Kavadi Festival The Kavadi Festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu by the devotees of Lord Muruga. Generally, people take a vow to offer the Lord a Kavadi for the sake of tiding over a great calamity. The `Kavadi’ varies in shape and size, consisting of rice, milk and other articles. As the Kavadi bearer observes silence, the bells are the only eloquent signs of a Kavadi procession. The Kavadi bearer travels...

Karva Chauth Karva Chauth is a women-oriented festival. On this day married Hindu women fast and pray for the welfare, prosperity, well-being and longevity of their husbands. In fact, this is done on the fourth day of Kartik month of Hindu year. The day is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the women of North India. Although the fasting observed on this day is very tough because it starts before the sunrise...

Karaga Festival The festival of Karaga is Bangalore’s oldest and most important festival celebrated by the Tigala community. During the Karaga festival one can hear an echo of the famous battle of Mahabharata which was fought between the Pandavas and Kauravas. It lasts for 18 days which depicts all the facets of the battle of Mahabharata. Traditionally, the festivities begin with the recitation of mantras and the hoisting of a ceremonial...

Kali Puja Kali Puja is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik. This occasion brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst the various sections of society. Kali Puja enjoys a significant place in our culture. In this festival, Goddess Kali is worshipped. She appears in various forms as an embodiment of Shakti, the eternal and cosmic power. She is also believed to...

Ka Pomblang Nongkrem Ka Pomblang Nongkrem is the most important and elaborate festival of the Khasis in Meghalaya. This five-day long colourful festival is held annually in November at Smit, the capital of Khyrem Syiemship, near Shillong. It is an occasion for thanksgiving to the all-powerful Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a rich harvest and prosperity of the people. An important part of this festival is Pomblang (decapitation of goats) Ceremony,...

Janmashtami Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. It falls on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadra. It is celebrated with great gaiety and fervor in the northern states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. According to the legend, Lord Krishna was the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna was the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva. When Devaki’s brother Kansa was...

Jamshedji Navroz Jarnshedji Navroz, a Parsi festival, is celebrated on March 21 annually since the period of Jamshed, the ruler of Iran. This is also celebrated as the day of New Year for the Parsis who follow the Fasli calendar. Apart from this, the day signifies the advent of spring. The day is also celebrated as the symbolic victory of the forces of light over darkness. Historically, it is the same...

Independence Day India August 15 is India’s Independence Day. The day commemorates the day of 1947 when India threw away the foreign yoke. The day is celebrated by unfurling the national flag on all government and non-governmental buildings as well as in the state capitals and Union Territories. The Prime Minister’s speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi is the major highlight of this day. All government organizations...