Hindu

14 Jan (Wed)	Makar Sankrant/Lohri/Pongal	This festival is known by different names in different parts of India: in the Punjab it is known as Lohri and in Tamil Nadu it is called Pongal. It is a day for almsgiving and patching up quarrels. Tamils eat a rice dish called pongal. For Panjabi families (including some Sikhs), Lohri is celebrated following the birth of a son. A fire is lit and peanuts and sesame sweets are eaten around it.
31 Jan (Sat)	Vasanta Panchami/Saraswati Puja	Widely celebrated in North India, this festival marks the beginning of spring. It is usually linked with Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the arts.
23 Feb (Mon)	Mahashivratri (Great Shiva Night)	Also known as Maha Shivratri (Great Shiva Night) or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva), this is the night on which Shiva is said to perform the cosmic dance from creation to destruction. The most significant practices on this day are offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to Shiva, all-night prayer vigils focusing on Shiva and his shrines and statues, and fasting. Milk is also poured on Shiva's symbol, the lingam.
11 Mar (Wed)	Holi	Also called the Festival of Colours, Holi is a spring festival lasting between one and five days. Bonfires are lit at night to signify burning Holika and coloured powders and dyes are thrown over people. A special drink is prepared called thandai which can be laced with bhang, which actually contains small amounts of marijuana. People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later, marking the end of festivities involving colours.
27 Mar (Fri)	Varsha-Pratipada (Hindu Spring New Year)	A new year festival, marking the first day of Chaitra (the first month of the Hindu lunar year), and, as such, is regarded as an auspicious day for starting any new endeavour. Note that Divali, which occurs in the autumn, is also a new year festival.
3 Apr (Fri)	Rama Navami	The birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar (earthly incarnation of a god) of Vishnu. People normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) for small murtis (images of deities) of Rama and Sita in their houses, and at the end of the day the deity is taken on a procession through the streets.
9 Apr (Thu)	Hanuman Jayanti	Festival commemorating the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god. Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the God. From sunrise devotees visit Hanuman temples to worship the monkey god.
24 Jun (Wed)	Ratha Yatra	This festival (whose name means "chariot journey") is observed most notably at Puri in Orissa, where processions of devotees push huge wagons (rathas) carrying images of Krishna, who is known under the name of Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), through the streets. The image of Krishna is accompanied by images of his brother and sister, Lord Balabhadra and Subhadra. The festival is celebrated in Britain with a procession through London on an appropriate Sunday.
14 Aug (Fri)	Janmashtami	Also known as Krishna Jayanti, this festival celebrates the birthday of Krishna. Krishna was the eighth avatar (earthly incarnation) of Vishnu. Many Hindus will fast until midnight, the time of Krishna's birth, while those unable to fast will take fruit and milk. In temples the birth of Krishna is welcomed with singing, dancing and sweets. In some homes and temples an image of the newborn Krishna is put in a cradle and special sweets are offered and distributed.
23 Aug (Sun)	Ganesh Chaturthi	Festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of good fortune and new beginnings. The festival is particularly significant for Hindus from the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Celebrations can last between one and ten days, concluding with the immersion of the image of Ganesh in water.
19 - 27 Sep (9 days)	Navaratri	A Hindu festival of devotion and dance worshipping Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for the goddess Durga) are worshipped. The last three days of this festival are the most important (see below).
26 Sep (Sat)	Durga Puja	Part of the Hindu festival of Navaratri (see above), this day commemorates when Rama invoked the goddess Durga in her battle against Ravana, the demon king, and Rama’s subsequent victory.
28 Sep (Mon)	Dussehra	This festival forms the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Navaratri (see above). The legend underlying this festival, and the form the celebration takes, varies vastly by region, but all festivities celebrate the victory of the forces of Good over Evil. It is also considered to be an auspicious day to begin new things in life.
17 Oct (Sat)	Divali	Also called Diwali, and often known as the "Festival of Lights", this major Hindu festival is a New Year festival lasting from one to five days. During the festival lamps are lit and fireworks set off. Various interpretations are given to the festival in different parts of India, but it is generally associated with Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity or with the victorious return of Rama and Sita to the kingdom of Ayodhya after their exile.