15 Popular Harvest Festivals of India
Festivals have always been the memorable parts of a traveler’s journey. India-being a colorful nation, and a lot of festivals are celebrated every year. Among these festivals Harvest festivals of India also add happiness and joy to people’s life.
The festivities not only bring people from different backgrounds but also turn the country into an alluring carnival, always having something new to offer to its tourists and visitors
India: The Land of Farmers
India is the land of Farmers. India is also an agrarian country with different parts of the country growing different grains and crops throughout the year. The harvest festivals in India involve customary traditions and joyous celebrations.
Likewise other people farmers also enjoy their work and they celebrated it in the form of festivals. From the start of digging the seeds into the field to the crop season, small or large festivals are organized.
Harvest Festivals – The Celebration of Food
The harvest festival is the celebration of food. It marks that time of the year when all the crops that had been sowed in and cared for round the clock. When the crop season starts and farmers are ready to harvest their crops in the field, happiness and excitement can be easily felt on their faces. Their hard work along with family members has given the results. People harvest their crops from the field and bring them to their homes. Put it in the safest place. After harvesting their crop, they celebrate harvest festivals.
List of Harvest Festivals of India
Here, we have listed the harvest festivals of India with dates that people celebrate with pomp and excitement. Have a look!
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HARVEST FESTIVALS OF INDIA
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S.N. |
NAME |
STATE |
MONTH |
|
1 |
Makar Sankranti |
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh |
January |
|
2 |
Lohri |
Punjab |
January |
|
3 |
Uttarayan |
Uttar Pradesh |
January |
|
4 |
Pongal |
Tamil Nadu |
January |
|
5 |
Laddakh Harvest Festival |
Laddakh |
January |
|
6 |
Basant Panchami |
North India |
February |
|
7 |
All Over India |
February-March |
|
|
8 |
Ugadi |
Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
March-April |
|
9 |
Gudi Padwa |
Maharashtra |
April |
|
10 |
Baisakhi |
Punjab |
April |
|
11 |
Bhogali Bihu |
Assam |
April |
|
12 |
Dree Festival |
Arunachal Pradesh |
July |
|
13 |
Hareli |
Chhattisgarh |
July-August |
|
14 |
Onam |
Kerala |
August-September |
|
15 |
Nuakhai |
Odisha |
August-September |
Harvest Festivals of North India
Some of the major harvest festivals in India are Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayana, Lohri, and Bhogali Bihu. These festivals are mostly celebrated in North India. These festivals are celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Makar Sankranti- Harvest Festival of Bihar
Makar Sankranti is one of the most widely celebrated harvest festivals of India. Mankar Sankranti is celebrated with different names in different parts of India. This festival is also known as Khichadi. This festival is important because it is also the Sun festival of India. Know more about Sun Festival in India.
The day of Makar Sankranti is considered to be the most auspicious day for Hindus. People take a dip in the holy water of the Ganga River, praying for good luck to come their way. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the month of January. Know more about Indian Festivals in January.
Lohri- Harvest Festival of Punjab
Lohri is celebrated all over North India to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of a new harvest season. Lohri is a famous harvest festival of Punjab that features customary moves and tunes.
Generally falling a day before Makar Sankranti, people set up huge bonfires and gather around them to perform small rituals and express their gratitude to the Lord.
Baisakhi- Harvest Festival of Punjab
Baisakhi, which is also famously known as Vaisakhi is the most important Harvest festival in India and is celebrated with a lot of beliefs all over north India. It is celebrated as the Indian thanksgiving wherein the farmers thank the Lord for a prosperous and fruitful previous year and pray for an even more prosperous harvest next year. This harvest festival of north India is celebrated with great enthusiasm and the rhythms of dhols and bhangra.
It has religious significance for the Sikh community as well since Guru Gobind Singh laid the foundation of Panth Khalsa on this day.
Ladakh Harvest Festival
Ladakh Harvest Festival is an integral part of the entire year in Ladakh and is celebrated all across the areas of Zanskar valley and Ladakh. The day is celebrated to commemorate Buddha, his teachings, and the positive influence he had on the people of Ladakh. With the beginning of this harvest festival of India, Ladakh looks bright, lovely, and absolutely stunning. The pilgrimage to Thangka is made on this auspicious occasion and on this day, Ladakh looks even more stunning than ever. The monasteries are decorated beautifully and are visited by tourists and monks every year.
Harvest Festivals of South India
Pongal, Onam, and Ugadi are the famous harvest festivals of South India. These festivals are celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana. All these festivals help one knows about the culture of South India.
Pongal:- Harvest Festival of Tamil Nadu
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature, and the various farm animals who help to contribute to a bountiful harvest. Celebrated over four days, Pongal also marks the beginning of the Tamil month called Thai, which is considered an auspicious month. It usually falls on the 14th or 15th of January each year.
Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival. It is a mixture of sweet boiled rice. It is derived from the Tamil word pongo, which means “to boil over”. Know more:- Pongal- South Indian Harvest Festival
Ugadi:- Harvest Festival of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Karnataka
Ugadi is the New Year celebration in Andhra Telangana and Karnataka. The festival comes in March or April every year. The festival is observed on the first day of the Chaitra month as per the Hindu calendar and typically falls in the month of March or April as in the Gregorian calendar.
The day is observed by drawing Rangoli, decorating the house with mango leaves, buying new clothes, giving food or clothes to the poor, special oil bath, preparing delicacies like Pachadi, and visiting a temple.
The day is also observed as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra. The festival is also celebrated as Yugadi in Karnataka. Know more about Ugadi Festival.
Harvest Festivals of North-East India
Bihu:- Harvest Festivals of Assam
Bihu is the Harvest Festival of Assam. Bihu is also one of the Festivals of North East India. The festival is a traditional New Year celebration of Assamese. During the month-long celebrations, young men and women wear their traditional clothes and perform the Bihu dance in the village fields and courtyards.
The key attraction of the Bihu festival is the Bihu dance, local cuisine, coconut Ladoo, Til Pitha, Ghila Pitha, and Fish Pitaka.
Harvest festivals are not only celebrated in India but across the world. All these festivals are based on their local harvest season. Those regions which are involved in agricultural practices plan their respective harvest seasons. Some of the countries that celebrate harvest festivals include Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, Israel, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
