| Festival Name | Key Features | Place/District | Significance/Context |
| Chait (Dholru) | First month of the lunar year, first day celebrated; people from ‘Dholu’ or ‘Turi’ or ‘Shenai’ caste sing and dance door to door. | Kullu (‘Chaitrali’), Bharmour area of Chamba (‘Dholru’) | Believed to bring happiness and prosperity. |
| Navratras | Observed twice a year; Durga Ashtami is of great importance; people visit nearest Durga temple to offer prayers. | (General, Shaktipiths) | All Shaktipiths are visited. |
| Baishakhi | Celebrated on April 13th; houses whitewashed; people take holy dips at sacred sites or nearby wells/rivulets; fairs held with traditional gaiety. | Haridwar, Tatlapani (near Shimla), Banganga (Kangra Valley), Markanda (Bilaspur) | Generally celebrated as a preparation for the festival. |
| Haryali | Celebrated on the 1st of Savan (July 16th); seeds of 5-7 grains sown near household deities; stems offered and placed on door frames; farmers do not yoke oxen; insects burnt with cowdung balls. | Lahaul (‘Shehtsum’), Jubbal and Kinnaur (‘Dhakhrain’), Kangra and Sirmaur (‘Haryali’) | Belief that burning insects on this day keeps cattle free from insect scourges. |
| Rakhi | Sisters tie sacred thread around brothers’ wrists, seeking protection and affection; brothers give money, sweets, or gifts. | (General); Bilaspur (‘Rakhrunya’), Mandi and Sirmaur (‘Salunnu’), Shimla Hills (‘Rakhpunya’), New Himachal area (‘Rakhri’) | Celebrated on the full moon in Shrwan. |
| Chrewal (Prithvi Pooja) | Celebrated on the 1st of Bhadon (mid-August) and continues for a month; farmers do not yoke oxen. | Kullu (‘Bhadon jo’), Chamba (‘Pathroru’) | Also known as ‘Prithvi pooja’ in some places. ‘Pathroru’ is a festival of flowers where girls dance. |
| Nag Panchami | Celebrated on the 5th day of the bright phase of the moon in September; Nag Devta is worshipped; singing and dancing are common. | (General, village deities) | Offerings are made to village deities. |
| Phulech | People collect wild flowers to offer to village deities; flower garlands distributed; priests make forecasts about crops and seasonal changes. | Kinnaur | Celebrated in Bhadon (August-September) or beginning of Asoj (September-October) only in Kinnaur. |
| Sair | Barbers show mirrors to villagers for rewards; rich food prepared; local deities worshipped for a prosperous future. | New Himachal (general) | Considered the ‘sara-din’ of the farmers. |
| Jidi ed | Main attraction is masked dance. | Khang-gyud monastery (October); Kee, Tabo, Dankar, Pin Spiti (October) | To protect people from diseases and epidemics and ensure health, happiness, and prosperity. |
| Diwali | Commemorates Lord Rama’s return; people light lamps. | (General); Kullu; Lahaul (‘Kaojala’); Pattan valley (Lahaul) | In Kullu, ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharta’ are sung, and a fight between gods and demons is enacted. In Lahaul, people carry ‘Mashal’ (light) and throw deodar tree leaves into fire in the name of ‘Genhan’ and ‘Bajreshiran Devi’. Lahaulas of Pattan valley celebrate Diwali on full moon night with illuminations. |
| Magha Saaja | Continues for a month; special feasts and visits to relatives and friends. | (General) | Continuation of the Diwali festival. |
| Lossar | Yak dance and religious dances performed in monastery courtyards. | Kinnaur, Lahaul, Spiti, Tibetan communities | New Year festival. |
| Gochi | Celebrated jointly by all families where a male child was born in the preceding year; dates decided by the ‘Lama’. | Chumang Kathi and adjoining areas | Celebrated for male child born in the preceding year. |
| Baijnath Dushehra | Unlike most of India, Dushehra is not celebrated by burning effigies of Ravana due to a local belief that it incurs Lord Shiva’s wrath. | Baijnath (Kangra) | Stems from a legend where Ravana placed Shiva’s ‘linga’ on the ground at Baijnath, causing it to become permanently fixed. |
| Bhunda, Shant, and Bhoj | Celebrated approximately every twelve years or when sufficient funds are accumulated; involve sacrifices to please deities; singing and dancing for three to four days. | Upper Shimla Hills, Kullu, and Mandi | Linked to ‘Parshuram’ or the cult of ‘Kali’. Akin to the ‘Kumbha Mela’. |
| Halda Festival | Three people from each household carry lighted candles, which are ceremonially thrown towards specific villages. | Chandra and Bhaga Valley in Lahaul and Spiti district | Festival of light, similar to Diwali. |
| Gawala | Individual contributions to thank Lord Shiva for peace and calmness; ‘pooja’ and devotional songs sung throughout the night. | Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, and Kullu | |
| Chintpurni Fair (Mata da Mela) | Offerings of ‘Karnhu’ (sweet halwa prasad) and ‘Chhattar’ are made; ‘Mundon’ (hair cutting) ceremonies for children are performed. | Chintpurni village (Una district) | Honors the Mother Goddess, believed to ward off worldly worries. |
| Gugga Fair | Involves the worship of Gugga, associated with snake cults and believed to protect against snake bites. | Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Mandi; Geh rwin village (Bilaspur), Balokhtar (Hamirpur) | Commemorates Gugga, a valiant hero. |
| Jwalamukhi Fair | People come with red silken flags. | Kangra Valley | Dedicated to Durga and the Eternal Flame that spontaneously emerges from the earth. Emperor Akbar’s attempt to extinguish the flame was thwarted. |
| Panch Bhisham Festival | Pilgrims visit the Jaya Devi Mata temple, reciting Vedic hymns and chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’. | Kangra town | Celebrated as the marriage of Tulsi and Lord Vishnu, and to remember Guru Dronacharya. |
| Malana and Jamlu Devta | Inhabitants speak a unique language unintelligible to outsiders. | Malana (Kullu Valley) | Malana is considered the ‘oldest democracy in the world’, governed by Jamlu Devta (Jamdagni Rishi). |
| Bhirdul (Shirgul), Bijat, and Mahasu Devtas | Shirgul, whose home is on Chur peak, and Mahasu, headquartered at Sion village, are believed to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction. | Shimla hills (Shirgul on Chur peak, Mahasu at Sion village in Renuka tehsil) | Deity cults, derivatives of Shaivism. False oaths in their temples believed to result in divine punishment. |
