January Fairs Festivals : POUSH - MAGH

January is a month of severe cold in northern India. In the south, while the nights are chill, the days are certainly more clement and sun-warmed. In rural India, farmers look forward to the ripening of their crops of rice, wheat, sugarcane and a variety of pulses. This is also the time for millions of rural Indians to light bonfires of dried wood and hay in their courtyards and relax in the cold, star-studded twilight.

February Fairs Festivals : Magh - Phalgun

Mahashivratri Festival - Night of Shiva

On the 14th night of the dark half of Magh occurs the festival of Mahashivaratri. This is an important fast for devotees of the god Shiva, who stay awake throughout the night, spending time in prayer. The name of this festival literally means 'the great night of Shiva'.

March Fairs Festivals : Phalgun - Chaitra

Holi Festival : The Spring Festival Of Colours

With winter mists melting in the sunshine, Phalgun brings new life to every leaf and bud, announcing that Vasant Ritu or Springtime has come with its great display of flowers and fruits. While nature wears verdant new robes, the vernal equinox brings hope to farmers. This joyful new beginning is celebrated on the full moon day of Phalgun at the most colourful festival of India - Holi.

April Fairs Festivals : CHAITRA - VAISHAKH

The gudi with a swastika-marked pot and silk cloth is a traditional tribute to the vernal sun. Raising a gudi is an act of declaring victory, first initiated by the victorious warriors of the Maratha army under Shivaji.

May Fairs Festivals : VAISHAKH - JYESHTHA

Akshaya Tritiya Festival : An Auspicious Day

It is well known that Indians believe passionately in the theory of muhurts or auspicious times to perform sacraments, to make major purchases or to begin new ventures. Inspite of modern technology and changing lifeviews, this dedication to auspicious time is a prominent feature of Indian life. Akshaya Tritiya, the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh, is considered one of the four most sacred days of the vear.

June Fairs Festivals : Jyeshtha - Ashadh

Ganga Dussehra Festival : River Of Life

The river Ganga holds a uniquely significant place in Indian life and consciousness. It rises at Gangotri, high in the snow-clad Himalayas. Cascading down mighty boulders, it flows into the hot plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and finally meets the waters of the sea in the Bay of Bengal. At Allahabad, the Ganga merges with the river Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati.

July Fairs Festivals : ASHADH - SHRAVAN

An ancient sculpture of Vishnu sleeping on the coiled cosmic serpent Ananta. Having provided the earth with good harvests and life-giving water in the monsoon months, Vishnu then rests from Shayani Ekadashi to Prabodhini Ekadashi.

August Fairs Festivals - SHRAVAN - BHADRAPAD

Shravan Fair : The Holy Month

A time of rain storms and rain-drenched earth, Shravan is the holiest month of the year for Hindus. Each Monday of this month, known as Shravan Somvar, is a special day in Shiva temples where the dharanatra hangs over the linga or the idol to bathe it with water, day and night. Devotees pile the lmga high with Bel leaves and flowers and fast till sundown, eating only root vegetables and'fruit. The nanda deep, Only a 24 hour lamp, burns steadily in the temples signifying the eternal prayers of devotees ascending to heaven.

September Fairs Festivals : Bhadrapad - Ashwin

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival : Time Of Rejoicing And Reverence

Ganesha is the ever-present deity of India. On wedding invitations, at street come shrines, in carved doorway and in every temple, he is represented in many carvings sculptures and paintings. On the fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapad, the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi comes to India.

October Fairs Festivals : ASHVIN - KARTIK

Navratri Festival : Nine Nights Of Festivities

When the last showers of the monsoon are beginning to fall sparsely between spells of bright sunshine , comes the month of Ashwin. In this month/the festive season in India reaches a crescendo with the beginning of the nine-day Navaratri festival.

November Fairs Festivals : Kartik - Margashirsha

Once the hectic days of Diwali are over, people all over India return to work and prepare for the coming winter. At the end of the year, there are a few festivals but the main season of Hindu festivities - the Chaturmaas- ends with the 11th day of Kartik or Kartik Ekadashi, the last day of fasting or feasting. Vishnu, resting on his cosmic snake Ananta, awakens on this day, called Prabodhini Ekadashi, to begin the work of maintaining the balance of the world. The Varkari Vaishnavas lead their last pilgrimage to the sacred Vitthala temple at Pandharpur, Maharashtra and return home to their routines.

December Fairs Festivals : MARGASHIRSHA - POUSH

Tirupavai Festival : The Devotion Of Andal

The month of Margashirsha is special to Vaishnav Hindus who worship Vishnu. In the Bhagawad Gita, Krishna identifies himself with Margashirsha, which comes when the full moon is sighted near the stellar constellation of Mriga.