Sr.

No
Title Slide
1 Manipur 4
2 Himachal Pradesh 12
3 Karnataka 20
4 Bibliography 28
5 Acknowledgement 29
1.Yaoshang (Holi)- Festival Of Manipur Hindus:
Celebrated for five days commencing from the full
moon day of Phalguna, Yaoshang is the premier festival
of Manipur. The Thabal Chongba - a kind of Manipuri
folk dance is particularly associated with this festival.
Yaoshang to Manipur is what Durga Puja is to Bengal,
Diwali in north India and Bihu to Assam.
2.Kut-Festival Of Kuki-Chin-Mizo: It is an autumn festival
of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of
Manipur. The festival has been variously described at
different places amongst different tribes as Chavang Kut
or Khodou etc. It is a happy occasion for the villagers
whose food stock is bountiful after a year of hard
labour. It is observed on the 1st November every year.

3.Cheiraoba- The Manipur New Year:During the festival
special festive dishes are prepared which are first offered to
various deities. Celebrated during the month of April, a
part of the ritual entails villagers climbing the nearest hill
tops in belief that it will enable them to rise to greater
heights in their worldly life.
5.Kang - The Rath Yatra Of Manipur:One of the greatest
festivals of the Hindus of Manipur, this festival is
celebrated for ten days in the month of July. Lord
Jagannath leaves his temple in a car known as Kang in
Manipur pulled by devotees who vie with one another for
this honour.
6.Heikru Hitongba:Celebrated in the month of September.
Long narrow boats are used to accommodate a
large number of rowers. Idol of Lord Vishnu is
installed before the commencement of the race.

7.Ningol Chak-Kouba- A Social Festival Of Manipuris : It is a remarkable social festival of
the Meiteis. Married daughters of the family come to their parental house along with
their children and enjoy sumptuous feast. It is a form of family reunion. It is celebrated
on the second day of the new moon in the month of Hiyangei (November) as per
Manipur Calender system.





8.Lai-Haraoba: Celebrated in hour of the sylvan deities known as Umang Lai, the festival
represents the worship of traditional deities and ancestors. A number of dances by both
men and women are performed before the ancient divinities. The Lai Haraoba of God-
Thangjing, the ruling deity of Moirang, is the most famous one and attracts huge
gatherings. It is held in the month of May.

1.Ras Lila:-The Ras lila, the epitome of Manipuri classical
dance is inter-woven through the celestial and
eternal love reveals the sublime and transcendental
love of Krishna and Radha and the Gopies' devotion
to the Lord. It is generally performed in an
enclosure in front of the temple throughout the
night and watched with a deep sense of devotion.
The performance is a combination of solo, duet and
group dances.
2.Maibi Dance:-During the festival of Lai-Haraoba which
is an annual ritual festival of the Meiteis, trace
through their dances the whole concept of
cosmogony of the Meitei people and describe their
way of life. It is a kind of re-living of the way of life
of the past.
3.Pung Cholom:-Pung or Manipuri Mridanga is the soul of
Manipuri Sankritana music and Classical Manipuri
Dance. Pung Cholom is performed as an invocatory
number preceding the Sankirtana and Ras Lila. It is
highly refined classical dance number characterised by
the modulation of sound from soft whisper to a
thunderous climax.
4. Khamba Thoibi:-Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male
and female partners, a dance of dedication to the sylvan
deity, Thangjing of Moirang , is the depiction of the
dance performed by Khamba and Thoibi, the hero and
heroine of the Moirang episode of the hoary past. It is
belived that the legendary hero - Khamba and heroin -
Thoibi danced together before the Lord Thangjing, a
celebrated deity of Moirang, a village in the South-West
of Manipur which is known for its rich cultural
traditions, for peace and prosperity of the land.


The cuisine is traditionally served on banana
leaves and eaten by sitting on the floor.
During winter season, 2-3 days withered
Brassica leaves (Hangam) is crushed using
traditional wooden chamber and allowed to
go for semisolid fermentation for 2-3 days.
The fermented juice is extracted by
squeezing by hand and concentrated by
boiling. The liquid form of fermented
extract is called Ziang dui and the
concentrated paste is called Ziang Sang.
Chamthong or Kangshoi is a stew preparation of any
seasonal vegetables of summer with coarsely
chopped onions,maroi, ginger and salt, topped with
ngari, fried fish pieces (optional)and water. It's
soupy in nature and is eaten with rice.
The Hamei cakes are prepared from crushed raw rice
with Yangli (Albizia myriophylla) bark powder and
pressed into flat cakes. The rice cakes are kept over
rie husk in bamboo basket for 2-3 days at room
temperature. The desired state of fermentation is
indicated by the swelling of cakes, alcoholic flavor
production and yellowish coloration. Mostly
preparation of Hamei is done during
summer(May-July) and dried cakes are stored
yearlong.

Himachal Pradesh is a part of the Indian
Himalayas.
It has wide valleys imposing Snow
Mountains, limpid lakes, rivers and gushing
streams.
Subsequently, some more hill areas of the
Punjab state were added to it and it was
made into a full-fledged state, the status that
it continues to have now.
Himachal Pradesh today is one of the most
important tourist destinations in India.

1.International Himalayan Festival : This much-awaited
festival is celebrated in the Kangra district of
Himachal Pradesh in the month of December. This
festival can be redefined as a winter extravaganza. It
is also a celebration of the ancient cultural diversity,
which the Himalayas have nurtured and sustained
over the centuries. It is a global attempt to bring the
rich and gentle cultures of the Himalayan
Mountains.
2.Lohri Festival : Lohri or Maghi festival is celebrated in
the mid January. According to the traditions, this
day is usually the mid winter day and also
commemorates the last sowing of the Rabi crops. In
this festival, there are community bonfires, folk
songs and dances.

3.Fullaich Festival : The Fullaich (Phulech) festival is
celebrated in Kinnaur. This famous festival of
flowers is celebrated in the autumn season. The
Fullaich festival opens the window to its
remarkable people and their beautiful
countryside. In this festival, the villagers first
scout the hillsides for flowers which are collected
in the village square. Then they offer these
flowers to the local deity.
4.Sui Mata Festival : The Sui Mata festival is the
Chamba's annual festival. This festival is
celebrated in the month of April for four days.
This festival commemorates Rani Champavati,
the wife of the 10th century Raja Sahil Verma.
Only women and children participate in the
festival.

5.Haryali : It is also known as Shegtsum in Lahaul,
Dhakhrain in Jubbal and Kinnaur. This festival
is celebrated on the Ist Sawan - 16th July. Few
days before the festival, seeds of five to seven
kinds of grains are sown together in small
basket full of earth by any member of the
family near the place of the household deities.
Farmers do not yoke oxen on this day.
6. Baisakhi Festival : Baisakhi is one of the most
important festival which is celebrated in the
month of April. It is celebrated on the first
Baisakh and in turn bids farewell to winter. At
Tattapani near Shimla, at Rewalsar and Prashar
lakes near Mandi, people take purifying dips in
water.

1.Namagen : The autumnal hue is celebrated in the
month of September in the Himachal and for the
celebration of this festival the Namagen dance is
performed. The most striking dance performance
amongst these is the Gaddis. The costumes that are
used in this dance are of woolens and women wear
richly studded ornaments of silver. Drum plays an
important part in this dance performance.
2.Karayila : The most interesting and equally popular
folk drama of Himachal Pradesh is Karayila. This
drama includes an entertaining series of small
playlets, skits, variety shows and parodies. This
form of shows present sharp and pungent satires
about the bureaucracy and social issues very boldly.
3.Losar Shona Chuksam Dance : The Losar Shona Chuksam is
an agricultural festival dance performance. Losar refers to
the New Year of the Tibetan people. The dancing steps
depict all activities that are related with farming from
sowing to reaping barley and phaphar (a local grain).
4.The Demon (Rakshasa) dance : This dance form, from
the Kinnaur and nearby areas are redolent of the historic
period. The Kinnaur folk are being compared to deers. The
dance form is performed with demon masks. It represents
the attack of the demons on the crops and their ritual
pursuing away by the forces of good.
5.The Mala (garland) dance : The Kayang Mala dance is one of
the most popular dance in Himachal. In this, the dancers
are dressed in their traditional finery, weave their arms
together to form a sort of a criss cross pattern in order to
appear like beads in a woven garland.


Chhang is an indigenous rice beer made in the
tribal belt of Lahul and Spiti. It is a very
popular traditional alcoholic drink
consumed during marriages and other local
festivals. It is offered to the deities and also
exchanged as an important gift during
weddings and other auspicious ceremonies.
Chhang is an indispensable hospitality
beverage among tribal of Lahul valley, and is
considered to provide protection against cold
during winter months. Thus, it has been a
seasonal for winter

Traditional foods and beverages using meat
are very limited. Juma is a favourite dish
of Lahul Spiti prepared in winters. Wheat
flour/ millet flour is mixed with spices
and this paste is stuffed in sheep
intestines. This is then steam cooked and
eaten hot with chutney or tchari(mutton
soup).
In Harmipur and mandi district, Jhol is
prepared by cooking tender maize
kernels in chaa for half an hour and is
consumed after adding salt/ spices for
taste in summer.
Called Karnadu (elevated land) in ancient
times, Karnataka is made up of a series of
uplands with an average height of 610 metres
above sea level.
Karnataka is known for it's legendary
craftsmenship in sandalwood and rosewood.
Swift flowing rivers criss-cross to create a
network of water sources.
Chandragupta Maurya, the great Indian
emperor abdicated his throne to embrace
Jainism at Shravanabelagola.


1.Hampi Festival : The magnificent ruined city of Hampi,
Karnataka once the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire,
comes alive during the lively festival of dance and
music, held in the first week of November. It has ruins
of stone temples, elephant stables, barracks and palaces.
This festival is organized by Karnataka State
Government in order to recreate the grandeur of the
ancient Vijayanagar empire and the olden days.
2.Yugadi : In the Kannada tradition Yugadi is known as
the New Year`s Day and is one of the traditional
festivals of Karnataka. This festival is celebrated in the
month of March or early April according to the English
calendar. On the special day the supper is lovingly
prepared and the meal starts with jaggery and neem
leaves.
3.Tula Sankramana : This is a religious festival celebrated in
the Coorg or Kodagu district of Karnataka and is
celebrated in the month of October every year. It is
universally believed that Goddess Cauvery appears on this
day in the sudden rush of the water in the small tank there.
The locales bathe in the auspicious water of the tank.
4. Kadalekai Parishe : Kadalekai Parishe, the annual groundnut
fair is held on the last Monday of Karthika Masa near
Dodda Ganesha, temple, near the Bull Temple at
Basavanagudi in Bangalore. The fair starts from the
previous day with people thronging to the stalls selling
buying variety of groundnuts.
5. Karaga festival : The Karaga festival is celebrated at the
Darmaraya Temple in Bangalore. This festival is celebrated
in the honor of Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas, the famous
heroes of the great Hindu epic, Mahabharata.

6.Hoysala Mahotsava : Hoysala Mahotsava is a dance festival
held at the magnificent temples of Belur and Halebid in
Karnataka. This festival is celebrated in the month of March.
The majestic Hoysala temples with their marvelous
sculptures make a perfect venue for this cultural festival.
7. Dussehra : The rulers of the Vijayanagar Dynasty used to
celebrate this festival in a much extravagant manner. In the
following years the celebration became a tradition. A Durbar
is held for consecutive nine days and on the tenth day a
procession is taken out with elephants, colorful folks and
much more in Mysore.
8.Dasara Doll Festival : The Dasara doll festival is celebrated in
Karnataka through an exhibition of various dolls and
figurines arranged as per custom. Many households use nine
steps for the exhibition of dolls to signify the nine nights of
Navaratri. The dolls are ritually worshipped during the
celebrations.


1.Yakshagana : Yakshagana is a dance drama performed
in the coastal areas of Karnataka. This unique dance
form is a perfect blend of dance, music, songs,
scholarly dialogues and colorful costumes. Yakshagana
mesmerizes each and everyone in the audience with its
enchanting music and colorful performances.
2.Kunitha : The ritualistic dances of Karnataka are
known as Kunitha. One of such ritualistic dances is
the Dollu Kunitha. This dance form is mainly
performed by the men of the shepherd community
known as the Kuruba community. Another dance
form of Karnataka is the Puja Kunitha. In this dance
form the dancers carry a wooden structure having a
deity on their heads.

3. Veeragasse dance : Veeragasse is a dance form prevalent in
the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based
on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-
sapping dance movements. Veeragasse is one of the dances
demonstrated in the Dasara procession held in Mysore.
4. Nagamandala : This ritualistic dance form is performed by
the people of south Karnataka. It is done to tranquilize the
serpent spirit and is an extravagant affair held throughout
the night. The dancers called the Vaidyas are dressed as
nagakannika. This ritualistic dance is generally performed
between December to April.
5. Krishna Parijatha : Krishna Parijatha is a popular folk
theater art form of North Karnataka. It is an
amalgamation of Yakshagana and Byalatta, portraying
stories or incidents from the great epic Mahabharata.

Thumbuli is a type of spicy gravy eaten in the Indian state
of Karnataka. Thumbuli, being a curd based cuisine, is
consumed with hot rice along with
hot sambar usually. There are many varieties of
Thumbuli: Menthe Thumbuli, shunti (ginger)
thaumbuli, and various other herbal thumbuli. The
herbal thumbuli is prepared with leaves like Basale
soppu, kaki kudi soppu, doddapatre soppu (all of
them grown in all over Karnataka). This is consumed
in summer.
Chana Dal Payasm is a traditional dessert prepared
primarily in South Indian states. It's quite regular for
pujas, festivals like Janmashtami and Shiva Rathri and
other special occasions including family functions.
Naamadallige or naamadaholige is a rare traditional
sweet used to prepare in olden days during
Shivaratri festival using Tambittu flour or roasted
rice powder along with tambittu and other
delicacies. Naamdallige is one such easy and healthy
sweet and can be consumed little more without
feeling guilty.
Patholi is the most important sweet dish for Gowri
festival and also for Nagar Panchami, thus,
consumed in monsoon season. During these
festivals, we can find Turmeric leaves at native
(those who are in India, can find these leaves in
Mangalore stores). Turmeric or plumeria or
Frangipani(called as Kudchampe in Konkani,
thanks Baab for the English name) leaves are used
for this dish.
I would like to give special thanks to:
My father
My sister
My S.St Teacher
THE END