20 Famous Festivals In India For A Cultural Extravaganza
India is a country with diverse cultures and religions, where millions of people live together in harmony. Since people from diverse cultures and religions live together, they all celebrate famous festivals in India together.
Be it Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and several other festivals, all of India celebrates the festival together despite their differences, and the love and harmony among each other and respect for others’ religions and cultures is what defines the beauty of this country.
1. Holi
Holi is one of the most famous festivals in India and is celebrated by Hindus all over the country with great enthusiasm. The city gets covered in vibrant hues of different colours, with a very positive vibe. It is the festival of colours, so before Holi, you can find several shops selling a variety of colours all over the market. People exchange sweets during the festival and visit their close friends and family.
2. Diwali
Diwali is another one of the Indian Festivals which is one of the most famous festivals in India that is celebrated around the country and the houses light up.
Diwali is said to be the festival of light, and people light Diyas in their houses, lighting up the entire place. People visit their close friends and relatives and exchange sweets. During Diwali, you can buy special sweets made only during this festival to give it a unique touch.
On the occasion of Diwali, people also burst crackers, which is the most exciting part of this festival, that the kids love the most.
This is one of those Indian festivals that brings a positive vibe and a lovely atmosphere.
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3. Christmas
Christmas celebrated on the 25th of December, is one of the most important festivals of India for Christians. It is not only popular in India but worldwide.
People decorate their homes with lights, bells, glittery balls, and a Christmas tree, celebrating the birth of their Lord Jesus Christ. People host Christmas parties at their place and invite their friends, family and all loved ones during the time of Christmas.
4. Eid
Eid is the festival of love and harmony and is a celebration of the end of the month-long fasting by Muslims around the world.
The famous sweet prepared at the houses of the Muslims is ‘Sewai’, made in abundance for the guests.
Visiting the houses of relatives and friends and greeting them with ‘Eid Mubarak” and having Sewai is what Eid is all about.
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5. Dussehra
Dussehra is among the most famous festivals in India and also goes by the name Vijaydashmi. It takes place countrywide, and Ram Lila is held in various places throughout the ten days of Dussehra. Known as the Raavan Dehen, the fascinating part of the festival is that on the 10th day of the Dussehra, Raavan, the monster with ten heads, is burnt. The statue of Raavan is made from various materials and then burned on the last day.
6. Navratri
Adding to the list of famous festivals in India, Navratri is a nine days celebration that rejuvenates the Garba nights and brings the popular Dandiya nights back.
During Navratri, people keep fasts for 9 days, during which they are not allowed to eat onion and garlic or any non-vegetarian food.
People dress up in traditional clothes and gather at one place to dance and celebrate this festival full of joy and laughter.
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7. Durga Puja
Another one of the most important and famous festivals in India for Hindus, especially for the Bengalis, is Durga Puja.
As the name suggests, Durga Puja is the festival for worshipping Goddess Durga, feasting, and praying.
You can go Pandal hopping, which is decorated on various themes, showing the creativity and enthusiasm of the people for celebrating their Goddess and worshipping her. Durga Puja also includes fasting for five days.
8. Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna Janmashtami is one of the important Indian festivals that marks the celebration of the birth of Krishna. The celebration of Mathura and Vrindavan is on another level and quite popular.
During the day of Janmashtami, people keep fasts and break after dusk with a tasty meal. Visiting temples, dancing, singing bhajans, and praying are a part of the Krishna Janmashtami celebration. Small kids are dressed up as Krishnas and often take part in plays in the celebration of the societies.
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9. Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the Famous festivals In India, is celebrated throughout the country for 11 days straight, where the birth of Lord Ganesha is celebrated. People install huge idols of Lord Ganesha in their homes and pray for the next 11 days.
On the 11th day, the idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed in the water, which is called Ganesh Visarjan.
The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra is the most popular, making Ganesh Chaturthi one of the most famous festivals in India, especially in the state of Maharashtra.
10. Gurpurab
One of the most famous festivals in India for the followers of Sikhism is the Guru Purab, where you can expect hymn chanting ceremonies and langars, which are free food given out by the Sikhs to anyone who wants to eat.
Langars are quite common among the Sikhs, and Karah Prasad is given. People light up their homes and burn crackers to celebrate Guru Purub. You can sit in the Gurudwara, enjoying Gurubani and hymns in the Gurudwara.
The festival is celebrated in the Sikh community and is one of the most peaceful Indian festivals.
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11. Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandha is another festival in the list of most famous festivals in India or the most popular festivals of India.
The concept of this festival is to celebrate the unbreakable bond between a brother and a sister.
After puja, the sisters tie Rakhi to their brother’s hand, and the brother vows to protect her sister at all costs and love her no matter what. In return for securing the rakhi, brothers are supposed to give gifts to their sisters or give them money.
This festival is one of the purest festivals there could be to celebrate and cherish one of the most beautiful relationships, that is of a brother and sister.
12. Bihu
Bihu is the harvest festival of the North East state of Assam and another famous festival in India, which is all about fun and frivolity.
The celebration lasts a month, and young men and women dress up in traditional costumes and dance in the village fields, putting up a great show for the audience.
The community feast takes place during the Bihu festival, and the entire place is filled with love, peace and laughter.
13. Hemis Festival
Hemis Festival is one of the Indian Festivals celebrated mainly in the Ladakh Region and is also one of the most famous festivals in India, celebrated with enormous enthusiasm with the undying spirit of youngsters and old people.
The festival includes the dancing of the priest to the tunes of traditional music, drums, and trumpets played by the monks of the region.
The priest dresses up in costumes and brocades, making it one of the unique festivals of India. This festival is celebrated on the birth anniversary of their spiritual leader Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibet Tantric Buddhism.
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14. Onam
Onam is among the famous festivals in India on a national level. It is one of the festivals of India where people wear traditional clothes and adorn their houses with floral designs called Pookalam. This festival also includes the preparation of Onasadaya, an elaborate meal of 13 dishes, celebrating the homecoming of the Mahabali King.
Snake boat races, kathakali, and clap dance are pretty standard during the festival of Onam.
15. Pongal
One of the most famous festivals in India of the South region is Pongal, where people prepare a traditional dish and wear formal clothes to celebrate this 4-day festival.
This celebration includes a bonfire, dancing, and cattle races, and the houses look lovely with Kolam designs, made of rice and coloured powder and are a treat to the eyes.
This festival is celebrated as a way of being grateful to nature for all it provides us.
16. Easter
Easter is among other popular festivals of India for Christians and is celebrated during the Spring season, with vibrant hues all around the place. Colourful decorations, delicious eatables, dance, and plum cakes can all be seen at the Easter celebrations.
Bright lanterns adorning the streets, and not only lighting the roads but also your inner spirits.
17. Mahashivratri
India is a country full of Shiv Bhakts, or the devotees of Lord Shiva. It is another one of the famous festivals in India that is celebrated by the devotees of Lord Shiva and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Hindus on the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the Phalgun month.
A common belief is that whoever prays to Lord Shiva during this day can attain redemption or salvation. Unmarried folks in India can get marital bliss during this time, this is one of the best festivals of India.
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18. Chatth Puja
Chatth Puja is one of the famous festivals in India and especially in the Bihar region. The festival is a four-day-long festival dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, where devotees show their devotion and gratitude towards the Sun God for their life, health, and wealth.
People fast during the Puja; some also take baths in the holy Ganges to eliminate their sins.
19. Pushkar The Camel Festival
Pushkar is among the popular festivals of India, which takes place in Rajasthan and is a camel festival. If you are looking for ancient and traditional cultural celebrations, then you should visit Rajasthan during the Pushkar festival.
This festival started as an initiative to attract camel traders to do business, but now it is celebrated like a festival.
20. Losar
Losar is one of the greatest Indian festivals, which is also known as the Tibetan New Year, and is celebrated by monks in the areas of Himachal and all the followers of Buddhism.
This festival is a way to celebrate the harvest season by showing gratitude to God, thus making Losar one of the important festivals of India for the followers of Buddhism.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Festivals Of India
1. What are the most famous festivals of India?
India is a country of diverse cultures, and some of the most popular Indian festivals include Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Dussehra, and several others, which are celebrated with great enthusiasm, peace and harmony throughout the country, making the land get covered in hues of colourful and serene vibes.
2. What are the most popular festivals to attend in India?
Suppose one is looking for some of the fun-loving festivals to attend in India. In that case, Pushkar in Rajasthan, Chatth Puja in Bihar, and Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra are some of the best choices you have, and you can see the best of India during the celebrations of these festivals.
3. What are the most historical festivals of India?
One of the most historical festivals of India is Pushkar Camel Festival in Rajasthan, which was initially started as a trade between camel traders but has gained popularity over the years.
4. What are the most Instagrammable festivals of India?
The most Instagrammable festivals of India include Christmas, when the winter has kicked in, and the cold set a completely different theme for the pictures for Instagram. Other very Insstagrammable festivals in India include Diwali, where the lights and crackers make the vibe even more lovely, eventually making your Instagram picture stand out in your feed.
5. What is the best time to attend famous festivals in India?
It depends on what festival you are willing to attend. Let’s suppose you want to attend Christmas, then Christmas is celebrated worldwide on 25th December, so December is when you can attend Christmas and witness the country at its most beautiful self. On the other hand, if you want to attend Diwali, then it usually takes place during the months of October or November, then that is the right time to attend. Similarly, for other festivals, everything has a timing.