info@collegesearch.in
+91 92281 51258 
Popular Branches
MBA
B.Tech
BBA
BSc
Join CollegeSearch Family
Register & enjoy the perks of a Universal College Application, Easy Process, Time-saving, and Free Contact details and Brochures.
20 Lakhs+
Monthly Users
1.75 Lakh+
Monthly Applications
30K +
Admissions
Popular Colleges by Branches
No Result Found
Home > News & Articles > Harvest Festival of India: Significance, List of Harvest Festivals State-wise
Ranjan Kumar
Updated on 21st June, 2024 , 7 min read
Harvest Festival of India: Significance, List of Harvest Festivals State-wise
Harvest Festivals of India Overview
India being a diverse country has many festivals to celebrate many events and are a reflection of many mythological stories. Harvest Celebrations is one of them which can be seen are harvest festivals in different states of India.
Due to different climate and cropping patterns India celebrates these Harvest festivals at different times of the year. India being an agrarian economy with most of its population dependent on agriculture owes its growth and prosperity to Mother Earth and nature. So they celebrate harvest festivals.
Harvest festivals is a time to celebrate the food we have cultivated. Different states, communities and religions celebrate these harvest festivals with great zeal & enthusiasm. It’s a way for farmers to express their thankfulness for their bumper crops & seek blessings from nature and the almighty.
What is the Harvest Festival?
A harvest festival in India is a festival that marks the end of the season and the harvest of crops. A harvest festival is an annual festival that happens around the time of the main harvest of a particular region. It is usually in autumn, around harvest time. It has religious ceremonies, feasts and festivals. Customs and traditions of a harvest festival vary from region to region and culture to culture but it is about the community coming together to thank God for a good harvest and the season.
Significance of Harvest Festivals
Harvest festivals are cultural, social and religious. They are celebrated for the following reasons::
- Giving Thanks: Harvest festivals are a way to give thanks for the harvest and to acknowledge the work that goes into growing crops.
- Community: People come together as a community to celebrate the end of the growing season. It’s a social and cultural thing.
- Religious and Spiritual: Some harvest festivals have a religious or spiritual origin, often tied to ancient agricultural rituals or celebrations.
- Harvest festivals mark the cycle of life and death and the end of the agricultural cycle and the start of the end of the year.
- Celebrating Abundance: In times of scarcity or hardship harvest festivals are a celebration of abundance and tell us about the value of community and sharing.
Harvest Festivals of India
Let's see the List of Harvest Festivals in India (state-wise).
Key Facts About Harvest Festivals of India
Makar Sankranti:
Makar Sankranti is one of the oldest and biggest harvest festivals of India.
People of Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab celebrate the harvest of new crops with bonfires, fairs, music, dances, kite flying and parades.
Makar Sankranti means the sun’s entry into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) as it moves along its celestial path.
According to Hindu mythology this festival marks the end of an unfavorable phase and the start of a favorable one.
It is celebrated 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 must.
- Magha Saaji in Himachal Pradesh marks the beginning of the month of Magha.
- Kicheri in Uttar Pradesh where ceremonial bathing in the river is done.
- Pongal in Tamil Nadu is celebrated over four days at harvest time.
- Kumbh Mela and various sweet dishes made of sesame and jaggery are the main attractions of Makar Sankranti.
Onam
Onam is a harvest festival in Kerala celebrated all over the state. It is 10 days long and is the arrival of Mahabali. People decorate the entrance of their homes with flower rangoli, wear new traditional clothes, prepare food, and celebrate with music and dance. Traditional Malayalee dishes like Rasam, Payasam, Avial, brown rice and parippu curry are served to guests on traditional green leaves and the snake boat race and tiger dance is so much fun 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 big harvest festival in Punjab where people celebrate with music and dance. It marks the end of winter and is said to welcome the sun back in the northern hemisphere. It is celebrated the night before Makar Sankranti. To beat the cold, families and neighbours sit around a bonfire and sing together, offering grains, corn and nuts to the sugarcane crop. The Punjabi traditional song Sunder Mundriye which everyone sings is the main attraction of the festival.
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 of Assam celebrates Bohag Bihu with great pomp and show. It means the beginning of the Assamese new year. This is the only harvest festival in India with such a unique and colourful name, also known as Magh Bihu. Assamese farmers celebrate and enjoy the fruits of their toil during the harvest. Uruka, the communal feast, starts the celebrations on the eve of the festival. On Bihu, the mejis or pavilions made of clay and hay are burnt. Local women dress up in beautiful mukhtars and sing and dance in groups.
Highlights of the Bihu festival is Bihu dance, bullfight, bird fights and Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha and Laru.
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.
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 is celebrated in Meghalaya and Assam . One of India’s biggest harvest festival to mark the arrival of winter .
Wangala is a 100 drum festival of Garo tribe of northeast India. Sun God is worshiped with great fervor during this festival. Women wear traditional colorful clothes and dance, men play fingers on traditional drum pads. Drums, flutes and gongs are the main attractions of the festival.
Conclusion
India, a land of culture, heritage and tradition has harvest festivals in different parts of the country. These festivals are very important and the rituals are performed to mark the occasion. These Harvest Festivals in India celebrate the harvest season with glee and fervor. From Makar Sankranti in the north to Onam in the south, festivals remind us of the unity in diversity of India.
Since the climate and cropping patterns are different in different parts of the country, harvest festivals are celebrated at different times of the year. India being an agricultural economy where the majority of the population depends on agriculture, people owe their growth and prosperity to Mother Earth and nature. It’s a way to express gratitude for the crops they have and seek blessings from nature and god. Harvest festivals emphasize the value of hard work, community living and resource sharing.
Was this Article Helpful/Relevant or did you get what you were looking for ?
👍 1,234
👎234
Similar Articles
D Pharmacy: Admission 2024, Subjects, Colleges, Eligibility, Fees, Jobs, Salary
By - Nikita Parmar 2023-11-04 13:41:48 , 7 min readRead More
Pilot Salary 2024: Starting Salary, Requirements, Qualifications, Per Month Salary in India
By - Nikita Parmar 2024-06-20 07:26:58 , 5 min readRead More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a harvest festival in India?
A harvest festival in India is an annual celebration marking the end of the harvest season. It involves various religious ceremonies, feasts, and cultural festivities to thank nature and deities for a bountiful harvest.
Why are harvest festivals important in India?
Harvest festivals are important in India because they celebrate the successful harvest, bringing communities together to give thanks, share abundance, and uphold cultural and religious traditions.
When are harvest festivals celebrated in India?
Harvest festivals are celebrated at different times throughout the year, depending on the region's climate and cropping patterns. For instance, Makar Sankranti is celebrated in January, while Onam is celebrated in August-September.
What are some popular harvest festivals in India?
Some popular harvest festivals in India include Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Onam, Baisakhi, Lohri, Nuakhai, Vishu, Gudi Padwa, and Wangala.
Why are harvest festivals significant in an agrarian economy like India?
In an agrarian economy like India, harvest festivals signify the end of the agricultural cycle, the importance of community living, and the expression of gratitude to nature and deities for a successful harvest.