The document outlines various traditional festivals celebrated across India, highlighting their significance and unique practices. Key festivals mentioned include Pongal, Holi, Onam, Diwali, and Eid al-Fitr, along with regional variations and specific rituals associated with each celebration. It emphasizes the cultural diversity and rich heritage of Indian festivals, showcasing their importance in Hindu and other traditions.

1. FACTS WITH FUN
FESTIVALS OF INDIA
By-Kamalesh Sir

3. BHOGI
Celebrated widely in
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana.
At dawn, people light a bonfire
with logs of wood, other solid-fuels
and wooden furniture at home that
are no longer useful.

5. Bathukamma
Telangana
Goddess Maha Gauri-‘Life Giver’ is
worshipped in the form of
Bathukamma
Bathukamma is celebrated for nine
days during Durga Navratri.

7. Makar Sankranti
Also known as ;
Maghe Sankranti in Nepal,
Magh Bihu in Assam,
Maghi (preceded by Lohri) in Punjab
Thai Pongal in Tamil Nadu,
Ghughuti in Uttarakhand
Khichdi Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh.

9. Pongal
Tamil Nadu
Also called as Thai Pongal or Tai
Pongal.
The three days of the Pongal festival
are called Bhogi Pongal, Surya
Pongal and Maattu Pongal.

11. Thaipusam
Tamil Nadu
Also caled Kavadi.
The festival commemorates the
occasion when Parvati gave
Murugan(Kartikeya) a Vel "spear" so
he could vanquish the evil
demon Soorapadman.

13. Holi
Also called "festival of spring",
the "festival of colours", or
the "festival of love“
The first evening is known as Holika
Dahan (burning of demon holika)
or Chhoti Holi and the following day as
Holi, RangwaliHoli, Dhuleti, Dhulandi,
or Phagwah.

15. Shigmo Festival
Shigmo, or Shishirotsava[1] is a spring
festival celebrated in the Indian state
of Goa, where it is one of the major
festivals of the Hindu community.
It is also celebrated by Konkani
diaspora and Indian festival of Holi is
part of it.

17. Gangaur
One of the most important festivals
of Rajasthan and is observed
throughout the state .
women worship Gauri, the wife
of LordShiva

19. Rama Navami is a
spring Hindu festival that celebrates
the birthday of the Hindu God
Lord Rama.

21. Gudi Padwa is a spring-time
festival that marks the traditional new
year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus.

23. Ugadi (meaning "the start of an era"
in Kannada) is New Year's Day for
the Kannadigas and Telugus.
It is called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.

25. Vishu (Malayalam: Viṣu, Tulu: Bisu) is
a Hindu festival celebrated in the
Indian state of Kerala

27. Puthandu also known
as Puthuvarusham or Tamil New Year,
is the first day of year on the Tamil
calendar.

29. Bihu is a set of three important
Assamese festivals in Assam
Rongali or Bohag Bihu observed in
April,
Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in
October, and
Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in
January.

31. Bonalu is
a Dravidian traditional Hindu festival
centered on the Goddess Mahakali.
This festival is celebrated annually in
the Telangana.

33. Ratha Yatra or Chariot
festival
a public procession with a chariot with
deities Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), Bala
bhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his
sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his
weapon) on a ratha, a wooden deula-
shaped chariot.

35. Raja or Raja Parba or Mithuna
Sankranti is a three-day-long festival
celebrated in Odisha, India.
The second day of the festival signifies
beginning of the solar month of
Mithuna from, which the season of
rains starts.

37. Onam is an annual[3][4][5] holiday and
festival celebrated in Kerala, India.
The festival is celebrated to welcome
King Mahabali, who according to
legends, visits Kerala at the time of
Onam.[9][8]

39. Raksha Bandhan

41. Nuakhai or Navakhai is an
agricultural festival mainly observed by
people of Western Odisha and
Southern Chhattisgarh in India

43. Navaratri is a Hindu festival that
spans nine nights (and ten days) and is
celebrated every year in the autumn.

45. Durga Puja
It is particularly popular in the Indian
states of West
Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tripura,
and Odisha, the country
of Bangladesh.

47. Deepavali
Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory
of light over darkness, good over evil,
and knowledge over ignorance"

49. The Chhath Puja is dedicated to
the Sun and Shashthi devi (Chhathi
Maiya)

51. Kumbh Mela
It is celebrated once in12 years at four
river-bank pilgrimage sites:
Prayagraj (Ganges Yamuna Sarasvati)
Haridwar (Ganges),
Nashik (Godavari), and
Ujjain (Shipra).

53. Christmas (or Feast of the
Nativity) is an annual festival
commemorating the birth of Jesus
Christ.

55. Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr also called the "Festival of
Breaking the Fast", is celebrated
by Muslims worldwide that marks the
end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset
fasting of Ramadan.

57. Mahamastakabhisheka
The Bahubali Gommateshwara
Statue located
at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka.
It is an important Jain festival held
once in every 12 years.

59. Nowruz ("new day"') is the Iranian
New Year, also known as the Persian/
Parsi New Year

60. FACTS WITH FUN
FESTIVALS OF INDIA
By-Kamalesh Sir