List of Hindu festivals
observe a wide range of festivals and religious celebrations, many of which are rooted in ancient Indian traditions, and often correspond with seasonal transitions. These festivals are scheduled according to either the solar calendar or the lunisolar calendar, and their observance often varies regionally. Many festivals are specific to certain sects or are primarily observed in particular regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Terminology
Utsava
Utsava is the Sanskrit word for festivals. It comes from the word ut meaning "starts" and sava, which means "change" or "decline".Observance periods (''tithi'')
dates are usually in accordance with a lunisolar calendar. In Vedic timekeeping, a māsa is a lunar month, a pakṣa is a lunar fortnight, and a tithi is a lunar day.There are two prevailing definitions of the lunar month: amānta, where the month ends with the new moon, and pūrṇimānta, where it ends with the full moon. Consequently, the same day may be associated with different but adjoining months. When a festival takes place during śukla paksha, both traditions attribute it to the same month. However, if the festival occurs during kṛiṣhṇa paksha, the two traditions assign it to different, but adjacent months.