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Traditions of South Asia

Diwali, Holi, Eid and Vesak, saptapadi and mehndi: the densest calendar of living traditions anywhere. 346 traditions on EveryParampara so far.

🇮🇳 Ayodhya, India and 10 moreDiwaliदीपावली (Dīpāvalī) A five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 Kolkata, India and 5 moreNavaratriनवरात्रि (Navarātri) A nine-night Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga and her nine forms through prayer, fasting, and dance.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast

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

🇮🇳 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

🇮🇳 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 2 moreSohrai A harvest and cattle observance kept by indigenous communities in eastern IndiaSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 Vrindavan, India and 2 moreGovardhan Puja A Hindu festival of piled vegetarian foods and sculpted earth, honouring KrishnaSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 IndiaChaturmasyaचातुर्मास्य A four-month sacred monsoon season of fasting, vows, and monastic retreat in IndiaSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 IndiaAhoi Ashtami A day of fasting by Hindu mothers before Diwali, for their children's wellbeingFestival · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 IndiaVat PurnimaVaṭapūrṇimā An annual Hindu festival where married women fast and pray around a banyan treeSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreNativity of Mary A Christian feast day honouring the birth of Mary, the mother of JesusSpiritual · Lunch

🇮🇳 IndiaKaradaiyan Nonbuகாரடையான் நோன்பு A Tamil Hindu festival where women fast and pray for the long life of their husbands.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast

Photo credits on this page

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

Chhath Puja: Steffen Gauger, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Navaratri: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Govardhan Puja: Ms Sarah Welch, CC0, source
Gangaur: Avinashmaurya, CC BY 3.0, source
Ahoi Ashtami: आशीष भटनागर, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kavadi Aattam: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source
Diwali: Kalli navya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nativity of Mary: Giotto, Public domain, source
Sharad Purnima: ShotgunMavericks, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Vat Purnima: Kiran Gopi, CC BY-SA 2.5 in, source
Krishna Janmashtami: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.