Indian

Festivals

Hindu Festivals
In Hindu religion, there is a
tradition of celebrating
almost everything.
It is a well known fact that
India is a land of fairs and
festivals.
we have hundreds of
festivals and fairs in Hindu
Calendar every year.

Diwali
Diwali is regarded as one of
the most important festival
of the Hindu calendar.
The festival is mainly
associated with lights as it is
called the festival of light.
The literal meaning of
Deepavali in Sanskrit is 'a
row of lamps.'
Diwali festival is the one
Hindu festival that unites

History of Diwali
History tells us that the
festival is celebrated mainly
for four days commences on
Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdasi
and concludes on Kartika
Shudda Vijiya.
And each day has a
significance and history
behind its celebration.

 The first day of the festival

Naraka Chaturdasi marks the
killing of the demon king
Naraka by Lord Krishna and
his wife Satyabhama.
The second day is Amavasya.
This very day Lord Vishnu
rescued Goddess Lakshmi
from the prison of Demon
king bali and for that reason
Goddess Lakshmi is
worshipped on the day of

 The third day is "Kartika

Shudda Padyami." On this
day Bali would come out of
Pathala Loka and rule
Bhuloka as per the boon
given by Lord Vishnu.
Hence, it is also known as
"Bali Padyami".
The fourth day is referred to
as "Yama Dvitiya. On this
day, Lord Rama returned
from exile to Ayodhya after

When is Diwali
Normally according to the
Hindu calendar the festival
of Diwali, which is
celebration of truth and light
is celebrated on a nationwide scale on Amavasya,
the 15th day of the dark
fortnight of the Hindu month
of Ashwin (Aasho), which is
usually the month of

Dussehra
Dussehra is also called as
Navaratri Pooja or Durga
Pooja.
Navratri, or 'The Festival of
Nine Nights', is celebrated
during the first nine days of
the Hindu month of Ashvin
(September-October).
The festival is dedicated to
the worship of Mother

History of Durga
Puja
We all celebrate Durga puja
but hardly anyone knows
the history or origin behind
the celebration.
There are various legends
associated with its origin but
the most important and
prevalent among them is
the legend of Lord Rama.

 Lord Rama decided to seek

blessings of Godess Durga
during the time of war with
Ravan. . For that puja, which
lord Ram was performing
108 blue lotus were needed
for the worship of Goddess
Durga but Rama could
manage only 107. But
without that one lotus his
puja would be incomplete

so he was on the verge of

laying one of his eyes that
was lotus-shaped and blue
in color at the Goddess's
feet when Goddess Durga
appeared and satisfied with
his devotion, granted her
blessing and eventually he
won the battle against
Ravana. The time he
worshipped was Spring
season so from that time

 Another legend, which is

associated with the
celebration of Durga puja is
the story of the defeat of
the demon king,
Mahishasura at the hands of
Goddess Durga, the
incarnation of Shakti (the
power). This demon was
almost invincible because of
a boon granted by Lord
Shiva whereby no male

Dussehra
Celebration
The festival is celebrated for
nine days.
People sow seeds on the
first day, consecrate the
planets, watch the sprouting
and worship Goddess Durga
during this festival.
The last three days are
especially considered most
important. The nine-day is
equally divided in

Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi is the
celebration of the birth of
Lord Ganesha.
Lord Ganesh is the symbol
of wisdom, prosperity and
good fortune.
He is regarded as the
destroyer of all problems
and obstacles.

 Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated

on Shukla Chaturthi of the Hindu
month of Bhadra (generally falls
between August and
September).
The festival lasts for 10
days,endingon Ananta
Chaturdashi, and is traditionally
celebrated as the birthday of
Lord Ganesha.

 The idol is kept and offered

pujas for 10 days.
After 10 days The murti is
submerged on 'Parivartini'
i.e. 'Jal Zilani' Ekadashi.
Devotees observe a
waterless fast.
Five pujas and arti are
offered, together with a boat
ride after each arti before
Ganeshji's 'Visarjan' submergence.

History of Ganesh
Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi was being
celebraeted as public event by
Peshwas in Pune since the times of
Shiivaji Maharaj .
With the fall of Peshwas , Ganesh
Chaturthi lost state patronage and
became a private family
celebration .
Indian freedom fighter and social
reformer Lokmanya Tilak
introduced a new way of

Place Where Ganesh

Chaturthi is
Celebrated
Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is
celebrated in the states of
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
and many other parts of India .
Outside India, it is celebrated in
Nepal by the Newars.
In the 21st century, with the
world turning fast into a global
village, Ganesh Chaturthi is now
celebrated all over the world,
wherever there is a presence of

Celebration At Home
Ganesh Idol is Brought &
Ceremoniously installed by the
Head of the House Hold in the
Home Mandir .
Decorated with Rangoli .
Pujas and Aarti are performed
every Morning and Evening .
Modak as prasad is distributed
amongst the devotees .

Ganeshotsav In Mumbai..
Mumbai has its own importances in
ganeshotsav .
The Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav
Mandals play a major role in that .
The message of Social Awareness :
Traffic rules , water conservation
pollution control are taken up for
festival themes , awarness of need
to eradicate courruption .
Social and charitable .

 The third day, Mattu Pongal, is

meant to offer thanks to the
cows and buffaloes, as they
are used to plough the lands.
Jallikattu, a violent taming the
bull contest, marks this day.
On the last day, Kanum
Pongal, people go out to
picnic.
'Ponga' literally means
overflowing and is named so
because of the tradition of
cooking the new rice in pots

Ram Navami
ninth day of the Hindu Lunar
year (March)
birthday of Rama
Starts off with prey to the Sun
perform Kalyanotsavam
(marriage celebration) for
images of Rama and Sita
end of the day the Rama is
taken to a procession on the
street
Hindus are supposed to fast
Temples are decorated and

Onam
The festival of Onam
portrays the rich cultural
heritage of Kerala, its
golden past, rich traditions
and prosperous present.
The festival is celebrated for
a period of ten days,
starting from the first day
Atham and continuing till
tenth and the biggest day

 Atham - Day One

First day is an important one
and is considered holy and
auspicious by the people of
Kerala.
Chithira - Day Two
On the second day of Onam,
people add to the size of the
Pookalam with different
flowers.
Chodhi - Day Three
Size of the Attha Poo gets
further increased with an

 Visakam - Day Four

Brisk activities in the market
and households can be
witnessed on the day of
Visakam.
Anizham - Day Five
High point of the day is the
grand boat race event
called Vallamkali.
Thriketa - Day Six
People, who may be staying
away from their homes,
start coming to their homes

 Moolam - Day Seven

With just two days left for the
festival now, enthusiasm
grips the state of Kerala.
Pooradam - Day Eight
The day holds significance in
Onam festivities. Devotees
create clay idols in the shape
of small pyramids.
Uthradam - Day Nine
It is a day prior to
Thiruvonam. Some people
begin festivities on a large

 Thiruvonam - Day Ten

The biggest day of all, is the
tenth day called Thiruvon.
Thiru Onam is a big day. The
best part of the festival is
that it is a secular festival so
people from all community
and religion can take part.
There are various morning
rituals.
Onasadya is the most
important and elaborate

Onam Legends
The legend of King
Mahabali

The Legend of Vanishing

Boy

The Legend of Boat

Muslim Festivals
There are a number of
Muslim festivals.
The Muslim festivals do not
correspond to any particular
date or month of the
Gregorian Calendar as they
are based on the Hijra which
follows pure lunar
reckoning.

 The names of the 12 months

that comprise the Islamic
year are as follows:1.
Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi' al-awwal (Rabi'
I)
4. Rabi' al-thani (Rabi' II)
5. Jumada al-awwal
(Jumada I)
6. Jumada al-thani
(Jumada II)
7. Rajab
8. Sha'ban

Id-ul-Fitr
Id Ul Fitr is a festival that
marks the end of the
Ramzan period, and usually
falls on a new moon night,
in the month of September
or October.
Ramzan is the ninth month
in the Muslim calendar.
According to legend, the
Holy Koran was revealed in
this month

Id-Ul-Zuha or Id-UlAdha

Bakriid or Id-ul-Zuha is one

of the most celebrated
festivals among Muslims all
over the world. It is a day of
sacrifice for the Muslims.
According to legends. It all
started with a dream in
which Allah directed the
patriarch Prophet Ibrahim to
sacrifice his son Ismail.
It was Ibrahim's faith in

Id-e-Milad
Id-e-Milad is a festival of both
rejoicing and mourning.
The day commemorates the
birth and also the death
anniversary of Prophet
Mohammed.
It falls on the twelfth day of
the third month Rabi-ul-Awwal
of the Muslim calendar, which
is usually in April.
The word 'barah' signifies the

Muharram
The first Muslim month is
Muharram and Muharram is
observed on the tenth day
of this month.
Muharram is a day of
mourning as it
commemorates the greatest
tragedy in the history of
Islam-the martyrdom of the
Prophet's grandson Hussain.

Jain Festival:
Pajushan
Its the most celebrated
festival of Jains.
It lasts for four months. It
varies from year to year.
This is celebrated to ask
forgiveness for the mistakes
we have made knowingly or
unknowingly.
Jaanae anjaanae sey koi galti
hui ho toh mann, vachan,
kaya sey micchami

Christian Festivals
India is a land of various
religions and muliple
cultures. Alongwith Hindu,
Mulism and National
festivals, Christian festivals
are also celebrated with
deity and devotion in
different parts of India.

Christmas
The festival of Christmas
celebrates the birth of Jesus
Christ and conveys his
message of love, tolerance
and brotherhood.
Though Christmas is a
primary festival of the
Christian calendar but still it
has a special significance in
everyone's life.

History of
Christmas
The first mention of 25th
December as the birth date
of Jesus occurred in 336 A.D.
The history of Christmas
dates back over 4000 years.
Many of the Christmas
traditions were celebrated
centuries before the Christ
child was born.
Traditions say that it has
been celebrated since the

 In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome

ordered the birthday of the
Christ Child celebrated as a
solemn feast.
In 350 AD another Bishop of
Rome, Julius I, choose 25th
December as the observance
of Christmas since than it is
celebrated on this day.
Fundamentally Christmas
celebration is based on the
intertwining of two ethnic

Good Friday
Good Friday, anniversary of
Jesus' death on the cross.
According to the Gospels,
Jesus was put to death on
the Friday before Easter
Day.
Observance include prayer
and meditation at the
Stations of the Cross, a
succession of 14 images,
usually on wooden crosses,

Easter
Easter, also known as
Pascha , the Feast of the
Resurrection, the Sunday of
the Resurrection or the
Resurrection Day, is the
most important religious
feast of the Christian
Calendar.
Easter celebrates the
resurrection of Jesus, which
occurred after his death by

National Festivals
Gandhi Jayanti
celebrates the birth
anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi. . Born on the 2nd of
October 1869 at Porbandar
in Gujarat.
Independence Day
15th August the red-letter
day in the Indian calendar is
celebrated as the

 After more than two

hundred years of British
rule, India finally won backs
its freedom on 15th August,
1947.
Republic Day of India
On 26th of January every
year India celebrates its
Republic Day. on this day in
1950 the constitution of
India came into force and

Holi
Celebrated on the day after
the full moon in early March
Festival to celebrate good
harvest
Spring festival
Also called the Festival of
Colors
Day one = bonfire is lit at
night
Day two = people go around
and throw colored powder
and water at each other

History of Holi
Hiranyakashipu, who
consideration himself since
toward invincible and
highest beings; he had
receiver of a great
contribution of immortality
reflection.
He has a youngster Prahlad
who is a big fan of Rama.
This made him order his
sister Holika to kill that

Raksha Bandhan
Raksha = protection
Bandhan = lasting bond
celebrates the relationship
between brothers and
sisters
Thread-tying ceremony
(rakhi)
sister recognizes the bond
between them
brother vows to look after
her

Rakhi Legends
The legend of Lord Indra
and his wife Sachi.
The legend of Alexanders
wife and King Porus.
The legend of Rani
Karnavati and Humayun.
The legend of Hindu Rajputs
and Mughal Rulers.

Thank You
Done By:
Amzad Ali. E (09MBI005)
Ashish John Eipe (09MBI006)
Amaresh
(09MBI004)
Aswin
(09MBI007)
Aditya
(09MBI001)

Conclusion
I am glad to be an Indian. Of course
everything isnt shining here. But koi
bhi desh perfect nahi hota, usse
perfect banana padta hai. ( No
country is perfect, one needs to
make it perfect)

References:
www.indiagifts.com
www.indianfestivals.blog.co
m
www.mycountry.com
www.wikipedia.com