Discover Hindu festivals in this quiz, from colourful celebrations like Diwali and Holi to quieter temple events filled with prayer, music, and offerings.
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One of the first festivals in the Hindu religion, falling in the month of January (usually on January 14th or 15th), is the festival of Sankranti or Pongal. This festival is celebrated to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. It is also celebrated to mark the change in direction of the sun, from 'Dakshinayana' (South) to 'Uttarayana' (North). The Sun God is worshipped on this occasion
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The festival of 'Holi' is celebrated as the festival of colours. According to legend, Lord Krishna killed a demoness named Holika and the festival is celebrated to mark this occasion. It takes place on the occasion of the full moon and is celebrated by playing with colours
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'Mahashivarathri' (meaning the night of Shiva) is a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, the destroyer in the Hindu trinity of Gods (the other two gods in the trinity being Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver). This festival is celebrated by offering prayers to Lord Shiva and by observing fasting. Devotees do not sleep at night and instead spend time praying to the Lord. Devotees break their fast the next day after offering prayers at a Shiva temple
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Yugadi (which means start of an era), or Ugadi as it is also called, is the New Year festival. The first month in the Hindu calendar is called 'Chaitra' and the first day of this month is celebrated as New Year. People celebrate this festival by reading out the 'Panchanga' (calendar) and by visiting temples and having a sumptuous repast. In some parts of India it is celebrated as 'Gudi Padwa'
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Onam is a festival celebrated primarily in the state of Kerala. The people of Kerala regard a legendary character, Bali, as their King. According to legend, Bali was banished to the netherworlds by Lord Vishnu (in the avatar of Vamana). The festival of Onam is celebrated to mark the return of King Bali. The people of Kerala celebrate the festival by visiting temples and preparing a special meal (known as 'Onamsadhya'). In some parts of Kerala, the festival is celebrated by having boat races, which are a popular tourist attraction
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'Ramanavami' is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Rama, who is considered an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Navami is the ninth day of the month and Rama is supposed to have been born on a Navami. Ramanavami is celebrated by preparing Panaka (a juice prepared with jiggery (cane sugar) and musk melon) and Kosambri (a salad made from cucumber). People visit the temple of Rama and offer prayers to celebrate this day
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The birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated as 'Janmashtami'. This festival takes place during the month of Shravana. According to legend, Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day of the month of Shravana after the full moon. People celebrate the occasion by visiting the temple of Lord Krishna
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Dussehra (Dasara) or Navarathri is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. The goddess Shakti is worshipped in many forms during this festival. The ninth day of the festival is celebrated as 'Mahanvami' to mark the killing of the demon Mahisha by the goddess Durga. It is also celebrated as 'Ayudha Pooja', during which day weapons are worshipped. The tenth day of the festival is celebrated as 'Vijayadashami' to mark the killing of the demon Ravana by Lord Rama
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Lord Ganesha is considered to be the first of all gods and is worshipped as 'Vigneshwara' or the remover of obstacles. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of the month of Bhadrapada. This festival is celebrated in a grand manner, with people installing statues of Lord Ganesha and performing poojas (rituals) and praying to the Lord.
Modaka is a sweet dish made of flour with a sweet filling in it. The dish is supposed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesha and is prepared during the festival. The festival is especially popular in Mumbai. Bal Gangadha Tilak, a famous Indian leader, started the practice of public celebration of this festival as a method of uniting people against the British during the time of British rule |
Pancha Ganapati is a modern festival created in 1985 as a Hindu alternative to Christmas. It is not very popular in India, being founded by a Western convert Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (Robert Hansen) who was based in Hawaii
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