The Harvest Festivals of India

India, known as the land of festivals, is an agrarian country with a rich tradition of celebrating harvest festivals. These festivals are an integral part of the country's culture and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor across various communities.

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The harvest season in India is divided into two parts — the summer harvest season and the winter harvest season. The former falls between the months of March to May, while the latter falls between the months of October to December.

Early Indian tribal communities worshipped natural forces in their own local names and associated good harvests with them. These communities celebrated the harvest season by performing various rituals and offering prayers to their deities. With time, these celebrations have transformed into grand festivals celebrated across the country.

Every community in India has its own summer and winter harvest festival — these have different names, but similar intent. The Santhals call it Sarhul, Konyaks call it Aoling, Galos call it Mopin, Mizos call it Chapchar Kut, Garos call it Wangala, the Marathi community celebrates Gudi Padwa, and the Sikhs call it Vaisakhi.

I have travelled across India to observe these festivals and in this series, I will share four of the main harvest festivals celebrated across the country. These festivals provide an insight into India's rich cultural diversity and the importance of agriculture in the country's economy.

The significance of harvest festivals

The significance of harvest festivals in India is rooted in the country's agricultural heritage and is a celebration of nature's bounty. These festivals are not only a celebration of the harvest, but also an opportunity to give thanks to the gods for their blessings and to seek their blessings for a good crop in the coming year.

Early Indian tribal communities worshipped nature-based gods — Bera Panjurli, Sarna Burhi, Donyi-Polo, Korravai, and Chükhiu — who were associated with good harvest and fertility. These tribes and communities celebrated their local harvest festivals by offering prayers and performing rituals to their deities.

Over time, many of these festivals became associated with different religions in India, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity, but the intent behind the celebrations remained the same. These festivals provide a sense of unity and harmony among the diverse communities in India, as people come together to celebrate the bounty of nature and offer thanks for the blessings received.

Cropping cycles in India

The cropping cycles in India are not uniform and vary from region to region. As a general approximation, there are two main cropping cycles in India — Kharif and Rabi. The Kharif season starts with the onset of the monsoon in June and ends in September or October. The Rabi season starts in October or November and ends in March or April. Most festivals are determined based on this timing, with minor variations.

This is pretty similar to Thanksgiving in the United States, which is a time when families come together and express their gratitude for the blessings they have received. Similarly, the Moon Festival celebrated in China, Vietnam, and other countries in Asia is a time to celebrate the harvest season and offer thanks to the gods for their blessings.

Many communities also have two harvest festivals, one being a smaller one, and the other celebrated on a grand scale. It usually depends on the crop that is the major harvest in the area, which is most often either rice or wheat. However, the cropping cycles are slowly being affected by the weather patterns, and changing climate. It has affected the cropping cycles in the country and hence, affected the timing of the harvest festivals too.

The Wangala festival celebrated by the Garo tribe in Meghalaya used to go on for a month in the past. However, due to changing weather patterns and socio-economic conditions, the festival is now limited to a week. The festival celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and is an occasion to give thanks to the gods for a good harvest. The changing cropping cycles have not only affected the festival but also the lives and livelihoods of the Garo tribe.

The harvest festivals of India

I have had the pleasure of experiencing and witnessing multiple harvest festivals while backpacking around India. In this series, I am going to write about the four main festivals that I have personally experienced and observed. Some of these are lesser-known festivals from Northeast India that are not a part of the mainstream.

Aoling Festival: Aoling Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by the Konyak tribe in Nagaland. It is a week-long celebration of the beginning of a new year and the end of the old. The festival is marked by traditional dances, feasting, and other cultural activities.

Wangala: Wangala or the Hundred Drums Festival is celebrated by the Garo tribe in Meghalaya. It is a harvest festival that is celebrated to thank the Sun God for a good harvest. The festival is marked by traditional dances, music, and feasting. The highlight of the festival is the playing of a hundred drums, which symbolize the unity and strength of the Garo tribe.

Sarhul: Sarhul is a harvest festival celebrated by the Santhal tribe in Jharkhand, India. The festival is a celebration of the Sarhul tree, which is believed to be a manifestation of the divine. The Santhal people worship the tree and seek its blessings for a good harvest. The highlight of the festival is the ceremonial planting of the Sarhul tree, which is a symbol of renewal and growth.

Gudi Padwa: Gudi Padwa is a harvest festival celebrated by the Marathi community in Maharashtra. It marks the beginning of the new year and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. The festival is marked by the hoisting of a gudi — a colorful flag decorated with flower garlands — outside homes as a symbol of victory and good luck. In Mumbai, the festival is celebrated with grand processions and world-famous rallies, where people dress up in traditional attire and dance to the beats of dhol tasha.