Today which festival in india

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated for 8 days between the 25th day of the month of Kislev to the second day of Tevet in the Hebrew calendar. Sign in. Showing: all Official holidays Official and optional holidays Official holidays and non-working days Holidays and some observances Holidays incl.

You Might Also Like. This festival is celebrated in many different forms across India. In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as Pongal. In North India, Makar Sankranti takes on a life of its own. To celebrate the return of the sun, many Hindu devotees head outside to bathe in holy rivers such as the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the Godavari and offer prayers to the sun god.

Makar Sankranti is also celebrated in North India with large kite festivals, the most famous of which is the Jaipur Kite Festival. The Jaipur Kite Festival is one of the most attended festivals in Rajasthan. The festival includes kite competitions where competitors try to cut the kite strings of their opponents.

Last kite flying gets a prize! The city of Jaipur also arranges a friendly kite-flying zone for anyone who doesn't want their kite string cut. Learn more about Makar Sankranti and how to celebrate the return of the sun. Makar Sankranti occurs in January after the winter solstice when the sun passes back into the northern hemisphere.

This typically occurs on January 14th or 15th every year. Mahashivratri is a festival dedicated to Shiva, known as "the destroyer god" in the Hindu trinity. In Hinduism, Shiva is worshipped as a supreme being who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. Mahashivratri mainly celebrates the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and is observed by chanting, fasting, and meditating.

On Mahashivratri, some devotees stay awake all night, singing hymns and devotional songs in praise of Lord Shiva. While others visit one of the Shiva temples that are beautifully decorated with lights and flowers for the occasion. Varanasiand Haridwar are the two best places to see the Mahashivratri celebrations.

Varanasi is home to one of the most important Shiva temples in the country, Kashi Vishwanath temple. This temple sees over a million Hindus from around the country who come to perform rituals. Haridwar is famous for its temples and ghats , or steps leading down to a river, where pilgrims bathe to rid themselves of their sins.

By watching the rituals, you will understand more Hinduism and their belief of the soul's journey to liberation. Learn more about Mahashivratri and the supreme lord Shiva. The thirteenth or fourteenth night of every lunar month is known as Shivratri. Among the twelve Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Mahashivratri, the one that occurs in February or March is of the most spiritual significance.

The Krishna Janmashtami festival, popularly known as Janmashtami, is celebrated across India to honor the Birth of Krishna , the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Hindus believe that Lord Vishnu was reincarnated as Krishna to bring hope and to the earth and free it from the despair caused by the tyranny of evil rulers.

This two-day festival usually consists of prayers, fasts, devotional songs, and performances of the life of Krishna. On the first day, devotees keep a vigil and fast until midnight at Krishna or Vishnu temples, offering prayers and singing.

Lord Krishna's idols are washed and adorned with news clothes and ornaments in the temples. The highlight of the festival is Dahi Handi which takes place on the second day and is when people form a human pyramid to reach the clay pots of yogurt strung up from tall buildings.

If you wish to witness this fun activity then Mumbai is the place to go because Dahi Handi competitions take place at hundreds of locations across the city. Learn more about Janmashtami and the supreme lord Krishna.

Janmashtami dates start on the eighth day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. This usually occurs in late August or early September.

Indian festivals are incredibly beautiful but sometimes be overwhelming for first-time visitors. Check out our tips below to make sure you get the most out of your festival experience. Want to experience one of India's incredible festivals but don't know where to begin?

Our knowledgeable travel advisors can help you plan your dream festival experience. At Asia Highlights, we take the time to get to know your wants and needs in order to plan the perfect trip for you. Send us an inquiry to get started. Contact us to tailor make a India tour to experience the unique festivals. At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace.

You can have any trip tailor made for your travel. Top 12 Festivals and Celebrations of India. Lighting the Diwali lanterns or diyas. The main celebration of Holi is a giant country-wide color fight. The Hindu god Ganesh. Statue of Durga during the Durga Puja celebrations.

Statue of Durga and other Hindu deities. West Bengal. The displays of the goddess Durga have always been the center attraction.

Kebabs cooking on Eid in the Chandni Chowk district of Delhi. Diwali How to Get Around India. Top 12 Destinations in Himachal Pradesh. Onam Sadhya meal served on a banana leaf. Rangoli decoration for Pongal. Men and their camel at the Pushkar Fair. The start of the festival sees huge, elaborately-crafted statutes of Ganesh installed in homes and public podiums, which have been beautifully decorated. The statues are worshiped everyday throughout the festival.

On the last day, they're paraded through the streets, accompanied by much singing and dancing, and then submerged in the ocean. The best place to experience it is in Mumbai. The nine nights of the Navaratri festival honor the mother goddess Durga in all her incarnations.

The tenth day, called Dussehra , celebrates the defeat of demon king Ravan by Lord Ram and monkey god Hanuman in northern India. It also coincides with Durga's victory over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. In eastern India, the festival is observed as Durga Puja. It's the biggest festival of the year in Kolkata. Huge statues of the Goddess Durga are made and immersed in the river there. Diwali honors the victory of good over evil and brightness over darkness. It celebrates Lord Ram and his wife Sita returning to their kingdom of Ayodhya , following the defeat of Ravan and rescue of Sita on Dussehra.

It's known as the "Festival of Lights" for all the fireworks, small clay lamps, and candles that are lit to guide their way. For Indian Hindu families, Diwali is the most anticipated festival of the year. Onam is the biggest festival of the year in the South Indian state of Kerala. This lengthy harvest festival marks the homecoming of mythical King Mahabali, and it showcases the state's culture and heritage.

People decorate the ground in front of their houses with flowers arranged in beautiful patterns to welcome the king. The festival is also celebrated with new clothes, feasts served on banana leaves, folk dance, games, and snake boat races. Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Govinda, commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna. An extremely fun part of the festival involves teams of guys climbing on each other to form a human pyramid to try and reach and break open clay pots filled with curd, which have been strung up high from buildings.

This activity, called dahi handi , falls on the second day. It's best experienced in Mumbai. An astonishing number of camels converge on the tiny desert town of Pushkar, in India's state of Rajasthan, for the Pushkar Camel Fair. The camels are dressed up, paraded, shaved, entered into beauty contests, raced, and of course traded.