List of Important national festival of India

Religious and Tribal festival, fairs in India

List of Important festivals are provided for the aspirant those who are preparing for the government competitive exams like SSC Railways or even for the UPSC this will be a great help for them in the art and culture section of the General Knowledge.

India is a very diverse country with so many people of different religion, caste and race. There is a Diversity of culture that can be seen in different states of India. If you go in the south you will see different cultures and festivals from North India. And if you go toward the North-east region you experience the different types of India where maximum is the tribal culture.

National Festival of India are:

Independence day : Independence day is observed on 15 August every year. It is celebrated because on this day India got freedom from the British in1947.

Republic Day : It is celebrated on the 26 January every year as on 26 January 1950 India accepted its constitution.

Gandhi Jayanti : Mahatma Gandhi is known as the father of the Nation to celebrate his birth anniversary. Every year on 2nd October is celebrated as the national holiday to remember his contribution in the freedom struggle of India. He was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar,Gujarat.

festival in India
Festivals of India

In India there are multiple cultures, languages, traditions, and diversity in festivals. We celebrate the various types of festivals in all parts of India along with the seasonal changes. There are tribal festivals, harvest festivals, national festivals and religious festivals. All festivals are of historical significance and important, it helps us conserve our culture.

Throughout the year there are various festivals and events taking place. In different season and month many festival are celebrated in India here are the list of festival celebrated with joy and happiness in different states of India

List of Religious and tribal festival in different state of India

Festival celebrated in Andhra Pradesh :

  • Brahmotsavam : Brahmotsavam festival is celebrated in several Lord Vishnu temples across the country .It is a nine-day-long festival celebrated at the  Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati.
  • Ugadi : Telugu New Year.  It is celebrated every year as it marks the beginning of the Hindi Lunar year. It is also celebrated in Telangana and Karnataka.

Some festival of Arunachal Pradesh

  • Solung : It is the agriculture festival, celebrated by the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Murung : It is a festival of prosperity celebrated by the Apatanis tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Mopin : It is an agricultural festival of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated by the Galo tribe.
  • Boori Boot : Celebrated by the Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh for the successful harvest of the year.
  • Monpa : New Year of Monpa Tribe.
  • Torgya : Torgya festival is celebrated by the Monpa community of Arunachal Pradesh. It is also known as Tawang-Torgya, is an annual festival that is exclusively held in Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Myoko : People worship Sun and Moon during the festival.
  • Dheere Festival : It is an agricultural rite observed by Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh. Fowls, eggs, and animals are presented to Sun and Moon Gods to avoid famine in the region.

Important festival of Assam

  • Ambubachi : It is a Hindu festival where a fair is held at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam. It honours femininity by celebrating the annual menstrual cycle of Devi Kamakhya.
  • Majuli festival : celebrated in the north east side of the country, in the state of Assam. The place to celebrate the festival is the bank of River Luit
  • Bihu : It is a set of three festivals, namely Rongali Bihu, Kati Bihu, and Bhogali Bihu. It marks the harvesting of the Paddy crop.
  • Baishagu : Baishakhi of Assam is celebrated by the Bodo tribe.
  • Dehing Patkai : Celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Assam.

Festival celebrated in Bihar

  • Chhath Pooja : Sun God, along with his wife Usha is worshipped during this festival to thank them for bestowing life on Earth.
  • Rajgir Mahotsav (festival):  It is an annual three-day dance and music festival event in Rajgir, Bihar.
  • Madhushravani : Mainly celebrated by the Maithil Brahmins of Bihar. It marks the arrival of Monsoon in the region.

Important festival of Chhattisgarh

  • Bastar Dussehra :It is the longest celebrated Dussehra in the world. It is celebrated for 75 days from August to October.
  • National Tribal Dance Festival : The three-day tribal dance festival hosted in Raipur, where artists belonging from different tribal communities from countries, participated.
  • Hareli festival is considered to be the first festival of Chhattisgarh, which is celebrated every year on Hareli Amavasya in the month of Sawan. This festival has a special significance for the farmers of Chhattisgarh. The Hareli festival is of special importance among Gond tribes.

Festival of Goa

  • Ladainha :Thanksgiving festival of India
  • Mando festival : It is a dance festival where people perform Mando dance.
  • Chikal Kalo : Monsoon mud festival of Goa.

Important festival of Gujarat

  • Navratri : It is a nine days long festival where people worship nine forms of Devi and perform Garba and Dandiya dances.
  • Uttarayana : Celebrated to mark the transit of the Sun northwards from the tropic of Capricorn to the tropic of Cancer. Kite festival is organised on this day.
  • Modhera Dance Festival :The festival takes place every year at the Modhera temple of Gujarat after the Uttarayan. 
  • International Kite festival is celebrated in Ahmedabad in the month of January makar sankranti. Mark the end of the winter seasons.

Some of the Important festival of Haryana : 

  • Baisakhi : It celebrates the harvest of Rabi crops in Haryana and Punjab.
  • SurajKund Craft mela in Haryana : The Fair showcases the finest Handlooms, Handicrafts and Cuisines from all over India.

Himachal Pradesh festival

  •  Magha Saaji : Makar Sankranti of Himachal Pradesh.

Festival of Jammu & Kashmir

  • Kanchoth festival : This festival is celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir as a three day festival by the Nag community. In this the married women pray for the long life of their husband just the Karwa Chauth festival.
  • Aharbal festival : The first-ever Aharbal festival was held in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday 25 november ,2021 with an aim to promote tourism in Kashmir, especially at Aharbal waterfall as a tourist destination
  • Tulip Festival : Tulip festival is organised in the Kashmir Valley during the onset of the Spring Season by the Floriculture department. In Jammu there are  extensive Tulip Gardens. This magnificent festival in Srinagar is celebrated every year with full fervour and joy.
  • Herath : The festival is celebrated by the Kashmiri Pandit Community. Herath is derived from the Sanskrit language. Which in Hindi means Harratri or Shivaratri.
  • ChillaiKalan : It is the  40-day harshest winter period’, in which the  Chillai-Kalan Festival is celebrated by the people of Kashmir

Festival of Ladakh

  • Matho Nagrang : It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Tibetan Calendar in the Matho Monastery.
  • Dosmoche is a festival celebrated in Ladakh, India. It is celebrated in Leh, Likir and Diskit monasteries. It is the last festival of New Year Celebrations, the other one is Losar.
  • Losar : Celebrated in the Ladakh region. It is the Tibetan New Year.
  • Galdan Namchot : It is celebrated in the Leh region. It marks the birthday of a great Buddhist saint Tsongkhapa.
  • Hemis Festival in Ladakh : It is held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasabhava at the Hemis Monastery.

Some Important festival of Jharkhand

  • Sarhul : It is a spring festival that marks the new flowers at the Saal trees.
  • Karma : It is a harvest festival dedicated to Karma dev for bestowing with power and youthfulness.
  • Tusu : It is a harvest festival and marks the start of the sowing season.

Important festival of Karnataka

  • Makar Sankranti : It is celebrated when the Sun transits from Capricorn.
  • Dollu Kunitha :It is the popular drum dance festival of Karnataka. Dollu Kunithâ is an integral part of various temple festivals, cultural events and celebrations.
  • Pattadakal Dance Festival is an annual dance festival which is held annually in Pattadakal, a small town located in the southern state of Karnataka.
  • Kambala buffalo race festival held in Karnataka is a traditional festival that is celebrated by the farming community of coastal Karnataka.

Festival celebrated in Kerala

  • Onam : It is the most important harvest festival of Kerala celebrated in September.
  • Vishu festival : New Year celebration of Kerala.
  • Alpasi Utsavam : It is the celebration of the annual bathing ritual of deities in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.
  • Global Ayurveda festival : The 4th Global Ayurveda Festival will be held at Kochi, Kerala 
  • Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha, Kerala. It is an annual event also known as the Snake Boat Race.

Important festival and fair of Madhya Pradesh 

  • Drone fair: In India it is the first time that Madhya Pradesh has organised the Drone fair. Madhya Pradesh will be s  leading state for developing and using drone technology.He also informed that five Drone Schools will be opened in Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Satna in Madhya Pradesh. 
  • Khajuraho Dance Festival in Madhya Pradesh is observed in the month of February . This festival celebrated the Glory and extravagant beauty of Khajuraho Temple.
  • Bhagoria Haat Festival : It is the festival of love where young girls and boys try to entice each other and if both like each other, then they put red powder on their partner’s face to indicate that they have chosen them as their partner.

Some festival of Maharashtra

  • Gudi Padwa : Maharashtrian New Year.
  • Kala Ghoda festival:The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is one of the most awaited festivals each year in Mumbai for art form lovers. Kala Ghoda is an annual exhibition that celebrates theatre, music, films, comedy, world and modern art. This Mumbai International film festival is also organised.

Festivals of Manipur

  • Yaoshang : Holi of Manipur
  • Chavang Kut : It is the harvest festival celebrated by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo Tribes of Manipur on 1st November of every year.
  • Sajibu Cheiraoba : New year celebration in  Manipuri.
  • Orange Festival : Manipur has been celebrating the Orange Festival every December for the last 15 years to promote Tamenglong orange.
  • Kachai lemon festival : The two days long Kachai Lemon Festival is celebrated in Manipur at the Local Ground of Kachai Village in Ukhrul district. The Kachai Lemon Festival is organised annually to promote this unique kind of lemon fruit and to encourage lemon farmers.

Important festival of Meghalaya

  • Nongkrem Dance Festival : It is a dance festival that celebrates harvest and thanksgiving by the Khasi tribe.
  • Cherry Blossom Festival: The three-day Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival is organised  in Shillong, Meghalaya, takes place in mid-November during the unique autumn flowering of Himalayan Cherry
  • Wangala festival : Wangala is also called the festival of “The Hundred Drums”, a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in Meghalaya, 

Mizoram’s Festival

Chapchar Kut : It is the harvest festival and marks three different stages of the agricultural cycle.

Festival of Nagaland

  • Hornbill Festival : It is organised by the government every year to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland and to promote inter-tribal harmony. It is known as the festival of the festival celebrated from 1 to 10 November every year.
  • Moatsu festival : Moatsu Festival of Nagaland. It is celebrated by the Ao tribes of the state after sowing of seeds in the fields.

Important festival of Odisha 

  • Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra : It is a very famous festival in Odisha. It is also known as Gundicha Yatra, Chariot festival or Dasavatara. The festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath/Krishna, his sister Subhadra and his elder brother Balabhadra.
  • Boita Bandāna also known as Dangā Bhasā is a traditional Odia maritime and naval festival celebrated annually throughout Odisha, India.
  • Nuakhai Festival : Nukahai or Nabanna is the harvesting festival held in August and September.
  • Raja Praba : It is a three days long harvest festival where the first day is called Pahili Raja, the second day is called Raja Sankranthi and the third day is called Basi Raja.

Some festival of Punjab

  • Lohri : It is celebrated on 13th January every year. It marks the ending of winters, as the Sun moves from Winter Soloists to Equinox. Sun God is worshipped during the festival.
  • Gangaur : It is a festival that is celebrated by females and dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati as the symbol of love and successful marriage.

Festivals of Rajasthan

  • Teej : It is celebrated to mark the onset of monsoon and prosperity in the region. Women dress in green attire and wish for the health and well-being of their husbands.
  • Braj Holi : It is celebrated in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan before Holi. Lord Krishna is worshipped during the festival.

Some Important festival of Sikkim

  • Saga Dawa : It celebrates the rich culture of Sikkim.
  • Tendong Lho Rum Faat : People worship mountains, rivers, lakes, and caves during the festival.
  • Losoong festival : one of the most important festivals of North East Indian state of Sikkim, Losoong or Namsong marks the beginning of the Sikkimes New Year

Festival of Tamil Nadu

  • Pongal : It marks the last day of a Tamil Year. Pongal Tamil Nadu. It is the Harvest festival of Tamil Nadu.
  • Thaipusam : It is celebrated by the Tamil and Malayali Hindu community to mark the victory of good over evil.
  • Jallikattu : It is the Indian Bullfighting festival in Tamil Nadu.
  • Natyanjali Festival : It is an annual dance festival devoted to Lord Shiva.

Some festival of Telangana

  • Bonalu : It is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Mahakali.
  • Bathukamma : It is a nine days long flower festival that starts on the first day of Navratri and ends on Durgashtami.

Tripura’s festival

  • Kharchi Pooja : It is a Hindu festival where 14 Hindu Gods are worshipped, including the Earth.

Festivals of Uttar Pradesh 

  • Kumbha Mela : It is a mass Hindu pilgrimage where Hindus bathe in the holy river of the Ganges. It is celebrated every 12 years.
  • Khichdi : It is a harvest festival and involves ritual bathing.
  • Gur Mahotsav: Gur Mahotsav or Jaggery Festival, a two-day event was inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath on 6 March 2021 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to promote the jaggery of UP.
  • Lathmar Holi :  In the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon this festival is celebrated just  before the holi in Uttar Pradesh. In the festival ladies beat the men with the sticks and holi is celebrated.

Important festival of  Uttarakhand

  • Ganga Dussehra : It is celebrated for ten days in the month of May-June every year to mark the descent of the holy river Ganga from heaven.
  • Harela festival : It is celebrated as the monsoon starts and is considered one of the most important festivals in the entire Kumaon region in Uttarakhand and some parts of Hamichal also celebrate this festival. Harela means ‘day of green’ and is celebrated in the month of Shravan by worship lord Shiva.

Festivals and fairs of West Bengal

  • Durga Pooja : It is one of the oldest traditions of the Hindu community in Bengal. They worship Goddess Durga during the festival. Women put red powder on each other’s faces.
  • Pohela Boishakh : Calcutta Poila Baisakh festival is basically a harvest festivity that marks the beginning of the crop cycle in Bengal. It is also known as Bangla Noboborsho, is the first day of the Bengali calendar and celebrated as new year’s day. 
  • Gangasagar mela is one of such festivals of India celebrated during 14th – 15th January every year that attracts thousands of pilgrims from all around the world.Gangasagar Mela is the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal form a nexus.

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