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As India is home to different religions, there are a lot of festivals related to these religions.
Hindu festivals
Hindus make up approximately 80% of India's population. The Hindu calendar is lunar (or luni-solar), and as such, Hindu festivals don't fall on a fixed day of the Gregorian calendar. Since Hinduism's beliefs and practices are widely varied, there are a large number of festivals. Some are regional, and not all are observed by all Hindus. The more important ones are listed below, and there is no uniformity as to which of these are holidays.
Thaipusam - Mostly a Tamil festival, commemorating the birth of Lord Murugan. Late Janurary - Early Feburary.
Maha Shivratri - Festival to honor Lord Shiva. Feburary - March.
Ugadi / Gudhi Padwa / Baisakhi/Vaisakhi / Bihu / Poila Baisakh - New Year's Day in various
Ram Navami - Commemorates the marriage of Seetha and Rama, and also the birth of Lord Rama. April.
Krishna Jayanti - Commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna. August - September.
Ganesh Chaturthi - Commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha. Late August to Early September.
Vijayadasami - Celebrates the victory of good over evil. September - October.
Diwali - The most widely celebrated festival, and is known as the "festival of lights". Occurs on a new moon day, usually in October or November.
Diwali Amvasaya (Laxmi Puja)
Diwali (day 2)
Bhaubeej
Islamic festivals
Muslims account for approximately 13% of India's population. The Islamic calendar is also lunar and so festival dates are variable. Moreover, they are not known in advance and are determined by the sighting of the moon. The major ones are:
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Adha (Bakrid)
Ramadan
Christian festivals
Christmas Day and Good Friday are usually holidays.
Other religions
Buddha Jayanti (Buddhism)
Mahavir Jayanti (Jainism)
Guru Nanak's Birthday Jayanti (Sikhism)
Guru Govind Singh's Birthday Jayanti (Sikhism)
Guru Teg Bahadur's Martyrdom Day (Sikhism)
Vaisakhi (Sikhism)
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