My dear visitors, “What are your opinions about harvest festivals in India?” India is posthumously known as “Land of Festivals” and it is a vibrant country where people enjoy their celebrations fully. Most of Indians are from agriculture background. They are basically farmers. Harvest festivals are celebrated across the country due to many reasons like mythological, societal and traditional also.
Capturing the Essence of Harvest Festivals in India
A harvest festival is a traditional festival that celebrated since long years ago according to the time of the main harvest of a given region or state. It not only marks the end of the growing season and the gathering of the crops, but also includes religious ceremonies, customs and feasts also. The respective community or residents of the states being together express their gratitude before their deities for a successful harvest and the abundance of the season.
List of Some Harvesting Festivals across the Country:-
Makar Sankranti:-
Celebrated on 14th January of every year, this festival signifies the end of the harvesting season in India where farmers relax by putting down their tools and come together with pomp and joy. People of the northern parts of India, Gujarat enjoy this festival by flying kites.
Pongal:-
One of the most famous harvest festivals of South India is Pongal. It is celebrated in mid-January every year mainly in Tamilnadu and marks the beginning of Uttarayan-sun’s journey northwards. It is is celebrated for four days in the Tamil month of Thai (January-February) and is dedicated to the worship of the sun god.
People decorate their homes with rangolis, cook sweet Pongal, and offer it to the deity as ‘Bhoga’.
3. Baisakhi:-
Baisakhi or Vaisakhi, the harvest festival, is celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm to mark the beginning of the season-king spring and is celebrated in most of our country as the new year by Hindus. It symbolizes the end of the harvest season in India, marking a time of prosperity for the farmers. Also called as Vaisakhi, it is a festival of tremendous joy and enchantment.
4. Lohri:-
Lohri is a harvest festival celebrated mainly in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana & Delhi. It is celebrated on 13th January every year & marks the end of the winter season. During Lohri, bonfires are lit, people sing folk songs, & enjoy traditional Punjabi delicacies.
The festival involves lighting a holy bonfire, feeding it, offering prayers, dance performances. The fire signifies passing of winters, the long nights and welcomes summer, the longer days.
5. Nuakhai:-
Nuakhai is a auspicious and major social festival of Odisha is celebrated on the Panchami Tithi of the lunar month of Bhadrava (August-September) or the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi.
It marks the beginning of the new crop season and mainly celebrated in the western districts of Odisha. Both the people of community and domestic levels enjoy this festival with great pomp and joy. People offer the deity the first crop of the season & enjoy a feast consisting of rice, Dalma & sweets.
6. Bihu:-
The most significant and major of all the traditional and vibrant celebrations in Assam is the Bihu festival. Marking the beginning of the agricultural season, Bihu brings the people of Assam together, irrespective of caste, religion, creed, gender or race. People of Assam rest their faith on their supreme God, Brai Shibrai, locally known as Father Shibrai.
Bihu is a harvest festival of Assam which has three parts – Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu & Magh Bihu. Bohag Bihu, or Rongali Bihu, celebrated in mid-April, marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. People wear traditional attire, perform the Bihu dance & enjoy feasts of pitha, larus & meat dishes.
7. Onam:-
Onam is a 10-day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August – September) and marks the homecoming of the king Mahabali.The festival is celebrated with grandeur. People indulge themselves in fairs and contests like snake boat race (Aranmula Boat Race) contest called Vallamkali.
8. Chhath Puja:-
Chhath Puja is a major harvest festival of Bihar, Jharkhand & Uttar Pradesh. It is celebrated on the sixth day of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November) & is dedicated to the sun god. People offer arghya (water) to the sun god, take a holy dip in rivers & enjoy traditional dishes like kheer, thekua & laddu.
9. Gudi Padwa:-
Gudi Padwa is one of the major festivals for the people of Maharashtra as it marks the beginning of the new year and the harvest season. Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March-April). It is believed that Lord Brahma created the universe on this day.
The main ritual is the worship of an adorned bamboo stalk or Gudi, which is erected in the front of the house.Fruits like mangoes fruits are picked which marks the harvest and conclusion of the Rabi crop for the season.
10. Hornbill:-
Hornbill a harvest festival of Nagaland, is celebrated every year in the first week of December. Dedicated to the Hornbill bird, which is sacred to the Nagas. People participate in traditional dances, enjoy traditional Naga cuisine, and witness the Hornbill International Rock Festival.
11. Vishu Festival:-
Vishu festival signifies the New Year of Kerala. This also symbolises the beginning of Spring. Lord Vishnu, in his avatar Shri Krishna is worshipped in Vishu. It is believed that on this day, Lord Krishna had killed the demon Narakasura.
12. Dree Festival:-
Dree Festival is celebrated by the Apatani Tribe in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh.This festival is celebrated on the 5th of July. The preparations however start from 4th of July itself.
Dree festival is celebrated by offering prayers to the Gods Tamu, Harniang, Metii, and Danyi and asking for a great harvest season. Other than that, tangy rice and millet lager is prepared and relished.
13. Ka Pomblang Nongkrem:-
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, a harvest festival of Meghalaya, is celebrated in November every year. The goddess Ka Blei Synshar is worshipped. People perform traditional dances like Nongkrem, wear colorful attire, and relish traditional Khasi cuisine.It’s a five day long carnival in the autumn months of October and November.
14.Wangala
Wangala is celebrated in Meghalaya in November every year, dedicated to the worship of goddess Saljong, who is believed to bless the crops. Wangala, a traditional dance is performed & people relish traditional Garo cuisine & witness the flag-hoisting ceremony. Also celebrated in Assam.
15. Ladakh Harvest Festival:-
The harvest festival of Ladakh is a 15-day event at the start of September. This festival is a colourful and vibrant extravaganza of the local culture. The people perform masked dances, songs and other rituals. A polo tournament known as the “Ladakh Festival Cup” is the highlight of the festival.
16. Nabanna Festival:-
Nabanna a harvest festival of West Bengal, is celebrated on the day of Vishwakarma Puja in the Hindu month of Bhadra (August-September). The deity is offered the first crop of the season and a feast consisting of rice, fish curry, and sweets is enjoyed.
You must attend at least a few of the harvest festivals of India in separate states. You’ll be amazed to witness the great diversity of this gorgeous land. Taking a trip to these Indian states during their harvest festivals will help you learn a great deal about their vivid culture, heritage, and traditions.
FAQ:- Which is the oldest festival of India?
1.Which is the oldest festival of India?
Diwali. It is the festival of lights and decoration. It has a mythological and ancient relationship from the Ramayan.
2. How any 3 states of India celebrate a harvest festival on the same day?
It is called Lohri in northern India, Maghi in Punjab, Poush Sankranti in West Bengal, Shishur Saenkraat in Kashmir, Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu in Assam and Pongal in Tamil Nadu
3. Is Onam and Pongal same?
No, they’re two different South Indian annual harvest festivals. Onam is the festival of the Asura king Mahabali’s homecoming and Parashurama’s raising the land of Kerala from the sea, while Pongal is a festival of gratitude to the Sun God and the Earth.
4. How many harvest festivals are there in India?
There are 13 popular harvest festival of India which are Makar Sankranti, Baisakhi, Ladakh Harvest Festival, Lohri, Bhogali Bihu, Basant Panchami, Wangala, Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, Pongal, Nuakhai, Gudi Padwa, Nabanna, and Onam.
5.What is biggest Hindu festival?
Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj is the largest in the world, the attendance and scale of preparation of which keeps rising with each successive celebration in the ga of twelve years.
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