Indian Harvest Festivals
Makar Sankranti
Celebrated all over the country, Makar Sankranti is the oldest and the most colorful harvest festival in India. It is also the most celebrated harvest festival of North India making it the top harvest festival of Uttar Pradesh. As per Hindu mythology, this festival marks the end of an unfavorable phase and the beginning of a holy phase. Particularly in villages of Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal, West Bengal, and Punjab, people celebrate the harvest of new crops with bonfire, carnivals, songs, dances, kite flying, and rallies.
Where is Makar Sankranti celebrated: Pan India in different ways but mainly in the north
Key attractions of Makar Sankranti festival: Kumbh Mela and various sumptuous sweet dishes made of sesame and jaggery.
Baisakhi
People of Punjab and Haryana celebrate Baisakhi festival 2020 or Vaisakhi by thanking God for the good harvest. And the farmers of the country express their happiness and delight through this Indian harvest festival. People wear their best colorful dresses, sing the happiest songs, and dance to the melodious beats of Dhol. It is the most loved harvest festival of Punjab. Baisakhi fairs are also organised where acrobatics, wresting, algoza, and vanjli performances can be seen which makes it one of the most interesting harvest festivals celebrated in India.
Where is Baisakhi celebrated: Punjab and Haryana
Key attractions of Baisakhi festival: Bhangra by menfolk and Gidda by women.
Ladakh Harvest Festival
Ladakh Harvest Festival has gained immense popularity and fame all over the world. Ladakh looks bright, beautiful, and absolutely stunning with the commencement of this harvest festival. Monasteries and stupas are decorated and pilgrimages to Thangka of Kyabje Gombo are mandatory things as a part of this celebration. Archery along with old social & cultural ceremonies and art & handicrafts are the other features of the event. The festivals of Ladakh attracts travelers from across the world with their exclusive experiences.
Where Ladakh Harvest Festival celebrated: Ladakh, Zanskar, Kargil
Key attractions of Ladakh Harvest Festival: Dramas or ‘Chhams’ are performed to display life and teachings of Buddha and different dance forms of Tibetan culture
Bhogali Bihu
Every year in January, the entire state of Assam showcases enthusiasm and delight in celebrating Bhogali Bihu. The farmers of Assam celebrate and cherish the efforts of cultivation and reap the benefits. The celebration starts one night before with Uruka—the community feast. On the day of Bihu, the mejis or pavilion made of clay and hay are burnt. Local women wear stunning mukhlas and participate in group songs and dance. Also known as Magh Bihu, this is an exotic and most vibrant name on the list of harvest festivals of India.
Where is Bihu celebrated: Assam
Key attractions of Bihu festival: Bihu dance, bullfight, bird fight and Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha and Laru
Lohri
Lohri is a renowned harvest festival in Punjab that showcases traditional dance and songs. To kill the chills of winter, the entire family and neighbours gather around the bonfire and sing together and offers grains, corns, and nuts to respect and appreciate the grand harvest of sugarcane crops.
Where is Lohri celebrated: Punjab
Key attractions of Lohri festival: The Punjabi folklore Sunder Mundriye sung by everyone
Nuakhai
Nuakhai is an age old harvest celebration in Odisha. Locally ‘nua’ means new and ‘khai’ means food. This is not only a popular harvest festival in India, but also celebrated to appreciate the passing away of the past and evil days while welcoming the new and beautiful with open arms. The festival is also known as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakhai Bhetghat.
Where is Nuakhai celebrated: Orissa
Key attractions of Nuakhai festival: The delicious Arsaa Pitha (sweet pancakes)
Wangala
Wangala is the merriment of 100 drums played by Garo tribes of northeast India. This is one of the popular harvest festivals of India marking the onset of winter. During this festival, Sun God is worshiped with immense devotion and zeal. Women wear their traditional colourful clothes and dance during this harvesting festival while men rhythmically drum their fingers on the traditional drum pads.
Where is Wangala celebrated: Meghalaya and Assam
Key attractions of the Wangala festival: Musical extravaganza with drums, flutes, and gongs
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem
The inhabitants of Khasi hills worship Goddess Ka Blei Synshar and celebrate the plentiful harvest with vigour and excitement. Ka Pomblang Nongkrem brings ultimate joy and happiness to the community. The celebration comprises of animal sacrifice and Nongkrem dance with sword in one hand and yak hair whisk on the other.
Where is Ka Pomblang Nongkrem celebrated: Meghalaya
Key attractions of Ka Pomblang Nongkrem festival: Pemblang ceremony and Ceremony of Tangmuri
Ugadi
Ugadi is a regional New Year celebration for people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This harvest festival is considered auspicious to start new work and ventures. On the day, local people take oil bath, wear traditional clothes, decorate homes with earthen lamps and rangoli, and perform Ugadi puja at home.
Where is Ugadi celebrated: Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
Key attractions of Ugadi festival: The Ugadi delicacies like Ugadi Pachadi, Pulihora and Bobbatlu are prepared with raw mango, jaggery, neem, and tamarind.
Gudi Padwa
Gudi Padwa is a grand harvest festival of Maharashtra marking the beginning of an auspicious New Year. People make rangoli designs at the entrance of their homes and decorate it with flowers and a handmade doll . Folks meet friends and relatives, exchange wishes, and women cook sweets like Puran Poli, Shrikhand, and Sunth Paak.
Where is Gudi Padwa celebrated: Maharashtra
Key attractions of Gudi Padwa festival: Local people make Gudi (bamboo doll) using mango and neem leaves and hang them at the entrance.
Nabanna
Nabana is amongst one of the crop festivals of India which is famous for the paddy plantations harvest. This is one of the most celebrated traditions of Bengal, where new rice is harvested with sheer joy and stocked in homes. Farmers from Bengal cheerfully participate in this harvest ritual in the Bengali month of Agrahayan and offer the first grains to Goddess Lakshmi while thanking her for all blessings. West Bengal Tourism has taken initiative to welcome tourists from around the country.
Where is Nabanna celebrated: West Bengal
Key attractions of Nabanna festival: Payesh (Kheer) made from the newly harvested rice and Nabanna fair.
Onam
Onam is a legendary harvest festival of Kerala celebrated with great enthusiasm in different parts of Kerala. The festival is celebrated for 10 days with the arrival of Mahabali. To relish the successful harvest, Malayalee people decorate their house entrance with floral rangoli, wear new traditional clothes, women cook delicious food, and celebrate with traditional music and dance.
Where is Onam celebrated: Some regions of Kerala
Key attractions of Onam festival: Traditional Malayalee recipes like Rasam, Payasam, Avial, brown rice and parippu curry are offered to guests in traditional green leaf, snake boat race and tiger dance are also exciting to watch.
Pongal
Pongal is another name for Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated during the same time in various cities of Tamil Nadu. This is a thanksgiving celebration where people express their deep gratitude to mother nature for the produce of the year. This is one of the most colourful harvest festivals of India celebrated for 4 days. It is amongst the most popular festivals of Tamil Nadu.
Where is Pongal celebrated: Tamil Nadu
Key attractions of Pongal festival: Decorated houses with Kolam, bull taming contests, bonfire with agricultural wastes and worship for the family’s prosperity
Basant Panchami
Basant Panchami marks the onset of spring season. Celebrated in different states of North India, it is considered an auspicious day. This festival is associated with yellow color, which is a color of spirituality. One can see the magnificent mustard crop fields in the countryside, especially rural areas of Haryana and Punjab.
Key attractions of Basant Panchami festival: Indian cuisine like Meethe Chawal, Maake ki Roti, and Sarso Ka Saag
Where is Basant Panchami celebrated: Eastern parts of India West Bengal & Bihar.
Vishu
Grand worship of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, elaborate family lunch, evening prayers, and fireworks sum up the complete picture of Vishu festival. This is an interesting harvest festival celebrated on the first day of Malayalee New Year. Women of the house prepare Vishukkani—varieties of traditional cuisine to offer to Gods—, with rice, golden lemon, golden cucumber, jackfruit, yellow konna flowers, and betel leaves.
Where is Vishu celebrated: Kerala and Karnataka
Key attractions of Vishu festival: Kani Kanal—the first holy sight of Vishnu and the Sadya—the grand mid-day meal spread
Holi
Holi being one of the colourful harvest festivals of India is celebrated with great enthusiasm and in all good spirits. Holi represents the essence of India and vibrancy as the festival is celebrated with great grandeur and splendour. Holi is one of the renowned harvest festivals of India known for colours and water. The essence behind the festival is that it is celebrated for 2 days that is 1st day is for a bonfire to commemorate Holika’s sacrifice and the second day is when people play with colours and water and celebrate Holi with all vigour and joy.
Where is Holi celebrated: Barsana, Mathura & Vrindavan
Key Attractions of Holi festival: The festival is celebrated, playing with a lot varied colours.
Dree Festival
The Dree Festival is among the most famous festivals in Arunachal Pradesh as it marks an important time of the year for the Apatani tribe – the harvest season. Characterized by sacrificial offerings and prayers, Dree is celebrated on the 5th of July every year in the Ziro district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The festival is celebrated with utmost joy by people of all walks of life who dress up in traditional clothes. Locals perform traditional dance and music numbers while others enjoy a feast of tangy rice and millet beer. Other than this, the three-day festival is also marked by various games and sports that the locals and onlookers are entertained with. The entire ritual is carried out to pray before the four Gods – Tamu, Harniang, Metii, and Danyi – so that the Apatanis can be blessed with a bountiful harvest season.
Where is Dree festival celebrated: Arunachal Pradesh
Key Attractions of Dree festival: The festival is celebrated with traditional singing and dance during which five of the main deities are worshipped such as Tamu, Medvr, Metw, Mepin and Danyi.
Agera
Agera is one of the crop festivals of India celebrated with great enthusiasm by the people of Mumbai. Celebrated on the first Sunday of October in the regions of Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Vasai, it marks the harvest season of Maharashtra when Catholic locals thank “thank God for the abundance of blessings received”. It is also sometimes called the ‘Thanksgiving Sunday’ and is characterized by a lively procession to the nearest paddy field where a priest blesses the farm and plucks a few sheaves. The procession is accompanied by music and dance. Various food stalls are set up outside churches where the blessed paddy is finally brought before being distributed to the participants.
Where is Agera celebrated: Mumbai
Key Attractions of Agera festival: One of the priests showers the blessings on the field and harvest a few of rice stalks. After then the rice stalks are taken till the church with sounds of village band in a palki.