Festivals of India Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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India has many regional and national festivals. SSC GK asks the state of a festival and the month or season. This note gives the festival, state and one key fact in a table.
Harvest and Regional Festivals
| Festival | State / Region | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Pongal | Tamil Nadu | Harvest festival in January (Thai Pongal) |
| Onam | Kerala | Harvest festival in August or September with boat races |
| Bihu | Assam | Three Bihus: Bohag (April), Kati and Magh |
| Baisakhi | Punjab | Harvest and Sikh new year; 13 or 14 April |
| Lohri | Punjab and Haryana | 13 January, bonfire festival |
| Makar Sankranti | Many states | Sun enters Capricorn, mid-January |
| Ugadi | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | New year of the Deccan states |
| Gudi Padwa | Maharashtra | Marathi new year |
| Chhath | Bihar and eastern UP | Worship of the Sun |
| Hornbill Festival | Nagaland | Held in December at Kisama |
| Losar | Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal | Tibetan new year |
| Rath Yatra | Odisha (Puri) | Jagannath chariot festival |
Major National and Religious Festivals
- Diwali: festival of lights in October or November.
- Holi: festival of colours in March.
- Durga Puja: West Bengal, in September or October.
- Ganesh Chaturthi: Maharashtra, in August or September.
- Navratri and Garba: Gujarat.
- Dussehra: Mysuru in Karnataka is famous.
- Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha: Muslim festivals.
- Christmas: 25 December. Guru Nanak Jayanti: Sikh festival in the month of Kartik.
Fairs
- Kumbh Mela: held every 12 years in rotation at Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nashik.
- Pushkar Fair: Rajasthan, famous camel fair.
- Sonepur Fair: Bihar, one of the largest cattle fairs in Asia.
Quick Tips
- Pongal, Onam, Bihu are harvest festivals of the south and east.
- Kumbh rotates among four cities.
- Hornbill Festival is in Nagaland.
- Learn Rath Yatra with Puri.
Quick Revision Points
- Pongal is in Tamil Nadu.
- Onam is in Kerala.
- Bihu is in Assam.
- Baisakhi is in Punjab.
- Hornbill Festival is in Nagaland.
- Kumbh Mela rotates among four cities.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Which state celebrates Pongal?
Answer: Tamil Nadu - Which state celebrates Onam?
Answer: Kerala - Which state celebrates Bihu?
Answer: Assam - In which state is the Hornbill Festival held?
Answer: Nagaland - In which city is the Rath Yatra famous?
Answer: Puri (Odisha) - Where is the Pushkar Fair held?
Answer: Rajasthan - At which four places is the Kumbh Mela held?
Answer: Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nashik - Which festival is celebrated in Maharashtra with idols of Ganesha?
Answer: Ganesh Chaturthi
How to Practise This Chapter
Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the General Knowledge notes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pongal?
A harvest festival of Tamil Nadu in January.
What is Onam?
The harvest and state festival of Kerala.
What is Baisakhi?
A harvest festival of Punjab and the Sikh new year.
What is Lohri?
A festival of bonfires in Punjab on 13 January.
What is Chhath?
A festival in Bihar for worship of the Sun.
What is Ugadi?
New year of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
What is Losar?
The Tibetan new year.
How often is the Kumbh Mela held?
Every twelve years at each site in rotation.
What is Garba?
A folk dance of Gujarat during Navratri.
How can I learn festivals?
Make a table of festival, state and month.
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Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.