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Festival
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Region
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Significance
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Lohri
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Punjab and northern parts of India
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- Observed by both Hindus and Sikhs in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It marks the onset of harvest season.
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Makar Sankranti
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Harvest festival of North India
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- Referring to the Sanskrit term sankramana, which means “to begin to move,” Makar Sankranti is a solar holiday denoting the northward transition of the sun into Makar (Capricorn) on its celestial path.
- It is the oldest and the most colorful harvest festival in India. It is also the most celebrated harvest festival of North India.
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Pongal
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Tamil Nadu
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- In Tamil, pongal translates to “spilling over”, and so the festival derives its name from the tradition of boiling rice in a pot until it starts to overflow.
- Pongal is a four-day festival with the first day being devoted to Lord Indra for an abundance of rain.
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Bhogali Bihu
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Assam
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- The celebration starts one night before with Uruka-the community feast.
- Also known as Magh Bihu, this is a vibrant festival marked in the east.
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Baisakhi
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Punjab and Haryana
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- People of Punjab and Haryana celebrate Baisakhi festival or Vaisakhi by thanking God for the good harvest.
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Ladakh Harvest Festival
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Ladakh, Zanskar, Kargil
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- Monasteries and stupas are decorated and pilgrimages to Thangka of Kyabje Gombo are mandatory things as a part of this celebration.
- Archery along with old social & cultural ceremonies and art & handicrafts are the other features of the event.
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Basant Panchami
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Eastern parts of India West Bengal & Bihar
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- Basant Panchami marks the onset of the spring season.
- One can see the magnificent mustard crop fields in the countryside, especially rural areas of Haryana and Punjab.
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Wangala
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Meghalaya and Assam
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- Wangala is the merriment of 100 drums played by Garo tribes of northeast India.
- During this festival, Sun God is worshiped with immense devotion and zeal.
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Ka Pomblang Nongkrem
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Meghalaya
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- The inhabitants of Khasi hills worship Goddess Ka Blei Synshar and celebrate the plentiful harvest with vigour and excitement.
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Nuakhai
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Orissa
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- This is not only a popular harvest festival in India but also celebrated to appreciate the passing away of the past and evil days while welcoming the new and beautiful with open arms.
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Gudi Padwa
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Maharashtra
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- People make rangoli designs at the entrance of their homes and decorate them with flowers and a handmade doll.
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Nabanna
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West Bengal
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- Nabana is amongst one of the crop festivals of India which is famous for the paddy plantation harvest.
- This is one of the most celebrated traditions of Bengal, where new rice is harvested with sheer joy and stocked in homes.
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Onam
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Some regions of Kerala
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- Onam festival is a legendary harvest festival of Kerala celebrated with great enthusiasm in different parts of Kerala.
- The festival is celebrated for 10 days with the arrival of Mahabali.
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Ugadi
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Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
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- This harvest festival is considered auspicious to start new work and ventures.
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Vishu
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Kerala and Karnataka
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- Grand worship of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, elaborate family lunch, evening prayers, and fireworks sum up the complete picture of the Vishu festival.
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Agera
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Mumbai
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- Agera is one of the crop festivals of India celebrated with great enthusiasm by the people of Mumbai.
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Dree Festival
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Arunachal Pradesh
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- The Dree Festival is among the most famous festivals in Arunachal Pradesh as it marks an important time of the year for the Apatani tribe-the harvest season.
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