Vedic Way of Life
Festivals and Observances
Through the year, festivals and special days bring families together in prayer, remembrance and celebration. Here are some of the most important ones.
- Makar Sankranti: the sun's turn toward the north; a day of giving and fresh beginnings
- Maha Shivaratri: a night of prayer and fasting devoted to Lord Shiva, especially loved in Varanasi
- Holi: the spring festival of colors and the victory of good over evil
- Navratri: nine nights of prayer to the Divine Mother, held twice a year, in spring and autumn
- Guru Purnima: a full-moon day to honor teachers
- Janmashtami: the birth of Lord Krishna
- Ganesh Chaturthi: honoring Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles
- Pitru Paksha: fifteen days of remembering and honoring our ancestors
- Dussehra: the victory of good over evil at the end of autumn Navratri
- Diwali: the festival of lights, for prosperity and the triumph of light over darkness
- Dev Deepawali: in Varanasi, the banks of the Ganga are lit with thousands of lamps on the full moon after Diwali
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