Harvest festivals in India
From Pongal, Lohri, Bihu Magh to Makar Sankranti
Harvest festivals in India are deeply rooted in agricultural traditions and are celebrated with great fervor in January. These festivals often honor the sun, soil and farmers for a bountiful harvest. Below is an overview of harvest festivals across Indian states, focusing on their unique customs, traditional foods, and other traditions:
Pongal: Harvest festival mainly celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It is a four-day festival in South India. The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi to the third day of the Tamil month Thai. Kolams are made in front of houses during the Thai Pongal festival.
The first day of festival is Bhogi. It is celebrated on the last day of Margazhi by discarding household items and setting them on fire, marking the end of the old and the emergence of the new.
The second day of festival is Thai Pongal or simply Pongal. It is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. Then, new boiled rice is offered to the Sun god during sunrise, as a prayer which symbolises thanks to the sun for providing prosperity.
The third day of festival is Maattu Pongal. It is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmers in agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells.
The fourth day of the festival is Kaanum Pongal. During this day people visit their relatives, friends to enjoy the festive season. It is a day to thank relatives and friends for their support in the harvest.
Lohri is a popular winter Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India. The festival signifies the end of winter and the onset of the spring season. Lohri is an ancient mid-winter festival originating in regions near the Himalayan mountains where winter is colder than the rest of the subcontinent.
The people and children dress in new clothes on this day. The celebration starts by lighting a bonfire that is in tradition from ancient times. People enjoy the festivity by dancing and singing around the fire.
The delicacies mostly consist of vegetarian food especially made up of til, jaggery, nuts and served with ‘makke ki roti’ (corn bread) and ‘sarso ka saag’ (green mustard dish).
Bihu Magh is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam and North-East India. In the Lunar calendar, Magha means January and the Assamese people in India welcome their harvest by celebrating this festival named ‘Bihu’. Bonfire and feasts are the major highlights of this festival.
Makar Sankranti: Apart from Pongal, Lohri or Bihu Magh, one more prominent festival of Hindus is Makar Sankranti which is celebrated majorly in the western and central part of India. The word Makar Sankranti is a combination of the words Makar, which means Capricorn, and Sankranti, which means transition. It is a Hindu festival that marks the sun's entry into the Capricorn zodiac sign.
One of the major traditions of this day is kite flying. This festival is celebrated with enormous joy in significant parts of Gujarat with big and bright kites cover the sky. It generally falls on the 14th and 15th of January every year.
Why India celebrates so many festivals?
India is a multicultural country with many religions and cultures.
Festivals are a way to honor the country's heroes and pay tribute to the nation.
Festivals are a great time to celebrate life and break its monotony.
Festivals bring families and people together to celebrate the unique traditions of cultures.
It is the land of festivals and fairs, and every occasion is celebrated with lots of zeal and enthusiasm.