Diversity lies within Indian states. Festivals and traditions of different states in India are celebrated within same time period with different names. Let us dive into the meaning and cultural importance of 6 different harvest festivals celebrated throughout India. These harvest festivals are known with different names which are celebrated in the Magh month of Hindu calendar. These festivals also celebrate the end of winter and arrival of spring.

1. Lohri in Punjab

this festival is celebrated in Punjab and also in some parts of North India. It symbolises the end of winter and beginning of harvest festival.
People collectively burn bornfire and offer the harvested grains,maize tc. into the fire. It is said to be done as an offering to the nature.

Special Customs:
Lohri is celebrated through burning bonfires which are made the focal points of the celebrations; people throw sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts as a token of thankfulness to the Sun God.

Unknown Fact: 

• People sing songs and make rounds around the bonfire in joy and excitement. .
• Young children are seen from door-to-door thronged with the sweet notes of traditional Lohri at homes for a little money. This kind of custom is called “Lohri Loot”.

2. Pongal (Tamil Nadu)

Pongal is a four-day festival that is organized in Tamil Nadu to worship to the Sun God and bring in the harvest season. The term ‘Pongal’ is also used for the delicious, sweet dessert made up of rice, milk, and jaggery and offered to the people to consume during the festival.
There are intricate kolam (rangoli) designs in houses made with rice flour.

Unknown Fact

• On the third day, known as Mattu Pongal, cows are worshipped and decorated with garlands, turmeric, and bells, indicating their importance in agriculture.
• The “Pongal Panai,” a clay pot in which the sweet dish is prepared, is often broken after the feast as a symbolic gesture of prosperity.

3. Uttrayan (Gujarat)

Uttrayan, popularly known as the Kite Festival, is the festival of Gujarat that heralds the sun’s northward journey and hence brings the longer days. This festival is a matter of multi-color kites soaring the skies.

Unique Traditions
“Kites are flown in the sky as multi-colored to symbolize the higher heavens, which contrasts shade at night.”Kite flying, slight axe-necked or dove-like and triangle-shaped, and the cutting of darkness gave the participants the required catharsis.
Unknown Fact

People cook “Undhiyu”, a mixed vegetable dish in an earthen pot, and “Uttrayan” is cooked during the festivals of Uttrayan.

Some areas smear powdered glass onto the kite strings, making them sharp. It is said that this practice dates back to the friendly kite fights.

4.Villaku (Kerala)

Villaku is referred to as “Temple Lighting Festival” in some parts. Harvest festival celebrated in Kerala, thanks, and devotion to religion are what make it a spectacular event.

Special Customs
Oil lamps are the light that throws up temples. You will get an excellent view when you go up.

Unknown Facts

• Sometimes, the person conducting the harvest festival offers humans “Villaku Payasam.” It is a kind of sweet rice pudding that is only available in this temple and is given to the devotees as prasad
• One of the main attractions of the festival is the traditional dances like Kathakali that are performed in the temple premises.

5. Magh Bihu (Assam)

Magh Bihu remains to be the most colorful festival in Assam celebrating the soul of a community quite intimately. It is a time of great fun and feasting which comes at a particularly significant time of the year, the Assamese New Year and the end of the harvesting season.

Unique Traditions
Different communities in Assam have the tradition to celebrate the harvest festival though in their diverse ways. One of the remarkable traditions is the act of the Assamese people illuminating their surroundings as Bhela ghar.  These type of houses are being constructed which process takes place months earlier before Bhogali Bihu.
Unknown Fact

• In fact, these Mejis and Bhelaghars are the imitation of the huts that used to be made by our ancestors. One of the traditional activities is the making of the house of woods or bamboo. Later, both the huts are burnt to the ground, which is a ritual signifying the burning of evil spirits and clearing obstacles for the New Year.
• One of the common traditional sports in Bhogali Bihu includes the buffalo fight which is done on the first day of this harvest festival.

6. Makar Sankranti (All India)

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makar as per Hindu astrology) and the month of Magha (Sanskrit) in the gregorian calendar which is the day when the length of the daytime and nighttime is equal. It is a solar day and the date on which the sun enters the tropical zodiac sign of Capricorn, the Indian Shraadha is celebrated.

Unique Traditions
This act of taking the holy bath in the rivers can be interpreted as a way of not only apology but also the renewal of the relationship with the water.
Unknown Fact

• People belonging to different parts within India have different customs that are practiced during Makar Sankranti.In Some women of Maharashtra prepare this as a ritual of exchange of turmeric and vermillion mixed with the rice offering which is given as the prasada to Lord Vengadapathi.
• In Karnataka: Sesame seeds are mixed with jaggery or “Ellu-Bella”, which is served to the relatives to signify harmony and new beginning.

Environmental Benefits of Bonfires in Lohri and Meji in Magh Bihu

Bonfires, which have always been perceived as customs, serve not only religious but also environmental purposes. The ash remains and the consequent bio-waste is majorly conventional for the improvement of soil quality at the cropland. In addition, these gatherings established the basis of a true feel within the inhabitants while not coming from other celebrations including the use of artificial materials or non-biodegradable which are common.

Conclusion

These harvest festivals do not only end long agricultural cycles but also gather people together in celebrating prosperity, culture, and the fruit of nature. Lohri to Villaku are festivals where India presents its rich tradition and unique custom. While celebrating these ancient customs, let’s also remember sustainable and eco-friendly ways to harvest bountiful futures for all the generations ahead.