List of Hindu Festivals

Makar Sankranti or Pongal

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Makar. It marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Pogal is first day of Uttarayana, coinciding with the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan – sun's journey northwards. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.This day is coinciding with Makara Sankranti.

Vasant Panchami

Fifth day of waxing moon of Magh (Hindu Calendar) (also called Saraswati Puja by Bengalis and Biharis) is celebrated for the blessing of Saraswati, goddess of wisdom and the arts

Thaipusam

The full moon in the Tamil month of Thai

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community. The word Thaipusam is derived from the Tamil month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a spear so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.

Maha Shivaratri

Thirteenth night of the waning moon of Magh (Hindu Calendar)

Maha Shivaratri is the great night of Shiva, followers of Shiva observe religious fasting and the offering of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Shiva.

Holi

Full moon of Phalgun (Hindu Calendar)

Holi or Phagwah is a popular spring festival. Holi commemorates the slaying of the demoness Holika by Lord Vishnu's devotee Prahlad. Thus, the festival's name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Holika Dahanam", which literally mean "Holika's slaying"

Shigmo

February – March Shigmo is celebrated in Goa as one of the prominent festivals of the Konkani Hindu community.

Vasant Navratri

Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshipped.

Rama Navami

Navami is the celebration of the birth of Rama.

Gudi Padwa

First Day of waxing moon of Chaitra (Hindu Calendar)

Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Marathis and the Konkanis. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world.

Ugadi

Ugadi (meaning "the start of an era" in Telugu and Kannada) is the New Year's Day for the Kannadigas and Telugus. It takes place on the same day as Gudi Padwa.

Vishu and Tamil New Year

Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala. The Tamil New Year follows the nirayan vernal equinox. These festivals falls around April 14 of the Gregorian year.


Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is the celebration of the birth of Hanuman, Rama's loyal devotee.

Bihu
Vaisakha – The first month of Hindu Calendar Rongali Bihu (mid-April, also called Bohag Bihu), the most popular Bihu celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year (around April 15) and the coming of Spring.

Sitalsasthi

Sixth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyestha (Hindu Calender) June. The marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Sitalsasthi. It is celebrated as a carnival. Where people and artists from different walks of life participate making it more beautiful and bringing out the true colour of life.

Vat Pournima
Full moon of Jyeshta (Hindu Calendar) movable Vat Pournima is observed in Maharashtra. Pournima means "full moon." Women pray for the prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree.

Bonalu
August Bonalu is a Scheduled Caste/Tribe and Backward Caste celebration of Mother Goddess (Pochamma, Yellamma etc) in the Telangana Region. Caste based festivals are common in this region.

Bathukamma Bathukamma is a purely Backward Caste festival which takes place during the months of September and October in some regions of Telangana, originally in Ranga Reddy, Medak and Warangal Districts.

Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra is the festival associated with Jagannath.

Guru Purnima Full moon of Ashadh (Hindu Calendar) . Guru Purnima is the day devotees offer puja (worship) to their Guru. This was also the day when Vyasa, author of the Mahabharata was born.

Mahalakshmi Vrata movable Mahalakshmi Vrata is a puja performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of Mahalakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Onam
Onam is a harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. Like many other religious festivals in India, Onam is celebrated by people across all castes and faiths.

Raksha Bandhan
Full moon of Shravana (Hindu Calendar) Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrated mainly in northern Indian states. Rakhi is a special occasion to celebrate the chaste bond of love between a brother and a sister.

Krishna Janmaashtami
Eighth day of waning moon of Shravana (Hindu Calendar)
Janmaashtami is the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna. It is actually called as Krishna Jayanthi. The date falls not only on the eight day of the waning moon, but always on Rohini Nakshatra.

Gowri Habba
Gowri Habba is celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Gowri is worshipped for her ability to bestow courage to her devotees. Newly wed couples are invited to the house of the groom's parents and served with varieties of food.

Ganesh Chaturthi
Fourth day of the waxing moon of Bhadrapada (Hindu Calendar) Ganesh Chaturthi is the celebration of the birth of Ganesh.

Nuakhai
Fifth day of the waxing moon of Bhadrapada (Hindu Calendar) . Nuakhai is celebrated to welcome the new rice of the season. This is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Orissa (Kosal).

Navarathri
First nine nights of the waxing moon of Ashvin October 8 Navarathri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshiped.

Vijayadashami
Tenth day of waxing moon of Ashvin (Hindu Calendar) . Vijayadashami is the Hindu celebration of good over evil.

Deepavali
New moon of Ashvin (Hindu Calendar) . Deepavali which means "row of lights/lamps" is called "Divali" in North India, Deepa means lamp and in Hindi a lamp is mostly called a Diya or Di. The festival is celebrated on the occasion of Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama killing a demon Narakasura. Another story says the festival is celebrated for the return of Rama and Sita to the kingdom Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile.

Bhaubeej
Second day of the waxing moon of Kartik (Hindu Calendar) Bhaubeej, also referred to as Bhai dooj, is the ceremony performed by Hindus, generally, on the second day of Deepavali. It is celebrated among brothers and sisters and is similar to Raksha Bandhan, except there is no tying of rakhi involved.

Kartik Poornima
15th of the Full moon day of Kartik (November–December) . A unique festival is celebrated in Varanasi this day which is called Dev Devali. The Kartik Purnima festival also coincides with the Jain light festival and Guru Nanak Jayanti

Chhath
Chhath is unique to Bihar and Terai, but is also celebrated elsewhere. It is a festival dedicated to the Sun God for bestowing the bounties of life and fulfilling wishes.

Prathamastami
after 8 days of Kartik Purnima Prathamastami is a festival that originated in Oriya. It is held on the eighth day of the month of Agrahayana, when older female relatives pray for the prosperity of their eldest child. The festival is followed by rituals and recitations of the Glory of Mahalakshmi and Shashti devi.

Yatra
Yatra (also Zatra and jatra) refers to the pilgrimage festivals celebrated at Hindu temples. Idols and murtis are taken out on special procession in a palkhi (a palanquin) or a chariot called the rath. Every temple observes this festival once a year on the traditional day.

Karthikai Deepam
Karthikai Deepam is a very ancient festival of lights celebrated by Tamil Hindus on the full moon day of Karthikai month (November/December). This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and purnima. It is the same as Kartik Poornima but since Tamils follow the Hindu Solar calendar with correction for precession of the equinoxes, the Tamil date matches the actual constellation.

Pancha Ganapati
is a Winter Solstice celebration that lasts five days. Ganapati is a modern Hindu festival celebrating Lord Ganesha the Five-Faced Maha Ganapati—Lord of Categories.

Kumbh Mela is a 4-yearly pilgrimage to the Ganges river . The Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years. The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mella is celebrated every six years. The normal Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 4 years. The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela which comes every 12 'Purna Kumbh Melas', or 144 years.