January 5 - Guru Givind Singh Jayanti
Guru Gobind Singh (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth Guru of Sikhism. He was the leader of the Sikh faith, a warrior, a poet, and a philosopher.Guru Gobind Singh is considered a perfect example of manhood; highly educated, skilled in horsemanship, armed combat, chivalrous, and generous in character.
January 14 - Pongal
Thai Pongal is a harvest festival widely celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household.
January 20 - Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami sometimes referred to as Basant Panchami or Shree Panchami , is a Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati,the goddess of knowledge, music and art. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day (Panchami) of the Indian month Magh (January-February),the first day of spring. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words; and most educational institutions organise special prayer for Saraswati.
January 26 - Republic Day
The Constitution of India came into force, and India declared itself a Republic on 26 January 1950, a day thereafter celebrated annually as Republic Day in India. The Constitution had been drafted by the Constituent Assembly headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar which was set up when India gained its independence from the British in 1947.
February 8 - Maharshi Dayanand Sarawati Jayanti
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was an important Hindu religious scholar, reformer and the founder of the Arya Samaj, "Society of Nobles", a Hindu reform movement, founded in 1875. He was the first man who gave the call for Swarajya - "India for Indians" in 1876 which was later furthered by Lokmanya Tilak .
February 12 - Maharashivaratri
Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha or Phalguna in the Hindu Calendar . The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil.
February 19 - Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti
Shivaji Bhosle (19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), popularly known as Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a Maratha warrior king who founded the Maratha kingdom. Shivaji Bhosle led a resistance to free the Marathas from Sultanate of Bijapur and raided and defended themselves from the Mughal Empire.He created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its capital. He became the crowned king 'Chatrapati' of the Maratha Kingdom in 1674.
February 27 - Milad un-Nabi
Milad-un-Nabi is also known as Barawafat or Mawlid marks the birth of the Prophet. According to Islamic calendar the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad occurs in the third month, Rabi' al-awwal. The celebration of Milad-un-Nabi origin is said to be have been since 11th century in the Fatimid dynasty.
March 1 - Holi
Holi, or Holli,is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and others.Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March.
March 16 - Gudipadava
Gudi Padwa or Gudhi Padwa is the Marathi name for the Hindu holy day of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.
March 24 - Shree Ram Navami
Rama Navami also known as Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Rama is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu. The festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. Thus it is also known as Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.
April 2 - Good Friday
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Black Friday., Great Friday, is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.
April 14 - Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival in the Punjab region, which also marks beginning of a new solar year, and new harvest season. Baisakhi is a Sikh religious festival. It falls on the first day of the Baisakh month in the solar Nanakshahi calendar.
April 28 - Mahavir Jayanti
In Jainism, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is the most important religious holiday. It celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara. Mahavira was the son of Siddhartha and Trisala. Lord Mahavira is an ideal in Jainism who taught the world the essence of life. He taught all of us the right way of living the life.
April 28 - Eid - E - Milad
Id-e-Milad or Barah Wafat is celebrated on the twelfth day of the third month Rabi-ul-Awwal (according to the Islamic calendar). It is celebrated to commemorate the birth and death anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad, which falls on the same day. The word 'barah' signifies the twelve days of the Prophet's sickness. During the twelve days, sermons and Koranic texts narrating the life and noble deeds of the Prophet are recited in mosques.
May 9 - Ravindranath Tagore Jayanti
Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was an Indian Bengali polymath. He was a popular poet, novelist, musician, and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", and as the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature,Tagore was perhaps the most widely regarded Indian literary figure of all time.
May 27 - Buddha Purnima / Vesak
Vesākha is called "Buddha's Birthday," it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment , and passing away of Gautama Buddha.
The exact date of Vesākha varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions but it falls on the full moon Uposatha day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month).
June 26 - Hazarat Ali Birthday
Hazarat Ali's B’day is a great celebration in the muslim community. He was born in the Kaaba sanctuary of mecca, the holiest place in Islam on Friday the 13th Rajab, 30 amulfeel (year of the elephant) 11th October 599AD.
July 13 - Rath Yatra
Ratha Jatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June (Rainy Season). Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area. The festival commemorates Lord Jagannath's annual visit to his aunt's home.
August 15 - Independence Day
India's Independence Day is celebrated on 15 August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947.The day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in attendance. The main event takes place in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally televised speech from its ramparts.
August 19 - Parsi New Year
Nowrūz is a traditional ancient Iranian festival which celebrates the start of the Iranian New Year. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the Persian New Year.
August 23 - Onam
Onam is the biggest festival in the South Indian state of Kerala. It falls during the first month of Malayalee calendar which is Chingam (August–September) and marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. The festival lasts for ten days and is linked to many elements of Kerala's culture and tradition.Onam is the harvest festival in Kerala
August 24 - Rakshabandhan
Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana (Shravan Poornima).The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents sweets to her brother.
September 2 - Janmashtami
Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu.Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami tithi, the eighth day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Shraavana in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatra is ascendant. The festival always falls within mid-August to mid-September.
September 10 - Jamat Ul Vida
Ramajan is the Islamic holy month of fasting. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramajan, on the first day of Shawwal. Muslims are commanded by the Quran to complete their fast on the last day of Ramajan and then recite the Takbir all throughout the period of Eid. Jamat Ul Vida is the last friday falls in ramzan. This is holy day according to Muslims.
September 11 - Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesha Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the birthday of Lord Ganesha who is widely worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
September 11 - Ramzan Id ( Eid-Ul-Fitr )
Eid-ul-Fitr, popularly known as the "Festival of Breaking of the Fast", occurs as soon as the new moon is sighted at the end of the month of fasting, namely Ramadan. This festival celebrates the end of Ramzan, the Muslim month of fasting. It is an occasion of feasting and rejoicing.Fitr is derived from the word ‘fatar’ meaning breaking. Fitr has another meaning derived from another word fitrah meaning ‘alms’.Special foods and delicacies are prepared for the day and are distributed among neighbors and id-ul-fitr.jpgfriends.
October 2 - Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
Gandhi Jayanti is a National Holiday celebrated in India to mark the occasion of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of the Nation". He was born on October 2, 1869. Hence Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated every year on the 2nd of October. The United Nations General Assembly announced that the 2nd of October will be celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence.
October 14 - Maha Saptami
This day falls in Durga Pooja. In 9 days of Durga Utsav, this is 7th and very important day. Pooja of goddess Durga is performed on this day.
October 15 - Maha Ashtami
This day falls in Durga Pooja. In 9 days of Durga Utsav, this is 8th and very important day. Pooja of goddess Durga is performed on this day.
October 17 - Dashehara
The tenth day after Navratri is called Dussehra, on which number of fairs are organized throughout the northern India, burning effigies of Ravana.It is also called “Vijayadashmi” as this day marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. VijayaDashami is considered to be an auspicious day for the Indian householder, on which he worships, protects and preserves 'Shakti' (power).
October 22 - Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e. first verse, which set the base and defined the form to Sanskrit poetry.
November 5 - Dipawali / Diwali
Diwali also popularly known as the Festival of Lights, is an important 5-day festival in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November.The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word Dīpāvali which translates into row of lamps . Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (divas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. Some Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali wishing for good luck the following year.
November 6 - Govardhan Pooja
Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. Lord Krishna taught people to worship nature, as mountains bring rains to earth. His was the message that we should take care of our nature. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Padva or BaliPratipada. The day commemorates King Bali.
November 7 - Bhaai Bij
The festival of Bhai Dooj is popularly known as Bhai Bij, Bhaubeej or Bhav Bij . Just as Bhaidooj celebrations in rest of India, Bhaubeej falls on the last day of five-day-long Diwali festival, on the second day of Diwali. On Bhaubeej, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Teeka ceremony. Brothers give their sisters Bhav-Bij gifts.
November 17 - Bakari Eid / Eid Ul Ada
Id-ul-Zuha also called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or 'bakr' in Urdu. The word 'id' derived from the Arabic 'iwd' means 'festival' and zuha comes from 'uzhaiyya' which translates to 'sacrifice'.On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr (Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to kill his son at the behest of God.This festival coincides with the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca.
November 21 - Guru Nanak Jayanti
Guru Nanak Jayanti is the birthday of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, and one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism.Guru Nanak Dev Ji (the First Guru, the founder of Sikhism) was born on 14 April 1469 . The birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib falls on Kartik Poornima.
November 24 - Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom Day
Guru Tegh Bahadur (1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) became the 9th Guru of Sikhism on 20 March 1665, following in the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan. Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi.
December 17 - Muharram
The festival commemorates the martyrdom of the prophet Mohammed's grandson- Hazrat Imam Hussein. It is celebrated with great fervour by the Muslims especially the Shia community. Tazias, glittering replicas of the Martyr's tomb, are carried in procession through the streets. People beat their chest in mourning to the tune of beating drums and chants 'Ya Hussain'. Devotees beat themselves and inflict wounds on their own bodies.This festival starts at the 1st day of Muharram and lasts for 10 days until 10th of Muharram. Muharram is the first month of Islamic calendar.
December 24 - Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day, a widely celebrated holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.In Western culture, Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24.
December 25 - Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday held on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus.Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many whose populations are not majority Christian.