Hindu traditions

Hindu traditions fill the calendar of South Asia and the many places where Hindus have settled, from Bali and Mauritius to Fiji, Trinidad and Britain.

Hindu traditions fill the calendar of South Asia and the many places where Hindus have settled, from Bali and Mauritius to Fiji, Trinidad and Britain. They include daily puja, the festivals of Diwali, Holi, Navratri and Pongal, pilgrimages to the Ganges and Tirupati, the sixteen samskaras that mark life from birth to death and a great many regional and village customs. Hinduism has no single founder or text, and practice varies by family, region and community. These pages describe the traditions as those who keep them do.

Home and temple

Worship begins at home, with a shrine, a lamp and a morning prayer, and continues at the temple, where a priest offers the deity water, flowers, food and light on behalf of devotees. Visitors take darshan, receive prasad and walk around the shrine. Festivals bring the whole street into the temple or the pandal, with processions, music and communal meals, and the cycle of the year is marked by fasts and feasts.

Rites of life

The samskaras include the naming, the first rice, the sacred thread, marriage and the funeral. The wedding, with its seven steps round the fire, is the best known, while funerals involve cremation and offerings to the ancestors. Every region adds its own customs, such as the kolam in Tamil Nadu, the rakhi in the north and the Durga Puja of Bengal. The diversity is part of the tradition.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Hindu (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇮🇳 Mathura, India and 5 moreHoliहोली (Hindi) A spring festival of colours and bonfires that marks the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.Festival 🇮🇳 Badrinath, IndiaChota Char Dham Four Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, visited in one season each yearSpiritual

🇮🇳 Mathura, India and 5 moreKrishna Janmashtamiकृष्णजन्माष्टमी A night of fasting, song and vigil that marks the birth of KrishnaSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 Ayodhya, India and 5 moreRama Navamiराम नवमी A Hindu spring festival marking the birth of Rama with prayer, fasting and processionsFestival

🇮🇳 India and 5 morePongal Three or four days of boiling rice, garlanded cattle and thanks to the sunSeasonal · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇳 India and 6 moreMakar Sankrantiमकरसङ्क्रान्ति The Sun's northward turn, kept on 14 January with kites, fairs and river bathsSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreUgadiఉగాది A South Indian New Year feast celebrating life with sweet, sour, and bitter tastesSeasonal

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGuru Purnimaगुरुपूर्णिमा A sacred South Asian festival honouring spiritual guides, teachers, and mentorsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLohri A northern Indian midwinter festival of evening bonfires, folk songs and harvest foodsSeasonal

🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 1 moreChhath Pujaछठ पूजा A four-day Hindu festival honouring the sun and Chhathi Maiya along riverbanksSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 IndiaHanuman Jayantiहनुमानजयंती A Hindu festival marking the birth of Hanuman with prayers, readings and offeringsSpiritual

🇮🇳 Gaya, India and 1 moreShraddhaश्राद्ध Rituals of faith for the ancestors, kept yearly and through Pitru PakshaSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreHolika Dahanहोलिकादहन A Hindu ritual bonfire lit on the eve of Holi to welcome the spring.Spiritual

🇮🇳 IndiaVishuവിഷു The Malayali new year, kept on 14 or 15 April with an auspicious first sightingSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahaतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A ritual wedding of the tulasi plant to Vishnu, kept in homes and temples across IndiaSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSharad Purnima A Hindu autumn full moon festival of night vigils, moonlit sweets and sacred dancesSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 Jaipur, IndiaGangaurगणगौर A North Indian spring festival honouring Shiva and Gauri with clay idols and processionsFestival · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNaraka Chaturdashi The dawn festival of oil baths, ancestor lamps, and harvest foods during DiwaliFestival · Breakfast 🇮🇳 IndiaUttarayanaउत्तरायण (Uttarāyaṇa) The Sun's six-month journey north, kept as an auspicious Hindu season and festivalSeasonal

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCheti Chandچيٽي چنڊ The Sindhi New Year festival celebrating the arrival of spring and JhulelalSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 IndiaChaturmasyaचातुर्मास्य A four-month sacred monsoon season of fasting, vows, and monastic retreat in IndiaSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 IndiaBathukammaబతుకమ్మ A nine-day floral festival celebrated by women across Telangana and Andhra PradeshFestival

🇮🇳 Tiruvannamalai, India and 1 moreKarthika DeepamKārtikai Tīpam A Tamil and Malayali Hindu festival of lights honouring Shiva, Kartikeya and ParvatiSpiritual · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDol Purnima A Hindu spring festival honouring Radha and Krishna with swing processions and colourFestival

🇮🇳 IndiaAyudha Pujaआयुध पूजा A Hindu festival blessing the tools, vehicles, books and instruments of daily workSpiritual

🇮🇳 Sambalpur, IndiaNuakhai An agricultural festival in Western Odisha welcoming the first rice of the seasonSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 IndiaMagh Bihu A harvest festival of bonfires, feasts and winter games in AssamSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 Guwahati, IndiaAmbubachi Melaঅম্বুবাচী মেলা An annual gathering at Kamakhya Temple marking the earth's seasonal fertility.Spiritual

🇮🇳 Ujjain, India and 1 moreVikram Samvatविक्रमसंवत् A lunisolar Hindu calendar of Nepal and India, its years counted 57 ahead of the GregorianSeasonal

🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, IndiaPanguni UthiramPaṅkuṉi Uttiram A Tamil Hindu festival celebrating divine weddings and the virtues of married lifeSpiritual

🇮🇳 Haridwar, IndiaKumbh MelaKumbha Mēlā A major Hindu riverside pilgrimage held across four rotating holy cities in IndiaSpiritual

🇮🇳 IndiaGanga Dussehra A ten-day Hindu river festival celebrating the descent of the Ganges to earthSpiritual

🇳🇵 Bhaktapur, NepalBiska Jatra𑐧𑐶𑐳𑑂𑐎𑐵𑑅 𑐖𑐵𑐟𑑂𑐬𑐵 An annual solar new year festival in Nepal with chariot pulls and tall wooden poles.Festival

🇮🇳 IndiaPushkaram A river worship festival rotating across twelve sacred Indian rivers over twelve yearsSpiritual

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura, Sri LankaSinhala New Yearඅලුත් අවුරුද්ද The April solar New Year and harvest festival celebrated across Sri LankaSeasonal

🇳🇵 NepalMha Pujaम्हपुजा A Newar New Year ritual of self-worship, mandalas and renewal in NepalSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreJur Sitalजुड़ शीतल The first day of the Maithil year, kept with a rice meal, gifts and water blessingsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 IndiaNirjala Ekadashiनिर्जला एकादशी A rigorous, waterless Hindu fast observed in early summer to honour the god Vishnu.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMahalakshmia jo Sagroمَھالڪشميءَ جو سڳڙو / महालक्ष्मीअ जो सॻड़ो A sixteen-day Hindu fast and prayer dedicated to the goddess of wealthSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChampa Chandan Vrataচাঁপা চন্দন ব্রত A month-long vow kept by unmarried Bengali girls, asking for a husband like ShivaSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMadhushravaniमधुश्रावणी A fifteen-day Mithila festival of fasting, worship and song for newly married bridesSpiritual 🇧🇹 Punakha, BhutanTraditional Day of OfferingBuelwa Phuewi Nyim A Bhutanese New Year marked by offerings to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and family feasts.Festival · Breakfast

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rama Navami: Adityamadhav83, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pongal: Saral Shots, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chhath Puja: Steffen Gauger, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lohri: Karen Sandhu, CC BY 2.0, source
Dol Purnima: Satyabrata sahoo369, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kumbh Mela: Yosarian, CC BY 3.0, source
Biska Jatra: Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gangaur: Avinashmaurya, CC BY 3.0, source
Cheti Chand: Coolross ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bathukamma: Randhirreddy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nuakhai: Mamata Padhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Magh Bihu: Diganta Talukdar, CC BY 2.0, source
Ganga Dussehra: Barry Silver, CC BY 2.0, source
Panguni Uthiram: Krithika.R.S, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Jur Sital: PCNWorld at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nirjala Ekadashi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Ambubachi Mela: Kunal Dalui, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Karthika Deepam: SriniG, Public domain, source
Naraka Chaturdashi: India (Delhi Agra area), Public domain, source
Hanuman Jayanti: Haha sugarr, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Youth Day: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Guru Purnima: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sharad Purnima: ShotgunMavericks, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ugadi: Kalyan Kanuri, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Ayudha Puja: Augustus Binu / facebook, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tulasi Vivaha: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Holika Dahan: Banswalhemant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Shraddha: Billjones94, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Vishu: Vishnu Kunnathully, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sinhala New Year: Anna Anichkova, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pushkaram: Adityamadhav83, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Vikram Samvat: Westindischer Maler um 1400, Public domain, source
Mha Puja: Karrattul, Public domain, source
Madhushravani: Monika Jha, CC0, source
Krishna Janmashtami: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Makar Sankranti: Saloni Desai, CC BY-SA 2.0, source