringing rhythm, order and knowledge into […]
"Everything you should do you will find in this: Do nothing to others that would hurt you if it were done to you."
- Mahabharata 5:1517
Hinduism
