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There is
perhaps not a single day in the Indian calendar when in some part of the
vast country a festival is not celebrated or a fair held - replete with
rituals, colour, music, feasting, pageantry, fun and frolic. Therefore no
matter what time of year you visit, you are sure to experience a festival of
some sort while in the country. Many of the festivals are subject to the
lunar calendar. The Islamic festivals are celebrated according to the Muslim
or the Hijri calendar. Therefore the times the festivals are held can change
from one year to the next and therefore the information below is intended as
a guide only.
 Sakranti
(January 14)
is a day to partake in kite flying. People of all religions and castes turn
up on rooftops to participate and witness Jaipur's unique kite flying
festival. While blaring music and aerial frenzy continues outdoors, the more
sombre traditions of the occasion are performed indoors.
 Id-ul-Fittr
(January) Celebrates the end of Ramadan, the Muslim
month of fasting. It is an occasion of feasting and rejoicing. The faithful
gather in mosques to pray and friends and relatives meet to exchange
greetings. Prayers, family get-togethers and feasts are the major highlights
of the celebrations. Idi or presents of money are given to the youngsters by
the family elders, conveying their blessings.
 Ramnavami
(March)
The birthday of Lord Rama, the celebrated hero of the famous epic, the
Ramayana, is enthusiastically celebrated on the ninth day of the waxing moon
in the month of Chaitra. Temples are decorated, religious discourses are
held and the Ramayana is recited for ten days. People sing devotional songs
in praise of Rama and rock images of him in cradles to celebrate his birth.
Rathyatras or chariot processions of Rama, his wife Sita, brother Lakshmana
and devotee Hanuman, are conducted from many temples.
 Id-ul-Zuha
(March)
is a Muslim
festival celebrated all over India. Prayers are offered in the mosques and
special delicacies are prepared and served among family and friends on the
occasion.
Mahavir Jayanti (March)
The birth
anniversary of the 24th Tirthankara of the Jains, Mahavir, the founder of
Jainism, is celebrated by the path of virtue. People meditate and offer
prayers. Donations are collected to save the cows from slaughter.
 Sheetla
Mata Fair
(March or April) 35km east of Jaipur the Sheetla Mata
Fair is held in, the month of Chaitra for about a week, in the village
Seel-Ki-Doongri (Jaipur). Doongri is a hillock on top of which the shrine of
Sheetla Mata stands. The fair is held in her honour and attracts hordes of
visitors from far and wide. It is a veritable picnic for the pilgrims
attending the fair. It is customary to cook one's own food at the site, and
eat it only after it has been offered at the shrine. A temporary market and
cattle fair is also organised during the fair. Bullocks, camels and horses
are sold at the fair and prizes are awarded to the best breeders.
 Elephant
Festival (March or April)
On the eve
of Holi
(Festival of Colour), dozens of elephants parade at the Chaugan stadium,
vying for the coveted prize of the best attired elephant. You can get your
picture taken with the Beauty Contest participants (these are the
elephants…gentlemen…not young lasses, so don’t get too excited). Elephant
Polo and cultural songs & dances, make this popular festival a top-draw
tourist event.
 Holi
Festival of
Colour
(March or April)
is the most
boisterous of all Hindu festivals. It heralds the end of winter and the
beginning of the spring. The night before the full moon, crowds of people
gather together and light huge bonfires to burn the residual dried leaves
and twigs of the winter. People throw coloured water and powders (gulal and
kumkum) at each other and make merry. Singing and dancing add to the gaiety
of the occasion. Holi is also an occasion for the celebration of the burning
of Kama, the Hindu cupid, with the fire that emanated from Lord Shiva’s
third eye.
 Gangaur
(March/April)
is one of
Jaipur's most enthusiastically celebrated festivals. It is special for women
and girls who perform several rituals associated with the event. A colourful
procession of the Goddess Gauri is performed the streets of the walled Pink
City and proves t be a great attraction among locals and tourists alike.
 Good
Friday (April)
is observed
all over India by the Christians. This is the day when Lord Christ was
crucified. The Christians offer special prayer services in churches.
 Easter
(April)
On this
day, Lord Christ rose again after his death. Chocolate eggs, small chicks of
cotton wool and almond sweets are bought for children, symbolizing new life.
Prayer services are held in the churches to end the mourning period.
 Muharram
(April)
Commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the holy Prophet
Mohammed and is observed by the Shi’ite Muslims, who take out processions of
colourfully decorated `Tazias', which are paper and bamboo replicas of the
martyr’s tomb at Karbala in Iraq.
 Guru
Purnima (July)
A special
worship is performed on this day to all teachers called Guru Purnima.
Worship of the great Vyasa, the author of the great epic, Mahabharata is a
part of the celebration. On this day students visit their elders. Teachers
and guides show respect to them with gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets.
 Teej
(July/August)
The desert
capital's way of celebrating monsoons! Temporary jhoolas (swings) are
erected for youngsters to enjoy and a mammoth procession of the Goddess Teej
is carried out in the main streets. The ceremony includes elephants, camels,
horses, chariots, palanquins, band players, acrobats and folk artists. Get
those cameras ready as you are going to need them at this event.
 Janmashtami
(August/September)
The birth
anniversary of Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu is observed all over
India. Night long prayers are offered and religious hymns are sung in
temples. Scenes are enacted from Lord Krishna’s early life.
 Navratri
(October)
Continuous
chanting from the great epic Ramayana, along with evening performances from
the episodes of his life, is held for nine days. It is believed that Durga,
the Goddess of power and vitality, has nine forms called Navadurga and on
each of the nine days, she takes a new form, with an arsenal of weapons, to
ride a lion and fight the demon Mahishasura. Vijyadashmi or Dussehra, the
10th day is celebrated with feasting and rejoicing as her day of victory.
Lord Rama is said to have worshipped the Goddess, seeking her blessing in
order to overpower the evil force of Ravana, the abductor of his beloved
Sita. The most joyous celebration of Navratri is seen in Gujarat, Karnataka,
Tamil nadu and Bengal. Every night people gather in courtyards to dance the
dandiya raas and garba, a community dance in which men and women dressed in
festive clothes, dance in pairs with dandiyas or painted wooden sticks.
 Dussehra
(October)
Is
celebrated to mark the homecoming of Lord Rama and is held nine days before
Dussehra. On the tenth day, larger than life effigies of Ravana, his
brothers Meghnath and Kumbhakarna filled with different fire crackers are
set alight to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
 Diwali
(October/November)
Celebrated
all over India, Jaipur's Diwali is extremely special. The city is spruced up
for the event a week before and on Diwali day, each house, market, building,
hotel and restaurant, competes with the other for the best decoration and
lighting… and a glittering Jaipur celebrates the Festival of Lights with
fireworks the entire night.
 Sharad
Purnima (November)
Is a
harvest festival when Laxmi, the Goddess of prosperity, visit all homes to
bring fortune and good luck to all. Kojagiri, the special night, is
celebrated with ice-cold, saffron-flavoured sweets. The night is called
Navanna Purnima or the moonlit night of new food. Newly harvested rice is
offered to the gods and lamps are lit before the full moon.
 Jaipur
Festival (November)
This month
long celebration with many events is meant to revive old customs and
traditions of princely Jaipur. Various programs, competitions and
felicitations are staged. Culminates on, November the 18th
"the
birthday" of Jaipur.
 Christmas
(December)
Is celebrated by the Christian community in Jaipur and other cities.
Summary of Holidays
Jan. 26
Republic Day
March 4 Mahashivratri
March 16 Bakri-id (id-ul-zuha)
March 20 Holi
April 1 Bank's yearend account closing
April 5 Gudhi Padwa
April 12 Ram Navami
April 14 Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti
April 15 Moharrum
April 21 Good Friday
May 1 Maharashtra Day
May 5 Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti
May 18 Buddha Pournima
June 15 Id-e-Milad
Aug. 15 Independence Day
Aug. 21 Parsi New Year
Sept. 1 Ganesh Chaturthi
Sept. 30 Bank's half-yearly closing of accounts
Oct. 2 Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
Oct. 7 Dusserha
Oct. 26-28 Diwali
Nov. 11 Guru Nanak Jayanti
Dec. 25 Christmas
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