Holi | Onam | Pongal | Diwali | Dussera | Maha Shivaratri | Makar Sankranti | Krishna Janmashtami | Ganesh Chaturthi | Akshey Tritya |Baisakhi | Balaram Jayanti | Basant Panchami | Buddha Jayanti | Datta Jayanti | Durga Pooja | 
Kumbh Mela | Nagapanchami | Narsinha Jayanti | Ramnavami|

Holi---------------------------------------------------

The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. It is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The story centres around an arrogant king who resents his son Prahlada worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlada emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.

Holi is an festival to shed inhibitions and caste differences for a day of spring fever and Big Fun. Throwing brightly colored powder (gulal) and water over each other. The festival's preamble begins on the night of the full moon. Bonfires are lit on street corners to cleanse the air of evil spirits and bad vibes, and to symbolize the destruction of the wicked Holika, for whom the festival was named. 

Holi is a religious festival of North India and is not celebrated in South India. It is a Festival of Fire. Here a big fire is made and the concept is burning all the evil, that is bad in our mind in the fire.

Onam--------------------------------------------------

Onam is a time for sports, festivities, and ritual celebrations in Kerala. The Keralites celebrate this festival in memory of the golden era of King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit the state at the time of Onam. Colorful aquatic festivals are organized along the sacred rive Pampa as part of the celebrations.

Depending on the positioning of the stars and the moon, the festival is held at the end of August or beginning of September, less than a fortnight after the Malayalam New Year, Chingam begins. This is the biggest festival of the southern Indian state of Kerala. 

The celebrations begin within a fortnight of the Malayalam New Year and go on for ten days. The last day called the Thiruonam is the most important. All over the state, rituals along with new clothes, traditional cuisine, dance, and music mark this harvest festival.

At Aranmulla, where there is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna, thousands of people gather on the banks of the river Pampa to witness the exciting snake boat races. Nearly 30 chundan vallams or snake boats participate in the festival. Singing traditional boat songs, the oarsmen, in white dhotis and turbans, splash their oars into the water to guide their boats to cruise along like a fish on the move. The golden lace at the head of the boat, the flag and the ornamental umbrella at the center make it a spectacular show of pageantry too.

Each snake boat belongs to a village along the banks of the river Pampa and is worshipped like a deity. Every year the boat is oiled mainly with fish oil, coconut shell, and carbon, mixed with eggs to keep the wood strong and the boat slippery in the water. The village carpenter carries out annual repairs lovingly and people take pride in their boat, which represents their village and is named after it.

The swing is another integral part of Onam, especially in the rural areas. Young men and women, decked in their best, sing Onappaattu, or Onam songs, and rock one another on swings slung from high branches.

Pongal-------------------------------------------------

Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu. A majority of the population here depends on agriculture. Pongal is one of such highly revered festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. Held in the middle of January, it is the time when the people get ready to thank God, Earth and their Cattle for the wonderful harvest and celebrate the occasion with joyous festivities and rituals.

    Pongal continues through the first four days of Thai month that starts in the mid-January and spreads to mid-February. The houses are cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (ground patterns made out of rice flour) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities.

Diwali------------------------------------------------

Navaratri is known as the festival of Nights honouring the Goddesses , beginning on the ninth day of virgo or Kanya (September/October). This festival lasts for 9 days. First three days are devoted to Goddess Durga (Goddess of Valour) the next three days are for Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and the next three days to Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge). The tenth day is celebrated as Vijaya Dasami , Dasara. 

Rakshbandhan----------------------------------

Rakshbandhan is celebrated to protect the welfare of women community. On the full moon day of Shravan the Rakshabandhan festival is celebrated. On this day the sister ties rakhi on the wrist  of the brother and apply a sacred tilak on brothers forehead. 

Guru Purnima-----------------------------------

Guru Purnima is for showing gratitude to Gurus and masters. A Guru (teacher) is remembered even before the parents and the Gods . It is the most important day in the relation to a Guru and disciple, according to his capacity give service and offerings to his guru. Some Gurus are prone to make authorative demands on their disciples, which may be  beyond the capacity of the disciple. 

Akshey Tritya----------------------------------

This day, Baisakh Shukl Tritya, is in recognition of the belief that Sateye Yuga and Treta Yuga commenced on this day. Fast, worship ,austerities, knowledge and Charity, done on this day are very fruitful. It is still more lucky if this day falls on a day or under Rohini planet. A dip in the Ganges on this day has great importance. In charity , fan, rice, salt, ghee, sugar, vegetables, tamarind, fruit, clothes, should be given. Vishnu is invoked on this day, by enthroning his image or his picture, by oblations of water soaked gram pulse and crystallized sugar and by sprinkling Tulsi water while performing Aarti. 

Baisakhi----------------------------------------

Baisakhi is a festival , celebrated on 13th April, especially in the Punjab. The clouds and lightening on the first light half of Baisakh (April) presage an abundant harvest as does the concurrence of Thursday and the asterism Rohini on the first of Baisakhi , on which date the accounts of last harvest are settled. Right from the start of April , Baisakhi is in the air. The fresh aroma of wheat mingled with sweet smell of fresh leaves , sprouting out of almost every tree, makes one a changed person. With every passing day the color of lush green wheat changes to glittering gold.

Balaram Jayanti----------------------------------

This festival is celebrated on the Bhadrapad Krisna Shukla shashti. Balaram the elder brother of Lord Krishna was born on this auspicious day. The main weapon of this great soul was Plough. Therefore this festival and the fast are observed all over India. Moreover this the only  occasion to remember and remind others , of the part played by Balaram in Krishna episodes.

Basant Panchami----------------------------------

Basant Panchami is spring festival honouring Goddess Saraswati. When the fields are mustard yellow, it is the time for the spring festival Basant Panchami in reverence to Goddess Saraswati. Saraswati the goddess of intelligence , wisdom and knowledge of all arts, science, music and dancing. Basant season is the king of all seasons because this season is free from the intense heat of the summer, from the shivering colds of the winter and from the havoc of rain.

Buddha Jayanti----------------------------------

Celebration of Buddhist Festivals varies considerably , depending on the country in which they are observed. In India the auspicious day is celebrated all over India and abroad  throng to Bodh Gaya and Rajgir, in Bihar on the same most beautiful moon day. Buddha was born attained enlightenment and passed away on this day.

Datta Jayanti----------------------------------

Worshipped as the trinity aspect of the almighty, the lord appeared in this particular form to fulfill the wishes of Atri and Ansuya. Dattatreya or Dutta is the form of Shiva, Bramha and Vishnu together. Datta Jayanti is celebrated with lots of respect and love for these Gods.

Durga Pooja----------------------------------

In Bengal, this festival is a great holiday of the year, shared by the Christians, Muslims and Hindus alike. is conjectured that this Puja began in Bengal in approximately 12th century. But now a days common people in great distress have inevitable been drawn towards the source of life and energy , the universal mother , Shakti Durga, who had delivered the earth from Mahishasur, is worshipped increasingly to inspire courage from Mahishasur , is worshipped increasingly to inspire courage for the struggle against forces of evil.  Devi Durga appears in a year to share her force and hearten her devotees to endure another year , till she descends from Kailash.

Kumbha Mela----------------------------------

Kumbha Mela is a very big festival , participated by millions of people by taking a dip in the sacred waters at Haridwar, Parayag (Allahabad) Ujjain and Nasik. This Festival is observed at an interval of twelve years at Prayag, when there is some specific combination of moon sun and Brihaspati. Churning the sea by combined efforts of the Gods and Demons Amrit was found. Gods and Demons, both wanted it. So the pot was shifted from place and wherever this was shifted there was some spillage and these places were Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik. Kumbh Mela is held in all these places. At Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar , Kumbh Mela is held every three years , but at Prayag it is after 12 years with Aradh Kumbh Mela held every 6 years. During the Kumbh Mela the days of Makar Sankranti , Basant Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, Chetra Amavasya, Ram Navami and Baisakhi are recognised as more auspicious or benevolent.

Nagapanchami----------------------------------

In India animals, birds and living things have been given a special status. Since ancient times snakes have been worshipped. The Puranas and religious scriptures have described the worship of the snakes and their importance. It is said that the earth is supported underneath by Ses Nag (The snake on which God Vishnu sleeps) Therefore the worship of snake is in gratitude to this reptile. The snakes are our friends and saviors of our crops, who eat away the rats, insects and frogs. On Nag Panchami day women draw figures of snake by black powder mixed in cowdung and milk on the walls of their houses.They are offered milk and religiously pooja is done.

Narsinha Jayanti----------------------------------

God Vishnu incarnated as the Nara Sinha in order to keep the honour and respect of the devotee Prahlad. The legend says that Kashyap had two wives Aditi and Diti. Aditi was the mother of Gods and Diti, the mother of two sons , Hiranyaksha and Hirneyakashapu The former was cruel ruler, whom Varaha incarnation killed the latter in order to take revenge underwent severe austerities and obtained boon from Brahma by virtue of which he could not be killed by any man or animal in day or night inside or outside or outside by arms or by scriptures.

Hiranayakashapu did not want his son Prahlad to undertake devotion and Bhakti to God , but Prahalad did not abstain. On the fourth of Baisakh Shukl when Prahlad was lost in meditation ; Hiranyakashapu pulled his sword and told Prahlad ,"I will kill you now and ask your God to save you." He told respected father , God is omnipresent in this pillar, in this sword and even in you. Outraged Hiranyaksepu struck his sword on the pillar , which tumbled down and Narsinha Avtar appeared and tore open his stomach taking him on his knees.

Ramnavami------------------------------------------

The birthday of Rama Chandra is observed on the ninth of the light half of the month Chetra (March-April) and is kept by some as a strict fast. It was on this day that Vishnu incarnated as Rama through Dasharathas wife Kaushalya. This day is also important because the celebrated Sanskrit poet Tulsi Dasa started composing his classic Ram Charit Manas. The devotees take a bath in Sarayu river on this day. The fast on this day reminds us about the righteousness of Rama, his devotion to his teacher, removal of casteism , shelter to refugee, brotherhood, devotion to the master by Hanuman and Angad.