Top 30 Most Celebrated Hindu Festivals in India

India is described as a land of festivals and has many religions and languages across the states. Major Cultural and Religious Festivals in India includes Pahela Baishakh, Rathayatra in Puri, Vat Purnima, Palkhi Festival in Maharashtra, Mahalakshmi Vrata, Shigmo,Raja Parba, Basoa, Bathukamma, Bonalu, Hornbill Festival and Kartik Poornima.

Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is celebrated in all parts of Indian subcontinent with some variations,customs, way of celebration and known by different names. Pongal, Uttarayana, Magh Bihu and Khichdi are few regional names of Makar Sankranti.

Vasant Panchami ! बसंत पंचमी

Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja is actually a spring festival observed on the month of Magha, typically falls in February – बसंत ऋतु. The festival is dedicated to goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of learning,books, arts and music.

Maha Shivaratri – God Shiva

Maha Shivaratri is a major festival in Hinduism, celebrated annually in honour of the great God Shiva. The festival means the Great Night of Shiva, Shivaratri which is fourteenth day of every lunar month once a year in late winter.

Holi ! होली

Holi also known as the festival of colours is the most popular spring festival celebrated in India as well as in many parts of South Asia.

Ram Navami ! रामनवमी

Rama Navami celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama and the festival is a part of the spring Navratri or Vasanta Navratri.

Gudi Padwa ! गुढी पाडवा

Gudi Padwa is the traditional new year festival of Maharashtra, which is the first day of the Chaitra month marking the beginning of the New year in India. Ugadi,Vishu,Cheti Chand and Pahela Baishakh are the different names of Hindu new year festival.

Vaisakhi ! बैसाखी

Vaisakhi is the most religious festival in Sikhism and also an ancient festival of Hindus. This spring harvest festival celebrated in India and regionally known by many names.

Bihu ! बिहु

The festival of Bihu refers to set of three different festivals and chief festival of Assam state. Rangali or Bohag Bihu, Bhogali or Magh Bihu and Kati Bihu, The Rangali Bihu is the most important festival coincides with Vaisakhi in north India.

Akshaya Tritiya ! अक्षय तृतीया

Akshaya Tritiya is one of the four most important days for Hindus and the auspicious day of the birthday of Lord Parasurama. The day of Akshaya Trutiya assumed to bring prosperity and very auspicious for starting new ventures and buying gold.

Karva Chauth ! करवा चौथ

Karva Chauth is one day fasting festival celebrated in India only by Hindu married women. The festival falls on the fourth day after the full moon and considered to be a romantic festival of India.

Teej ! हरतालिका तीज

Teej festival celebrated to welcome the monsoon season and celebrated only by girls and women. The monsoon festivals of Hartalika Teej dedicated to Goddess Parvati.

Bonalu

Bonalu is an annual festival dedicated to Goddess Mahakali in the state of Telangana. Bonalu is celebrated in various parts of the city, especially in twin city of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Vat Purnima ! वट पूर्णिमा

Vat Savitri or Vat Purnima celebration observed only by married women in the month of Jyeshtha. During the Vat Purnima married woman tying threads around a banyan tree, the tree is called Vat.

Onam ! ओणम

Onam is a harvest festival and also the official state festival of Kerala. The festival is a major annual event for Malayali and festivities includes Pookkalam ,Vallam Kali, Onathappan and Pulikali.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil people and also a national holiday in many countries. The festival include Kavadi Attam, a sacrifice and offering performed by devotees.

Nag Panchami ! नाग पंचमी

Nag Panchami is a snake worship festival celebrated throughout India by Hindus. On the of Nag Panchami, Indian Cobra snakes are worshipped with milk, sweets and flowers.

Gangaur ! गणगौर

Gangaur festival mostly celebrated in the state of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The festival is an important festivals of people of Rajasthan, celebrated only by girls and women.

Hanuman Jayanti

दोहा

श्री गुरु चरण सरज राज , निज मनु मुकुर सुधारे |
बरनौ रघुबर बिमल जासु , जो धयक फल चारे ||

बुधिहिएँ तनु जानके , सुमेराव पवन -कुमार |
बल बूढी विद्या देहु मोहे , हरहु कलेस बिकार ||

Hanuman Jayanti marks the birth of Lord Sri Hanuman and celebrated during the first month of Hindu calendar of Chaitra. Lord Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Rama and Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival of the Hindus, Hanuman Chalisa is the devotional hymn addressed to Lord Hanuman.

Raksha Bandhan ! रक्षाबन्धन

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi observed on the full moon day, celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters. रक्षाबन्धन Rakhi festival is an ancient festival of the Indian subcontinent,celebrated in different regions in different ways.

Krishna Janmaashtami ! कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी

Krishna Janmaashtami is an important festival particularly to the Vaishnavism, the festival of birth of Lord Krishna. कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी is widely celebrated by the Hindu in different ways of Dahi Handi, Nandotsav,Rasa lila and Gokulashtami.

Guru Purnima ! गुरु पूर्णिमा

गुरु ब्रम्हा गुरु विष्णू
गुरुः देवो महेश्वरा
गुरु शाक्षात परब्रम्हा
तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः

Guru Purnima festival is traditionally celebrated to pay their respects to their teachers by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. The festival is celebrated on Purnima in the Hindu month of Ashadha.

Ganesh Chaturthi ! गणेश चतुर्थी

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 11 day festival, celebrated in the central,South and western states of India. Maharashtra is the best place to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home and in public places and pandals by local community groups.

Navaratri ! नवरात्रि

Navarathri is a 9 divine nights festival of Goddess Durga, observed in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin.Navaratri festival is a ten day event and one of the most awaited festivals in India, especially in the state of West Bengal and North India.

Durga Puja ! दुर्गा पूजा

Durga Puja is the most important Hindu festival of goddess Durga, celebrated in the state of West Bengal,Tripura,Bihar and Assam. The festival celebrated during the Navaratri, starts on the 4th day of Navaratri and held over a five day period.

Vijayadashami ! दशहरा

Vijayadashami also known as Dussehra is celebrated differently in every parts of the Indian subcontinent. Dussehra is a major Hindu festival, marks the end of Durga Puja and starts the preparation for Diwali.

Dhanteras ! धनतेरस

Dhanteras festival is celebrated during the Diwali, worshipping the Goddess Lakshmi. On the day of Dhanteras Hindus consider auspicious to purchase silver, gold or any new thing new.

Diwali ! दीपावली

Diwali or Deepavali is the festival of lights,celebrated every year in autumn. The festival of Deepavali is the most popular festivals of Hinduism, signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

Govardhan Puja ! गोवर्धन पूजा

Govardhan Puja is a Hindu festival, celebrated on the fourth day of Deepawali. The fourth day of Diwali is also the first day of the new year in the Vikram Samvat calendar.

Bhai Dooj ! भाई दूज

Bhai Dooj festival is very similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan, celebrated during the Diwali festival. The festival is known as Bhai Dooj,Bhai Phonta and Bhai Tika in other part of India.

Chhath ! छठ पर्व,

Chhath Puja is dedicated to the God Sun and his wife Usha, mostly celebrated in Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. This festival is the most eco friendly Hindu festival and an ancient Hindu Vedic festival of India.