Significance · Dates · Rituals
Masik Shivaratri — the monthly Shivaratri — falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight every month. Devotees …
Ratha Yatra — the chariot festival of Puri — sees the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra journey from…
Devshayani Ekadashi marks the beginning of Chaturmas — the four months when Lord Vishnu is believed to sleep o…
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar; the 10th day (Ashura) is one of Islam's holiest days. Shi…
Vat Purnima is the Maharashtrian equivalent of Vat Savitri Vrat, observed on the Purnima rather than Amavasya.…
Jagannath Snana Yatra is the bathing festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri. The deities are bathed with 108 pots …
Naga Panchami honors the serpent gods (Nagas). Devotees worship snake idols or living snakes, offer milk, and …
Guru Purnima honors all teachers — spiritual and temporal — and especially commemorates Veda Vyasa, the sage w…
Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight in Mathura. Devotees fast until midnight, then break i…
Hartalika Teej is observed by unmarried girls and married women fasting for Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is sai…
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of beginnings and remover of ob…
Rishi Panchami honors the seven great sages (Sapta Rishi) — Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, …
Eid Milad-un-Nabi marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Sunnis observe it on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal with pr…
Raksha Bandhan — 'the bond of protection' — celebrates the relationship between sisters and brothers. A sister…
Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala, marking the legendary king Mahabali's annual visit to his people. Hous…
Mahalaya is the last day of Pitru Paksha and the dawn of Devi Paksha. In Bengal it heralds Durga Puja — devote…
Durga Puja is the most important festival of Bengal, celebrating Goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demo…
Vishwakarma Jayanti honors the divine architect of the cosmos — designer of the gods' palaces, weapons, and ch…
Dussehra celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana — the symbolic triumph of good over evil. A…
Anant Chaturdashi is the tenth and final day of Ganesh Chaturthi, when Ganesha idols are immersed in water bod…
Pitru Paksha is the 16-day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (Pitrus) through food offerings — …
Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, honors Dhanvantari — the physician of the gods who emerged from the ocean …
Diwali — Deepavali, the festival of lights — marks the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignor…
Navratri — nine nights — honors the Divine Mother in her nine forms (Nava Durga). Each night brings the worshi…
The day after Diwali honors Lord Krishna's lifting of Mount Govardhan to protect the villagers of Vrindavan fr…
Bhai Dooj — the second day after Diwali — celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters apply tila…
Chhath Puja honors Surya, the Sun god, and his consort Usha. Devotees fast, offer arghya at sunrise and sunset…
Skanda Sashti — Subramanya Sashti — celebrates Lord Murugan's (Skanda's) victory over the demon Surapadma. The…
Akshaya Navami — Amla Navami — is observed under amla (Indian gooseberry) trees, considered sacred to Vishnu a…
Devprabodhini Ekadashi (Prabodhini Ekadashi) marks the end of Chaturmas — Vishnu awakens after four months of …
Sharad Purnima — the harvest full moon — is believed to be the only night when the moon emits divine nectar. K…
Karva Chauth is observed by married women in North India who keep a day-long nirjala (without water) fast for …
Tulsi Vivah marks the symbolic marriage of the Tulsi plant (sacred basil) to Lord Shaligram (Vishnu). It is ce…
Kartik Purnima — also Dev Diwali — is the day the gods are said to descend to earth to celebrate after Shiva's…
Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak Dev — the founder of Sikhism. Sikhs visit gurdwaras, par…
Karthigai Deepam is the Tamil festival of lights, predating Diwali in the region. Rows of clay lamps line home…
Mokshada Ekadashi — the Ekadashi that grants moksha (liberation) — falls on Gita Jayanti, the day Lord Krishna…
Gita Jayanti commemorates the day Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita to the warrior Arjuna on the battle…
Christmas, the most important Christian feast, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In India it is celebrated…
Mauni Amavasya is observed in complete silence (mauna) for purification of mind and speech. It is the most aus…
Vasant Panchami honors Saraswati — the goddess of learning, music, and arts — and marks the arrival of spring.…
Lohri marks the end of winter in Punjab and the beginning of longer days. Communities light bonfires, eat til …
Makar Sankranti marks the sun's transition into Capricorn — the start of Uttarayana, the six-month northward j…
Pongal — the Tamil harvest festival — celebrates the sun god Surya at the close of winter and start of Uttaray…
Magh Bihu — also Bhogali Bihu — is the Assamese harvest festival marking the end of the harvesting season. Com…
Magh Mela is a month-long bathing festival at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati at P…
Maha Shivaratri — 'the great night of Shiva' — is the most important day in the Shaivite calendar. Devotees ob…
Ugadi marks the lunar new year for Telugu and Kannada speakers. The day begins with Ugadi pachadi — a mixture …
Gudi Padwa — the Marathi New Year — sees a 'gudi' (decorated bamboo with cloth, neem leaves, and an inverted p…
Eid al-Fitr — 'the festival of breaking the fast' — marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Th…
Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth of Lord Mahavira — the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, who was born around 599 BC…
Holi — the festival of colors — celebrates the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and the divin…
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is observed by Christian…
Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. It is the mo…
Akshaya Tritiya — 'the imperishable third' — is one of the four self-evident auspicious days (svayam siddh muh…
Baisakhi marks the solar new year and the spring harvest in Punjab. For Sikhs, it also commemorates the foundi…
Vishu marks the Malayalam New Year. The most important ritual is Vishukkani — the first sight of the new year …
Pohela Boishakh — Bengali New Year — opens the new accounting year for Bengali businesses. Hindu Bengalis visi…
Puthandu is the Tamil New Year, opening the month of Chithirai. Homes display Kanni — a tray of fruits, betel …
Ram Navami celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the prince of Ayodhya whose sto…
Sita Navami marks the birth of Goddess Sita — the consort of Lord Rama and an avatar of Lakshmi. The day is ob…
Narsimha Jayanti marks the appearance of Vishnu's fourth avatar — Narasimha, the half-lion half-man — who emer…
Purnima of Chaitra…
Buddha Purnima marks the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha — three central events of his…
Vat Savitri Vrat — observed by married women — invokes the story of Savitri who brought her husband Satyavan b…
Ganga Dussehra commemorates the descent of the holy river Ganga to earth — answering King Bhagiratha's prayers…
Eid al-Adha — 'the festival of sacrifice' — commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Is…
Nirjala Ekadashi — the 'waterless' Ekadashi — is considered the hardest and most rewarding fast of the Hindu y…
Vaikuntha Ekadashi is the day when the gates of Vaikuntha — Lord Vishnu's heavenly abode — are believed to ope…
Datta Jayanti celebrates the birth of Dattatreya — the combined incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, depi…
Putrada Ekadashi is observed by couples seeking the blessing of a son. There are two each year — in Pausha and…