1- Bihu- One of the most important festivals of Assam, it is a set of three festivals: Rongali, Kongali, and Bihu are the most important commemorating Assamese New Year and spring festival. Bihu festival is all about foods, Kongali Bihu is a little dull. Bihu is a harvest festival and associated with agriculture, rice is in particular. Assamese celebrate this festival with a feast, music, and dancing. Children wear flower garlands and greet each other as they pass through the rural streets. The three Bihu are Assamese festivals with reverence for Krishna, cattle, and the celebration of this festival reflect the influence of aborigine, southeast Asia. it is also celebrated overseas by the Assamese community diaspora community living worldwide. Bihu dance is performed by the Assamese and people enjoy this harvest festival.
2- Ambedkar Jayanti- It is an annual festival observed on 14 April in the memory of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. It is celebrated all around the world, since 2015 it has been observed as a public holiday throughout India. It is celebrated especially by Dalits, Adivasi, workers, and women also those who embraced Buddhism. On this day, people visit local statues commemorating Ambedkar in procession with a lot of fanfare.
Ambedkar’s first birthday was publicly celebrated on 14 April 1928 in Pune, by social activist and Ambedkarite Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay. The Government of India issued 10 rupees and 125 rupees coins in 2015 to mark the 125th anniversary in the honor of Ambedkar. In 2017, Twitter launched Dr. B.R Ambedkar emoji as a tribute to the legend.
3- Buddha Purnima- It is a Buddhist festival celebrated in East Asia to commemorate the birth of Gautam Buddha. For the Buddhist every full moon day is important but the most important one is a full moon in May as all three major events took place on this full moon in different years. This day is observed by Buddhists and Hindus in Asian countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan involve devotees listening to his teachings, remembering compassion towards humanity and indulging in charity work. On Buddha Purnima, people distribute kheer, sweet dish according to legends a woman named Sujata offered Kheer to Gautam Buddha on this day. It falls in the month of April or May and in a leap year it is celebrated in the month of June.
4- Gur Purab- It is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism or Sikhi. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion was born on Puranmashi of Kattak in 1469 according to the Bikrami calendar. It is celebrated around November and has been ingrained in Sikh traditions. Guru Purab is similar to all the Sikhs only hymns are different, the celebration starts with Prabhat Pheris. They are early morning procession that begins at the Gurudwaras by reciting the hymns and devotional songs. The early morning prayer on Guru Purab is known as Amrit Vela, the day begins with the singing of morning hymns. On this special day, people share and pray for each other longevity, Sikhs spend the whole day in the Gurudwara.
5- Gandhi Jayanti- It is celebrated in India to celebrate the birthday of Gandhiji. It is one of three national holidays in India, it is celebrated on 2nd October. This day is marked by prayers and tribute all over India to Father of the Nation. Popular activities include prayer meetings, paying homage in different cities by colleges, local government, and socio-political institutions. Painting and essay competitions are conducted on this day, awards are distributed for the best service in schools, colleges, and offices. On this day, statues of Mahatma Gandhi are decorated with flowers and garlands, public banks and offices are closed. Raghupati Raja Ram is sung on his memory, he is remembered for his honesty and non-violence movement.
6- Karnataka Rajyotsava- Rajjotsava day is a government holiday in the state of Karnataka. It is celebrated by Kannadigas across the world. This day is marked by the presentation of Rajyotsava awards by the government of Karnataka, hoisting of the official Karnataka flag with an address from the chief minister and governor of the state. Karnataka Rajyotsava is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm all over the Karnataka state. On this day, the state wears red and yellow colored dresses to show love and unity for the state.
The celebrations are marked by a multicolored portrayal carrying the picture of the Goddess Bhuvaneshwari mounted on a decorated vehicle. This multicolored procession is also accompanied by performances of the folk dances, traditional dance and classical Carnatic music.
7- Goa Carnival- It refers to the festival of carnival or Mardi Gras in Goa. It is one of the popular carnivals in India since 1955 it turned into a major tourist attraction. According to local tradition, during the carnival is taken over by King Momo, usually a local resident who presides over the festival for four days. Goa is decorated and people enjoy this carnival to the fullest, late-night parties and food & drink stall are all over the state. The theme of Goa carnival is Eat, drink and make merry. It is the most famous carnival that has been celebrated since the 18th century. The festivities during Goa carnival including troupes, revelers wearing masks, live music, and floats & parades. In the urban areas of Goa, this festival is celebrated in the towns of Panaji, Margao, Vasco, and Morjim.
8- Buddha Jayanti- This day is observed by Buddhists and some Hindus in Asian countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan involve devotees listening to his teachings, remembering compassion towards humanity and indulging in charity work. On Buddha Purnima, people distribute kheer, sweet dish according to legends a woman named Sujata offered Kheer to Gautam Buddha on this day. It falls in the month of April or May and in a leap year it is celebrated in the month of June. It is a Buddhist festival celebrated in East Asia to commemorate the birth of Gautam Buddha.
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