10 Agricultural Festivals In India: Harvest & Celebrations

India, with its strong agricultural foundation, celebrates the harvest season through various festivals that honour nature, crops, and prosperity. These agricultural festivals in India go beyond farming, reflecting cultural traditions, religious beliefs and community spirit. Farmers express gratitude for a good harvest and celebrations vary across regions. Festivals like Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Baisakhi and Onam bring people together through rituals, feasts and traditional performances. These agricultural festivals in India highlight the deep connection between farming and culture. It reinforces the importance of agriculture in daily life and the economy.

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Top 10 Agricultural Festivals In India

Here are some of the agricultural festivals in India that celebrate the country’s farming traditions, seasonal harvests and the deep connection between nature and culture:

1. Pongal

An image of a street with a man dancing with fire rope, illuminating a festive atmosphere during Pongal.

Photo: Matthew T Rader / Wikimedia Commons

Pongal is a four-day South Indian harvest festival, predominantly celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It signifies gratitude to the Sun God and nature for a bountiful harvest. Families prepare the special dish ‘Pongal,’ a mix of rice and jaggery. This is cooked in an earthen pot until it overflows, symbolising prosperity. Farmers decorate their cattle, temples hold special prayers, and homes are adorned with kolams (rangoli). The festival includes Bhogi (bonfire), Surya Pongal (main day), Mattu Pongal (cattle worship), and Kaanum Pongal (family gatherings).

Timings: January 14 – 17
Location: Tamil Nadu
Must Have Experiences: Witness the grand Pongal celebrations in villages

2. Baisakhi

An image of Sikh individuals with bright orange turbans at Baisakhi celebration, one of the most popular agricultural festivals in India.

Photo: Pierre Marshall / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only

Baisakhi, primarily celebrated in Punjab and Haryana, marks the Sikh New Year and the harvest of Rabi crops. It is also historically significant for the formation of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh. Farmers express gratitude for the bountiful harvest by performing energetic Bhangra and Gidda dances. Gurudwaras hold special prayers, followed by community feasts (langars). The festival fosters unity and is a time of immense joy for the agrarian community, making it one of the prominent agricultural festivals in India.

Timings: April 13
Location: Punjab and Haryana
Must Have Experiences: Enjoy the vibrant celebrations at the Golden Temple in Amritsar

3. Onam

An image of a rangoli made during the Onam festival, one of the agricultural festivals in India.

Photo: Fotokannan / Wikimedia Commons

Onam is Kerala’s grand harvest festival, celebrated to honour the mythical King Mahabali. He is believed to visit his people during this time. The ten-day festival includes vibrant floral arrangements (Pookalam), intricate dance performances like Kathakali and Vallam Kali (snake boat races). The grand feast, Onam Sadya, consisting of over 20 traditional vegetarian dishes, is a major highlight. Cultural events, music, and games make this a spectacular celebration among the agricultural festivals in India.

Timings: August – September
Location: Kerala
Must Have Experiences: Witness the exhilarating Vallam Kali (boat races) on the Pampa River

4. Bihu

An image of Assamese people in traditional attire celebrating Bihu with music, dance, a buffalo horn, and a jaapi.

Photo: Diganta Talukdar / Wikimedia Commons

Bihu is Assam’s most important festival and one of the most famous agricultural festivals in India. It is celebrated in three phases, Bohag Bihu (spring), Magh Bihu (winter), and Kati Bihu (autumn). Rongali Bihu in April marks the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the harvest season. People celebrate by singing folk songs, performing Bihu dance, and preparing traditional dishes like Pitha and Laru. Cattle are bathed and worshipped, symbolising the deep bond between farmers and their livestock.

Timings: Mid-April
Location: Assam
Must Have Experiences: Participate in the lively Bihu dance and enjoy traditional Assamese feasts

5. Lohri

An image of an intense fire with vivid orange and yellow flames, engulfing and charring wooden logs, lit during the Lohri festival.

Photo: Gursimrat Ganda / Unsplash

Lohri, a popular North Indian festival, marks the end of winter and the harvesting of Rabi crops. The festival involves lighting bonfires, around which families and friends gather to offer sesame seeds, jaggery, and rewari while singing folk songs. Lohri is particularly special for newlyweds and newborns, who receive blessings from elders. It is a joyous occasion filled with dancing, feasting, and a strong sense of community bonding.

Timings: January 13
Location: Punjab and North India
Must Have Experiences: Experience traditional Punjabi folk music and dances around the Lohri bonfire

6. Wangala

An image of individuals in colorful attire, performing the traditional dance, Wangala, with drums outdoors under clear skies.

Photo: Visma kumar / Wikimedia Commons

Wangala, known as the ‘Hundred Drums Festival,’ is celebrated by the Garo tribe in Meghalaya. Dedicated to the Sun God, this festival marks the end of the agricultural season. It features grand processions, traditional drum performances, and indigenous dances that reflect the tribe’s rich cultural heritage. This is one of the most special agricultural festivals in India. It highlights the significance of agriculture in tribal life and fosters a strong community spirit.

Timings: November
Location: Meghalaya
Must Have Experiences: Witness the rhythmic beats of the hundred drums

7. Nuakhai

An image of a cultural dance performance of Nuakhai festival, with people in traditional attire, holding plates with green leaves.

Photo: Mamata Padhi / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only

Nuakhai is a major harvest festival in Western Odisha and parts of Chhattisgarh, celebrated with great devotion. The name ‘Nuakhai’ means ‘new food,’ signifying the consumption of the season’s first rice. Families gather to offer prayers to Goddess Samaleswari, followed by traditional feasting and folk dances like Dalkhai. Being one of the important agricultural festivals in India, it symbolises prosperity and togetherness, reinforcing the importance of agrarian culture in the region.

Timings: August – September
Location: Western Odisha and Chhattisgarh
Must Have Experiences: Witness Nuakhai Juhar, where people exchange greetings and celebrate with cultural performances

8. Nabanna

An image of individuals in colorful attire, performing a traditional dance, celebrating the Nabanna festival, one of the popular agricultural festivals in India.

Photo: Utsab ahamed / Wikimedia Commons

Nabanna is West Bengal’s rice harvest festival, celebrated with fervour across rural and urban communities. The new rice is used to prepare traditional Bengali sweets like Pithe and Payesh. Cultural performances, folk music, and theatre add to the celebratory spirit. It is a time for farmers to rejoice and offer gratitude for the year’s harvest, strengthening their bond with the land and nature. This is one of the best agricultural festivals in India.

Timings: November
Location: West Bengal
Must Have Experiences: Enjoy the delicious Pithe and Payesh, made from freshly harvested rice

9. Agera

An image of a church congregation attending a service with floral decorations and chandeliers inside the church, during Agera.

Photo: Joe Ravi / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only

Agera is an important harvest festival celebrated by Mumbai’s Christian community. Farmers and their families bring the first produce of their fields to the church for blessings, expressing gratitude for a successful harvest. The celebrations include special prayers, processions, and communal feasting. It is a time of thanksgiving and joy, strengthening the spiritual connection between people and their agricultural traditions.

Timings: First Sunday of October
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Must Have Experiences: Attend the church service where fresh produce is blessed

10. Dree

An image of the Apatani tribe women in their traditional dress during the Dree festival, one of the unique agricultural festivals in India.

Photo: Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions Cultures and Heritage / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only

Dree, of the Apatani tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, is one of the most unique agricultural festivals in India. It involves rituals and offerings to deities to ensure a good harvest and protect crops from pests and diseases. Traditional dances, community feasts, and sports competitions mark the celebrations. The festival highlights the Apatani people’s deep connection with agriculture and nature, fostering a sense of unity and cultural pride.

Timings: July 5
Location: Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
Must Have Experiences: Participate in the ritualistic prayers and traditional Apatani dances

Agricultural festivals in India highlight its deep farming traditions and cultural heritage. These celebrations go beyond agriculture, fostering gratitude, joy, and community bonds within the agricultural communities across the country. Each festival has its own customs, reflecting regional traditions and the nation’s strong connection with nature. Plan your trip at ease with TripXL and experience India’s agrarian lifestyle through these lively festivities.

Cover Photo: AjoyDutta1997 / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only

Top 10 Agricultural Festivals In India Displaying Traditions And Culture