Traditions of South Asia
Diwali, Holi, Eid and Vesak, saptapadi and mehndi: the densest calendar of living traditions anywhere. 337 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
Countries
🇦🇫 Afghanistan 28🇧🇩 Bangladesh 59🇧🇹 Bhutan 14🇮🇳 India 355🇲🇻 Maldives 4🇳🇵 Nepal 69🇵🇰 Pakistan 65🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 44
Cities and towns
On the calendar
🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه
A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇮🇳 Kolkata, IndiaJana Gana Mana
India's national anthem, from a Bengali hymn of 1911, sung at civic occasionsCeremony
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian national calendar
India's official civil solar calendar, designed to bring unity to timekeepingSeasonal
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreInternational Mother Language Day
An annual observance on 21 February to protect linguistic diversity and honour the Bengali language movement.Festival
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 morePohela Boishakhপহেলা বৈশাখ
The Bengali New Year festival marking the spring harvest and the start of the agricultural year.Festival
🇵🇰 Islamabad, PakistanPakistan Independence Dayیومِ آزادی
A nationwide summer holiday commemorating the birth of Pakistan on 14 August 1947Ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWagah Border Ceremony
A daily flag-lowering ritual at the India-Pakistan border featuring high kicks and synchronized drills.Ceremony
🇮🇳 Mysuru, IndiaMysore Dasara
Karnataka's ten-day Dasara, with the lit Mysuru Palace and a Vijayadashami processionFestival
🇮🇳 Kohima, IndiaHornbill Festival
A ten-day December gathering of Nagaland's ethnic groups, held at Kisama near KohimaFestival
🇮🇳 Srinagar, India and 3 morePashmina
Ultra-fine wool of Himalayan goats, hand-woven in Kashmir into shawls of rankDress
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreProstration
Bowing the whole body to the ground, in prayer and as a sign of respectSpiritual
🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 3 moreSherwani
A long buttoned coat for men, worn at weddings and state occasions in South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 1 moreIndependence Day
A public holiday on 15 August marking the end of British rule in India in 1947Ceremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaGandhi Jayanti
India's annual holiday on 2 October, for Mahatma Gandhi's birth and nonviolenceCeremony
🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर
An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage
🇵🇰 Islamabad, Pakistan and 1 morePakistan Dayیومِ پاکستان
Pakistan's national day on 23 March: the 1940 Lahore Resolution and the 1956 constitutionCeremony
🇦🇫 Kabul, AfghanistanAfghan Independence Dayد افغانستان د خپلواکۍ ورځ (Pashto); روز استقلال افغانستان (Dari)
Afghanistan's national day, kept on 19 August for the treaty of 1919Ceremony
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreVictory Dayবিজয় দিবস
Bangladesh's national day on 16 December, marking the 1971 surrender that made the stateCeremony
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day
A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaHindi Dayहिन्दी दिवस
An annual Indian observance on 14 September marking the adoption of Hindi as an official language.Ceremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaKargil Vijay Diwas
An annual Indian observance honouring soldiers and the end of the Kargil War.Ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaNational Unity Dayराष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस
An annual Indian observance honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31 OctoberCeremony
🇵🇰 PakistanDefence Dayیومِ دفاع
Pakistan's national day for its soldiers, kept each 6 September with parades and tributesCeremony
🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaChildren's Day
An annual Indian celebration of children and their welfare held on 14 NovemberCeremony
🇵🇰 PakistanSindhi Cultural Dayسنڌي ثقافتي ڏھاڙو
An annual December celebration of Sindhi heritage, music, and traditional attireFestival
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය (Sinhala)
Sri Lanka's national dress: a sari with a waist frill and a full blouseDress
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaLohepfhe
A handwoven black shawl with red and green bands, worn by Angami and Chakhesang Naga men as a marker of identity.Dress
🇱🇰 Colombo, Sri LankaColombo Pride
An annual LGBTQ+ pride parade and festival held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.Festival
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDaura-Suruwalदौरा सुरुवाल
The traditional Nepali male attire of a wrap shirt, tapered trousers, and a coat.Dress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sherwani: SabaFatima123456789, Public domain, source
- Wagah Border Ceremony: Vengolis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Prostration: Meghan Breeze, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pakistan Independence Day: Khaum, CC BY 3.0, source
- Pohela Boishakh: Abidhasan00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jana Gana Mana: Rabindranath Tagore, Public domain, source
- Mysore Dasara: Kalyan Kumar, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Indian national calendar: Clemensmarabu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hornbill Festival: Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jirga: Alpha4354747, Public domain, source
- International Mother Language Day: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tribal youth dormitory: Aravind Manickam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pashmina: Aaditya Kitroo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Independence Day: Vidur Malhotra, CC BY 2.0, source
- Gandhi Jayanti: Elliott & Fry, Public domain, source
- Pakistan Day: Imniazi001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Afghan Independence Day: Master Sgt. Michael O'Connor (U.S. armed forces), CC BY 2.0, source
- Victory Day: Jubair1985, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Defence Day: Faizanbokhari at English Wikipedia (I shot this picture myself.), Public domain, source
- Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
- Youth Day: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kargil Vijay Diwas: Ashoosaini2002, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Children's Day: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sindhi Cultural Day: Jogi don, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Daura-Suruwal: not researched, CC BY 4.0, source
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dhaka topi: Sophie Graubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source