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.
Countries
🇦🇫 Afghanistan 28🇧🇩 Bangladesh 64🇧🇹 Bhutan 14🇮🇳 India 363🇲🇻 Maldives 4🇳🇵 Nepal 70🇵🇰 Pakistan 69🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 45
Cities and towns
On the calendar
🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 3 moreDupattaदुपट्टा
A traditional South Asian scarf worn across the shoulders, chest, and headDress
🇮🇳 Chennai, IndiaIndian Christian DayYeshu Bhakti Divas
An annual Indian day of remembrance for the arrival of Christianity in 52 AD and the life of Jesus Christ.Festival
🇮🇳 IndiaVadhu Praveshaवधूप्रवेश
A Hindu ceremony welcoming a bride into her new husband's homeRite of passage
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDaura-Suruwalदौरा सुरुवाल
The traditional Nepali male attire of a wrap shirt, tapered trousers, and a coat.Dress
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය (Sinhala)
Sri Lanka's national dress: a sari with a waist frill and a full blouseDress
🇮🇳 IndiaPrathamastami
An Odia ritual blessing the firstborn child for long life and good fortuneRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePunjabi wedding traditions
The multi-day marriage customs and rituals of Hindu and Sikh Punjabi familiesRite of passage · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreUrs-e-Razaviعرس اعلی حضرت
A three-day annual Sufi gathering honouring the legacy of Imam Ahmad Raza KhanSpiritual
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇵🇰 Karachi, PakistanPakistani clothing
Shalwar kameez and its many regional forms, worn across Pakistan's provincesDress
🇮🇳 IndiaMarga Natya
A dance, music and acting tradition rebuilt from Bharata's Natya ShastraPerformance
🇮🇳 IndiaLuanchariलोआंचरी
A traditional one-piece flared garment worn by Gaddi women in Himachal PradeshDress
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes
Traditional attire worn by couples and guests during Indian wedding ceremonies across various regions.Dress
🇮🇳 IndiaKalampattu
A Kerala temple offering where a five-colour floor picture is sung over and danced aroundSpiritual
🇵🇰 Peshawar, PakistanPeshawari chappal
A leather sandal hand-stitched in Pakistan, worn with shalwar kameez and to weddingsDress
🇮🇳 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
🇳🇵 Kathmandu, NepalGunla Bajanगुंला बाजं
Devotional music the Newars carry through the streets during the holy month of GunlaPerformance
🇮🇳 IndiaJiuntia
An autumn festival of western Odisha, kept in two forms by mothers and by sistersSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaSahasra Purna Chandrodayamसहस्र-(पूर्ण)चन्द्र-दर्शन
A Hindu rite marking a person's thousandth full moon, celebrated around age eighty-one.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaKathaकथा (Hindi/Sanskrit), கதை (Tamil)
A traditional Indian practice of religious storytelling and scriptural commentary, kept across Hindu and Sikh communitieSpiritual
🇧🇩 BangladeshGrameen checkগ্রামীণ চেক
A woven plaid of coloured squares, made by handloom weavers in rural BangladeshDress
🇮🇳 Diu, IndiaDashama Vrataદશામા વ્રત
A ten-day Hindu vow kept at home with a clay shrine, mostly by women in Gujarat and DiuSpiritual
🇳🇵 NepalPatukaपटुका
A traditional Nepalese cloth sash worn for core support, carrying items and festivitiesDress
🇧🇹 BhutanNgenpa Gudzomངན་པ་དགུ་འཛོམས
A Bhutanese day of pause and games during an inauspicious astrological periodSeasonal
🇮🇳 Mathura, IndiaKrishna legends in Kathak
The enactment of Krishna's sacred stories in Indian classical dancePerformance
🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaVeerabhadra
A ritual dance of a fierce figure performed in Goa during the Shigmo festival and on Chaitra Poornima.Performance
🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram, IndiaPongala
A harvest offering of sweet rice porridge prepared by millions of women in South IndiaFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇳 IndiaPranamaप्रणाम
A traditional Indian gesture of reverent bowing, prostration, and touching the feetEtiquette
🇮🇳 Palani, India and 1 moreSurasamharamSūrasaṃhāram
A temple performance of Murugan's victory, ending the week-long Kanda Shashti fastSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaBommalattam
A shadow puppetry tradition from Tamil Nadu using carved dolls and oil lamps to tell stories.Performance
🇱🇰 Colombo, Sri LankaColombo Pride
An annual LGBTQ+ pride parade and festival held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAnand Karajਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ
The Sikh wedding ceremony, with hymns sung as the couple circles the Guru Granth SahibRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका
Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWedding dress
The dress a bride wears at her wedding, white in the West and often red in the EastDress
🇮🇳 Kozhikode, IndiaRamanattamരാമനാട്ടം
A Kerala dance drama staging the life of Rama across eight daysPerformance
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreShagoranaসাগরানা
A ceremonial wedding feast platter presented to the groom in BangladeshTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaAgeraआगेरा
Mumbai's East Indian Catholics give thanks for the harvest on the first Sunday of OctoberFestival
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaBada Mangal
A Tuesday festival in Lucknow dedicated to Hanuman, known for communal feasts and interfaith participation.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Khatushyam, IndiaPhalguna Mela
A temple fair before Holi, kept with flags, bhajans and shared foodSpiritual
🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaSacred groves of India
Communal forest sanctuaries across India where religious belief protects biodiversity and local resources.Spiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaOran lands
Sacred groves and community-conserved pastures in Rajasthan dedicated to local deities.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Chabbi (Chebbi), IndiaChabbi Ganapathi
A three-day Ganesha festival kept by seven households in a Karnataka village since 1827Festival
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKurti
A midriff-covering top worn across the Indian subcontinent in many regional stylesDress
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreMuslin
A fine handwoven cotton from Bengal, once famed worldwide and woven again todayCraft
🇮🇳 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 4 morePuttee
A cloth leg wrap worn by soldiers, from the Himalayas to the armies of two world warsDress
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMadhushravaniमधुश्रावणी
A fifteen-day Mithila festival of fasting, worship and song for newly married bridesSpiritual
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKasayaकाषाय
The traditional patchwork robes worn by ordained Buddhist monasticsDress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Ramanattam: JP Vets, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pongala: Sreeraj Krishna, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Krishna legends in Kathak: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dashama Vrata: Athwartmisunderstand, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Katha: Tirlochan Singh, Public domain, source
- Gunla Bajan: Kamal Ratna Tuladhar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kavadi Aattam: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source
- Kalampattu: Ranjith A v, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Choli: Janavi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dupatta: Kinshuk Sunil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Indian Christian Day: Aadhanvendhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vadhu Pravesha: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Daura-Suruwal: not researched, CC BY 4.0, source
- Prathamastami: Swetabiswal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Punjabi wedding traditions: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Dhaka topi: Sophie Graubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pakistani clothing: Mary, (1867-1953), Queen Consort of George V, Public domain, source
- Marga Natya: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Luanchari: Purkhu of Kangra, Public domain, source
- Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sacred groves of India: James Forbes, Public domain, source
- Muslin: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Puttee: American_Infantry_Chauchat.jpg : Lt. Adrian C. Duff Original uploader, Public domain, source
- Kasaya: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Bommalattam: Sailko, CC BY 3.0, source
- Anand Karaj: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
- Indian wedding invitation: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
- Shagorana: Caped CrusaderK, CC0, source
- Agera: Tiven Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bada Mangal: Prabhat1729, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chabbi Ganapathi: Reema Jalihal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Madhushravani: Monika Jha, CC0, source