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With the monsoon clouds gathering over the Indian subcontinent, monsoons in the country not only signify rain but with it, the season also welcomes the most vibrant tapestry of festivals. The monsoon season festivals in India are mainly to celebrate nature’s bounty, spiritual harmony and community spirit. Deeply rooted in the diversity and rich cultural fabric of the country, the festivals in the monsoon season in India transform the country into the most beautiful landscape and a true canvas of colours, rituals and joyous gatherings.
With the lush greenery of Kerala coming to life with the celebrations of Onam, or Assam hosting the Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya Temple, and Tamil Nadu celebrating Adi Perukku, the various monsoon festivals of India are not just events, but impressions of gratitude and reverence that portray a deep connection with the rhythms of nature. Offering a glimpse into how the various, diverse communities in India interpret and celebrate the monsoon season, the monsoon festivals weave together mythology, agriculture and spirituality into a harmonious celebration of life. Here are some of the popular monsoon season festivals in India that showcase the spirit and vibrancy of the country at its best.
Discover the profound relations between people and the natural world with these top monsoon festivals in India
1. Onam - Kerala
Kerala’s most significant festival, Onam, marks the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali. Celebrated during the monsoon season, Onam is among the top festivals in India that celebrate the bliss of the rains. Featuring grand feasts known as Onasaya and decorations made from intricate floral designs, along with traditional dances like Thiruvathrira Kali and the exhilarating Nehru Trophy Boat Race, this monsoon festival truly brings out the best of Kerala amidst the lush greenery of God’s Own Country adding up to the festive spirit in the most perfect way.
2. Teej - Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab
Mainly celebrated in the northern part of the country, Teej marks the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Among the most popular festivals in the monsoon season in India, Teej goes by a number of other names such as Hartalika Teej, Kajari Teej, Hariyali Teej and so on. During this monsoon season festival in India, women dress up in vibrant sarees, apply henna on their hands and enjoy traditional dances and songs while praying to Lord Shiva and Parvati for satisfaction and joy in their marital lives. This festival features swings that are decorated and hung from trees, and the preparation of traditional north Indian sweets such as Ghewar. A celebration of marital bliss and the monsoon’s arrival, Teej is among the primary monsoon festivals in India.
3. Ambubachi Mela - Assam
Held at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, the Ambubachi Mela is a three day festival that celebrates the annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya. Devotees are of the belief that during this time, the goddess undergoes her menstrual cycle and hence the temple remains closed for rituals. Surrounded by a mystical aura, the Brahmaputra River, which flows near the temple, turns red due to the heavy rains, adding a certain level of surreality to the proceedings of this monsoon festival.
4. Aadi Perukku - Tamil Nadu
Celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, that is during mid July, this monsoon festival honours the life-sustaining properties of water. The various communities residing near the rivers. Lakes and wells gather together to offer prayers and celebrate the rising water levels due to the monsoon rains. A time of the year when the people of the communities express their gratitude for the water that nourishes crops and sustains life, Aadi Perukku celebrated in Tamil Nadu is an extremely significant monsoon season festival in India.
5. Raja Parba - Odisha
A three day monsoon festival celebrated in Odisha that honours womanhood and the earth’s fertility, Raja Parba is a celebration of nature’s bounty and the role of women in the society. Celebrated during the monsoon season, this festival marks the onset of the agricultural season. As a way of celebrating Raja Parba, women refrain from work during this time, dress in new clothes and indulge in the most vibrant traditional games and dances.
6. Janmashtami- Across India
A monsoon season festival in India that symbolises the birth of Lord Krishna on the eighth day of the fortnight of the new moon in the Hindu month of Saavan, Janmashthami holds great spiritual and cultural significance. A festival that marks the worship of Lord Krishna as an infant, this monsoon festival is celebrated on a pan-India scale. With the temples across the country being extensively decorated, and the sound of holy songs and prayers echoing, the celebrations of Janmashthami are also often also telecasted worldwide.