Serenading the chorus of festivals

Makar Sankranti is the first festival of the New Year. The festival is known by different names in different parts of the country. It is celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab and Uttarayan in Gujrat. Let’s learn about some fascinating celebrations of our motherland.

1 This livestock festival is locally called as Kartik Mela. “Matka phod”, “longest moustache”, and hot air balloon rides are some of the main attractions. This includes an exhibition cricket match between the locals and foreign tourists dressed up in full Lagaan costume. Identify.

2 Nabakalebara is a festival observed in this temple. Naba means new and Kalebara is body. It is observed in a gap of 12 to 19 years. Mostly, it is performed after a gap of almost 19 years, as in 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977, 1996 and 2015. Identify the temple.

3 This sports festival held each winter on the outskirts of Ludhiana, Punjab, has been running since 1933 and was started by Inder Singh Grewal. Bullock cart races, horse racing, horseback acrobatics, and many other strange events are held. Identify.

4 This popular ritual in Maharashtra and Karnataka dates back almost 700 years. Legend has it that a saint advised people whose babies were dying to build a shrine and do this weird ritual to show their trust in the almighty. What did they do?

5 The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a Taoist celebration in countries such as Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia by the local Chinese communities. This Indian festival which memorialises the defeat of the demon Soorapadman with a vel (lance) by Lord Murugan’s is very much similar to this. Identify.