Temple Festivals of Northern India consists of the festivals like Purmandal Mela, Lohri, Holi, Janmashtami, Shiva Ratri and many other temple festivals.
Uttarakhand Temple Festivals
Uttarakhand temple festivals hold the religious integrity of the state. Khatarua is essentially the special Uttarakhand temple festival that marks the pastoral - agricultural success and is celebrated on the first day of the month of Ashwin in mid September, and signifies the beginning of the autumn.
Jammu and Kashmir Temple Festivals
Jammu and Kashmir temple festivals are closely associated with the tradition and age-old myths of the state. Lohri is held in January every year. This festival is also known as Makar Sankranti. It states the onset of spring. The whole of Jammu region is adorned with a festive look on this day. Thousands take a dip in the holy rivers. `Havan Yagnas` are lightened up nearly every house and temple in Jammu.
Assam Temple Festivals
Assam Temple Festivals include Durga Puja, Shiva Ratri, Saravati and Lakshmi Puja. The Assamese Hindus observe the temple festivals since ages with pure ritualistic conventions.
Durga puja, the Daul Utsava or Fakuwa, the Janmashtami, Shiva Ratri, the Saraswati, Lakshmi and the Kali pujas are primarily celebrated in the Assam temple, however, there are many tribal festivals celebrated in the tribal temples. In some parts, tribals and non-tribals worship the snake goddess Manasa in Manasa temples. Bihu is the national festival of the Assamese. It is secular in concept because it is intimately connected with agriculture. Although this festival has nothing to do with the divine deities, offerings are made in the temples to satisfy the Gods and Goddess and people pray to attain more prosperity in their occupation. There are three Bihus that are celebrated at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. They are Bahag (Baisakh) Bihu, Kati (Kartika) Bihu and Magh (Magha) Bihu. The Bahag Bihu is the most important one that starts on the last day of the month of Chaitra, which is also the last day of the Hindu calendar year. In Goalpara and Kamrup districts of lower Assam, Bihu is called Domahi and it is not accompanied with dancing as in upper Assam.
Delhi Temple Festivals
Delhi temple festivals are celebrated with much zest and jollity. Beside rituals and religious offerings, merrymaking and feasting plays an important role in these festivals. India`s annual religious celebrations are a large part of Delhi`s multicultural social life, and it`s well worth trying to experience the city`s bustle of rowdy activity, conventional dances and vibrant costumes. In addition, several Delhi temple festivals are specific to the capital, when performers gather for music, dance and drama events.
Himachal Pradesh Temple Festivals
Himachal Pradesh Temple Festivals are pompous celebrations that relates to the glorious past and tradition of the state. The people in Himachal love festivals and participate in all the local festivals and fairs with great enthusiasm. Most of the fairs and festivals are associated with the various seasonal changes.
Several folklores are closely related to the beginning of each Himachal Pradesh temple festivals. These fairs provide a clear glimpse into the lives, the beliefs and the popular traditions of the rural life in Himachal Pradesh. Each district of this state has its own sequence of annual fairs and festivals, which are connected with the historical and sociological background of that area. Festivals have an important place in the lives of the people in Himachal. On the day of Himachal Pradesh temple festivals, the farmers do not work in the fields and rich and poor alike celebrate these festivals to the best of their financial abilities. If there any person in the family dies on the day of the festival, the other members do not celebrate the festival, till a birth occurs around the same time. The Sikh festivals are equally celebrated with great pomp and gaiety in the cities. The tribal festivals of Himachal Pradesh have their own identity, which are completely different from the festival celebration in rest of the nation.
Uttar Pradesh Temple Festivals
Holi heralds the beginning of spring and is probably celebrated in the grandest manner in Uttar Pradesh. Other than colour celebrations, Holi actually starts with offerings in the temple, commemorating the legend of Hiranya Kashyapa the demon who ruled over `Sapta Deep` believed himself to be more powerful than God. He contemplated killing his youngest son Prahlad, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu after he refused to worship him as God Holika, the demon`s sister possessed a divine, garment to protect her from fire and agreed to enter the burning pyre with Prahlad in her lap but got diminished into fire. The festival of Holi thus signifies the victory of good over evil and is marked by grand festivities all over India and particularly in the Braj area where it is celebrated with great gaiety and fervour.