List of Hindu festivals

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hindus observe a wide range of festivals and religious celebrations, many of which are rooted in ancient Indian traditions, and often correspond with seasonal transitions.[1] These festivals are scheduled according to either the solar calendar or the lunisolar calendar, and their observance often varies regionally. Many festivals are specific to certain sects or are primarily observed in particular regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Quick facts Explanatory note on Hindu festival dates ...
Explanatory note
on Hindu festival dates
The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day).

Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa.

A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar.
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Terminology

Utsava

Utsava is the Sanskrit word for festivals. It comes from the word ut meaning "starts" and sava, which means "change" or "decline".[2]

Observance periods (tithi)

Hindu calendar dates are usually in accordance with a lunisolar calendar. In Vedic timekeeping, a māsa is a lunar month, a pakṣa is a lunar fortnight (two weeks), and a tithi is a lunar day.

There are two prevailing definitions of the lunar month: amānta, where the month ends with the new moon, and pūrṇimānta, where it ends with the full moon.[3] Consequently, the same day may be associated with different but adjoining months. When a festival takes place during śukla paksha (the waxing phase of the moon), both traditions attribute it to the same month. However, if the festival occurs during kṛiṣhṇa paksha (the waning phase of the moon), the two traditions assign it to different, but adjacent months.

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Major Hindu festivals
Festival māsa pakṣa tithi
amānta pūrṇimānta
Gudi Padwa/Ugadi caitra śukla prathama
Rama Navami caitra śukla navamī
Akshaya Tritiya
Guru Purnima āṣādha śukla pūrima
Naga Panchami
Raksha Bandhan śrāvaṇa śukla pūrima
Krishna Janmashtami śrāvaṇa bhādra kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī
Ganesh Chaturthi bhādra śukla caturthī
Ganesh Visarjan bhādra śukla pūrima
Pitru Paksha begins bhādra āśvina kṛṣṇa prathama
Pitru Paksha ends

Sarvapitru Amavasya

bhādra āśvina kṛṣṇa amāvasyā
Navaratri begins āśvina śukla prathama
Durga Ashtami

(8th day of Navaratri)

āśvina śukla aṣṭamī
Maha Navami

(9th day of Navaratri)

āśvina śukla navamī
Navaratri ends

Vijaya Dashami

āśvina śukla daśamī
Karva Chauth āśvina kārtika kṛṣṇa caturthī
Diwali begins

Dhan Teras

āśvina kārtika kṛṣṇa trayodaśī
Naraka Chaturdashi

(2nd day of Diwali)

āśvina kārtika kṛṣṇa caturdaśī
Deepavali / Lakshmi Puja

(3rd day of Diwali)

āśvina kārtika kṛṣṇa amāvasyā
Annakut or Bali Padyami

(4th day of Diwali)

kārtika śukla prathama
Diwali ends

Bhai Dooj

kārtika śukla dvitīya
Vasant Panchami magha śukla pañcamī
Maha Shivaratri magha phālguna kṛṣṇa caturdaśī
Holi phālguna śukla caturdaśī
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List and descriptions of the major Hindu festivals

The tithi shown in the following list is as per the amānta tradition.

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Sublists

See also

Hindu festival-related concepts

Others

References

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