Indian temple festivals are special celebration in the temple premises during particular days to commemorate some mythological legends of the temple deity. Feasts are an integral part of Indian temple festivals. The attendees spend all day at the temple, enjoying them and the temple officials arrange for a special worship and prayer times for the festivals. Such festivals often conclude with an array of spectacular fire works displayed in innovative patterns and varieties, which make spectators, go into raptures. This famous and mighty exhibit of the magnificent display of fireworks adds to the popularity of the Indian temple festivals.
Orissa Temple Festivals
Orissa Temple Festivals are famous all across eastern India. Jagannath temple, located in Puri is an important pilgrimage centre and boasts of one of the most famous Indian temple festivals, Ratha Yatra. Mukteswara Temple, Bhubaneshwar celebrates the Mukteswar Dance Festival wherein expert Odissi dancers dance to the accompanying musical instruments. Duet, solo and group dances are performed by the participants.
Kerala Temple Festivals
Kerala Temple Festivals include the most famous Arattu festival at the Lord Padmanabha temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The other significant temple festivals of Kerala are Thrissur Pooram, Utsavams in Padmanabha swami temple, Makaravilakku, Attukal Pongala, Ashtami at Vaikom temple, Sabarimala, Vrishchikotsavam and a few others.
Tamil Nadu Temple Festivals
There are two such festivals every year, one in the Malayalam month of Thulam and the other in Meenam. Chittirai festival, celebrated in Madurai is one of the most famous Tamil Nadu Temple Festivals. This festival lasts for 10 days and the eighth day witnesses the coronation of Meenakshi, while the 9th day is the Digvijaya festival and the 10th day commemorates the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. Generally, the residents of this Indian state celebrate temple festivals in the months of March to June and September to October. During such festivals the religious deities are beautifully decked up with jewelleries and new costumes. Pongal, Natyanjali Dance festival and Karthigai Deepam are amongst the numerous temple festivals in this state.
Karnataka Temple Festivals
Karnataka Temple Festivals are renowned in south India and the Ranganatha festival is the most popular one. The festival is held in the temple dedicated to lord Ranganatha, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his Anantha Shayana. The Brahmotsava festival in Karnataka happens in the month of Chaitra and lasts for 10 days. The Karaga festival and Hoysala Mahotsava festival are a few of the innumerable temple festivals of Karnataka.
Andhra Pradesh Temple Festivals
Andhra Pradesh Temple Festivals include the prominent celebrations like Kotappakonda Temple Fair, Maridamma Festival, Sambhulingeswara Kalyanotsavam, Yellaramma Jatara Jaladurga Kalyanotsavam, Durgamma Festival and Dalta jayanti.
West Bengal Temple Festivals
The West Bengal Temple Festivals are some of the major Indian temple festivals held in eastern India. Rathayatra is a weeklong festival in honour of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra, while Jhapan is celebrated in the honour of the serpent-deity Manasa on the last day of the Bengali month Sravana. Other than these, Durga Puja, Lakshsmi Puja, Kali Puja and Jagadhatri Puja are some more popular festivals in the temples of West Bengal. Kali puja festival brings about the worship of Maa Kali, a reflection of Maa Durga. Kalighat Temple in Kolkata is a premier site for worshipping Maa Kali. The worship of goddess Kali is marked by display of fireworks and crackers.
Bihar Temple Festivals
Bihar Temple Festivals include Makar Sankranti, Nag Panchami, Navaratri and Chhath Puja. Navaratri is one of the major Bihar temple festivals connected with the autumnal equinox that begins on the first and ends on the tenth day of Navaratri. After the idol of Durga has been worshipped for nine continuous days, it is taken to the river and immersed into it. Dusshera celebrates the victory of Rama over Ravana. This Bihar temple festival it is also called Vijayadashami. Huge colourful paper and wooden effigies of Rama`s enemies, Ravana, Meghanada and Kumbhakarna are filled with fire works and burnt during Dussehra. However, the actual Puja takes place in temples of Lord Rama. Mahashivratri, Diwali, Holi and Sarhul are the other temple festivals celebrated here.
Uttar Pradesh Temple Festivals
The Uttar Pradesh Temple Festivals reflects the religious prejudices of the state. Dadjee Ka Huranga, Bateshwar Fair, Deva Mela and Kailash Fair are some of the temple festivals of Uttar Pradesh. Holi, Barsana Holi, Kampil Fair and several other temple festivals are enjoyed by the local residents of this Indian state.
Maharashtra Temple Festivals
Maharashtra Temple Festival includes prominent celebrations like Elephanta Festival, Ellora Festival near Aurangabad, Ganesh Chaturthi and Banganga Festival.
Assam Temple Festivals
Certain festivals at Kamakhya Temple, Sukreswar Temple, Basistha Ashram and Kalakshetra suggest the colorful Assam Temple Festivals. Makar Sankranti, Deepavali, Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi and many other temple festivals are observed here.
Rajasthan Temple Festivals
Rajasthan Temple Festivals include Brij Festival, Sheetala Ashtami, Kaila Devi Fair and many others like Gangaur festival, Teej, Pushkar Fair, Camel festival, Elephant festival and Desert Festival.
Gujarat Temple Festivals
Gujarat Temple Festivals often overlap with those of the Rajasthan, however both the states celebrate these festivals with a different charm. Janmashtami is one of the main Gujarat Temple Festivals that commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna and is celebrated on the twenty-third day in the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar. This Gujarat Temple Festival is celebrated with great fervour at Jagat Mandir in Dwaraka. The idol of Krishna is worshipped as an infant; bhajans are sung all over the state. A fair is held on this day at Jamnagar. Navaratri and Dussehra, etc are the other festivals ritualized in Gujarat.
Madhya Pradesh Temple Festivals
Dusshera of Bastar, Madai festival, Bhagoria festival, Khajuraho temple festival and Mahadeo Temple Festival are the prime Madhya Pradesh temple festivals.
Uttarakhand Temple Festivals
Durga Puja, Kharchi Puja, Pous Sankranti Mela and Ashokastami Festival are celebrated all across the north eastern states of India. Devidhura Fair and Kumaon Holi are the two major Uttarakhand Temple Festivals. Vat Savitri, Ganga Dusshera Or Dasar, Jauljibi, Thal Fairs, Uttarayani Fair, Syalde Bikhauti, Punyagiri festival, etc are the other festivals. The Nandadevi Fair is held at Almora, Nainital, Kot (Dangoli), Ranikhet, Bhowali, Kichha and also in the remote villages of lohar (like Milam and Martoli) and Pindar valleys (like Wachham and Khati). In the villages of the Pindar valley people celebrate the Nanda Devi Jaat (journey) every year, while in lohar people come from far and wide to Danadhar, Suring, Milam and Martoli in order to worship the Goddess.
Jharkhand Temple Festivals
The Jharkhand Temple Festivals include Dusshera, Chhat Puja, Vasant Panchami and Ramnavmi are celebrated in temples. Shivratri, Magh Basanti, Belgada Mela, Hunterganj, etc are the innumerable other temple festivals of Jharkhand.
Other Temple Festivals of India
The Meghalaya Temple Festivals, Mizoram Temple Festivals, Manipur Temple Festivals, and Tripura Temple Festival are quite similar in nature, since the regional deities worshipped are more or less same. Guru Nanak Jayanti is a popular Punjab Temple Festival. Haryana Temple Festivals are Gugga Naomi and Dusshera. The people of Delhi celebrate an array of festivals; however few like Shivaratri, Buddha Jayanti and Guru Parab are the Delhi Temple Festivals. The Jammu and Kashmir Temple Festival is Kheer Bhawani, while Himachal Pradesh Temple Festivals include Pori, Dusshera and Holi. Arunachal Pradesh Temple Festival and Nagaland Temple Festival are similar in form; Kotappakonda, Maridamma, Sambhulingeswara Kalyanotsavam and Jaladurga Kalyanotsavam are the popular temple festivals in these regions. Chhattisgarh Temple Festivals include Dusshera and Bhagoriya festival.
The Indian temple festivals are some of the great celebrations all across the country. Wrapped in religious prejudices and traditional beliefs, these temple festivals of India are attended by thousands of pilgrims from all round the world.