India is the land of festivals, a colourful nation with joyous celebrations and interesting mythological legends. Harvest festivals are those that occur at the time of the main harvest of a particular region. Each of the 29 states of India celebrates its harvest festival at different times throughout the year, owing to the diversity in climate and difference in the staple crop of a region. Bihu, Pongal, Makara Sankranti, Lohri – the names and regions differ, but the significance of each is just one – to be thankful for the bountiful harvest.
A substantial section of the Indian population is actively involved in agricultural practices. The first yield of their new crop is a cheerful time for them. It is a time for the celebration of the food grown. The farmers indulge in fun and frolic, and they are joined by the urban crowd as well, albeit in different ways. Any harvest festival is a celebration of the food that has been grown on the land. It marks that time of the year when all the crops that had been sowed in and cared for round the clock have been harvested.
Here are the key harvest festivals celebrated in India:
Makar Sankranti:
- Makar Sankranti is one of India’s oldest and most vibrant harvest festivals, celebrated nationwide.
- Residents of Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Punjab particularly celebrate the harvest of new crops with bonfires, fairs, music, dances, kite flying, and parades.
- Makar Sankranti signifies the sun’s entry into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) as it moves along its celestial path.
- According to Hindu mythology, this festival represents the end of an unfavorable phase and the start of a favorable one.
- It is celebrated under different names in different states, such as:
- Uttarayan in Gujarat, where the International Kite Festival has been celebrated since 1989 as part of the official celebration of ‘Uttarayan’.
- Maghi in Punjab, where bathing in a river in the early morning hours of Maghi is a crucial practice.
- Magha Saaji in Himachal Pradesh, marking the beginning of the month of Magha.
- Kicheri in Uttar Pradesh, involving ceremonial bathing in the river.
- Pongal in Tamil Nadu, celebrated over four days at harvest time.
- The Kumbh Mela and various delicious sweet dishes made of sesame and jaggery are the main attractions of the Makar Sankranti festival.
Onam:
- Onam is a traditional harvest festival in Kerala celebrated with great fervor across the state.
- Lasting ten days, the festival marks the arrival of Mahabali .
- People celebrate the successful harvest by decorating the entrance of their houses with flower rangoli, wearing new traditional clothes, preparing delicious food, and celebrating with traditional music and dance.
- Traditional Malayalee dishes such as Rasam, Payasam, Avial, brown rice, and parippu curry are served to guests on traditional green leaves, and the snake boat race and tiger dance are extremely enjoyable to watch.
Baisakhi/ Vaisakhi:
- Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is celebrated in Punjab and Haryana to thank God for a bountiful harvest.
- The farmers express their happiness and delight by celebrating this Indian harvest festival.
- People dress up in their brightest clothes, sing the happiest songs, and dance to the rhythmic beats of Dhol.
- Baisakhi fairs also feature acrobatics, wrestling, algoza, and vanjli performances.
- The main attractions of the Baisakhi celebration are men’s Bhangra and women’s Giddha.
Lohri:
- Lohri is a popular harvest festival in Punjab that is celebrated with traditional music and dance. It marks the end of the winter season and is traditionally said to welcome the sun’s return to the northern hemisphere.
- It is celebrated the night before Makar Sankranti.
- To beat the winter cold, families and neighbors gather around a bonfire and sing together, offering grains, corn, and nuts to honor and appreciate the spectacular harvest of sugarcane crops .
- The Punjabi traditional song Sunder Mundriye , which is sung by everyone, is one of the festival’s main attractions.
Ladakh Harvest Festival:
- The festival is celebrated in Ladakh, Zanskar, and Kargil.
- With the start of this harvest festival, Ladakh appears bright, beautiful, and incredibly stunning.
- The Ladakh Harvest Festival has gained worldwide recognition and popularity.
- As part of this festival, monasteries and stupas are decorated, and pilgrimages to the Thangka of Kyabje Gombo are necessary.
- The festival also features archery, historical social and cultural events, and arts and crafts.
- Dramas, or ‘Chhams,’ are performed to depict the life and teachings of Buddha, as well as other dance forms from Tibetan culture. They are the main attraction of the festival.
Bohag Bihu:
- Every year in April, the whole state of Assam celebrates Bohag Bihu with enthusiasm and joy. It signifies the start of the Assamese new year.
- This is a unique and colorful name on the list of harvest festivals in India, also known asMagh Bihu.
- Assamese farmers celebrate and enjoy the fruits of their labor during their harvest. Uruka , the communal feast, begins the celebrations on the eve of the festival.
- On Bihu, the mejis or pavilions , made of clay and hay, are burnt. Local women dress in beautiful mukhtars and participate in group singing and dancing.
- Highlights of the Bihu festival include the Bihu dance, bullfight, bird fights, and Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha, and Laru.
- It is believed that the festival began when the valley’s inhabitants began tilling the land. Bihu is believed to be as old as the Brahmaputra River .
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem:
- It is primarily celebrated in Meghalaya.
- The people of the Khasi hills worship Goddess Ka Blei Synshar .
- It is believed that Ka Pomblang Nongkrem brings the most joy and happiness to the community.
- People celebrate the abundant crop with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.
- The two main features of the Ka Pomblang Nongkrem festival are the Pemblang ritual and the Tangmuri ceremony.
- The celebration also includes animal sacrifice and the Nongkrem dance , which is performed with a sword in one hand and a yak hair whisk in the other.
Nabanna:
- The festival is celebrated in West Bengal .
- This is one of Bengal’s most famous celebrations, where fresh rice is harvested with joy and stored in households.
- Bengali farmers joyfully participate in this harvest ritual during the Bengali month of Agrahayan , offering the first grains to Goddess Lakshmi and thanking her for all the blessings.
- The main attractions of the Nabanna celebration are the Nabanna fair and Payesh (Kheer)made from freshly harvested rice.
Nuakhai:
- Nuakhai is an ancient harvest festival celebrated in Orissa.
- Nuakhai Parab or Nuakhai Bhetghat are other names for the harvest festival.
- ‘Nua’ means new in the local language, and ‘Khai’ means food.
- This is not just a famous harvest festival, but it is also celebrated to honor the passing of the old and evil days while welcoming the new and good with open arms.
- The delicious Arsaa Pitha (sweet pancakes) are prepared to celebrate the festival.
Pongal:
- Pongal, another name for Makar Sankranti , is celebrated in many cities in Tamil Nadu at the same time. Pongal means ‘ overflow ‘ or ‘boiling over.’
- This is a thanksgiving festival where people express their heartfelt gratitude to Mother Nature for the year’s rice harvest.
- This is one of India’s most colorful harvest festivals, lasting four days .
- The first day is the Bhogi Festival , dedicated to Lord Indra in exchange for an abundance of rain.
- On the second day, newly harvested rice and milk are prepared and offered to the Sun God outdoors.
- The third day is dedicated to cow worship .
- The fourth day is dedicated to Pongal, or traditional coloured rice flavored with turmeric, betel leaf, and betel nuts.
- Tamilians mark the event by creating traditional patterns known as kolams using rice powder at their homes.
- Pongal celebration highlights also include bull-taming contests, a bonfire made of agricultural waste and prayers for the prosperity of the family.
Vishu:
- Vishu is the festival of Kerala and Karnataka.
- This is an interesting harvest festival celebrated on the first day of the Malayalee New Year.Women in the home cook Vishukkani , which consists of rice, golden lemon, golden cucumber, jackfruit, yellow konna flowers, and betel leaves.
- The festival is characterized by grand worship of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, extravagant family lunches, nighttime prayers, and fireworks.
- The main attractions of the Vishu festival are Kani Kanal , Vishnu’s first sacred sight and Sadya , the large mid-day food spread.
Gudi Padwa:
- Gudi Padwa is a grand festival celebrated in Maharashtra to mark the beginning of a prosperous New Year. The festival is also celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is known as Ugadi.
- Gudi Padwa is also considered the harvest festival, signifying the end of the rabi crop for the season. This is the time when mangoes and other fruits are harvested . People create rangoli patterns and adorn them with flowers and a handcrafted doll at the entrance of their homes.
- People gather with friends and family to extend greetings and women prepare sweets such as Puran Poli, Shrikhand, and Sunth Paak.
- Locals build Gudi (bamboo dolls) out of mango and neem leaves, which they hang at the entrance.
Wangala:
- This festival is celebrated in Meghalaya and Assam .
- This is one of India’s most celebrated harvest festivals, celebrating the arrival of winter .
- Wangala is a festival of 100 drums performed by the Garo tribes of northeast India.
- The Sun God is worshiped with great love and enthusiasm during this festival.
- Women dress in traditional colorful attire and dance, while men play their fingers rhythmically on traditional drum pads.
- Drums, flutes, and gongs are used in this musical spectacle, which are the main attractions of the festival.
Ugadi:
Ugadi is a regional New Year celebration for the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This harvest festival is considered auspicious to start new work and ventures. On the day, local people take an oil bath, wear traditional clothes, decorate homes with earthen lamps and rangoli, and perform Ugadi puja at home The Ugadi delicacies like Ugadi Pachadi, Pulihora, and Bobbatlu are prepared with raw mango, jaggery, neem, and tamarind are some of the key attractions of Ugadi festival.
Gangaur:
Gangaur is the harvest festival of Rajasthan and one of the most colorful and important festivals. It is celebrated throughout the state with great enthusiasm and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri during the month of March/ April.
Disclaimer : All the pictures used above are sourced from internet.