Devalok

Festival stories of the Indian gods

The stories behind the days India keeps: why a lamp faces south on Dhanteras, why Holika burned, why the Chaturthi moon is not looked at. Every one links to its festival page, where the dates and the customs are.

All kinds LegendsLocal storiesFolk talesFrom the epicsFestival stories
Told across IndiaFrom the Vedic hymnsNorth IndiaSouth IndiaEast IndiaWest IndiaNepal and beyond
The Sister Who Waited with a Lamp Festival story · Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat · and Bengal for Bhai PhontaThe Sister Who Waited with a Lamp The Ornaments That Walk from Pandalam Festival story · South India · Pandalam to SabarimalaThe Ornaments That Walk from Pandalam The God Who Crosses the Runway Festival story · South India · Thiruvananthapuram and Shanghumugham beach, KeralaThe God Who Crosses the Runway The Twelve Days of the Pot Festival story · All India · Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and NashikThe Twelve Days of the Pot The Goddess Who Would Not Be Married Festival story · All IndiaThe Goddess Who Would Not Be Married The King and the Merchant Festival story · All India · and Bengal for the spring Durga PujaThe King and the Merchant The Morning the World Began Festival story · South and West India · Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and MaharashtraThe Morning the World Began The Night the Prison Opened Festival story · All India · Mathura and GokulThe Night the Prison Opened The First Sound Festival story · North and East IndiaThe First Sound The King Who Comes Home Festival story · South India · KeralaThe King Who Comes Home The Moon in the Peepal Tree Festival story · North India · Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and DelhiThe Moon in the Peepal Tree The Jewel That Shamed Krishna Festival story · All IndiaThe Jewel That Shamed Krishna The Thread Indrani Tied Festival story · All IndiaThe Thread Indrani Tied The Sesame in Shani's House Festival story · Told across North and West IndiaThe Sesame in Shani's House The Ogress Who Was Afraid of Children Festival story · Told across North India · AyodhyaThe Ogress Who Was Afraid of Children The Colour on Radha's Face Festival story · Braj · Nandgaon and Barsana, Uttar PradeshThe Colour on Radha's Face The Three Nights Bali Asked For Festival story · Told across IndiaThe Three Nights Bali Asked For The Lamp That Faces South Festival story · North and West IndiaThe Lamp That Faces South The Day of First Letters Festival story · Kerala and Bengal · Panachikkad, Thunchan Parambu, and the Saraswati Puja of the eastThe Day of First Letters The Thread on Bali's Wrist Festival story · Western India and across India · Raksha BandhanThe Thread on Bali's Wrist Gauri Comes Home Festival story · West and South India · Rajasthan and KarnatakaGauri Comes Home Who Is Awake? Festival story · Eastern India · Bengal, Mithila, Odisha; MagadhaWho Is Awake? The Woman Lakshmi Visited Festival story · South India and Odisha · Varalakshmi Vratam; PuriThe Woman Lakshmi Visited The Day the Gate Opens Festival story · South IndiaThe Day the Gate Opens Vrinda's Curse Festival story · Told across India; Maharashtra, Gujarat, AndhraVrinda's Curse Three Days of Rest for the Earth Festival story · Odisha, Assam and Tulu NaduThree Days of Rest for the Earth The Pole and the Prisoner Festival story · North India and NepalThe Pole and the Prisoner The Day Death Came to Dinner Festival story · Told across India and NepalThe Day Death Came to Dinner The Moon Who Laughed at Ganesha Festival story · Told across India on Ganesh Chaturthi · Mithila, BiharThe Moon Who Laughed at Ganesha The Pot That Never Emptied Festival story · Told across India; kept at Chhath in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and NepalThe Pot That Never Emptied

30 stories. All stories →