Celebrate the most popular winter seasons festivals of india with dynamic festival hd images.
Rajendra Zadpe
India is a land of diverse culture, which leads to a diverse lifestyle, celebrations, and much more. India gets its spectrum of beauty from this diversity and if you wish to enjoy this diverse culture, the best time to visit is during festivals. Each festival is unique and in some cases, the same festival is celebrated in a different manner by different communities. If you are visiting in January, here is the list of all the interesting events, fairs and festivals celebrated in India in January. Remember that the dates of these festivals vary from year to year and this list is exclusively for January 2021.
1. New Year’s Day
Place of Celebration: Throughout the Country
Date: 1st Jan 2021
Although every state and community has its own local new year, the influence of western culture has introduced this new fiesta into the Indian calendar. Each state celebrates this festival with grandeur and fun. If you are looking for exclusive celebrations, visit Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, Pondicherry, Bangalore and other ultra-modern cities.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Many clubs, hotels, and other hi-fi spots will be thriving with parties, theme parties, dance celebrations, and so on.
- The market regions will be offering interesting discounts and it is the best time for a shopping experience.
- Open-air parties will be conducted with booze, dance, and music on the beaches of Goa.
- Many rituals and unique prayers will be conducted on religious sites for the wellness of people in the upcoming new year.
2. Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday
Place of Celebration: Throughout the country
Date: 20th Jan 2021
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, and the most significant Guru was born on 5th January in the mid of 17th century. During some years, although the birthday falls on 5th, the festival is celebrated on another day, according to the lunar cycle. He was a renowned master of spiritual power, poet, philosopher, preacher and many others. To mark his birth anniversary, many rituals and events are conducted by Sikhs throughout the country.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Special early morning celebrations, processions, and other rituals are conducted in Gurudwaras.
- At the break of dawn, devotees join up to sing religious tunes and also play a certain exotic musical instrument.
- You can find interesting stalls around Gurudwara to buy religious items, delicacies, and others.
- Free beverages and food are served near the place of worship. You can find free stalls for rose milk, langar meal, delicacies, and others.
- Kadha Prasad is a delicacy you can taste in the Gurudwaras during this festival.
- Many seminars and lectures will be conducted by leaders of this religion.
3. International Kite Festival
Place of Celebration : Gujarat
Date : 14th – 16th Jan 2021
Since 1980, this festival is hosted in Ahmedabad, Surat and many other destinations in Gujarat. Every year, Gujarat celebrates more than 200 festivals and this is one of the top celebrations. This festival brings kite flyers and makers together and it is one of the most colorful festivals of the country. It is not just about India. You can find rokkaku fighting Japanese kite, American banner kites, sculptural Italian kites, flying dragon Chinese kites and so on.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Special kite market is open throughout Gujarat, where kite makers and kite enthusiasts can buy different kinds of kites or materials to make a kite.
- You can find special delicacies during this festival like surtijamun, laddu and others
- Watching kites populate the sky and flying kites are the top attraction of this festival.
- Watch the sky early in the morning or late at night to spot kites with lanterns flying in the sky.
- Watch renowned kite fighters flying 500 kites with just one string.
4. Lohri
Place of Celebration: Punjab
Date: 13th Jan 2021
Lohri is celebrated to mark the end of the harsh winter and the harvest season of rabi. It is also the time of sugarcane harvest and thus, it is considered as the financial new year for Punjabi farmers. Gur, rewi, and peanuts are the three crops involved in this celebration. This festival celebrates fertility and it is important among newly-weds and new parents in Punjab.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Watch womenfolk sing and dance around a large fire.
- Try traditional festival delicacies like Sarson da saag gajjak, makki di roti, and til rice.
- By sunset, people gather around the large fire to throw puffed rice, peanuts, and popcorn into the fire.
- Traditional songs will be recited during this fire festival.
- The Bhangra dance form is the most famous performance of this festival.
5. Pongal
Place of Celebration: Throughout Tamil Nadu; well celebrated in village regions
Date: 14th – 17th Jan 2021
This is a four-day festival. The first day is Bhogi, which is considered as a day for Rain God to thank him for his generous showers. The second day is the main Pongal festival and the day is dedicated to Sun God. This festival marks the end of winter and the beginning of the warmer season for harvest and cultivation. The third day is dedicated to cows, which are very essential for farming and other activities. The last day is Katya Pongal or Kaanum Pongal and this day is celebrated for the well-being of family and friends.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Special rituals and processions will be conducted in temples
- People pay tribute to Sun God by cooking rice in wood stoves, outside the house
- Bullfighting (jattikattu) is conducted in many village regions
- Many folk and cultural programs are conducted throughout the state
- Sweet Pongal, Kolkata, mango chutney, and other delicacies are made for this festival
- Take a walk through any house-filled alley early in the morning to watch womenfolk decorating their walkway with decorative rangoli made with many colors.
- Sugarcane is consumed a lot during this festival. Try tasting it.
6. Bhogali Bihu
Place of Celebration: Assam
Date: 15th Jan 2021
This is one of the most significant celebrations in North-east India. This festival is also called Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu. This celebration is a feast, which is conducted after the harvest season. The highlight of this festival is the food. This festival also marks the beginning of the sun’s movement towards the Tropic of Cancer. This is also Assamese New Year’s day.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Explore the temporary huts built by the locals using bamboo and thatch. These temporary huts are then burnt on the next day to mark the beginning of the celebration.
- Many games will be conducted like the bird's fight, bullfight, pot breaking, and others.
- Take part in the community feasts during the festival and also during the night before the festival
- Watch locals performing dance and music performances. The best of all is the traditional Bihu dance
- Special rituals take place in the farmlands. Tourists are not allowed to take part in the ritual, but you can view it as an audience.
- A fair is organized at different places in Assam, where you can buy souvenirs, craft items, religious items, and so on.
- Traditional instrumental music performances are also conducted in prime places.
- Top dishes to try in the fairgrounds are aalupatik, masor tango, Khar, jaakh and others.
7. Republic Day
Place of Celebration: Throughout the country
Date: 26th Jan 2021
This is the day of declaring the democratic setup of the country. India has been celebrating Republic Day since 1950. This is a national celebration however, the best of celebrations take place in Delhi.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- The famous Republic Day parade with the march of army troops, weapons display, rocket display, stunts by army troops and others.
- Horse march is conducted by the cavalry department of the country.
- Selected scout boys from around the country take part in this parade.
- You can find an array of regional dances, patriotic song performances, and others.
- There will be dedicated flag hoisting and other activities in all major capital cities around the country.
- Many institutes and communities conduct cultural performances and games during this celebration.
8. Rann Utsav
Place of Celebration: Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
Date: 28th Jan 2021
This is a festival of natural and cultural beauty. Rann of Kutch is a vast salt desert, which is at prime beauty during the winter season. During this festival, the carnival is conducted throughout the winter season. A temporary city is erected inside the desert to aid tourists. If you are visiting India during winter, this is a wonderful fiesta to be a part of.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Dance, music, and other cultural performances are conducted by several artisans
- During full moon night, people camp in the desert and enjoy a bonfire, music performances, and others
- On the banks and beach regions, fairs are conducted where you can buy interesting souvenirs.
- Many adventure activities will be open for tourists like ATV riding, camel riding, camel cart tours, paramotoring, and others.
- If you are looking for some spiritual time, take part in yoga, meditation, and other workshops.
9. Vasant Panchami
Place of Celebration: Throughout the country (best enjoyed in West Bengal)
Date: 16th Feb 2021
Vasant Panchami, Shree Panchami or Basant Panchami is the festival that celebrates the end of winter and beginning of spring. Mythological folklore considers this celebration as a tribute to the birth of Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. This festival is celebrated in temples and at home.
Attractions and activities to enjoy during the festival
- Watch interesting rituals being conducted in temples. You can find small children being made to write on a tray full of rice, as a ritual
- All devotees would be in yellow attire during this festival.
- Do not miss the deity in temples being decorated lavishly with jewelry and others.
- Many traditional dance, music and other stage performances take place in many auditoriums and temples
- Some temples conduct small fairs, where you can find local craft items, religious articles, and others.
These festivals represent the culture and tradition of a vast country India. These festivals make people feel United and create a feeling of commonness among them. It brings people more closer to one another.
Hence, these festivals are not just a way of celebration but are the way of prescribing and describing feelings and joy.