Everyone and everything
Diwali
Deepavali
The autumn festival of lamps that carries four Vishnu stories by region: Rama's homecoming, Krishna's killing of…
Karthigai Deepam
The lamp festival on the Karthigai full moon with the Krittika star (November–December), mentioned already in the…
Rath Yatra (Puri)
The chariot festival of Ashadha's bright half in which Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra ride to the Gundicha temple…
Vaikuntha Ekadashi
Mukkoti Ekadashi · Swargavathil Ekadashi · Mokshada Ekadashi
The bright-fortnight eleventh day of solar Dhanu (mid-December to mid-January) when the gate of Vaikuntha is believed…
Arudra Darshan / Thiruvathira
The Margazhi full-moon night with the Thiruvathirai star, the year's longest night: at Chidambaram a ten-day festival…
Brahmotsavam
The great annual temple festival of South India, named for Brahma because he is held to have been its first officiant…
Gangaur
Sixteen days from the day after Holi to Chaitra Shukla Tritiya in which women worship clay images of Isar and Gauri…
Onam
Kerala's ten-day harvest festival from Atham to Thiruvonam in Chingam, remembering King Mahabali's yearly visit home…
Tulsi Vivah
The ceremonial wedding of the tulsi plant to Vishnu (as a shaligrama or an amla branch) between Prabodhini Ekadashi and…
Vaikuntha Chaturdashi
Kartik bright fourteenth, when at Kashi Vishwanath Vishnu is said to offer tulsi to Shiva and Shiva bael to Vishnu…
Bali Padyami
Balipratipada
The third day of Diwali in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra, marking King Bali's yearly return…
Guru Purnima
Vyasa Purnima
The Ashadha full moon honouring teachers, traditionally Veda Vyasa's birthday and for Buddhists the day of the first…
Holi
The spring festival of colours whose eve bonfire re-enacts the burning of Holika while Prahlada survives.
Kanwar Yatra
Shravani Mela · Bol Bam
The Shravan pilgrimage in which devotees carry Ganga water on shoulder-poles on foot to Shiva shrines (Pura Mahadev…
Kartik Purnima at Pushkar
Pushkar Fair · Pushkar Mela
Brahma's one large public festival: the full-moon bathing day of the month of Kartik at Pushkar lake, which closes the…
Kumbh Mela
The great bathing fair rotating between four river cities, explained by the story that drops of the churning's nectar…
Maha Shivaratri
Herath (Kashmir) · Siwa Ratri (Bali)
The great night of Shiva on the dark fourteenth of Magha or Phalguna, kept with a vigil, fasting and bilva leaves. The…
Meenakshi Tirukalyanam
Chithirai festival
The Chithirai (April–May) festival at Madurai that re-enacts the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar, with Vishnu…
Shiber Gajan
Gajan · Charak
A pre-harvest festival of Chaitra in western Bengal, kept mainly by agricultural communities with Brahmins excluded…
Shravan Mondays
Shravana Somvar · Solah Somvar
The month of Shravan is given to Shiva across north and east India: Monday fasts, water and bilva on the linga, Naga…
Teej
Hariyali Teej · Kajari Teej · Hartalika Teej
Parvati's monsoon festivals for women: Hariyali Teej in Shravan, Kajari and Hartalika Teej in Bhadrapada. They…