List of Hindu festivals explained

Hindus observe a wide range of festivals and religious celebrations, many of which are rooted in ancient Indian traditions, and often correspond with seasonal transitions.[1] These festivals are scheduled according to either the solar calendar or the lunisolar calendar, and their observance often varies regionally. Many festivals are specific to certain sects or are primarily observed in particular regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Terminology

Utsava

Utsava is the Sanskrit word for festivals. It comes from the word ut meaning "starts" and sava, which means "change" or "decline".[2]

Observance periods (tithi)

Hindu calendar dates are usually in accordance with a lunisolar calendar. In Vedic timekeeping, a māsa is a lunar month, a pakṣa is a lunar fortnight (two weeks), and a tithi is a lunar day.

There are two prevailing definitions of the lunar month: amānta, where the month ends with the new moon, and pūrṇimānta, where it ends with the full moon.[3] Consequently, the same day may be associated with different but adjoining months. When a festival takes place during śukla paksha (the waxing phase of the moon), both traditions attribute it to the same month. However, if the festival occurs during kṛiṣhṇa paksha (the waning phase of the moon), the two traditions assign it to different, but adjacent months.

Major Hindu festivals!rowspan=2
Festivalmāsapakṣatithi
amāntapūrṇimānta
Gudi Padwa/Ugadicaitraśuklaprathama
Rama Navamicaitraśuklanavamī
Akshaya Tritiya
Guru Purnimaāṣādhaśuklapūrima
Naga Panchami
Raksha Bandhanśrāvaṇaśuklapūrima
Krishna Janmashtamiśrāvaṇabhādrakṛṣṇaaṣṭamī
Ganesh Chaturthibhādraśuklacaturthī
Ganesh Visarjanbhādraśuklapūrima
Pitru Paksha beginsbhādraāśvinakṛṣṇaprathama
Pitru Paksha endsSarvapitru Amavasyabhādraāśvinakṛṣṇaamāvasyā
Navaratri beginsāśvinaprathama
Durga Ashtami(8th day of Navaratri)āśvinaaṣṭamī
Maha Navami(9th day of Navaratri)āśvina
Navaratri endsVijaya Dashamiāśvinadaśamī
Karva Chauthāśvinakārtikakṛṣṇacaturthī
Diwali beginsDhan Terasāśvinakārtikakṛṣṇatrayodaśī
Naraka Chaturdashi(2nd day of Diwali)āśvinakārtikakṛṣṇacaturdaśī
Deepavali / Lakshmi Puja(3rd day of Diwali)āśvinakārtikakṛṣṇaamāvasyā
Annakut or Bali Padyami(4th day of Diwali)kārtikaśuklaprathama
Diwali endsBhai Doojkārtikaśukladvitīya
Vasant Panchamimaghaśuklapañcamī
Maha Shivaratrimaghaphālgunakṛṣṇacaturdaśī
Holiphālgunaśuklacaturdaśī

List and descriptions of the major Hindu festivals

The tithi shown in the following list is as per the amānta tradition.

Sublists

See also

Hindu festival-related concepts

Others

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gowda. Prabhu. 8 August 2017. 10 Hindu Festivals You Should Know About. 26 September 2021. Culture Trip. 2 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211002195139/https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/10-hindu-festivals-you-should-know-about/. live.
  2. Book: Sivkishen. Kingdom of Shiva. 23 January 2015. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. 978-81-288-3028-0. en. 2 December 2021. 7 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220907153155/https://books.google.com/books?id=kmVZBgAAQBAJ&dq=Utsava,+ut,+removal&pg=PT323. live.
  3. Web site: 3 January 2025 . Hindu calendar History, Seasons, Months, Days, Astrology, & Festivals Britannica . 7 February 2025 . www.britannica.com . en.
  4. http://post.jagran.com/andhra-celebrates-bhogi-with-gaiety-1389607284
  5. http://www.pongalfestival.org
  6. Encyclopedia: Friedrichs . Kurt . Schuhmacher . Stephan . Woerner . Gert . Sarasvatī . The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen . 1994 . . 0-87773-980-3 . 306 . Boston . The goddess of ... scholarship ... She is also the patron of the arts, especially of music. . registration .
  7. Kent, Alexandra. Divinity and Diversity: A Hindu Revitalization Movement in Malaysia. University of Hawaii Press, 2005.
  8. Hume, Lynne. Portals.
  9. Web site: Mahashivaratri Festival : Festival of Shivratri, Mahashivratri Festival India – Mahashivaratri Festival 2019 . Mahashivratri.org . 22 April 2018 . 3 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903153005/http://www.mahashivratri.org/mahashivaratri-festival.html . live .
  10. Book: Verma, Manish . Fasts and Festivals of India . 2013 . Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. . 978-81-7182-076-4 . 15 . en.
  11. News: 2024-10-02 . Navratri 2024: What are the nine forms of Maa Durga and the special prasad offered to them . 2025-05-02 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
  12. Web site: Story Behind Vishu Festival. www.vishufestival.org. 1 November 2019. 23 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191023224028/http://www.vishufestival.org/story-behind-vishu-festival.html. live.
  13. Web site: Hanuman Jayanti – Hanuman Jayanti 2018 Date – Celebrations in India . Indiaonlinepages.com . 31 March 2018 . 22 April 2018 . 17 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317114147/http://www.indiaonlinepages.com/festivals/hanuman-jayanti.html . live .
  14. Web site: Telangana Tourism – Visit for all reasons & all seasons. www.telanganatourism.gov.in. en. 1 November 2019. 9 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191109062224/https://telanganatourism.gov.in/. dead.
  15. Web site: About Bathukamma Bathukamma – Telangana's Floral Festival. bathukamma.telangana.gov.in. 1 November 2019. 4 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191104073039/http://bathukamma.telangana.gov.in/about-bathukamma. live.
  16. Book: Rinehart . Robin . Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice . Rinehart . Robert . 2004 . ABC-CLIO . 978-1-57607-905-8 . en.
  17. Book: Kumar, Ajith . The Murder of Alexander the Great, Book 1: The Puranas: Book 1: The Puranas . 14 December 2019 . Argead Star llc . 978-0-9990714-0-3 . en.
  18. Web site: Janmashtami / Krishna Janmashtami : A hindu religious festival . Calendarlabs.com . 9 March 2018 . 22 April 2018 . 23 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180423171003/https://www.calendarlabs.com/holidays/india/janmashtami.php . live .
  19. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2025, March 31). Navratri. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Navratri
  20. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2025, April 23). Durga Puja. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Durga-Puja
  21. Web site: Indian Festivals . Webonautics.com . 22 April 2018 . 7 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180407183028/http://www.webonautics.com/ethnicindia/festivals/navarathri.html . live .
  22. Web site: Makar Sankranti Top 10 Facts You should know about . 13 February 2020 . ... Hindu women Friday celebrated Karva Chauth in the city. The minority arranges different functions in the city to mark the day where women collectively sighted the moon and broke their fast ... .
  23. News: A Hungry Heart . The Washington Post . Anu . Kumar . 21 October 2007 . 30 January 2020 . 17 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171017021818/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101601513.html . live .