Hindu Festivals 2016

Makar Sankranti: 15 January 2016- Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in almost all parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh in many cultural forms. It is a harvest festival that falls on the Magh month of the Nepali calendar.Also called Sankaranthi or Pongal.

Significance- Festival of Harvest, Celebration of day after Winter Solstice Celebrations-      Kite flying

Vasant Panchami: 12 February 2016 -Vasant Panchami is the Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. This festival is usually celebrated in Magh, which is between the months of January and February in Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated in countries such as India.

Also called  Shree Panchami, Sarasvati Puja;

Mahashiv Ratri: 08 march 2016 - Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in reverence of the God Shiva. Shivaratri is celebrated during the night by keeping a "jaagaran" - a night-long vigil with worship.

Significance: Auspicious day to worship the Lord Shiva beyond birth and death.

Holi: 24 March 2016- Holi is a Hindu spring festival in India and Nepal, also known as the festival of colors or the festival of sharing love. Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika bonfire where people gather, do religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil should be destroyed as the bonfire starts. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi.

Chaitra Navratri: 08 April 2016- Most of the customs and rituals observed during Shardiya Navratri are also observed during Chaitra Navratri. Ghatasthapana is one of the significant rituals during Navratri. It marks the beginning of nine days festivity.

Ram Navami: 15 April 2016- Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of the god Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya. Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, is one of the oldest avatars of Lord Vishnu having a human form.

Hanuman Jayanti: 22 April 2016- Hanuman Jayanti or Hanumat Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the Vanara god, widely venerated throughout India. The event is celebrated on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha, during the month of Chaitra.

Ratha Yatra: 6 July 2016- is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha, India. This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees.

Shravan somwar: 20 July 2016-   shravan is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Shravan is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August. For many Hindus, the month of Shraavana is a month of fasting. Many Hindus will fast every Monday to the Lord, is called savan somvar. Fasting on Tuesdays of this month is known locally as "Mangala Gauri Vrat"

Rakshabandhan: 18 August 2016- Raksha Bandhan is also called Rakhi Purnima or simply Rakhi or "Rakhi", in many parts of India. The same festival is celebrated as Janai Purnima in Nepal. On Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. The festival falls on the full moon day (Shravan Poornima) of the Shravan month of the Hindu lunisolar Nepali calendar.

Janmashtami: 25August 2016- Krishna Janmashtami also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti or sometimes simply as Janmashtami, is an annual celebration of the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month of Bhadrapad (August–September) in the Hindu calendar.

Ganesh Chaturthi: 05 September 2016- Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh. Chaturthi means "fourth day" or "fourth state It is celebrated throughout India, especially in Maharashtra. There is a grand celebration in the state of Maharashtra by traditional instrument called dhol and tasha.  The public celebration involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines) and group worship.

Pitru Paksha: 16 September 2016- Pitru Paksha is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious, given the death rite performed during the ceremony, known as Shraddha or tarpan. In southern and western India, it falls in the 2nd paksha (forthnight) Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September)and follows the forthnight immediately after the Ganesh festival.

Navdurga Puja: 01 October 2016- Navratri puja is most popular Indian festival in which Nav Durga Puja is done in every home. Nav Durga Puja is worship of 9 forms of Durga.These Nav Durga are nine divine feminine forces. They creates (srishti), maintain (Sthiti) and destroys (Sanhar) the creation. These Nav Durga are, Shailputri, Brahmcharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.

Dushhera: 11October 2016- Vijayadashami also known as Dussehra or Ayudhapuja, is an important Hindu festival celebrated in a variety of ways in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and parts of Pakistan. The day marks the victory of Durga over the demon Mahishasura.

Karva Chauth: 19 october 2016- is a one-day festival celebrated by Hindu women in North India in which married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.

 Dhanteras: 28 October 2016- is the first day of the five-day Diwali Festival as celebrated primarily in Northern & Western part of India. In south India it is known as Dhanalakshmi pooja.On Dhanteras, Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped to provide prosperity and wellbeing. Dhanteras holds special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day.

Diwali: 30 October 2016- Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn or spring every year. Arguably the most important festival in Hinduism. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness or good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period,

Goverdhan Puja :31October 2016- Goverdhan puja, or Annakut or Annakut (translated as “a mountain of food”) as it is also known, is a Hindu festival in which devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to the murtis of Paramatma(God) as a mark of gratitude.

Bhai Dooj:01 November 2016- Bhai Dooj / Bhau-Beej / Bhai Tika / Bhai Phonta is a festival celebrated by Hindus of India and Nepal on the last day of the five-day-long Diwali or Tihar festival.The celebrations of this day are similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters pray for a long and happy life for their brothers, by performing the Tika ceremony.

Chhath Puja: 04 November 2016- Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya and Chhathi Maiya. The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Sun, considered as the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being.