Wacky Facts

Diwali follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar, falling on the new moon (Amavasya) of Kartika, usually in October or November.

In 2021 UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Eid al-Fitr starts when the new crescent moon is sighted, so it can fall on different days in different countries.

Traditional gulal came from flowers like palash (flame of the forest), turmeric and other plants.

Held every December near Kohima, it brings together the dances, crafts and food of Nagaland’s tribes and is named after the hornbill bird.

Hemis Monastery’s annual festival honours Guru Padmasambhava with cham dances performed by monks in elaborate masks.

Kerala’s harvest festival welcomes back the legendary king Mahabali. The Onam sadya feast can have more than 20 dishes served on a banana leaf.

Pongal means “boiling over”; rice and milk are cooked until they spill over the pot, a sign of abundance.

Celebrated in Punjab on 13 January, Lohri marks the end of the coldest days, with sesame, jaggery and popcorn thrown into a bonfire.

Rice flour rangoli and kolam are said to feed ants and birds, a daily act of sharing.

The Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan draws tens of thousands of camels and cattle, along with pilgrims, each November.

Garba is danced around a lamp or image of the goddess, symbolising the cycle of life with the divine at the centre.

Goan homes hang paper stars and build cribs, and families make sweets like bebinca and kulkuls.

Assam celebrates Rongali Bihu in spring, Kongali Bihu in autumn and Bhogali Bihu at harvest in January.