Festivals of India (harvest and regional)
Regional festivals mark harvests, new years and local deities; exams ask the state, the deity, the month and the ritual behind each.
What the paper can ask
- Assam's three Bihus are tied to the farming year: one at sowing, one in the lean season when granaries are low, and one at harvest with the Meji bonfire and community feasts.
- The Hornbill Festival runs 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village, first held in 2000; it is called the 'Festival of Festivals'.
- Chhau is danced at the spring Chaitra Parva; the Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja are among the Indian festivals on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
- Ramlila (2008) is inscribed on the UNESCO list but Dussehra itself is not.
Why exams ask
State, deity, month and origin story are the four things asked about any festival; harvest festivals of the north-east are favourites.
The full story
India's regional festivals fall into families. Harvest and new-year festivals cluster around mid-January (Makar Sankranti and its cousins) and mid-April (several regional new years), with others after the monsoon rice crop. Temple festivals honour a local deity with processions of chariots or elephants.
In the news
Test yourself
1.The Hornbill Festival, held from 1 to 10 December at Kisama near Kohima, is a festival of which state?
Correct. The Hornbill Festival is held every year in Nagaland, first in December 2000, at Kisama Heritage Village.
Not quite. The Hornbill Festival is held every year in Nagaland, first in December 2000, at Kisama Heritage Village. It goes into your error book.
2.The Pushkar Camel Fair, held around Kartik Purnima near Pushkar Lake, is held in which state?
Correct. The Pushkar fair is in Pushkar, Ajmer district, Rajasthan, from the start of Kartik to Kartik Purnima.
Not quite. The Pushkar fair is in Pushkar, Ajmer district, Rajasthan, from the start of Kartik to Kartik Purnima. It goes into your error book.
3.Thrissur Pooram, centred on the Vadakkunnathan Temple, was started by which ruler?
Correct. Kerala Tourism credits Sakthan Thampuran, Maharaja of Kochi, with starting the Pooram by uniting ten temples around Vadakkunnathan.
Not quite. Kerala Tourism credits Sakthan Thampuran, Maharaja of Kochi, with starting the Pooram by uniting ten temples around Vadakkunnathan. It goes into your error book.