Ambubachi Mela

It is held in the premises of the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati in the State of Assam. The festival falls in the month of June and is one of the major festivals in North-East India, so much so that it has been dubbed as the ‘Mahakumbh of the East’. The festival has been associated with fertility rituals and many devotees come to seek the blessing of a child from the Goddess. The temple has courted controversy because of the alleged Tantric activities conducted during this mela. During the festival, the patron Goddess Kamakhya is said to be undergoing her annual menstrual cycle. Hence, the temple remains closed for three days as it is considered unclean. Once the door reopens, thousands of devotees come to take blessings from the Goddess. During this period, the number of incidents related to Tantrik activities is also high and they are said to perform unusual rites.

Kang Chingba

The festival of Kang Chingba is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated in the State of Manipur. It is similar to the ‘Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra’ and draws many antecedents from the same. It is an 8-day long festival that is celebrated in the month of July every year. The festival includes a Rath Yatra, which re-enacts the journey of Lord Jagannath along with his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra.

 The festival attracts thousands of devotees from all over India who flock to Imphal to be a part of this journey. The Yatra begins from the very famous holy temple of Sri Govindajee situated in Imphal.

 The idols carved of wood and heavily decorated are carted around in massive chariots that are called ‘Kang’. These deities are then carried to another temple and people dance through the night to celebrate the journey.

 

Wangala Festival

The dominant Garo Tribe primarily celebrates the Wangala festival in Meghalaya. The festival indicates the beginning of winter and is celebrated as a nod to the post-harvest season. The festival is held in the Asanang near Tura in the Garo Hills. It usually falls in the second week of November each year. The festival is celebrated in the honour of ‘Misi Saljong’, a local deity who is considered to be generous. He is supposed to be the force behind the good things that happen to the community. One day before the festival, the village chief who is also known as the “Nokma” performs several rituals like making ritual offerings to the deity. Several things like freshly brewed beer, cooked rice and vegetables are offered to the deity-Misi Saljong. This festival is also unique as music forms a mainstay of their celebrations.

 Drums, flutes and other orchestra instruments are played to create a festive ambience. It is also known as the ‘100 Drum Wangala festival’ as loud drum noises herald the beginning of the festival.

 The day is also set apart by the wonderful costumes worn by the participants. An extraordinary feature is the feathered head-gear that is worn by everyone celebrating the festival and also reflects their clan colours.

Cheiraoba Festival

This festival is celebrated all across the State of Manipur, as it is the New Year according to the Manipuri tribes. It is celebrated in the month of April (it means the first day of the month Sajibu. The festival is also related to the domestic deity called Sanamahi worshipped by the Manipuri people. The festival is usually conducted in the temple of Sanamahi but every household cleans, buys new utensils and new clothes for the family members.

 A peculiar tradition attached to the Cheiraoba festival is that on this day, people select a person to be the ‘Chahitaba’ who is responsible for the sins of the people for the entire year. He also bears responsibility for all the good and ill luck that comes to the community and his name is given to that particular year. The Maiba community selects him after consulting the horoscope. Another unique ritual attached to this festival is that most people climb on the nearest hill on this day as they believe it will help them reach greater heights in their worldly life.

 

Kharchi Puja

This festival primarily originates from the State of Tripura. While it began as a festival of the royal family of Tripura, currently even the common households celebrate this festival. It is celebrated over a period of 10 days and takes place in the month of July each year.

 The festival is celebrated in the honour of Lord Shiva who had ordered the people to worship 14 other deities.

 These fourteen deities are housed in the Puran Haveli situated in the Old Agartala. Each year thousands of people make the trek to this temple in Agartala so that they can pay obeisance to the deities. The temple committee also organises cultural programmes and fairs for the enjoyment of the masses.

Hornbill Festival

It is one of the major agricultural festivals celebrated in the State of Nagaland. Its a week-long festival that begins on 1st December every year. All the major Naga tribes attend this festival andcongregate at the Kisama Heritage village. All the tribes showcase their talent and cultural vividness through costumes, weapons, bows and arrows and headgears of the clans.

 This is also a good opportunity to bring all the tribes together and for the younger generation to form cultural ties. Further celebrations are held during the Kohima Night Bazaar where all the crafts are displayed. There are interesting events like the pork eating and King Chilli eating competitions.

 

Bihu Festival

Bohag Bihu is one of the most popular festivals of Assam and held for celebrating the Assamese New year. Although the Assamese celebrate Bihu thrice in a year, the Bohag Bihu is the most anticipated one. The three Bihu’s are:

Bohag or Rongali Bihu

Kati or Kongali Bihu

Maagh or Bhogali Bihu

The festival of Bihu is traditionally tied to the changing seasons and harvests. The Bohag Bihu is celebrated for many days beginning from 14th of April every year. The celebrations range from one week to almost a month depending on the communities and tribes’ decision.

On the first day of the festival, cows and bulls that are the main stay of the community are bathed and fed. This ceremony is called the ‘Gora Bihu’.

The second day is the main day of the celebrations that constitute Bihu, as people greet one another and they exchange Gamosa (a handwoven cotton towel) with their relatives. All the houses prepare Pitha or a traditional dish made of rice powder, flour, sesame, coconut and jaggery. They also organise stages where men and women from all communities come together to perform the Bihu Dance.

 

Kolayat Fair (Kapil Muni Fair)

Kolayat fair is held in Bikaner, Rajasthan. On the day of Kartik Poornima, people come to take a dip in the holy Kolayat Lake to get respite from all their sins. The fair is named after the great sage Kapil Muni who undertook intense meditation for the benefit of humanity. A large cattle fair is also organized. Tourists throng the place in thousands to witness the enchanting display of colourful Rajasthani culture and tradition.

Desert Festival

This three-day extravaganza takes place in Jaisalmer in the month of February. The festival showcases the vibrant culture of Rajasthan. It gives the tourists a local flavour and showcases different facets of the Rajasthani culture. Among the golden sands of Rajasthan, tourists can enjoy colourful folk dances, trip to the sand dunes, tying competitions, camel rides, etc. The festival ends with a musical performance by the folk singers under the moonlit sky. No wonder, the desert festival features on every foreigner’s to do list.

 

Pushkar Mela

Pushkar Mela is an annual fair in Rajasthan starting on the day of ‘Kartik Poornima’ and lasts for about a week. It is one of the largest camel and cattle fairs in the world. It is a time when the Rajasthani farmers buy and sell their cattle but most of the trading is completed in the days leading to the fair. When the festival actually begins, events like camel races, moustache competitions, turban tying competitions, dancing and camel riding, etc take centre stage. The fair attracts thousands of visitors and is quite popular among the foreign tourists as well.

 

Shamlaji Fair

It is celebrated by a tribal community in Gujarat to revere Lord Shamlaji “the Dark Divine” who is thought to be the incarnate of Krishna or Vishnu. Devotees come in large numbers to worship the deity and take a holy bath in the Meshno river. The ‘Bhils’ have immense faith in powers of Shamlaji who they lovingly call ‘Kaliyo Dev’. It lasts for about three weeks in the month of November, with Kartik Poornima being the most important day of the fair.

 

Chitra Vichitra Fair

It is the largest tribal fair in Gujarat celebrated mainly by the ‘Gharasia’ and ‘Bhil’ tribes. The tribals wear their traditional costumes and showcase the local tribal culture. On the ‘Amavasya’ after Holi, the tribal women go to the river to mourn for their near and dear departed ones. The festivities start from the next day.

Lively dance performances, best of rural handicrafts and exquisite silver jewelry attract thousands of tourists every year.

 

Sonepur Mela

It is one of the largest cattle fairs in Asia. The mela is held in Sonepur, Bihar at the confluence of the River Ganga and the Gandak. It usually takes place in November on the Kartik Poornima, a day considered auspicious by the Hindus. It is the only fair where large numbers of elephants are sold and legend says Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horse during this fair.

Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. Every day millions of people come to take a dip in the holy river. 

 The mela (gathering) is held on a rotational basis at four auspicious Hindu pilgrimage sites-Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik-Trimbak and Ujjain. According to Hindu mythology, during the ‘Samudra Manthan’ i.e. churning of the ocean, ‘Amrit’ i.e. drink of immortality was produced and stored in a ‘Kumbh’ (pot). In the battle of the Devas and the Asuras, Lord Vishnu dropped drops of Amrit while transporting the Kumbh. These places are the four sites where the Kumbh Mela is held.

 The mela is held once in three years at different places and at any given place after a time interval of twelve years. The exact dates are determined according to the zodiac positions of the Sun, Moon and the planet Jupiter. At Nashik and Ujjain, if the mela is held when a planet is in Leo (Simha in Hindu astrology), it is called as Simhastha Kumbh.

 At Haridwar and Allahabad, Ardh-Kumbh Mela is held every sixth year and a Maha Kumbh takes place once in 144 years.

 Maagh Kumbh is celebrated every year in the month of Maagh (JanFeb) in Allahabad.