Dree Festival

The Apatani tribe that resides in Arunachal Pradesh primarily celebrates the festival. Currently, more and more tribes have started observing the rituals of the Dree festival. It is celebrated on the 5th of July each year, but the preparations and rituals begin a few days before the actual festival. The festival is one of the biggest celebrations held in the Ziro valley and hundreds of people from villages around the valley congregate here to celebrate.

During the festival, people offer prayers and offerings to four main Gods: Tamu, Metii, Danyi and Harniang. These offerings are given to pray for a good and plentiful harvest. People gather around the valley and perform traditional dances. One of the most unique points of this festival is that cucumber is distributed to all the attendees as a symbol of a good harvest. Delicacies from Arunachali cuisine are prepared along with home-brewed wine and rice/millet beer.

Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival

Almost all branches of the Naga tribes celebrate this festival. It is celebrated all over in Nagaland and in some of the Naga inhabited parts of Manipur State too. The festival is celebrated after the end of the harvest season. It falls on the 15th of February every year. It also rejoices as the mark for the seed-sowing season. The festival brings the agricultural branches of Naga tribes closer to the nonagricultural based communities of Nagas.

 The festival is marked with a huge amount of celebration and pomp and show. It is a festival to bring communities closer and spread the message of peace and harmony. There are several rituals that revolve around the blessing of the seeds before sowing them so that the harvest would be plenty and safe from diseases. Further, the community gets together to make different delicacies and perform traditional dances and show-off the colours of their particular tribe or clan.

Sekrenyi Festival

The festival of Sekrenyi is celebrated in the month of February by the Angami tribe of Nagaland. According to the Angami tribe, it falls on the 25th of the ‘Kezei’ month or February. It is celebrated for over 10 days and is also called ‘Phousanyi’ by the Angamis. Every day of the festival has specific tasks like:

The well is cleaned one day before the ceremony begins and the youth of the village guard the well so that no one takes water from it. On the first day, all the men of the village, irrespective of their age bathe in the village well. This ritual is called the ‘Dzuseva’.

After they come home from the bathing ceremony, a cock is strangled to death with bare hands. This death is considered to ward off evil spirits. Further, if the right leg of the cock falls first, it is supposed to bring good luck.

The dead bird is then hung outside the house and the elders of the village come to inspect it.

The fourth day onwards the session of singing and feasting begins and carries on for the next three days.

The young people of the village get together to sing songs and communal feasting on rice beer and meat is organised. On the seventh day of the festival, all the young men go on hunting trips to the nearby forests and on the eighth day before the culmination of the festival, the village gathers for the bridge pulling or gate pulling ceremony. During the festival, all works in the fields are stopped and on the tenth day, it is resumed again.

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.

 

Losoong Festival

Losoong festival is celebrated in honour of the Sikkimese New year. It is celebrated all across the State of Sikkim during the month of December every year. As mentioned earlier, the major occupation in the State of Sikkim is agriculture and it is the celebration of the harvest season by the farmers and other occupational communities.

 Traditionally, it is considered to be the festival of the Bhutia tribe but now-a-days even the Lepchas celebrate it with equal vigour and joy. The unique point of the festival is that people drink the locally brewed wine, called Chaang, as part of the celebration. They also get together to perform traditional dances like the Cham Dance and the Black Hat dance at the monasteries. The spirit also reflects the warrior sentiments of the Sikkimese community through the Archery festivals, etc.

Saga Dawa

It is mostly celebrated in the Buddhist communities living in the State of Sikkim. It is celebrated on the full moon day that falls in the middle of the Tibetan lunar month called the Saga Dawa. This day is considered to be a very auspicious day for the Tibetan community. 

This falls between May and June and this month is called the Saga Dawa or the ‘Month of merits’.

The festival is celebrated to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana) of the Buddha. Most people make a pilgrimage to the monasteries and offer incense sticks, Dhog and water. People also circumambulate the Gompas of the monastery and chant mantras, recite the religious texts and turn the prayer wheels. All through the month of Saga Dawa, the community of Buddhists has to follow three teachings of Buddhism: generosity (dana), morality (sila), and meditation or good feelings (bhavana).

Goa Carnival

The Portuguese introduced the Goa Carnival in India. It takes place 40 days before the Lent, a period of abstinence and spirituality. It involves feasting and merry-making. People wear masks and come onto the streets to party. It showcases the rich Goan heritage and culture and has a distinct Portuguese influence. The Goan streets are decorated with colourful floats and parades, live bands and dances mark the event, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Gangasagar Mela

It is conducted in the month of January-February at the mouth of the river Hooghly in West Bengal. A holy dip in the Ganges, especially on the day of Makar Sankranti, is considered very auspicious by the Hindus. Thousands of pilgrims throng the site. The presences of Naga sadhus lend a unique identity to the fair.

Surajkund Crafts Fair

This is an international crafts fair held annually for a fortnight from 1st February onwards near Faridabad, Haryana. It showcases the regional as well as international crafts and cultural heritage.

Traditional craftsmen from all parts of India participate in this festival. The stalls not only sell crafts but also conduct workshops to enable the public to see how the crafts are made. Pottery, weaving, sculpture, embroidery, Paper Mache, bamboo and cane crafts along with metal and wooden works attract a lot of attention. To give the fair a complete Indian touch, traditional cultural programs are held and regional cuisines are served.

 

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.