Festivals In Tamilnadu

In Tamilnadu many festivals are observed throughout the year

Pongal

                   Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu. This is the most important of all festivals to the people of Tamil Nadu. It is often called as "Tamilar Thirunal" or the Prosperity Day of the Tamils. It comes in the middle of January. It celebrates the arrival of fresh harvest and everyone appears in new garments with a beaming smile greeting each other on this day. Pongal itself refers to the "boiling over" of milk and rice.

Tourist Fair

                   During January, Tourist Fair is conducted at Island Grounds in Chennai by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corpo­ration. All government depart­ments and public sector enterprises take part in it. Every day folk dances and dramas are conducted.

Dance Festival

                         In the month of January this festival conducted by the Department of Tourism is generally held at Mamallapuram where monolithic rock sculptures of the Pallava kings are built on the shore. The dances are held on an open-air stage near these sculptures.

Sivarathri

                   A festival observed in all Siva temples and Saivaite families in. Special poojas and chanting of 'Siva Siva' are done throughout the night.

Chitthirai Festival

                      Brahmothsavam or Chitthirai festival is the chief festival celebrated in all temples for 10 days. Every day 'urchavar' or the processional deity is carried in procession on different vahanas like horse, bull, swan, lion, sun, moon etc. The one at Madurai is indeed spectacular with Lord Vishnu landing on a golden horse for his sister Meenakshi’s marriage. This festival celebrated during the month of April.

Tamil New Year’s Day

                   It comes in the middle of April heralding the spring season.The neem flower is used in one way or other as a side dish and eaten along with sweet kheer called payasam. Huge queues will be found in all important temples on this day.

Sri Rama Navami

                   It is celebrated in all Vishnu temples and at homes. It is the birthday of Rama, one of the Avatars of Vishnu.

Summer Festival

                The summer festival is celebrated in hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikanal, and Yercaud etc. It mainly a tourist festival. It is called 'Kodai Vizha'. Boat races, flower and fruit shows, are arranged. Cultural programmes are conducted. This festival celebrated during the month of July.

Adi Perukku

                           It is the eighteenth day of the Tamil month Adi, on which most of the rivers will be in spate after rains. People go to the river banks and worship the river goddess and float their offerings on river. 

Krishna Jayanthi

                   It is the birthday of Lord Krishna. It is celebrated in all Vishnu Temples and at homes.

Vinayaka Chathurthi

                  The birthday of Lord Vinayaka or the elephant-headed god. It is celebrated in all homes as well as in all Saivite temples and temples of Lord Vinayaka.

Mahamagam Festival

                  This festival comes once in 12 years. This period is called ‘Mamangam' in Tamil. This occurs once in 12 years when planet Jupiter enters the constellation of Leo. It is believed that all the holy rivers of India bathe in the sacred tank here at Kumbakonam on this holy day to wash away their sins ­accrued from the devotees who bathe in them. The Mahamagam tank is situated in the temple city of Kumbakonam.

Vaikunta Ekadasi

                    This festival is a Vaishnavite festival and it is believed that the gates of Paradise are thrown open on that day. In all Vishnu temples, a decorative gate is erected called 'Vaikuntha Vasal' or the threshold of paradise. Thousands of people come to pass through the threshold of paradise.

Natyanjali Festival

                    It is a dance festival at the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.

Karthigal Deepam

                   It is one of the most ancient festivals of Tamil Nadu. It is the festival of lights of Tamil Nadu. Deepam means light. Rows of earthen lamps are lighted in front of houses in the evening. Traditional snacks called Appam, Pori and Adai are prepared and offered to deities. The festival is celebrated in all Siva temples.

Music Festival

                  The music festival is celebrated every year in the capital city, Chennai. During December, all the 'Sabhas' or Music clubs arrange for this. The Music Academy, Annamalai Mandram, Narada Gana Sabha, Indian Fine Arts Society and other sabhas arrange for this festival in various places. At Kalakshetra, a dance festival is also conducted during this time.