LIST OF INDIAN FESTIVALS

Festival	Date of Observance	Date of Observance (2003Gregorian calendar)	Description
Makar Sankranti orPongal	Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Makar. It marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Pogal is first day of Uttarayana, coinciding with the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai	January 14	Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan – sun's journey northwards. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.[1]. This day is coinciding with Makara Sankranti.
Vasant Panchami	Fifth day of waxing moon of Magh (Hindu Calendar)	January 20	Vasant Panchami (also called Saraswati Puja by Bengalis and Biharis) is celebrated for the blessing of Saraswati, goddess of wisdom and the arts.[2]
Thaipusam	the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai	January/February	Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community. The word Thaipusam is derived from the Tamil month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a spear so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Maha Shivaratri	Thirteenth night of the waning moon ofMagh (Hindu Calendar)	March 12	Maha Shivaratri is the great night of Shiva, followers of Shiva observe religious fasting and the offering of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Shiva.
Holi	Full moon of Phalgun (Hindu Calendar)	March 1	Holi or Phagwah is a popular spring festival. Holi commemorates the slaying of the demoness Holika by Lord Vishnu's devotee Prahlad. Thus, the festival's name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Holika Dahanam", which literally mean "Holika's slaying"
Shigmo		February – March	Shigmo is celebrated in Goa as one of the prominent festivals of the KonkaniHindu community.
Vasant Navratri		movable	Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshipped.
Rama Navami		March 24	Rama Navami is the celebration of the birth of Rama.
Gudi Padwa	First Day of waxing moon of Chaitra (Hindu Calendar)	March 24	Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Marathis and the Konkanis. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world.
Ugadi		March 24	Ugadi (meaning "the start of an era" in Telugu and Kannada) is the New Year's Day for the Kannadigas and Telugus. It takes place on the same day as Gudi Padwa.
Vishu andTamil New Year		March 24	Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala. The Tamil New Year follows the nirayan vernal equinox. These festivals falls around April 14 of the Gregorian year.
Hanuman Jayanti		March 30	Hanuman Jayanti is the celebration of the birth of Hanuman, Rama's loyal devotee.
Bihu	Vaisakha – The first month of Hindu Calendar	April 14 – 15	Rongali Bihu (mid-April, also called Bohag Bihu), the most popular Bihu celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year (around April 15) and the coming of Spring.
Sitalsasthi	Sixth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyestha (Hindu Calender)	June	The marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Sitalsasthi. It is celebrated as a carnival. Where people and artists from different walks of life participate making it more beautiful and bringing out the true colour of life.
Vat Pournima	Full moon of Jyeshta (Hindu Calendar)	movable	Vat Pournima is observed in Maharashtra. Pournima means "full moon." Women pray for the prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around abanyan tree.
Bonalu		August	Bonalu is a Scheduled Caste/Tribe and Backward Caste celebration of Mother Goddess (Pochamma, Yellamma etc) in the Telangana Region. Caste based festivals are common in this region.
Bathukamma		September-October	Bathukamma is a purely Backward Caste festival which takes place during the months of September and October in some regions of Telangana, originally in Ranga Reddy, Medak and Warangal Districts.
Rath Yatra		July 13	Rath Yatra is the festival associated with Jagannath.
Guru Purnima	Full moon of Ashadh (Hindu Calendar)	July 25	Guru Purnima is the day devotees offer puja (worship) to their Guru. This was also the day when Vyasa, author of the Mahabharata was born.
Mahalakshmi Vrata		movable	Mahalakshmi Vrata is a puja performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of Mahalakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Onam		August 23	Onam is a harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. Like many other religious festivals in India, Onam is celebrated by people across all castes and faiths.
Raksha Bandhan	Full moon of Shravana (Hindu Calendar)	August 24	Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrated mainly in northern Indian states. Rakhi is a special occasion to celebrate the chaste bond of love between a brother and a sister.
Krishna Janmaashtami	Eighth day of waning moon of Shravana(Hindu Calendar)	September 1–2	Krishna Janmaashtami is the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna. It is actually called as Krishna Jayanthi. The date falls not only on the eight day of the waning moon, but always on Rohini Nakshatra.
Gowri Habba		Movable	Gowri Habba is celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.Gowri is worshipped for her ability to bestow courage to her devotees. Newly wed couples are invited to the house of the groom's parents and served withvarieties of food.
Ganesh Chaturthi	Fourth day of the waxing moon ofBhadrapada (Hindu Calendar)	September 11	Ganesh Chaturthi is the celebration of the birth of Ganesh.
Nuakhai	Fifth day of the waxing moon of Bhadrapada(Hindu Calendar)	September 12	Nuakhai is celebrated to welcome the new rice of the season. This is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Orissa (Kosal).
Navarathri	First nine nights of the waxing moon ofAshvin	October 8	Navarathri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit the term literally means "nine nights". During this festival the forms of Shakti are worshiped.
Vijayadashami	Tenth day of waxing moon of Ashvin (Hindu Calendar)	October 17	Vijayadashami is the Hindu celebration of good over evil.
Deepavali	New moon of Ashvin (Hindu Calendar)	November 5	Deepavali which means "row of lights/lamps" is called "Divali" in North India, Deepa means lamp and in Hindi a lamp is mostly called a Diya or Di. The festival is celebrated on the occasion of Lord Krishna and his wifeSatyabhama killing a demon Narakasura. Another story says the festival is celebrated for the return of Rama and Sita to the kingdom Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile.
Bhaubeej	Second day of the waxing moon of Kartik(Hindu Calendar)	November 7	Bhaubeej, also referred to as Bhai dooj, is the ceremony performed by Hindus, generally, on the second day of Deepavali. It is celebrated among brothers and sisters and is similar to Raksha Bandhan, except there is no tying of rakhi involved.
Kartik Poornima	15th of the Full moon day of Kartik(November–December)	[Movable]	A unique festival is celebrated in Varanasi this day which is called Dev Devali. The Kartik Purnima festival also coincides with the Jain light festival and Guru Nanak Jayanti
Chhath		November 11–12	Chhath is unique to Bihar and Terai, but is also celebrated elsewhere. It is a festival dedicated to the Sun God for bestowing the bounties of life and fulfilling wishes.
Prathamastami		after 8 days of Kartik Purnima	Prathamastami is a festival that originated in Oriya. It is held on the eighth day of the month of Agrahayana, when older female relatives pray for the prosperity of their eldest child. The festival is followed by rituals and recitations of the Glory of Mahalakshmi and Shashti devi.
Yatra		October – March	Yatra (also Zatra and jatra) refers to the pilgrimage festivals celebrated atHindu temples. Idols and murtis are taken out on special procession in apalkhi (a palanquin) or a chariot called the rath. Every temple observes this festival once a year on the traditional day.
Karthikai Deepam		November/December	Karthikai Deepam is a very ancient festival of lights celebrated by Tamil Hindus on the full moon day of Karthikai month (November/December). This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and purnima. It is the same as Kartik Poornima but since Tamils follow the Hindu Solar calendar with correction for precession of the equinoxes, the Tamil date matches the actual constellation.
Pancha Ganapati	is a Winter Solstice celebration that lasts five days.	December 21 to 25	Pancha Ganapati is a modern Hindu festival celebrating Lord Ganesha the Five-Faced Maha Ganapati—Lord of Categories.
Kumbh Mela	is a 4-yearly pilgrimage to the Ganges river	July 27 to September 7	The Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years. The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mella is celebrated every six years. The normal Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 4 years. The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela which comes every 12 'Purna Kumbh Melas', or 144 years.