English_Holiday_Homework G7 Festivals of India.pptx

festivals of india

1. Festivals of India Made by the members of Group 7

2. Arunachal Pradesh

3. Si-Donyi Festival The Si-Donyi Festival is an important celebration of the Tagin community in Arunachal Pradesh. It honors Si (Earth) and Donyi (Sun) to seek blessings for prosperity, health, and harmony. Religious/Cultural Significance: It represents gratitude towards nature and prayers for a peaceful and prosperous life. Specific Customs: Offerings , such as Mithun”, are made to appease the deities. Nyibus (priests) conduct the festival with chants and rituals. Traditional Food/Delicacies: Enjoyed dishes include rice cooked in bamboo , smoked meat, and local beverages.

4. Associated Songs/Dances: The Si-Donyi Dance is performed, accompanied by drumbeats and rhythmic chants. Associated Costumes: Participants wear traditional Tagin attire, featuring colorful robes and headdresses adorned with beads and feathers.

5. Losar Festival The Losar Festival marks the Tibetan New Year and is celebrated by the Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. It signifies the arrival of the new year and the end of winter. Religious/Cultural Significance: It is a religious and cultural festival to honor deities, cleanse negativity, and welcome the new year. Specific Customs: Cleaning and decorating homes is done as a sign of purification and offerings are made to the deities at monasteries. Traditional Food/Delicacies: Special dishes like Thukpa (noodle soup), Momos, and butter tea are served during the festival

6. Associated Songs/Dances: Monks perform Cham dances wearing colorful masks and costumes, depicting stories of good triumphing over evil. Associated Costumes: The Monpa people wear traditional woolen dresses like Shingka (a gown) and ornate jewelry during the celebrations.

7. Meghalaya

8. Wangala Festival The Wangala Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by the Garos of Meghalaya, India, to honor the sun god, Saljong. The festival marks the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter and signifies a time of good results in the fields. Religious/Cultural Significance: Wangala marks the end of the agricultural season and is a thanksgiving festival to the Sun God for a bountiful harvest. Specific Customs: The festival involves rituals like “Rugala,” where rice beer is offered to the deity, and “Cha∙chat So∙a ,” a grand dance performance. Traditional Food/Delicacies: Various traditional dishes are prepared, including rice beer and other local delicacies.

9. Associated Songs/Dances: The festival is renowned for its traditional dance, the “Wangala Dance,” accompanied by drums (Dama) and flutes, creating a rhythmic and vibrant celebration. Associated Costumes: Participants wear traditional Garo attire, including colorful Dakmanda (wraparounds) and ornaments.

10. Shad Nongkrem Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appease the all powerful Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a rich bumper harvest and prosperity of the people. The Nongkrem dance festival is celebrated during Autumn at Smit, the cultural center of the Khasi Hills. Religious/Cultural Significance: Shad Nongkrem is a thanksgiving and fertility festival dedicated to Ka Blei Synshar, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Specific Customs: The ritual sacrifice of goats as an offering to the goddess. The “ Pomblang ” ceremony, where offerings are made to the ancestors of the ruling clan. Traditional Food/Delicacies: Local Khasi dishes are served during the festival, including rice-based preparations and meat dishes.

11. Associated Songs/Dances: The festival is famous for the Nongkrem dance, performed by Khasi girls and men, reflecting the cultural heritage of the Khasi tribe Associated Costumes: Women wear Jainsem and gold or silver ornaments, while men wear traditional dhotis, waistcoats, and turbans.

12. Uttar Pradesh

13. Holi Holi is a lively and colourful festival where people smear each other with vibrant powders and splash water in celebration. The festivities are preceded by Holika Dahan, a bonfire ritual symbolising the triumph of good over evil. Religious/Cultural Significance: It commemorates the legend of Holika, the demoness, and the devotion of the young devotee Prahlad to Lord Vishnu. Specific Customs: The festival is celebrated by throwing coloured powders ( gulal ) and water at friends and family. On the eve of Holi, known as Holika Dahan, people light bonfires to signify the burning of Holika. Traditional Food/Delicacies: Holi features delicacies like gujiya , a sweet dumpling with khoya and nuts, refreshing thandai , and tangy dahi bhalla .

14. Associated Songs/Dances: In regions like Braj, traditional dances are performed, and in some areas, Kathak dance is also associated with Holi celebrations. Associated Costumes: People tend to wear simple white outfits, which later get drenched in colours during the celebrations.

15. Diwali Diwali, widely celebrated as the Festival of Lights, is an elaborate and vibrant occasion that signifies the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. During this festive period, homes are decorated with an array of colourful lights, vibrant streamers, and intricate “Rangoli” designs made from coloured powders. Religious/Cultural Significance: Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals, celebrated as the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Specific Customs: Homes are decorated with diyas (clay lamps) and rangolis . People light fireworks and Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, is worshipped. Traditional Food/Delicacies: During Diwali, traditional sweets like laddus , barfis , along with savory snacks such as samosas, kachoris , and namakpare .

16. Associated Songs/Dances: Traditional folk songs are sung during pujas, and cultural events may feature Kathak performances or community gatherings for music and dance. Associated Costumes: People wear traditional attire such as sarees, lehengas, and kurta-pajamas, often in bright and festive colors like red, gold, and yellow.

17. Thank You!