As winter bids adieu and spring enters with blooming colors of joy and happiness, Indians from all four directions prepare to celebrate the spring festivals of India. It is the season of greenery, warm yellow sun, blooming flowers, and festivities.
Spring, in India, lasts for three months – April, May, and June post which summers take over. The change of season denotes happy times. People enjoy and celebrate new beginnings.
The longer the list of cultures in India, the longer the number of festivals you will find across the country . Every region has its spring festival, marking the beginning of happy times.
In India, April to June are holiday months. With schools and educational institutes going on summer break, a lot of people travel. We have simply refined the list of holiday options, making it easier for you to decide where to go and what to see. In the article below, we have defined some of the spring festivals of India that are among the popular ones. Among the many options, chose the spring festival that you would like to experience.
1. Rongali Bihu – the spring festival of Assam
Rongali Bihu is the spring festival of Assam. It signifies the onset of the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the spring season.
Rongali Bihu literally means color and joy. It denotes the change in the season which brings happiness after the winter gloom. Also, this is known as Bohag Bihu; where Bohag means spring.
The festival is famous for two things – the Bihu dance and the food. Troupes of local girls and boys go from home to home and dance to Bihu songs signifying the onset of the new year. People serve them homemade traditional sweets and dishes including the famous items pitha and laddoos. It is a sight to behold and definitely among the best spring festivals of India that you should participate in.
This year Rongali Bihu will begin on 14 April and end on 20 April. So if you’d like to experience the spring festivals of India, start here!
2. Rath Yatra – the spring festival of Puri
Ratha Jatra or the world-famous chariot festival is the world’s oldest car festival that happens every year in Puri, the temple town of Odisha. It is believed that Lord Jagannath, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu and Krishna, is the only Hindu god who leaves his seat in the temple to visit his devotees. It’s a big festival for his followers.
The Ratha Yatra is a week-long spring festival. Lord Jagannath, along with two other gods, move out of the main temple and travel around the city on the special chariots made for them.
These chariots are invaluable. People believe that even a touch of the chariot or the ropes that pull the car are enough to confer the results of several pious deeds. Well, if you’re looking for a unique experience of a spring festival of India, then this might be it!
Uniquely, devotees and tourists from the world over come to Puri every year. It is one of the most-visited spring festivals in the region. In 2020, this festival will take place at the end of June. Do connect with our Scout to book your trip to Odisha.
3. Sarhul – the spring festival of Jharkhand
Do you enjoy experimenting with food and drinks? If you do, then attend the Sarhul festival.
The tribals of Jharkhand celebrate the festival of Sarhul with Hadia, a locally brewed beer along with traditional dishes and cuisines. This beer is made from rice, water, and some tree leaves. Absolutely local!
Sarhul is one of the most popular tribal festivals of Jharkhand. It marks the beginning of New Year and the advent of the spring season. Sarhul means the worship of trees in the local language. They begin the festival by praying to the tress and mother nature and end it with dancing and singing. After this ritual, they start with agricultural activities like the sowing of seeds and plantations.
We highly recommend attending this festival as you will get to enjoy the best local food and flavors. Our Scouts can prepare a detailed itinerary for your trip to this lovely state in eastern India.
Image source: Flickr
4.Yuru Kabgyat Festival – the spring festival of Ladakh
Visiting a monastery has its charm. Isn’t it? The serene, calm environment brings peace and tranquility.
At the time of festivals, the same quite monastery brims with vibrant energy and cheer.
The Yuru Kabgyat festival happens in the Lamayuru Monastery in Ladakh. A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, perched at an altitude of 11520 ft, is one of the most fascinating temples to visit in Ladakh. Nearly 150 monks belong to this monastery and almost all take part in the famous mask festival.
Monks perform the mask dance to the sounds of cymbals, drums, and long pipes to please their deities. It is a sight to behold as they dance for hours together. Spiritual leaders and people from across the world, including Buddhists and Lamas from Tibet, Japan, Korea, and China have been coming to the monastery to take part in the festivities. They mainly come down to enjoy the mesmerising beauty of the location along with the warmth of this special spring season of India.
The Yuru Kabgyat festival is the spring festival of Ladakh. And since the festival is organised in June, there are many tourists visiting the monastery.
Through most part of the year, the weather is cold in Leh and Ladakh. Spring is the best time to go there. The weather is perfect, warm, and cozy.
The other attractions are Wanla Gompa – a sub-monastery of Lamayuru, Uleytokpo, and MoonLand, an unusual landscape near the Lamayuru monastery.
5. Baisakhi – the spring festival of Punjab
Baisakhi is celebrated at the onset of spring and harvest season in Punjab.
This festival is all about bhangra, folk music, fairs, and feasts. It is celebrated across Punjab and other states with great gusto. In and around the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the atmosphere is that of ecstasy and joy. The temple is decorated with lights, flowers, and all things beautiful.
Given the importance of the festival, the Sikhs strictly follow the customs and traditions. It is their tradition to bathe their holy book – the Granth Sahib – in milk and water on this day. The book is taken out in a procession, amidst fanfare, music, songs, and performances.
One of the finest things that you will eat here is the Kada Prasad. Also, everyone enjoys the Kada Prasad which is a type of halwa (Indian dessert), made at the Gurudwara and distributed on this occasion.
6.Buddha Jayanti
Buddha Jayanti or the birthday of Lord Buddha is a global festival. This sacred festival of the Buddhists is celebrated in monasteries around the world. India, Tibet, Nepal, China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan are some of the countries where this is a big festival. With Buddhism being one of the most followed religions around the world, this is a pious and sacred day for its followers.
In Bodhgaya, Sarnath near Varanasi (where Buddha gave his first sermon), and Kushinagar grand celebrations take place. Prayer meetings, scripture reading sessions, meditations, religious discourses, and feasts are a part of the festivity. This day is celebrated in Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Kurseong alike.
Also, under the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, they organise special prayers during this time. In Sarnath, there is display of the relics of Buddha in public procession.
You can choose to travel to any of the destinations to celebrate Buddha Jayanti. In 2020, the festival will fall on 8th May, marking the 2582nd birth anniversary of the lord.
7. Thrissur Pooram, Kerala
The Thrissur Pooram is a grand temple festival of Thrissur, Kerala. An annual affair, the celebrations include a grand display of vibrant elephants, dazzling parasols, and percussion music.
In this festival, 10 temples participate together to make it a magnificent celebration.
However, there are two main highlights of the festival. One is the kudamattom ceremony that involves a swift and rhythmic change of brightly colored and sequined parasols. The other is the ilanjithara melam, a highly enthralling performance by 250 odd artists playing the traditional instruments of Kerala, adding to the cheer and aura of the festivity.
Kerala is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India. Visit it in May and take part in the bewildering pooram festival which definitely makes it to the list of spring festivals of India. Now that you have seen how celebrations take place across India during spring, let us help you plan a trip to any of these destinations. Hire a scout to plan your trip without any worry and based on your requirements.
